Click, click, click—
The gigantic Pivot Snake coiled around the World Tree, tearing at it bit by bit.
Although it is merely a phantom-like virtual life form and generally cannot harm physical matter, the way the Pivot Snake inflicts damage on the World Tree is through Information State channels, targeting only the will of the Mother Tree.
The roots danced wildly as the World Tree struggled frantically, trying to break free from the Pivot Snake. However, the waving roots couldn't touch the Pivot Snake's virtual body at all, and their efforts were in vain.
Although the World Tree is powerful, the reason why the Pivot Snake is its natural enemy lies in its unsolvable restraint. The Mother Tree's will had no time to pay attention to Han Xiao, and the mental attack was directly silenced. He was completely dominated by the Pivot Snake, struggling endlessly, like a girl desperately grabbing her clothes to prevent someone from taking them off.
A continuous stream of machinery poured out from the Divine Body Fortress and merged into the Supreme Heavenly Venerate, causing Han Xiao's body to swell rapidly. His arms gradually became able to encircle the main trunk of the tree, as if he were about to uproot the World Tree.
Taking advantage of the Mother Tree's chaotic state of mind, Han Xiao unceremoniously used his own energy to invade the World Tree's body, attempting to establish a soul link, imbue it with his own color, and transform it into his own shape.
For the World Tree Familia, this felt like an insult to their faith. Countless people, with bloodshot eyes, launched a new wave of suicidal attacks on Han Xiao, destroying themselves in the process.
Because of Han Xiao's actions, chaos inevitably broke out in the World Tree Fleet. The Interstellar Joint Army naturally wouldn't let this opportunity pass. The fleet quickly broke through the defensive perimeter and soon reached the fourth layer, where it was met with an even fiercer counterattack.
The vanguard was not far from Han Xiao, and they provided fire support to help him intercept the World Tree forces. Energy beams crisscrossed the battlefield, detonating a series of warships.
On the other side, seeing that Black Star had successfully advanced to the side of the World Tree, the officers and commanders of the strategic command were invigorated.
"Good! Black Star has struck at the heart of the World Tree Civilization!"
"We're counting on him to destroy the World Tree itself. We need to protect him and let him focus on dealing with the World Tree."
Even with a conservative estimate, our chances of winning are already over 95%!
"The World Tree has no chance of turning the tide!"
The officers were filled with excitement.
The Three Universal Civilizations started this war with the goal of annihilating the enemy in one fell swoop, hoping to achieve a decisive victory in one battle. Therefore, they gathered forces that Explored Universe. Although it was not a matter of survival of the fittest, if the Three Universal Civilizations were to lose this war, they would be severely weakened and suffer a net loss. Therefore, before setting out, many officers made a pledge that they could only win and not lose.
However, many officers didn't want to deceive themselves. Their confidence wasn't actually that strong. Their real strength came from Black Star and Pivot Snake. Without such trump cards, they wouldn't dare say they could definitely win the battle.
Seeing Black Star kill the Tree God, break through the encirclement, and uproot the Mother Tree, almost single-handedly driving the course of the battle, everyone breathed a sigh of relief amidst their excitement, feeling that they hadn't trusted the wrong person... Indeed, the war still had to rely on Black Star to lead.
However, the leaders of the Three Universal Civilizations did not share the joy; instead, their expressions were solemn, as if they had some concerns.
The leader of the Arcane Sect hesitated for a moment, then spoke thoughtfully:
"Why do I feel like Black Star isn't actually destroying the World Tree itself?"
Upon hearing this, the officers were taken aback. Suppressing their joy, they carefully observed Han Xiao's actions toward the World Tree, finding them increasingly strange.
"It seems so... He didn't continue attacking; it's more like he's subduing the World Tree itself... Is he trying to take control of the World Tree?!"
Everyone was startled, realizing that the situation had become complicated.
The officers turned to look, and sure enough, the faces of the three leaders had turned extremely grim.
"That Black Star! I knew he had ulterior motives. With such a huge appetite, isn't he afraid of overeating?!"
Louis looked shocked and angry.
