One day later, in the conference room of the Three Universal Civilizations' leaders.
"You're planning Sanctuary Revival to recall our loyalists?!"
Mabrus, Louis, and the leader of the Arcane Cult widened their eyes slightly, staring in surprise at the remote projection of Han Xiao in the room.
Han Xiao shrugged and said seriously, "The World Tree is full of powerful individuals. Due to its special mechanism, their number of Beyond Grade A beings has not decreased and has accumulated to its current scale. However, due to wars and other reasons, we have suffered repeated losses of Beyond Grade A throughout history. Although we repelled one of the World Tree's offensives this time, they did not deploy all of their high-level combat forces. We must expand the scale of our Beyond Grade A beings in order to gradually reverse our disadvantage in terms of individual strength."
The three leaders exchanged glances, their hearts filled with delight.
When the agreement was signed, there was no clause requiring Black Star to revive its direct descendants. They knew that the Beyond Grade A Association still harbored fear of the Three Universal Civilizations, and even if there were external enemies, Black Star might not necessarily awaken their direct descendants to increase the combat power of their "competitors".
So when Black Star brought up the matter, all three of them were pleasantly surprised. Whether Black Star did it to relieve the pressure on the association members or simply for the sake of the overall war, this approach was beneficial to them all.
The Three Universal Civilizations have generations of direct descendants of Beyond Grade A warriors, including "Pillar of the Nation" like Clottey and Oulu, who are Protector of different eras. If they could all be recalled, it would be a huge boost to the advanced combat power of the Three Universal Civilizations.
"That's a very wise choice, and I'm glad to see that you're willing to consider the bigger picture."
Mabrus was full of praise.
Han Xiao didn't take it seriously, raising a finger, "But there's one condition: these resurrected loyalists must be deployed to the front lines."
"Of course." Louis nodded, understanding Han Xiao's meaning. It was impossible to let the resurrected direct descendant Beyond Grade A sit idly by and watch the association members fight desperately.
"Alright, since we've reached this consensus, we can talk about the fees now." Han Xiao put his hand down.
"Cost?"
"Do you really think this is free?" Han Xiao raised an eyebrow.
No, tell me the price.
The leader of the Arcane Sect shook his head.
Because Black Star's sudden act of offering help seemed so righteous, the three almost thought it was free. However, they quickly realized that given Black Star's nature, he was unlikely to let go of this opportunity to make a fortune. Although they were currently partners in resisting external enemies, services that required payment wouldn't be free, after all, their relationship was merely that of allies.
The three of them had no objections. Now was the time to beg for help. They finally had a chance to revive the direct lineage of history, and they were willing to pay whatever it took, no matter how high the fee.
Han Xiao opened the virtual screen, created a list, and sent it to the three people.
The three quickly browsed through the list, which contained various resources, materials, and weapon requirements. Although the prices were high, they were within an acceptable range.
You want these things?
"That's right, complete the list accordingly; that's the price for the Sanctuary Revival."
"Can."
Mabrus readily agreed.
Han Xiao nodded. The list still contained materials for the Sanctuary Key. By using the power of the Three Universal Civilizations to collect materials to supply his entry into the Sanctuary, he was essentially spending money from the Three Universal Civilizations to upgrade his Sanctuary access.
"When do you plan to start?" Louis asked.
"The Child of Destiny' monitoring has confirmed that the World Tree Civilization will not make any major moves in the short term. I will use the Sanctuary Revival soon." Han Xiao nodded, paused, and then added, "Also, when using the Sanctuary Revival, I will temporarily leave the main universe for about three months. During this time, I will be unable to be contacted. Hila will be responsible for relaying the intelligence from the Child of Destiny' monitoring channels during my absence."
"Three months..." The three felt a sinking feeling in their hearts.
If the World Tree were to make any unusual moves during this period, things might change without Black Star present...
The three suddenly realized that they had unknowingly developed a certain dependence on Black Star. Since discovering the World Tree, Black Star's actions had laid the foundation for most of their current advantages and accumulated a very high level of trust. He had been an extremely competent special advisor, and to some extent, the three of them had almost regarded Han Xiao as the backbone for dealing with the World Tree Civilization.
With Black Star absent, they subconsciously felt less confident.
"If you're worried that the World Tree will send another Tree King, you can have Urnos join the battle. With his abilities, holding off one Tree King shouldn't be a problem," Han Xiao said, a thought forming in his mind.
