Just as the Interstellar Joint Army was celebrating, the high command of the Super Star Cluster Alliance was discussing the brief standoff between Han Xiao and the Three Universal Civilizations, which gave them a boost of morale.
"External pressure is the glue that holds together internal rifts. Now that the glue is gone, the rift between Black Star and the Three Universal Civilizations will only widen, and confrontation is inevitable. But unlike before, the Beyond Grade A forces are now at their zenith and have obtained the legacy of the World Tree. The Three Universal Civilizations can no longer contain them."
The Star Arc leader tapped the table, a strange meaning flashing in his eyes.
Many high-ranking members of the Supercluster shared similar sentiments, some gloating, others worried, whispering amongst themselves.
"The interstellar society won the war, but the real benefits fell into Black Star's hands. Although the war is over, it's only the beginning of a reshuffling of the interstellar order. A new order will take shape amidst the chaos, and a figure like Black Star won't miss such an opportunity. He carries the prestige of a war hero, and the Three Universal Civilizations simply cannot stop him... This is the inevitable trend!"
"With the World Tree, Black Star's power has expanded rapidly. He no longer needs to ally with us to stand on equal footing with the Three Universal Civilizations. Will he still value our agreement?"
"It's likely they will. The World Tree is severely weakened, and Black Star might not be willing to turn against them in the short term. Having outside support is certainly better than going it alone. Moreover, judging from his past actions, Black Star doesn't actually have any ambition to seize power or unify the Galaxy... Of course, human nature is unpredictable, and this judgment may not be accurate; it can only be used as a reference. On the other hand, the Three Universal Civilizations have also suffered significant losses, and they are even less willing to turn against Black Star."
"Sigh, I do feel somewhat pessimistic. If no new external conflicts arise, Black Star and the Three Universal Civilizations may face a war in the future. From the perspective of the entire interstellar society, we defeated the World Tree and reaped the spoils, marking the most powerful phase in our history. However, we cannot resolve our internal conflicts. Are we destined to perish because of our strength?"
"Don't talk nonsense. The Three Universal Civilizations aren't really stubborn. As long as Black Star doesn't intend to monopolize dominance, the Three Universal Civilizations will still abandon their antagonism under absolute strategic deterrence and accept Black Star as a member of the ruling circle. Two superpowers and multiple strong powers may be the new normal in the future."
The group carefully analyzed the possibilities for the future landscape.
After listening for a while, the Star Arc leader pondered and said, "Under these circumstances, we should find a new way to conduct ourselves... The original agreement was that we would unite with Black Star to fight against the Three Universal Civilizations, but now it's different. The Three Universal Civilizations need us to work more closely together to fight against Black Star. It's no longer appropriate to blindly side with Black Star."
"You mean cooperating with the Three Universal Civilizations?"
"Of course not. What I mean is that we need to cooperate with both sides. In the battle between the Three Universal Civilizations and Black Star, we will be a major bargaining chip. The Three Universal Civilizations will no longer treat us with the same attitude as before. The previous suppression will naturally be nullified. The tables will turn, and they will beg us to join forces. This time, we can truly obtain the opportunity for free development through legitimate channels. The Three Universal Civilizations may even be hoping that we become stronger... However, we must create a new balance of power, so we cannot easily side with either side. Only competition can bring about profit, and allowing either side to monopolize or act as a dictator is unacceptable."
"Yes, indeed. Leaving aside the Three Universal Civilizations, Black Star is also a dangerous element, representing individualism. If he were to rise to power, he would inevitably grant the super-powered class more privileges, allowing him to rule interstellar society. Perhaps he would be even less capable than the Three Universal Civilizations. Moreover, he controls the World Tree, making him a ticking time bomb."
At this point, someone suddenly sighed and murmured:
"Black Star, Black Star... Such a person is really too troublesome. He is always seeking greater benefits and never lets his guard down. He is truly a man destined for great things. If the person in charge of the Beyond Grade A group were not this kind of person, the Three Universal Civilizations might have suppressed them long ago. How could they have developed to this point?"
Upon hearing this, everyone sighed with emotion.
Black Star left them with an image of being strong and ruthless, able to seize every opportunity to expand. Even disregarding individual strength, everyone was wary of such a person... When they were teammates, they could trust each other, but when they became rivals, it was a torment.
The news of the Interstellar Joint Army's victory over the World Tree Civilization was temporarily and strictly blocked by the Three Universal Civilizations and Han Xiao. The quantum network base station, which controlled the data input and output, filtered out all possible information that might leak out.
Fearing the army would be difficult to control after disbanding, the victorious Interstellar Joint Army temporarily remained in the Secondary Dimension where the operation took place to recuperate. The various units cooperated fairly well with this order, but they could not remain on standby indefinitely, so the search for a third-party infiltrator needed to be done as quickly as possible.
The player base is unrestricted; the events of "the Interstellar Alliance ending the war and Black Star subduing the World Tree" have already been recorded in "Galaxy Chronicles," generating explosive popularity.
