The Legendary Mechanic, page 897
I’ve finally taken this step. There’s no retrieving a loosed arrow. I can only guide these torrential times, ceaselessly running forward…
All sorts of thoughts flashed past, and Han Xiao calmed down. He clapped his hands, interrupting the communication as he spoke.
“Now that everyone has gotten to know each other, there will be opportunities in the future to socialize. Let’s stop here for today’s welcome meeting. We’ll discuss the resource allocation at the next regular meeting, helping our seniors rebuild their influence.”
Everyone nodded without any objection.
There were a lot of Beyond Grade As, which would inevitably cause them to share a part of the profits. However, the existence of the Sanctums gave everyone the decision in their hearts to get closer to Han Xiao. His authority in the association had already expanded to the extreme.
“Alright, then let’s end the meeting today.”
Han Xiao smiled and directly cancelled his remote projection.
Seeing this, everyone dissipated on their own.
No matter what emotions they had, everyone was aware that the ecology of the Beyond Grade A realm would be rewritten. When what happened in the venue today was spread, the flow of the entire Galactic Society would be greatly affected. A storm of change was bound to rise from this point, sweeping across the entire universe!
The instigator of this whole thing was actually someone who had not shown himself for a few decades yet came out straight with a bang—Black Star!
Many Beyond Grade As had a feeling that Black Star would likely open the curtains to a new era!
…
The content of this welcome party was not kept secret. With the help of those people with certain intentions, the news spread faster than expected. It had already spread to all the major Star Fields by the next day, having countless media channels scrambling to write various reports.
When the many galactic residents and organizations saw the news, their first reaction was disbelief, thinking it some sort of fake news.
Could a Sanctum really resurrect a dead Beyond Grade A? The Primordial Ones who had been buried in history collectively came back to life?
Stop joking, okay. Even the TV studios would not dare to shoot stuff like this!
However, within a few days, the members of the Beyond Grade A Association personally confirmed the veracity of the news. The entire Galactic Society was confused!
This was really true‽
The historical figures from our textbooks are now alive‽
If I’m not insane, then the world must be insane!
The emotions of countless residents exploded!
Driven by panic, fanaticism, and shock, the news spread faster and faster. The Galactic Society, which had experienced calmness for decades, was once again thrown into a stormy sea.
Be it an ordinary person or Super, civilization or private organization, almost everyone could vaguely see a storm brewing at rapid speed.
The universe seemed to be heralding a change!
Chapter 1261: Response of the Three Universal Civilizations |
Benefitting from the emergency report the direct Beyond Grade As had written after the meeting, the three Universal Civilizations had learned about the resurrection of the Primordial Ones even before public opinion broke out.
The moment this report was delivered to their tables, the leaders of the three civilizations were shocked, hurriedly convening a joint meeting.
In the conference room of the highest level, the projections of Marbruce, Louis, and the Pope sat on one end. Sitting around them were the upper echelons of each respective civilization that was eligible to participate in the conference. The core powers of the three Universal Civilizations had gathered together, and the atmosphere was solemn.
“Resurrecting the Beyond Grade As… Black Star unexpectedly had such an incredible method. He hid himself deeply and only came out in high profile at this point. He did this deliberately!”
Marbruce’s expression was solemn, and he was frightened in his heart.
He had already tried to evaluate Black Star as highly as possible, but he did not expect to underestimate the other party so much. As part of the hawk faction with a strong desire to control, seeing Black Star pull out such a trump card that could stir the universe, his inner anger could not be quenched. He felt that this ally had already left the control of the dynasty.
Louis spoke in a deep voice. “Yes, Black Star has been planning this for a long time. He probably had an idea and was just waiting for an opportunity. Once he sensed the risk, he resolutely released this ace in the hole in order to disrupt our deployments!”
The Pope frowned. “This situation is unfavorable for us. With the return of the Primordial Ones, the top strength of the Beyond Grade A Association has expanded by at least a third. If we use the original plan to cleanse the Beyond Grade As, we will have to pay a higher price. This will shake the order of the entire interstellar society, not to mention that Black Star could possibly resurrect more of them…”
The mood of the trio was the same. Their plans had already entered the ready state, but this abrupt situation brought about by Black Star frightened them into stopping all their current actions and reconsidering countermeasures.
As Black Star was the source of the trouble, the goodwill of the trio toward him had disappeared, only leaving boundless hostility. Even if Black Star was nominally an ally of the dynasty, the Ruler Marbruce was also hostile toward him.
When the other party was beneficial to their own rule, they would cooperate with a smile even if they had a personal suspicion. However, Black Star’s actions had broken the balance of the universe and were leveraging on the foundations of the three Universal Civilizations. His reputation and status could no longer prevent both sides from turning against each other.
From the perspective of the three, they had given Black Star so many benefits, only to see Black Star backstab them!
If it were not for the fear of Black Star’s strength, influence, and connections, the trio might have convened their troops to smash the Black Star Army.
