Chapter 1 The Difficulty of Cultivation

Carrying around a protagonist-level character always leads to unforeseen events. All I want is to quietly practice my Qili (Qi Strength) for a while, but why is it so difficult...

Han Xiao sighed helplessly and waved his hand.

"Since someone is causing trouble within the Empire, then go ahead and stop them. I'm giving you full responsibility for this matter. If you encounter any trouble, you can mobilize my Imperial Guards... Also, I have another mission for you. You and Aurora need to conceal your identities and infiltrate that so-called Punisher Boy Band and help me find out the whereabouts of something."

The Blood Hammer Church and the Punisher Alliance were far below his level. If it were normal circumstances, Han Xiao would be willing to intervene personally, but right now, he wanted to focus on leveling up his Qili (Qi Strength) training method and had no interest in getting involved in such low-level incidents. He might as well let Fording take care of it and find out if that sealed artifact was currently in the hands of the Punisher Alliance.

Then, he could easily get the Expertise by one-shotting the Boss, saving him a lot of trouble.

He had considerable faith in Fording's luck, especially when it came to finding things. He trusted him even more than he trusted himself.

"Alright," Fording said, tilting his head. "What about the problem of hiding our identities..."

"I'll have Phillip create two fake resumes for you to use for disguise. They won't have any loopholes and will be enough to gain their trust." Han Xiao pondered, "Since you need to conceal your identities, don't be too conspicuous. Just cooperate with that Raymond and don't be too proactive."

"This... alright." Fording hesitated for a moment. "Actually, I wanted to ask for your help in using virtual technology to track down the whereabouts of the Blood Hammer Church."

Han Xiao shook his head. "There are no leads. If I were to investigate, I would have to hack into the central intelligence of Ainiya Hub, filter all entry and exit records, and even control the quantum network base stations of Ainiya Hub to monitor all information in this area in real time. This is a huge project. This planet is, after all, the territory of another Super-A Grade ally. They have their own police force, and I don't need to interfere. Didn't I just say, don't be too conspicuous, or you'll arouse Raymond's suspicion."

Monitoring an entire planet and filtering out targets from the communication messages of countless citizens required tremendous computing power. While he could do it, it was quite cumbersome.

The Blood Hammer Church was too low-level, and Han Xiao didn't want to waste his energy on it. The Ainiya Hub police force also used similar methods to track down suspicious people, so he would let them handle it. He, an outsider, didn't need to put in that much effort.

"I understand." Fording thought about it and realized that bothering a Super-A Grade with such a small matter seemed like overkill. As an Imperial Guard, what kind of logic was it to have his superior do his job?

Raymond and the others were only at the B-grade level. A Calamity Grade like him was enough to deal with this situation, and if worse came to worst, he could mobilize those idle guys in Hadaway's group.

If they didn't do something, they, the Imperial Guards, would really become loafers.

Turning off the communicator, Fording explained the situation to Aurora, whose eyes immediately lit up.

"Let us handle it ourselves? That's great, we finally have something to do!"

Fording smiled, contacted Raymond, and followed Han Xiao's instructions, indicating that he accepted his invitation and was willing to join the Punisher Alliance.

Upon hearing this, Raymond was overjoyed.

"Great! On behalf of the Punisher Alliance, I welcome you. I'll inform the others right away and arrange for you to join!"

Seeing that Raymond was about to hang up the communication in a flurry, Fording had to stop him, sighing, "There are procedures for joining, right? Did you forget?"

"Right, right, right." Raymond slapped his head and immediately started operating. "I'm too excited. You need to fill out an application form to join. I'll send it to you right away."

Fording shook his head, received the application form file sent by Raymond, opened it, and glanced at it. The information to be filled out was nothing more than normal information such as name, ability, rank, and past experience.

He filled in the fake identity created by Phillip, changing the rank of the fake identity to B-grade, so it would seem more ordinary. If others knew he was a Calamity Grade, his status would be completely different, making it difficult to infiltrate the organization—although the proportion of Calamity Grades in the Central Star Sea was higher, they were still rare high-level combat forces.

