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Chapter 1101 Accumulation

You have triggered an S-ranked Mission: Intelligent Plague!

Mission Introduction: An exploration team has dug out taboo antiques in the Ancient Star Desert, accidentally releasing a virtual virus aimed at artificial intelligences. The source of this virus is unknown, but it has an extremely high infectivity and permeability. It has spread rapidly through the domain of the quantum network, and once it breaks out, the underlying logic of countless artificial intelligences and machines will be rewritten to initiate a mechanical rebellion.

Mission Requirements: Clear the unknown virtual virus and remove the Intelligent Plague crisis.

Reward: Based on the Mission Rating, different rewards will be given.

Special Mission Requirement: Personally destroy the core data of the virus.

Special Mission Reward: Generate a Specialty related to yourself (Exclusive to the Mechanic Class)

An S-rank Mission… well, as expected.

Han Xiao was not surprised at all.

With the three Universal Civilizations barricading the entire Star Field, such a large move would naturally not be a small task. Given the spread of the virus, it was indeed worthy of the highest level of difficulty needed to completely eliminate it.

The majority of S-ranked mission requirements were usually ambiguous, with only a few prompts for the steps needed. One had to discover the method to solve the problem themselves. Generally, there would be more than one method to solve the mission, and one had to be easily adaptable to changes.

This was what had happened with Godora's [Bloodline] mission, so Han Xiao was already used to it.

What he was curious about was regarding the special mission requirements. It actually revealed a lot of information.

I originally thought that every individual virus was the same because that's how a virus usually transmits. I didn't expect that there would be a core. In this manner, the virus is more like a controllable Virtual Domain bioweapon…

If the core of the virus was an intelligent life form, it would definitely be hidden within the quantum network and not show itself. The threat of the virtual viruses would thus greatly increase as opponents with a self-consciousness were more terrifying than the objects that moved based on their instincts.

But there was another possibility, and that was that the core data of the virus was not an intelligent life form but rather an algorithm that was responsible for the coordination of the overall infection. It would command all its virus progeny according to its program structure without any self-awareness.

Hmm… why do I have a feeling this is like operating a plague company? Han Xiao scratched his head.

The special mission reward was the ability to generate a Mechanic class related expertise, not one extracted from a target. This made him feel that the virus core was more likely to be an algorithm. The generated expertise would not be any weaker than the huge movements from this mission and would also likely be related to Virtual Technology expertise.

"Phillip, prepare the spaceship and ask Reynold to choose a few mechanics to follow me."

Han Xiao did not hesitate, putting on his coat and opening the door, striding toward the dock of the base.

This intelligent plague was an emergency, able to threaten the entire universe and disrupt his plans. He had to end his 'vacation' early, temporarily leaving the matters at hand and take his people to the Ancient Star Desert to complete the mission.

As someone who was in a high position, he could not remain uninvolved when faced with problems of this level.

Not long after, a fleet full of Mechanics from the army set off from Black Star Palace, shuttling like a group of meteors through the universe in the direction of the Ancient Star Desert.

At the same time, countless well-known mechanics throughout the universe also received the invitation of the three Universal Civilizations to move toward the Ancient Star Desert.

This matter concerned the safety of the entire universe, and the three Universal Civilizations were in a race against time, so they acted quickly. The Civilization Conference was urgently convened, and all the civilizations at the Star System level and above in the Ancient Star Desert were quickly identified.

In the conference hall that was full of remote projections of various civilization representatives, the leaders of the three Universal Civilizations appeared at the same time to announce their decision.

"Yesterday, the Federation of Light, the Crimson Dynasty, and the Arcane Church received reliable information that a special virtual virus has appeared in the Ancient Star Desert. This virus is extremely permeable and has inflected many areas. According to the judgement of experts, the goal of the virus is to rewrite the underlying logic for all infected machines, taking the killing of living organisms as their primary task.

