Bright starlight reflected in Sorokin’s pupils through the floor to ceiling windows of the top floor. He stood before the window and looked up at the starry night.

“Gorutan is done for…”

To think that just a few days ago, he had been chattering and laughing with Gorutan in his palace. Sorokin mourned for three seconds.

Although he was mostly just the messenger in this incident, he had still secretly intended to shift the direction of how things played out. However, all plots were shattered by Black Star with pure power. Even he felt a sense of resignation.

“Wasn’t able to use Hila to start a conflict, what a shame.” Sorokin shook his head. “However, considering that Gorutan is no more, it’s not too bad.”

Gorutan was a shareholder of the Limitless Financial Group, and Sorokin had used his own identity as a shareholder to gain protection while strengthening his connection with the Galactic Black Market through Gorutan’s routes.

After so many years, Sorokin had already infiltrated the Galactic Black Market using Gorutan’s connections. Even if these connections were broken, his business would not be affected much. However, he could not possibly kick Gorutan away after using him.

Due to this incident, he would have one less shareholder to share the dividends with, which would actually save Sorokin some money. Some of his businesses that he had given to Gorutan in the past could now be retrieved and developed as usual. At the same time, he would also be able to slowly chip away Beast Ancestor’s organization’s main business and their market share.

“Hmm, Gorutan being gone isn’t a bad thing for me. Maybe I can use the shareholder position he left behind as a bargaining chip to gain the support of other protectors of the Galactic Black Market and make me a new protector of the Galactic Black Market.”

Sorokin narrowed his eyes as he thought about how he could benefit from this.

Although he did work together with Gorutan, business partners were not really on his side in Sorokin’s eyes. To him, the relationships he had with these people were purely built on mutual interests. Therefore, he was not sad about Gorutan being gone at all. Rather, he was happy with the fact that he now had one less person to share profits with.

“Nonetheless, Black Star’s strength is indeed quite incredible…

“After this, the Crimson Dynasty will likely reevaluate their relationship with Black Star. There’s a sixty percent chance they will temporarily put aside any arguments regarding the ownership of the Evolution Cube. They’ll then compensate Black Star by opening up the purchasing rights of the totems, bribing his heart and displaying their clear intention of wooing him… Hmm, then my deal with the federation, the church, and the dynasty’s hawk faction can be put aside. It’s time to stop interfering with the Black Star Army’s businesses.”

The Limitless Financial Group had made deals with multiple parties before starting to disrupt the Black Star Army’s businesses. The core reason was the Evolutionary Totems.

The federation and the church wanted to pressure the dynasty in various ways to force them to open the purchasing rights of the totems, so they wanted to influence the dynasty through Black Star. The dynasty’s hawk faction’s goal was to pressure Black Star and convince him to exchange the Evolution Cube for other Universal Treasures. If the dynasty opened up the purchasing rights of the totems, this problem would be solved instantly. Thus, the Limitless Financial Group would have no reason to continue pressuring the Black Star Army.

Other than these considerations, Sorokin also planned to stay low for some time.

Black Star had achieved something that was more than enough to be written down in history; now would be the time his influence was at its peak. If the Limitless Financial Group acted too out of line, Black Star would most likely target them even more. Hence, keeping a low profile would not be bad.

Sorokin did not want to make things ugly. After all, Black Star was the local dragon of the Flickering World. Small conflicts would still be fine, but it would not be pretty if things escalated.

If Black Star used his explosive abilities again, even he would have to face him with all his strength. He did not want to expose his strength and lose his camouflage as someone ‘weak’ and ‘fragile’.

“Hmm, Traveler too…” Sorokin’s eyes flickered. “It’s best to get rid of him.”

…

“Didn’t expect Black Star to eliminate Gorutan so decisively. Looks like my reminder was part of the reason…”

Somewhere within the free competition zone, Secret Master looked at the news playing on the communicator and frowned.

Like Gorutan, he had been a protector of the Galactic Black Market for many years. The two of them had many conflicts both on the surface and secretly. He understood Gorutan’s strength and knew that he was no match for him, or the one taking the position as the Limitless Financial Group shareholder would not have been Gorutan.

Seeing that Gorutan had been eliminated by Black Star, Secret Master was shocked while at the same time felt complicated about losing an old rival.

Of course, feelings were one thing. If anyone wanted to bail Gorutan out, he would be the first to oppose it.

After some time, Secret Master adjusted his mindset and started thinking about how he could benefit from this.

“The organization left behind by Beast Ancestor is a huge chunk of meat. It’s best to share it to make my own organization stronger. Hmm, among those offspring of his, there seem to be some who are quite talented. I can make them work under me… If I take them to see the Beast Ancestor’s specimen, it will probably be very fun…”

Thinking about that, Secret Master could not help but smile.

“Black Star did something huge this time. It’d be best to keep in contact with him in the future. Black Star will lead the shared front of the Beyond Grade As. I should pay more attention to this matter.”

…

Somewhere in the Constellation Corridor, a dynasty patrol ship was slowly moving.

In a cabin, a dynasty male wearing a low-grade officer uniform leaned on the railing. He held a communicator and watched it with a naive smile.

This person was very muscular. He looked ordinary and friendly, without the special position marking on his uniform. It would be very hard for someone to think that this was a Grade C Super combatant of the Pugilist class.

This time, a few colleagues doing the daily patrolling walked over and saw this buff man. Someone yelled, “Yo, Karlot, what are you watching that made you smile so brightly?”

“Ah, I’m watching the news.” Karlot turned around and smiled.

This person was the Beyond Grade A potential stock Han Xiao had once paid attention to, a peak Beyond Grade A Pugilist of the dynasty in his previous life.