In his previous life, Urnos did not participate in the war, and this time he is still one of the few direct subordinates of the Beyond Grade A who were not conscripted, which is very strange. Han Xiao is also very curious as to why the Arcane Church did not send out this guy. Even if the main body does not go to war, sending out a few Deity Avatar would be fine.
"There are some special reasons why he can't take action," the leader of the Arcane Sect shook his head.
"What special reason could be more important than the threat posed by the World Tree?" Han Xiao raised an eyebrow.
He's full of energy when fighting me, but he makes all sorts of excuses when facing external enemies. Is Urnos the type who's meek and submissive to outsiders but fiercely aggressive to his own people?
"... In short, there are some reasons." The leader of the Arcane Cult, who had been tight-lipped, suddenly changed the subject, saying, "By the way, can you unseal the Scepter of All Gods?"
"Urnos isn't going to fight, yet he's asking me to unseal his weapons?"
Even if he doesn't use it, the Scepter of All Gods is still a powerful weapon against individual superhuman strength.
We'll see.
Han Xiao remained noncommittal. The Scepter of All Gods could indeed enhance combat power in advanced combat situations, but he did not currently intend to unseal the Arcane Church.
He paused for a moment, then continued:
"I need to acquire some media related to the recovery goals. Which of your core members do you want to revive? Hand over their media in the next few days."
The three nodded, a slight thought stirring within them.
They were also organizing people to study the Sanctuary. This was the first time they had learned that the Sanctuary Revival required a medium. But thinking about it, it made sense. If it didn't require a medium, wouldn't even Beyond Grade A individuals from other unknown civilizations be able to revive at will?
At this moment, Han Xiao added, "There's one more thing. This time, I will revive a portion of the Super Star Cluster Alliance's core members."
"Hmm?" The three of them exchanged a slight change in expression.
In that instant, the three of them thought of many things and subconsciously believed that this was Black Star's means of maintaining balance.
The revival of the direct descendants of the Three Universal Civilizations is a threat to the Beyond Grade A Association. Therefore, Black Star deliberately revived the direct descendants of the Super Star Cluster Alliance to form a three-way balance of power and restrain the Three Universal Civilizations. This approach can also be explained by reviving the direct descendants of the Three Universal Civilizations, which is to take into account the overall war situation. As the beneficiaries of this reason, the three cannot turn their backs and refute it.
"Don't overthink it. I just made a deal with the Super Star Cluster Alliance before, and I don't intend to break that agreement," Han Xiao replied casually, ignoring the three people's gazes.
"... Of course." The three of them adjusted their mindset and regained their composure.
Many of the core members of the Super Star Cluster Alliance died in the Tragedy of the Pinnacle, and the hatred between the two sides is deeply rooted. Once it resurfaces, it will inevitably cause trouble.
However, since the Sanctuary Revival was controlled by Black Star, they had no choice but to accept this change. Moreover, the three believed that as long as their own historical lineages were resurrected, they would not have to worry about the Super Star Cluster Alliance stirring up trouble.
The two sides quickly reached a consensus. Han Xiao was about to end the communication when he suddenly remembered something and asked:
"By the way, how's the Secondary Dimension Expedition Team going?"
"There has been some damage, and we still haven't found anything." Mabrus shook his head.
Upon hearing this, Han Xiao sighed inwardly.
The World Tree Civilization was unaware that they had long ago dispatched troops to search for the main body; the Secondary Dimension Expedition Team was the key to victory for the Three Universal Civilizations.
Super Star Cluster Alliance, Joint Conference Room.
After meeting with the leaders of the Three Universal Civilizations, Han Xiao immediately approached the Super Star Cluster Alliance. At this time, the leaders of all the Super Star Cluster civilizations were in the room, all staring at Han Xiao.
"Black Star, your achievements this time are astonishing. We were just talking about you before you came."
"If we didn't know your capabilities, this battle report alone would have almost made us think that the enemy was weak."
Several heads of state expressed their praise.
"It's alright, mainly because the Beyond Grade A group worked together." Han Xiao replied casually, observing the expressions of the many civilization leaders present, his mind racing.
Based on his understanding of the Supercluster civilization, these people were probably hoping that the Three Universal Civilizations and the World Tree would be severely weakened so that they could take over. Therefore, the Super Star Cluster Alliance might not be too happy to see such low casualties.
