Chapter 849 The Scheme Deepens as EsG.o.d Appears!
Light energy impact, magic energy rays, pugilist fluctuations, psychic bombs, and more Beyond Grade A attacks were concentrated. Han Xiao’s psionic s.h.i.+eld collapsed, his mechanical suit shattered, and he flew backward uncontrollably.
His gaze spun, and the stars in the universe seemed to all turn into shooting stars. It took him a lot of effort to finally stabilize, hovering in outer s.p.a.ce. His entire body was wracked in pain, and his cells were constantly annihilating yet regenerating.
Not far behind him was the huge interstellar battlefield where the fleets were fighting. Beneath him was the outline of a gray planet. Sagman retrieved the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter, and upon noticing Han Xiao’s tweaking to it, his expression contorted.
Upon seeing his opponents’ expressions, Han Xiao smiled even though his body was convulsing in pain.
This was worth it!
Due to the threat the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter posed, even if one could only fire off a single shot in a short period of time, having six of them meant that the scepter would be fired six times. If he had left them alone, his side would not even have had the opportunity for a comeback. The only method was to freeze the enemy’s Ten Thousand Deity Scepter.
And the core of this plan lay in the s.p.a.cetime Amber, which could lock up the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter!
What occurred previously was truly a desperate situation for him. He had first pretended to surrender, taking out the Evolution Cube under their supervision, before causing trouble. Then, his teammates as well as his mechanical army added on to the chaos. From his experience in his previous life, by allowing his barrier formed from amber to ward off the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter, the opponents would reveal flaws due to their surprise and shock. Then he used the s.p.a.cetime Amber to prevent the Arcane Church from retrieving the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter.
For the first time, the s.p.a.cetime Amber showed its prowess in the universe. The enemy was unaware of its effects and was rendered speechless. Only then did he get the opportunity to brief grab the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter.
Because of the soul link, the production efficiency of s.p.a.cetime Amber was accelerated. The scepter was not a large object, so the delay was enough to seal it!
Now that the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter has been sealed in amber, it has been cut from their energy. They are not able to open the amber, and thus, for this battle, they will not have such an overpowered killing weapon!
Han Xiao clenched his fists in excitement. Having disabled the enemies’ ultimate, they could still make a comeback!
Sagman grabbed hold of the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter sealed in amber. His hands shone with a bright light as he pressed it on the amber, but it was useless as the amber would not budge. The light particles flowed around the surface of the amber, turning it into a golden egg.
The other five by the side could not sit still and joined hands, but even then, the amber remained intact. They could only stare at the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter encased within.
“What sort of nonsense is this thing? How could it not break‽” Sagman stared at Han Xiao, and relying on Psyker’s mental waves, he bellowed, “B*stard, what have you done‽”
There was no mention of such a skill on Black Star’s intelligence. They had been caught unprepared. To think that Black Star still had such a trick up his sleeves!
Han Xiao chuckled in his heart.
Having only obtained the s.p.a.cetime Amber in the Flickering World, he had yet to reveal it, and thus, the intelligence from the universe was naturally behind.
Han Xiao chuckled to himself before speaking in a jovial manner. “What have I done? This Ten Thousand Deity Scepter of yours is such a precious thing. I even added another layer of locks so that it will be completely safe. No need to thank me. It’s free! Are you satisfied with the service provided?”
His sarcastic tone infuriated Sagman, causing the flames in his heart to soar.
He had originally thought that Black Star and the rest had no way to resist, that their victory was set in stone. But to think that they got fooled!
Even after using all their methods, they were unable to unlock the amber. Sagman gritted his teeth, pa.s.sing the scepter to Ninjia.
“Keep it. We can’t break through Black Star’s methods now. But at least the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter is still in our hands. When we return, we’ll let the Arcane Church research how to get it out.”
Ninjia could only helplessly follow.
The Arcane Church had pa.s.sed this Universal Treasure to them in order to allow them to handle Milizaus quickly, but right now, not only were he and Sagman sapped of the majority of their strength, the situation had gone downhill. They did not even manage to get rid of one of the three pillars of the dynasty. What a loss!
Not only that, the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter was sealed through some unknown means by Black Star, and their hidden ace had been rendered temporarily unavailable. It was impossible to quickly resolve this battle now, and their best form of deterrence against EsG.o.d was also gone. This was like going to steal a chicken but not even getting rice!
Seeing Ninjia stow away the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter, a mocking expression appeared on Han Xiao’s face. He knew that this bunch would definitely think that the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter was only temporarily rendered unusable. They thought that by returning, the Arcane Church would be able to find out a method to remove the s.p.a.cetime Amber.