"Our fears were indeed correct. He used our defeat of the World Tree forces to create an opportunity for him to subdue the World Tree itself. We absolutely cannot stand by and watch him achieve his goal!"
The leader of the Arcane Sect spoke with a deep anger and unwavering resolve.
The World Tree is too powerful. No matter who it falls into, it will be a threat to the Three Universal Civilizations. The Three Universal Civilizations only want to destroy it directly and do not even dare to risk capturing it.
Black Star is already an existence beyond the norm, and the Three Universal Civilizations have long been unable to control it. If Black Star were to obtain the World Tree, it would be a qualitative threat, equivalent to them gaining the power of a cosmic-level civilization, enough to rival the entire Explored Universe, and even surpass it in some aspects, enough to shake the foundation of their rule!
Although internal conflicts have been temporarily suppressed by the invasion of external enemies, the Three Universal Civilizations have not forgotten their fear of the uncontrolled power of individuals. They still have irreconcilable conflicts with Black Star. Once the war ends, these problems will resurface. The three cannot sit idly by and watch the Beyond Grade A group take control of the World Tree.
Moreover, the war has lasted for more than a decade. As the primary victims, the Three Universal Civilizations have been wasting so much time and resources in the war. Now that they are finally about to reap the fruits of victory, the Three Universal Civilizations are naturally unwilling to let Han Xiao do the work for them.
--We were the ones who mobilized a large army to resist the World Tree and suffered the heaviest losses, but in the end, we created an opportunity for others. Who can tolerate this!
Even if Black Star has made great contributions, that's still not acceptable!
In the eyes of the three, Black Star's actions at this moment were a clear indication of his true intentions.
The talk of fighting a common enemy is just a pretext. The real reason Black Star stayed behind to help them resist external enemies is to use the interstellar society's military power to seize the World Tree for him! That must be it!
The three of them actually had some suspicions about Han Xiao's ulterior motives, but it was useless to guess. The war still depended on Black Star, and it was almost inevitable that things would come to this.
"We cannot let Black Star succeed."
"What should we do then? Open fire on Black Star?"
"Are you crazy? We haven't truly won yet! With a formidable enemy at our doorstep, how dare you turn on us and fight amongst yourselves? What are you thinking?!"
Many officers became agitated and began arguing.
Simon acted decisively, shouting, "Notify the elite forces of the Three Universal Civilizations to cease providing fire support to Black Star and launch a full-scale attack on the World Tree itself! Destroy it and the Book before Black Star succeeds!"
They had to stop Han Xiao, but they couldn't afford to become enemies. So they had to temporarily change tactics, race against Black Star, and quickly open fire to destroy the target.
But everyone knew that the World Tree Fleet would fight to the death to protect the Mother Tree and block their firepower. In addition, Black Star would not be unprepared and would definitely take some measures to hinder them.
"It's all up to human effort..."
Many officers had this thought, their faces grim, their attitude not optimistic.
The order was quickly passed down, and the direct forces of the Three Universal Civilizations did not think twice before carrying it out, unleashing a barrage of firepower at the World Tree itself. However, most of the attacks were intercepted by the World Tree fleet halfway through.
Just as the Three Universal Civilizations fleets made this move, the combined forces of the Black Star Army and all the Beyond Grade A forces also reacted, immediately starting to slack off and passively resist, while simultaneously repositioning themselves to deliberately block some of the attack directions of the Three Universal Civilizations fleets.
Many members of the Beyond Grade A Association also took action. Some deliberately guided the World Tree fleet to attack the direct forces of the Three Universal Civilizations around them through various maneuvers, while others started an AOE attack that "does not distinguish between friend and foe", attacking both the enemy and the fleets of the Three Universal Civilizations together, indirectly disrupting the formations of the Three Universal Civilizations.
Because of sabotage by many of their own, the Interstellar Joint Army's coordination became disordered, its offensive slowed abruptly, its advance stalled, and it was dragged into the melee by the Berserk World Tree fleet, unable to extricate itself for the time being.
Damn it!
The leader of the Arcane Cult was furious and wanted to slam his fist on the table, but the remote projection couldn't touch the physical object, and his fist passed right through the tabletop.
