A small, high-warp-speed spacecraft is rapidly transitioning through space, like a flash of white light piercing through a dark curtain.
The spaceship was set to autopilot, and there were only two people in the cabin: Ames and Hila.
Hila sat upright, her eyes slightly closed, her fingers spread out on her knees. She moved her fingers slightly, manipulating strands of death energy that moved flexibly between her fingers, training her control over her supernatural abilities.
Opposite her, Ames reclined on the sofa, one hand supporting her head, the other resting on her waist. Her slipped sleeve revealed her fair wrist, as white as snow, and two long, gracefully curved legs extended from the slit of her black dress, crossed together in a languid pose.
"You're really hardworking. Even at Beyond Grade A, you're still training all the time." Ames's gaze followed the death energy between Hila's fingers, and she couldn't help but sigh.
Hila opened her eyes, her tone calm, "Beyond Grade A is not the end. The road ahead is endless. We cannot be satisfied with temporary achievements."
"I think you should take a break. You need to balance work and rest, you know?"
Ames shook her head helplessly. She was very satisfied with her beloved student in every way, but he was just too competitive. Compared to him, she, as his teacher, was practically a couch potato.
"There will be plenty of time to rest later." Hila shook her head. "When I get back, I'll definitely have a sparring match with Han Xiao to test my current strength, so I can't slack off yet. Every little bit helps."
"Don't worry, knowing Black Star as I do, he won't let you lose too badly or damage your confidence." Ames smiled lightly, then swiped her finger to open the virtual star map and glanced at the flight path, saying, "We'll reach the inter-stellar gate of the Ancient Star Desert in two days. We can go directly to the Constellation Corridor, and then use Black Star's identity to take the Empire's military fast track, saving a lot of time. We'll be back on Shattered Star very quickly..."
Before she could finish speaking, the communicator placed to the side suddenly beeped, displaying the caller's information.
"It's Black again... wait, it's old Iso." Ames turned her head and glanced at it, thinking it was another barrage of calls from Han Xiao, but found it was Iso calling.
Sitting up, Ames used her force field to grab the communicator and connect the call. Iso's image appeared on the screen.
What do you want?
"Where are you now? When are you going back to Dragon Calm?" Iso asked.
"We're still in the Ancient Star Desert, almost at the Star Gate."
"There's enough time, you guys hurry up," Iso said calmly. "I have a premonition that a new Beyond Grade A from the Arcane Church will come to Dragon Calm to challenge us soon, and we need your help."
Well, before Tolain could even take any action, Iso sensed the shift in the world line; the old man's thuggish abilities were at work once again.
Ames's eyes flashed, a half-smile playing on her lips. "A freshman Beyond Grade A looking for me? I get it, another attempt to build up their reputation, huh? Of the five Beyond Grade A in the Shattered Star Ring, they chose me out of the blue, thinking I'm the easiest to bully, is that it?"
Dragon Calm is currently stationed near Planet Aquamarine, supporting the Black Star Army. However, this is a challenge between Beyond Grade A beings. The opponent has specifically challenged Dragon Calm, and although the Black Star Army is an ally, they cannot rashly intervene without Ames's permission. Moreover, she can handle this minor matter herself, and she doesn't intend to ask the Black Star for help.
After hanging up the call, Ames noticed Hila staring intently at her.
"What, you're interested?" Ames glanced at her and immediately understood Hila's meaning.
"You're my teacher, let me help you this time." Hila nodded, a cold glint in her eyes.
She had originally planned to go directly to the Legion to report the good news to Han Xiao after returning to the Shattered Star Ring, but due to this incident, she immediately changed her mind and decided to go to Dragon Calm first.
The opponent is also a freshman Beyond Grade A, and such opponents are rare.
This is a good opportunity to test my current combat capabilities.
On one of the smaller islands of Floating Dragon Island, a group of newly recruited crew members were training in the square, supervised by Verna, the current commander of the Dragon Calm Field Operations Force.
More than twenty years have passed since Dragon Calm took root on Planet Aquamarine. In these years, it has developed rapidly, with the area of its floating islands constantly expanding and its troops and manpower increasing significantly. Although its business is far inferior to that of the Black Star Army and the War Realm, compared to its previous insignificant scale, it is now a qualified Beyond Grade A force.
Correspondingly, the size of Dragon Calm's cadre team has also expanded, and everyone's workload has become increasingly heavy. Verna took over Han Xiao's position and has served Dragon Calm ever since, always fulfilling her duties conscientiously.
Although she was relatively gentle, she could be quite serious when she put on a stern face, which made the group of novice crew members who were being trained dare not slack off and bury themselves in hard work.
"Beep beep."
Just then, the miniature communicator on her wrist rang; it was Iso calling.
As soon as the call connected, Iso didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point with his orders:
"You have assembled your fleet and deployed defensive formations."
"So suddenly?"
Verna muttered something to herself, then without hesitation, loudly ordered her subordinates to board the ship and assemble the fleet for takeoff.
Ames had specifically instructed that when she was not around, Jenny and Iso would be the leaders, and the troops would be under their command.
