Fellin Star.

Streaks of light shot across the cosmos, halting near the planet to reveal the exploration fleet of the Black Star Army.

"Vice-Leader, we've arrived."

On the bridge, Hela gazed at Fellin Star through the porthole, spotting Gorutan's fleet hovering in the outer atmosphere, facing them from afar.

"Open wide-area communications and contact them." Hela decided to start with diplomacy.

The communications officer sent a message, and after a moment, a communications request popped up on the screen.

Upon connection, a beast-like humanoid appeared, a Calamity Grade cadre.

"I am Golagone, son of the Beast Ancestor, greetings, Your Excellency Hela."

"What is the meaning of this?" Hela frowned.

"My father wishes to invite you to a meeting on Fellin Star. He awaits you on the surface."

"What is there to discuss?"

"I do not know my father's intentions. The question is, do you dare to come?" Golagone's tone was impolite and aggressive.

"Sure, clear the path and let my fleet land. Then we'll talk."

"Apologies, my father said he will only allow you to come alone. The fleet cannot accompany you."

"Then tell him to get lost."

Hela turned directly around and decisively said, "All ships, listen to my command! Advance and annihilate any warships that dare to obstruct us!"

Just then, the communication screen shifted, revealing Gorutan's figure.

Facing someone of his caliber, going naked was simply impolite. Today, he donned a simple sleeveless battle suit, crossed his arms, and wore an expressionless face.

"Not bad. It seems the Black Star Army has a tough Vice-Leader."

Seeing this, Hela raised her fist, signaling to freeze the order and temporarily stand by. She narrowed her eyes and said, "Gorutan, I am curious. The Black Star Army has no conflict with you. Why provoke us?"

Gorutan rumbled, "Want to know the reason? I will tell you when we meet. It all depends on whether you have the courage. I will await you on the surface of the planet. You and I will order our fleets to move away from Fellin Star."

Having said that, Gorutan's fleet took the lead in moving away from Fellin Star, facing the Black Star fleet from afar. The planet was right at the center point separating the two forces, leaving only Gorutan on Fellin Star.

Hela pondered for a moment, then turned to the adjutant and said, "Conduct a comprehensive scan of Fellin Star and the surrounding environment to see if there are any hidden life signals or energy sources. Prevent them from setting a trap."

The adjutant nodded and issued the order. After a moment, they received a report from below and reported, "The surroundings are clean. There is indeed only one life signal, Gorutan... What should we do? Should we open fire?"

Before his superior could speak, the adjutant was already thinking of seizing the opportunity to attack Gorutan.

"Since he is sincere, I'll listen to what he has to say. You guys will stay here on standby, weapons systems remain activated, and be vigilant of the surroundings. If the enemy fleet makes any unusual moves, open fire immediately."

Even if the fleet took the opportunity to attack, it would not pose much of a threat to Gorutan. Since he dared to do this, he naturally had something to rely on. Hela couldn't quite figure out Gorutan's intentions, so she simply agreed to meet.

Perhaps Gorutan intended to create a one-on-one environment to attack her, but she was not flustered. This was exactly what she wanted. Even if she couldn't beat a Peak Super-A, she could still hold out for a while.

Hela boarded a small vessel and rapidly entered Fellin Star's atmosphere, stopping high in the sky.

*Whoosh*—the hatch opened, and Hela stepped out into the void, looking down at the surface.

Amidst the rugged, barren plains, Gorutan sat atop a giant rock, elbows resting on his knees, palms clasped together in front of him, looking up at Hela. He slowly opened his mouth:

"As an Esper, you dare to come into close proximity with a Peak Super-A Grade Martial Artist. You have guts."

The sound waves emitted from his mouth seemed to cause the surrounding air to vibrate, spreading out like thunder.

Hela did not descend, hovering in the air, and said, "Get to the point. Why did you seek me out?"

Gorutan stared at Hela and said plainly, "I do not know how others see it, but in my eyes, you are the most promising among the new Super-A Grades of this generation."

"...And?" Hela raised an eyebrow.

"Someone with talent like you will eventually be able to climb to higher levels. There's no need to be someone's subordinate. Going solo is more suitable for you." Gorutan said nonchalantly.

Hela's eyes flashed, and she coldly said, "Are you representing some power trying to sow discord between Black Star and me? The Three Great Civilizations?"

"I only represent myself and the Star Cluster Black Market Management Committee. You can take my words as a sincere suggestion."

"Don't you think you're interfering too much?" Hela coldly snorted.

"I can see that you are a very strong-willed person and do not like taking orders from others. Sooner or later, you will definitely become independent." Gorutan's eyes were filled with interest. "When that day comes, I am willing to extend an invitation to you to become one of the Star Cluster Black Market's protectors."

He was not only sowing discord but also poaching talent.

Hela looked indifferent. "I have the communicator on. Black Star can hear everything you're saying."

