Chapter 1350 Conflict
“This guy…”
Looking at the broadcast on the virtual screen, the Pope’s eyes darkened.
Most of the direct descendants were stubborn. From the perspective of the leaders of the three Universal Civilizations, reviving the direct descendants and having them continue working for the three Universal Civilizations was natural. They wished they had the eternal loyalty of the direct descendants, but people’s hearts change. Especially after experiencing death once, even the direct descendants were not an exception.
After sacrificing one lifetime for the civilization, they felt that they were even and did not want to be commanded anymore. To the three of them, Hilbert’s idea was human nature, but the understanding was not in line with their current interests.
If it was during peaceful times, the three of them would not have minded if the other party wanted to retire. They would even have given him a title of merit, showing the glory that Hilbert had once served the civilization, to increase the loyalty of the other direct descendants. However, the situation was different now, and with Black Star agreeing to the terms of reviving, the three of them were in a difficult position.
After Hilbert finished speaking, the atmosphere fell silent again.
Hilbert looked around, then looked at Han Xiao and asked, “What do you think?”
Han Xiao did not reply immediately. Instead, he looked at Kasuyi with a meaningful look.
Kasuyi was stunned. “Hmm? Why are you looking at me?”
“Nothing, I’m just looking.”
Han Xiao looked away.
Tsk, the Arcane Church is indeed full of traitors…
Although Hilbert’s act of expressing his desires could not exactly be considered traitorous, it affected the mentality of the other Revivors, and in the eyes of the three Universal Civilizations’ leaders, he was probably no different from a traitor.
Various thoughts flashed through Han Xiao’s mind. He smiled and nodded.
“Your request is quite reasonable. Indeed, no one says that one has to work forever after becoming a direct descendant of a civilization. Even ordinary people have the privilege to retire. As someone who died for the civilization, you naturally have the right to do so.”
“So you have no objections?” Hilbert raised an eyebrow.
“I personally understand, but I don’t have the final say in this matter. The three Universal Civilizations bought the quota for your Sanctum Revivals from me, and they have paid the deposit. If the three Universal Civilizations wish to reduce the quota, I can cancel it.”
Han Xiao spread out his hands and continued, “In times of war, every resource has to be put to use. If you don’t show your usefulness, I guess they won’t be willing to pay.”
“In that case, take my life back.”
Hilbert opened his arms with a calm expression.
Seeing this, everyone looked at Han Xiao and Hilbert with complicated emotions.
Han Xiao narrowed his eyes.
Was this guy really willing to give up the second life that he had painstakingly obtained? That was impossible. This was just a method of retreating in order to advance. He was certain that the three Universal Civilizations would not kill him, or else in the eyes of the other Revivors, it would be no different from a forced threat. This would go against their original intentions, causing more Beyond Grade As to waver, further damaging the loyalty of some of the direct descendants, making them feel like they were forever enslaved.
Just as Han Xiao was about to speak, he suddenly received a message from the three Universal Civilizations’ leaders. He looked at it and shook his head.
“Heh, you can rest assured. The three Universal Civilizations have just expressed that they will still pay for your revival and will not take back your life.”
The three Universal Civilizations reacted quickly, unwilling to damage the loyalty of more direct descendants.
“That’s good.” Hilbert lowered his arm without changing his expression as if he had already expected this.
Immediately after, he turned around and pointed at some of the revived direct descendants who had agreed with him.
“Since you did not reject our request and did not force us to join the battle, we should be able to leave?”
Han Xiao smiled and said slowly:
“You’re mistaken. You can’t leave on your own. You can only follow us.”
Hearing this, the faces of many revivors changed slightly.
Hilbert narrowed his eyes. “You mean to put us under house arrest?”
“You can think of it this way. All of you have been dead for a long time and have just revived. You don’t know much about the current galactic society. At the same time, the composition of the organizations is quite complicated. Because the current war situation is tense, in order to reduce unexpected factors, we will conduct unified supervision. None of you can move freely before you get permission.”
