An hour later, in the joint conference room of the Three Universal Civilizations.
Han Xiao's remote projection leisurely entered the room and immediately saw three old men with sullen faces, their eyes like hooks, fixed on him.
"Oh, everyone's here."
Han Xiao wasn't in a hurry at all. He casually greeted them. This was the first time he had been called to a meeting since relations between the two sides had plummeted to a freezing point.
Black Star! What exactly do you know?!
Mabrus looked extremely serious and, having no time for pleasantries, went straight to the point.
An hour earlier, the three were waiting for the Imperial envoy to report on Black Star's attitude toward the peace agreement Three Universal Civilizations, hoping to stabilize the Association. However, they did not expect to hear news that shocked them: Black Star had directly revealed the secret of the wormhole.
All three of them were stunned.
How did Black Star learn that we had cracked the wormhole secret? Was there an internal leak? Was there a mole within the organization?
If not for this reason, how did Black Star know this? Could it be that he already knew the secrets of this wormhole data?
The amount of information contained within is enormous!
Mabrus, Louis, and the leader of the Arcane cult were restless.
Black Star had someone specifically send a message, indicating that regardless of the situation, it meant that Black Star possessed unexpected intelligence, which was of great importance and could not be taken lightly. The three of them discussed the matter urgently for a while and decided to talk to Black Star, extending an invitation, which led to the meeting they were in now.
"I know more."
Han Xiao glanced at the three of them, deliberately revealing a meaningful expression, while secretly breathing a sigh of relief.
He wasn't sure what the situation was with the Three Universal Civilizations, so he didn't directly call out the name of the World Tree, but instead tentatively mentioned the information about the Sorokin wormhole.
But now that he had been summoned for a meeting, Han Xiao knew that he had made the right bet and had indeed guessed the truth. He secretly rejoiced that he had not made a mistake.
"You mentioned wormhole data from the legacy of the Sorokin. How much do you know about it?" Louis asked in a deep voice.
Han Xiao composed himself, glanced at him, and casually said, "You discovered a civilization on the other side of the wormhole, right?"
The three exchanged a glance, their expressions solemn.
Mabrus frowned and asked, "Where did you get your information from?"
"I know what you want to ask..." Han Xiao raised an eyebrow, "But I didn't steal any of your inside information."
Upon hearing this, the three men's expressions became even more grave.
Black Star stated that his intelligence source was not leaked from within the Three Universal Civilizations, implying that he already knew the secret of the wormhole data and possessed unknown intelligence.
Mabrus took a deep breath, abandoned his reserve, and even spoke in a somewhat humble tone, solemnly:
"You are aware of the nature of this matter, and we hope you will tell us the truth, as it is important for the entire universe."
"Can."
Han Xiao nodded. The deed was done, and there was no point in hiding it now. It was time to have an open and honest discussion. The Three Universal Civilizations needed to be made aware of the danger posed by the World Tree in advance.
"... This wormhole leads to a territory called the World Tree Civilization, an exceptionally powerful cosmic-level civilization, fanatical in its pursuit of war and expansion. Decades ago, for some reason, the Sorokin sent an avatar to attack me. During the ensuing battle, the avatar fell into a wormhole and happened to discover the World Tree Civilization. After that, the Sorokin sent people to steal this wormhole data to study the coordinates of the World Tree Civilization, and by chance, I became the only one who knew about it..."
Han Xiao concealed the part about his past life memories and recounted the story in a different way, emphasizing the power of the World Tree Civilization and basically stating all his knowledge about the World Tree.
The three of them frowned deeply, filled with doubt.
Mabrus couldn't help but question, "Did the Sorokin tell you West Capital? Putting aside why the Sorokin would specifically reveal information to you, why do you know so much about the World Tree Civilization? This doesn't seem like the Sorokin only went there once."
I understand your concerns.
Han Xiao nodded. This matter was not to be taken lightly. If everything was attributed to the Sorokin, a simple confrontation would expose the Lie.
Without irrefutable sources of intelligence, the Three Universal Civilizations would not readily believe this information.
However, he had already come up with a reason, which would provide a closed-loop explanation for his detailed understanding of the World Tree.
"Actually... I possess a relic from a civilization destroyed by the World Tree, containing a wealth of related information. My understanding of the World Tree is primarily derived from this relic."
As he spoke, Han Xiao raised his hand and summoned the 3D model projection of SWY-001, displaying the information he had prepared in advance on the virtual screen.
