"What exactly happened to you...?"
The Oathkeeper had a face full of question marks, struggling to control the turmoil in their heart.
He hadn't even had a chance to savor this top-secret information before hearing it from a second person. It was like meeting a beautiful stranger on a chat app just last night, only to have your long-distance girlfriend call early this morning and give you a good scolding, almost scaring you so much you felt like you were going to poop.
The feeling of having his privacy exposed without any warning was truly terrifying.
Han Xiao raised his hand, interrupting him, and said meaningfully, "I've said before that I have my own intelligence channels. You only need to remember two things: first, the intelligence I possess far exceeds your imagination; second, our goals are roughly the same. As for the details... you don't need to ask."
The Oathkeeper had no choice but to shut his mouth, his brain racing as he secretly guessed the source of Han Xiao's information.
He had lost his composure due to the sudden shock and almost thought the problem lay with him, but after regaining his senses, his rationality told him that such a possibility was extremely slim, and there was probably another reason.
The top-secret information about the Great Restart and Iteration should only be known to those who have had contact with the Sanctuary. The most plausible explanation he could think of was that Black Star and the Sanctuary had some kind of interaction, and thus he learned about this information by chance.
Beyond Grade A powerhouses have a very low probability of becoming entangled with the Sanctuary through information, thereby receiving some random revelations. This is how the organization obtained its earliest intelligence about the Sanctuary, which is also the foundation for the establishment of the Sanctum.
However, when the Oathkeeper thought about his previous interactions with Han Xiao, he felt that things were not so simple, and that Black Star must have some methods that outsiders did not know about.
He couldn't think of an explanation that would convince himself, and he felt more and more that Han Xiao was exuding a mysterious and unpredictable aura.
At this moment, Han Xiao clapped his hands and said in a pretentious tone, "Your little schemes can't fool me. I don't like being fooled. I hope this is the last time, otherwise you know what will happen... Now that we've laid our cards on the table, I think we can be completely honest with each other."
When one's thoughts are exposed, the Oathkeeper loses face and feels utterly ashamed.
He forced himself to calm down, suppressing the turmoil within him, and cautiously asked, "What do you want?"
"First of all, I hope you speak the truth; this is the foundation of our mutual trust." Han Xiao raised an eyebrow.
Upon hearing this, the Oathkeeper hesitated for a few seconds before reiterating the intelligence, this time honestly without making any alterations.
He knew he had lost the initiative, and Black Star already possessed the most important secret. Whether he revealed it or not was irrelevant; it was likely just a test. He dared not play any more tricks.
Han Xiao listened patiently for a while, then a smile returned to his face. "It's good that you know your mistakes and can correct them."
This time, the Oathkeeper's words were almost exactly the same as Jess's, obediently revealing the true mechanism of the Sanctuary Revival, having already been fooled by him.
After the Oathkeeper finished speaking, he paused, then cautiously said, "I've already told you what I know. Since you understand the true situation of the Sanctuary Revival and its significance for Beyond Grade A individuals, you wouldn't be trying to seize it, would you?"
Instead of answering directly, Han Xiao changed the subject and asked, "Do you think the Sanctuary will be monopolized by anyone?"
"What do you mean?" The Oathkeeper didn't immediately understand Han Xiao's meaning.
Han Xiao paced back and forth a couple of steps, his smile fading slightly, and slowly said:
"To put it this way, the Sanctuary exists independently and shouldn't be controlled by anyone, just like a public Tu Shu... Since we can utilize the Sanctuary's functions, others can too. Have you considered what will happen when advanced civilizations, including the Three Universal Civilizations, have a stable grasp of the method for the Sanctuary Revival?"
The Oathkeeper tilted his head and thought for a moment, then said uncertainly, "Will they keep reviving their core elites to maintain the size of their high-level combat force, and use this as leverage to recruit allies?"
"That's right, exactly. And in the long run, this is inevitable. Once advanced civilizations master the method to enter the Sanctuary, they will usher in a period of rapid development, further widening the gap in strength between civilizations and free Beyond Grade A beings. At that time, the Super A Tier will reach a crossroads in their destiny."
Han Xiao looked at the Oathkeeper was deep in thought and slowly said:
"Imagine if there were no Beyond Grade A Association, no Sanctum Organization, no stable Beyond Grade A coalition controlling the Sanctuary Revival, then the Beyond Grade A would be subject to civilization. Those who yearn for freedom would not be revived by civilization, while the disobedient would be eliminated. In this way, only obedient Beyond Grade A would remain in the universe, meekly serving as dogs for advanced civilizations, forever trapped in factional conflicts, forced to kill each other, with virtually no other choice..."
He described the situation of the Federation of All Stars in a hypothetical way, and the more the Oathkeeper listened, the more alarmed he became. The more he thought about it, the more likely the situation Han Xiao described was to happen.
"You're right, we have to guard against this possibility. I didn't expect you to see so far ahead. You truly are insightful!"
The Oathkeeper looked astonished.
No way! You might think I'm making a prediction, but I'm actually giving away spoilers!
Han Xiao smiled inwardly, but put on a serious expression and said in a deep voice, "To avoid this future, the Beyond Grade A front must find a way to achieve a stable recovery. That's why I said we have a common goal: to fight for the entire class. Every Beyond Grade A is a beneficiary; no one can monopolize it."
