Chapter 1414 Opening Ceremony

A dense formation of fleets surrounded a cyan planet. Multicolored spotlights traversed the planet's artificial atmosphere, painting the sky with aurora-like hues.

This was a desolate planet within the territory of the Black Star Army, transformed into one of the venues for the Black Star Cup. The surface was dotted with countless arenas, low-altitude vehicle racetracks, and massive stadiums, visible even from outer space. In addition to the surface structures, floating platforms dotted the sky, some serving as VIP seating exclusively for C-grade and above Army members, while others functioned as arenas. With a multitude of events and participants, there was a need to maximize the number of competition venues to enhance the efficiency of the preliminary rounds.

At this moment, all the media and Army member ships in outer space focused their view on the largest floating platform, where a podium had been set up.

Today was the opening ceremony, and Han Xiao, as the leader of the Army and the initiator of the Black Star Cup, would address the entire universe from this platform.

Countless interstellar citizens from various explored star fields across the universe remained glued to their communicators, watching the time tick by, eagerly awaiting the official commencement of the opening ceremony.

Whoosh!

Under the expectant gazes of the masses, a black figure descended like a meteor falling from outer space, gradually slowing down and landing precisely on the edge of the platform. With a gentle spin, the swirling black and gold-embroidered coat resembled a whirlwind of darkness, shaking off the stardust accumulated during its atmospheric descent.

Han Xiao slowly walked behind the podium, lifted his head to look at the sky. The spotlights from countless ships high above resembled distant stars. He knew countless eyes were watching him through the media broadcasts.

Resting his hands on either side of the podium, Han Xiao surveyed the starlight in the sky and began to speak, his voice resonating across the planet through the specially designed amplification system.

"October 2nd, Star Sea Calendar 688, is the day the Black Star Mercenary Group—the predecessor of the Black Star Army—was founded. At that time, I was just a native of a surface civilization, having just left Aquamarine Star. To save my home planet, I was like a clueless young beast, stumbling into the vast universe. To me at that time, this was a world full of unknown dangers, but for the survival of my home planet and the safety of the friends I left behind, I went without hesitation..."

The speech was broadcast simultaneously on various star field network channels. Upon hearing this, the people of Aquamarine Star, who were waiting in front of their screens, saw the memories of that period of history dusting off and becoming vivid once again. A sense of pride welled up within them.

Regardless of Black Star's status in the universe, in the eyes of the people of Aquamarine Star, he had only one identity: the planet's well-deserved great man, the first pioneer of Aquamarine Star to step into the universe. It was one small step for Black Star, but one giant leap for Aquamarine Star.

In the Federal Government Building of Aquamarine, Bennet had canceled an administrative meeting to watch the broadcast on television.

Now his hair was completely white, but still neatly styled. The wrinkles on his face had deepened, making him look like an old man. Over the years, he had wielded great power on the planet, exuding an air of authority.

But at this moment, Bennet's lips curled up, and he smiled, revealing the wrinkles on his face. A twinkle sparkled in his eyes.

The slender figure he first saw decades ago slowly merged with the tall and stalwart Black Star of today.

A thousand words welled up in his heart, eventually turning into a sigh of satisfaction.

"...I'm glad I met you..."

The speech continued, Han Xiao's tone gradually rising.

"When I was weak, I encountered crises and mentors. Along the way, there were both antagonistic enemies and like-minded friends. Those early days are still vivid in my mind, but now, looking back, it feels like a past life.

I worked tirelessly, taking more than forty years to build the Black Star Army from scratch, allowing it to grow into what it is today, gaining a place in the universe. I think I have the right to be proud of it..."

Many Army members nodded in agreement, with expressions of admiration on their faces.

Almost all Army members had taken ideological construction classes and understood the Army's rise. Even those who joined the Army for the sake of their careers admired Black Star's achievements over the past forty years.

Throughout the history of the Star Sea, how many people could start from scratch in such a short period and build such a large foundation? The answer was none!

Of course, some people had achieved greater success than Black Star, but it took them longer. Only Black Star, with an unprecedented momentum, rose in the Star Sea, leaving a strong mark on history.