The three men's expressions changed, and they hurriedly began to browse the pages. The more they read, the more shocked they became, their minds reeling.
The memory element of SWY-001 records the horrific scene of the invasion of the Kama Republic Alliance, records the unique and extremely powerful war mode of the World Tree Civilization, and also shows that the World Tree Civilization is a cosmic-level civilization that is almost impossible to coexist with. All of this confirms that what Han Xiao said is true.
Without this precious treasure, even if Han Xiao could explain the source of the intelligence, his explanation would be of limited persuasiveness.
'This precious baby arrived just in time...'
Han Xiao sighed inwardly.
Nothing much to say, just one sentence -- Fording is awesome!
After a while, the three of them finished reading the information, their eyes still showing shock.
"The World Tree Civilization's all-consuming model is practically the enemy of all intelligent civilizations. I never imagined such a hunter existed in the universe..."
Louis muttered to himself.
Mabrus felt a lingering fear and said in a low voice:
"Fortunately, we sealed the Sorokin early on. If he had attracted the World Tree Civilization, then..."
Halfway through his sentence, his expression suddenly froze.
Just then, Mabrus suddenly remembered that the sealing of the Sorokin seemed to be strongly urged by Black Star, and they were only able to avoid being discovered by the World Tree thanks to Black Star.
At that time, Black Star was determined to seal the Sorokin at all costs. Could it be that he had already begun a long-term plan at that time, secretly protecting the Explored Universe from invasion?!
Mabrus was startled, looked up at Han Xiao, and couldn't help but ask:
"Was that the reason you insisted we hunt down the Sorokin?"
"Otherwise what? Do you really think I have an irreconcilable hatred for him?"
Han Xiao clicked his tongue and casually asked a question in return.
Mabrus's expression changed slightly as he gazed intently at Han Xiao, a sense of admiration and gratitude welling up within him. His initial apprehension and suspicion were instantly lessened.
If it weren't for Black Star's efforts, interstellar society might already be under invasion. Strictly speaking, the entire universe owes Black Star a debt of gratitude.
But Black Star never revealed this, silently letting this achievement be buried by the dust of history, and no one knew of his enormous contribution.
He kept his achievements and fame hidden!
In Mabrus's mind, Han Xiao's image immediately became much more impressive.
Suddenly, the leader of the Arcane Sect spoke in a deep voice:
"Black Star, you were aware of the threat posed by the World Tree Civilization. Since you knew this information all along, why didn't you say anything?"
Han Xiao shook his head.
"I know you too well. If you knew that a powerful, unknown civilization was lurking in the Unexplored Universe, would you pretend it didn't exist? Revealing it would lead to premature contact. Keeping this secret to one person was the best option in the past. If you hadn't made progress in your research on wormhole data, I wouldn't be saying anything now."
The three of them were immediately speechless.
Indeed, it's one thing if they didn't know, but if they did know about the World Tree as a great threat, the three of them knew very well that they could not sit idly by and would definitely follow the principle of striking first, just like they are doing now.
Detection is a two-way process. Exploring information about the World Tree also carries the risk of exposure. Even so, from their perspective, striking first is an inevitable choice; otherwise, they are simply resigning themselves to fate and waiting to die.
How could they allow others to sleep soundly in their own bed? With such a powerful enemy lurking in an unknown region of the universe, they were constantly on edge, fearing that one day they would be discovered and invaded. There was no reason to guard against thieves for a thousand days; naturally, it was more in line with the needs of the Three Universal Civilizations to proactively nip the threat in the bud.
This is like the interference effect. If neither side knows of the other's existence, they can coexist peacefully, like two parallel lines that never intersect. But once they discover each other, they will quickly begin to interact.
"I admit you have a point..." Louis sighed, "But isn't this approach also a form of wishful thinking, gambling that the enemy won't discover us?"
Han Xiao shook his head and said nothing.
He was confident in doing this because he knew when the World Tree would invade, but there was no need to explain it now, nor was it easy to explain it; even if he did, people would still be skeptical.
Just then, the leader of the Arcane Sect frowned and said:
"But how can we verify that the information about this civilization's relics is true and not fabricated?"
"Are you doubting me?" Han Xiao glanced at him.
"I'm just being cautious, not targeting you specifically." The leader of the Arcane Cult waved his hand.