"After much discussion, the three Universal Civilizations have rated this disaster as 'World-Destroying Level' and are activating the unified command to seal off all quantum network nodes connecting the Ancient Star Desert to the outside world. Troops will be sent to block the Star Field, and all civilizations of the Ancient Star Desert must cooperate with the actions of the three Universal Civilizations. These procedures are to be implemented immediately."

Extraordinary times called for extraordinary measures. Without any long-winded talk, the three Universal Civilizations read out the notices rather than bills, requiring all civilizations within the Ancient Star Desert to comply without fail, with no room for negotiation.

Just as they finished speaking, the civilizations' representatives, who were initially wondering why an emergency meeting was convened, turned pale.

The three Universal Civilizations were responsible for the exploration of the universe and had also set up a disaster rating system. According to the relevant laws and regulations, when the threat level of a disaster rose to a certain level, the three Universal Civilizations would have the high veto power and be qualified to coordinate all the civilizations within the universe.

It was just that such incidents were few and far between even throughout the long history.

As soon as the announcement from the three Universal Civilizations was issued, the galactic residents went into an uproar. No one had thought that a disaster of this magnitude would happen all of a sudden. The world was truly full of surprises.

For those ordinary citizens, this was just like any other normal day. The disaster happened silently, and if not for the early warning measures of the three Universal Civilizations, most people would only have reacted when the virus broke out.

Regardless of what the various civilizations within the Ancient Star Desert were planning in secret, they were extremely cooperative on the surface, cutting off all external links and blocking their own Star Field network in accordance with the requirements of the three Universal Civilizations.

With the three Universal Civilizations and the civilizations within the Star Field collectively acting, the scale of resources mobilized was beyond imagination. Things that were believed impossible in the eyes of normal people were easily achieved.

The Ancient Star Desert was quickly isolated from the entire galactic society and became akin to a quarantined city in darkness. All contact with it was forbidden, and the outside world did not know what was happening inside.

While the situation was temporarily under control, panic still spread throughout the universe. The sudden disaster robbed the Flickering World of its limelight, and countless people turned their attention away from the competition in the new Star Field to focus on progression of the situation within the Ancient Star Desert.

Compared to the calm and poise with which the civilizations handled the situation, the galactic residents of the Ancient Star Desert seemed to be chaotic and flustered. Even though the civilizations continued to appease the residents, there were still varying degrees of people fleeing to other planets to take refuge.

Due to the target of the virus being artificial intelligences, countless residents no longer placed their trust in their machines, thinking that they might possibly be a threat. They would rather regress back to the level of a surface civilization than continue to utilize the intelligent machinery. Some even destroyed their machines to eliminate any hidden threats.

A trend of machinery rejection was created in the Ancient Star Desert… but such chaos was long within the predicted scope of the advanced civilizations.

With the severity of the situation, the three Universal Civilizations did not choose to block the news but rather let everyone know the seriousness of such a situation. In this manner, the self-examination and supervision of the galactic residents could be strengthened. Besides, there would be no way to hide any movement of this scale.

The stargates were rapidly closed, the army moving into the Star Field to set up barricades. Countless people who wished to escape from the Ancient Star Desert were completely blocked.

This scene was something that also occurred during the era of the intelligent plague in his previous life. Now that this was pushed forward to the Version 4.0 era, a stormy undercurrent started brewing.

"The Ancient Star Desert has been sealed? Black Star has gone to aid them‽"

In the free competition zone, the leaders of the Super Star Cluster met in secret within the Flickering World, their expressions gleeful.

"This disaster is too timely! With the three Universal Civilizations involved in disaster relief, they no longer have the time to contain us!"

Roddick of the Modo Civilization tightly gripped his fists, an expression of joy.

The majority of people in the universe were uneasy and panicking about the disaster, but for the Super Star Cluster Alliance, it was unexpectedly good news.

"That's right. The Intelligent Plague can restrain and control the three Universal Civilizations, which will give us more time. This will increase our chances of winning!"

"The best would be for the Intelligent Plague to spread out and make the three Universal Civilizations suffer. The more chaotic the universe, the less time they have to deal with us. Only with chaos can we stand a chance."

Everyone present was extremely excited, feeling as though it was some form of divine intervention.

