Chapter 1 Han Xiao's Calculation

Han Xiao retracted the remote projection, opened his eyes in the base camp, and felt delighted.

"Seven Heavenly Disaster grade cadres have joined, including a Super-A grade seed. The quality of this batch of talent is good."

He was only interested in the resources accumulated by Beast Ancestor, and didn't have many thoughts about that group of descendants. After all, the two sides were enemies. Even if he forcibly took over the troops and forced all of Beast Ancestor's descendants to work for him, they would definitely have resistance.

Working without putting in effort was secondary; those loyalists would also pollute the purity of the legion internally, forming a new faction that might become a time bomb someday.

Forcing things would not yield sweet results, but would be counterproductive. Moreover, the Black Star Army was ostensibly an orderly camp, so some things could not be done too obviously. At the same time, the legion was not short of manpower, so he was not interested in taking over all of Beast Ancestor's old subordinates. It seemed to strengthen the official strength, but in reality, it was planting hidden dangers.

Of course, if someone like Jodina abandoned the beast and turned to the Black Star, voluntarily defecting to him, he would naturally welcome them and the more the merrier.

"Most of the rebel faction's men are still waiting and seeing. Jodina is just the first batch of testers. There will definitely be a second and third batch in the future. I wonder how many people want to come here."

Han Xiao pondered. He didn't intend to wipe out all these people in one fell swoop. After all, people had their own ambitions. Some people defected from Beast Ancestor's forces, not necessarily to join others. Some might want to retire and live incognito.

Shaking his head, Han Xiao put the matter aside for the time being and called out Phillip:

"Notify Melos and Sylvia, mobilize the troops from the headquarters of the Shattered Star Ring, and send an expedition fleet to Beast Ancestor's base camp to liberate all slaves and destroy his descendant breeding assembly line."

【End of Darkness】was too difficult to even start with, while the other mission was not difficult for him. Since he had promised, Han Xiao took action. With Jodina as a reference, he had a legitimate reason.

Moreover, Gorutan had taken away a large number of elites, making the old nest quite empty, which also reduced the difficulty. As long as the fleet brought his own Sovereign's Avatar as a guarantee, there would be no accidents.

These guys who abandoned darkness and turned to the light brought good news, but one detail made Han Xiao quite concerned.

He always felt that Jodina's eyes were a little strange when she looked at him, seemingly too enthusiastic...

It felt like the way he looked at Fording.

...

In the Emerald Star Cluster, at Beast Ancestor's stronghold, the atmosphere had become strange ever since Jodina and her group broke out and left. It was silent and cold, and fewer and fewer people spoke. Although they were brothers and sisters, there was more vigilance and defensiveness in their eyes. More and more thoughts were hidden behind every expressionless face.

People's hearts changed, and undercurrents surged.

Jodina was the first defector, and more cautious members of the rebel faction were watching the situation. Seeing that she had made a good start, more and more people were eager to make a move.

In a secret room, a group of people from the rebel faction gathered quietly. The leader was a Heavenly Disaster grade cadre with a long-standing reputation, "Great Serpent" Sneek. Although he didn't reach the level of the Four Great War Generals, he was also an elite combatant. He integrated martial arts techniques with his own poison talent, and his combat strength was very impressive. He was one of the fleet commanders.

"I believe everyone knows the purpose of gathering you all here this time." Sneek glanced around, his eyes lingering slightly on several powerful cadres, and slowly said, "Sister Jodina sent a message that the Black Star has accepted them, and they have found a good home."

The people present didn't speak, staring at him and waiting for what he had to say.

Seeing this, Sneek continued, "The loyalists suffered heavy losses in the battle with Jodina, and probably don't want to waste any more power dealing with defectors. We have been waiting and watching for a long time, and it's time for us to leave. I know that some people here are unwilling to join others and want to start their own businesses. We'll talk about everything after we work together to rebel. Those who are unwilling to follow me will go their own way in the future. If we meet again in the universe, we may still remember the friendship between brothers and sisters."

After he finished speaking, the room was silent for a while before someone echoed:

"That's right, we should leave. It's my squad's turn to patrol in a few days, which is an opportunity. It's best to avoid conflict with the loyalists."