Heh, they still do not understand the severity of this matter…
The corners of his mouth rose up. The s.p.a.cetime Amber was the remnant of s.p.a.cetime Freezer, and its ability was derived from that Esper’s own ability to freeze s.p.a.cetime. However, because of it drifting through the universe, it had absorbed all sorts of strange cosmic radiation, which had allowed it to evolve into a s.p.a.ce Wonder.
To be cla.s.sified as a s.p.a.ce Wonder, they had to be unidentifiable by current theories. Thus, if the s.p.a.cetime Amber could be broken apart so easily, there would not have been so many Beyond Grade As fighting over this thing in his previous life.
These thoughts flitted through his mind, and Han Xiao kept his smile as he focused on the six opponents.
While he had sealed the trump card of his opponents, six Beyond Grade As were still a force to be reckoned with.
He had only completed a staged counterattack, and the battle had far from ended.
The several people confronted each other for more than a minute in outer s.p.a.ce. Beyoni, Austin, and Milizaus quickly caught up.
Seeing that this plan had succeeded and Han Xiao had restricted the opponents’ scepter, a praising glow could be seen in Milizaus’ eyes.
You’re really reliable, brother!
While you might be the source of this dangerous situation, causing me great injury, seeing that you saved my life, I shall no longer be angry with you!
The gathering of Beyond Grade As had already broken past single digits. The energy fluctuations given off by them clashed with each other, displaying their zone as a region with the highest energy. Just like the scene of countless supernovas, the energy response kept soaring.
“Do it!”
Sagman and others did not wish to procrastinate and attacked. Han Xiao originally wished to trash talk and waste more time, but seeing this situation, he could only retaliate as well.
The ten Beyond Grade As clashed together, moving through the interstellar battlefield and crus.h.i.+ng all wars.h.i.+ps in their way, leaving behind a wake of explosions.
…
At the same time, in the Constellation Corridor, Ruler Urranrell suddenly received the urgent report from Tarrokov and burst into anger when she discovered that the Arcane Church was attacking Planet Lighthouse.
“Arcane Church, Federation of Light…” Urranrell’s expression was grim.
It was not that she did not know that these two old enemies of hers would make things difficult when they explored the Flickering World, but she had thought that it would stop at the level of tricks. To think that they really tried to invade the outpost of the dynasty, attempting to kill off three of their Beyond Grade As!
Did they think the Crimson Dynasty was so easy to bully‽
If it was a conspiracy, there was nothing to say, but in a frontal battle, the dynasty would never be afraid!
Urranrell immediately issued dozens of orders to mobilize the dynasty’s army. She did not think that there was a chance of survival on the side of Planet Lighthouse, and thus, she began to prepare for the counterattack instead.
The style of the dynasty was always to repay a tooth with a tooth and blood with blood. This was their tradition. If they were not vicious enough, their position would not be stable.
Now that they had been taken advantage of, if they did not produce a reaction similar to that of a rabid dog retaliating, others would think that the dynasty was strong on the outside but weak within.
…
Originally, the players were all exploring outside, but because Han Xiao was situated on Planet Lighthouse, a portion of the players would occasionally head over to check it out. When the battle broke out, there were a few players present on the planet, and one of them was Bun-Hit-Dog. He immediately issued a post on the forums.
“Big event! Planet Lighthouse has been a.s.saulted by an unknown force! There are ten Beyond Grade A NPCs fighting!”
The moment he posted, the players exploring outside were all stunned.
Ten Beyond Grade As, my G.o.d, what sort of grand event was this‽
It’s only been a while. Why would there be such a big event!
…
On the battlefield, the ten Beyond Grade As exchanged blows. Because of the arrival of Austin as well as the sealing of the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter, the Arcane Church’s strength had been reduced quite a bit. While Han Xiao and the rest were having a bad time, they would not be defeated in such a short period.
“Do you have any other plans?”
Milizaus was thoroughly convinced by Han Xiao’s strategies, and while battling, they were conversing on their mental network.
“There are six of them, and we are still at a disadvantage. Our objective has not changed. We can only wait for reinforcements.”
Dodging an energy ray, Han Xiao controlled his army to return fire to repel Sagman.
“The enemies also know of this point… so they want to end this battle quickly. Milizaus might be injured, but he can put up a strong fight. Austin has the shelter of the Palace of Hidden Spells and will not fall easily. As for me, there’s no need to talk. The term ‘Indestructible Body’ is not just empty words. Thus, the enemies are likely to focus on Beyoni. With him being so brittle, he’ll probably be the first to die.”
