Recaps

Han Xiao assessed the World Tree’s invasion and prepared to strike back, while Urnos refused to join the war so he could pursue advancement to Beyond God Grade. The chapter left Han Xiao’s Dominion avatar inside World Tree territory, ready to settle an old score.

• Han Xiao secured a temporary agreement from the Super Star Cluster Alliance to remain and support the war, then analyzed the World Tree’s invasion strategy and vulnerable targets.
• Urnos refused the Arcane Church’s request to fight, explaining that he needed to preserve his strength while seeking a path to Beyond God Grade.
• Black Star Army players fought World Tree forces across the Infinite Nebula, using their rapid revivals and large numbers to overwhelm enemy troops.
• Han Xiao arrived in World Tree territory through a wormhole in his improved Dominion avatar and set out to settle the score for their earlier battle.

Han Xiao attacked World Tree territory and forced the Ancestral Tree King to order its evacuation rather than divert invasion forces to stop him. His test of the Tree God's Character Card unexpectedly attracted the Mother Tree to his summoned roots, revealing a potential advantage with three uses of the card remaining.

• Han Xiao piloted Supreme Heavenly Venerate into World Tree territory, destroyed a planet, and overwhelmed the fleets sent against him.
• The Ancestral Tree King ordered the Mother Tree to reclaim its territory and relocate rather than recall invasion forces to fight Han Xiao.
• Han Xiao activated the Tree God's Character Card and summoned blue roots that devoured retreating battleships independently of the World Tree.
• The Ancestral Tree King mistook Han Xiao's summoned roots for evidence that he possessed another World Tree.
• The Mother Tree eagerly intertwined its roots with Han Xiao's blue roots and exchanged energy with them, leading Han Xiao to suspect it regarded them as a mate.
• The World Tree completed its withdrawal, and Han Xiao considered how to exploit his discovery with the Character Card's three remaining uses.

After the World Tree’s first invasion wave was repelled, the Three Universal Civilizations assessed the war and prepared to hunt down hidden enemy forces. In the World Tree Familia territory, the Ancestral Tree King recruited Hailian to assassinate the Pivot Snake youngling Black Star was protecting.

• Han Xiao reported that the World Tree had relocated its base, and the Three Universal Civilizations adjusted their strategy as its first invasion wave subsided.
• Tenny and Simon reviewed the invasion at a strategic meeting, where Han Xiao reported heavy losses among the World Tree’s high-level combatants and officers discussed the Super Star Cluster Alliance’s support.
• Manison said he had repelled the attack on Machine Race territory with his hidden mechanical army.
• The Interstellar Joint Army agreed to strengthen wartime controls, clear out hidden World Tree units, and prepare for a future strike on the Central Galaxy.
• The Ancestral Tree King offered Hailian the Secret Tree King’s crown if she killed the Pivot Snake youngling Black Star was protecting.
• The Ancestral Tree King gave Hailian a poisonous substance and a Leaf Concealment Garment, and she agreed to try the assassination.

As the World Tree invasion continued, Han Xiao guarded the Secondary Dimensions and raised Pivot Snake while the war’s losses weighed on the Explored Universe. When Jenny asked him to bring pregnant Harrison home from the Expeditionary Army, Harrison refused, determined to help end the war; Han Xiao accepted his choice and hoped his luck would bring a surprise.

• Over more than half a year of fighting, the Three Universal Civilizations contained the World Tree’s gains, while Han Xiao repelled seventeen invasions and successfully bred three Pivot Snake embryos.
• Oathkeeper and Kasuyi told Han Xiao they planned to leave the Explored Universe after the war and asked him to revive them if they died on their travels.
• Kasuyi relayed Jenny’s news that she was pregnant with Harrison’s child and hoped Han Xiao would persuade Harrison to leave the Expeditionary Army.
• Han Xiao contacted Harrison, who explained that refugees’ suffering had inspired him to volunteer for the expedition and refuse to return to Jenny.
• Harrison asked Han Xiao to tell Jenny he loved her, but Han Xiao told him to say it himself and ended the call.

Pangon turned his avenger fleet back to save refugees from the World Tree fleet, then explained that they could help ordinary citizens without joining the war. Meanwhile, Hailian continued her attempt to assassinate Pivot Snake by poisoning Secondary Dimensions it might consume.

