The Emperor's Space-Rending Blade swirled like a halo in the Supreme Heavenly Venerate's hand, unleashing countless high-density, dark blue Psionic Energy energy blades that shattered all the starships and mechs along its path, carving a blank space in the dense defensive formation and leaving behind lingering light trails.
Swish, swish, swish—the light blades slashed repeatedly at the Tree God, cleanly severing its gnarled roots in two. But buds quickly sprouted from the broken ends, repairing and mending the wounds.
Mechanical Force surged and surged, empowering the dark, massive mechanical army, resembling a black and gold thundercloud, which clashed and collided with the green energy tsunami unleashed by the Tree God, causing explosions to erupt around the two colossal objects.
Woo--
The two simultaneously released their inner spaces, and the lightning-stirring gray-blue void domain collided with the lush green Tree God domain, squeezing each other and rubbing back and forth like grinding tofu, generating dazzling arcs of electricity.
During this process, Han Xiao and the Tree God's bodies expanded endlessly, rolling and entangled in a fierce battle, colliding thousands of times in an instant, with shockwaves blasting away all the spaceships in their path.
This wasn't the first time the two had clashed. The Tree God was still in a irrational and incomplete state, but Han Xiao Ming felt that the Tree God's power had increased significantly, making it much easier to deal with than before. In particular, the Tree God's domain had become much stronger, putting him under some pressure.
The closer one gets to the Mother Tree's main body, the stronger the Tree God's power becomes. Especially when one is in the dimension of the World Tree's main body, the Tree God's abilities are enhanced, and it also possesses the ability to teleport without cooldown, making it extremely agile. What's most disgusting is that its flesh is also astonishing, even Han Xiao finds it troublesome.
Under the combined influence of various factors, the Tree God temporarily halted Han Xiao Han Xiao's advance and even forced him to retreat, moving away from the Mother Tree.
"Looks like dealing with this guy won't be so easy..."
Han Xiao thought to himself, "As expected." He had anticipated that the Tree God would be strengthened in its physical dimension, so it wasn't surprising.
Despite his advance being thwarted, he remained unperturbed, focusing his attention on battling the Tree God and patiently waiting for his various specialties to take effect, continuously enhancing his combat power.
When he extracted the Tree God's power last time, he obtained some cryptic information, guessing that the enemy would have to pay a huge price to summon the Tree God, and that it was not a long-term solution.
Therefore, Han Xiao was not in a hurry for quick success. In his view, as long as the war dragged on, the Tree God would eventually weaken.
If he hadn't attacked the World Tree's home base, he doubted even the Ancestral Tree King would have been willing to use this move to stop him.
While the two Beyond God Grade were clashing, the Beyond Grade A from both sides also met by chance. Their old and new grudges ignited their hatred, and they fought like a thunderbolt from the blue, their battle becoming uncontrollable!
All the Beyond Grade A mechanics temporarily set aside their past personal grudges, and the mechanical legion formed ranks without distinction, unleashing fierce firepower. The mages summoned their respective mage towers, connecting them to establish large-scale magic circuits, like mobile battlegrounds, continuously releasing various large-scale forbidden attacks in all directions.
Mechanical Deity rampaged across the battlefield. Manison's silver-white machine wielded a trident, sweeping across a vast area, with the Immortal Mechanical Soldier guarding its side, majestic and awe-inspiring. Hyperion finally had its chance for Revenge, slaughtering indiscriminately, tearing apart the wildly dancing roots of the World Tree, and letting out a silent roar.
On the other side, the Sorokin and dozens of clones moved through the battlefield, using a variety of supernatural abilities to manipulate several World Tree powerhouses at will. Not far away, Evans fully activated his [Energy Manipulation] ability, gathering various energies accumulated on the battlefield and slamming them towards the World Tree fleet, causing considerable destruction.
Hila, her expression stern, rode the crimson tide of death, unleashing wave after wave that swallowed up enemy ships. Aurora, on the other hand, wore a solemn expression, radiating vitality as she continuously healed her wounded teammates and occasionally summoned a large number of heroic spirits to join the battle.
Kasuyi burned with Infinite mana, his psychic power surging endlessly, shattering the minds of countless World Tree Familia. In another region, Fording, holding the Soul-Switching Device, strolled through the battlefield, turning a vast area into a no-man's land, crushing the souls of all enemies to dust.
