Chapter Summaries

The Three Universal Civilizations prepared hidden defenses and summoned their direct Beyond Grade A members to confront Han Xiao during the ultimatum. Oulu accepted the challenge and began powering up against Han Xiao, who warned him that he could die for nothing.

• Youn Fabik ordered the Dawn Star Cluster forces to remain on high alert and prepare to bombard Beyond Grade A territories, including the Black Star Army, once the joint fleet engaged the Machine Race.
• At a secret Black Star Army base, Aurora assembled thousands of reincarnated heroic spirits and told them to destroy the Three Universal Civilizations' planet-destroying weapons; Sorokin had built a promise-based currency system among the heroic spirits.
• The Three Universal Civilizations' joint fleet received dozens of direct Beyond Grade A members, who decided Oulu would face Han Xiao first, with Velina enhancing his abilities.
• Oulu flew out to challenge Han Xiao and opened his Golden Treasure Ship dimension, while Han Xiao asked whether he had considered joining the association to gain Sanctuary Revival.

Han Xiao fought Oulu in front of the Three Universal Civilizations' fleet and overwhelmed him with his mechanical army, forcing him to retreat. The watching Beyond Grade As realized Han Xiao had grown far stronger than expected, while Oulu returned to the flagship badly shaken.

• Interstellar citizens hoped Oulu could defeat Han Xiao and prevent a war, while the direct-line Beyond Grade As explained that Oulu's fight was meant to probe Han Xiao's strength.
• Oulu unleashed the Golden Treasure Ship Dimension's energy, but Han Xiao defended himself with a vast mechanical army and counterattacked with his Apostle Weapons.
• Han Xiao's mechanical forces steadily overwhelmed Oulu, and Han Xiao discovered that their public duel had triggered a Beyond Grade A challenge mission.
• Oulu broke free of the encirclement and fled into the joint fleet, while Han Xiao recalled his troops and challenged the Three Universal Civilizations to send another fighter.
• The direct-line Beyond Grade As were shocked by Han Xiao's strength, and Clottey concluded that Han Xiao had grown much stronger over the past decades.
• Oulu returned to the flagship injured and dazed, as the others silently acknowledged that he had taken the first defeat for them.

Han Xiao overwhelmed Oulu, claimed a new talent, and waited as the Three Universal Civilizations assembled thirteen Beyond Grade As to fight him. As the battle began, Manison lent Han Xiao his weapons, and Han Xiao revealed a strange new transformation of his Mechanical Deity.

• Velina warned the Three Universal Civilizations’ direct subordinates to avoid fighting Han Xiao alone, while Urnos privately judged Han Xiao worthy of enlightenment.
• Manison, Joy, and the other old shut-ins watched Han Xiao’s victory over Oulu and recognized how far his strength had grown.
• Han Xiao claimed Oulu’s challenge rewards, gaining a Character Summon Card and the Secondary Dimension Affinity talent.
• After waiting most of a day, Han Xiao faced thirteen direct-subordinate Beyond Grade As, and Clottey accused him of killing Gaud.
• Manison lent Han Xiao the Mechanic Emperor Trident and specialized equipment, and Han Xiao began changing his Mechanical Deity with blood energy.

Han Xiao fought the Three Universal Civilizations’ direct-line Beyond Grade As for six days in his [Mechanical Deity: Semi-Living Transformation], holding off increasingly frequent waves of opponents. As Clottey and Oulu neared exhaustion and Han Xiao’s halberd broke, Urnos joined the battle and manifested a Mechanical Deity resembling Han Xiao’s.

• Han Xiao transformed his Mechanical Deity and struck Clottey hard enough to send him crashing through several warships, then battled the direct-line Beyond Grade As and their armies.
• Han Xiao used his new transformation to withstand the group’s attacks and targeted a weaker opponent, but the Three Universal Civilizations pulled the wounded fighter away and sent reinforcements into the fight.
• Han Xiao and the rotating opponents fought for six days and nights, suffering heavy casualties as the prolonged battle shocked viewers across the galaxy.
• Han Xiao’s Mechanic Emperor’s Three Sacred Halberd broke, while Clottey and Oulu remained badly injured and unable to withdraw from the fight.
• U rnos left the flagship, said he had to obey the Arcane Church’s orders, and summoned a Mechanical Deity that resembled Han Xiao’s.