He remembered that in his previous life, the Super Star Cluster Alliance even had a backup plan: to take advantage of the war between the Three Universal Civilizations and the World Tree, to leave the Explored Universe with their own civilization, and escape in the middle of the war, believing that the Three Universal Civilizations, who were resisting the external enemy, would not have the energy to stop them and could only watch them leave unscathed.
However, after fully experiencing the monstrous nature of the World Tree Civilization, the Super Star Cluster Alliance realized that this was a short-sighted solution and ultimately did not activate the backup plan, instead focusing wholeheartedly on cooperating with the Three Universal Civilizations to fight the enemy.
Han Xiao estimated that the Super Star Cluster Alliance probably had similar thoughts. Having been suppressed and bullied by the Three Universal Civilizations for so long, it was impossible for them not to have considered this approach.
As he was pondering this, the Star Arc leader tapped the table and asked:
"Black Star, what brings you to us this time?"
Han Xiao composed himself and said, "I'm here to fulfill the agreement."
Which agreement?
"I promised your Sanctuary Revival ten of my direct-lineage Beyond Grade A members; now is the time."
As soon as the words were spoken, the Star Arc leader and many other civilization leaders were overjoyed.
After the agreement was reached, the Super Star Cluster Alliance quickly raised the recovery funds and handed them over to Han Xiao. However, the timing of the recovery was up to Black Star, and they didn't know how long Black Star would drag it out. Since the deposit had already been paid, they could only wait patiently.
And now, she's finally become the mother-in-law after all the waiting!
Being a backup option was definitely worthwhile!
Sure enough, by the end, everything was there!
The Star Arc leader, suppressing his excitement, asked, "Understood. What do we need to prepare?"
"We need some medium..."
Han Xiao repeated his explanation of the Three Universal Civilizations, which drew frequent nods from the crowd.
After explaining, Han Xiao glanced at everyone's expressions, smiled, and then said:
"There's one more thing. For the next recovery, we'll still give you ten slots, and you'll still need to make purchases. You can discuss whether you want to increase your purchases."
"Of course we accept," the Star Arc leader immediately said.
Ten slots are far from enough to revive all the historical Beyond Grade A of their Supercluster civilization. Since Black Star is willing to sell ten more slots, there is naturally no reason to refuse.
"You don't need to rush to offer a price. It's not too late after I bring these Revived back."
Han Xiao waved his hand.
The two exchanged a few more words before hanging up.
Only the heads of state remained in the conference room, and their faces finally showed joy.
"Once our core members return, our plans will be much more secure. Black Star has done us a huge favor this time."
The leader of the Star Arc Civilization took a deep breath, his spirits lifted.
At this time, no one knew that Black Star, which only gave them ten slots each time, was selling an unlimited number of revival slots to the Three Universal Civilizations.
Two days later.
Somewhere in the Ancient Star Desert.
The Sanctum Organization's spaceship hovered in the starry sky, preheating its equipment in preparation for opening the Sanctuary entrance.
Han Xiao remained on the main ship and was speaking with Hila and other high-ranking officials.
"During the time I use the Sanctuary Revival, the Legion will be under your command. Be careful to preserve your strength... If the World Tree makes any moves, Aurora, you must protect yourself. It would be best to persuade Manison and Kasuyi to temporarily act as your bodyguards. The World Tree suffered heavy losses this time, so it won't be able to revive so quickly, and the intensity shouldn't be too high..."
"Don't worry, I can protect myself now." Aurora.
"However, we should be on the safe side. If anything unexpected happens, you'd better evacuate. I've provided Hyperion with some Sovereign. Although he's not participating in the war yet, if there's any danger, he can use Mechanical Force to teleport you away..."
After giving a series of instructions and handing over command to the numerous cadres, Han Xiao finally hung up the call.
"Have you finished speaking? Shall I begin?" asked the Oathkeeper.
"Bring it on."
Han Xiao nodded.
The order was given, and beams of light shot out from the Sanctum Organization's spaceship, delivering the First Sanctuary Key.
Soon, the familiar scene reappeared: six illusory gates of light appeared, but only one remained, which transformed into the passage to the First Sanctum.
Han Xiao took a deep breath, transformed into a shooting star, and plunged headfirst into the Sanctuary passage.
The next moment, the light gate rapidly shrank, and a thin beam of light flashed by, like the image of an old-fashioned television being turned off.
Before everyone's eyes, the Sanctuary passage and Han Xiao vanished together, leaving the area completely empty.
The Oathkeeper exhaled.
That annoying guy is gone... I can finally experience the feeling of having a one-man show again!