Louis thought for a moment and then chimed in, "Indeed, the source of the information you provided is very convincing, but its authenticity is still questionable... It's not that we doubt you, but we can't completely trust this information. Although it seems very real, who knows if there are problems with the artifacts themselves? We can't jump to conclusions..."
"Black Star, we will use the information you provided as reference material, but the final decision will depend on the results of the actual exploration," Mabrus said.
Tsk, you three are such a handful!
Upon hearing this, Han Xiao pursed his lips, but he wasn't particularly surprised.
From the perspective of the Three Universal Civilizations, caution is warranted, given the possibility of false intelligence, just like what happened to the Kunde Race. Who knows if this intelligence is fabricated "bait"?
Han Xiao rubbed his chin and slowly said, "This relic of a civilization still exhibits signs of life, but it's in a dormant state. If we can awaken it, we should be able to extract more information."
Han Xiao still had a related mission on his mind, and he hadn't awakened SWY-001 because he didn't want to cause any unforeseen complications. But now that it was confirmed that the Three Universal Civilizations had made contact with the World Tree ahead of schedule, this concern had been largely eliminated. Therefore, Han Xiao didn't mind waking up SWY-001 at this time; on the contrary, it could become an asset.
"Okay, then I'll leave it to you. This is very important... By the way, you'll help us, right?"
Mabrus nodded, then suddenly paused, realizing that they and the association seemed to still be in a state of confrontation.
The other two also realized this, and their expressions became somewhat uncomfortable.
The situation had changed; they now needed the association's help. Not long ago, they had wanted to settle scores with them, but now they were asking for their assistance. The three of them felt awkward and a little ashamed.
However, the three of them held high positions of power, so their awkwardness only lasted a few seconds. They quickly regained their composure, their faces remaining impassive, but their eyes fixed intently on Han Xiao.
Han Xiao glanced at the three of them and smiled.
"The World Tree Civilization cannot coexist with us. We are interdependent; no one can remain unaffected. We must unite against a common enemy, and cooperation is the only option."
"... It's great that you understand that."
The three of them breathed a sigh of relief. Now they needed to unite all their forces. They were really afraid that the Beyond Grade A Association would lose its senses at this time and pull some crazy tricks.
Seeing that Black Star had casually dismissed the conflict, the three couldn't help but recall their disputes with the Beyond Grade A Association over the years, their feelings becoming quite complicated.
Throughout Black Star's administration, his actions have consistently aimed to promote checks and balances and to foster peaceful coexistence, without ever initiating conflict.
The three had previously assumed the association was stalling for time to build up its strength, but now, looking back, they suddenly realized that Black Star's actions seemed to have another explanation... Wasn't this also a way of preserving their vital forces?
Due to various reasons, including fear, they constantly suppressed and marginalized the association. Black Star restrained himself, maintaining a fragile balance as if walking a tightrope. While they were still preoccupied with internal strife, Black Star may have already set his sights on the World Tree Civilization, preparing to confront external enemies.
Unfortunately, the leak of the Virtual Mutiny Virus technology spurred them to ignite a full-scale war and attempt to settle scores...
'I almost couldn't turn back!'
The three of them were startled, broke out in a cold sweat, and were extremely relieved.
Fortunately, they pulled back from the brink at the critical moment. If a real fight had broken out, it would have ruined Black Star's good intentions and damaged their own forces.
With this in mind, the three looked at Han Xiao again, their eyes filled with complex emotions, including guilt and apology, as well as gratitude and respect.
'I misunderstood him...'
Having learned the true motive, the three of them seemed to have a completely new understanding of Han Xiao.
Black Star's image suddenly came to life in their minds. The three of them seemed to see a solitary the Sight of Father's Back alone, carrying a burden unknown to anyone, trying to quell the conflict, but none of them understood his true intentions...
' Black Star... your contribution to this universe deserves to be called great.'
Mabrus had this thought in mind, his heart surging with emotion. He secretly admired and respected him, but at the same time felt a little regretful, having the same idea as Urranrell.
If only Black Star were a direct descendant of the Empire...
The past prejudices melted away like ice and snow. Now that things had come to this point, continuing to fight would be foolish. The three knew that Black Star had shown goodwill, and it was their turn to express their opinion.
The three exchanged a glance, understood each other's meaning, and slowly nodded.
Mabrus coughed, looked at Han Xiao seriously, and spoke solemnly:
"Black Star, on behalf of the Three Universal Civilizations, I formally invite you to serve as our special security advisor again. Would you be willing?"