Urnos entered the battle against Han Xiao after the other direct descendants withdrew, using Deity Avatars and the Arcane National Treasure to match Han Xiao’s Mechanical Deity. Han Xiao then revealed a sudden surge of strength, overwhelming the avatars and shocking the observers as they realized he had held back during their six-day fight.

• Urnos summoned a replica of Han Xiao’s Mechanical Deity and agreed to fight him alone while Clottey and the other direct descendants withdrew.
• Han Xiao and Urnos clashed as the replica tied down Han Xiao’s Mechanical Deity and Urnos summoned eight Deity Avatars to attack the mechanical forces.
• Han Xiao’s troops restrained the replica, but Urnos used two more Deity Avatars to strengthen himself and stopped Han Xiao’s heavy spear with his hands.
• Han Xiao struggled against Urnos and the avatars while the exhausted direct descendants watched from their flagship.
• Han Xiao suddenly surged in power, hurled the replica into the fleet, and destroyed a Deity Avatar, leaving Urnos and the observers astonished.

Han Xiao defeated Urnos’s divine avatars, but neither could overcome the other’s defenses, so Urnos publicly conceded and returned to the Three Universal Civilizations’ fleet. Han Xiao completed Urnos’s challenge mission and challenged the remaining fleet, while Urnos’s hidden desire for conflict and the public’s growing support for war left the ultimatum’s final day poised to bring a larger confrontation.

• Han Xiao unleashed his explosive form and fought Urnos, the divine avatars, and the imitation Mechanical Deity while the Three Universal Civilizations’ direct descendants recovered and prepared to intervene if needed.
• Han Xiao and his forces eliminated every divine avatar, leaving only Urnos and the imitation Mechanical Deity, neither of whom Han Xiao could finish off.
• Urnos dismissed the imitation Mechanical Deity, publicly conceded, and returned to the fleet; Han Xiao received the completed challenge mission reward and asked who would fight him next.
• Urnos told the Three Universal Civilizations’ direct descendants that he had conceded because he could not defeat Han Xiao, then privately revealed that he wanted a war to spur stronger individuals and hoped Han Xiao would become a pioneer.
• Galactic citizens watched Urnos concede, lost hope that Han Xiao could be stopped, and began voicing fervent support for the Three Universal Civilizations to crush the Beyond Grade A Association as the ultimatum expired.

As the Three Universal Civilizations prepared to attack the Beyond Grade A Association, Black Star’s victory over Urnos strengthened the Association and intensified public anger. Just before the ultimatum expired, the Three Universal Civilizations withdrew after an Imperial Academy of Sciences project director secretly reported evidence of an unknown universal civilization.

• Galactic citizens blamed Supers and demanded that the Three Universal Civilizations punish the Association, while Han Xiao spoke with Manison about his new Mechanical Deity and the coming war.
• The Association’s members praised Han Xiao for defeating Urnos, and Kasuyi ordered them to stand by for battle as the Three Universal Civilizations’ leaders resolved to proceed with their attack.
• An emergency report reached Mabrus during the leaders’ meeting, and he told Louis and the Arcane Church head that they needed to see it.
• As the ultimatum deadline approached, the joint fleet of the Three Universal Civilizations abruptly withdrew, confusing Han Xiao and shocking the watching public.
• Several days earlier, the project director of the Imperial Academy of Sciences had altered a wormhole detection report to declare that an unknown universal civilization definitely existed, then uploaded it directly to the Empire’s main intelligence.

The Three Universal Civilizations withdrew from their confrontation with the Beyond Grade A Association after discovering signs of an unknown advanced civilization through Sorokin’s wormhole data. Suspecting they had found the World Tree Civilization, Han Xiao gambled that they had uncovered the secret and challenged Mabrus to confirm it.

