After seeing off the still dazed Oathkeeper the oath, Han Xiao finally relaxed and let out a breath.
"Phew, acting is tiring too, but I managed to keep him in line."
The Sanctum is a powerful force, hidden in the shadows in its past life, but now it has established a stable connection with me, indirectly becoming a secret power in my hands. Moreover, it has grasped the whereabouts of the Revived, which is an important move, completing a key strategic move.
In this way, he could intervene in Super Calamity and become a player in the game, instead of passively waiting for unexpected events as he had in his previous life.
This is the general plan. There are still some specific issues, such as the impact after the First Ones reveals their identity, the shock after entering the Beyond Grade A Association, and so on. Since I am the one in charge, I have to deal with these details.
"Looks like I'll have another task during this update period: visiting the First Ones and helping these 'old-timers' reintegrate into the modern world. It feels a bit like being a neighborhood committee member..."
Han Xiao shook his head and chuckled.
According to the Oathkeeper, the First Ones had lived through the war years, and the smell of blood and fire on their bodies had not yet dissipated. They were mostly unruly individuals who, as trendsetters of their time, had rashly arrived in an era that did not belong to them, and most of them had not yet adjusted their mindset.
To gain the acceptance and support of these people, words alone are not enough; you must also convince them. Ideally, you should subject them to the harsh realities of society, make them face reality, and understand the principle that "the new generation surpasses the old, and the old generation is left to languish on the beach."
However, since the other party is a future partner, being too rude is not advisable. It's best to start with courtesy and then take action. Only if they don't know how to behave should we teach them a lesson.
In this regard, Han Xiao was quite confident. After all, the First Ones were only the first generation of Beyond Grade A. It was possible that some of them were exceptional geniuses who reached the Peak Beyond Grade A, but their numbers were not large. The average strength of the First Ones was estimated to be similar to that of modern Beyond Grade A. The main reason for this was that the long war had narrowed the gap between the two. Otherwise, they might not have been as good as modern ones.
However, he doesn't have all the advantages. There's one problem he can't avoid: he's currently only the second-in-command in the association, while Old Manison is still occupying the position without doing anything. It's possible that some of the First Ones might try to contact Manison.
But the problem isn't too big. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that I am a promising stock with great potential, while Old Manison is a stock that has suffered a circuit breaker. It's easy to make a choice.
"We'll have to wait until we've made contact with the First Ones Oathkeeper's arrangements. Until then, I'd better study their characteristics first..."
As the saying goes, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win every battle." Han Xiao took out the list of Revived he had just recorded, compared it with the information online and his memories, and began to construct data models of these the First Ones.
Inside the Sanctum Organization's spaceship, the Oathkeeper deactivated the remote telepathic projection and opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by numerous the First Ones.
"So, what did Black Star say?"
Everyone was more concerned about the attitude of the other person in the know.
"I've already spoken with him and reached a cooperation agreement. He said he wouldn't leak any information. Also, he controls Beyond Grade A Association and hopes to get your support. You can find information about the association online. Finally, he requested to meet with you." The Oathkeeper briefly recounted the story.
"He wants to see us?"
The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, and many wore strange smiles.
"Very well, we also want to see him and see what his true intentions are in helping us to be resurrected."
There is no love without a reason in the world. The crowd did not quite believe the Oathkeeper's description of Black Star, thinking that Black Star's involvement in their revival could not simply be to increase the number of Beyond Grade A, but must have other ambitions and plans behind it.
In everyone's eyes, Black Star's motive was probably to use them. Goodwill was one thing, gratitude was another, but they didn't intend to be schemed against by others.
Everyone looked relaxed and started discussing it animatedly.
"Black Star knows about our resurgence. Do you think he might be using this to blackmail us into doing something for him?"
"Ha, if he really thinks that way, he'll soon realize he's completely wrong. Trying to use us? Ridiculous!"
"His request to meet this time is probably an attempt to improve our relationship. Perfect, we can use this opportunity to give him a warning and dispel any thoughts he might have about taking advantage of us."
"Hmm, and there's that Beyond Grade A Association. They're asking for our support. If you ask me, we can totally start our own organization. There's no need to take orders from others... Even if we were to join, we don't need to support Black Star or anyone else. Why not take the lead ourselves?"
