The crimson energy rapidly receded into Hila's body, the red light in her eyes gradually faded, and her entire aura underwent a complete transformation.
After about twenty years of training abroad, Hila finally took this step. In her previous life, she became Beyond Grade A even earlier, so she naturally possessed this potential.
Having transformed into Beyond Grade A species, Hila's appearance is more refined, her skin is clean and flawless, and her genes have been significantly optimized.
Although her growth rate couldn't compare to Black Star's freakish pace, Ames was equally amazed by Hila's talent. Compared to the transformation time of Beyond Grade A Species Metamorphosis, which often starts at a hundred years, Hila's special Grade S ability greatly shortened this process for her.
"How are you feeling?"
Ames looked Hila up and down, her eyes filled with admiration, as if she were looking at a work of art with Tu Shu.
"It's amazing." Hila sensed the changes and pondered, "So this is the world as seen through the eyes of Beyond Grade A being. Everything is different now."
"Hehe, take your time to appreciate it. We have plenty of time," Ames chuckled.
Hila exhaled, a look of excitement flashing in her eyes.
I should be able to barely keep up with Black Star's pace now.
You can go home now.
Ames manipulated the force field, took out a communicator, handed it to Hila, and said with a smile, "Want to share this good news with him?"
Hila took the communicator, hesitated for a few seconds, and shook her head.
"No, I'll go back myself and surprise him."
Constellation Corridor, Crimson Ring Star.
A disc-shaped spaceship passed through the Psionic Energy Restriction Belt and slowly headed towards the Imperial homeworld. In the ship's bridge, a tall figure stood in front of the porthole, silently watching the approaching Crimson Ring Star.
This person was entirely silver, with skin like flowing liquid metal. His face had only a pair of metallic eyes; the rest of his face was smooth as a mirror, reflecting the starry river outside the window. He was naked and had no sexual characteristics.
He was a newly born Beyond Grade A five years ago, and was once a Beyond Grade A Seed in the Sea of Star Spirits. A hundred years ago, he used a special method to lock himself in the core of a dying star to undergo a trial with a life-or-death situation. A hundred years later, he emerged from the core like a caterpillar, completing Species Metamorphosis. What was born from the core was a new life.
He abandoned his original name and called himself "Silver Shadow." He built his own Beyond Grade A force in the Sea of Star Spirits. In recent years, he has shown his prowess and accomplished many feats. His development has been very rapid, and he has soon gained a place in the Sea of Star Spirits.
Now, Silver Shadow has accepted the Crimson Dynasty's offer to join the empire, and today he has come to Crimson Ring Star to meet the head of state and, incidentally, to meet with the empire's Beyond Grade A circle.
At that moment, an officer approached from behind him and whispered, "Lord Silver Shadow, we will be landing soon."
"Hmm." Silver Shadow's voice echoed with a metallic buzzing sound, its tone cold and emotionless, like an electronic voice.
The official hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Lord Silver Shadow, why should we join the Empire?"
"You doubt my decision?" Silver Shadow asked without turning his head.
"No, no, I wouldn't dare."
The cadre hurriedly denied it. He had only recently joined Silver Shadow's ranks and dared not offend them. His tone was hesitant as he said, "I just feel that the Federation of Light and the Arcane Church are offering more generous terms."
Silver Shadow remained noncommittal. "It just so happens that the Shattered World is undergoing a major development, and the Empire's allure has taken over, forcing Glory and Arcane to offer higher prices. It's not because they value me. However, the Sea of Star Spirits's power is nearing saturation, and only the Shattered World can provide me with sufficient room for development. Choosing the Empire is more suitable for me... However, these are not the main reasons I joined."
"Then what is your purpose?"
"The Evolution Cube... and Black Star." Silver Shadow paused, "If Black Star hadn't been in the Empire, possessing the Evolution Cube, I might not have joined."
"Yes, the Empire said they've summoned some Beyond Grade A to see you. I don't know if Black Star will come. If he is, you can make your request to him," the officer said.
"Heh, as far as I know, those veteran Beyond Grade A rarely appear at this kind of welcoming ceremony. The most likely person to be seen is Dark Emperor Clottey, the bodyguard of Urranrell. I don't know if Black Star will come..." Silver Shadow said calmly, "But if he does come, it's a good opportunity to spar with him."
"You want to spar with Black Star?" The officer was startled. "He was Peak Beyond Grade A a decade ago, ranking among the Mechanical Deity. Although he hasn't made any moves in recent years, but... but..."
