Chapter 953: Mindset Explosion (Revised)

Chapter 953: A Shattered Psyche (Revised)

The battle had devolved into a one-sided slaughter, the miserable spectacle of Herbur being brutally battered by the Mechanical Deity searing itself into every pair of eyes, with no end to this thrashing in sight.

Some could barely bear to watch, averting their gazes only to inevitably look back.

It was rare to see a Beyond Grade A in such a wretched state; this was exceedingly precious footage, and few would waste the chance to witness it live, for it would be the ultimate bragging right in the future.

The denizens of the War Domain watched their revered Overlord pinned down and ruthlessly mauled by Black Star, their eyes tearing with rage as a tide of humiliation and fury swelled within them, nearly driving them to intervene.

Yet they knew full well that if even Herbur was no match for Black Star, they would merely be offering themselves up as fodder, achieving nothing while ruining the fairness of this duel and inviting contempt for the War Domain.

Moreover, the Overlord himself would never forgive anyone for interfering in his battle.

Thus, even as they trembled with fury, the crowd could only watch helplessly as their boss was beaten in every conceivable manner by Black Star.

Bang!

Frossus's facial muscles twitched as he slapped the metal bulkhead into splinters, his whole body shaking as he fiercely suppressed the urge to strike.

"Overlord..." Jode gritted his teeth, feeling the sting of humiliation just as acutely.

Seeing their own boss being battered by another left them equally stripped of face.

Meanwhile, numerous Beyond Grade As from the three Universal Civilizations, who had placed their bets, were also following the battle via live broadcast.

Since the Lighthouse Star campaign, the Beyond Grade A circle had acknowledged Black Star's prowess, with most favoring him to win, yet they could foresee the outcome but not the process.

In their minds, Herbur would at least cause Black Star some trouble and decimate most of his mechanical forces, but they never imagined the reality would be Herbur left with no room to retaliate, devoid of even a sliver of hope, completely dominated by Black Star.

"To be so wretched, losing so disgracefully," Lavelaud shook his head.

"Black Star is truly a terrifying creature; I think Herbur lasting this long is already incredibly impressive, but if I were up there..." Beoni couldn't help but project himself into the scenario, and thinking of his own fate against Black Star, a shiver ran down his spine.

Honestly, why scare myself for nothing; Black Star and I are good friends, good friends...

"On that note, I believe Dilun and you would have plenty to talk about," the old dragon quipped.

Velu, however, felt a touch of sorrow. "Alas, after this battle, the Overlord's prestige will be reduced to a mere fraction."

As a martial artist, witnessing Herbur beaten into such a wretched state, he felt a profound kinship in sorrow, mourning the fall of a fellow warrior.

That Black Star could summon the Mechanical Deity was a concept well understood by these Beyond Grade A allies of the advanced civilizations, signifying he had already stepped into the pinnacle of the Beyond Grade A realm; logically, Herbur's defeat by Black Star was nothing to be ashamed of, but the Overlord's past actions against Black Star had become the root of his own backlash.

The tangled grievances between the two had backed Herbur into a corner; once defeated, he would be dragged from his pedestal, let alone being beaten so humiliatingly.

It was not just the Empire's allies; the Beyond Grade As of Shining and Virtual Spirit were also discussing Black Star in their respective channels, and Han Xiao's performance sent a chill through every Beyond Grade A.

Just as they were discussing, the Mechanical Deity in the arena suddenly halted.

Eyes flashed among the crowd.

"Oh, it's over!"

...

An irresistible force surged from the Mechanical Deity's palm, sending Herbur flying once more, shattering meteors in his path until his momentum waned, finally crashing into a massive fragment of a continental plate, his body imprinting upon it and leaving a colossal human-shaped crater.

Blood blurred his vision as Herbur's trembling hands clawed at the crater's edge, forcing himself up; not a single part of his body was free from pain, drenched in blood with countless bones and tendons shattered, acutely aware of his ruined physique, his internal organs reduced to mere pulp, his utterly exhausted cells struggling to repair themselves.

The martial aura around Herbur flickered like a candle in a gale, wavering and dim, on the verge of being extinguished at any moment.

He gritted his teeth tightly, trying to muster his strength once more, but a hollow sense of exhaustion surged through him like an electric shock, leaving not even a single drop of energy behind.

Looking up, the Mechanical Deity did not press the attack, merely watching him from afar.