“…” Beyoni.
How vicious, to actually leave him with no way to retaliate!
I’m not like you guys, you perverted meat s.h.i.+elds. I’m a true Beyond Grade A!
Milizaus was helpless. “Then let him stay behind me. I’ll help him to divert the majority of the blows. Do you have any other plans?”
“How about you guys all stay and I escape?”
The three of them had nasty expressions. Brother, the f*ck are you talking about?
“Cough cough, slip of the tongue.” Han Xiao dryly coughed before sighing. “There’s nothing much I can come out with. We can only fight it out. EsG.o.d is still en route, and if he arrives, the situation will get even more unfavorable…”
Everyone went silent. Upon thinking that there was still EsG.o.d to come, everyone felt their mood darken.
At this moment, Han Xiao made up his mind and solemnly spoke. “Everyone, I have a request. Please protect me for five minutes. I will withdraw from this battle for the next five minutes.”
“What are you going to do?” Milizaus stared at him.
“I have an ability to draw out and improve my combat power, but during this period of preparation, I cannot be disturbed. I need you to hold them off for five minutes.” Han Xiao naturally would not reveal the presence of his promotion missions and had to come up with an excuse.
Milizaus was helpless. You just said that the situation was grim, but you suddenly chose to withdraw? Also, what kind of ability requires a Beyond Grade A to prepare for five minutes?
“How much combat power can you raise?” Austin suddenly asked.
“It should be quite a bit.” Han Xiao did not know exactly.
“Are you sure?” Milizaus spoke in a deep voice. “Even if you do this, you can’t become overpowered. Your strength will definitely still be below mine, and this will not affect the current scenario. Without your strength for the next five minutes, we’ll be in grave danger. You also know that EsG.o.d has not arrived, and we cannot be inflicted with heavy injuries at this point…”
“It’s because the EsG.o.d is not here. That’s why I chose to give it a shot! If we wait for EsG.o.d to arrive, the five minutes will be even more dangerous. Before he arrives, I’ll increase my combat strength and see if it can give us a chance.” Han Xiao gritted his teeth.
This was one of the reasons. The other unspoken reason was that this advancement was no small matter!
Not only was it a Cla.s.s Advancement, he also had a chance to undergo another Race Evolution, which could bring him new abilities! Furthermore, as long as he broke past this barrier, he would be able to continue levelling up.
His improvement was definitely not small!
At this time, Austin suddenly nodded. “Good, then you enter my Palace of Hidden Spells. I’ll protect you for five minutes.”
“Can you?”
Han Xiao had an unsure tone. Not too long ago, Austin had still thought of retreating. Now that the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter had been sealed by Han Xiao and there was no immediate danger to him, why did he choose not to escape? To think that someone like him would volunteer to take on such a difficult mission. This was totally different from his impression of the old man that avoided danger.
Could it be that, over time, their relations.h.i.+p had become so good? Or did this old man value credibility?
As though reading Han Xiao’s thoughts, Austin revealed a smile.
“The moment that you sealed the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter, I suddenly thought that keeping you alive might be a good thing.”
Han Xiao paused, thought for a bit, and said, “If I survive this, then I’ll give you a bit of s.p.a.cetime Amber… I used that previously to trap the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter.”
“I was waiting for that!”
Austin burst into laughter. While he wanted to appear magnificent, his soft laugh made him appear more like a newborn than a man.
He was indeed moved by the s.p.a.cetime Amber and wished to research what sort of thing it was. But that was not the whole reason.
The Ten Thousand Deity Scepter was defeated against his expectations. The situation now was clear. If he stayed, they could still fight, but if he chose to run, the strength of the dynasty’s side would flag, and the rest would be defeated.
Since he had already stepped into this dump, if he ran halfway, he would offend both the Arcane Church and the Crimson Dynasty. However, if he chose to stay and a.s.sist Black Star, he would only offend one side. The most important factor was that Austin wished for Han Xiao to continue living. He found this fellow more and more likeable, with all sorts of surprises.
“Isn’t it just five minutes?” Austin’s eyes glowed. “I’m not so weak that I can’t even hold on for that amount of time!”
Han Xiao opened his secondary dimensional army box and collected all his troops. After that, he flew over to the Palace of Hidden Spells, where an opening appeared in its barriers, granting him entry.
No further words were needed. Han Xiao rushed into the palace, summoning a mechanical troop before sealing himself in s.p.a.cetime Amber. Since obtaining the amber, he had done a few experiments, which included sealing himself to discover the effect of freezing the s.p.a.cetime Amber gave.