Under Verna's command, the armed forces of Dragon Calm quickly assembled and formed a tight defensive array around Dragon Calm.
Many crew members initially thought something was about to happen, but after a while, everything was calm and no new orders came from above.
"Why is there no sound? What are they doing now?"
"Is this a drill?"
Just as everyone was wondering, a sudden change occurred!
"Buzzing--"
All the ships simultaneously sounded alarms, and a massive fleet appeared on the detection radar, rapidly approaching!
The next moment, streaks of light shot from afar and hovered in the outer space of Planet Aquamarine, revealing the original form of an armed fleet, with each ship bearing the insignia of the Arcane Church.
"The Arcane Church?!"
Verna's expression changed, and she was taken aback.
If she was like this, the other members of Dragon Calm were even more shocked. Everyone immediately tensed up, their nerves on edge, as if facing a formidable enemy.
Unlike the Black Star Army, which frequently interacts with cosmic-level civilizations, Dragon Calm has few opportunities to come into contact with them. Upon suddenly encountering one, it's inevitable that their imaginations will run wild.
Not only Dragon Calm, but also the observatories on Planet Aquamarine were alerted!
The observers frantically relayed the message back to headquarters. The intelligence was uploaded at breakneck speed, skipping several layers and reaching Bennett's decision-making level directly.
"The Arcane Church has suddenly arrived?!"
Inside the government building on Planet Aquamarine, Bennett was equally surprised.
As a leader of a civilization protected by the Peace Treaty, the Black Star Army, the Crimson Dynasty, and the Floating Dragon Island, he was not afraid of any ill intentions from the Arcane Church. However, their uninvited and ostentatious attitude was highly inconsistent with diplomatic etiquette and clearly showed that the other party had ill intentions, which made him feel uneasy.
With this in mind, Bennett did not hesitate to issue the order.
"Quickly, summon Black Star's clone!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than he caught a glimpse of two figures rapidly ascending into the air outside the window. Turning his head, he saw that Nero and Mia had already disappeared into the horizon. He rushed to check the situation first.
Meanwhile, aboard the flagship of the Arcane Church, Tolain glanced at the heavily armed fleet outside Dragon Calm and curled his lip in disappointment.
"Tsk, I thought I could scare them, but seeing how flustered they are... it seems like they knew we were coming all along. Did their stealth fail? Or was it that legendary Iso's prophetic ability?"
Shaking his head, Tolain decided to stop thinking about it. His sudden appearance was just his mischievous hobby, not a real sneak attack. In the end, he would still come to challenge them fair and square.
He turned to the fleet commander beside him, gestured with his lip, and said, "Issue a broadcast announcing the purpose of my visit."
The fleet commander nodded and ordered his men to do as he was told.
The Arcane Fleet arrived with overwhelming force, and both Dragon Calm and Planet Aquamarine were on high alert. After some negotiations, the two sides reached a consensus: the Dragon Calm Fleet would make way for Tolain to land on Dragon Calm in his spaceship.
call--
The spaceship landed at the dock on the main island of Dragon Calm. The hatch opened with a whoosh, and Tolain strode down the gangway and onto the land of Dragon Calm.
A group of Dragon Calm warriors, armed with weapons, surrounded them, each appearing quite tense.
There was no other way. The other party's identity and intentions had already been announced in the broadcast. Now that Ames was not in charge in Dragon Calm, most people were afraid of facing a Beyond Grade A who had come with ill intentions.
Tolain glanced at them and said coldly, "Those in charge, come out and speak."
A commotion arose in the crowd as Iso and Jenny led their men out of the way.
Jenny remained expressionless. "I am the Grand Steward of Dragon Calm. His Majesty the Dragon Emperor Throne is not at home. You have come at an inopportune time."
"I don't care if she's here or not, just give me an answer: does she dare to accept my challenge?" Tolain stood with his hands behind his back, adopting the arrogant posture of a master.
"I can't make that decision," Jenny shook her head.
"Then you bald bastard, shut up and contact Ames. Get her an answer." Tolain said bluntly.
Unlike most Beyond Grade A criminals, although he had cleaned up his act and gone ashore, he still carried the bandit-like air of a wanted criminal, arrogant, domineering, and speaking bluntly.
"Bald, bald guy?!"
Jenny was stunned for a moment, then flew into a rage.
My hairline is just a little high, I'm not bald! I still have hair!
At this moment, Iso spoke calmly, "I have already informed Ames, and she has accepted your challenge."
"Oh, you're Iso?" Tolain turned to look at him, his eyes filled with interest. "I've heard of you. They say you're an immortal being, quite capable. How about joining me?"
"You're not qualified." Iso smiled. Although he wasn't Beyond Grade A, his aura was much more composed than that of Tolain, the newly minted Beyond Grade A, making him seem more like a boss.
"Tsk." Tolain snorted coldly, ignoring him, and raised his voice. "Since Ames has agreed, I'll wait here until she returns... What are you glaring at me for? Get me a room!"
Just then, figures flew in from the distant Planet Aquamarine and landed on the dock with a clang.