"I know what you mean. There's no need to say more. The Beyond Grade A circles of the Three Universal Civilizations have always had a habit of making things difficult for newcomers. If you want to have a voice, you have to prove yourself with strength. Since a fight is inevitable, it's better to find someone powerful."
Silver Shadow turned around and said coldly:
"Dark Emperor, Dragon King, and Phantom God —these three veteran Beyond Grade A hold the highest positions in the Crimson Dynasty. Following them is Black Star, who only became Beyond Grade A two or three decades ago. He has a 99% chance of succeeding the former three, becoming the empire's pillar and wielding the greatest power. I'll have to listen to him. Black Star has grown to this level in just over twenty years. I'm very interested in him; if he wants to be above me, I need to test whether he's as powerful as the rumors suggest."
Soon, the spaceship slowly landed at the Tyrant Hamill Palace, the political heart of Crimson Ring Star. Silver Shadow led the cadres off the spaceship and followed the reception staff through the gate.
Boom!
In that instant, a powerful aura of Beyond Grade A erupted from afar, pressing down on him fiercely—clearly a customary show of force.
Silver Shadow showed no weakness, his unique Beyond Grade A aura rising up as he forcefully retorted.
Thump thump thump--
Invisible shockwaves seemed to burst forth in mid-air.
Sensing his attitude, the Beyond Grade A aura receded like a tide.
"Let's go see the head of state first." Silver Shadow glanced coldly in the direction from which the imposing aura had erupted, then followed the smiling receptionist in another direction.
Meanwhile, in a room some distance away, many of the Empire's Beyond Grade A allies were waiting.
"These newcomers are so arrogant; not one of them is willing to back down," Beoni remarked.
"Yes, back then I... cough cough." Viru coughed twice, embarrassed, and secretly glanced at Han Xiao's Dominion clone sitting in the head seat.
Han Xiao chuckled and teased, "Back then, you couldn't even beat me, a newbie."
"That's different. You're a special existence who broke historical records. You're already at the Peak Beyond Grade A. Losing to you back then... shouldn't be shameful, right?" Viru chuckled awkwardly to cover up his embarrassment.
"No, it's shameful," Swordswoman Fu coldly added.
Everyone present burst into laughter, filling the room with a joyful atmosphere.
Over the years, Han Xiao has built deeper friendships with most of the Empire's Beyond Grade A allies. Due to his strength and Legend Points status, he has gained greater influence in this circle, ranking second only to the Dark Emperor, the Dragon King, and the Phantom God. He has risen from a newcomer to a veteran.
Now, among the Empire's Beyond Grade A allies, only the stubborn Little Tyrant remains who doesn't respect him; everyone else treats him with great awe.
There are nine Beyond Grade A present today. Old Dragon and Kant are not here, which is more than the number of people Han Xiao had last time.
The last newcomer to experience this kind of situation was Han Xiao himself. Seeing Silver Shadow, he seemed to see himself back then, equally sharp and ambitious.
He had no interest in bullying newcomers with this group of Beyond Grade A, so he wasn't among those who had just unleashed their power. He chose to meet Silver Shadow mainly because he was somewhat interested in this person, recalling his experiences from his past life.
If I remember correctly, Silver Shadow is a special Beyond Grade A being who underwent a mutation during the process of Species Metamorphosis, transforming himself into something akin to Universal Treasure. However, at this point, this hidden attribute should not have awakened yet.
In the later versions of the previous game, Silver Shadow had a well-known nickname among players: "Beyond Grade A Bus"!
According to incomplete statistics, no fewer than twenty Beyond Grade A warriors used the Silver Shadow technique during the World Tree War.
The one who used it most often was the late-blooming Carrot, who was nicknamed "Carrot who misused public transport."
Although Han Xiao wanted to turn the bus into a private car, the idea was a bit unrealistic, so he mainly wanted to make contact with the other party first.
At this moment, Ravenlaude looked around and asked, "We might have to spar later, who wants to go up?"
"I'm not interested," Swordswoman Fu coldly refused.
"Don't bother me," Beoni waved his hand. "You know I'm not good at one-on-one fights."
"I..." Viru hesitated for a moment. Because of the lesson Han Xiao had taught him, he wasn't enthusiastic about this kind of thing anymore. He shook his head. "I'm not going either."
"Black Star, are you interested?" Maxiler looked over.
"I don't fight unnecessary battles." Han Xiao waved his hand; he had no intention of bullying a newcomer he could befriend.
Moreover, Crimson Ring Star is the capital of the empire, and he doesn't have many mechanized troops here; if they're damaged, they'll have to be repaired.
"If none of you are going, then I'll do it," Kohler, the nobody standing to the side, helplessly.