These words struck a chord with the Oathkeeper, and coincided with his own thoughts. He immediately felt a sense of kinship and mutual appreciation, as if they were kindred spirits.
"So you want to cooperate in this area?" The Oathkeeper, his eyes shining.
Han Xiao nodded.
"That's it. You control the Sanctum, and I control... uh, I'm about to control the Beyond Grade A Association. We've united a portion of the Beyond Grade A and possess different resources. As long as we become strategic partners and work together, we can complete this important undertaking sooner, freeing the Beyond Grade A from any worries and allowing us to completely unite and rewrite our destiny."
The Oathkeeper shook his head helplessly. "Actually, I don't have much of a choice. You're the second person in the know, and cooperation is the most beneficial for both of us... But who will control the revival channel, the Sanctum, the Beyond Grade A Association, or both of us?"
Upon hearing this, Han Xiao smiled and said:
"Naturally, we control both. We operate in the open and in the shadows, watching over each other. The Beyond Grade A Association is the main force in the open, striving for recognition from higher civilizations, while the Sanctum shelters those Beyond Grade A who want to live in anonymity, serving as a covert insurance... After all, higher civilizations won't easily accept the fact that Beyond Grade A are constantly resurfacing. They might do something to the Association. It's best to keep some Beyond Grade A hidden beneath the surface, preventing higher civilizations from seeing our full strength, so they'll be hesitant to act."
If possible, Han Xiao would also like the association to have a monopoly on the Sanctuary Revival channel. However, the Oathkeeper are also aware of the situation and have a group of the First Ones partners. They will definitely conduct their own research. Rather than doing things separately, it would be better to become strategic partners, since there is not much conflict of interest and the goals are roughly the same.
Moreover, having the Sanctum as a backup plan is not necessarily a bad thing. The two sides can form a complementary and mutually supportive cooperative model. Beyond Grade A members who want to live in anonymity can go to the Sanctum, while those who want to have a place in the universe can come to the Association. Members of the two forces can switch freely, just like serving in government or being out of office.
The Oathkeeper the oath nodded, indicating acceptance of the proposed solution.
Seeing this, Han Xiao's tone became more serious, and he said, "We'd better complete this task before advanced civilizations come into contact with the Sanctuary, so don't reveal the truth about the Sanctuary Revival to anyone; for now, it's just the two of us who know."
Kasuyi was also in the know, but Han Xiao certainly wouldn't reveal this, otherwise it would expose a lot of information and diminish his mysterious image in the minds of the Oathkeeper.
"Yes, I won't tell anyone." The Oathkeeper knew the importance of the matter and nodded solemnly.
The two discussed specific collaborative projects for a while and reached a cooperation agreement.
The Oathkeeper also revealed the method for entering the Sanctuary. According to him, the method of entering each of the six Sanctuary is different. The Sanctum currently only knows the method for entering the Third Sanctum, which requires the collection of various "keys," including those from the Primordial Esper Ability Entity. The last time they entered, they had basically used up all of them, and they need to collect them from the beginning.
As for the source of the method, the Oathkeeper claimed that part of it came from vague revelations obtained by some Beyond Grade A members during the exploration period, and the other part was the result of the Child of Destiny. He stated that the Child of Destiny was very special and might reveal what the "keys" to different Sanctuary were, with an extremely low probability and completely randomness. The Sanctum mainly used this method to restore the complete entry method of the Third Sanctum, and also obtained fragmented incomplete information about several other Sanctuary.
Han Xiao was quite curious about the First Sanctum, but at present, entering the Third Sanctum seemed to be the fastest route. With the Sanctum Organization having gained experience once, and combined with their own resources, they could significantly shorten the time it would take to collect the "keys" again.
However, while they can go in, to revive more Beyond Grade A, they still need to collect relevant media, and the descendants of the Beyond Grade A are the biggest target.
"By the way, now that we've decided to cooperate, I'd like to meet the First Ones this recovery."
What are you going to do with them?
The Oathkeeper was instinctively wary; he didn't fully trust Han Xiao yet.
Han Xiao smiled and said, "I remember you said before that you couldn't force the First Ones to resurrect. There should be quite a few of them who want to gain a foothold in the universe and develop their own power. In that case, the Beyond Grade A Association is their best backer. I hope to contact them and persuade them to support me after joining the association."
These the First Ones each have their own goals. They were all once powerful Beyond Grade A beings, and it is basically impossible to force them to go into hiding. Some of them will definitely cause trouble in the universe just like in their previous lives, thus shocking interstellar society and becoming one of the triggers for Super Calamity.
Now that the Beyond Grade A Association exists, Han Xiao feels he can recruit some of its members to strengthen the association and enhance his own faction.
With the association's involvement, the situation regarding the Super Calamity will definitely change drastically... Han Xiao thought to himself.
Upon hearing this, the Oathkeeper hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded.
"Then I'll arrange for you to meet as soon as possible... But you'd better be prepared, they died young and didn't experience the succession of generations of Beyond Grade A, unlike me who is low-key, their mentality might be a bit... arrogant."
"It's nothing." Han Xiao grinned. "I specialize in dealing with anyone who dares to challenge me."