• The Three Universal Civilizations withdrew their fleet, leaving interstellar society and the Beyond Grade As baffled, while Han Xiao ordered the Association to remain on guard.
• Han Xiao returned to a secret Army base, reassured Ames and the officers, and warned Iso that the withdrawal might signal something worse.
• The Three Universal Civilizations confirmed traces of an unknown advanced civilization beyond the wormhole and secretly prioritized investigating it while keeping the Association uninformed.
• Han Xiao studied the Three Universal Civilizations’ troop movements and suspected they had discovered the World Tree through Sorokin’s wormhole data.
• An Empire envoy offered to let the Association regulate the Virtual Mutiny Virus technology, and Han Xiao told him to ask Mabrus whether they had cracked Sorokin’s wormhole data.

Han Xiao revealed the World Tree Civilization’s threat to the Three Universal Civilizations and used SWY-001’s records to support his account. The leaders accepted the need to cooperate against the common enemy, and Mabrus formally invited Han Xiao to become a special security adviser.

• Han Xiao told Mabrus, Louis, and the Arcane Church head that Sorokin’s wormhole led to the World Tree Civilization and explained its expansionist threat.
• Han Xiao presented SWY-001’s records of the World Tree’s invasion of the Kama Republic Alliance, which shocked the three leaders.
• Mabrus realized Han Xiao had pushed to seal Sorokin to protect the explored universe, and Han Xiao explained why he had kept the World Tree secret.
• The three leaders questioned the relic’s authenticity, and Han Xiao proposed awakening SWY-001 for more information.
• Han Xiao agreed that the Three Universal Civilizations and the Beyond Grade A Association had to unite against the World Tree, easing the leaders’ fears about their conflict.
• Mabrus formally invited Han Xiao to serve as a special security adviser on behalf of the Three Universal Civilizations.

Han Xiao negotiated the Beyond Grade A Association’s cooperation with the Three Universal Civilizations against the World Tree, securing compensation, political recognition, and autonomous territory. After the leaders agreed to cooperate and shared their exploration reports, Han Xiao began preparing for war with the World Tree Civilization.

• Han Xiao demanded that the Three Universal Civilizations lift the blockade, compensate the association, provide ongoing resources, recognize its political authority, and grant it autonomous territory.
• Mabrus and the other leaders accepted the terms on the condition that the association contribute its full strength if war broke out.
• The leaders agreed to keep the World Tree’s existence secret, and Han Xiao resumed his role as special security consultant to review their exploration reports.
• Han Xiao noticed that a suspended researcher had correctly identified an unknown universal civilization despite insufficient evidence, and suspected the conclusion might have been deliberate.
• After hours of discussion, Han Xiao and the leaders reached a temporary understanding and agreed to stay in frequent contact.
• Han Xiao returned to his office, recognized that the sides had entered a new phase of cooperation, and began preparing for war with the World Tree Civilization.

Han Xiao awakened SWY-001, now calling himself Hyperion, and persuaded him to join the fight against the World Tree after explaining that his civilization might have been destroyed. Meanwhile, the Three Universal Civilizations and the Beyond Grade A Association publicly announced a truce and lifted the association’s sanctions, leaving interstellar society and the Super Star Cluster Alliance stunned.

• Aurora revived SWY-001 while Han Xiao prepared to contain him, and the awakened giant initially attacked and tried to escape.
• Han Xiao and the Mechanical Life Civilization’s forces overwhelmed SWY-001, then Han Xiao explained the situation and convinced him to cooperate as Hyperion.
• Han Xiao completed the [Visitor from Afar] mission and told Aurora to keep the Netherland heroic spirits as a secret mobile force.
• More than half a month later, the Three Universal Civilizations and the Beyond Grade A Association announced a peaceful settlement, a solution to the virus technology dispute, and the suspension of the blockade and sanctions.
• Interstellar society speculated that the Three Universal Civilizations had yielded to the association, while the Super Star Cluster Alliance worried that the sudden peace would leave it sidelined.

Han Xiao explained the favorable peace agreement with the Three Universal Civilizations and negotiated continued cooperation with the Super Star Cluster Alliance. As the association resumed normal operations, the Three Universal Civilizations prepared for the World Tree threat, and a joint expedition departed into the Secondary Dimension with Harrison aboard.