Han Xiao's heroic act of uprooting the World Tree went viral across all forums. Although many players couldn't help but complain that they had just watched another round of CG, they were still very excited to participate in such a large-scale event.
The player community was only active on forums, and the occasional messages they sent via communicators were intercepted, so the interstellar community was completely unaware of the Interstellar Joint Army victory at this time.
The situation witnessed by countless interstellar citizens is still stuck at the point when the World Tree withdrew the invaders, and they remain bewildered and uncertain about it, with various opinions circulating online.
The Star Alliance infiltrators, who could only gather intelligence from public networks, were naturally unaware of the World Tree Civilization 'World Tree Civilization defeat and were patiently waiting for its "big move," completely oblivious to the impending disaster.
In the Central Galaxy, somewhere in the Desolate Universe Belt, lies the secret base of the Star Alliance's infiltrators.
"I wonder what kind of operation the World Tree is planning; it's been so long since they've made a move."
"I see the Interstellar Joint Army is rushing to gather in the Central Galaxy; I reckon the World Tree Civilization is going to attack the Central Galaxy first."
"Since we're also in the Central Galaxy, will we be affected? Should we evacuate?"
Inside the base, a group of observers huddled together, whispering amongst themselves.
The observer captain hesitated for a moment, then said, "The chances of the Desolate Universe Belt being targeted by the World Tree are very low. No one has visited this area for many years, so it should be safe... However, the World Tree might still send people in to infiltrate and establish bases, in which case we also risk being discovered..."
"Acting rashly is more likely to expose us, and other places might be more dangerous. Let's stay here," one team member suggested.
"... Fine, if our base is indeed discovered, then we'll activate the self-destruct sequence and sacrifice ourselves together."
The observer captain's tone turned serious.
These observers who infiltrated the territories of the Three Universal Civilizations were all handpicked assassins. In order to avoid being captured and revealing the Star Alliance's situation, they had long been prepared to commit suicide. The self-destruct devices they planted were enough to blow up the entire planet and erase all traces.
"You guys keep an eye on the news. I'll sort out this issue's intelligence and send it back home in a few days."
With that, the captain of the observer team stood up and prepared to leave the room.
Bite!
Suddenly, everyone froze, as if time had stopped.
A ripple appeared in a certain part of the room, and Han Xiao stepped out.
"Hey, it's Lorxians, exactly like the illusion in the Bold Explorers. Looks like we've come to the right place."
Han Xiao looked at the captain of the observer team, his eyes lighting up.
To avoid any unforeseen complications, after returning to the main universe, he immediately used materials to create a temporary version of the Information State Warning Network using Virtual Genesis instant, quickly completed the installation, set the parameters, and officially activated it.
He was shocked when he tried it; the Information State Warning Network reported a ton of anomalies and "book" signals. He initially thought the entire Explored Universe was being spied on by countless external enemies, like a sieve, and was quite surprised. After some debugging, he realized that this technology was prone to false alarms when used by legitimate civilizations, but since the World Tree Civilization was a unified entity, it didn't have this problem. This was due to the difference in technological compatibility.
The World Tree Express and the Information State Warning Network are a perfect match. Although the Three Universal Civilizations do not have such mobility, the High-Dimensional Apocalypse Teleporter can be considered a substitute, so Han Xiao was not delayed for many days.
After some screening and adjustments, he eliminated most of the false alarms and confirmed some genuine extraterrestrial signals, most of which were from Secondary Dimension life forms.
Han Xiao visited several signal areas before finally arriving at the Star Alliance infiltrator base. He immediately confirmed that this was the real deal. The process was much smoother than he had expected. He had taken control of the entire base and all the enemies before he even showed himself.
"Let me see what you're made of."
A glint of electricity flashed in Han Xiao's eyes, and the phantom of the World Tree appeared behind him.
As the World Tree merged into the inner space and absorbed Han Xiao's power, its entire trunk transformed into a bright blue color crackling with electric arcs. Several translucent, slender roots, resembling electric whips, shot out and pierced the chests of everyone present.
The next moment, the figures of these observers became illusory at a speed visible to the naked eye, and streams of energy flowed into Han Xiao's body along the roots.
With the World Tree in hand, Han Xiao didn't want to interrogate these people. As long as he turned these infiltrators into members of the World Tree, he could directly obtain all the information from their memories and turn them into "guides," imitating the World Tree's methods.
Before long, these Star Alliance observers merged into the roots. Han Xiao snapped his fingers, and several roots arched like snakes, spewing out bursts of crackling light and lightning, which then reformed into the bodies of the figures, their expressions respectful.
Han Xiao narrowed his eyes and received the memories of this group of people, which contained a lot of information about the Star Alliance.
"So that's how it is. The Star Alliance has been lying in wait for many years... Hmm, this civilization doesn't seem to be very powerful."
Han Xiao pondered to himself.
