Chapter 1 The Shining World

The Shining World was swept clean, with the remnants of the Arcane Church basically wiped out by the Crimson Dynasty. A large number of spaceships were seized, and countless soldiers were captured.

Metz and Heber, refusing to admit defeat, fought until the heavens and earth turned dark. The two martial artists relentlessly exchanged blows, their martial auras scattering like sparks from colliding weapons. Each punch contained explosive power, repeatedly slamming into their bodies, causing ripples in their muscles.

The Super-A Grade martial artists demonstrated the true meaning of speed and strength. Their movements were like lightning, leaving behind countless afterimages. Their superb close-combat skills were a combination of power and beauty. Millizaus and the others rarely engaged in close combat, and watching from the sidelines, they found it a feast for the eyes.

Finally, both were exhausted, covered in injuries, their chests heaving violently. Heber was in better condition. With his pair of muscular arms, he locked Metz in a tight hold, bringing him back to the spaceship.

Bang!

The heavy body was thrown onto the deck. Metz, in a semi-conscious state, fell to the ground, unable to get up again.

Heber took a deep breath to calm the restless energy within his body. He looked around at the people in the room, pointed at Metz at his feet, and said in a deep voice, "Solved."

Clap, clap, clap... Sparse applause rang out in the room. Tarrokov and the others clapped politely, with polite smiles on their faces, without any extra expressions.

With Han Xiao's feat of turning the tables in a desperate situation and instantly killing Dillon as a precedent, compared to Heber's deliberate creation of a one-on-one environment to defeat an already injured opponent, they really didn't feel much admiration, and even thought it was too slow... But they didn't dare to say it and offend Heber.

Han Xiao was different. He wasn't afraid of Heber. Holding a drink in his hand, he bit on the straw and said vaguely, "So slow, Little Heber, what took you so long?"

The time the two martial artists fought wasn't short. The battlefield had already been cleaned up, and the onlookers had relaxed and started eating and drinking, looking like they were enjoying a show.

"Hmph." Heber didn't care.

In any case, the victory of defeating Metz already belonged to him. When it was spread throughout the universe, no one would repeat all the details. People would only know that he defeated a Super-A Grade. With this title, the deterrent power would be enough.

Tarrokov clapped his hands, signaling everyone to look over, and then said:

"Now that Heber is here, let's go over what we just talked about again. I have already notified Ulanlier of the results of this battle. His Excellency the President is very satisfied with our achievements. The Arcane Church's attacking forces have basically been wiped out, and now the Crimson Dynasty has two Super-A Grades, Dillon and Metz, in its hands.

"With such bargaining chips, the Crimson Dynasty has the upper hand. His Excellency the President will announce this incident to the entire universe in the near future, so that all the major and minor forces in the universe will know the actions of the Arcane Church and see what price they have paid for it."

The pursuit battle in the Shining World didn't last long. The Crimson Dynasty was still blocking the news, and the outside world was still in the dark. Announcing it to the entire universe was only a matter of time.

If the Arcane Church had escaped unscathed after the attack, the Crimson Dynasty's prestige would have been damaged. But now it was different. The Arcane Church had tried to steal a chicken but lost the rice used to lure it, losing both the lady and her dowry. Not only was the army annihilated, but two of the six Super-A Grades were captured by the Crimson Dynasty. The Crimson Dynasty's deterrence not only did not decrease but increased instead. The Crimson Dynasty's upper echelons were extremely satisfied with Han Xiao and the others' actions.

The Crimson Dynasty would not miss such an opportunity to promote its own Super-A Grades. Han Xiao was the focus of the Crimson Dynasty's publicity, and the Crimson Dynasty was preparing to write extensively about his feat of reversing the situation.

Increasing the deterrent power of the Crimson Dynasty's allies was also increasing the Crimson Dynasty's own prestige, a win-win situation.

When watching Heber sweat and wrestle with Metz, Tarrokov had already communicated with Han Xiao, so at this time, Han Xiao just raised his eyelids to show that he knew.

The commander-in-chief added: "On the other hand, there are still four Super-A Grades who fled in a panic into the Shattered Star Ring. The Crimson Dynasty will try its best to hunt them down, but the situation in the Shattered Star Ring is different from the Shining World. Everyone, the Crimson Dynasty hopes that you will temporarily go to the Shattered Star Ring to take charge, so that we can react quickly."

The Shining World was currently the Crimson Dynasty's territory, and other forces had no foundation here, so the Crimson Dynasty could set up a tight blockade to hunt down the enemy, without being disturbed by outsiders.

But the environment of the Shattered Star Ring was different. The forces of all parties were intricate and complex. The Arcane Church also had various spies in the Shattered Star Ring. The four Super-A Grades, Saggman, no longer had only one way to escape, which was to drive the ship. They could split up and disguise themselves as citizens of some interstellar civilizations, making it easier to hide their tracks.

Moreover, with the entire star field as the tracking range, the difficulty for the Crimson Dynasty to track the enemy would increase exponentially, which was tantamount to finding a needle in a haystack.