After filling it out, he sent it to Raymond, who hastily sent it to the members of the Punisher Alliance without saying a word.

…

At this moment, beyond the journey of two star systems, a small spaceship was warp-jumping at high speed, moving toward the Ainiya Hub. The spaceship's outer armor had an organization logo, representing the Punisher Alliance.

A group of people stayed in the cabin, either sitting or standing. Some were wiping their blades, some were maintaining their firearms, some were closing their eyes to rest, and some were watching entertainment programs and laughing foolishly. They were all superheroes of the Punisher Alliance.

They had no real leader. Everyone was an equal partner fighting side by side, each performing their own duties, and usually had their own social circles. There were several nominal leaders, all of whom were old members with high prestige in the organization. This organizational structure was a common configuration for superhero groups.

As they were doing their own thing, suddenly, a virtual screen appeared in the center of the room, displaying Raymond's message.

"Raymond has a message!"

Everyone paused and looked at the screen. The temporary captain leading the team stepped forward and read it out loud.

In the message, Raymond explained his experience and emphasized Aurora's abilities, expressing his hope that these two would join the alliance.

"It's actually a rare and powerful healing ability," the captain said, his face filled with joy as he immediately realized its value.

It was difficult for their superhero alliance to recruit new members. Basically, one died, and one was lost. If they had had a partner like this before, they would have been able to receive timely medical treatment, and many people would not have died.

"Is there anything wrong with their resumes?"

"Um... I've checked them, and they're all real," a mechanical superhero said.

"Then I'm relieved. I approve of these two joining us."

"Wait a minute."

At this time, a gaunt-faced man spoke faintly: "We must be careful that this is a conspiracy by the Blood Hammer Church. Maybe they deliberately sent someone to infiltrate us. Don't forget, they also have evil, priest-type healing abilities in their hands. Ask Raymond, did he see someone healing him with his own eyes?"

"Sally, you're overthinking it. Although Raymond is a bit impulsive, he's still quite reliable when it comes to handling things," the captain frowned.

"I trust Raymond, but I don't believe in such coincidences," the gaunt man said in a cold tone.

His name was Sally, and he was also an old member of the Punisher Alliance. He was very wary and believed that it took a long time to see a person's heart. Any newcomer could not gain his trust at first.

The captain knew he couldn't convince him, shook his head, and changed the subject, "Let's not talk about this. It's more important that we hurry and unravel the Blood Hammer Church's conspiracy."

"That's right."

Everyone's expressions turned serious.

However, what these people did not know was that they only saw the tip of the iceberg, and the situation behind the scenes was not as simple as they thought.

A conspiracy was brewing in the shadows, unknown to anyone.

…

Somewhere in the Ainiya Hub, a temporary stronghold of the Blood Hammer Church.

Several Blood Hammer priests who attacked Raymond returned to the stronghold, immediately attracting the attention of other members in the stronghold.

In the room, a tall man stood up. His attire was more ornate, and he held an even larger war hammer. This man was the Archbishop of the Blood Hammer Church, and his eyes were unkind at this moment.

"There's a bloody smell. Did you encounter enemies?"

"It was someone from the Punisher Alliance. He was following us. We used a barrier spell and planned to take him out, but he broke the barrier and ran away."

"It's these people again! They've disrupted our operations so many times. We just can't get rid of them!"

The Blood Hammer Archbishop was furious. He hated these persistent old opponents.

Raymond thought that the Blood Hammer Church was here for a sacrifice, but that was not the case.

If it was a normal blood sacrifice, it would have been fine, but this was an important operation that had been hired for and concerned the Blood Hammer Church's future missionary prospects, which added to the Archbishop's anger.

"This stronghold can't be stayed in anymore. We need to transfer immediately." The Blood Hammer Archbishop's face was livid. "There can't be any mistakes in this operation. Pack up immediately."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the stronghold moved and packed up the items in the room.

The Blood Hammer Archbishop walked to a conference table and looked down at the paper map spread out on the table.

The map depicted the terrain of an important area of the Ainiya Hub, with detailed action plans marked on it, and various arrows pointed directly to the core location of this area.

