On a certain artificially modified planet in the Shattered World, an endless expanse of silver earth paved with engineered alloys envelops the entire planet. No buildings have yet been constructed on the surface; the planet is a perfectly round silver sphere, with only the most basic surface geological modifications having been performed.
Hundreds of Beyond Grade A warriors stood in the center of the vast silver plain, their eyes fixed on Han Xiao's the Sight of Father's Back at the forefront.
To minimize unforeseen circumstances, the Three Universal Civilizations selected a planet within their territories as the site for the Sanctuary Revival. Numerous Beyond Grade A followed Han Xiao using a teleporter to come and oversee the event.
The Three Universal Civilizations did not deploy fleets in the outer space of the planet. Instead, they installed space-stabilizing anchors and deployed covert beyond-visual-range weapons in more distant locations to observe the situation from a distance. As a result, the outer space of the planet appeared empty, without any armed forces.
This was based on Han Xiao's suggestion. Beyond Grade A all have tempers. If they were forced to negotiate with a gun to their face as soon as they woke up, they would definitely be unhappy, which might not be conducive to contact. This time, the Three Universal Civilizations were asking for help from the other party, who were all once-illustrious historical powerhouses and respectable people with status. It was not appropriate to adopt such a tough stance from the beginning. On the contrary, communication between Beyond Grade A was less of an obstacle.
If physical persuasion is needed, he and a group of Beyond Grade A are enough. Only the strong are respected; this is the unspoken rule among Beyond Grade A. If military force is involved, it might have the opposite effect.
"Then I'll begin."
Han Xiao glanced back and saw that everyone nodded in agreement. He then looked away and activated the Sanctuary Revival Mark the back of his hand.
Golden light suddenly burst forth, shooting out like silk threads, condensing into luminous orbs on the plain before everyone. These orbs slowly materialized, transforming into life forms of various appearances. Their energy fluctuations resonated with each other, as if a storm had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, whipping everyone's hair and clothes into a fluttering whirlwind.
Numerous Beyond Grade A individuals were intently watching this scene, afraid of missing a single detail.
"He's alive! He's alive!"
"So that's how it was revived. It's not what I thought. I thought there would be a process similar to incubation."
"What's the principle behind this? It looks so amazing."
Han Xiao ignored the surprised whispers behind him and carefully observed the group of people who had recovered.
'The direct descendants of the Three Universal Civilizations, the direct descendants of the supercluster, neutral Beyond Grade A... the power structure of the Revived this time is more complex than the previous two times, and the conflicts are likely to be more acute.'
Han Xiao secretly prepared himself mentally.
At this moment, many of the Revived seemed to awaken from a dream, going from numbness to confusion, and then from confusion to astonishment, observing their own condition and surroundings with uncertainty, and looking at each other.
What's going on?
"Hallucination? Dream? Virtual world? What did the Federation of Light do to me?"
"Huh? It's you! I crushed your head with my own hands, how are you still alive?!"
After this group of Revived got a clear look at their surroundings, the scene gradually became chaotic. Auras emanated from each individual, and their energy quickly entered an unstable and active state, turning into a battle state. Many who had grudges against each other were eager to make their move. As for some neutral individuals who had not yet figured out the situation, they frowned and quietly retreated to the side, their visual organs darting around, wanting to observe first.
Han Xiao was about to speak to assert his presence when a tall, male life form looked over, staring at Han Xiao and the others, and slowly spoke:
"If I'm not mistaken, we are all dead, and you're the ones who brought us back to life?"
He was dressed in a magnificent priest's robe, and his voice was solemn and ancient, carrying a calming aura that quickly quelled the commotion and drew the attention of all the Revived present to him. Then, following his gaze, it locked onto Han Xiao and the others.
This even involves stealing lines?
Han Xiao glanced at him carefully, mentally sifting through the database, and quickly found the information on the man who had spoken.
Hilbert Muller, a direct descendant of the Arcane Church, is Peak Beyond Grade A ability user. His abilities are related to space. He was once the Supreme Pillar of the Arcane Church and is even more senior, serving as the previous Arcane National Treasure Master before Urnos!
Because Urnos's abilities were better suited to the Arcane National Treasure, after Urnos grew up, the Arcane Church changed the owner of the artifact. Hilbert stepped down from his position Supreme Pillar, changed his post, and went to explore the Secondary Dimension. He disappeared during a long voyage and his fate is unknown.
Now it seems that this guy has naturally kicked the bucket. The universe is so vast and full of endless dangers. I wonder what he encountered in the Secondary Dimension. However, we can rule out the possibility of the Federation of All Stars. Han Xiao once learned from Jess about the appearance and names of the first three batches of "outsiders". Those people are not among his options for revival for the time being.