In the exploration front stronghold in the Free Competition Zone, Hela watched Han Xiao on the screen. The memories of their past adventures flashed through her mind, and her eyes gradually softened.

Marceau, Kersuye, Solokin, and other Super-A Grades were also watching the broadcast. Even Ulan Riel, the head of the empire, took time out of her busy schedule to pay attention. Hearing Han Xiao's words, they all felt somewhat emotional and sighed.

Perhaps Black Star had various conflicts of interest with them, but from the bottom of their hearts, they also admired Black Star's achievements. If they were in his place, none of them believed they could have done better than Black Star.

"What was I doing when I was under a hundred years old... It seems I was still helping the former patriarch manage military logistics?"

Marceau couldn't help but fall into reminiscence.

On the scene, Han Xiao listed the Army's achievements to date, his tone becoming increasingly formal.

"...As mentioned above, the Black Star Army has achieved many brilliant results, but its contribution to the universe is too insignificant. I feel deeply ashamed. Therefore, I think I should give a public report to the entire universe, let everyone see our current demeanor, and strive to give every potential person the opportunity to show their talents. This is the purpose of my Black Star Cup..."

"That's right..." Ulan Riel nodded in approval.

She liked to see Super-A Grade figures making contributions to the entire universe while enjoying their privileges. Unfortunately, most people did not have this awareness. In her eyes, although Black Star was also a profit-seeker, she considered it rare that he had such awareness.

As the speech drew to a close, Han Xiao's lips curled up into a smile, and he said, "I've said enough. Next, this stage should be handed over to the promising young men of the Black Star Army... So, I hereby announce that the first Black Star Cup Army League—officially begins!"

As the words fell, thunderous applause erupted on the scene!

—No doubt, this was a post-production sound effect.

One had to put on a show. It would be too awkward if no one applauded after the speech. Besides, the Army members were all inside the ships, and applause couldn't be transmitted.

Amidst the cheers and applause, Han Xiao teleported away. Event organizers immediately took the stage to mobilize the opening matches and arrange for the many contestants to enter.

The audience members took their seats, and the venue immediately became lively and bustling.

According to the plans of a group of professional event planners Silvia had hired, the opening ceremony on the first day would feature a large-scale performance, with only a few of the main events being selected to be played.

Combat events were definitely included. Referring to the formats of professional leagues in his previous life, Han Xiao also set up subdivided events such as individual matches, team matches, gauntlet mode, capture the flag, off-road races, and even the gameplay from professional leagues in his previous life's later stages, using them in the Black Star Cup.

From ordinary people to Calamity Grades, and even an exclusive category for the Undying, representatives were randomly selected from each group to give a performance at the opening ceremony and show their style.

As for the massive number of supplementary events such as sports and entertainment, the most popular events were selected to be played.

A significant portion of the sports and entertainment events were not grouped. Viennese Cards was one of them. Because it was not grouped, the number of participants was surprisingly large, and it was selected to be performed at the opening ceremony...

The two Viennese Cards players who played in the opening ceremony were the highly respected Melos in the Army's card-playing circle and Hardaway, the old debtor in the Army's gambling circle.

A Viennese Cards board was set up in an indoor arena. When the two players entered the arena, they received completely different treatment.

As soon as Melos appeared, countless card players cheered and made jokes, as he was extremely popular. On the other hand, as soon as Hardaway took two steps, earth-shattering boos rang out from the audience, offering the most sincere respect to this old debtor with terrible gambling skills.

"A bunch of idiots," Hardaway rolled his eyes.

At this time, Melos looked over. The two rivals, who had sparred many times in card games, met each other's eyes in the air, as if sparks had flown out. They both saw the same thought in each other's eyes.

—Fording and Nello didn't participate, so I'm destined to be the Army's Card King!

At the same time, another arena had already reached the D-grade group. Players had already appeared. A graduate of the Superpower Academy was facing a newbie player who had just entered the game in Version 4.0. The two looked at each other from afar.

"Remember the rules. When your opponent loses their combat ability, you can't continue to attack. You can't deliberately seriously injure your opponent, and you can't intentionally kill them. If one party falls out of the arena or voluntarily admits defeat, they will be judged as the loser..."