His status would appear as [Frozen], and while he could think and sense the outside world, he was unable to communicate or even connect to the Quantum network.
Phillip followed the commands Han Xiao gave and controlled the troops to surround Han Xiao, ready to utilize the s.p.a.cetime Amber to unseal him.
Sealing himself was insurance to prevent any disturbances from affecting him.
With only three people left in the battle against the Arcane Church, the pressure increased.
Seeing that Han Xiao had stopped attacking, Sagman and the others did not know what he was planning, but with the example of the Ten Thousand Deity Scepter, they were not about to let Han Xiao’s actions continue. They concentrated fire on the Palace of Hidden Spells.
Under the intense a.s.sault, the s.h.i.+elds on the Palace of Hidden Spells were broken one after another in just three minutes, bursting in a splendid display of fireworks.
The entire palace was shaking nonstop, with all sorts of cracks, and many functions were destroyed.
While Austin continuously utilized his Forbidden Sorcerer arts to repair the arrays, the rate of repair was far below that of its destruction. After all, the enemies outnumbered them two to one, and on their side, Milizaus’ injuries were steadily acc.u.mulating.
The situation was getting more dangerous, but the trio continued to give it their all, dragging out as much time as possible.
Austin’s Palace of Hidden Spells was worth its weight in gold and was extremely st.u.r.dy. Although its durability kept plummeting, it had indeed blocked out all the enemy attacks.
…
On the other side, the dynasty and Arcane Church’s fleets were still fighting fiercely. High energy beams were exchanged rapidly and exploded on the s.h.i.+elds of the s.p.a.ces.h.i.+ps in dazzling arcs one after the other.
Tarrokov had long taken control of commanding the battlefield and was strongly resisting the crazed invasion of the Arcane Church.
The Arcane Church’s troops outnumbered the dynasty’s by a few times, and their dark energy furnace expanded and contracted as though it were breathing, consistently releasing red beams of dark energy rays to batter at the dynasty’s barriers.
Their b.u.t.terfly-model main flags.h.i.+p had already finished combining into a single ent.i.ty, and its hundreds of pairs of highly ductile ‘b.u.t.terfly wings’ opened up, giving the flags.h.i.+p the appearance of a rising sun. On the edge of each pair of wings, faint red light was s.h.i.+ning, and a series of light blades were continuously fired, akin to slas.h.i.+ng attacks. If one looked closely, the edges of the wings were filled with dense cannons, and they all fired together, like a light blade being activated.
The Crimson Dynasty’s reloaded main flags.h.i.+p instead sported a neat formation and orderly artillery fire. It seemed to be able to tear into the universe with an energy beam. All three Universal Civilizations had many different types of wars.h.i.+ps, and the Crimson Dynasty’s were famous for their strong firepower and tough armor.
“How much longer before the troops outside return?” Tarrokov asked while still staring at the star map.
“The first batch should be back via hyperdrive in around four minutes,” the Vice commander immediately replied.
Tarrokov nodded. With Planet Lighthouse besieged, he had decided to recall all troops outside, which amounted to another three million wars.h.i.+ps. With their support, their numbers would be even with the Arcane Church, and their pressure would lessen.
If not for him leading the fleet to withstand the Arcane Church’s offensive, they would not even have had the opportunity to wait for reinforcements. He had no extra energy to pay attention to the Beyond Grade A battles and only prayed that Black Star would not fall too quickly.
“Where’s the army of the Fallen Ark?”
“Commander, the fleet we sent out is still tangling with the Fallen Ark fleet. I estimate another twenty minutes before they enter.”
As Tarrokov nodded, a piercing alarm blared from the radar.
“Warning! Unknown high-energy response source detected! Comparing with database… Comparison completed, target ident.i.ty: EsG.o.d!”
Tarrokov jumped up and cast his eyes over. On the outskirts of the battlefield, a humanoid silhouette appeared, floating in the vast universe.
EsG.o.d!
“Didn’t you say twenty minutes? Why is he…” Tarrokov was about to shout, but he abruptly realized that EsG.o.d had shown up alone, and he immediately understood.
This guy had abandoned his troops and arrived at the battlefield ahead of them!
…
The EsG.o.d turned around, his gaze fixed on the battlefield of the Beyond Grade As.
He was totally unsatisfied with the speed of his fleet and decided to just ditch them, utilizing his Esper Ability to warp large distances, teleporting straight to Planet Lighthouse.
Surveying the entire battlefield, EsG.o.d suddenly narrowed his eyes.
Where did Black Star go‽