Everyone immediately turned to look, their faces filled with suspicion.
To be fair, Kohler is widely considered the worst, even worse than Beoni.
"I'm a martial artist who excels in one-on-one combat, what kind of looks are those?" Kohler said, annoyed and embarrassed.
"I'm afraid you'll embarrass yourself," the swordswoman Fu said succinctly.
While everyone was teasing Kohler, Han Xiao moved closer to Beoni and whispered, "How have you been lately?"
"What else can I do?" Beoni said irritably, "It's all because of you. The Modo Civilization civilization suppresses my people every day. Last time, they even launched a round of long-range interstellar missiles at my Land of the Fire Core, razing me to the ground. Are you going to compensate me?"
"No compensation. You'll have to go to the Empire for that. It was the Empire that told me to do this." Han Xiao coughed lightly.
Over the years, Rotel has stirred up trouble in the Modo Civilization, assassinating one target after another, and has angered the Modo Civilization countless times.
Modo vented his anger on Beoni, an imperial ally in the same Ancient Star Desert, who had been suppressed and humiliated over the years, and whose innocent bystanders were caught in the crossfire.
While Rotel is cautious and reliable, he is not without danger. He grows rapidly through these Danger at Every Turn, and although luck plays a part, it's not as exaggerated as Fording's or Nero's. He relies more on his own abilities to turn danger into safety.
His Assassins Mutual Aid Society was also thriving, training a group of interstellar assassins. Ostensibly a black market bounty hunter organization, it was secretly the "Shadow Walkers" directly under Han Xiao's command.
After chatting for a while, Silver Shadow's aura suddenly grew stronger as she approached. Everyone knew that Silver Shadow had finished talking with the leader and was coming over, so they suppressed their smiles and tightened their expressions.
brush.
The door opened, and two figures walked in. One was Clottey, who had no expression on her face. She went straight to Han Xiao and sat down next to him.
The other was Silver Shadow. He stood in the center of the room, looked around, observed the Beyond Grade A beings present, and finally fixed his gaze on Han Xiao's Dominion clone.
"So you're the Silver Shadow of the Sea of Star Spirits?" Viru spoke first, feigning a cold snort. "You seem to have little respect for us."
Silver Shadow said calmly, "Why should I respect you?"
"Pretty arrogant, but unfortunately, this is the Crimson Dynasty. The Empire doesn't allow such a powerful figure to exist," Kohler sneered from the side.
As soon as he finished speaking, Han Xiao couldn't help but glance at him again.
The format of this sentence sounds so familiar...
Silver Shadow looked at Kohler, remained silent for a long while, and then asked, "Does the Empire have anyone named you? I've never heard of you."
Kohler's gaze turned cold. He had only been pretending, but now that his weakness had been exposed, the baby was genuinely unhappy.
"In the Beyond Grade A circle, status and influence are earned through strength, and I'm sure you understand that rule." Kohler rested his arm on his knee and leaned forward. "You joined the Empire and got past the Führer, but you haven't gotten past us yet. How about it, dare to spar with me?"
"You? Forget it, you're no match for me."
Silver Shadow spoke calmly, as if she were simply stating a fact.
Before Kohler could continue speaking, he turned to Han Xiao and slowly said, "If we're going to spar, we should choose someone strong. Black Star, do you have the guts to fight me?"
Han Xiao was taken aback.
Why am I suddenly being dragged into this?
I'm just here to observe.
Everyone's eyes lit up, and they immediately became interested, their faces showing amusement.
Once you step into the Beyond Grade A, you feel like you're incredibly strong and directly challenge those at the top. This type of new Beyond Grade A only appears once or twice occasionally, so no one found Silver Shadow's performance strange.
Young people are like calves; it's normal for them to be bold and have a strong sense of self-confidence. Daring to challenge stronger opponents is also a good quality.
Han Xiao was about to refuse when he suddenly noticed a movement on the panel, and immediately swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
He glanced at the notification and couldn't help but exclaim inwardly.
Silver Shadow took the initiative to challenge, directly triggering Beyond Grade A challenge mission. Just like Heber and Manison's missions, the experience reward was plentiful, and you could also extract one of the opponent's abilities.
After years of research, Han Xiao has gained a good understanding of the triggering mechanism for such missions. If Beyond Grade A character publicly challenges him, the probability of a mission appearing is extremely high. Although there are only a few people in the audience at this moment, they are all important figures in the universe, and their influence factor is sufficient.
This newcomer is too generous, giving me an ability right off the bat... Han Xiao couldn't help but shake his head.
