Thanks to the emergency report from the direct descendants of the Beyond Grade A after the meeting, the Three Universal Civilizations learned of the resurrection of the First Ones before public opinion could erupt.
When the report was presented to them, the three top leaders were all shocked and immediately contacted each other to convene an emergency joint meeting.
In the highest conference room, projections of Mabrus, Louis, and the leader of the Arcane Cult were placed at opposite ends, with high-ranking officials from their respective civilizations who were qualified to participate in the meeting sitting beside them. The core leaders of the Three Universal Civilizations were gathered together, and the atmosphere in the room was extremely solemn.
"A historical Beyond Grade A... Black Star actually possesses such incredible methods, hiding them so deeply until now before revealing them in such a high-profile manner. He did this intentionally!"
Mabrus's face was grave, his heart filled with a mixture of shock and anger.
He had taken Black Star seriously as much as possible, but he still underestimated him. As a hardline leader with strong control, seeing Black Star suddenly unleash such a trump card that could shake the cosmic order, his anger was hard to quell. He believed that this "ally" had completely broken free from the Empire's control.
Louis said in a deep voice, "That's right, Black Star has been planning this for a long time. He's had this idea for a while, perhaps just waiting for the right opportunity. Now that he's sensed the risk, he's resolutely unleashing this trump card to disrupt all our plans!"
The leader of the Arcane Cult frowned deeply and said, "The situation is unfavorable to us. The return of some historical Beyond Grade A individuals has expanded the Association's top-level power by about one-third. If we use the original plan to eliminate the Beyond Grade A, the cost will increase exponentially, and it may shake the order of the entire interstellar society. Moreover, this is only the first batch of Revived; Black Star can resurrect even more..."
All three felt the same shock and anger. Their plan had already entered the preparation stage, but the unexpected situation brought by Black Star startled them, forcing them to immediately halt all current operations and reconsider their strategy.
As the source of this trouble, Black Star's goodwill towards the three vanished completely, leaving only boundless hostility. Even though Black Star was nominally an ally of the Empire, Mabrus, as the Führer, was equally hostile towards him.
When the other party is beneficial to their own rule, they can cooperate with smiles even if there are personal grudges. But now, Black Star's actions have broken the balance of the universe and are already undermining the ruling foundation of the Three Universal Civilizations. Those empty titles and statuses cannot prevent the two sides from turning against each other. There is no room for sentimentality anymore.
In the eyes of the three, they had given Black Star Black Star so many benefits, only to be betrayed in return—their true intentions were revealed!
If it weren't for their fear of Black Star's strength, influence, and connections, the three of them would have loved to disregard everything, gather their army, and wipe out Black Star Army.
Suppressing his inner turmoil, Mabrus said in a low voice:
"The situation is already so troublesome in the short term, and it will be even more dangerous in the long term. Don't forget, many historical Beyond Grade A have grudges against us, such as the Protector of the civilizations we destroyed in the exploration history, or the Beyond Grade A who were Implicated the Tragedy of the Pinnacle... If they make a comeback, they may very well retaliate against us!"
Many of the high-ranking officials present knew the seriousness of failing to eradicate the problem completely, and they felt a chill run down their spines.
Although the Three Universal Civilizations have many direct descendants of Beyond Grade A beings, their numbers cannot compare to the number of their historical enemies. If these enemies were to resurrect on a large scale, their direct descendants would likely be wiped out, leaving the civilizations without any protection in the realm of individual great power.
The greatest strength of Beyond Grade A is its unique strategic significance. One person can form an army, possessing unparalleled flexibility and the ability to break through enemy lines from a single point. Without a direct line of powerful figures to restrain them, even if the Three Universal Civilizations relied on their fleets, technology, and various Universal Treasure to annihilate Beyond Grade A, the cost would increase exponentially.
The leader of the Arcane Sect, thinking further ahead, solemnly said, "From a macro perspective, even disregarding the factors of enemies, the dominant positions of the Three Universal Civilizations are in danger of collapse. The Sanctuary Revival has caused a surge in the life expectancy of Beyond Grade A beings and Ability Enhancement to withstand risks, leading to a qualitative leap in the accumulation rate of the total amount of Beyond Grade A in the universe."
At this rate, in the not-too-distant future, the total number of Beyond Grade A beings will exceed the balance line between civilization and individual power, enough to shatter the foundation of our rule... At that point, the situation will be irreversible, and it will no longer be the Beyond Grade A beings worrying about us taking action, but rather us fearing the growing ambition of the Beyond Grade A Association!
As he spoke, the leader of the Arcane Sect suddenly sighed, somewhat helplessly:
"But what's the use of knowing the trend? Black Star's trump card has created a balance of power through deterrence. He holds the remote control to change the times, and we can no longer afford to act rashly!"