More than twenty years ago, he was still a child who was studying in the dynasty’s Super Academy and had yet to even awaken his class. Now that more than twenty years had passed, he had turned from a frank child to a frank adult who was just Grade C. His growth could not be considered fast; it was mediocre.

Due to Han Xiao’s interference, his growth took a different path from before but still had the same overall effect. Karlot still joined the dynasty military after graduating, and after ten years or so, he was still a low-grade combatant who was rarely promoted if at all.

This time, a few colleagues of his approached and saw the news about Han Xiao on the communicator.

“His Excellency Black Star? Ha, as expected!” a colleague joked. “Sigh, sadly, you know Black Star, but Black Star doesn’t know you, his top fan.”

“He does know me. When I was young, His Excellency Black Star once personally tried to recruit me. He…”

Before Karlot finished his sentence, his colleagues were already laughing out loud.

“Hahaha, you’re at it again!”

“Keep going, don’t stop.”

“The legendary man with so much talent that even Black Star personally tried to recruit… Poah, haha, I can’t do this. Let me laugh a while longer!”

Seeing this, Karlot was not angry at all. He only scratched his head and smiled with resignation.

Ever since he came into contact with Han Xiao when he was a kid, he had been paying attention to anything related to Han Xiao in the news. In time, Han Xiao had become his idol. A colleague had once asked him the reason, so he told the truth. However, to his surprise, no one believed him, which made him the king of jokes among his colleagues.

Black Star would personally try to recruit an ordinary Grade C dynasty officer?

Who would believe that?

Position depended on strength. Even though Han Xiao had once personally tried to recruit him, more than twenty years had passed, and Karlot’s growth had proved to not match the word ‘genius’. This incident also got forgotten and not written in his resume. He had no intention of proving it to his colleagues. He did not care if others believed him, and he did not mind being made fun of.

At the start, due to Black Star, the school had high hopes for him. However, after they realized he had ordinary talent, they gave up on him. Nonetheless, Karlot was not affected by it, nor was he in a hurry to prove himself. All he did was slowly and patiently train while enjoying the process.

Throughout the years, even Karlot occasionally wondered if Black Star had made a mistake back then. However, this did not trouble him.

The disappointment and derision of others had little effect on him, and he did not think it was something worth getting angry over.

If he was destined to be ordinary, he would embrace it. He focused on the things he wanted to do; there was no need to force others to look up to him. This had always been the way Karlot lived his life.

Shaking his head with resignation, Karlot ignored his colleagues who were laughing and looked at the communicator again. Seeing Han Xiao in the papers, he smiled from the bottom of his heart.

…

Galaxy Calendar Year 730, February 18th. This was a day noted in history.

On this day, Black Star fought a battle in the Flickering World that could rarely happen even every hundred years. Initially, the church and the federation’s assassination mission for Hila might have become the fuse to cause the conflict between the three Universal Civilizations to erupt, but Black Star singlehandedly extinguished its flames and caused a sensation!

This news even surpassed the Flickering World. Even the competition and fighting stopped temporarily. The various organizations inside the free competition zone all maintained a low profile to see how things would go from there.

Countless galactic residents knew that Black Star was a top tier individual in the universe, but as a ‘newbie’ who had only appeared a few decades prior, Han Xiao did not achieve a lot of notable things. In terms of his reputation, there was still quite a difference between him and Manison, Kasuyi, and those senior peak Beyond Grade As.

This news, however, refreshed the image countless people had of him once again. His reputation universally skyrocketed.

What happened on this day was given a nickname by the outside world—Black Star’s Godlike Battle—which surpassed all his past achievements and became the most notable deed on his resume.

At the same time, the Wayne Card company once again made an announcement to drastically buff Black Star’s card in the next version, while at the same time introducing the memorial card sets with the ‘Black Star’s Godlike Battle’ theme. They were quick and familiar with benefiting from what was popular at the time.

The other neutral Beyond Grade As were shocked by Black Star’s achievements. Thinking of what had happened to Gorutan, more people further confirmed the strategy to not become Black Star’s enemy but become his ally…

While the incident was brewing and countless people were paying attention to the Black Star Army, Han Xiao returned right back to Black Star Palace and announced to the outside world that he would be resting for some time.

…

Within Black Star Palace, Han Xiao did not chat much with the various officers, only greeting them simply before he quickly hurried back to his personal training location. He then closed the gate and locked himself inside.

Feidin and Nero had been present earlier, and Han Xiao had already rubbed them.

Inside the room, he opened the mission list with his hands covered in luck, took a deep breath, and prayed.

After praying silently for some time, Han Xiao then clicked the ‘complete’ option on [Rescue Hila].

_____________

[Rescue Hila] completed!

You have received 92 Billion EXP, 4 Random Rewards, and 1 Blank Character Summon Card.

You have received 1 Universe Legendary Point.

Universe Legendary Point: Godlike Battle—You single-handedly fought twelve enemies and achieved a result that shocked the entire universe. From this point onward, your name shall be written into history and mentioned along with the strongest group of people in history. Your name will get passed on even if stars shift and seas dry up, as one of the symbols of peak individual greatness!

_____________

Han Xiao was not surprised. He rubbed his hands and looked at the following notification.

There were four Unknown Character Summon Cards. Given the fact that so many people participated in the battle, he did not know what he could get either.

If he got those weak ones, it would clearly not be good, but if he got a Character Summon Card of someone strong, the chance of it having a powerful ability would also be much greater.

Having looked at the notification, Han Xiao’s eyes sparkled with surprise.

_____________

You have received [Character Summon Card: Kasuyi]!

You have received [Character Summon Card: Sierron]!

You have received [Character Summon Card: Gorutan]!

You have received [Character Summon Card: Hila]!

_____________