• Han Xiao told the Beyond Grade A Association that the Three Universal Civilizations would lift the blockade, compensate them, recognize their status and grant them autonomous territory in exchange for future assistance.
• The association members accepted the agreement, and Han Xiao said they would rebuild their forces while waiting for the Three Universal Civilizations to fulfill its terms.
• Han Xiao reassured the Super Star Cluster Alliance that their cooperation and promised Sanctuary Revival slots would continue, though the association would no longer take the initiative against the Three Universal Civilizations.
• The Three Universal Civilizations investigated the World Tree Passage and organized an expedition to search the Secondary Dimension for the World Tree's main body.
• Han Xiao sent Harrison and other trusted companions with the joint expeditionary fleet, which departed into the Secondary Dimension.

Han Xiao advised Mabrus on gathering intelligence from the World Tree network, then arranged special training for the army’s Beyond Grade A Seeds. Rotel advanced to Beyond Grade A and agreed to teach Carrot, while the World Tree’s Tree King sent an agent to investigate a possible spy.

• Guzar told Han Xiao that more expeditions would follow, then relayed that Mabrus wanted to speak with him.
• Mabrus described plans to gather intelligence from the World Tree network, and Han Xiao advised him on how to reduce the risks.
• Han Xiao summoned the Beyond Grade A Seeds for special training and learned from Jenny that she was worried about Harrison’s secret mission.
• Rotel advanced to Beyond Grade A, chose to remain in Han Xiao’s service, and agreed to train Carrot.
• The Tree King learned that the Information State Warning Network had detected a possible intrusion and ordered an investigation.

The Three Universal Civilizations infiltrated the World Tree Civilization’s network and stole public information, but the World Tree detected the intrusion and sent Babani to investigate. Days later, Han Xiao reviewed the stolen intelligence and learned that the Child of Destiny had begun acting abnormally again.

• The Three Universal Civilizations sent Rama, Judith, and another Beyond Grade A Mechanic through an artificial wormhole to copy information from the World Tree Civilization’s quantum network, then erased traces of the operation.
• Babani and a World Tree fleet investigated the site, found no Information State traces, and concluded outsiders had infiltrated the network to steal intelligence.
• Babani called the intrusion useful bait and planned to ask the Tree King to use future-state information sensers to predict the outsiders’ information.
• Han Xiao watched Rotel train Carrot and noted the rapid progress of the Beyond Grade A Seeds he had been coaching.
• Han Xiao received and read the Three Universal Civilizations’ analyzed intelligence, including a note that they would recognize the association’s status after some time.
• Oathkeeper informed Han Xiao that the Child of Destiny had shown an abnormal reaction, raising his concern about another impending crisis.

The Child of Destiny sensed that the World Tree Civilization was searching for the Explored Universe and nearly fled into a High-Dimensional Information State. Han Xiao learned that its offspring could help monitor the enemy, and accepted its request to establish a hidden intelligence network in World Tree territory.

• Han Xiao arrived at the Child of Destiny's laboratory, where it calmed down after noticing him.
• The Child of Destiny revealed that an offspring on the World Tree's side had detected the World Tree searching for the Explored Universe, and that it feared being devoured by the World Tree.
• Han Xiao persuaded the Child of Destiny to monitor the World Tree's movements and relay information through its offspring.
• The Child of Destiny gave Han Xiao a ball of energy to mark territory for spawning offspring, and his interface presented a mission to do so in enemy territory.
• Han Xiao explained the threat to Oathkeeper, warned him to keep it secret, and asked him to prepare more Sanctuary keys for the coming war.

Han Xiao warned the leaders of the Three Universal Civilizations that the World Tree had detected traces of outsiders, but they challenged his intelligence and demanded access to his source. He asserted his leverage, secured their agreement to prepare a route to World Tree territory, and pressed them to recognize the Beyond Grade A Association's independence.

• Han Xiao left the Child of Destiny in the Sanctum with a set of the Throne and a Dominion avatar, then discussed the revived individuals' welfare with Oathkeeper and the others.
• Han Xiao sent the Three Universal Civilizations intelligence that the World Tree had noticed outsiders and was trying to trace them, but Mabrus, Louis, and the Arcane Church's leader questioned its reliability.
• Han Xiao explained that the Child of Destiny was his source and urged the leaders to halt conventional exploration, but refused to hand over or share access to it.
• Han Xiao threatened to take the Beyond Grade A Association and his forces away if the leaders kept pressuring him, prompting them to apologize and agree to prepare a World Tree Passage or High-Dimensional Apocalypse Teleporter.
• Han Xiao demanded that the Three Universal Civilizations fulfill their promise to recognize the Association's independence, then ended the call.

