A few hours after Han Xiao entered the Sanctuary, a group of anti-war association members gathered in the secret meeting room at the call of Dilron.
"Black Star has finally entered the Sanctuary again... What are your thoughts, everyone?"
Dilron chewed on a leaf of fluorescent grass, gently rubbing his fingertips, his scrutinizing gaze sweeping over the Beyond Grade A on the table.
Everyone remained silent, scanning their companions with the same look; no one wanted to be the first to speak.
Seeing this, Dilron took the blade of grass from his mouth, tapped his fist lightly on the table twice, and slowly said:
"Since no one is speaking, I'll speak. Black Star spent about two months on his last trip to the Sanctuary, and it'll probably be about the same this time. I think this is a good opportunity to leave."
Everyone paused, turned to look at him, their eyes filled with unreadable expressions.
Dilron didn't seem to care and shrugged.
"As you all know, I always speak my mind. I wanted to make this suggestion when Black Star entered the Sanctuary last time, but at the time, we didn't know how long Black Star would disappear, and everyone was observing whether the interception circle could really stop the enemy, so I didn't make the suggestion. But now the situation has changed. The enemy has broken through the interception circle and will reach the homelands of the Three Universal Civilizations sooner or later. At the same time, we also know how long the vacuum period is when Black Star enters the Sanctuary. So this is an opportunity to leave the main universe and avoid the war."
Upon hearing this, the expressions on everyone's faces changed; some were dissatisfied, some were tempted, and some remained hesitant.
"Don't forget, Black Star revived us; we all owe him a favor. It wouldn't be right to just leave without saying goodbye."
Some people frowned in opposition.
The members of the Anti-War Association present were all Sanctum Revived had come out of seclusion. Because they cherished their hard-won second life, they did not participate in the war. Since Dilron was good at talking big, the group temporarily made him their representative, but he was not their leader, and there were also internal disagreements.
Dilron toyed with the glowing blades of grass and said calmly:
"I don't deny that Black Star has been kind to us, but he would never allow us to leave freely. His purpose in reviving us is nothing more than to use our power."
He's tolerating our avoidance of war now, but it's only temporary. As those who are fighting become increasingly dissatisfied with us, Black Star will put pressure on us sooner or later, just like he forced the third batch of Revived to fight this time. He will do the same thing to us in the future, so we'd better leave the main universe before this happens, or we'll become increasingly passive.
Although we feel somewhat sorry for Black Star, we have to be responsible for our own lives. Even if he revived us, it doesn't mean we have to obey his commands and sacrifice our lives for him.
Everyone frowned and pondered. These words resonated with many people. Many were reluctant to openly defy Black Star out of consideration for their feelings, but deep down they were unwilling to risk participating in the war.
"What about the Sanctum?" someone else asked.
Dilron scoffed, "The Oathkeeper and Black Star are in cahoots. If we want to leave, we must act secretly and not inform them."
"If we do that, we might invite Black Star's Pursuit. I don't think we can make such a hasty decision," the other person said cautiously.
Upon hearing this, Dilron retorted, "The fact that Black Star isn't in the main universe gives us a chance to sneak away. Every second we waste now is a chance to escape. If we wait for him to return, will we still be able to leave? Anyway, no matter what you say, I will definitely leave!"
Many people immediately looked conflicted.
The pressure from Black Star was too great. Only when he was away did these people dare to plot and scheme, believing that this period of vacuum was a rare opportunity to escape.
If Black Star hadn't entered the Sanctuary, they wouldn't have dared to act rashly, fearing that any move would result in Han Xiao coming to teach them a lesson.
After some discussion, the faction that wanted to avoid war could only barely reach a consensus: those who wanted to leave could make their own plans, while those who did not want to leave were not allowed to leak information and should prepare for both possibilities.
As he watched the crowd argue, Dilron became somewhat distracted, fiddling with the blade of grass in his hand, his mind drifting back to a series of beautiful memories.
He recalled the once glorious Elven Holy Kingdom he had created, and couldn't help but reminisce about the scenes of him playing and frolicking with his many queens in the pristine white royal court. Those faces, some beautiful, some aloof, and some innocent, flashed before his eyes.
Unfortunately, after their tragic deaths at the Tragedy of the Pinnacle, the Elven Holy Kingdom lost its protection, and these queens could no longer Dominion their own destinies. The status of Beyond Grade A widow, much like that of an emperor's harem, was enough to attract the interest of many powerful and influential figures, making her a highly sought-after commodity...
Now that things have come to this, although I have survived, my loved ones have long since vanished with time, and I have the strength but can do nothing to bring them back.
Dilron's expression tightened, and he subconsciously pressed his fingers harder, crushing the grass leaves into powder.
"The Three Universal Civilizations... not kicking you when you're down at this time is already their bottom line, how could I possibly help you!"
Meanwhile, somewhere at the training base.
A group of Beyond Grade A gathered in the room, staring at each other.
This group consists of some members of the Third Resurrection, excluding most of the core members of the civilization, and the remaining neutral Beyond Grade A.