"Say, what happens if the three Universal Civilizations fail?"

"That will put everyone in a terrible situation. We will suffer losses as well."

"Without destruction, there can never be creation. Only when the foundations of the three Universal Civilizations are shaken will we then have the chance to rise. These are all necessary sacrifices."

The eyes of everyone present flashed.

If the Intelligent Plague were to truly break loose, then the Super Star Cluster Alliance would also be damaged. However, the three Universal Civilizations would take the brunt, their prestige and dominance sure to plummet.

They believed that the advanced civilizations of the Ancient Star Desert would have their own thoughts as well.

However, right now, all they could do was discuss. The situation was not determined by them, so they could only wait and see.

As the entire universe was filled with anxiety, Mechanics from all over the universe rushed to the Ancient Star Desert one after another, arriving at the disaster command center that was temporarily established by the three Universal Civilizations.

One month later, a fleet cruised into the dock of the Disaster Management Command Center. Han Xiao opened the hatch and walked down the spaceship with a group of mechanics. He caught sight of Manison immediately.

"You're finally here."

Manison came up to greet him.

Since the establishment of the development union, Manison and Han Xiao had served as the President and the Vice President respectively. While they had different end goals in mind, they were currently strung together and thus communicated frequently.

"I thought you would arrive in your true body, but you're still using your avatar." Han Xiao clicked his tongue.

"… This is safer."

Manison was a little speechless. A Mechanic was supposed to be a 'paper[1]' class. Han Xiao was an anomaly who ran around everywhere, not afraid of being killed.

After they exchanged greetings, they walked side by side, discussing the current situation.

"I rushed all the way here and could not get any news from the outside. How's the situation in the Ancient Star Desert now?" Han Xiao was curious.

"Not too optimistic. While the three Universal Civilizations have already barricaded the Star Field, the virus is too contagious. Many nodes have already been repeatedly infected, and the virus has a terrible camouflaging ability, rendering normal scanning devices too inaccurate and inefficient. There are currently eight Star Clusters that show signs of infection, and the number of nodes… too large to estimate." Manison shook his head.

Han Xiao understood.

Every terminal connected to a quantum network could be considered a node, meaning this included communicators, household appliances, spaceships, and so on. The number was humongous, and just the classifications would already tell one how terrible the workload was.

Even if the Beyond Grade A Virtual Mechanic could easily remove the virus' information packets, there were so many nodes that an individual's strength was simply insufficient. The speed of removal would not surpass the infection speed, let alone factoring the issue of reinfection. At present, only the advanced civilizations had the ability to control the virus.

"The three Universal Civilizations are currently developing special anti-virus programs in order to improve the efficiency of removal. This is also the reason for them calling on us," Manison said.

"Has this virus already been named?"

"Well, it was temporarily named the 'Virtual Mutiny Virus' on paper."

Han Xiao glanced at him before raising an eyebrow. "I heard that you were the first person to discover this virus, immediately running over to the Federation of Light to inform them of this matter. What are your thoughts?"

"This is my business," Manison casually replied.

"Take a guess to see if I believe it or not." Han Xiao smirked. He knew Manison well and had not forgotten the previous incident with the federation. Why was he pretending to be a loyal minister now?

Manison shook his head, looking ashamed at being in his company.

"A youngster will always be a youngster. Your mentality pains me."

Yes, pretend, continue to pretend… Han Xiao sniggered internally.

Seeing that Black Star still had an expression as though he would rather believe that Manison was a ghost instead, he shook his head before whispering, "This type of disaster is the stage for us Mechanics. The more important the three Universal Civilizations view it, the more prominent our importance will be to them. This will allow us to contribute to the universe and become a bargaining chip for us. On the other hand, if this virus cannot be resolved, the Mechanic department will be severely hit, which will not be conducive to our expansion."

"This is more like you." Han Xiao laughed. "You still wish to take the opportunity to study this virus, and if possible, master it so there will be an additional deterrent to the advanced civilizations, right?"

"Aren't you thinking the same way too?" Manison shot back.