The third enemy has been identified, but how to deal with it requires careful consideration. We need to discuss with the Three Universal Civilizations whether to destroy the Star Alliance or allow it to be incorporated into the Explored Universe... After all, although the Star Alliance is not very strong, it has at least reached the standard of a cosmic-level civilization, while the Three Universal Civilizations have been severely weakened, and we also need to consider the cost of starting another war.
The Three Universal Civilizations were previously the targets of invasion, but now that they have the opportunity, they certainly wouldn't mind seamlessly switching roles and becoming the invaders. After all, the cause was that the Star Alliance had fished out a mess behind the scenes and tricked them, so they can't be considered innocent. Of course, they will hold the Star Alliance accountable for some of the losses caused by the World Tree's full -Three Universal Civilizations invasion.
Han Xiao regained his composure, sized up the group of the Star Alliance infiltrators, thought for a moment, and said:
"You all continue to lie low for now, maintain contact with the Star Alliance, and don't do anything without my orders."
"Understood, we will do everything in our power to help you steal intelligence from the Star Alliance!"
Many of the undercover agents were in a frenzy.
"... Sigh, with the World Tree's mechanics, who would believe it's not a villain?"
Seeing the genuine passion these former Star Alliance loyalists were displaying for fighting the Star Alliance, Han Xiao felt a mix of emotions. He shook his head, turned, and disappeared.
Not long after, Han Xiao brought news of the third party's capture to the Joint Office of the Three Universal Civilizations.
"You were right. There really is a third-party force involved, and they've been lying in wait for so long. If it weren't for the Information State Warning Network, we would have had a very difficult time detecting them..."
The three men, Mabrus, looked at the information Han Xiao brought, their expressions constantly changing, sometimes angry, sometimes relieved.
With the evidence before them, they were basically convinced that the mole was not SuperStar Cluster or any other ally.
After reviewing the Star Alliance's information, the three discussed it quietly for a while and reached a consensus.
"The Star Alliance is far away, but we have obtained their spatial coordinates, allowing us to use the High-Dimensional Apocalypse Teleporter to transport our troops there, just as the World Tree Civilization did to us. Therefore, we hold the initiative... We tend to crush the Star Alliance and make them our vassals, but for now, let's hold back. We've just experienced one war and need some time to recuperate."
Han Xiao raised an eyebrow, "How long do you plan to recuperate?"
Louis pondered for a moment, "It depends... But time is on our side. Although the information about defeating the World Tree Civilization can't be blocked forever, you've already taken control of the Star Alliance's spies. You can use them to spread false information, fabricate battle scenarios, and make the Star Alliance believe that we're still fighting a bloody war against the World Tree Civilization."
"The premise is that the Star Alliance has no other means to monitor interstellar society..." Han Xiao paused, then spread his hands and said, "However, with the Information State Warning Network, this possibility should be eliminated."
"In short, try not to alert them," Mabrus said in a deep voice.
Han Xiao nodded, thought for a moment, and then suddenly said:
"The Association and I will not participate in the invasion of the Star Alliance. You can deal with them yourselves. I will only be responsible for this espionage and intelligence."
The three exchanged glances, but did not immediately express their opinion. They quickly analyzed the situation in their minds, realizing that there were both advantages and disadvantages.
In this World Tree War, the Three Universal Civilizations didn't gain much benefit. The World Tree Civilization was completely taken away by Black Star, getting nothing in return. They didn't even see a trace of technology or resources. If they could annex the Star Alliance, they could actually reap some benefits.
If Black Star doesn't participate in the war, then he won't share the spoils— Han Xiao has control of the World Tree, and his ability to seize resources is top-notch, something the three of them have to be wary of.
Without the assistance of the Beyond Grade A Association, the war would be more complicated, but these Three Universal Civilizations are not to be underestimated. If they can't defeat the World Tree, surely they can defeat a mere Star Alliance?
However, the three were concerned that Black Star or the Supercluster might betray them while they were at war with the Star Alliance, which was very risky... Who knew if Black Star was actually planning something like that?
For a moment, the three of them were caught in a dilemma, internally repeating their own thoughts.
Han Xiao glanced at them, guessing pretty much what they were thinking, and curled his lip.
He helped the Three Universal Civilizations only because he was still preoccupied with the calamities of his past life and wanted to resist the World Tree.
Do you expect me to help your Three Universal Civilizations expand their territories?
We're already being generous by not replacing you all, you brat!
Now that the threat has finally been resolved, interstellar society can enjoy many years of peace, and Han Xiao is satisfied.
Since its arrival, the World Tree has been the Sword of Damocles in Han Xiao's eyes, his greatest psychological shadow, and the source of his anxiety. For a long time, he could only keep this secret alone and strive to solve it by any means necessary, never daring to relax, and finding it difficult to talk about the pressure with outsiders.
Having persevered for over a century, he has finally eliminated the threat from interstellar society and no longer needs to worry about the safety of himself and his friends. He feels a great weight lifted off his shoulders and wants to step back and truly relax for a while.