Because of shared interests, the third batch of resurrected Beyond Grade A individuals formed groups in private, with the direct descendants of the resurrected individuals forming one faction and the free Beyond Grade A individuals forming another. Although the Three Universal Civilizations placed everyone under house arrest, they could still communicate privately. After all, they were an important fighting force, and their freedom couldn't be completely restricted like they were in prison.
After a while, a Beyond Grade A expert broke the silence.
"Black Star has gone to the Sanctuary. What's his plan in summoning us at this time?"
Everyone immediately turned to look at the organizer of this gathering, a High-level Beyond Grade A Stein.
Stein was a male Moth People with transparent wings, resembling a moth in appearance. Except for his wings and antennae, his body was humanoid. At this moment, his two antennae twitched nervously as he whispered:
"I've heard some things; Black Star's claim about the Infinite number of Sanctuary Revival might just be Lie designed to deceive us..."
"What?!"
Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed.
The Three Universal Civilizations had been controlling the channels, preventing the third group of Revived from accessing the relevant information. Therefore, they remained unaware of Han Xiao's statement that the Sanctuary Revival could only be carried out once, and were kept in the dark.
"What exactly happened?" everyone quickly asked.
Stein quickly explained, "Regarding the Sanctuary Revival, Black Star's statements to us and other Beyond Grade A are different. He previously claimed publicly that the Sanctuary Revival could only be performed once, but to us he said there was no limit to the number of times... I only came across this information by chance, there's definitely something wrong here!"
Is this news reliable?!
"I can't guarantee it, but it's highly likely to be true," Stein said hastily.
Everyone's faces immediately darkened, their minds racing.
If Black Star had two versions of the story, then the other Beyond Grade A would definitely know, but until now, no one has exposed him or reported him... Everyone immediately felt a chill and subconsciously began to speculate about a conspiracy.
Perhaps Black Star's story to them was a deliberate Lie, designed to trick them into contributing. The other Beyond Grade A were all beneficiaries, so they tacitly approved of this behavior, not only not exposing it but also cooperating to deceive the third batch of Revived... It seems everyone wanted to use them as cannon fodder!
In fact, their line of reasoning was correct, and they were right about 80-90% of the time. From their perspective, this possibility made perfect sense and was very convincing... However, due to a misunderstanding of key information, their conclusion was exactly the opposite of the truth.
The more they thought about it, the more horrified they became, and their anger surged.
"So what should we do now?" someone asked in a deep voice, taking a deep breath to calm their anger.
"If the recovery is limited to one time, then this is our last life, and we will have to consider our options," Stein pondered.
"Should we take this opportunity to escape? Although Black Star isn't here, we're under house arrest in this area, and those future Beyond Grade A beings aren't easy to deal with."
After a heated debate, someone suddenly made a suggestion:
"The situation is still unclear. Let's hold back for now and wait for Black Star to return and carry out the Sanctuary Revival. We'll probably go and watch, and then we'll see if he can restore the dead a second time."
If not, then no matter what excuse Black Star gives, we will confront him directly and assert our right. This way, we can shake the newly Revived and those loyal followers who were resurrected with us, unite them, break the house arrest imposed by the Three Universal Civilizations, and resist our fate as cannon fodder!
Upon hearing this, many people's eyes flashed.
These people alone cannot put up a fight, and the next resurgence might be an opportunity to seek a temporary alliance.
"Then it's settled. We'll launch our attack together!"
Stein his approval.
The Ancient Star Desert, the territory of the Machine Race.
Inside the mechanical palace, Manison's Dominion avatar and Kasuyi's remote projection sat facing each other, casually playing cards.
"I really envy you. You don't have to manage association affairs, and you can spend all your time digesting the lessons learned from the war. I wish I could be like that..."
Kasuyi watched the game while muttering complaints.
Manison didn't take it seriously and casually said, "With Black Star gone, someone needs to oversee the association. I stepped down as president a long time ago, and I'm not even vice president anymore. This job is perfect for you."
"Sigh, there's nothing I can do. Before Black Star left, he told me that some association members and Revived might become restless while he was gone, and I should be careful of unforeseen circumstances. I had no choice but to do as he said."
Kasuyi shook his head, his tone helpless.
Just like the exploration journeys of the past, war has always been a catalyst for the strong. Many Beyond Grade A warriors have been stationed in the interception zone for a year, experiencing battles large and small, and have gained new insights. Both Manison and Kasuyi have discovered a wider space for improvement, and their strength can be further enhanced if they go into seclusion for a period of time.
Unfortunately, Black Star went to the Sanctuary and told him to be careful. Kasuyi could only suppress the urge to digest the war experience and turn to managing the Association. Therefore, he greatly envied Manison for being able to concentrate on his secluded cultivation.
"You're overthinking it. I've run into some other issues myself," Manison said calmly. "The Nifogadi has been restless lately. He's unwilling to let Black Star and I control the Mechanic Faith and the Machine Race, feeling that these benefits rightfully belong to him, so he's trying to regain his former leadership position."
"Oh? What did he do?" Kasuyi asked curiously.
"Hmph, Black Star had barely left when he sent people to the Mechanic Faith to announce his return, trying to use his status as the founder to seize the core faith of the followers. It's clear he's trying to take advantage of the situation."