"Come on, then!" Herbur wanted to roar, but in the vacuum of space, no sound could be made, leaving him to mouth the words.

At that moment, the Mechanical Deity dismantled itself, ejecting the Ruler Avatar, which drifted slowly to Herbur, gazing at this man who had barely a patch of unblemished flesh, releasing a gas to envelop them both while simultaneously opening a wide-area communication channel.

"It's over; you have no strength left to fight," Han Xiao's voice echoed through the wide-area channel, reaching the ears of everyone present.

"These injuries are nothing but a tickle; I could fight you all day!!"

Herbur's eyes were bloodshot, ignoring his body's state as a spent arrow, dragging his torn muscles to hurl a punch at the Ruler Avatar.

Smack.

The fist was caught with ease, its force reduced to a mere tenth.

Han Xiao took a deep breath and said indifferently, "Yield; you have lost."

In the combat data, Herbur's health was nearly depleted, his body riddled with debuffs; to continue fighting would mean certain death.

Han Xiao had achieved his goal; everything had its limits, and the Empire's non-interference in the duel was because they knew he had his measure, not because they truly allowed one ally to kill another.

One must know when to stop; going too far would yield no benefits, and there was no need to court trouble over a mere Overlord, causing resentment among the Empire's high command and other allies, thus affecting future development.

—The current Overlord no longer possessed the qualification to make him risk everything to eliminate him.

"Yield? That word is not in my dictionary! I don't need your pity!!"

Herbur roared, still trying to fight.

The next instant, mechanical confinement devices shot forth, directly locking down Herbur's entire body, leaving only his head exposed.

Clack, clack, clack—

Herbur struggled fiercely, but in his current state, he could no longer break free from these devices.

"Stop deceiving yourself; you've lost, and you know better than anyone how severe your injuries are."

Han Xiao's tone darkened.

Herbur did not answer, merely glaring at Han Xiao, the defiance and fury in his eyes nearly solidifying into tangible form.

Glancing at him, Han Xiao said slowly,

"Rest assured, we are both allies of the Empire; I will spare your life."

Hearing this, Herbur's mind buzzed, erupting with an unprecedented sense of humiliation!

To survive only because of this status, as if his life had been granted as charity, was a colossal insult and torment to him.

He felt his dignity and pride trampled beneath Han Xiao's feet, enraged to the point of madness.

Just then, Han Xiao suddenly felt a shift in his heart and took a small step back.

Swish, swish, swish—

Frossus and the other vanguard officers streaked through the sky like shooting stars, blocking the Overlord's path and shielding Herbur behind them.

"We have lost..." Frossus forced out these words with immense difficulty, then gritted his teeth and added, "But if you wish to do anything else to the Overlord, you must step over our corpses!"

The numerous vanguard officers responded with a resounding roar, standing at the ready, their faces full of vigilance; some looked ready to die, while others hesitated.

"What are you doing? Get out of my way!" Herbur flew into a rage; he had always been the one protecting others, never having been protected by his subordinates, feeling only disgrace and shame.

A loss is a loss; as a dignified Beyond Grade A, why would I need you Disaster-class brats to protect me!

"No!" Frossus did not look back, his tone utterly resolute, defying the Overlord's orders for the very first time.

Gazing at the backs of the vanguard officers around him, Herbur was somewhat dazed.

He had always treated his subordinates as expendable, but this scene now complicated his feelings, leaving him silent.

In the distance, Jode pressed his lips tightly, looking around to see confusion and conflict in the eyes of many War Domain members; he knew full well that the Overlord's defeat had directly shaken the conviction of many to serve the War Domain.

Many joined the Beyond Grade A factions for a better future, and the personal status of the Beyond Grade A was the source of cohesion, so when the organizational leader was defeated, some profit-seekers might defect to others.

"I wonder how many will leave because of this..." Qiaode sighed.

Perhaps they wouldn't join the hostile Black Star Legion, but some would certainly depart the War Domain.

This scene was also witnessed by all the spectators, evoking mixed feelings—the War Domain had been expanding rapidly and riding high on its momentum lately, yet no one expected it to suffer such a crushing blow today.

Seeing the once-arrogant Overlord and the War Domain reduced to such a sorry state, the onlookers felt a profound sense of desolation, and some couldn't help but feel a pang of pity.

Han Xiao ignored the vanguard commanders and cast a glance at Heiber, who remained silent with an ashen face.

"Our old debts are settled, for now."