The mechanical referee explained the rules. Apart from not being able to intentionally harm others, the battle was basically unrestricted. As long as you didn't seriously injure others, you could do whatever you wanted.

However, there was a special rule for players, which was that if they did not admit defeat, the other party could beat them to death, as they would not die anyway.

"If there are no problems... The match begins!"

With the referee's order, the academy graduate did not hesitate. He stepped on the ground of the arena and rushed towards his opponent's face like an arrow leaving the string.

This newbie player obviously lacked combat experience. Faced with the aggressive opponent, he immediately panicked. He raised his hand and summoned twin guns. The high-quality mechanical armor he bought from the Logistics Department instantly covered his body, and he turned into a ghostly phantom, circling around his opponent. The twin guns continued to fire, shooting out blue flames, and he was a Gunner.

"Raise the shield!"

The academy graduate also activated his mechanical armor. A folding alloy shield unfolded on his arm, and a thin layer of energy film on the surface deflected all the blue lasers that the newbie player had fired.

At the same time, his other hand pulled out a precise mechanical heavy spear. The tip of the spear split open, revealing the muzzle, and it spat out explosive bullets, chasing after the opponent's high-speed moving figure, creating a trail of fire and dust on the arena.

This person's class was a Mechanical Warrior.

Because the Black Star Army Logistics Department provided a large number of high-quality camp-exclusive mechanical weapons, many mechanical superpower users under the Army, whether they were players or normal members, were willing to transfer to the mechanical class, because they could directly buy the best weapons that met their level here.

As long as they had money in their pockets, they could even skip the stage of gunpowder weapons and equip themselves with energy weapons early on.

Facing the legendary Undying, the academy graduate was even more nervous.

Within the Army, players were a special group of existences who were almost deified. They seemed extremely mysterious in the eyes of most grassroots Army members, and there were different versions of rumors, saying that each of them had unique skills and were mentally deranged.

If they were simply undying, that would be fine, but in the rumors, the Undying were a group of lunatics who disregarded their own lives, which was very scary...

The two of them fought for a while, with sparks flying everywhere.

The academy graduate responded cautiously, but was surprised to find that his opponent obviously lacked combat experience and was quite unskilled. This greatly increased his confidence, and he attacked with great force, gradually gaining the upper hand.

"It looks like I'm going to lose..."

The newbie player looked at his steadily declining health and pouted, dejectedly taking out the Black Star Army Badge - Evolution...

"Roar!"

In the next moment, a distorted bodybuilder with muscles even in his brain instantly appeared on the stage!

This distorted musclehead pounced, pinning the dumbfounded academy graduate under him in the blink of an eye, making him unable to move.

A distorted bodybuilder with a B-grade combat power was invincible in the D-grade tier!

At this time, the distorted bodybuilder opened its bloody mouth, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth, as if it wanted to bite down in one bite.

"I admit defeat! Save... Save me!"

The academy graduate was scared out of his wits. He saw the stinky mouth getting closer and closer, and he subconsciously closed his eyes in horror.

However, the expected bite did not come. Instead, he felt a thick, soft, and moist tongue licking him heavily from head to toe.

"The duel is over, the blue side wins!" The referee announced on time.

"Ah, I won!"

The newbie player jumped up excitedly, wiggled his buttocks charmingly, and then ran to the edge of the floating arena and jumped straight down, getting rid of this ugly image as quickly as possible.

The distorted bodybuilder's dance steps were too beautiful, and the audience who saw this scene just wanted to poke their eyes out.

But at the same time, countless viewers felt a chill run down their spines.

...As expected, the rumors were true. These Undying were indeed a bunch of lunatics.

On the arena, the academy graduate with his body wet with saliva lay on the ground, his eyes dull, beginning to doubt his life.

The situation that was originally a sure win was instantly reversed by the opponent's suicidal transformation.

It's too hard for me...

As long as they did not cause additional damage, the Black Star Cup could use props at will. The players were extremely satisfied with this rule.