"I knew Black Star was prepared."
Mabrus also looked displeased.
Both sides are fully aware of their respective goals and are hindering each other, but on the surface they pretend to be united in their fight, as if all their actions are solely aimed at destroying the World Tree. This situation can be described as sleeping in the same bed but dreaming different dreams.
The three leaders did not want to jeopardize the war effort by abandoning their allies, but they felt they had no other choice.
Due to the infighting between the two sides, the Interstellar Joint Army has subtly split into three factions: one is the direct forces of the Three Universal Civilizations that want to destroy the World Tree itself; the other is the Beyond Grade A force that provides cover for Black Star; and they are all making things difficult for each other.
Finally, the remaining allied forces, who were engaged in serious combat, were all taken aback by the chaotic actions of both sides. They were completely bewildered, wondering what had happened and why they had suddenly started sabotaging each other.
The Interstellar Joint Army forces experienced some unrest, but the friction between the Three Universal Civilizations and the Beyond Grade A forces did not significantly interfere with Han Xiao's process of subduing the World Tree.
Han Xiao's power continued to penetrate deep into the World Tree's body. The Mother Tree's will had already been utterly defeated by the Pivot Snake and was completely unable to stop his invasion.
In the midst of their mental entanglement, Han Xiao saw a series of illusions, witnessing the history of the World Tree's development and propagation.
When it was weak, it was worshipped by a certain tribe and offered all kinds of sacrifices. In this process, the will of the Mother Tree slowly Germinal and took shape, providing various conveniences for the development of its tribes while guiding them to expand outwards.
Having completed its initial accumulation, the World Tree embarked on a bloody path of rise, becoming a cosmic hunter. One race after another became its vassals, and one civilization after another became its prey. Gradually, it branched out and its abilities became increasingly diverse.
Countless memories flashed before Han Xiao's eyes. In a daze, he seemed to see a sapling Germinal, grow rapidly, and eventually stand tall at the top of the starry sky, blocking out the sun and stars. Countless wormholes appeared between the treetops, each leading to a different world. Endless cosmic radiation storms swept by, but were like a gentle breeze, only causing the lush leaves to sway slightly. Trillions of followers and believers were scattered on the roots, devoutly worshipping. This scene exuded an awe-inspiring grandeur and mystery.
Buzz!
Suddenly, Han Xiao's eyes cleared, and he emerged from the illusion. A new presence appeared in his senses— the World Tree, with whom he had successfully established a soul connection.
At that moment, the Mother Tree's will finally reached its limit, and it was devoured whole by the Pivot Snake.
The next moment, the World Tree itself stopped struggling, lost all subjective and independent action capabilities, and instantly became a lifeless object.
Han Xiao was jolted as a surge of information flooded his mind, containing the World Tree's various abilities and control permissions, allowing him to command it with ease.
Although the Tree King has high authority, it is still subordinate to the World Tree, while Han Xiao's authority surpasses that of the Mother Tree and is beyond his control.
A surge of new energy flowed into Han Xiao's body along the soul connection, providing a new boost and pushing his energy level up even further.
"Hiss..."
Han Xiao felt so refreshed that he couldn't help but gasp, his whole body brimming with a sense of power.
He was about to recall the Pivot Snake when he discovered that Pivot Snake hadn't stopped; instead, it plunged headfirst into the World Tree's body and merged into it.
Han Xiao's heart skipped a beat. He looked at the panel and saw that the name of the World Tree had a new suffix:
[World Tree) ]!
"Huh, could it be that the Pivot Snake is not only a natural enemy, but can also merge with the World Tree and complete it?"
Han Xiao was secretly astonished.
This ability wasn't reflected in Pivot Snake's attribute panel; he only saw it now.
Just as the Pivot Snake merged into the World Tree, Han Xiao noticed a change. He and the World Tree had only just formed a soul connection, which was merely the shallowest first layer and still very fragile. But at this moment, the soul connection suddenly received an inexplicable strengthening, becoming many times more resilient.
If my progress in conquering the World Tree was 10% before, it has now jumped to over 80%!
"Could it be that the Pivot Snake can help the controller better control the World Tree?"