Upon hearing this, all three fell silent.
The current situation is akin to nuclear deterrence; the Three Universal Civilizations no longer dare to openly break ties.
Even with their advanced civilization, the three were at a loss in the face of this unexpected situation, and their anger towards Han Xiao grew even stronger.
The only solution seems to be... that we take control of the Sanctuary Revival!
"The only way forward is to negotiate with Black Star as soon as possible and find out his plans!"
The three nodded in agreement, secretly feeling a little regretful.
When the Mechanic Emperor was led by a hard-hearted leader, they did not act rashly, waiting for Black Star to take over. But now it seems that Black Star is more dangerous than the Mechanic Emperor, and is hiding too deeply.
The Mechanic Emperor's approach is one of bipolar confrontation, while Black Star's approach is one of deterrence and coexistence. This approach has little negative impact on the development of Beyond Grade A civilizations; on the contrary, it almost only brings benefits. It is far more unsolvable than the Mechanic Emperor's mutually destructive approach, leaving the Three Universal Civilizations in a dilemma.
If we had known Beyond Grade A Association would happen, we would have... sigh, what's the use of knowing earlier? We weren't in power back then. What a huge mess our predecessors left us!
Mabrus couldn't help but recall the warning he'd heard from Urranrell decades ago—beware of Black Star, he's a hundred times more dangerous than the Mechanic Emperor!
Now, all he can do is sigh, "Just as I expected."
Without delay, the three of them immediately dismissed all the high-ranking officials, sent out invitations, and prepared to have a private talk with Han Xiao.
The three of them didn't have to wait long before Han Xiao's remote projection arrived at their invitation.
"Gentlemen, what a coincidence that we meet again so soon."
Han Xiao maintained his composure, giving a slight nod in greeting with a half-smile on his face.
Although Han Xiao spoke in the same tone as before, the three of them felt there was a hint of mockery in his voice.
Mabrus suppressed the urge to strangle Han Xiao and said in a deep voice, "Black Star, you must know why we summoned you here. To make a long story short, what exactly is this Sanctuary Revival all about?"
Han Xiao blinked. "I'm not quite sure either. I just stumbled upon this strange phenomenon by chance. Maybe it's some kind of Cosmic Wonder."
The corners of the three men's mouths twitched.
Stop using the term "Cosmic Wonder"! It gives me a headache!
"What is the process of the Sanctuary Revival like? What are the rules or limitations...?" Louis interrupted.
"Ah, I'm not too sure either, I haven't figured it out yet." Han Xiao shrugged.
The leader of the Arcane Sect cleared his throat and said in a deep voice, "I don't know if you're willing to share the method for the Sanctuary Revival. You can discuss West Capital you want."
Han Xiao smiled but remained silent.
Hey bro, what are you dreaming about?
Seeing this, the three realized that their request was wishful thinking and were secretly unwilling to give up.
Mabrus gritted his teeth and shouted in a deep voice, "Black Star! You should know the chaos that the Sanctuary Revival will bring to interstellar society. What are your intentions in resurrecting this group of historical Beyond Grade A beings? What is your purpose?!"
Hearing this, Han Xiao smiled and said, "What are you saying? I just wanted to test whether the Sanctuary Revival was effective. I didn't expect to accidentally revive these people. It was just an accident during the experiment. I can't possibly put them back in their graves, can I?"
Mabrus was furious.
An accident during the experiment? Only a fool would believe that!
The leader of the Arcane Sect took over the conversation and asked seriously, "Regardless of whether it was an accident or not, the Beyond Grade A Association now has a group of so-called newcomers, and we'd like to know how you plan to handle this issue."
What the three were most worried about was that Black Star, with this new force, would take the initiative to act.
"No need to do anything. Once they join the association, they are naturally members and don't need special treatment. I will only provide them with certain resources and assistance according to the association's established charter. As for other matters... as long as they don't violate the association's rules, it's none of my business."
Han Xiao remained unmoved by reason.
"That's not enough. You know exactly what we mean. We want you to guarantee that the Beyond Grade A Association will continue to behave itself."
Han Xiao chuckled, "Even if I made a promise, would you believe me?"
The three shook their heads helplessly. Indeed, not to mention that the foundation of trust between the two sides had collapsed, even if they believed in Black Star, their own responsibilities required them to plan ahead and prepare for the worst. Any artificial guarantees would be futile.
The three of them no longer dared to take a confrontational stance against Black Star. Although Black Star had a large and powerful family in the past, he still relied on them for sustenance. But things were different now. Due to the Sanctuary Revival, Black Star had acquired the significance of a "strategic deterrent" and a "detonator," and was now on an equal footing with the Three Universal Civilizations.
Mabrus narrowed his eyes and suddenly asked, "Black Star, are you still an ally of the Empire?"