As the words faded, Han Xiao paid no heed to Heiber's reaction, withdrew his gaze, turned around without hesitation, and flew toward the distant Arcane Temple, which had been idling on the sidelines, under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

This gesture was also a signal, announcing to all that the battle was over.

As the victor, Han Xiao needed no further statement, nor did he need to press his attack against the Overlord, which would only seem petty.

Having won the battle, his objective was achieved; everything else would unfold naturally, requiring no deliberate push from him.

Seeing this, the surrounding ships parted to clear a path, watching Han Xiao's figure disappear into the Arcane Temple.

Everyone present knew that from this moment on, the strongest being in the Broken Star Ring was born!

...

"Sigh, he lost after all."

In the fleet of the War Domain, the avatar possessed by Sorokin let out a sigh.

After this battle, Black Star had firmly established the hegemony of the Black Star Legion in the Broken Star Ring; even if the War Domain could continue to compete in business, it would ultimately fall short by a margin, yielding half the result with twice the effort.

"The difficulty of the plan has indeed increased..." Sorokin said helplessly.

The Empire's employer had failed to prevent the duel, which left Sorokin somewhat frustrated.

However, he hadn't entirely relied on them; after all, he was merely a consortium, and it was impossible to have absolute certainty in interfering with the decisions of a universe-level civilization.

Glancing at Heiber, who was being supported by a vanguard commander as he flew back to the fleet, Sorokin clicked his tongue.

He wondered how long it would take for the Overlord's shattered mentality to recover, which might affect their cooperation.

"Sigh, the situation has grown troublesome once again."

Sorokin's eyes flickered.

"Beyond A-Class who forge their prestige will inevitably encounter such tribulations; prestige is both influence and a shackle for the Beyond A-Class... Fortunately, I am not as foolish as the Overlord and foresaw this long ago.

Only by casting off the constraints of the Beyond A-Class identity, relying on no prestige or battle record, and abandoning all past glories, can one truly live at ease and in absolute freedom."

If it were up to him to choose, he wouldn't have accepted the challenge at all.

Pity that the Overlord was dragged down by his prestige, making a foolish choice, bound by shackles yet unaware of it, the poor fellow... Sorokin shook his head.

...

Countless spectators, still buzzing with unspent excitement, gradually dispersed, while the Sovereign avatar stepped onto the Arcane Temple and met Austin.

Han Xiao summoned a mechanical throne and sat down, glancing around.

"You still love to join in the fun. Is the Arcane Temple repaired?"

"It was restored long ago."

After a brief chat, Austin opened his mouth with an amused tease:

"Hehe, starting today, you are the premier Beyond A-Class of the Broken Star Ring. Any thoughts?"

"None."

Han Xiao spread his hands and chuckled, "Actually, I've been the premier for a long time; I was just missing the official title."

"You truly don't stand on ceremony." Austin chuckled, not denying it.

He knew he was no match for Han Xiao; Sisco had tasted defeat, Aimes and Black Star were joined at the hip, and now even the last one, Heiber, had been defeated head-on. Black Star had officially become the strongest in this star region and the main representative of the Crimson Empire in the Broken Star Ring, stationed here.

Having met an old friend and chatted for a while, Han Xiao finally took his leave, controlling the Sovereign avatar to lead the mechanical troops back to the warship, setting the course for the return journey, and then dispelling Sovereign Descent.

The next moment, his consciousness withdrew, fully returning to his main body far away in the Empire's territory.

The vision of the Sovereign avatar vanished without a trace, and Han Xiao opened his eyes to the sight of his own room.

Sitting in silence for a while, Han Xiao slowly exhaled a breath.

He had temporarily shattered the Overlord's mentality, and the expansion of the War Domain would inevitably be affected, so the pressure could be slightly alleviated.

Having just avenged the bullying he suffered back then, Han Xiao had finally vented his long-held resentment.

The conviction of a Beyond A-Class isn't so easily shaken; the Overlord would eventually accept reality and recover his mentality.

However, he wouldn't need to worry about the Overlord in the short term.

Standing up and stretching, Han Xiao opened the door and walked straight to the ship's hall, where all the officers on board were watching the live broadcast of the duel.

The Overlord's mission was already in a completed state, and the rewards could be drawn at any time; next came the necessary procedure before drawing the ability:

—A touch from Fordin, turning a bicycle into a motorcycle!

...

(A new month has begun, begging for monthly tickets!)