And this place was where the Ainiya Hub placed the Evolver Totem!

…

More than a dozen blocks away from the Blood Hammer Church and others, there was a secret stronghold of another force.

In the room, several people were sitting around a table, on which was another architectural structure diagram of the Evolver Totem storage location.

This group of people was a large thief gang with a good reputation on the black market, specializing in stealing important things for employers. This time, they also received a commission to work in the Ainiya Hub.

"This time, we have to steal the Evolver Totem of the Ainiya Hub. This thing is placed under heavy protection and is heavily guarded. The task is very difficult. Now, the action day agreed upon with the employer is not far away. Do you have any good ideas?"

"From the previous few scouting trips, I obtained enough information. There are all-weather anti-theft equipment and monitoring equipment there, all of which are very advanced. I have a rough plan, but it still needs to be improved."

"We can't steal anything just by relying on ourselves. Only if we have helpers like the employer said will we have a chance."

Several people lowered their voices and discussed the action plan.

…

Ainiya Hub, No. 1 Airport Terminal, Arrival and Departure Hall.

The hall was crowded with people. All passengers entering and leaving the port had to pass through this place. In a casual beverage store near the door, an ordinary-looking woman was reading a paper book, with a half-finished bottle of light blue sparkling beverage on the table in front of her.

She had been sitting here for some time, seemingly waiting for someone.

At this moment, a commotion came from the direction of the arrival gate of the terminal. A group of bodyguards surrounded a young man and walked into the hall.

Two of the bodyguards were different from the others. They did not conceal their aura and emitted Calamity Grade energy fluctuations, sandwiching the man in the middle from left to right. Obviously, this young man was someone with an important background.

The passers-by in front of them gave way.

Watching the team leave the hall, the ordinary-looking woman paid for the beverage, then stood up, tucked the book under her arm, and strode out of the airport, leaving in the opposite direction of the team.

After walking more than a dozen blocks, the flow of people became less dense. She walked into the shadows of a building, and the next moment, a burly man walked out, and the book in his hand was gone.

This man had the ability to shapeshift and changed his appearance several times on the way. Finally, he took a vehicle to another district, walked into the hotel where he was staying, and returned to his room.

There were three other people in the room, of different species. If someone familiar with the wanted lists of the major star fields was here, they would be able to recognize that these three were once vicious Calamity Grade wanted criminals. Later, they became members of the Fallen Ark. After Han Xiao captured the Otherworld God, they all left the Fallen Ark and disappeared.

Closing the door, the shapeshifter nodded to the others and said in a deep voice:

"The news is correct. The target has arrived. There are two Calamity Grade bodyguards by his side, the two from the intelligence."

"Very good, proceed according to the plan." A strong killing intent flashed in the eyes of one of them.

…

Red Empire Mother Planet, Tyrannhamil Palace, Head of State Administration Building, High-Level Conference Room.

At this moment, a meeting on the current situation of the Red Empire had reached its end.

Since the Glorious Federation and the Void Spirit Religion officially implemented the suppression plan, the Red Empire had been targeted and blockaded in many areas, suffering tremendous pressure. The Empire's large-scale investment of resources in the Shattered Star Ring inevitably caused loopholes in other fields, which were exploited by the other two.

Because the situation was not good, reports like today's meeting had been convened frequently during this period.

"...The Glorious Federation and the Void Spirit Religion are targeting us in these areas, putting pressure on us in many ways. The purpose is obvious, to make us publicly sell the Evolver Totems. What are your thoughts?"

Ulan Riel, sitting in the main seat, spoke in a serious tone, looking around at everyone.

Some of the high-level officials below nodded, while others were expressionless. The commonality was that they did not speak.

Not all of these people were officials of the Head of State faction. Some of them were important members of other factions, and Ulan Riel valued the opinions of these people more.

Ulan Riel looked at an older official on the left and said in a deep voice: "Ludville, what are your thoughts?"

Ludville was a high-ranking official in charge of the economic field, with a very high official position. At the same time, he was the leader of the neutral faction, with a transcendent status. Hearing Ulan Riel's question, he slowly said, "Your Excellency, the opening or not opening of the Evolver Totem has both advantages and disadvantages for us."