Hearing this, Han Xiao put on a righteous look, as though he radiated virtue.

"As the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility. I do not wish for the universe to fall into chaos; this is my responsibility as a senior!"

"He he."

Manison mirthlessly spat out two laughs.

I read you right, Black Star. We're indeed all jackals of the same tribe.

[1] Gaming slang which means that the character has low HP and thus easily killed.

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Chapter 1102 – The Undercurrents within different Parties

The duo idly chatted as they walked into the spacious conference room.

At this moment, various races were sitting in the conference room, all of which were Mechanics from all over the world. The lowest tier here was the Calamity Grade, and several Beyond Grade A Mechanics were also present.

The dynasty's [Illusory Deity] Kant, [Warship Emperor] Maximiler, and [Quantum Demon] Judith; the church's Sun Hunter and [Mechanical Catastrophe] Francisco; the federation's [Mechanic Empress] Mornisa, [Defender] Romo, and the [Lone Ranger] Jackornitz whom Han Xiao had just released.

Not all of them specialized in Virtual Technology, but as Beyond Grade A Mechanics, they had naturally dabbled in the Virtual Domain, definitely more than what the Calamity Grades would have.

In order to deal with the Intelligent Plague, the three Universal Civilizations had invited all sorts of well-known experts from different Star Fields to work together. This could be described as a grand gathering of the universe's mechanics. All sorts of talents gathered on this unprecedented occasion.

When Han Xiao walked in with Manison, everyone felt their breaths stagnate, their gazes landing on the two of them with emotions such as worship and awe appearing on their faces.

In the present Mechanic world, Manison was recognized as the pinnacle, whereas Black Star had an unstoppable rising momentum. Not long ago, he had set another stellar battle record. Coupled with his role as the Vice President of the Beyond Grade A Association, he was second only to Manison in the rankings of the Beyond Grade A Mechanics.

Watching the two of them walk in shoulder to shoulder, many of the Mechanics felt like they were meeting their idols.

"Oh, everyone is here."

The Beyond Grade A Mechanics were all in the first row. Han Xiao first greeted Kant and his other dynasty allies before turning his head to sweep the federation and the church's people with a glance.

Oh, it's confirmed. Everyone here has been beaten by me before.

As though perceiving the ridicule in Han Xiao's eyes, with the exception of Sun Hunter, the rest of the Mechanics naturally looked away, not wishing to make eye contact with Black Star.

This was especially so after being released from prison. Jackornitz, who was the latest to have been released, quickly turned his head to look at the ceiling, pretending to be distracted.

"Tsk tsk, don't be shy. We're all part of the same association now. Why are you still acting so cold, not even saying hello?"

Han Xiao leaned over, smiling as he draped his arms over their shoulders. Everyone's shoulders stiffed; they only helplessly nodded and greeted him, "Vice President."

Ah, how comfortable.

Han Xiao was satisfied, patting everyone's shoulders vigorously before taking a seat next to Manison. He pulled Kant beside him to discuss the changes behind the virus thus far.

After a while, Sidreun strode into the room, standing on the rostrum of the conference room. The whispering voices quickly abated, and everyone looked up toward him.

Sidreun lightly cleared his throat, solemnly speaking.

"Some of you might know me, but others don't, so I'll do a brief introduction of myself. I'm Sidreun, the Chief of the Federation of Light's Inspector Department. Everyone here is a Mechanic at the top of the universe and has accepted the invitation to remove the Virtual Mutiny Virus. The situation is urgent now, so I skip the formalities. Let me explain the current situation to you."

As he spoke, Sidreun called out the virtual screen showing the current infection scope of the virus, continuing in a grave tone.

"The Virtual Mutiny Virus is a new type of quantum network virus with a very high technology level. It has amazing penetration ability into normal firewalls. After the data packet has succeeded in penetration, it will disguise itself as normal data. There are too many variants of the package's key data, thus its degree of concealment is extremely high. Once the node is successfully infiltrated, the difficulty of scanning will be greatly increased, which in turn consumes more computing power.