Han Xiao’s expression did not change, but his tone was firm.
This was a plan that had been devised long ago. Even if he did not force all these revivors to participate in the battle, he would not allow them to move freely. Otherwise, there would be no need for him to bring so many Beyond Grade As over.
This time, Garoze and the others could not help but say:
“Us too?”
Han Xiao looked at them and said with an expressionless face, “All of you died in battle against the World Tree. Of course, you don’t have to receive such treatment. Come over.”
In reality, he did not want to let these people go either, but he had to take care of the thoughts of the association members behind him. He still had to give differential treatment.
With his current position, he had no choice but to mediate and balance the thoughts of all parties. It was human nature to seek benefits and avoid harm. He couldn’t make people from different sides give up fighting for their own benefits.
Garoze and the others heaved a sigh of relief. Under the gazes of both parties, they left the position of the Revivors and stood among the Beyond Grade As behind Han Xiao. As long as they obtained the benefits they wanted, they naturally had no intention of standing on the same side as these Revivors.
The Beyond Grade As glanced at Garoze, not having any intention of looking down on him. Hilbert did not speak, but the neutral Revivors did.
“How long is the house arrest?” a dark gold-skinned Revivor asked in a deep voice. His aura was even more oppressive than Hilbert’s.
Everyone looked over, and their hearts skipped a beat.
Nilfgadi, the first Divine Throne Mechanic in history, the founder of the Machinery Faith!
All the Mechanics with the Machinery Faith bonuses were enjoying his protection. To a Beyond Grade A Mechanic, he was like the founder.
Han Xiao nodded and explained.
“Your Excellency Nilfgadi, there is no fixed time limit for the house arrest. Everything will be done according to the specific circumstances. Everyone will have to go through a long one-on-one screening. You will only be allowed to leave after we make sure nothing unexpected will happen.”
Hearing this, another neutral Beyond Grade A sneered.
“The criteria for the screening are decided by you guys. You can say whatever you want. I’m very curious, will our house arrest continue indefinitely if we don’t agree to participate in the war?”
Han Xiao turned around.
The person who spoke was called Aegon Vardnadze, nicknamed ‘Flowing Flame’. He was a peak Beyond Grade A and a shapeshift type Esper. He was from the same era as Dylan and was also an influential figure who had died in the Tragedy of the Pinnacles. At this moment, he looked at Han Xiao and the others with undisguised hostility.
Right then, a bunch of powerful people were revived. There were all kinds of extraordinary people.
“Of course not.”
Han Xiao replied casually.
The direct descendants of the three Universal Civilizations, the direct descendants of the Super Star Cluster, as well as the Beyond Grade As whose deaths had nothing to do with the three Universal Civilizations. Even if these people were not willing to participate in the battle, they would not do anything too extreme. However, the people who died at the hands of the three Universal Civilizations or the Tragedy of the Pinnacles were completely different. Their hatred was deep, and this was a thorn that was difficult to deal with.
Aegon Vardnadze coldly glanced at Hilbert and the rest of the revived direct descendants and said indifferently, “You received payment to revive these direct descendants, but you voluntarily revived us neutral Beyond Grade As, right?”
“You can say that.” Han Xiao nodded.
“Heh, I thank you for letting me live, and I owe you a favor. However, if you want to use this favor to hold me hostage to fight the enemies of the three Universal Civilizations, that’s impossible!”
Aegon Vardnadze stood with his arms crossed, and streams of red light flowed around his body. The temperature of the area rose rapidly as he said with a firm tone:
“I’m telling you clearly that I will not accept the three Universal Civilizations’ house arrest. This is the same as being prisoned. They will never let us victims of the Tragedy of the Pinnacles go. I’m leaving right now. Who wants to leave with me?”
Rumble!
As soon as he said that, many Beyond Grade As who had died in the Tragedy of the Pinnacles burst out with their auras and echoed with their actions. Some neutral Beyond Grade As who were not willing to be placed under house arrest also stood up, wanting to use the strength of the group to leave this place.