The Three Universal Civilizations pushed to grant the Beyond Grade A Association official status, overriding the Assembly’s failed vote and provoking a storm of public debate. As the Association’s recognition fueled speculation about a new Super nation, Han Xiao departed for World Tree territory to investigate its detection methods and search for clues to the World Tree’s main body.

• The Three Universal Civilizations proposed giving the Beyond Grade A Association independent official status and rights equivalent to an advanced civilization at the Galaxy Civilization General Assembly.
• After most civilizations voted against the proposal, the Federation of Light used its single-vote veto and the Crimson Dynasty used its single-vote decision to force the measure through.
• News of the Association’s recognition sparked public backlash, while Super communities and players celebrated and speculated that the Association had founded a nation.
• Han Xiao prepared to travel to World Tree territory, intending to help narrow the search area, look for the World Tree’s main body, and test Virtual Purification: Restoration.
• Simon sent Han Xiao through the High-Dimensional Apocalypse Teleporter after disconnecting communications, and Han Xiao vanished from the teleporter.

Han Xiao infiltrated World Tree Civilization territory, established a navigation map, and tried to conceal his presence while scouting for a place to operate. Babani detected traces of his High-Dimensional Information State disguise and pursued him, triggering an emergency mission to deal with the pursuer.

• Han Xiao arrived alone in World Tree Civilization territory and used a stolen star map and nearby planets to establish navigation without connecting to the network.
• Han Xiao spotted an ochre colony planet threaded with World Tree roots, identified it as a converted planet, and left without approaching it.
• A fleet emerged near the planet, and Babani ordered an Information State scan after receiving a faint warning of an abnormal reaction.
• Babani used the World Tree's High-Dimensional Information Vision to detect traces left by Han Xiao and followed them in pursuit.
• Han Xiao received the emergency mission [Nowhere to Hide], which required him to deal with his pursuer.

Han Xiao ambushed Babani, a World Tree pursuer, and discovered that Virtual Purification could briefly restore the mind of someone the World Tree had enslaved. Babani revealed secrets before the World Tree began rewriting his mind, then self-destructed, and the World Tree ordered its forces to hunt Han Xiao down.

• Han Xiao abandoned his territory-claiming mission for the moment and prepared an ambush to capture a pursuer and investigate the World Tree's detection methods.
• Babani followed Han Xiao's trail into the ambush and was badly injured by Han Xiao's concealed weapon array.
• Han Xiao used Virtual Purification on Babani and discovered that it temporarily restored the memories and original mind of someone the World Tree had devoured.
• Babani revealed World Tree secrets to Han Xiao, then warned that the World Tree had noticed his restored mind and would soon rewrite it.
• Babani pushed Han Xiao away and self-destructed, while Han Xiao retrieved his equipment and teleported away.
• Several Sacred Tree Envoys arrived after the World Tree detected an information leak, and a Tree King ordered them to pursue Han Xiao and kill him.

Han Xiao learned how the World Tree tracked outsiders and discovered that Virtual Purification could turn assimilated individuals into potential spies, then chose to continue his mission despite the pursuit. As Tedrian and other powerful World Tree forces chased him, Han Xiao erased traces along his route while the pursuers prepared to intercept him.

• Han Xiao realized that his interaction with the World Tree’s information had triggered its warning network, and that high-dimensional information vision could track his traces.
• Han Xiao considered how the World Tree revived its dead and whether Sanctuary Revival could sever its control, but decided to postpone testing the idea.
• Han Xiao completed [Nowhere to Hide], claimed its rewards, and received the permanent emergency mission [World Tree's Wrath].
• Han Xiao decided to remain in World Tree territory to gather information and kill more powerhouses, planting trace-erasing bombs as he fled.
• Tedrian led a fleet of powerful World Tree pursuers, ordered a wider search for Han Xiao’s erased traces, and arranged for Sacred Tree Envoys to intercept him.