"Moreover, every information package of the Virtual Mutiny Virus is a source of infection, constantly self-replicating to create repeated infections. Thus, the efficiency of our conventional methods will be too weak. At present, we are analyzing the structural coding of the information packets, planning to create programs that can reverse the development of its three unique programs—namely scanning, anti-virus, and firewall. The problem is, the coding for this virus is different from our mainstream quantum network technology. Just the analysis is difficult, slowing progress…"

Hearing this, everyone nodded. This was a normal process when dealing with virtual viruses.

Virtual Mechanics could be said to resemble the medical experts from all over the world, gathering and working together right now to research and come out with a cure to a new infectious disease.

Sidreun said in a heavy voice, "At present, the Virtual Mutiny Virus is still within the incubation period. We managed to intercept many virus information packets that did not manage to completely self-destruct themselves. After interpreting the content, we have discovered the trigger mechanism behind the outbreak of the virus. However, the situation is not good.

"Based on the analysis of the algorithms, it shows that there are sixteen trigger logics for the outbreak of the Virtual Mutiny Virus, of which four are potentially troublesome. First, when the number of infected nodes reaches a certain scale, the virus will automatically break out. The second trigger is the removal of the virus on a large scale. The third logic is that once the infection rate of the virus slows to a certain scale or if there are repeated infections without any new nodes being infected, the virus will then break out. Lastly, if a single virus packet is isolated or trapped for too long within a node, it will implode on its own…"

While listening to Sidreun's introduction, Han Xiao nodded to himself in understanding.

Viruses would not sit and wait to die. These trigger mechanisms were created to adapt to various situations. If they infected enough numbers, outbreak! If they were being killed en masse, outbreak! If the infection rate was restricted, outbreak!

The [Intelligent Plague] mission had warned him of the existence of a virus core, so most of the trigger mechanisms, including the three previously talked about, should be controlled by the virus core. Only the virus core could coordinate the overall infection trend. Information packets were like bombs, and the virus core was the remote detonator.

While disconnecting the quantum network could cut off the connection between the information packets and the virus core, the fourth trigger was introduced to prevent such a situation. Even without the virus core remotely controlling it, the infected node will self-detonate if left too long without any new signal or information sources, akin to a timed bomb. Thus, it was also difficult to isolate and imprison the virus separately.

At present, the three Universal Civilizations could only cut off the connection between the Ancient Star Desert and the other Star Fields to prevent further infection, whereas the internal network of the Star Field had not been cut off, retaining the public base stations as well as the Star Field level quantum network channels.

It was not realistic to completely disconnect the network. Cutting off the link of each node would be equivalent to blinding themselves. In this manner, the three Universal Civilizations would not be able to monitor the rate of infection, let alone count the number of infected nodes.

Thus, only by developing an anti-virus with a three-pronged approach could the problem be settled once and for all.

"… The situation is severe. We're fighting with time against the virus. While delaying the outbreak of the virus, we also have to speed up research and development. During this period, a mechanical rebellion could happen at any time, so we can only try our best to prepare and control the outbreak."

Sidreun gazed around, his expression grave as he emphasized his point.

"We have to block the virus right here in the Ancient Star Desert, not letting it leak out to the outside world, else the crisis will be uncontrollable and evolve into a universal disaster. The consequences would be unimaginable!"

As his voice fell, the atmosphere of the conference room grew heavy.

Thinking about the potential impact, many of the mechanics present felt tremendous pressure. It could be said that the progress of their efforts was directly related to the number of casualties in the universe. If a mistake was made, there would then be countless sacrifices.

Han Xiao thought on it.

Has it reached such a state?

Even the three Universal Civilizations were having a headache, causing him to wonder which civilization this Virtual Mutiny Virus originated from as well as the creator of this technology.

Suddenly, Han Xiao's eyes sparkled.

That's right! If I utilize the [Bold Explorer] skill, I might be able to see through the origins of the virus…

After the meeting was adjourned, Sidreun took the group to the virus research department.

On the way, Han Xiao and Manison walked in front, entering the quantum network to chat privately in their minds.