A huge energy wave spread out, and the alloy ground trembled, with depressions appearing one after another.
The direct members of the three Universal Civilizations, the direct members of the Super Star Cluster, and some neutral Beyond Grade As immediately retreated to the side. They did not plan to help any side and decided to watch the show and act according to the situation. The direct members of the Super Star Cluster who had retreated to the side communicated telepathically.
“We’re not going to attack? This is a good opportunity to break out.”
“I just contacted the upper echelons. They told us not to act rashly and listen to their arrangements for the time being.”
Mablo paused and looked at Han Xiao in surprise.
“Also, the upper echelons specifically told me not to mess with that Black Star fellow… I will die.”
At the same time, the aura of Aegon Vardnadze and the others rose rapidly, and the atmosphere hecame tense.
Seeing this, Han Xiao’s smile gradually disappeared.
“We won’t force you to take part in the battle, but it’s a must for you to be grounded. There’s no room for negotiation. You’re all seniors with high statuses, and I don’t wish to use force. However, if you make things difficult for me, I can only make you suffer a little. Don’t choose the hard way.”
With that, the Beyond Grade As behind him spread out and formed a semi-circle around Aegon Vardnadze and the others.
“Humph, that’s more like it.” Aegon Vardnadze’s aura was boiling as he shouted, “You want to solve the problem with just words? You’re dreaming. Either you back off obediently or use your fists to make me give in. This is the rule between Beyond Grade As. If you want to stop me, you can give it a try!”
Bang!
Raging flames gushed out, using energy as fuel, as though it would never go out. The alloys on the ground melted instantly!
Aegon Vardnadze’s body changed in an instant. His body expanded and turned into a strange giant-like creature. He looked like the demon in some religious artworks that had walked out of hell, and his body was covered in flames.
The next moment, his four limbs suddenly stomped on the ground, and his entire body shot toward the outer space of the planet like a meteor. He was extremely fast, trying to break through the encirclement.
This was a signal. The many Revivors who stood with him showed their abilities and attacked the Beyond Grade As around them. The energy storm exploded, instantly opening up the chaotic battlefield. The ground shattered under the collision of the Beyond Grade As’ abilities, creating huge craters in the blink of an eye. Looking from outer space, it was like the planet had been ruthlessly smashed by an awl, shattering a part of its shell.
“Take him down!”
Han Xiao remained where he was and waved his hand.
Although there were a few powerful individuals among the group, Kakasu and Manison were not to be trifled with. With the help of Clotti, Oulou, and many other direct descendants, they were more than enough to suppress Aegon Vardnadze and the others. There was no need for him to fight personally.
As expected, just as Aegon Vardnadze rushed into outer space, a huge silver Mechanical Deity quickly appeared, and the visual effect almost covered the entire sky. It looked down on the planet from outer space and slammed down, instantly smashing Aegon Vardnadze back to the ground.
Bang!
The alloy ground caved in, twisted, and shattered. Aegon Vardnadze crashed down like a meteor, creating a ring-shaped valley.
What a good Buddha Palm technique!
Han Xiao’s eyelids twitched.
On the other side, Kasuyi’s eyes flashed and an endless amount of psychic energy gushed out, filling every inch of space. There was almost no place to hide and the continuous mental explosions shook and distorted the movement of many escaping Revivors.
The other revivors did not interfere. They retreated to the edge of the battlefield and only received a little bit of psychic shockwave. They were also shocked and felt a sharp pain in their brains.
“These later generations’ Beyond Grade As are not simple…”
“Just one-third of them can stop them. I don’t think they can escape.” “The leader, Black Star, has yet to make his move. His strength should not be too far off.”
Many of the Revivors who were watching the show whispered among themselves. They were also using this opportunity to observe the strength of the Beyond Grade As of this era.
They had just revived and lost their weapons. Most of them were not at their peak state, especially the Mechanics. If this group of Beyond Grade As was so powerful that they did not see a chance to escape, they would accept the house arrest.
