The group's vehicles, escorted by the Star Pupil Protoss fleet, sailed across the border and joined the Imperial main force. Under the wary and hostile gaze of the Star Pupil Protoss Clan, the main force turned around and left, transforming into streaks of light and disappearing into the starry sky.
As the border outpost receded from view, the imperial envoy turned to the two men beside him, smiling and nodding.
"Thank you both. Sisko was very cooperative, and the operation went smoothly."
Heber remained expressionless, waved his hand, and indicated that it was a trivial matter.
By demonstrating against other Beyond Grade A beings, he can also boost his prestige. Moreover, the Star Pupil Protoss's promise to pay compensation will definitely be recorded in history. As a fellow traveler, he will also leave a new mark on history, which is a good reward for him.
"This time Sisko has really messed up; they should stay quiet for a long time." Han Xiao smiled.
The threat posed by the Evolution Cube has finally been eliminated, and he is now in a very good mood.
"Yes, Sisko needs to deal with the aftermath, contend with competing cluster-level civilizations, and develop discreetly. It's estimated they won't make any moves for the next twenty or thirty years."
The imperial envoy echoed this sentiment, then glanced at his bracelet and said, "I must return to report to Suy Sue. Your Excellencies, farewell."
Han Xiao and Heber nodded, noted down the envoy's number, and then returned to their respective factions' ships, watching the imperial forces turn and leave.
"I'm leaving too." Heber sent Han Xiao a message and left with his troops from the War Realm. He was going to Shattered World to continue working as an overseer.
The grudge between the two has never been resolved, and it is estimated that it will be difficult for them to reconcile in the future. Their private relationship is still not very good. However, after going through this incident together, their alliance on the same side has deepened slightly compared to before.
Han Xiao put away the communicator and ordered Phillip, "Fleet, speed up. Let's head back to the Black Star Army headquarters first."
"Okay, hum."
The Black Star Army's warships unleashed a brilliant burst of light as energy surged into their engines, increasing their warp speed.
The evolutionary quotas for the cooperative civilizations in the Shattered Star Ring are due for this year, and the Empire will also be sending a new batch of elites over for transformation soon. Han Xiao plans to return to headquarters to handle these matters before heading to the Shattered World to continue his pioneering work.
This incident has had a wide-ranging impact. It has created a stunning Beyond Grade A achievement in the universe, increasing its deterrent power. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, it should be able to avoid trouble for a long time, possibly until the end of version 3.0.
The only hidden danger that lingered in my mind was the problem of the Sorokin.
The spatial coordinates of the region where the World Tree Civilization is located are like a time bomb. Advanced civilizations that control the coordinates at least know how to probe and protect themselves, but the Sorokin cannot predict the consequences. No one knows what this guy will do.
Unfortunately, this guy managed to take advantage of the chaos and was transformed by Evolution Energy, making him even stronger. Han Xiao figured that without some help, it would be really difficult to deal with the Sorokin.
However, for the Crimson Dynasty, the Arcane Church is the competitor that needs to be taken seriously. Han Xiao pondered that he would only spare manpower to deal with the Sorokin after the Empire reached a solution with the Arcane Cult.
The Sorokin is not to be trifled with. If too few people go, they might not be able to defeat him. If too many people go, he won't stay and fight head-on. The Empire has dealt with the Sorokin countless times but has never been able to kill him. This time, it is probably just to eliminate the Sorokin's followers. Han Xiao thought that he could only act according to the situation and take advantage of the situation.
Moreover, intelligence from the Empire indicates that the Sorokin left this star system through a cluster of wormholes in the Shattered Star Ring. There have been no sightings reported yet, so it's estimated that he was teleported to Desolate Universe Belt. We'll have to slowly search for his whereabouts, so there's no point in trying to deal with the Sorokin now; we can only wait.
As for now, Han Xiao decided to get through the experience penalty period first and try to level up. Only after he had a stronger foundation would his success rate be higher.
"The punishment period is less than six months long, it'll be over soon..."
Han Xiao secretly looked forward to it.
A few days later, Sisko finally made a public appearance within the tribe, and immediately held a government press conference to personally explain the actions taken during this period.
Due to recent public opinion, the citizens of the Star Pupil Protoss have been anxiously waiting, with almost every household glued to their screens, following the news.
Under the watchful eyes of millions, time seemed to pass very slowly.