Of course, Saggman and the others faced heavy pressure because they were being hunted and were facing danger.

Because the enemy suddenly widened the distance through a secret stargate, the Crimson Dynasty's Super-A Grades were temporarily unable to continue their tailing pursuit. They could only choose to go to the Shattered Star Ring to take charge. After all, the enemy would definitely hide, and they could only attack after they discovered the enemy's tracks, otherwise it would be a waste of energy.

Han Xiao smiled and said:

"The Shattered Star Ring is the base camp of the Black Star Army. I sincerely invite everyone present to visit the Black Star Army as guests. During your stay, I will take care of everyone's food and accommodation."

Hearing this, Heber immediately said, "The Shattered Star Ring is also my territory. The Black Star Army has only been established for a few years. There's nothing to see. Everyone should come to my War Realm instead."

Everyone present was a Super-A Grade and possessed extraordinary influence. As local overlords, both of them wanted to bring people to their own forces as guests, which could not only win over the other party but also indirectly increase the prestige of the forces.

Millizaus chuckled, "Since Black Star has invited us, then I'll go to your place."

Beonli nodded, "Okay, you promised to treat me last time in the Central Star Sea. Let's take this opportunity."

The two had stayed on the Beacon Star with Han Xiao for a month, and they had fought side by side to survive a desperate situation not long ago. With such a comrade-in-arms relationship, their relationship was naturally much closer.

Maximiloff, who was remotely projecting, interjected, "Black Star, I'll go to your place too. I'll take this opportunity to exchange mechanical technology."

"No problem." Han Xiao readily agreed.

Maximiloff was a mechanic, so his interest in his peers was naturally higher than his interest in big muscles.

Everyone ignored Heber's invitation. Heber's face stiffened, and he felt a little embarrassed. He silently turned his head to look at the last person, Ravenlaude.

The corner of Ravenlaude's mouth twitched, and he coughed before helplessly saying, "Then... then I'll go to the War Realm."

Although he didn't get along with Han Xiao, everyone else went to the Black Star Army. He also wanted to join in the fun and see if he could find a chance to use the Evolution Cube once. However, he had a headache because Heber was staring at him, so he had no choice but to say something against his will.

Heber's face looked a little better, at least not everyone ignored him.

However, looking at the three people on Han Xiao's side, Heber inexplicably felt a sense of frustration.

He had been running the Tyrant's Gathering in the Shattered Star Ring for many years and thought that he had a wide network of contacts. However, outside the Shattered Star Ring, the other powerhouses of the same level might not care about his face. He felt that his network ability in this aspect was inferior to Han Xiao, and he felt uncomfortable.

Tarrokov coughed and interrupted everyone's small talk before continuing:

"Due to the increased difficulty of searching, the Crimson Dynasty has decided to cut off the enemy's retreat in advance, which is to attack the Arcane Church's stargate station in the Shattered Star Ring, so that they cannot quickly return to the Central Star Sea.

"The Crimson Dynasty's special envoy to the Shattered Star Ring, Sui, is already dispatching troops. When the Crimson Dynasty issues a statement on this matter, they will launch an attack."

"Then it seems we won't be able to make it in time." Han Xiao nodded. "There are no Super-A Grades helping on either side. Can the Crimson Dynasty's army in the Shattered Star Ring take down the Arcane Church's garrison?"

"You're wrong. We have Super-A Grade combat power."

Han Xiao was stunned. "Could it be that the Crimson Dynasty has invited other Super-A Grade allies from other star fields? Won't it be too late? The Arcane Church also has time to send Super-A Grade combat power."

"No, our Super-A Grade combat power is from the local Shattered Star Ring."

"Local? Heber and I are both in the Shining World, and Austin is on his way back. It's too late, and neither is Seesk... "

As he was talking, Han Xiao suddenly realized something. His face darkened, and he said in an unkind tone:

"You used my name to ask Ames to help?!"

"Black Star, you've misunderstood. It wasn't us who did it, but Dragon Emperor took the initiative to contact Sui and asked to participate in the attack on the stargate station."

Tarrokov waved his hand, "I only found out about it not long ago. Sui has already agreed to her. With all of you not around, she's the only Super-A Grade in the Shattered Star Ring and can provide great help, ensuring that nothing will go wrong."

"How did she know what happened here?"

"This... I don't know." Tarrokov shook his head.

Han Xiao frowned, walked to the side, and contacted Ames.

Ames' projection appeared. Seeing Han Xiao, she sized him up and said with a half-smile, "Yo, busy man, you're finally willing to look for me?"

"I'm asking you, did you contact the Crimson Dynasty and prepare to intervene in this disturbance?" Han Xiao didn't beat around the bush and asked directly.

"What? Do you have any objections?" Ames raised the corner of her lips.

Han Xiao nodded and said in a deep voice:

"You shouldn't interfere. It's not a good thing for you."