Various thoughts flashed through Han Xiao's mind, and he nodded in response:
"Indeed, you all surely still remember. You have long since perished and become history. It is now the year 783 of the Galaxy Calendar, many years have passed. I have awakened you all through a method called Sanctuary Revival..."
"It's a resurrection..."
"Unbelievable, is this even possible?"
"I thought someone had uploaded my remaining consciousness into the virtual world."
The Revived fell silent, a sense of astonishment washing over them.
I never really thought about this; at least when they died, very few of them imagined they would wake up one day.
At this moment, a female human from the Empire, dressed in military uniform, narrowed her eyes and asked Han Xiao:
"Then who are you?"
"You may call me Black Star, the sole controller of the Sanctuary Revival, the joint advisor of the Three Universal Civilizations, and the current Beyond Grade A president." Han Xiao introduced himself, adding with a light laugh, "I was once an ally of the Empire, so we should be closer, Lady Rive."
"I see. So you're one of us now?"
Rive ' expression softened slightly.
She was once one of the Pillar of the Nation the empire, Peak Beyond Grade A mage, nicknamed "Fairy Empress," and possessed outstanding combat power.
Hearing Han Xiao's title, which sounded like he was on the side of the Three Universal Civilizations, and since he also claimed to be an ally of the Empire, Rive figured he was probably not an enemy.
She turned to observe the Beyond Grade A behind Han Xiao, then suddenly her gaze stopped and landed on Clottey, a delighted smile spreading across her face:
"Isn't this Little Dark? You're still alive?!"
Upon hearing this, everyone looked over and saw that Clottey, who was usually indifferent, had a slight twitch on her face and was quietly moving her feet, as if she wanted to hide herself in the crowd.
"Hey, Clottey! Don't pretend you don't know me, I see you! Where are you going to hide?!"
With her hands on her hips, Rive' voice was loud and rough, like a shrew from Hedong.
Han Xiao couldn't help but rub his buzzing ears, feeling that this woman and the Sun Hunter must have a lot in common, since they spoke as if they had let the Sun Hunter run free.
"... We meet again."
Clottey's face showed a rare hint of reluctance, but she still forced herself to respond.
In terms of seniority, Rive was his senior, having taught him for a period of time along with the other Pillar of the Nation. When Clottey was not yet powerful, River left a deep psychological scar on him, making her practically his teacher.
What chilled Clottey to the bone was that Rive would touch him inappropriately and deliberately provoke and tease him.
To be fair, Rive was a stunning beauty, and under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have avoided her like the plague. But the problem was... this girl was a transgender person who underwent gender reassignment surgery, not like Swordsman Rivera who was forced into it. It was a voluntary choice, and not a decision made when she was weak. She changed her gender only after becoming Beyond Grade A, for a bizarre reason. In Rive's words, it was "I was tired of being a man, so I decided to try being a woman."
Although the interstellar era is open-minded and transgender people are widely accepted, Clottey has never liked new trends. He can accept normal interactions, but being provoked sends chills down his spine; he simply can't handle it. This mentality is probably...
I treated you like a brother, and you actually wanted to sleep with me?!
"Ahem, everyone, now is not the time for pleasantries."
Han Xiao quickly interrupted their conversation. They hadn't finished discussing the important matter yet. If they were to let these relatives recognize each other now, how long would it take to talk?
"Yes, that makes sense. Putting everything else aside, you must have some purpose in reviving us. What exactly is it?"
The Federation of Light's Revived also spoke up at the opportune moment. This was a telekinetic master, a former direct descendant of Oulu.
Those currently being questioned are primarily direct descendants of the Three Universal Civilizations, who have spontaneously gathered together. The other Revived watch the exchange between the two sides, silently gathering information. As for the ten direct descendants of the Supercluster, they remain huddled to one side, maintaining a high level of vigilance, clearly distinguishing themselves from the others.
Upon hearing this question, everyone perked up. This was the point they were most wary of, fearing that the resurrection of them was for some ulterior motive.
"The revival of everyone is not only my intention, but also the shared aspiration of the Three Universal Civilizations, interstellar society, and all the Beyond Grade A beings present." Han Xiao paused, then said in a deep voice, "Your homelands are facing a tremendous crisis. An alien cosmic-level civilization is invading our world. Their strength is beyond imagination, extremely powerful. War has broken out, and we need your strength!"
A cosmic-scale war of aggression?!
Everyone's expression changed, and they each had their own thoughts.
Indeed, if it weren't for a crisis of this level, there would seem to be no need to go to such lengths to revive so many historical Beyond Grade A. However, from a personal perspective, most of the Revived felt uneasy about being used after learning that they would have to participate in a high-intensity interstellar war as soon as they were revived.
When the many Revived saw the hundreds of Beyond Grade A warriors on the other side, they finally understood their predicament. The joy of being resurrected vanished, and a vague anger rose in their hearts.