The martial artists no longer fought alone, but formed a formation. Seraon, Methes, Herber, Veru, Jotina, Kohler and others launched a collective headbutt charge, turning the World Tree Fleet's defensive perimeter upside down. The punches were continuous, and the sound of "Ora Ora" echoed throughout the dimension.
Carrot was among them, driving the Silver Shadow at breakneck speed through a shower of light, crashing into enemy ships one after another.
"Quantum Magic Spirit" Judith, "Guardian" Rama, "Mechanical Queen" Mornisa, and others launched wave after wave of data offensives in the virtual network. "Battle Flag" Enid activated her ability, Inspiration an aura that enveloped all her allies, strengthening the overall combat power of the Beyond Grade A group together with Aurora.
Because of their costly invasion of interstellar society some time ago, many of the World Tree Civilization's high-level combatants perished and have not yet been resurrected. They did not expect to be counterattacked by the Three Universal Civilizations so quickly. Now, this weakness has become a major weakness, resulting in their current high-level combat force being far inferior to that of the Three Universal Civilizations.
Therefore, not long after the battle began, the Beyond Grade A beings from the Three Universal Civilizations displayed their extraordinary abilities, beating the World Tree powerhouse until he was covered in blood.
One after another, the Sacred Tree Envoy and the Ancestral Spirit, their eyes bloodshot with intense resentment, died in battle.
Advanced combat forces act as the spearhead, penetrating the deepest points, while in other directions, the combined armies of the Three Universal Civilizations are also encroaching on the World Tree's defensive perimeter, with battle lines locked in a stalemate and shifting back and forth.
"The situation is now in our favor. The longer the battle goes on, the more troops we can deploy, and the more pressure the World Tree will face. They can't hold the line forever!"
In the strategic command center, all the high-ranking officers gathered together, watching the real-time battle situation presented on the virtual strategic sand table. The atmosphere was serious and tense.
Simon placed his hands on the table, his gaze sharp as a hawk, and said in a deep voice, "I have roughly divided the World Tree's defensive perimeter into five layers. Our main force is currently engaged in fierce fighting on the outermost first layer, while the Beyond Grade A group has advanced to the second layer. Black Star was about to break into the third layer, but was entangled by the opponent's Beyond God Grade and forced back to the second layer."
"The World Tree Civilization is fighting desperately; it seems we'll have a hard time breaking through their defenses in the short term," an officer said.
Simon nodded in agreement, his tone serious:
"We'll wear down the World Tree's forces on the outermost perimeter, and then the troops inside will come out to reinforce them. And because the World Tree fleet can teleport Infinite in this space, we don't have a normal way to break out. We either have to fight our way into their heartland or crush their legion... So before both sides' forces are depleted to a certain extent, our main force will basically have no chance of making any progress."
Everyone's expressions were serious; they all understood what he meant.
This is a brutal and protracted war, with casualties reaching astronomical figures.
"As the attackers, we have the initiative and an advantage in the short term, but in the longer term, our prospects for a protracted war are actually not good."
Simon paused, then pondered:
"Our troop replenishment speed is far slower than that of the World Tree. The World Tree is spawning troops every second, transforming them from its roots and instantly returning to the battlefield... Although we can currently use the 'push-and-pull' tactic to continuously increase the pressure on the World Tree, if this stalemate continues for too long, and we finish deploying all our assembled troops, the situation will likely reverse."
A chill ran through everyone. This situation was not impossible. If the World Tree Civilization truly displayed astonishing resilience and withstood their ever-increasing offensive, then at some point their offensive would begin to decline, and all the advantages they had accumulated would be taken back.
At this moment, Simon changed the subject, pointing to Black Star on the strategic sand table, and said in a deep voice, "The outcome of the main force is not something we can count on for now. The only ones most likely to break the stalemate are the Beyond Grade A group. With Black Star leading the way, as long as they can overcome the obstacles from the enemy's high-level combat forces, they can make a rapid advance. They are the breakthrough point in this battle and may be able to influence the outcome of this war."
All the officers present, as well as the leaders of the Three Universal Civilizations who were listening in, nodded in agreement.
Although it seems that Black Star will not be able to get rid of the Tree God anytime soon, after experiencing so much, everyone has strong faith in him and places high hopes on him.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!
The two Beyond God Grade, one black and one green, clashed countless times. As his various specialties were activated, Han Xiao's attributes improved step by step, making him stronger with each battle and gradually putting the Tree God at a disadvantage.
Because the Tree God has an extremely high absorption capacity for energy attacks, Han Xiao mainly used physical attacks to deal with it. The black torrent composed of mechanical particles transformed into various shapes, leaving scars on the Tree God.