Once the conversation started, everyone began to chime in, and those present were all influential figures, offering suggestions and brainstorming for the rebellion plan.

On the other side, some loyalists were also gathering quietly in another secret room, discussing another matter.

"Have you heard? Jodina's group of traitors has joined the Black Star Army."

"Where did the news come from? Is it reliable?"

"Many people witnessed their spaceship heading to the Black Star Army's base, and they haven't come out since. Moreover, a lot of information has also spread among those rebellious people with ulterior motives, so it should be reliable."

Someone's eyes flashed, and he said in a deep voice, "If the situation is true, we can implement a bold plan. Let our people pretend to defect, enter the Black Star Army, and find an opportunity to rescue Father."

"But... the Black Star is a Super-A grade Mechanic, and it's very difficult to steal someone under his nose. Moreover, it's said that the Time Amber is unsolvable, and even the three major civilizations are helpless..."

"Father cultivated us and is the respected head of our family. Now that he's in trouble, we're the only ones who can help him. Even if the hope is slim, we have to try." Someone said firmly.

"Okay... but there's another problem. Those defectors definitely know our details. If we loyalists pretend to defect, we'll definitely be seen through."

"That is a problem. We've been together for so long, and we know each other inside and out. Our people can't infiltrate the rebel group..."

Everyone hesitated.

Jodina's matter gave these loyalists inspiration. Some people wanted to stage an undercover operation to take the risk to rescue Gorutan, who had been made into a specimen. After all, Father was only imprisoned and hadn't died yet, so the loyalists always held onto hope.

At this moment, the voice of the communicator rang in the room, breaking the quiet atmosphere like a thunderclap and pulling everyone back from their entanglement.

The leader opened it and said, "Bylam is calling all the cadres to a meeting to discuss our future plans."

Everyone was used to this. After Gorutan fell, this kind of meeting had been held many times. Without a decision-maker, the organization's affairs could only be decided jointly by many cadres. Everyone had their own plans, and most of the time they couldn't form a unified opinion, but they couldn't not go.

A group of loyalists got up and left the room, rushing to the large conference room.

At this time, the conference room was already full of people, all of whom were well-known cadres in the stronghold. The scene was as noisy as a vegetable market, and the seats of the three factions—loyalists, neutrals, and rebels—were clearly separated, glaring at each other.

The group of loyalists saw Sneek at a glance, glared at him, and then found a place to sit.

Sneek didn't take the loyalists' attitude seriously. They also received the message about the meeting when they were meeting in the secret room and rushed over.

After waiting for a while, all the cadres finally arrived. Bylam walked in last, closed the door of the conference room, and, under everyone's focused gaze, walked to the front of the podium and scanned everyone below.

"What's going on? Why are we being called together again?" A cadre below spoke. This person was also a member of the Four Great War Generals.

"The last topic hasn't been discussed yet, and today we have to continue discussing the organization's future." Bylam showed a calm smile, then suddenly changed the subject and said with a smile, "But before that, I would like to introduce a person to everyone."

Everyone frowned, sensing something was wrong from Bylam's attitude.

At this moment, a magical fluctuation suddenly appeared in the room, and a circle of azure blue teleportation portals unfolded beside Bylam.

Buzz—

A foot slowly stepped out of the teleportation portal, and a strong sense of oppression descended, as if the air in the room instantly froze to freezing point.

The Arcane Master walked out, casually closed the teleportation portal, put his hands behind his back, and indifferently scanned everyone present.

The entire room fell silent.

At this time, Bylam's smiling voice broke the silence:

"I believe everyone is familiar with him. This is Lord Arcane Master, who, like Father, is a protector of the interstellar black market."

"Bylam, what do you mean by this?!"

A loyalist War General stood up, suppressing his anger, and asked in a deep voice.

In fact, everyone understood. Bylam, the neutral cadre, had already gotten in touch with the Arcane Master and used the excuse of holding a meeting to gather all the cadres together, making it easier for the Arcane Master to wipe them all out and take control of everyone.

He was going to offer this stronghold and the cadres present to the Arcane Master as a stepping stone!