Marbruce suppressed his impulses, speaking in a low tone.
“It will be tricky in the short term but even more dangerous in the long run. Don’t forget, many of the Beyond Grade As have some hatred with us, such as the civilization guardians that were destroyed by us during the exploration era, or even those who perished in the Tragedy of the Pinnacles… If they make a comeback, they’re likely to retaliate against us!”
The upper echelons in the audience knew the seriousness of not removing the weeds from their roots, and they shuddered.
The three Universal Civilizations had many direct Beyond Grade As, but this number could not be compared with the number of enemies they had throughout history. Once their enemies were resurrected on a large scale, their direct Beyond Grade As were likely to be completely wiped out, resulting in the loss of their deterrence in the form of individual combat strength.
The best advantage of a Beyond Grade A was their ability as a strategic level weapon. They had unparalleled flexibility and were able to destroy the entire board with just a few people. If there were no direct Beyond Grade As on their side to restrain the other party, then even if the three Universal Civilizations could still wipe out the Beyond Grade As with their fleets, technology, and various Universal Treasures, they would have to pay a huge price to do so.
The pope thought further and solemnly said, “From the perspective of the overall situation, even if the factors of the enemy were not counted in, the dominance of the three Universal Civilizations is in danger of being flipped. The Sanctum Revival has increased the life expectancy of the Beyond Grade As, which will lead to a qualitative increase in accumulation for the Beyond Grade As in the universe.
“With this trend, the Beyond Grade A numbers will break through the balance between civilization and individual might in the near future, enough to threaten our rule. At that time, it will be hard for us to make a comeback. It will no longer be the Beyond Grade As worrying about us but rather us worrying when the ambitions of the Beyond Grade A Association will expand!”
The Pope sighed at this. He appeared resigned.
“But what’s the use of knowing this? Black Star’s trump card has completely destroyed all our checks and balances. He holds the remote control that could change this era. We can no longer act rashly!”
Hearing this, the trio fell silent.
This current situation was akin to nuclear deterrence, where the three Universal Civilizations did not dare shed all pretenses.
Even if a civilization was strong, facing such a situation, the trio felt helpless in face of this sudden situation. This naturally fueled their hate toward Han Xiao.
There seemed to only be one way to solve this… to obtain the authority to control the Sanctum Revivals!
“For the current strategy, we’ll negotiate as much as possible with Black Star until we figure out his plan!”
The trio nodded, reaching a consensus while secretly regretting their past decisions.
When the stubborn Mechanic Emperor was leading the association, they did not act rashly but rather waited for Black Star to take that position. However, it seemed now that Black Star was even more dangerous than the Mechanic Emperor, being able to hide so deeply.
The route the Mechanic Emperor took was a polar opposite of Black Star. Black Star only wished to deter and co-exist, having little negative impacts and benefiting the Beyond Grade A Association. Compared to Manison’s method of mutual destruction, the former’s method was more inconsistent with the three Universal Civilizations.
If they had known this would happen, when the Beyond Grade A Association was first established, they would have…
Well, what’s the use in regrets when it was not us at that time! What a mess our predecessors left us!
Marbruce could not help but think of the warning he had from Urranrell decades ago.
Beware of Black Star, he’s a hundred times more dangerous than the Mechanic Emperor!
At this point, he could only utter a single word. “Indeed.”
Without delay, the trio dispersed the meeting, sending an invitation and preparing for a secret conversation with Han Xiao.
The trio did not wait long, as Han Xiao descended quickly as a virtual projection.
“Your Excellencies, what a coincidence. We meet again.”
Han Xiao still held the same attitude, bowing slightly with a smile on his face.
While his tone was the same, the three of them felt a faint hint of mockery within.
Marbruce suppressed his urge to strangle Han Xiao, solemnly saying, “Black Star, you must know why we have called you over. Long story short, what’s happening with the Sanctum Revivals?”
Han Xiao blinked. “I’m not too sure myself either. I also only discovered this peculiar phenomenon by accident. This might be a Space Wonder.”
The corners of the trio’s mouths twitched.
Stop mentioning the phrase ‘Space Wonder’, my head hurts!
“Then what’s the process of the Sanctum Revivals, and are there any rules of restrictions…” Louis continued.
“Ah, I’m not too sure of that either. I haven’t started my research yet.” Han Xiao waved his hands.
The Pope cleared his throat before speaking solemnly. “I don’t know if you’re intending to share the formula for Sanctum Revival, but you can name your price.”
Han Xiao smiled.
Bruh, what are you smoking?
Seeing this, the trio knew that this request was outrageous and were secretly unhappy.
Marbruce gritted his teeth before bellowing, “Black Star! You should know what sort of chaos your Sanctum Revivals have brought to the Galactic Society. What’s your intention by resurrecting this group of historical Beyond Grade As? What is your goal?”