Finally, it was time for the press conference to be broadcast live. Every household's screen flashed, and the broadcast finally started. Everyone's attention was highly focused, and their hearts were pounding.
Sisko appeared on screen, his expression heavy and serious, and slowly began to speak:
"Fellow citizens of the Star Pupil Protoss, colleagues in the government, greetings. I am Sisko. Regarding the recent turmoil, I will now provide a formal explanation and statement..."
Over the past few months, information about me has been circulating widely throughout the universe and has attracted much attention.
First of all, I want to express my deepest apologies to everyone. Due to some of my wrong decisions, I have found myself in a dangerous and difficult situation, which has also affected the community. I feel deeply guilty and ashamed about this. This is a stain on my record. A mistake is a mistake, and I will not make excuses.
A few days ago, the Crimson Dynasty visited and questioned me. Contrary to the false rumors circulating online, I did not flee. Instead, I immediately returned and consulted with the Crimson Dynasty's envoy. After the meeting, we reached a preliminary agreement.
On behalf of myself and the Star Pupil Protoss civilization, I apologize to the Crimson Dynasty for this incident and will fulfill the compensation agreement, the details of which are as follows:
Sisko read through all the terms of the reparations agreement, then said in a deep voice:
"On the other hand, I also extend my sincere apologies to the victim, Black Star, for which I am willing to make compensation."
One fact cannot be ignored: the Evolution Cube is the legacy of a certain civilization, not the exclusive property of the Star Pupil Protoss. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, we lost the Evolution Cube. The blame should fall on the Sorokin, not Black Star... We have already enjoyed the benefits brought by the Evolution Cube. Therefore, I will relinquish ownership of the Evolution Cube and transfer it to Black Star as compensation.
Fellow citizens, over the years, the Star Pupil Protoss has achieved brilliant success in economics and culture. Now we are in a slump. In our culture, every disaster brings new opportunities and resources. I hope that everyone can uphold this spirit, cooperate sincerely, maintain enthusiasm, overcome difficulties together, and get through this difficult period together.
We hope everyone understands our Choice, and we hope everyone will not forget the humiliation of today.
Finally, I wish everyone a happy life.
As soon as the words were spoken, the screen went black.
Sisko's speech ended, but it caused a strong aftershock throughout the Star Pupil Protoss society.
Countless people were shocked and outraged, and the situation was in an uproar!
For a civilized nation to publicly admit defeat is a huge loss of face, and now it even has to pay reparations; everyone feels ashamed.
For the entire Star Pupil Protoss, this was an undeserved disaster, entirely due to Sisko's own mistakes.
Moreover, Sisko actually publicly relinquished their "family heirloom," gifting it to the villain Black Star who stole it?
To everyone else, this was just empty talk about not being able to get the Evolution Cube back, like saying, "You took my things, and I can't take them back, so I don't want them anymore!"
How shameful!
This statement caused a huge uproar. In an instant, all sectors of the Star Pupil Protoss society condemned Sisko. His prestige, which he had accumulated over the years, plummeted rapidly. Some extreme and blind individuals even directly called him "the shame of the race," and the reaction was extremely fierce.
Inside the inner Council of State Affairs, a group of trusted confidants stood before Sisko, their faces showing reluctance.
"Sir Sisko, there's a lot of negative public opinion about you online right now. Don't you really need to control it?"
Sisko shook his head. "No need. This is a disgrace. The people need an outlet for their anger, so let them vent. Let them release their pent-up frustration. Once they've vented, they'll remember my past achievements. At that point, all I need to do is subtly guide public opinion."
"This is very detrimental to your prestige..." someone worried.
"When something reaches an extreme, it will inevitably cause a backlash," Sisko sighed. "Whether it's worship or hatred, once it reaches its peak, it will begin to slide to the other side. When negative public opinion reaches its zenith, naturally more and more people will speak up for me, which is more effective than simple control."
Is this really a good idea?
"There's nothing wrong with it." Sisko took a deep breath. "Past achievements cannot be used as an excuse for mistakes. The more Glory a person is, the larger the shadow they cast, and the more magnified their stains will be. I don't want everyone to sing my praises. Only with hate groups existing as the opposite of the people can I maintain my reputation for a long time. Shame can also give people motivation."
"I'm just afraid you'll be disappointed in us..." a trusted aide said in a low voice.