Bylam smiled without saying a word, turned his gaze to the Arcane Master, and said with a smile, "Father has fallen, and now countless forces are eyeing us, wanting to divide us up. Without a Super-A grade sitting in the organization, we will always be a mess. Lord Arcane Master is an old friend of Father, and he has decided to provide us with protection to help us through this difficult time."

Keep making it up, keep making it up!

Everyone cursed inwardly. The neutrals felt surprised, the rebels felt heavy-hearted, and the loyalists were furious.

The Arcane Master took in everyone's expressions and said lightly, "That's the situation. Gorutan and I are as close as brothers. I can't watch his descendants fall apart, so I will temporarily take over the Beast Ancestor's forces until the situation stabilizes, and then I will return the jurisdiction to you."

Go to hell with your brotherhood, do you think we all have amnesia?!

Everyone gritted their teeth.

The Arcane Master didn't have a large family and business like the Black Star Army. The war generals under Beast Ancestor were also resources he wanted to seize.

Because he wasn't a direct enemy like Black Star, he wasn't worried about the issue of retaliation. As a protector of the interstellar black market, it was more reasonable for him to take over the Beast Ancestor's forces, and his forces were already a mixed bag, belonging to the gray camp, so he wasn't worried about indigestion after taking in the Beast Ancestor's troops.

This was just an excuse for the Arcane Master to annex Beast Ancestor's forces, but even if the loyalists were furious, they didn't dare to stand up and object.

The Arcane Master had already said this, and if they didn't know what was good for them, the peak Super-A grade would take care of them.

Therefore, after the Arcane Master finished speaking, no one opened their mouths to refute, as if they had all defaulted to it.

At this moment, Sneek slowly stood up, attracting everyone's attention, including the Arcane Master.

He took a deep breath and slowly opened his mouth in a respectful tone:

"Thank you for the generosity of Lord Arcane Master. Your protection is exactly what we need. I very much agree with you temporarily taking over Father's forces."

"Hmm, not bad."

The Arcane Master nodded, thinking that this kid was quite sensible.

However, Sneek suddenly changed the subject: "But I'm already tired of this kind of life. I don't want to continue fighting in the universe with my martial strength. Now I just want to live a normal life. Lord Arcane Master, I'm not opposing you, it's just that everyone has their own ambitions. Please allow me to retire."

The Arcane Master didn't take it seriously and said casually, "You have the combat strength of a Heavenly Disaster grade. It's a pity to retire like this. Continue to contribute to your post. I'm very optimistic about you, so don't mention the resignation again. Sit down."

Sneek bit his lip and mustered his courage: "Lord Arcane Master, I hope to take a leave of absence. My sister has joined the Black Star Army, and I want to tell her not to worry about things at home."

As soon as this was said, it was considered a clarification of his intentions. The subtext was that he didn't want to work for the Arcane Master, but wanted to join the Black Star.

The Arcane Master narrowed his eyes, took a deep look at him, and was silent for a long time. The pressure in the room became more and more intense.

It wasn't until Sneek shed a drop of cold sweat that the Arcane Master slowly replied:

"I don't think it's necessary. When I officially take over, the outside world will naturally receive the news, so there's no need to make an extra effort."

Hearing this, the members of the rebel faction, including Sneek, sighed in their hearts.

The Arcane Master's attitude was already very clear. Even if he knew they wanted to join the Black Star, he would still detain everyone and not allow any cadres to leave. They didn't know how long he would control them.

"Sigh..." Sneek sighed and sat down, feeling quite regretful.

If he had known, he would have been more aggressive and acted with Jodina. Now he was one step late, and he was afraid he wouldn't be able to leave.

The faces of the rebels were not very good-looking, and "being in Cao Ying with the heart in Han" was the only way to describe their current mood.

...

The Arcane Master openly placed a magical brand on every cadre's body to monitor their every move, and then gave a series of high-sounding platitudes, emphasizing how deep the relationship between Gorutan and himself was, how close they were, and how happy they were together. He was just short of saying that the two were brothers.

Everyone rolled their eyes and listened to the Arcane Master's nonsense. When he announced the end of the meeting, everyone couldn't wait to get up and squeeze out of the room as if they were escaping.

Only Bylam and the Arcane Master were left in the conference room. Bylam approached the Arcane Master, a smile plastered on his face.