"What if he hears?" Gorutan did not care. "You have the right to choose. You are not his slave."

"I am not interested in your invitation." Hela remained unmoved. "Are you done? Withdraw your troops, and we'll pretend this provocation never happened."

"I do not think this is a provocation. Fellin Star does not belong to the Black Star Army. This is a free competition zone, not your territory. No one has stipulated that others cannot occupy a planet that you have taken a liking to." Gorutan shook his head.

"You had plenty of opportunities to occupy this planet, but you only came to seize it after we made our choice. If that is not a provocation, what is?" Hela said.

"Don't be too overbearing, little kid." Gorutan grinned. "First come, first served. The ones who should get lost are you. Go find another planet. This place is now my stronghold."

As soon as his voice fell, the atmosphere became tense, the two of them facing off against each other.

He was entrusted to do this. No matter what Hela's reaction was, he would not back down. His goal was to force Hela to fight him and test her strength.

In his opinion, this task was simple. As long as he fought Hela, made the Black Star Army suffer a little in secret, and then decided whether to withdraw depending on the situation, he would have completed it.

This level of conflict and provocation, although it would incur Black Star's displeasure, would not lead to a deathmatch. He was quite certain that he did not want to become enemies with Black Star, and Black Star similarly did not want to become enemies with him. Both sides were not to be trifled with.

Hela's expression turned completely cold. Gorutan was right. The Black Star Army was not in the right... However, retreating in this situation would not make others praise you for being reasonable. They would only think you were weak.

If all problems could be solved through reasoning, where would there be disputes in the world?

If you do not retreat and I do not retreat, since you are deliberately looking for trouble, the only solution left is force.

Looking at Gorutan's malicious expression, Hela was silent for a few seconds before suddenly attacking!

*Rumble!*

An overwhelming torrent of death energy swept out, transforming into a torrential downpour of attacks, raining down from the sky!

"Looks pretty intimidating." Gorutan twisted his neck and stomped his feet.

*Bang!*

The ground suddenly cracked open, a giant ring-shaped fissure created by his stomp, shockwaves scattering dust everywhere.

His entire being transformed into a meteor, crashing straight into the downpour of death energy. Deep brown martial arts flames enveloped his body, exuding an air of wildness and arrogance.

*Bang!*

The meteor instantly flashed past. Before Hela could react, a fist enveloped in flames struck her abdomen heavily.

The battle suit's shield shattered, and tiny cracks appeared on the outer armor. Her entire body was sent flying, breaking through sound barriers one after another with a booming sound.

"Such strong power, such fast speed..." Hela's expression slightly changed.

Even the battle suit's anti-shock system could not withstand such powerful shockwaves. Hela felt as if her internal organs had been flattened by the strike, causing intense pain. With great difficulty, she stabilized herself in mid-air, secretly alarmed.

Both of them were Peak Super-A Grades, but the feeling of fighting Gorutan was completely different from fighting Han Xiao.

Han Xiao was complete suppression, strong in every aspect, with extreme control, as if he could knead her at will. Gorutan's fighting style, on the other hand, was incredibly violent, like a rampaging beast, indestructible.

Hela's impression of Super-A Grade Martial Artists mainly came from Heber, but that was completely different from a Peak Super-A Grade Martial Artist. They were not on the same level.

Speed, strength, qi strength, and other qualities had all undergone qualitative changes. To be specific, Gorutan alone could beat three or four Hebers to death!

Only SS Grades could be considered Peak Super-A Grades. The combat power of this level was no joke.

Having landed a successful blow, Gorutan did not pursue. Instead, he hovered in place, looking down to observe the death energy clinging to his body.

His protective qi was extremely thick. Most of the attacks were blocked by the protective qi, and only a small portion of the damage reached his flesh, only stacking a few layers of [Death Erosion].

"Corrosive energy, seems to be related to vitality… Seems the rumors are true, you used this method to heavily injure Tolain. The more you accumulate, the stronger the explosive power."

Gorutan glanced at Hela, his qi erupted, shattering the death energy on his body and dispelling all [Death Erosion] states. Martial artists who relied on their bodies for survival generally had many skills to dispel negative states for their bodies.

"A bit tricky..." Hela gritted her teeth, but her eyes lit up.

She found that Gorutan's combat power was unexpectedly strong, but this not only did not make her retreat, but instead made her fighting spirit even higher.

In the next moment, Hela took the initiative to launch an attack again, death energy surging like a tide, both attacking and carrying her to move at high speed.

As the tsunami-like crimson tide approached, Gorutan lowered his shoulders, took a half-step forward, and suddenly crashed into the air in front of him. In an instant, an invisible spherical shockwave exploded in mid-air, quickly enveloping the approaching death energy.

*Rumble!*

The sound of the impact echoed between heaven and earth. Gorutan's crash was actually a skill. The particles in the entire space in front of him seemed to vibrate at high frequency, causing the approaching death energy to disintegrate one after another, rapidly collapsing, unable to approach his body.