"Is this the first day you've known me?" Ames said calmly, "For me, there are only things I want to do and things I don't want to do. You're my ally. You've been attacked. What kind of ally would I be if I didn't help? Hmph, you're still hiding it from me. If Austin hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known that you were in such danger in the Shining World."

So it was that old geezer Austin...

Han Xiao was helpless, "I'm not hiding it from you, I just didn't tell you temporarily. It seems I don't have to notify you at the first moment, right..."

"...Sometimes I really want to beat you to death." Ames snorted, "Unfortunately, you've become too strong. I'm not confident that I can beat you now."

Han Xiao scratched his chin and said helplessly, "Don't change the topic. Even if you don't interfere, the Crimson Dynasty can still attack the stargate station. There's no need for you to do something unnecessary. You're not a member of the Crimson Dynasty and don't have the Crimson Dynasty's protection. If you anger the Arcane Church, your situation will be very troublesome."

"Is that so? What about Austin then? You don't seem to be considering him, do you?" Ames said teasingly.

"Can that be the same?" Han Xiao shook his head. "Austin owes me a favor, but you don't. I owe you a favor instead. Plus, we're our own people, so of course I'm considering you."

"Tsk, so you can still speak human language."

Ames teased him, and then her tone became slightly serious. "Alright, you don't have to say anymore. You know, once I make a decision, even Iso can't persuade me."

"...Okay."

Han Xiao was helpless and a little touched. When he was weak, Ames helped him like this. Now that he had become a big shot on the same level, she was still doing this. The faded old times in his memory seemed to come back to life.

"Then be careful."

After hanging up the communication, Han Xiao contacted Sui again.

"Haha, Your Excellency Black Star, it's been a while since we last contacted."

Sui's face appeared, laughing heartily, with a fervent expression.

"I've already heard about the contribution you made in the Shining World. Well done."

It was Sui who introduced Han Xiao to join the Crimson Dynasty. Now that Han Xiao had made a contribution, he had also received a certain amount of praise, and he was in a good mood.

"Sui, I have something to ask of you..." Han Xiao said his request.

"Is that all? Don't worry, I'll tell the garrison commander to not order Dragon Emperor to carry out the most dangerous frontal assault when they attack the stargate station."

"Alright, I'll be returning to the Shattered Star Ring soon. I'll go to the Black Star Army headquarters then. We'll have a good gathering. Millizaus, Beonli, and Maximiloff will be there too."

"Those are all big shots." Sui's eyes lit up. With his position, he could at most contact the Super-A Grades in the Shattered Star Ring. He usually didn't have the chance to meet these Super-A Grades from other star fields. It would be good for him to make friends with them at this time.

After ending the call, Han Xiao returned to Tarrokov and the others. With the help of the others, he used the Time Amber to seal up Metz, who was struggling and howling.

Then, the fleet turned around and began to return. They would return to the Shattered Star Ring through the stargate passage in the Dawn Star Cluster, which would take several days.

Han Xiao originally thought that he would have to stay in the Shining World, but he didn't expect that he could take some time to return to his base camp because of this little episode.

However, it didn't matter where he was. The Black Star Army had been exploring the Shining World according to plan.

He opened the forum to take a look. The players' [Crimson Dynasty Recruitment Order - Full Line Pursuit] mission had not ended yet. There were still many Arcane Church squads scattered in other directions, and there were still many troops in the Fallen Ark that had not run away.

Compared to the remaining four of Saggman, Han Xiao wanted to deal with the Heterogeneous God more, but the Crimson Dynasty's current focus was on the Arcane Church.

Without the help of his teammates, with his current strength, Han Xiao didn't have any confidence in killing the Heterogeneous God.

"I can only wait until the Crimson Dynasty announces this matter to the entire universe and takes large-scale counterattacks before trying to persuade the Crimson Dynasty to adopt the counterattack suggestions I mentioned before..."

Han Xiao thought to himself, "Political capital, it should be able to exert a certain influence in this regard..."

...

On the second day after capturing Metz, the Crimson Dynasty held a press conference during the daily news. President Ulanlier personally appeared and spoke, announcing the cause, process, and result of this incident to the entire universe.

Countless interstellar media broadcasted it, and the scene of this speech was spread to every interstellar civilization in every star field in an instant.

Whether it was an official platform, a home TV, or an entertainment channel, the screen was switched to the Crimson Dynasty's speech.

The captains in one spaceship after another took out their communicators and stared at the broadcast screen. Bartenders and customers in one bar after another raised their heads and looked at the screen above them. Travelers in one interstellar transit station after another raised their heads and looked at the dome projection in the air.

Countless interstellar citizens heard the Crimson Dynasty's announcement at the same time.

Interstellar citizens only knew that the Shining World was a new star field under development, and they didn't know anything else. However, in the unknown star field that their eyes couldn't reach, there was a major event of a battle between eleven Super-A Grades. The Arcane Church and the Crimson Dynasty had a direct conflict, and the two cosmic-level civilizations simultaneously announced that they had entered a state of wartime alert!

This statement dropped a psionic bomb on the entire interstellar society, causing a huge wave!