"Alright, no need for reverse psychology, I agree."
Silver Shadow nodded, then suddenly said, "Just sparring isn't fun, how about we bet on something?"
Han Xiao asked curiously, "What do you want to bet on?"
"I want to borrow the Evolution Cube. If I gain the upper hand, or even win, please grant my request. If I lose, I'll agree to one request: that you won't cross any lines."
"Sure, no big deal." Han Xiao nodded, figuring he wouldn't lose out either way.
At this moment, Clottey, who had been observing coldly, spoke calmly, "Fight outside the Psionic Energy Restriction Belt, don't engage in combat near the home planet."
Upon hearing this, Han Xiao's mood suddenly became a little strange.
It seems you said the same thing last time, didn't you? You didn't even change your lines. Did you come here specifically to be the referee?
In the head of state's office at the Tyrant Hamill Palace, Urranrell stood by the window, looking up as a fleet of Beyond Grade A spaceships took off and disappeared into the horizon.
"Your Excellency, Black Star and the others have already left?"
There were also several high-ranking officials in the room, all of whom had been advocating for the surrender of the Evolution Cube over the years. Among them were the hardliner Bekorodi and Ludwell, who had indirectly received help from Han Xiao in the past.
Urranrell turned around and said calmly, "Yes, Clottey said they went to spar outside the Psionic Energy Restriction Belt."
"Well..." Bekorodi pondered for a moment, then said, "Your Excellency, what do you think of this plan?"
Urranrell frowned slightly. "Gaud's capabilities are indeed unprecedented, but even our technology can't achieve this. Are you sure he's confident?"
"Not yet," Bekorodi shook his head. "He told me that only when he reaches Beyond Grade A will his abilities be able to analyze the principles of Evolution Energy. You know, superhumans have always been creators of miracles; so many special technologies were brought about by superhumans."
"Beyond Grade A..." Urranrell shook his head, "Does he really think he can reach that level? Even if he can, how long would it take?"
"I don't know, we can only wait."
Upon hearing this, Urranrell fell silent.
Seeing this, Bekorodi n't help but continue to persuade him, "Your Excellency, this is a good opportunity. Over the years, Black Star has proven that the Empire's chances of obtaining the Evolution Cube from him are extremely slim, and we cannot use force against him. However, if we analyze the Evolution Energy ourselves and simulate and replicate it, even Black Star won't have anything to say. This won't offend him, and even if he is dissatisfied, he won't be in the right. There's no rule that says we can't research Evolution Energy; this is technological progress, and he has no right to interfere!"
"I know," Urranrell frowned, "But Gaud's condition is that he can only come into contact with the Evolution Cube itself. If anything unusual happens and Black Star discovers it, it might turn against Black Star."
"It's a small risk, but we're not trying to steal his cubes, so it's not that serious. Besides, Gaud is currently an important trainee of our Empire's direct line, and providing him with evolution slots in the future is simply Black Star's duty."
Urranrell hesitated. The Evolution Cube belonged to Black Star, and the Empire couldn't possibly steal it, but it would be a different story if they researched it themselves.
From a personal perspective, Urranrell had no complaints about Black Star and even liked him very much.
However, as the head of state, she had to consider the issue from the perspective of the empire—the benefits of the Evolutionary Totem were too great, and it needed to be recharged every ten or twenty years. Allowing outsiders to monopolize it was ultimately unsettling.
"This isn't necessarily about seizing Black Star's interests, but rather a precaution in case Black Star loses the Evolution Cube one day. Therefore, the Empire should research the secrets of the Evolution Cube as a backup," Bekorodi, striking while the iron was hot.
"He makes a good point," Ludwell echoed casually.
To be honest, Ludwell owed Han Xiao a favor before, but in recent years he has repaid many of those favors by advocating for investment in the Shattered Star Ring and suppressing the Infinite Financial Group.
The reason Ludwell didn't oppose Bekorodi today, and even supported the plan, wasn't because he had a problem with Han Xiao; he was simply doing his job... In his view, the plan was indeed highly feasible.
Urranrell pondered for a moment, exhaled, and slowly said:
"Bekorodi, Black Star will be back in a bit. Invite him to talk on your behalf, and make one last offer: ask him if he's willing to exchange Evolution Cube for something else."
"If he still refuses, then let's officially approve this plan... Remember, the fewer people who know about this, the better, especially don't tell Black Star. If he knew about this beforehand, he would definitely try to obstruct it. Let's wait until everything has settled down before making any further decisions."
Upon hearing this, Bekorodi and the others' eyes lit up with joy, and they all nodded in agreement.
"Clear."