"I looked up Black Star's exploits online, and they seem pretty impressive. He broke the record for the fastest advancement to Beyond Grade A and even repelled a combined attack from more than a dozen Beyond Grade A."
"Oh? Has the strength of Beyond Grade A cultivators declined so much in this era? A dozen people can't even take down a newcomer who's only been promoted for a few decades. In our time, they would have been beaten to death. Tsk tsk... It seems each generation is worse than the last."
"Don't underestimate others. If they didn't have some ability, they wouldn't dare to mess with us."
The Oathkeeper listened silently to the chatter, without any intention of correcting their views.
It is all too common for predecessors to look down on newcomers, especially when these the First Ones are not just ordinary predecessors, but "founders" of the Beyond Grade A rank, whose status is equivalent to "founding fathers". They have an arrogant attitude that "the achievements of later generations are all because I have created the path".
In his view, these young people won't be able to quickly adjust their mindset unless they learn a lesson.
'I'm doing this for your own good...'
The Oathkeeper shook his head and sighed inwardly.
About two weeks later, in the Ancient Star Desert, in Desolate Universe Belt, on a certain planet.
Six figures stood on the pale earth. They were the Oathkeeper and the five the First Ones. Because they did not want Black Star to know the total number of resurrected people, the group elected five people as representatives, whose combat strength was among the best of the group.
The other the First Ones survivors did not attend; they all remained in the fleet, two days' journey away, remotely monitoring the meeting.
"He should be here soon. Let's hear what he has to say first, so as not to scare him when we go up," Baigel said.
"Just follow the plan we discussed before. No matter what the outcome of the negotiations, we need to show him our strength and dispel any unnecessary thoughts he may have," Pangon said calmly.
The Oathkeeper closed their eyes to rest, pretending not to hear.
Not long after, a shooting star suddenly flashed across the dark outer space and plummeted down; it was Han Xiao, who had traversed the starry sky in his physical body.
Am I late?
Han Xiao landed in front of the crowd, glanced at the six people present, and immediately understood the situation.
The Oathkeeper spoke up, "No, these five are representatives chosen by the crowd. Let me introduce them to you..."
Han Xiao waved his hand to interrupt him, then used his expertly smooth-talking techniques, laughing, "You are all the First Ones have left your mark on history, your names are legendary, how could I not know you? No need for introductions."
The group found these words quite pleasant. As the saying goes, one doesn't hit a smiling face. Although they had agreed to show their fists today, Black Star was, after all, a benefactor, and basic courtesy should be shown to a benefactor. The five of them greeted him and expressed their friendliness.
While responding, Han Xiao was secretly making plans in his mind.
' King of War Pangon, God of Magic Baigel, and the Purple Emperor Mysterious Lady... these five are all top experts among the First Ones, and their approaches to things in their previous lives were quite different. They are likely representatives specifically chosen by the First Ones with different goals: Pangon represents the Revenge Takers, Mysterious Lady represents the liberals, and Baigel represents the ambitious seekers of power... It seems the differences among the Revived have become apparent.'
After everyone had finished greeting each other, Pangon suddenly spoke up.
"You actually came in your original form?"
"Since it's our first meeting, I should at least show some sincerity. Using the term 'Dominion's Avatar' wouldn't be very respectful to everyone," Han Xiao said with a smile.
"I admire your courage, not bad," Pangon said calmly.
The Oathkeeper coughed and took over the conversation, saying, "Let's get down to business first. Black Star is now our partner. He requested this meeting and expressed his willingness to provide relevant resources to help everyone quickly integrate into this era."
Upon hearing this, Han Xiao smiled and nodded, saying, "You have all just recovered, and your mindset is still stuck in the exploration era. You may not be quite adapted to the present age. I will help you, but before that, I would like to know your goals for resurrection, so that it will be easier to make arrangements."
"Let me be clear, "Baigel asked with interest, "What do you plan to do if one of our goals doesn't align with your interests?"
"That depends on the situation, but don't worry, the possibility of armed conflict is not high. My Beyond Grade A Association specializes in coordinating these kinds of issues, and I generally won't stop you from pursuing your own goals unless those goals are detrimental to everyone," Han Xiao chuckled.
"Is that so?" Pangon said coldly, "The Federation of Light destroyed my homeland, and I'm preparing to Revenge on them. What do you think of this goal?"