"Your strength doesn't seem to match your attitude."

Gorutan's expression was calm as his figure disappeared in a flash, launching at full speed.

*Whoosh!*

The speed difference was too great. Hela still did not react when Gorutan came to her side, a whip kick containing enormous force slamming heavily into her back.

*Thud!*

Her body arched backward, shooting into the sky like a cannonball, directly flying out of the outer atmosphere.

"Cough cough… I can't fight him in close combat." Hela felt like dozens of bones had been broken by the kick, and immediately made a judgment.

When facing Tolain, she could still rely on [Bloodthirst] to fight head-on, because the strength gap was not large. But compared to a Peak Super-A Grade Martial Artist, her strength, speed, and close combat skills were far behind. The gap in raw strength was too large. As another Super-A Grade, she could not even see the other party's figure!

In the realm of close combat, Peak Super-A Grade Martial Artists were almost invincible. Head-to-head was suicide.

"One-on-one, I have no chance to fight back. I must make the battlefield environment more complex."

As Hela was rapidly thinking about tactics, the battle suit's built-in communicator rang, transmitting Han Xiao's half-smiling voice. He had been watching the entire time.

"How is it? Have you felt the difference in strength? Need help?"

"No need." Hela shook her head. If she always relied on Black Star's help, how would she grow?

"But you're no match for him. Let me do it if it doesn't work."

Han Xiao raised an eyebrow. He knew Hela couldn't win.

During the God's Conferment, he had collected Gorutan's attribute data, a bunch of question marks. Even he himself might not be able to win against Gorutan head-on. Hela today was even worse. If Peak Super-A Grades were so easy to deal with, they wouldn't have such a great deterrent force.

But he knew that even if she couldn't win, Hela wouldn't be at a disadvantage, so he didn't interfere with Hela's training.

"Hmph, wait until I'm about to be beaten to death before you help me."

Hela stabilized her body, turned around, and tried to create distance while attacking with death energy, restraining Gorutan.

It couldn't be considered a tangle. The battle was almost a one-sided beating. If Gorutan hadn't deliberately slowed down his attacks, wanting to force out Hela's various abilities, she would almost only be on the receiving end of the beating. The sheer dominance in speed and strength was enough to overcome all techniques.

But Gorutan also didn't find it easy. Taking the attacks of death energy, a hint of fear flashed in his heart:

"Strange ability, if it weren't for my raw strength overwhelming her, her esper abilities might pose a significant threat to me..."

Another punch hit Hela's shoulder, sending her flying. Gorutan was about to pursue when he suddenly saw Hela gritting her teeth, adjusting the direction of her flight, the target actually being his fleet.

"She's actually flying toward my troops? Is she not afraid of being surrounded?"

Gorutan was slightly stunned. At this moment, he saw Hela suddenly change her hand gesture, and a mental wave suddenly burst out.

His body paused, and the world before him changed drastically, as if he had been suddenly dragged into a dark space.

Looking down, there were countless faces of vengeful spirits below.

[Abyss of the Dead]!

Although Martial Artists temper their minds, their mental resistance wasn't too high. Gorutan was hit by this mental control skill and was immediately stunned in place.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Hela rolled up death energy and crashed straight through the shield erected by Gorutan's fleet, charging into the fleet.

"What is she doing?" Golagone, who had spoken with Hela earlier, stood in the command room of one of the ships, utterly bewildered.

Before he could take action, Hela raised her hands, and death energy erupted, attacking all the surrounding warships.

"What!"

Golagone was shocked and hurriedly ordered the fleet to evade.

However, before he could issue the order, dark red energy surged, covering the portholes, rapidly approaching, and quickly occupying his entire field of vision.

Golagone's eyes widened suddenly.

*Rumble rumble rumble!*

In an instant, one warship after another was chewed up and swallowed by death energy like cookies, countless descendants of Gorutan being reaped of their lives.

The vitality fed back through [Bloodthirst] allowed Hela's health to recover rapidly.

After the previous exchange, Hela was very clear that one-on-one was far from being a match for Gorutan. With her own health, she wouldn't last long. The only way to enhance her own endurance was to turn the battle into a brawl, allowing herself to absorb more vitality.

Her combat power in large-scale battles was far higher than in one-on-one duels. Brawls were her forte!

Hela charged through the fleet, killing wantonly, her condition rapidly recovering, countless screams drowning in the explosions.

At this moment, Gorutan finally broke free from the mental control of [Abyss of the Dead]. As soon as he regained his senses, he saw Hela breaking away from him and wantonly slaughtering his descendants. His expression changed drastically, and he flew into a rage.

In his eyes, Hela was slaughtering his descendants to vent her anger!

Many of them were elites he had carefully cultivated!

"How dare you?!"