Chapter 122 Black Star's Scheme

Han Xiao was still unaware of the little secrets between the Guanghui Federation and the Xuling Sect.

After leaving the Xingtong Protoss star system, Han Xiao's fleet returned non-stop to the Black Star Army headquarters.

At the last Overlord Gathering, Han Xiao concluded cooperation agreements with many civilizations in the Broken Star Ring, publicly selling the rights to use the Evolutionary Cube in exchange for cooperation and channels from various civilizations.

This year was the first year of cooperation. Since Han Xiao had been staying in the Broken Star Ring during this period, he planned to settle the number of places purchased by each cooperative civilization this year in one go.

Over the past year, various civilizations had already conducted multiple internal selections to confirm the list of elites to be evolved, and they had been waiting for this day. After receiving the notice, these long-awaited teams set off one after another, and elites from many civilizations gathered at the Black Star Army headquarters.

Using the Evolutionary Cube as a bridge to establish a PY relationship (personal relationship) with multiple star cluster-level and galaxy-level civilizations in the Broken Star Ring was a crucial step in the Black Star Army's expansion.

In Han Xiao's blueprint, maintaining this cooperative network in the long term could form a pan-starfield interest alliance with the Black Star Army as a transit point. By then, the Black Star Army's power and influence would truly cover the entire starfield. Therefore, Han Xiao attached great importance to the first year of cooperation.

Moreover, there was an additional benefit, namely, that the elites selected by these civilizations were all outstanding individuals. Among them, there were bound to be some famous or protagonist-type characters.

Gathering these people actively was far more efficient than searching for them everywhere himself.

This was a different kind of attracting all the heroes under heaven into my command... Han Xiao thought to himself.

...

One after another, spaceships of various styles landed at the Black Star Army headquarters. The hatches opened, and elites of various races walked off the ships. Led by the reception robots, they headed to the accommodation area, and the dock was filled with noise.

These elites were all leaders in different positions in their respective civilizations. The main types of people were the civilization's Calamity Grade combat forces, elite military officers, potential Supers, and scientific researchers. When they got off the ship, they sized each other up, their eyes filled with curiosity and wariness.

"This is the legendary Black Star Army."

Pamela opened her three watery eyes and curiously looked around at the environment. She came from a galaxy-level plant-type civilization called the Flower Spirit Race. Their bodies had semi-plant characteristics, and their skin was covered with a layer of leaf-like epidermal tissue. Their whole body exuded a strange fragrance. In the Flower Spirit Race's culture, everyone had a different fragrance, which was as unique as human fingerprints. Body fragrance, like appearance and figure, was an aesthetic standard of the Flower Spirit Race.

According to the aesthetics of the Flower Spirit Race, Pamela was a rare beauty. At the same time, she was also a research-type elite who was about to undergo evolution.

Just as Pamela and her group were looking around the dock, a small floating robot flew in front of everyone and made Phillip's voice.

"Welcome everyone to the Black Star Army hum, the commander is on his way, I will arrange accommodation for everyone, I will be with you during this time, if you have any needs, just find me, hum."

"Understood." The leader of the Flower Spirit Race, a Calamity Grade, nodded steadily.

"Follow me."

The reception robot fluttered around everyone and then led the way in front.

The group followed behind, looking around and talking in low voices along the way.

"People from so many civilizations have come, I just saw a star cluster-level civilization."

"They are all acquaintances from other civilizations... Oh, I don't know them, I just saw them on TV occasionally, they are all powerful figures."

"Those who come are all elites from various races. It's really a grand event. Should we visit other people later? This is a rare opportunity to make friends, we usually don't encounter them."

The reception robot heard the discussion behind and turned its head, crisply saying, "During the waiting period, we will take you to visit the headquarters and hold banquets to provide you with a platform for mutual exchange, so you don't have to worry about not having a chance."

"It's a bit like the Overlord Gathering... but the participants have changed from representatives of one or two civilizations to a large number of elites..." The leader of the Calamity Grade's eyes flickered, thoughtful, as if he understood something.

Pamela hesitated for a moment and asked, "Then... do we have a chance to communicate with His Excellency Black Star?"

"Yes, after the evolution is complete, the commander will hold a new banquet to celebrate for everyone. If you are willing to stay and participate at that time, you can communicate with the commander," the reception robot said with a smile.

"T-that's great." Pamela's face turned green—in the Flower Spirit Race, this was a sign of blushing, and her expression was somewhat expectant.

A companion on the side teased, "Oh, you're shy because you're about to see your idol?"

Pamela didn't speak, and her face was almost turning blue.

Every Super A Grade had admirers in the universe to varying degrees. Even a notorious thug like Yishen had countless criminals worshiping him.

Black Star's deeds had spread throughout the universe. As a native of a planet civilization, he had started from scratch to establish the current Black Star Army, changed the fate of his mother planet with his own strength, and personally accomplished all kinds of amazing feats. His speed of rise was amazing. Such a legendary experience had reaped a large number of admirers in the Broken Star Ring, and Pamela was a deep admirer of Han Xiao, convinced by Han Xiao's deeds.