Han Xiao's heart skipped a beat.
Suppressing his surprise, Han Xiao felt the power of the World Tree and couldn't be more satisfied— the World Tree's independent will had been eradicated, turning it into a mindless tool, completely under his control, and he could use it with peace of mind.
Due to its ability to devour and transform, the World Tree can be considered a Universal Treasure with the potential to grow. However, one does not need to start from scratch, as the World Tree is already in a mature state... Controlling it is equivalent to gaining the allegiance of the entire World Tree Civilization!
The power of this thing is many times more terrifying than the Netherland legacy inherited by Hila and her sister!
"No wonder the Three Universal Civilizations want to sabotage my goals..."
Han Xiao turned his head to look at the battlefield, his eyes flashed, and he suddenly activated the World Tree's authority to recall all World Tree fleets.
The World Tree fleet, which had been fiercely fighting back just a moment ago, suddenly stopped fighting, turned around and scattered without saying a word, flying into the roots and transforming back into Information State to enter the Mother Tree World.
For a moment, the battlefield became much emptier, with only the Interstellar Joint Army forces remaining, and a sudden silence fell.
The World Tree members were initially filled with a fierce determination to fight to the death, but the moment the Mother Tree's will extinguished and Han Xiao took control, all their hostility vanished. Just as they were feeling lost, a new mission arrived. They would not disobey the World Tree's orders and immediately cease fire and withdraw.
"No matter how tragic their counterattack, they're nothing more than a group of manipulated puppets. Given a different master, they'll obediently follow orders..."
Seeing this, Han Xiao sighed inwardly.
However, despite his sympathy, he wouldn't be foolish enough to let the World Tree Civilization go free; these are all inherent advantages of the World Tree.
Upon seeing the enemy withdraw and disappear, the large number of the Interstellar Joint Army were stunned, then all looked at Han Xiao by the tree, and immediately became overjoyed.
"We won?!"
"Alas! We are still alive!"
"Hahahaha--I knew I could trust Black Star!"
Countless soldiers were overjoyed, and the atmosphere of excitement and surprise quickly spread throughout the army. Every combat channel resounded with a deafening roar of cheers. Even many players who had not yet used up their resurrection attempts were infected and joined in the cheering and jumping for joy.
However, even as most of the fleets ceased fire, the elite forces of the Three Universal Civilizations continued their barrage of firepower towards the World Tree itself.
With the World Tree Fleet no longer obstructing their path, the direct forces of the Three Universal Civilizations advanced unimpeded, a sight that immediately silenced the cheers and drew the astonished gazes of countless comrades.
"Oh? Still not giving up? Trying to destroy the World Tree one last time while I wasn't notified?"
Han Xiao narrowed his eyes, fully aware of the thoughts of the Three Universal Civilizations.
He suddenly waved his hand, and a thick Psionic Energy barrier surrounded the World Tree, resisting the fleet's bombardment and causing explosions.
At the same time, Han Xiao shouted in the channel:
"We can cease fire now. I've taken control of the World Tree."
After a few seconds, the solemn voice of the Arcane Cult Leader suddenly rang out in the channel:
"In that case, destroy it! It remains a threat in the world!"
"No need, I've already subdued the World Tree."
"That's not enough! Only by destroying it can we completely eliminate the hidden danger! We wouldn't even trust you!"
"So quick to abandon us after we've served our purpose?" Han Xiao said with a half-smile.
"You've misunderstood. We're only considering the need to maintain interstellar peace. No one in interstellar society wants to face such a disaster again!" the leader of the Arcane Cult said in a deep voice.
Han Xiao shook his head. "Stop. Don't make things too ugly. We've just won. Do you want our allies to see us fighting amongst ourselves?"
Before the leader of the Arcane Cult could answer, Mabrus interrupted, coldly saying:
"Black Star, this is the one thing we cannot compromise on! It's time for you to stop. You've already done enough; don't be so stubborn! Let go, you are still the cosmic hero who ended the war!"
"Looks like you won't learn your lesson until you see the coffin..."
Han Xiao shook his head.