"National and personal grievances are understandable, but only if you don't bring us negative consequences. Otherwise, the association cannot stand idly by... However, to be fair, I don't advocate such suicidal behavior." Han Xiao shrugged.
"I just want to be free forever, no longer bound by anyone. The Beyond Grade A Association you mentioned seems to have quite a few rules." Mysterious Lady raised an eyebrow.
"The rules are to protect everyone's interests. Fundamentally, the association is just a neutral group that helps each other. We resolve everything through negotiation. As long as you don't betray the group's interests, you can enjoy maximum freedom. No one will force you to do anything. Moreover, with the changing situation in the universe, it's inevitable that Beyond Grade A members will band together. Only protection can bring freedom, so I think you're very suitable to join the association."
As Han Xiao answered, he sized up Mysterious Lady.
This woman, with her Beyond Grade A beauty, exquisite makeup, purple lipstick and eyeshadow, and her hair piled high, exuded an aura of unapproachable nobility. Among the women Han Xiao had ever met, her temperament was most similar to Urranrell's; she was clearly a person of authority who had the final say.
The group asked their respective questions, Han Xiao answered them one by one, implying that the association was an excellent place to go. However, he didn't receive any response, and the five of them were not impressed with the proposal. They preferred to start their own organization instead.
During the conversation, Han Xiao could feel the five people scrutinizing him, as if they wanted to see right through him.
Suddenly, Pangon interrupted the others' questions and asked, "I've always been curious, what exactly is your motive for helping us recover?"
Upon hearing this, the others turned their gazes and stared intently at Han Xiao's face.
Han Xiao remained unfazed. "I've already spoken with the Oathkeeper; the Super A Tier needs more manpower to have a chance of achieving complete independence."
Pangon shook his head. "That doesn't convince me. You possess intelligence about our resurgence and information about the Sanctum, which you could leak at any time. Haven't you ever intended to blackmail us?"
"There's no need for that; it's mutually beneficial for us." Han Xiao borrowed Sorokin's signature fake smile.
"I hope it's really not true. I advise you to give up this unrealistic idea as soon as possible, or you'll regret it," Pangon warned.
"You're overthinking it." Han Xiao smiled and dismissed it.
At this moment, Baigel also spoke up, saying, "We heard from the Oathkeeper that you wish to gain our support. Let me state upfront that while we are grateful, personally, I only respect the strong."
"Oh, can I take that as an invitation for us to spar?" Han Xiao raised an eyebrow.
"If you want my support, you'd better show me some ability to convince me. If you don't mind, I'd really like to test how capable you are." Baigel narrowed his eyes.
Han Xiao glanced at the others, "You all mean the same thing?"
"Ultimately, Beyond Grade A fighters have to prove themselves with their fists," Pangon said calmly.
The others nodded in agreement, their eyes fixed on Han Xiao, their faces showing anticipation for a good show.
After their interaction, they found Han Xiao to be polite and easy to talk to, without any airs of a powerful figure. They couldn't help but doubt or underestimate Han Xiao's combat strength, and thus adopted a testing attitude.
"I have no objection, but who among you wants to fight me?" Han Xiao said with a smile.
"Just pick one of the five of us, it doesn't matter who it is. You did help us, so we won't go too far."
Baigel didn't take it seriously; he had great confidence in the abilities of the group.
Upon hearing this, Han Xiao turned and glanced at the Oathkeeper, who was keeping his eyes down and seemingly lost in thought, and immediately understood.
He shook his head and smiled, meeting everyone's scrutinizing gazes, and slowly began to speak. The content of his words instantly froze everyone's expressions.
"This isn't a good idea. No matter who I choose, people will think I picked an easy target, and I'll offend people... Why don't you all come at me together, so people won't say I'm bullying an old person."
As soon as he finished speaking, the room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The five were taken aback when Black Star, who had always seemed unyielding, suddenly uttered such an arrogant statement. Their eyes widened, revealing disbelief, astonishment, and burning anger.
Are you looking down on me?
Pangon's face darkened, and a dangerous glint appeared in his eyes.
"No, no, no, you've misunderstood. I wasn't targeting you."
Han Xiao's smile faded. He glanced around, adhering to the principle of "courtesy before force," and slowly said:
"I'm saying that everyone here is weak!"
What are you trying to prove with me? Wake up! Your glory days are long gone, times have changed!