• The White Mountain captain ordered the ship to land on a barren planet and sent its empty hull to delay the pursuing World Tree fleet.
• Pangon initially ordered his avenger fleet to ignore the refugees, but turned back and destroyed the World Tree ships as they prepared to bombard the planet.
• Pangon told his companions that the avengers should help ordinary citizens when possible, partly to prevent Black Star from suspecting them of betraying the Three Universal Civilizations.
• Hailian, unable to find a safe chance to approach Pivot Snake, decided to spread the Mother Tree's snake killer through Secondary Dimensions it might eat.
• Hailian injected a drop of the poison into a Secondary Dimension and hoped Pivot Snake would consume it.

Harrison’s fleet entered World Tree territory while Hailian secretly poisoned a Secondary Dimension that the Pivot Snake later ate. Han Xiao saved the poisoned Pivot Snake by transforming it into a virtual life form, then prepared to investigate the toxin and retaliate against the World Tree.

• Harrison’s expeditionary fleet continued into World Tree territory, and Hailian spotted it but let it pass before using its route to choose a Secondary Dimension to poison.
• Half a month later, the Pivot Snake ate that poisoned Secondary Dimension and began thrashing as the toxin rapidly damaged it.
• Dark Emperor identified the poison as a genetic toxin, and Han Xiao arrived, treated the Pivot Snake, and discovered its maximum health was still falling.
• Han Xiao used [Life Transformation · Virtual] to make the Pivot Snake immune to the toxin, separating the poison from its body.
• Han Xiao drew the extracted toxin toward himself and activated [Bold Explorer] to investigate the World Tree’s attack.

Hailian’s poison plot accidentally accelerated Pivot Snake’s growth, allowing Han Xiao to locate the World Tree’s true body. Han Xiao captured Hailian and told Harrison that the Expeditionary Army was no longer needed, leaving Harrison baffled about how he had helped.

• Hailian learned that the Mother Tree’s connection to Pivot Snake was weakening, then watched it suddenly strengthen until the World Tree could pinpoint Pivot Snake’s exact coordinates.
• The Ancestral Tree King realized Pivot Snake had matured and exposed the World Tree’s true location, while Han Xiao appeared and found Hailian hiding nearby.
• Han Xiao revealed that he had transformed Pivot Snake into a virtual life form and accelerated its growth, making the World Tree’s coordinates point to his own position.
• Hailian tried to escape, but Han Xiao and the Mechanical Divine Apostles defeated and sealed her in Space-Time Amber.
• Han Xiao contacted Harrison and ordered him to return, explaining that he had found the World Tree’s true body and that Harrison’s luck had helped; Harrison was left confused about his contribution.

After Black Star gained the exact coordinates of the World Tree's true body through Pivot Snake, the World Tree recalled its forces to defend its home. The Three Universal Civilizations seized the initiative and ordered a counterattack, while Han Xiao privately considered how their alliance might change once the war ended.

• The Ancestral Tree King ordered the World Tree's forces to return and protect the Mother Tree's true body after learning that Black Star could locate it.
• The Three Universal Civilizations debated the World Tree's sudden withdrawal and considered whether it was preparing an attack or responding to leaked intelligence.
• Han Xiao told the meeting that he had obtained the World Tree's true-body coordinates, explaining that the World Tree had withdrawn out of fear of a direct strike.
• The leaders of the Three Universal Civilizations changed their strategic objective from defending their territory to destroying the World Tree Civilization, and the Interstellar Joint Army gathered in the Central Galaxy.
• The Star Alliance observers wrongly assumed the World Tree was preparing a larger operation and remained unaware of its predicament.

Han Xiao rallied the Beyond Grade A Association for a decisive counterattack against the World Tree while securing support for turning the association into a civilization after the war. The Three Universal Civilizations launched the campaign, and player scouts arrived before the World Tree's fortified main body.