Hearing this, Han Xiao only smiled. “Just like you said, I was only testing out if Sanctum Revival was even possible. I didn’t expect to actually be able to resurrect this group of people. Should I stuff them back into their graves instead?”
Marbruce almost exploded in anger.
Accidental experiment? Only a fool would believe that!
The Pope took over the conversation. “Whether it was an accident or not, the Beyond Grade A Association now has to deal with a huge number of newcomers. We would like to know how you are going to deal with this problem.”
What the trio worried about was that with this new force, Black Star would take initiative to attack.
“There’s no need to deal with them. The moment they join the association, they are part of it, and they will not be given special treatment. I will only give them some resources in accordance with their established rules of the association. As for other matters… as long as they do not violate the regulations of the association, I will not care.”
Han Xiao’s attitude was to draw the line.
“This is not enough. You know our intentions. We hope that you will ensure that the Beyond Grade A Association will always exist in peace.”
Han Xiao chuckled. “Even if I guarantee it, will you believe it?”
The trio helplessly shook their heads. In reality, the foundation of trust between both parties had already collapsed. Even if they believed in Black Star, their own duties required them to plan ahead and expect the worst. Any sort of guarantee was useless to them.
The trio did not dare take a sharp attitude when facing Black Star. While Black Star had a huge business, his main clients were the three Universal Civilizations. But things were now different. With the existence of the Sanctum Revival, Black Star had become a ‘detonator’, sitting on the same level as the heads of the three Universal Civilizations.
Marbruce squinted and suddenly asked, “Black Star, is the dynasty still your ally?”
Han Xiao gazed at him, thinking for a bit before asking, “The covenant has not been torn down. The dynasty had provided me with a lot of help, so of course we’re still allies.”
It was not in his interests to completely tear off all pretenses, nor did Han Xiao wish to do so.
Marbruce’s eyes shone. “Then I wish to cooperate. Since you have the means of Sanctum Revival, I hope you can resurrect Gaud or the other dynasty descendants.”
“… I’ll think about it.” Han Xiao raised his brows. He naturally would not resurrect the direct Beyond Grade As of the three Universal Civilizations.
Seeing this, the trio knew that they would not be able to get anything else from Han Xiao, so they could only hold back their dissatisfaction and end the call.
In the huge room, the trio gazed at each other, staring in silence for a while.
Marbruce was silent for a while before he spoke.
“The original cleansing plan can be abandoned. We need a new response plan, and I have three ideas. One is to start with Black Star, using spies to infiltrate and find a method to get into the Sanctum. Second would be to divide the association, winning over some of the Revivors to inquire about the Sanctum Revival. As for the third…”
As he spoke, he glanced at them, hesitating a little before he continued.
“We should establish our own Ru0026D team to independently study the secrets of the Sanctum Revival. I believe that the federation and church are not completely ignorant of this, with some information on hand.”
The other two were taken aback before slowly nodding as well.
The three Universal Civilizations came from the exploration era, naturally having some knowledge of the Sanctums. The direct descendants of the three Universal Civilizations would occasionally also obtain relevant inspiration and leave some vague information. Because of the rumors among the Primordial Ones as well, this was not the first time the three Universal Civilizations had heard of the term ‘Sanctums’. However, they had treated this as unverifiable confidential information in the past.
Such information was a high-level secret of the three Universal Civilizations. They cherished such things deeply and just wished to research it on their own. However, due to the incomplete intelligence provided, their research had been progressing slowly without any clues. Most of the projects had long been suspended, and even the authenticity of the intelligence was questioned.
But with this situation now, where the ruling foundations of the three Universal Civilizations were threatened, Marbruce felt that this was not the time to hide and monopolize.
“I suggest that we pool and share our relevant secrets, put together our clues to study this so-called Sanctum Revival together. Only in this manner can we have a small chance of making quick progress!”
After a moment of hesitation, Louis nodded. “Seems like this is the best idea. Let’s do it.”
The Pope also nodded in agreement. “In the short term, the possibility of us solving this problem is very small, but in the long run, while we cannot prevent the resurrection of Beyond Grade As, it’s not impossible to suppress the number.
“We cannot prevent the revivals, but we can also reduce the new Beyond Grade As and prevent them from growing endlessly!”
“You mean…”
The two of them started.
The Pope’s eyes flickered with an inexplicable light as he whispered, “The birth of Beyond Grade As comes from the huge base of Supers in the universe. If we obliterate the potential Beyond Grade As, then the Super class will be cut off. If we even cut off the inheritance of Super knowledge at the bottom, nationalizing all of it, this will make the Beyond Grade As lose their fresh blood…”
Hearing this, both Marbruce and Louis felt their hearts jolt. They were unable to help feeling shocked at the Pope’s bold declaration.
The Supers had always been an important part of the Galactic Society, but now he wanted to uproot them‽
With their insight, they felt that this idea was too insane.
But… if there were only advanced civilizations left in the universe that could train Supers, how stable would their public order be, and how strong would their ruling foundation also be?