Sisko is the leader of the Star Pupil Protoss, but after becoming Beyond Grade A, Sisko himself is no longer Star Pupil Protoss. This is a potential gap in trust and a lingering shadow in the hearts of some.
"Rest assured, I will not forget my mother's clan."
Sisko shook his head; as Beyond Grade A, his convictions wouldn't be so easily shaken.
"The world is complex, I know, so I never mistake a one-sided corner for the whole picture, and the opinions of a few cannot represent the entire group. In the end, those who vent will find that no matter how much they condemn, I am still their leader, and they have no choice."
As for the current public opinion storm...
Sisko smiled, though he seemed to take it all in stride, a hint of weariness still lingering in his smile.
"The flames will eventually die down, the storm will eventually subside. Let's do what we need to do, and the rest we can just wait for it to calm down naturally."
"The Star Pupil Protoss has given in."
On the homeworld of the Arcane Church, after Sisko's speech finished playing on the virtual screen in the conference room, the bishops fell into a brief silence.
After a long silence, a bishop spoke, his voice deep, "This should soften the Empire's attitude somewhat."
Sisko severed his connection with the Evolution Cube, causing him to lose his ability to locate it. The Arcane Church also essentially gave up on the Evolution Cube, extinguishing their last glimmer of hope.
How is the ransom process going?
"The Empire has only agreed to let us redeem Motes and Dilun, and the price they're asking is very high."
"Well, let's redeem two first. That should satisfy the remaining allies who are still observing and maintain morale. As for Sagman and Taylor... the Empire won't make us redeem everyone so quickly, and our allies will understand."
Where is Ninja?
"He has escaped the Shattered Star Ring cluster used by spies and will be back in a while."
Fortunately Scepter of All Gods was with him.
The bishops' conference secretly breathed a sigh of relief when this matter was mentioned.
Six Beyond Grade A were sent out; four were captured, one had nowhere to escape, and only one managed to escape back to the Central Galaxy. And coincidentally, this person who escaped back was carrying the Scepter of All Gods. His luck was truly incredible.
In the eyes of these high-ranking individuals, the Scepter of All Gods is more important than the Beyond Grade A itself. Over the long course of time, new Beyond Grade A will continue to be born, while different Universal Treasure may only exist once.
It was a stroke of good luck that the most important Scepter of All Gods was not lost.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the Desolate Universe Belt beyond the Shattered Star Ring.
Due to the Crimson Dynasty's comprehensive search of the Shattered Star Ring, the Arcane Church spies were forced to establish stargate stations in the Desolate Universe Belt.
A spaceship is heading towards the stargate station marked on the star map; the person on board is Ninja, the only one who escaped.
Soon, the stargate station came into view, and Ninja finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Passing through this long-distance military stargate would allow him to traverse several star systems and return to the Central Galaxy. After fleeing in such a sorry state for so long, he could no longer endure this kind of life.
Buzz!
Just then, the spaceship jolted violently, its engines shut down, and it came to an abrupt stop.
What happened?
Ninja was startled and hurriedly tried to operate the spaceship, but all his commands were like throwing a stone into the sea; the spaceship did not respond at all, as if it had malfunctioned.
Just then, the ship shook violently.
Rumble rumble--
A tremendous external force pressed down from all directions, instantly turning the spaceship into a pile of scrap metal, like a crumpled piece of paper.
Bang!
A spherical white shield pierced through the armor and shot out from the wreckage. Ninja, covered in a magical shield, gripped the Scepter of All Gods encased in Space-Time Amber, scanning his surroundings warily, his intuition screaming a warning.
To think they were attacked here! Could it be that the Empire discovered the Stargate Station and set up an ambush?!
Just then, a voice rang in his mind.
"It wasn't easy finding you, ' Divine Spell ' Ninja. Hand over the Scepter of All Gods, and I might let you go."
As the voice transmitted, countless warp Frenzied Sword Fried Rice lit up the surrounding cosmic space, and figures rapidly appeared, their numbers skyrocketing until they quickly filled the area.
A pair of cold, indifferent electronic eyes stared at Ninja, their crimson light gleaming.
Directly in front of them was a tall, imposing figure, crackling with electricity, with a lifelike face and markings indicating that it was a mechanically manufactured body.
The moment Ninja saw this person, his expression changed drastically.
"Mechanic Emperor?!"