In professional leagues, the Army's various powerful weapons were restricted to death. Now they could finally be used without reservation, which was quite comfortable.

Although it was somewhat unfair to the Army members in the low-tier competition area, this was exactly the effect Han Xiao wanted to achieve. There were several purposes. First, to let the outside world see the horror of the players, even if they were low-level, they could burst out with exaggerated combat power.

Second, to stimulate the sales of evolution badges. Imagine those players in the low-level competition area seeing that the evolution badge could kill gods when gods blocked, and kill Buddhas when Buddhas blocked, and almost steadily get the ranking rewards. Wouldn't they be eager to buy it?

—And don't forget, the evolution badge was not designed for one-time use, but had to be recharged every time it was used...

The third purpose was that Han Xiao actually wanted the players to get the ranking rewards in the low-level competition area. After all... there was no oil or water to be squeezed from normal members. Giving the rewards to the players would maximize the benefits, which was equivalent to fertilizing the land.

What, normal members were not convinced? It wasn't said that you couldn't use powerful props. If you had the ability to joke with your own life, then you could learn from the players and carry a nuclear explosion backpack onto the stage.

Even if someone was crazy enough to do this, the referee would not agree—our friendship is the first, competition is the second. Suicide is not allowed on stage... Oh, except for those who can't die.

You say it's unfair? There's no way. Not being able to die is their talent, just like those who can regenerate. You can't prohibit people from using their own abilities, right? Wouldn't that be unfair to them?

If you want to blame, then blame yourself for not being an Undying. Anyway, the final interpretation of the rules belongs to the Army Commander. If you have any opinions, go to him.

With this set of operations, even the low-level Army members would have no complaints, and might even think it made a lot of sense.

Without backstage manipulation, the Great Technician Han could achieve the desired result with just this rule.

...

Just as the Black Star Cup opening ceremony was in full swing, at the same time, in the Ancient Star Desert Star Field, a folk exploration archaeology team landed on a desolate planet that had been unattended for many years.

Although it was called an exploration archaeology team, it was actually a group of scavengers.

The Ancient Star Desert was very old. Many places were ancient battlefields with many mysterious ruins, so there were scavengers everywhere in this star field trying their luck, hoping to dig out something good, sell it to the black market, and earn a lot of money.

Acidic and corrosive sandstorms swept across the earth. In a hazy cloud of dust and sand, a group of scavengers wearing bulky protective suits were setting up various mechanical instruments to detect the underground situation of the planet.

A short and thin team member like a monkey operated on the screen for a while, and suddenly shouted in surprise:

"Haha, we're in luck! This planet has ancient rock formations, and the year of the rocks can't be traced, proving that the age is too long, exceeding the upper limit of the remote large-scale detection of this instrument. More precise tests are needed to measure it. I'm now using seismic wave detection to create a map of the underground structure... Got it!"

The screen showed a complex underground cavity that was interconnected, and seemed to have been excavated with many confusing paths. At a glance, it was not small in scale.

"There are no traces of outsiders invading!" The short and thin detector was extremely excited. "Maybe we have encountered an unopened ancient civilization site!"

"It's also possible that there's only a pile of rust left inside," another team member shrugged.

"No matter what, let's dig and see." A member who looked like the captain said calmly: "Let the spaceship drop the drilling machine, and we'll go down."

Just as everyone was about to take action, a team member grabbed the captain's arm. He wiped a handful of dust off his mask, revealing a young and handsome face, frowning, worried.

"Don't go down yet..."

The person's tone was hesitant.

"I feel a little uneasy. It seems like we're going to dig out something bad..."

If Han Xiao was here at this time, he would definitely recognize this face.

This was a famous explorer during the World Tree version.

—The first person to discover the World Tree's body!

————

ps: (I was out and about the past two days, so I'm coding more today. I'll get back to normal after I go home and rest for a day tomorrow (๑‾ꇴ‾๑)

ps2: (By the way, let me promote my WeChat public account. Search for "Qi Pei Jia" to see it. I occasionally organize plot speculation and post character images on it. Brothers who are interested can follow it (•̆ᵕ•̆)◞♡