"Tell me your opinion."

"Alright." Ludville nodded. "Not opening the right to purchase has the advantage of increasing our political vassals, gaining more allies, and optimizing our species potential from a long-term perspective. In the future, more talents can be born, gradually surpassing other civilizations. The disadvantage is that we will be targeted by the other two and many civilizations.

And opening the right to purchase has the advantage of alleviating pressure, consolidating the rule of the three major civilizations, and we can also obtain new political benefits through quotas. The disadvantage is that we give up long-term potential and cannot exclusively enjoy the effects of the Evolver Totem, losing the opportunity to surpass others in terms of species talent."

At this time, Ludville suddenly changed the subject, raised a finger, and said lightly:

"But opening the right to purchase has an inevitable problem, that is, the device for manufacturing the totem is not controlled by us. This is an unstable factor. We are now under such great pressure, but most of the income from the totem is given to Black Star, which is not a good thing. If we want to open the right to purchase, we must consider this aspect. If we cannot obtain all the income from the totem, then it is a loss to withstand so much pressure."

"I know your opinion." Ulan Riel raised her hand, noncommittally.

Seeing this, Ludville knew that Ulan Riel did not want him to continue speaking and had no opinion, so he closed his mouth and stopped speaking.

Seeing this, Ulan Riel felt a little helpless. Ludville was the leader of the faction, but he did not disobey her orders, only had different political views in some areas, and the issue of the Evolver Cube's ownership was one of those points.

Ludville was a firm believer in the surrender faction. He was a high-ranking official in charge of the economic field, and his thinking was more from the perspective of economic and political interests, and he was not inclined to military affairs.

He was dissatisfied that the Empire was suffering from the suppression of the other two but did not get all the benefits of the Evolver Cube. He had always advocated the recovery of Black Star's Evolver Cube, whether it was exchanged for resources or forced, in any case, the Empire must control this cosmic treasure.

Ulan Riel valued Black Star and disagreed with him on this point. It was because she, the Head of State, was suppressing him that this firm supporter of the surrender faction did not make waves.

"Let's end the meeting today." Ulan Riel shook her head.

The remote projections in the conference room disappeared one after another.

Ludville nodded and saluted, then turned off the remote communication and returned his gaze to his office, sighing, rubbing his eyes, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were quite deep.

"Doo-doo-doo—"

At this time, the internal line on the desk rang, and Ludville immediately connected. The secretary's voice came from the channel.

"Your Excellency, your grandson has called in, do you need to transfer the call?"

"This kid, how many times have I told him, don't call my office's internal line!" Ludville frowned. "Connect him."

The secretary responded, and after a while, a young man's voice rang in the channel.

"Grandpa? I've arrived at the Ainiya Hub. I'm telling you in advance, don't send people everywhere to look for me like last time, making my company think I'm missing."

"Hmph." Ludville snorted from his nostrils, his face a little embarrassed.

"By the way, you said last time that you wanted to eat Ainiya's specialty snacks. I'll bring you some when I go back on this business trip."

"That's more like it." Ludville's tense expression relaxed. "Be careful with your own safety. The world is not very peaceful now. There have been many attacks in the Empire, hmph, all to steal the Evolver Totem. Are the two bodyguards I sent you nearby?"

"Oh dear, those two grandpas are watching me like they're watching a prisoner, even following me to the bathroom. Grandpa, please be kind and take them back. With them around, others think I'm the boss, and my boss doesn't dare to scold me. If this continues, I'm afraid I'll be fired one day."

"That won't do. You're my only grandson, safety first. With them by your side, I can rest assured."

Ludville spoke in a serious tone, paused, realized that his tone was not good, so he relaxed his tone and sighed: "Anyway, take care of yourself. Also, you're not an Empire official, so don't call the internal line anymore. Not long ago, people from the Internal Affairs Office complained to me about this."

"Okay, okay, I'm hanging up then."

Hanging up the communication, Ludville let out a breath, a kind smile on his face.