"What was the result?" Kasuyi asked with interest.
"What else can he do? He's a founder who was eliminated by history, and he only managed to be resurrected because of Black Star. He thinks he can shake Black Star's position? He's dreaming." Manison scoffed.
"That's true. Nifogadi's prestige has long been eroded by time; he no longer has the strength to contend with Black Star."
Kasuyi nodded, paused, and joked:
"Besides, even you can't beat Black Star, let alone him."
"... Hmph, laughable."
Manison glanced at him and gave a soft snort.
This person really knows how to bring up the most sensitive topics. If we hadn't known each other for so many years, I wouldn't even talk to you!
Kasuyi shrugged and asked, "How about the Machine Race? Nifogadi's return as an ancestor must be quite troublesome for you, right?"
"Who do you think I am? I've been managing the Machine Race for years. Do you think he can just hand over my headquarters based on his ancestor status?" Manison said calmly.
"So what did you do to him?"
"In the past, I would have turned him into Convict long ago, but I haven't done such a thing for a long time. Nifogadi is, after all, the ancestor of the Machine Race. I can't do anything to him in a legitimate way, so I gave him a group of Machine Race members and let him set up his own clan and start a new Machine Race."
"So, the Machine Race has split?" Kasuyi raised an eyebrow.
Manison dismissed it, saying casually, "It's not that serious. The tribe can give him some; he can regenerate. But with all the wealth I've accumulated over the years... he won't get a single screw."
"Heh, you're still the same old you. Apart from Black Star, no one can get any advantage from you."
Kasuyi shook his head and chuckled.
"Hmph, even Black Star didn't get much of an advantage over me."
Manison is saying one thing and meaning another.
Kasuyi simply smiled, not exposing Manison's stubbornness, and changed the subject, blinking as she said, "By the way, before Black Star left, he gave me the contact information of a stranger, telling me that if those Revived make any unusual moves, I can contact this person to resolve the issue."
"Black Star wouldn't speak without reason. What's that stranger's name?"
"I don't know his name. Black Star only told me to call him the Oathkeeper. I haven't contacted him yet. I don't know who he is, that even Black Star values him so much."
Kasuyi was quite interested.
"It seems Black Star is hiding quite a few secrets," Manison scoffed.
The World Tree Territory, the Palace of the Tree King.
A vibrant, emerald-green light surged forth, flowing along the root Vein into a giant cocoon made of leaves, resembling a cabbage in appearance, with a luxurious base beneath it, looking like an altar.
After a while, the leaves that formed the giant cocoon suddenly opened layer by layer, and a figure radiating a dazzling green light walked out. Step by step, it descended the steps, and the green light slowly subsided, revealing the appearance of the Tranquil Tree King.
"You've finally come back to life!"
Below the altar, Anchor Tree King, who had been waiting for a long time, had a look of joy in his eyes and took two steps forward to greet him.
After watering it for so long, the Tranquil Tree King has finally matured. Now I can finally slack off on fishing!
"Phew, I'm still not used to it."
The Tranquil Tree King exhaled, stiffly shifted its body, and awakened its dormant senses.
Although the World Tree could regenerate him from a seed state, the process of a seed sprouting and maturing is very painful. The thought of Black Star, who had caused him so much suffering, made the Tranquil Tree King furious.
"They actually made me die once! Next time, I'll make that outsider pay!"
You will have your chance.
Anchor Tree King immediately chimed in.
The Tranquil Tree King then turned to look at him, a look of surprise on his face.
"It's you? Where's the Heart Tree King?"
"He's done for. He's been sealed away by that outsider." Anchor Tree King said with disdain.
The Tranquil Tree King frowned immediately and said in a deep voice:
What happened when I died?
Upon hearing this, Anchor Tree King didn't press the matter further, but directly told Tranquil Tree King the whole story through the Psychic Network.
After learning the whole story, the Tranquil Tree King's expression softened, and he slowly nodded:
"So that's how it was. The Heart Tree King countered the healing-type ability users, leading to the success of the exchange tactic. That hostile civilization lost many high-level combatants. Although the Heart Tree King later fell, the strategic gains he made have laid a good foundation for us. The numerical advantage is gradually slipping into our hands, and the hostile civilization's high-level combatants will only decrease with each battle. Well done."
"But the Ancestral Tree King is not satisfied. The Heart Tree King has been captured, and the Tree King Crown cannot be regained," the Anchor Tree King said calmly.
"It's alright, it's just a seal. We'll find a chance to rescue the Heart Tree King later. Trading a temporary loss for a permanent one is undoubtedly a win for us."
Tranquil Tree King waved his hand dismissively.
"Alright, now that you've been resurrected, I'll leave the affairs here to you. I'm going back to the mother body now."
Having said that, before the Anchor Tree King could react, the Tranquil Tree King immediately dismantled its physical form, returned to the World Tree, and disappeared.
"Hmph, you still have to rely on me."
Tranquil Tree King snorted, showing no intention of refusing. As a martial artist, he was used to doing these tiring tasks.