• The Super Star Cluster leaders concluded that Black Star's intervention had spared them the consequences of their migration plan and preserved them as potential postwar allies.
• Han Xiao secured the Beyond Grade A Association's support for establishing its own civilization after the war.
• Manison warned against letting the Three Universal Civilizations control the World Tree, and Han Xiao asked the association to prevent them from interfering with his actions.
• The Three Universal Civilizations assembled their fleets and planned scouting missions, bombardments, and a breakthrough assault led by Han Xiao and the Beyond Grade As.
• The Three Universal Civilizations launched the campaign by teleporting player scouts into the dimension housing the World Tree's main body.
• The Ancestral Tree King spotted the arriving scouts as the World Tree's fleets waited behind layered defenses.

The Interstellar Joint Army launched its counterattack in the World Tree’s true body dimension, enduring heavy losses until Han Xiao and the Beyond Grade As joined the fight. Han Xiao neutralized the Raelbo Space Protection Belt and led an assault on the World Tree’s defenses, where the Ancestral Tree King summoned the Tree God to stop him.

• The players entered the World Tree’s true body dimension, scouting its defenses while Keys of Destruction battered the outer defensive ring.
• The Interstellar Joint Army deployed in waves, and the World Tree fleet attacked its vanguard as both sides suffered massive casualties.
• The Interstellar Joint Army grew strong enough to counterattack, and Han Xiao arrived with the Beyond Grade As and Supreme Heavenly Venerate.
• Han Xiao used the Space Constant Debugger to disable the Raelbo Space Protection Belt, then led the assault through the World Tree’s outer defenses.
• The Ancestral Tree King burned his Beyond Divine Remnant Power to summon the Tree God, and Han Xiao clashed with it in battle.

Han Xiao pushed through the World Tree's defenses while the Three Universal Civilizations' forces fought a costly battle of attrition. As the Ancestral Tree King took control of the Tree God and sacrificed a Tree King Crown to boost its power, Han Xiao faced a newly strengthened opponent.

• Han Xiao battled the Tree God in the World Tree's main-body dimension, gradually gaining strength as his talents activated while the Tree God initially held him back.
• The Beyond Grade As of the Three Universal Civilizations overwhelmed many World Tree powerhouses, while Simon warned that the larger war could turn against them if the stalemate lasted too long.
• Han Xiao regained the initiative against the mindless Tree God, but the Ancestral Tree King's consciousness awakened and took control, making the Tree God's fighting more skillful.
• The Mother Tree restored the Ancestral Tree King's consciousness and gave him the crowns of the Anchor Tree King and Tranquil Tree King, at the cost of his chance to resurrect if he died in the Tree God state.
• The Ancestral Tree King activated [Tree King Crown: Release], sacrificing the Tranquil Tree King Crown to greatly increase the Tree God's power and push back Han Xiao's domain.

Han Xiao overwhelmed the Ancestral Tree King despite two successive Tree King Crown releases, then pursued the injured Tree God through the World Tree’s defensive rings. Just before they reached the World Tree’s main body, the Tree God’s domain swallowed them both, leaving the battlefield and Simon without a trace of their location.

• The Ancestral Tree King sacrificed the Suppression Tree King’s crown to boost the Tree God’s Pugilist strength, but Han Xiao overpowered him and badly wounded him.
• The Ancestral Tree King shattered the Secret Tree King’s crown and added the Mage Class’s power, yet Han Xiao restrained him, tore out roots, and blasted him away with physical cannons.
• World Tree warriors sacrificed themselves to delay Han Xiao, but he destroyed their fleets and continued after the Tree God.
• Han Xiao drove the Tree God through the third and fourth defensive lines toward the fifth ring and the World Tree’s main body.
• The Tree God expanded his green domain and vanished with Han Xiao, while Simon panicked after their signals disappeared from the tactical display.

Han Xiao battled the Ancestral Tree King inside the Tree God's inner space, where the World Tree's support let the Tree God withstand attacks and gain overwhelming power. Han Xiao outlasted its overloaded strength, killed the Ancestral Tree King, and escaped as the collapsing inner space opened onto the outside world.