"I wonder what style of partner His Excellency Black Star likes..." Pamela was a little lost in thought.

"Hey, you're not serious, are you? Do you know about reproductive isolation?" The companion was a little surprised.

"Do I, a biological gene engineer, need you to remind me?" Pamela said helplessly.

The Calamity Grade leader frowned and turned back to shout, "Don't forget what we're here for, don't anger His Excellency Black Star."

"Can't I even admire him a little?" Pamela said unhappily.

What she didn't know was that the reception robot had silently recorded her words and uploaded them to Silvia's document.

Silvia, who was processing official business in the office, received the message, glanced at it, and snorted coldly:

"The two hundred and thirty-seventh..."

As she said that, she made a note on Pamela's information and threw it into a document called "Banquet Seating Arrangement (Corner List)".

...

Before the date Han Xiao had booked, all the elites from various civilizations who were to be evolved had arrived. Except for Klent, all the star cluster-level civilizations in the Broken Star Ring were present. Not only the local forces in the Broken Star Ring, but the Red Empire also sent a new batch of elites.

During the waiting period, these forces were not idle either. Taking advantage of the rare opportunity to gather together, the elites of various civilizations visited and befriended each other, and the atmosphere became harmonious.

These elites could all see that Han Xiao was making the most of everything. Under the guise of cooperation with the Evolutionary Cube, he was forming a grand feast for the gathering of high-level forces in the Broken Star Ring. In other words, he was indirectly stealing the Overlord's business, giving this grand event additional value, intending to form his own "Overlord Gathering" to expand his influence!

Although they understood this in their hearts, the elites of these civilizations had no objections. They were also happy to communicate with the elites of other races. It could be considered a win-win situation.

As for the competition between Black Star and the Overlord, they did not dare to express their opinions rashly. Neither side was easy to provoke. It was better to integrate into it, wait and see, and obediently be an enjoyer.

A few days later, Han Xiao finally returned to headquarters. After resting for a few hours, he notified everyone to gather, and the official evolution ceremony was about to begin.

As batches of people gathered, the bright headquarters hall soon became crowded. Leonard received the news and led the mechanics of the Logistics Engineering Department to expand the hall on the spot, so it would not be too crowded.

The space fluctuated slightly, and Han Xiao walked out of the void dimension, suspended above everyone's heads, with the Evolutionary Cube slowly rotating beside him.

Everyone looked up at Han Xiao in mid-air, and there was a slight commotion in the crowd, with whispers ringing out.

"Black Star is here."

"This is the first time I've observed a Super A Grade at such close range. The energy contained in his body is so terrifying. Just perceiving it makes me sweat."

"The one next to him is the Evolutionary Cube. Not long ago, Cisco declared that he had given up all ownership of this Universe Treasure... Such a small thing is the source of the recent turmoil. Several Super A Grades from the Xuling Sect have suffered because of it. It's so scary..."

"Black Star does have the ability to keep this Universe Treasure safe. A year ago, I thought his Evolutionary Cube would soon be taken away. I guessed wrong."

The elites of various races all had respect in their eyes. No matter how proud they were usually, they had put away their usual expressions at this time. In front of Han Xiao, they had no confidence to be proud.

Before Han Xiao rose to prominence, except for Zijing, the star cluster-level civilizations present had all had the idea of suppressing Han Xiao. It was not until the Overlord Gathering that these people had to bow their heads and seek cooperation.

However, since Han Xiao was still a new Super A Grade with an unstable foundation at that time, the idea of suppressing him had not completely dissipated in their hearts.

However, recent events had proved Black Star's strength. This record had consolidated Han Xiao's position in the universe and dispelled the last trace of hostility from these star cluster-level civilizations. They had completely given up their illusions of suppressing Han Xiao... The current Black Star had completely risen, and their little tricks were useless.

Looking at the expressions of respect, admiration, and so on from the people below, Han Xiao nodded secretly.

The influence that this recent storm had brought to him had promoted the Pan-Starfield Interest Alliance plan, making the cooperative enthusiasm of these forces particularly high, saving years of accumulation time for this plan.

Therefore, although this year was the first year of cooperation, it had already laid a deep foundation.

On the way back, Han Xiao had already seen the list of all the elites in this batch. As expected, there were indeed many famous figures from various civilizations in his previous life.

But now was not the time to contact them. After completing the evolution, at the specially organized celebration banquet, Han Xiao planned to get close to these "old acquaintances".

Eighty percent of these people had branch storylines, which he might not need, but they were very useful to the players...

In short, this was a group of walking fertilizers.

Various thoughts flashed through his mind, Han Xiao looked around the field, smiled, and said playfully:

"Before we begin, there is one more thing to do... Herber, don't hide, I know you're in there too."

As soon as he said this, everyone present was shocked and looked around, but they didn't see Herber.

Was the Overlord here too?

The crowd rioted, but no one came out. Seeing this, Han Xiao raised his eyebrows and continued, "Don't lie to yourself, I've already seen you. Do you want to come out yourself, or do you want me to drag you out? It would be very embarrassing."