"Congratulations, Lord Arcane Master, on taking over Beast Ancestor's troops."

"This is only the first step. Beast Ancestor still has a lot of troops in the base camp and other star fields."

"I understand, but these people he brought to the Shining World are all important cadres. Controlling them is basically controlling half of the Beast Ancestor's organization."

"Yes, you did a good job. When things are over, I will reward you for your merits." The Arcane Master nodded.

Hearing this, Bylam's smile became even more sincere.

After Jodina defected, Bylam decided to find a way out. It just so happened that the Arcane Master was also plotting to take over Beast Ancestor's troops, so the two hit it off and decided to assist the Arcane Master.

The reason why he didn't look for the Black Star was, on the one hand, because of the resistance of the organization's members and the inevitable split of the loyalists. On the other hand, if he offered the forces to the enemy, how could he continue to exist? In comparison, the Arcane Master was a more suitable choice.

Bylam left excitedly. The Arcane Master watched him walk away and curled his lips.

"Hmph, fence-sitter."

Shaking his head, the Arcane Master took out the communicator and dialed Sorokin's number.

After three rings, the communication was connected, and Sorokin's large face appeared on the screen with a playful smile.

"Lord Arcane Master, have you subdued Beast Ancestor's troops?"

"I've completed the initial stage." The Arcane Master nodded and said in a deep voice, "But the Black Star seems to have intervened. Some people want to join him..."

Sorokin smiled. "Don't worry, the Black Star has many fierce generals under his command, so he definitely doesn't like Beast Ancestor's troops. Anyway, if he doesn't want them, you don't have to be afraid of offending him. If you still feel uneasy, then give the Black Star enough resources as compensation after the reorganization is complete. He won't pursue the matter."

"We'll talk about it then." The Arcane Master was noncommittal.

He was an adult and wanted to befriend the Black Star and take over Beast Ancestor's troops. In short, he wanted everything. Anyway, the Black Star didn't like these people, so it didn't count as taking the fruit.

Sorokin paused and changed the subject. "So, how about my proposal?"

The Arcane Master narrowed his eyes. "You want to use Gorutan's vacant position as a shareholder of the Endless Financial Group in exchange for the identity of a protector of the interstellar black market. You've planned it well."

"Hehe, I'm a businessman, and I'm talking business. Since Gorutan has fallen, I need a new partner."

Sorokin smiled.

In the years of cooperation with Gorutan, Sorokin had already infiltrated many industries in the interstellar black market. If he had the identity of a protector, he could legitimately start businesses. If he could incorporate the interstellar black market into the commercial empire of the Endless Financial Group, the profits would be incalculable!

Even Sorokin, who possessed astronomical assets, couldn't help but be tempted!

So, not long ago, he got in touch with the Arcane Master and proposed a deal where the wolf was besieged—the shareholder position was given to the Arcane Master, and the other party would help him mediate and help him obtain the identity of a protector of the interstellar black market.

After he proposed the deal, the Arcane Master didn't directly refuse, but he didn't immediately agree either.

From the Arcane Master's perspective, with Gorutan gone, he could finally seize more black market share. If he introduced another commercial behemoth as a protector, it would be equivalent to letting a wolf into the house. After all, everyone knew Sorokin's intentions.

But if he became a shareholder of the Endless Financial Group, he could be involved in more legitimate businesses, and the profits seemed to be even greater, so the Arcane Master had been hesitating.

At this time, hearing Sorokin mention this matter again, the Arcane Master snorted and said lightly:

"To be honest, although the admission requirement is Super-A grade, with your strength, you don't seem to be able to bear the identity of a protector."

"...Isn't that even better for you?" Sorokin's smile was strange.

The Arcane Master was silent. It seemed that this was really the case.

He pondered for a while before slowly opening his mouth: "I can try to help you mediate, try to persuade the other two protectors, as well as all the black market administrators..."

Sorokin's eyes lit up, knowing that this was the beginning of a cooperative intention, and smiled with satisfaction:

"Thank you, Lord Arcane Master. Then, I will always keep the shareholder position of the Endless Financial Group for you."

"Hmm."

The Arcane Master responded lightly and hung up the communication.