• The Ancestral Tree King drew Han Xiao into the Tree God's inner space, where the World Tree's digestive force weakened him and the Tree God's attacks forced him to defend.
• Han Xiao realized the Ancestral Tree King was transferring damage to the Mother Tree World, so the Ancestral Tree King sacrificed Tree King Crowns and burned through the World Tree's Beyond Divine Remnant Power to strengthen the Tree God.
• Han Xiao activated his stockpiled Character Cards and matched the Tree God's power, prompting the Ancestral Tree King to sacrifice his own crown and spend the remaining resources in a final boost.
• Han Xiao and the Ancestral Tree King fought relentlessly until the overloaded Tree God ran out of Beyond Divine Remnant Power and collapsed.
• The dying Ancestral Tree King cursed Han Xiao, but Han Xiao crushed him, ending his life permanently.
• Han Xiao recalled his depleted mechanical army and piloted the Supreme Heavenly Venerate through a rift as the Tree God's inner space collapsed.

Han Xiao returned after killing the Tree God and drove into the World Tree’s main body, where its collective consciousness unleashed a devastating psychic attack. Protected by a Character Card, Han Xiao sent Pivot Snake to consume the World Tree’s independent consciousness and began subduing it.

• The Interstellar Joint Army and its Beyond Grade As struggled against the World Tree Familia while Han Xiao was missing, and Urnos watched from strategic headquarters.
• Han Xiao emerged from the fifth defensive ring and announced that he had eliminated the Tree God, raising the Interstellar Joint Army’s morale.
• The World Tree Familia launched a desperate, suicidal defense, but Han Xiao charged through the final defensive ring and struck the World Tree’s main body.
• The World Tree’s collective consciousness attacked Han Xiao through their energy link, but his Source of Ten Thousand Souls Character Card absorbed the mental assault.
• Han Xiao released Pivot Snake, which coiled around the World Tree and began consuming its independent consciousness through an information bridge.

Han Xiao subdued the World Tree after the Pivot Snake defeated the Mother Tree’s will, gaining control of its civilization and storing its main body in his inner space. After the Three Universal Civilizations failed to destroy it, Han Xiao proposed suppressing news of the victory and using the World Tree’s Warning Network to track the third party that had leaked information.

• Han Xiao used the Pivot Snake to pin down the World Tree while he established a soul connection and began taking control of its main body.
• The Three Universal Civilizations realized Han Xiao was subduing the World Tree and ordered their forces to attack it, while the Beyond Grade A organizations obstructed them.
• The Pivot Snake merged with the World Tree, strengthening Han Xiao’s control; he took command of the World Tree Civilization and recalled its fleets.
• Han Xiao shielded the World Tree from the Three Universal Civilizations’ bombardment, then shrank its main body and stored it in his inner space.
• Han Xiao rejected the leaders’ demand to destroy the World Tree and asked them to suppress news of the victory so they could use its Warning Network to find the third-party force.

After the World Tree’s defeat, Han Xiao defused a confrontation with the Three Universal Civilizations and prepared to use his new power to secure the Beyond Grade A Association’s future. He released the Heart Tree King and assigned him to govern the World Tree Civilization, then quietly left the celebrating forces.

• The Three Universal Civilizations withdrew their direct forces after agreeing with Han Xiao to investigate a third-party threat, and the soldiers celebrated their victory.
• Han Xiao told the Beyond Grade As that he had subdued the World Tree to deter the Three Universal Civilizations and strengthen the association’s postwar security.
• Han Xiao said he would delay reviving the fallen Beyond Grade As while the association completed preparations to establish its own government, and he considered cooperating with the Three Universal Civilizations to study the Sanctuaries and iteration.
• Ames asked Han Xiao to spend time with her, but Jotina intervened, and the two women confronted each other while Han Xiao slipped away.
• Han Xiao freed the Heart Tree King from the Space-Time Amber, explained that the World Tree Civilization had lost the war, and appointed him to manage it.
• The Heart Tree King accepted Han Xiao as his superior, returned to the Mother Tree World, and Han Xiao quietly departed using the Sovereign.

After the World Tree’s defeat, Han Xiao used the Information State Warning Network to capture Star Alliance infiltrators and uncovered the hidden civilization’s interference. The Three Universal Civilizations planned to make the Star Alliance a vassal after recovering, while Han Xiao declined to join their invasion and prepared to step back now that the threat that had burdened him for a century was gone.