Everyone was suspicious and uncertain, and the commotion became louder and louder, but still no one was seen.

Han Xiao narrowed his eyes and glanced around, then suddenly relaxed his tone and laughed, "Hehe, it seems that Herber didn't sneak in, then we can start."

Hearing this, everyone's expressions froze.

"It was just a joke..." Countless people twitched the corners of their mouths.

—Was it really okay to tease the Overlord like that? He was even preventing him from sneaking in. He was a Super A Grade after all! How could he do such a tasteless thing... Right?

"Perhaps Black Star and the Overlord have a good relationship, so they casually tease each other..." Everyone had to comfort themselves like this, pretending they didn't hear anything.

Han Xiao activated the Evolutionary Cube. With a thought, a dark mass of evolutionary energy spewed out and quickly covered the entire field. The elites present held their breath and turned into black cocoons in nervousness.

"That's it." Han Xiao clapped his hands and instructed Phillip:

"Monitor their evolution process and remember to invite them to stay and participate in the banquet."

"Understood hum."

Han Xiao didn't want to wait idly, so he put away the Evolutionary Cube and left the hall full of black cocoons, heading to his room.

He was going to change his attire and wait for the upcoming banquet.

On the way, Han Xiao casually browsed the forum.

The Xuling Sect incident had come to an end, and the long-term benefits he had gained from this incident would slowly be reflected over time, such as Uranrell's appreciation and the Empire's attention.

The situation had settled, and the remaining matter was between the Red Empire and the Xuling Sect, which he did not need to care about.

In the short term, no more trouble would come looking for him, so Han Xiao had time to think about the players' situation.

From the players' perspective, about a year and a half had passed in the Star Sea since the opening of Version 3.0. After spending the early stages, they had entered the mid-stage of the version.

In this year and a half, the players had experienced the Secret War, the Red Tide, Black Star's Rise, the exploration of the Shattered World, and the Beacon Star Campaign, as well as countless side quests. After experiencing such rich storylines, Level 120 max-level players had appeared, and more and more players would gradually reach the max level of Version 3.0.

Every time it reached the mid-stage of a version, the new Professional League would release information. There was still a long time before the opening of this Professional League, and players had plenty of time to level up, learn skills, and change equipment. However, on the forum, the league officials had already started preparations, spreading the word and attracting a new round of attention from players.

In Han Xiao's memory, the Professional League of Version 3.0 was particularly exciting.

Players in this version generally possessed Grade B strength, and the Mechanic class also slowly rose from 3.0. A large number of new professional players emerged in this version, including Maple Moon. Many new people showed their talents and completed a generational change in the professional circle.

The proportion of Mechanics in the Shattered Star Ring was the highest among all the Star Systems, and the Black Star Army sold a large number of machines and blueprints. In addition, with the version advantage, Han Xiao believed that the Mechanics of the Shattered Star Ring would shine in this league.

For him, the benefit was that he could attract more new people to change their class to Mechanic, and more old players to create Mechanic alt accounts.

Then, as a Mechanic Instructor, he could generate revenue again.

"It's a pity, three versions have passed in a flash, and the good days are coming to an end." Han Xiao shook his head, feeling a little emotional.

Among the various versions experienced by players in his previous life, 3.0 was a recognized watershed, representing the players' transition from the early stages to the mid-stage of officially mixing in the universe. After that, the players' influence began to truly stand out, and their influence continued to expand.

The nicknames "Cancer of the Universe" and "Fourth Natural Disaster" were the notorious names that players earned after the mid-stages of Version 3.0!

They were also the source of Han Xiao's psychological shadow.

As for now, the players were in a period of imminent transformation. After this version, the players' strength would exceed the critical point, and they would be able to do more and more things, so they would become more and more inclined to the position of chaos, which was an inevitable historical process.

Version 3.0 was the last stage that the players could easily control.

Therefore, Han Xiao had placed his bet on the Shattered World—the faction melee in the next version might inject new vitality into the Black Star Army and bring further opportunities.

...

Just when Han Xiao was holding the evolution feast, Herber, who was far away in another star cluster, also received the news.

As a competitor, he had been paying attention to the Black Star Army's every move.

As a result, Herber also discovered Han Xiao's sinister intentions.

"Black Star is taking advantage of the Evolutionary Cube to build a communication platform for high-level forces. He wants to steal the influence of my 'Overlord Gathering' and thus gain greater power in the Shattered Star Ring..."

After reading the information, Herber was annoyed.

The Overlord Gathering was something he had run for many years, and Han Xiao came out to compete with him, which made him very angry. However, he could not stop it, so he was particularly depressed.

When he learned that Han Xiao had publicly teased him in front of the elites of various civilizations, Herber's mentality finally exploded.

Damn it, why!

Were they on good terms?!

He publicly teased him, smearing his heroic image, which was full of malice!

It was too much!

One day, he would beat this bastard so badly that he couldn't take care of himself!