Two of them were Nero and Mia, and the rest were all mechanical troops left by Han Xiao on Planet Aquamarine, including a Dominion clone.
Upon seeing Black Star's men arrive, the surrounding Dragon Calm warriors breathed a sigh of relief.
Han Xiao's prestige in Dragon Calm continues to this day. In the minds of many Dragon Calm members, Black Star, their ally, is more reliable than their superior Dragon Emperor.
Han Xiao's consciousness had already descended upon this clone, pushing through the crowd to look Tolain up and down, his tone puzzled:
"What, are you tired of living?"
He knew the new Beyond Grade A students might cause trouble, but he didn't expect them to be so reckless, daring to come to his home planet. Were they courting death?
His current status is different from before. If someone provokes him, he wouldn't mind killing a Arcane Beyond Grade A. It just so happens that the Empire has asked him to maintain order, and killing someone to establish authority is the best way to do that.
"It's you." Tolain glanced at it and said indifferently, "Lord Black Star, I'm not here today to target you. This matter has nothing to do with you."
"Wow, this guy's attitude is pretty arrogant. I don't know how many people as cocky as you I've killed by now..." Han Xiao thought to himself.
He had read all the information on the new Beyond Grade A students that the Empire had shared with him, and recognized the guy in front of him as "Red Devil" Tolain, who had joined the Arcane. In his previous life, Tolain was considered Number One shot. He was neither strong nor weak among the Beyond Grade A, but he always had a mysterious confidence, an extremely flamboyant style, and was very good at causing trouble. He was lucky that he had never been killed.
The Beyond Grade A characters have very different personalities. There are big shots like the Mechanic Emperor and the Dark Emperor, as well as old foxes like Sorokin. There are lazy people like Ames, and people like Heber who care about their image. There are men like myself who can't hide their handsomeness even when they are low-key, and there are high-profile and flamboyant hillbillies like Tolain.
"The Dragon Emperor is my ally. Since she's not here, I'll play along with you?" Han Xiao tilted his head.
"No need." Tolain held up his palm, his face arrogant. "I can't beat you."
Han Xiao was stunned for a moment.
With that look on your face, I thought you were going to say something nasty!
Is this what they mean by saying the most cowardly things in the harshest tone?!
You decisively backed down, completely blocking my path. You're quite the clever little devil!
Han Xiao originally intended to teach Tolain a lesson, but he didn't expect the guy to be so straightforward and "arrogantly" back down.
Although Tolain was arrogant, he was also aware of his own limitations. He knew that Planet Aquamarine was the mother planet of Black Star and dared not offend Han Xiao, Peak Beyond Grade A. Therefore, he insisted on challenging Dragon Calm and refused to fight Han Xiao no matter what.
Han Xiao couldn't directly confront such a shameless person. There were rules to the challenges between Beyond Grade A, and even though they were allies, he couldn't overstep his bounds.
Just then, ripples appeared in the space not far away, and the Palace of Hidden Spells leaped out from the void.
Han Xiao was completely stunned by what he saw.
Austin?
It's you again?!
You're everywhere! You really know how to get involved in something!
However, Austin wasn't just there for show. After being teleported from the Palace of Hidden Spells, a small portal appeared next to him, and a small spaceship flew out and landed at Dragon Calm Dock.
With a whoosh, the hatch opened, and long, fair legs stepped out. Ames and Hila walked off the spaceship one after the other.
"Just rushing around isn't enough time, so I asked Austin to help me teleport."
Ames smiled and gestured to the crowd.
Han Xiao couldn't help but look up and saw Austin, who looked like a little baby, sitting cross-legged in the air at the top of the Palace of Hidden Spells. He raised two fingers together and casually waved them in front of his forehead, giving Han Xiao a teasing salute.
"Show-off," Han Xiao thought to himself.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Ames turned to Tolain, her smile fading.
"So you want to challenge Dragon Calm?"
"You already know, why ask?" Tolain scoffed.
Ames nodded, then suddenly took a step back, revealing Hila beside her, and chuckled, "Want to fight me? Fine, beat my student first. She's one of my people, Dragon Calm."
Hila stepped forward and placed it in front of Ames.
Although Han Xiao's clone was also present, she didn't even glance at him after landing. Her gaze remained fixed on Tolain, her expression indifferent and extremely focused.
"She?"
Tolain was somewhat surprised. He looked Torion up and down, then remembered the information he had seen about the Black Star Army not long ago, and immediately became somewhat dissatisfied.
"I recognize her. She seems to be a high-ranking officer in the Black Star Army. A mere Calamity Grade being, are you trying to kill her, or are you trying to humiliate me?"
However, as soon as he finished speaking, a surge of death energy erupted from Hila's body, accompanied by a powerful energy fluctuation that shot into the sky!
Rumble--
The shockwave spread violently, like a muffled thunderclap, cracking the ground at Dragon Calm Wharf and blowing the surrounding crowds to their sides.
Everyone quickly regained their footing and looked back at the arena, their eyes focused on Hila, who was radiating red energy. Everyone's eyes were filled with shock and astonishment.
This level of energy fluctuation... a new Beyond Grade A!!