• The Super Star Cluster Alliance leaders debated the shifting balance between Black Star and the Three Universal Civilizations and decided to cooperate with both sides to preserve a balance of power.
• Han Xiao installed the Information State Warning Network, tracked genuine signals to a secret Star Alliance base, and converted the infiltrators into World Tree members to access their memories.
• Han Xiao ordered the infiltrators to remain undercover and feed him intelligence, then brought the Three Universal Civilizations evidence that the Star Alliance had secretly interfered.
• Mabrus and the other leaders agreed to delay an invasion of the Star Alliance while they recovered and to use the infiltrators to send false reports about the war.
• Han Xiao told the Three Universal Civilizations that he and the Beyond Grade A Association would not join the invasion, and he felt relieved that the World Tree threat had ended.

The Three Universal Civilizations announced the World Tree Civilization’s defeat, and interstellar society celebrated as refugees began returning home. Meanwhile, the Star Alliance leaders trusted fabricated reports of the war and believed the Three Universal Civilizations were about to lose.

• The Three Universal Civilizations publicized Black Star’s decisive role in defeating the World Tree Civilization, and citizens celebrated the end of the war.
• Bennett watched Planet Aquamarine’s refugees prepare to return home and expressed pride in Black Star.
• Harrison reunited with Jenny on Floating Dragon Island, and Jenny said she would resign from Dragon Calm to explore with him.
• Iso interrupted Harrison and Jenny’s near-kiss, praised Harrison, and offered to teach him how to keep Jenny under control.
• The Star Alliance leaders read Han Xiao’s fabricated reports of devastating losses and internal divisions, then concluded that the Three Universal Civilizations were certain to lose.

Pangon argued that avoiding revenge during the World Tree War had kept his group alive and left them room to grow in the new balance of power. After the war, Han Xiao established the Super Sanctuary as a civilization for Supers, and it began attracting citizens and former allies of the Three Universal Civilizations.

• Pangon rebuffed his companions' complaints that he had prevented them from exploiting the war, arguing they would have been killed by Black Star and that the postwar balance offered better opportunities.
• The Beyond Grade A Association announced the Super Sanctuary, an immigrant civilization offering Supers citizenship, knowledge, training, and revival protections, with the Three Universal Civilizations recognizing it as a member of the Civilization Council.
• Han Xiao used the World Tree's power to expand the Super Sanctuary's territory in the Desolate Universe Belt, while Aurora reported that 120 billion Supers had already applied for citizenship.
• Han Xiao made Aurora his deputy, appointed Baigel acting leader of the Sanctum, and invited Sisko to relocate the Star Pupil Civilization to the Super Sanctuary.
• Hilbert and the Revived loyal to him left the Three Universal Civilizations and joined the Super Sanctuary, seeking unrestricted Sanctuary Revival protection.

Han Xiao established the Super Sanctuary’s leadership, delegated Black Star Army duties, and offered Sorokin a role in its economy. As the postwar order stabilized, Han Xiao planned to use the World Tree to unlock the Sanctuary’s information and prepared to attend the Three Universal Civilizations’ victory ceremony.

• Han Xiao appointed Nero acting commander of the Black Star Army, Aurora second-in-command of the Super Sanctuary, and Hila head of its Esper Department, while assigning other leaders to its departments.
• Han Xiao released Sorokin from the Netherland and offered him a senior economics or commerce position, which Sorokin accepted.
• Mabrus invited Han Xiao and the Super Sanctuary to the Three Universal Civilizations’ victory ceremony on January 1, Galaxy Calendar year 800, and Han Xiao agreed to attend.
• Han Xiao planned to use the World Tree to repeatedly access the Sanctuary and unlock its message board, but decided to wait until the new order stabilized.
• Manison told Kasuyi that he planned to research in seclusion rather than lead the Super Sanctuary’s Mechanic Department, while Kasuyi prepared to journey in search of the unknown.
• The Super Sanctuary gained citizens and began operating efficiently as the postwar order stabilized, and the Three Universal Civilizations’ celebration took place as scheduled.

At the New Century celebration, Han Xiao received a second Galaxy Medal for his role in the World Tree War and offered a brief wish for world peace. After the Three Universal Civilizations discussed their plans for the Star Alliance, Han Xiao entered the Sanctuary to begin his plan to gain access rights.