Soon, Han Xiao began to advance again with unstoppable momentum. The Tree God hurriedly released World Tree to entangle him, trying to hold back the Supreme Heavenly Venerate. However, all these roots were casually torn off by Han Xiao and crushed into powder.
"A state of mental instability, fighting only on instinct, possessing immense strength but unable to fully utilize it, what a pity."
Han Xiao spun his blade, severing the Tree God's head. Watching the Tree God's head rapidly regenerate, he secretly shook his head.
But at that moment, the Tree God suddenly trembled, the chaotic emotions like those of a wild beast subsided, and for the first time, a clear mental thought emerged—it was the consciousness of the Ancestral Tree King.
"Black Star! You won't get past me!"
"Huh, you've regained consciousness?"
Han Xiao raised an eyebrow, quite curious about what methods the Ancestral Tree King had used to regain its rationality and take over the control of the Tree God.
Just as the Ancestral Tree King took over the Tree God's body, the Tree God's fighting style immediately changed. The fighting style was no longer as rough as before, and suddenly a lot of detailed operations were added.
Although its raw power did not increase, the Tree God's actual combat strength improved significantly, making it almost unrecognizable.
At this very moment, within the Tree God's inner space, the illusory figure of the Ancestral Tree King floated, its senses connected to the Tree God's vision, gazing at Han Xiao with a resolute expression.
Until just now, the Ancestral Tree King was still trapped in the Tree God's general consciousness, in a state of confusion. But the World Tree finally realized that it was in grave danger, and the Mother Tree's will descended, allowing the Ancestral Tree Ancestral Tree King to regain consciousness alone. The Anchor Tree King Tree King Crown of the Tranquil Tree King and the Suppressing Tree King, handing them all over to the Ancestral Tree King. The meaning was clear: the Ancestral Tree King was to fight alone.
This maneuver was something the World Tree learned from the past when those Tree King were trying to reach the Beyond God Grade —burning the Information State foundation of the Ancestral Tree King to put him into a state similar to when he was advancing to the Beyond God Grade, but still under the control of the World Tree. In this way, the consciousness of the Ancestral Tree King was connected to the perception of the Tree God, and he could control the Tree God alone.
The price is that the Ancestral Tree King is temporarily deprived of the chance to be reborn. If he survives, he can exit the Tree God state and return to the embrace of the Mother Tree. However, if he dies in this state, the Ancestral Tree King will be like those Tree King who failed to advance to the Beyond God Grade and will never be able to be reborn. This is the drawback.
But this is the task of the Mother Tree's will; the Ancestral Tree King has no choice but to succeed or perish.
Han Xiao said calmly, "With your control, the Tree God has indeed become much more powerful, but if you think this little change can stop me, you're overthinking it. Besides, how long can you maintain this state?"
"You think you've already won?!"
The Ancestral Tree King, with a stern expression, unleashed [Tree King Crown - Liberation] without a word.
In the midst of nothingness, the crown representing the Pugilist Class Tree King Crown, shattered with a crash!
The experience and skills accumulated by each generation of Martial Arts Tree King are all integrated into the Tree God. At the same time, the Source Force of the Crown Rank seems to act as a catalyst, instantly boosting the Tree God's combat power!
It was as if boundless power suddenly surged from the depths of his body, spreading throughout his entire being in the blink of an eye.
"Ahhh--"
Intense pain assaulted the Ancestral Tree King's spirit, causing him to let out a low, soul-deep roar. However, his spiritual strength did not weaken; instead, it was stimulated and rapidly increased.
The next moment, bulging green muscles suddenly sprouted from the Tree God's body, and the originally dry tree body suddenly became robust and round.
This feeling is like the original Tree God was just a skeleton, and only now has flesh and blood been born on that skeleton.
The Tree God Domain, which had initially been at a disadvantage, suddenly surged, pushing Han Xiao's Void Domain aside.
[Tree King Crown - Liberation] can enhance the Tree God's combat power, but requires the sacrifice of a corresponding Tree King Crown. Losing a Tree King qualification for a long time takes thousands of years to recover, and the price is considerable!
To minimize the losses, the Ancestral Tree King sacrificed the Pugilist Class Grand Master without hesitation!
The Ancestral Tree King's emotions were affected; he was like a pile of dry tinder that had been touched by a spark, ready to ignite at any moment, and his fighting spirit soared.
"My power is far from its limit! Black Star! Only when you are dead can we have peace!"