Manison and Kasuyi led a group of association members to fight with Aegon Vardnadze and the others for a while, quickly defeating the weakened Revivors one after another. However, there were a large number of opponents, and there were peak Beyond Grade As as well. Many of the association members were also injured.
Aegon Vardnadze, whose body was covered in wounds, avoided Manison’s psionic cannon and collided with the ‘Desolate Beast’ Mercer. He received a few punches in exchange for injuries, and his sharp claws slammed into Mercer’s chest. The concentrated flames entered Mercer’s body through a skill and exploded.
Boom!
The flames expanded, and Mercer shot out from the smoke and landed on the ground. His momentum did not decrease, and he plowed out a valley. Black smoke was coming out of his body as if he was burnt inside out, and his injuries were not light.
However, at this moment, Aurora raised her hand and shot out a wave of life energy, hitting Mercer. His charred skin fell off one after another, and new flesh grew out. His injuries disappeared at a speed visible to the naked eye.
“Recovery Esper!”
Aegon Vardnadze’s expression changed. Suddenly, he had a flash of insight. He changed his direction and charged toward Aurora.
After the intense battle, he had already realized that it was impossible for him to forcefully break out of the encirclement. Since he could not break through Manison and Kasuyi’s blockade, he already had the intention to give in. However, when he saw Aurora’s ability, he suddenly had an idea.
Since the three Universal Civilizations were resisting a foreign enemy, recovery-type Espers would surely have a strategic significance to the high-level combatants. If he could get to the recovery-type Esper class and use her as a hostage to negotiate with them, he might be able to successfully leave!
Aegon Vardnadze made up his mind.
One last try!
Just as he changed targets, the Beyond Grade As on the association’s side were all furious.
Aurora was their support to fight against the World Tree, and she was a strategic weapon that could maintain the advantage of high-level combatants. However, this guy wanted to put their only healer in danger to escape?!
Even the direct Beyond Grade As, such as Clotti, who did not make a move, could not hold back any longer. They turned into streams of light and charged toward Aegon Vardnadze.
This scene was like poking a hornet’s nest. Aegon Vardnadze was shocked, but he did not stop. Instead, he increased his speed and believed that this move would work.
The revivors were also shocked. They were about to continue watching the show, but at this moment, a powerful shockwave swept out!
Buzz!
Han Xiao’s figure appeared in front of Aegon Vardnadze like teleportation. The next moment, the black Mechanical Deity rose from the ground and said coldly:
“I know that you have a grudge with the three Universal Civilizations, so it’s not a problem for you to vent your anger. However, if you wish to attack our important strategic figure, you’re courting death!”
Han Xiao did not hesitate at all. He opened his palm, and a strong restraining force field was applied on Aegon Vardnadze, temporarily freezing him in midair. Then, the army of soldiers separated from the Mechanical Deity and fired at him.
Wave after wave of attacks rained down on Aegon Vardnadze without holding back. No matter how Aegon Vardnadze tried to escape, the mechanical army chased after and bombarded him.
“I surrender! Stop attacking!”
Aegon Vardnadze hurriedly admitted defeat, but Han Xiao ignored him.
The Beyond Grade As who were rushing over stopped in their tracks and the revivors who were watching the battle were also shocked. How could they not see that this was killing intent?
Regardless of how Aegon Vardnadze surrendered or retaliated in despair, Han Xiao ignored all of them. He chased him for a long time before finally blasting him to death, leaving only an incomplete body falling from the sky. The battle of breaking the encirclement had long stopped, and everyone could only watch as Han Xiao killed Aegon Vardnadze. No matter how Aegon Vardnadze fought back, he could not escape Black Star’s control. The difference in strength was completely overwhelming.
Just as the revivors were surprised by Black Star’s killing move, Hila grabbed Aegon Vardnadze’s corpse, pulled out a soul, and threw it into the Underworld, attracting everyone’s attention.
Seeing that everyone was looking at her, Hila did not mind and snorted.
“Black Star can give all of you a new life, but he can also take your lives. If you continue to be so shameless, I’ll send all of you to hell!”