As soon as the words were spoken, the expressions of the three leaders and numerous officers immediately turned solemn and stern.
They knew Black Star wouldn't give up easily and were prepared for conflict, but his goal remained the same: to eradicate the World Tree itself. Although it might seem like he was betraying them, his intention was to eliminate potential threats and gain acceptance from others. In their view, if Black Star were to massacre them, it would inevitably provoke public outrage, causing their prestige accumulated during the war to collapse immediately. Other civilizations present would also side with them and jointly resist Black Star.
So despite the tension, the three were not Black Star retaliating; in fact, they secretly hoped for such a development.
However, the next turn of events made Mabrus and his two companions widen their eyes in surprise.
Han Xiao didn't make a move. Instead, he raised his hand and patted the World Tree. The enormous World Tree rapidly shrank, turning into a green stream of light that flew into Han Xiao's palm and disappeared from everyone's sight.
"This..."
Mabrus and his two companions were immediately stunned.
The previous war involving the World Tree fleet gave them a preconceived notion that the Mother Tree itself could not move, thus making them feel that they had the upper hand. Therefore, the three of them were willing to risk angering Black Star in order to gather a large force and destroy the World Tree on the spot.
However, the three did not expect that Black Star could actually retrieve the World Tree, accomplishing something that the World Tree Familia had never been able to do before, leaving them completely stunned... What was the point of destroying it now? Their plan had fallen through in an instant.
In fact, Han Xiao couldn't do this at first because the Pivot Snake caused his Soul Connection Level to surge, skipping several stages, which unlocked more powers, including taking the World Tree into his Beyond God Grade inner space.
Strictly speaking, the inner space is also a type of Secondary Dimension, which can also allow the World Tree to take root. In this way, the inner space will be greatly strengthened and become extremely tough. In addition, there is no need to worry about the enemy targeting the World Tree's main body as a weakness. It is equivalent to carrying the Mother Tree with you, which is very convenient.
Han Xiao originally planned to use other methods to force the Three Universal Civilizations to back down, but Head-On Conflict would be inevitable and would damage his reputation to some extent. However, with this new tactic, he temporarily changed his plan and directly made the Three Universal Civilizations lose their target, which was much easier.
As the three leaders stood bewildered, Han Xiao's remote projection suddenly appeared in the strategic command center, a half-smile on his face:
"The three of you, what do you say now?"
Mabrus and his two companions wore uncertain expressions and remained silent.
They only had a chance to take advantage if the World Tree itself was exposed to the army. Now there was no chance. As for getting Black Star to hand it over voluntarily... the three of them knew their place. No matter how arrogant they were, they didn't think they had that much influence.
"Black Star, you succeeded. You must be very happy now..."
Mabrus's expression was complex, his tone tinged with bitterness, and tinged with a hint of resentment and mockery.
"Yes, I am indeed very happy. The war is finally over, and everyone is cheering. Aren't you happy about this?" Han Xiao raised an eyebrow.
The three of them looked serious.
It would be a miracle if we could be happy; who knows if we've just escaped one danger only to fall into another...
Seeing this, Han Xiao smiled faintly and did not continue to provoke them.
Since he had already benefited, he shouldn't act innocent. There would be plenty of time to settle scores later. He didn't plan to argue with the three of them about what had just happened; now wasn't the right time.
At this moment, Han Xiao changed the subject, saying, "Alright, enough with the small talk, let's get down to business. I have a plan, and I hope you'll cooperate."
"... What plan?"
The three were somewhat surprised.
We've just won, what kind of trouble is Black Star up to now?
"Keep the news of our defeat of the World Tree Civilization under wraps. This Interstellar Joint Army composed of diverse individuals; it's best to keep them under control for the time being."
"Uh... what are you doing?" Mabrus asked, puzzled.
Han Xiao smiled and said:
"Haven't you been investigating who leaked the intelligence? I told you it was a third party, but you wouldn't believe me. Luckily, I obtained the Information State Warning Network technology from the World Tree. I don't need to explain its effectiveness; you've all experienced it. This might be able to uncover the traces of third-party forces. What do you think?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the eyes of Mabrus and the other two lit up.