"What if we don't want to? Will you force us?" A neutral Beyond Grade A asked, frowning, his voice filled with dissatisfaction.
Han Xiao shook his head and said, "No, we will try our best to persuade everyone. It's all voluntary; we won't force you to participate in the war."
The Revived, after all, individuals with free thought, not slaves. Coercion is unacceptable, not only because of their complex identities, but also because of the feelings of other Beyond Grade A Revived.
Forcing the Revived to compromise by pointing guns at their heads will have many consequences. One of them is that other Beyond Grade A members will feel the same way and worry that they will receive the same treatment when they are resurrected. It's hard to say how many association members will be willing to continue fighting.
However, verbal persuasion alone would not be enough to convince many of the Revived, and force was an indispensable element. This put him in a difficult position, and he had to find the right balance. This was even more challenging than the previous two revivals, and Han Xiao was already mentally prepared for this.
At this moment, a Beyond Grade A of medium build spoke in a deep voice:
We need to consult with higher-ups; could you perhaps provide us with a communicator?
Han Xiao glanced at him and recognized him as a trusted member of the Super Star Cluster named Mabro, who was exceptionally strong but unfortunately died at the Tragedy of the Pinnacle.
"Okay, take it."
Han Xiao did not refuse the request, and took out a communicator, tossing it to Mabro.
These were the terms of his deal with the Super Star Cluster. Given the Super Star Cluster's extensive experience in enduring persecution, they would surely suspect that the Three Universal Civilizations had secretly sabotaged their advanced combat forces during the war, and would never allow their hard-won resurrected powerhouses to participate in the war. Han Xiao also did not expect all of this batch of resurrected Super Star Cluster direct descendants to participate in the war.
Mabro took the communicator, nodded slightly, and led the other nine members of the Supercluster to the side to contact higher-ups.
For a moment, many of the Revived fell silent, exchanging glances among themselves, all hesitant to speak.
At this moment, Rive exhaled and slowly said, "Since the Empire is in trouble, it is my duty to help. It's just war, isn't it? As long as the Empire gives the order, I am willing to contribute my strength."
"Yeah, me too."
"I was already a dead man, but since the Federation needs my strength to fight against foreign enemies, burning myself again won't hurt."
With Rive taking the lead, many direct descendants of the Three Universal Civilizations echoed his sentiments and expressed their support.
Seeing this, Han Xiao breathed a sigh of relief.
The support from most of the civilizations' direct descendants was within his expectations. The advanced combat forces, having undergone long-term patriotic education and conditioning by the Three Universal Civilizations, were naturally reliable and willing to contribute their strength to the Explored Universe.
However, when a second life is at stake, things obviously won't go so smoothly. While many of the loyalists were speaking out, dissenting voices emerged from the crowd.
"Black Star, we're sorry, we don't want to continue the war."
Han Xiao and his group looked in the direction of the sound, and their expressions immediately changed.
The Revived spoke was not a historical powerhouse, but an association member named Garoze who had recently sacrificed his life on the battlefield and had a brief encounter with Han Xiao.
The other fallen association members also followed Garoze, clearly having reached a consensus, and mustered the courage to meet Han Xiao's gaze.
Sure enough, even the Beyond Grade A warriors who are now willing to participate in the war, after dying once, don't want to take the risk anymore...
Han Xiao narrowed his eyes slightly. Although he wasn't surprised, he still shook his head and sighed inwardly.
But before he could respond, other Revived voiced their opposition:
"I'm sorry, I don't intend to participate in this war either."
Han Xiao turned his head and looked over, his expression immediately changing.
The speaker, who was holding the book, was none other than Hilbert, the first of the Three Universal Civilizations to refuse the call to arms.
Rive looked at him in surprise, "What's this...?"
Before she could finish speaking, Hilbert waved his hand, interrupting her, and said calmly:
"I have already given my life for the Three Universal Civilizations, fulfilled my duties, and done right by them. Even if I am a direct descendant, the Arcane cannot endlessly demand my dedication. Even the higher-ups have the option to retire. Besides, I died once, and everything was wiped clean. I finally got a second chance, and I cannot serve them forever."
As soon as the words were spoken, many of the core members of the civilization who were still hesitating were slightly taken aback. They felt that the words had struck a chord with them and couldn't help but nod in agreement, echoing each other in succession.
Even among the core members of the civilization who had already expressed their support, a small group of people were shaken by these words.
The Three Universal Civilizations descendants of the civilizations originally wanted to persuade them, but after hearing these words, they were speechless.
"This doesn't seem good..."
Seeing this scene, the leaders of the Three Universal Civilizations, who were remotely monitoring the situation through their devices, all felt a chill run down their spines.