Han Xiao glanced at him, thought for a moment, and said, "The alliance has not been broken. The Empire has provided me with a lot of help all along, so we are certainly allies."
A complete falling out would not be in Han Xiao's interest, and he had no intention of doing so.
Mabrus's eyes flashed. "Then I'd like to collaborate with you. Since you possess the means to Sanctuary Revival the Sanctuary, I hope you can resurrect Gaud, or other direct descendants of the Empire's Beyond Grade A."
"... Let me think about it." Han Xiao raised an eyebrow and brushed it off, knowing he couldn't possibly revive the direct descendants of the Three Universal Civilizations.
Seeing this, the three knew they couldn't get anything more out of Han Xiao, so they had no choice but to suppress their dissatisfaction and end the communication.
In the large room, the three looked at each other in silence for a moment.
Mabrus hesitated for a moment before speaking:
"The original purge plan can be cancelled. We need a new strategy. I have roughly three ideas. One is to start with Black Star, using spies to infiltrate and try to obtain information about the Sanctuary Revival. The second is to sow discord within the Association, winning over some of the Revived and trying to get information from them about the Sanctuary Revival. As for the third..."
As he spoke, he glanced at the two of them, seemed to hesitate for a moment, and then continued:
"We should establish a joint research and development team to independently study the secrets of the Sanctuary Revival. I believe that the Glory and the Arcane are not completely ignorant of this; they both possess some information."
The other two paused for a moment, then slowly nodded.
Having come from the Exploration Era, the Three Universal Civilizations are naturally not completely ignorant of the Sanctuary. Their direct descendants' Beyond Grade A occasionally received relevant inspirations and left behind some vague information. Furthermore, due to rumors among the First Ones explorers of the Exploration Era, this was not the first time the Three Universal Civilizations had heard of the Beyond Grade A resurrection. Upon learning of the resurrection of the dead, they immediately thought of this unverifiable classified information.
This information is top secret among the Three Universal Civilizations, who are each keeping it closely guarded and only want to study it themselves. However, due to the extreme incompleteness of the data, the research has been progressing slowly and without any progress. Most projects have long been suspended, and even the authenticity of this intelligence has been questioned.
Now that the situation has changed and the foundations of the Three Universal Civilizations ' rule are threatened, Mabrus feels that now is not the time to keep his secrets.
"I suggest we share all relevant secrets, piece together the clues we each have, and work together to study the so-called Sanctuary Revival. Only in this way can we have a tiny chance of making progress in the short term!"
After a moment's hesitation, Louis slowly nodded. "It seems this is the best solution at the moment. Let's do it this way."
The leader of the Arcane Sect nodded in tacit agreement, then suddenly changed the subject, saying:
"In the short term, we are unlikely to solve this problem. However, in the long run, while we cannot stop the resurgence of historical Beyond Grade A, we are not without ways to suppress Beyond Grade A numbers."
We can't stop the dead from rising from the dead, but we can reduce the number of truly new Beyond Grade A beings and stop them from growing indefinitely!
You mean...?
The other two exchanged glances.
The leader of the Arcane Cult's eyes flashed with an inexplicable light as he whispered:
"The birth of Beyond Grade A individuals stems from the vast number of superhumans in the universe. If we eliminate potential Calamity Grade, causing a gap in the superhuman hierarchy, and even sever the transmission of superhuman knowledge at the lower levels, and nationalize it all, perhaps we can deprive Beyond Grade A individuals of fresh blood..."
Upon hearing these words, Mabrus and Louis were shocked and couldn't help but feel astonished by the sheer scale of the Arcane Cult Leader's actions.
Superhumans have always been an important part of interstellar society, but is this going to uproot the superhuman class completely, cutting off its lifeline?!
Even with their knowledge, they thought the idea was too crazy.
But... if only advanced civilizations in the universe were capable of cultivating superhumans, how stable would the world be, and how solid would their foundation of rule be?
The two couldn't help but imagine the scene, and had to admit that the blueprint was indeed tempting, and they were vaguely interested.
Meanwhile, at the Black Star Palace, the Legion Commander's exclusive mechanical factory.
Han Xiao put away the communicator, recalling his conversation with the leaders of the Three Universal Civilizations, and let out a soft breath.
"A balance of power has been established, Three Universal Civilizations are hesitant to act rashly. They should abandon their plans for a large-scale purge. They will most likely observe for a while and not overturn the table... In this way, the intensity of the Super Calamity is temporarily under control, but it is unknown how long it can last."
Han Xiao nodded secretly.
The premature birth of the Revived, the exposure of the Sanctuary Revival... the butterfly effect I have created will inevitably change the course of the Super Calamity, preventing it from developing as it did in the previous life.
But he couldn't say for sure how much the plot of Super Calamity would change; he could only adapt to the situation.