• Mabrus commemorated the fallen of the World Tree War and awarded honors to the living heroes, including a second Galaxy Medal to Han Xiao.
• Han Xiao accepted the Galaxy Medal and abandoned his prepared speech to wish for world peace.
• Mabrus, Louis, and the Arcane Pope discussed deceiving the Star Alliance, rebuilding their strength, and delaying another war for several years.
• Han Xiao activated the Sanctuary Key in the Super Sanctuary and entered the Sanctuary to begin his plan.

Han Xiao revived the fallen Beyond Grade As in public at the Super Sanctuary, then returned to grinding Sanctuary access. As Kasuyi and Oathkeeper departed for the Unexplored Universe, Manison began a long seclusion, and Urnos set out to seek the Beyond Divine Remnant Power.

• Han Xiao unlocked more Sanctuary messages about the Information Materialization Device and the mysterious Real State, then collected technical data and returned to the main universe.
• Han Xiao publicly revived the fallen Beyond Grade As at the Super Sanctuary, freed Dilron, and left him to face Seraon and the others seeking a reckoning.
• Aurora welcomed the revived Beyond Grade As and began explaining the situation to them.
• Kasuyi and Oathkeeper said farewell to their friends and departed for the Unexplored Universe, while Manison decided to enter long-term seclusion.
• Urnos followed his perception of the Beyond Divine Remnant Power and led an Arcane Church fleet toward the Unexplored Universe.

Evans and Carrot met in the Super Sanctuary and agreed to spar, while Melos ended the Sunil leaders’ tradition of relying on his influence. Han Xiao offered to share Sanctuary data with the Three Universal Civilizations, then began to tell them something he warned could frighten them.

• Evans’s attempt to refine an energy-field brain failed, and Carrot arrived to train after detecting high-energy readings; the two awkwardly agreed to spar.
• Melos told the current Sunil leader he would no longer receive visits from each generation, explaining to Sylvia that he wanted the Sunil to become independent.
• Melos and Sylvia reflected on how their lives had changed since they followed Black Star.
• The leaders of the Three Universal Civilizations worried about the Super Sanctuary’s growth and discussed how to persuade Han Xiao to help with the Star Alliance invasion.
• Han Xiao appeared in their conference and offered to share Sanctuary data, then said he had something important to tell them.

Han Xiao explained the Great Restart, the Sanctuary, and the hidden history of the Three Universal Civilizations’ repeated attempts to escape a Dark Side Universe. He revealed that the current universe had already undergone four restarts, leaving Mabrus, Louis, and the Arcane Church’s leader stunned.

• Han Xiao told Mabrus, Louis, and the Arcane Church’s leader that the universe ended in Great Restarts and that the Sanctuary preserved information from past iterations.
• Han Xiao explained that the Three Universal Civilizations had survived a previous Great Restart by stripping their universe’s information state and becoming a Dark Side Universe.
• Han Xiao traced how repeated Dark Side Iterations produced the World Tree, the Pivot Snake, and the players as bridges to the real universe.
• Han Xiao said that the universe had already been restarted four times and that the Three Universal Civilizations had been ultimate civilizations in an earlier iteration.
• Mabrus, Louis, and the Arcane Church’s leader struggled to understand Han Xiao’s revelations.

Han Xiao told Mabrus, Louis, and the Arcane Pope that their universe was caught in repeated cycles and that they needed to reach the Real Universe. After promising them access to the Sanctuary, he considered how the interface and the Dark Side Universe might work, leaving himself to weigh the burden of being their hope.

• Han Xiao explained Universe Iterations and the Great Restart to Mabrus, Louis, and the Arcane Pope, who struggled to accept the revelation.
• Han Xiao promised to send the leaders instructions and three Sanctuary Keys so they could verify his claims for themselves.
• After the call ended, Mabrus and the other leaders discussed whether they should abandon peaceful development and pursue entry into the Real Universe.
• Back in the Super Sanctuary, Han Xiao privately considered several theories about the interface, the flow of time, and the Dark Side Universe's cycles.
• Han Xiao concluded that he might be the Dark Side Universe's hope, but recognized that fulfilling that role was his own choice.