"You came earlier than me, so tell me, is the analysis of the virus really that difficult?"

"It comes from an unknown civilization, with a never-before-seen encoding method. It's already difficult to decipher, and coupled with the self-destruction mechanism, we only ever get incomplete information packets." Manison shook his head. "With our strength, we can clear the information packets at will, but the current task is to create a three-pronged anti-virus kit that even ordinary people can use. Without advanced computing power, the requirements have to be more demanding."

Han Xiao nodded, his eyes gleaming as he replied, "I feel that you don't really wish to create the dedicated antivirus so quickly."

Manison glanced at him, not bothering to reply directly. "This virus technology has the possibility to be weaponized. The information packet is being used like a missile head, and the content inside can be reprogramed, for example, to seize control of a machine. With the help of the high infectiousness of this virus, the invasion ability of us Virtual Mechanics can be raised to a whole new level…"

Hearing this, Han Xiao also clearly understood Manison's plan.

This person wished to solve the disaster and accumulate achievements, but that was under the premise that he could thoroughly research and grasp this virus technology. In order to ensure the deterrence behind this technology, he did not wish to make a whole and complete antivirus, rather leaving a small loophole within.

Han Xiao secretly cursed this sneaky old man before narrowing his eyes and saying, "If you can control the virus core data and obtain the source code, then you can fully analyze this technology."

"That's right." Manison nodded before glancing back. "It's not just you and me, but every of the Beyond Grade A mechanics present, even those from the three Universal Civilizations have the same intention to obtain the virus core."

On the way to the Ru0026D department, there was a huge crowd, and a large number of researchers were stationed here day and night to decipher the Virtual Mutiny Virus.

Everyone was assigned to their specific task, immediately beginning to work.

Some were in charge of scientific research whilst others did field work. They had to go outside to collect those infected nodes, acting as inspectors of the three Universal Civilizations to check how the other civilizations were handling the infected nodes.

As for the Beyond Grade A Mechanics, they acted as experts and consultants, staying within the headquarters to research. All of them had their dedicated rooms.

Taking his subordinates into the room, Han Xiao was assigned three information packages, of which the structural integrities were at 91%, 82%, and 75% respectively. These were the least damaged batches.

Han Xiao summoned Phillip, analyzing the information packages one by one against the currently deciphered part of the code comparison table.

As a Beyond Grade A Virtual Mechanic, he was not worried about Phillip being infected. This sort of information package could not break through his own defense line.

Taking advantage of Phillip doing the hard work for him, Han Xiao slipped into the quantum network, capturing one of the information packages before activating his [Bold Explorer] skill.

At the same time, on the Star Arc Civilization's mother planet, a meeting was being held, and many of the upper echelons were discussing animatedly.

"Now that the three Universal Civilizations have blocked the Ancient Star Desert, disaster relief is the primary task for them, but they might also take the opportunity to deal with the Super Star Cluster Civilizations in this Star Field in the name of inspecting the infected nodes. They might request us to open our internal database, even taking advantage of this news blockage to achieve what they want!"

"That's impossible. The three Universal Civilizations aren't so stupid. If they take this opportunity to act on the civilizations that cooperate with them, it will only ruin their credibility and will only make us struggle to the death."

"But forcing us to open our databases is rather possible. If we choose to reject, once they have solved this disaster, the three Universal Civilizations will have a lot of room to operate. Whether it is to plant blame or for political accountability, they can attack all of the Super Star Cluster Civilizations in the Ancient Star Desert, using this as an excuse to begin a crusade against the Super Star Cluster Alliance."

"We can't rely on the integrity of the three Universal Civilizations. We have to prepare bargaining chips and secure our retreat in advance."

"That's right. We cannot just listen to the arrangements of the three Universal Civilizations. I suggest we secretly collect some infected nodes, keeping the virus as a trump card. We can even take a little risk to open the military's secret external communication network and pass the virus on to our secret forces within each Star Field as insurance…"

Suggestions spewed out quickly, and the expression of the head of the civilization was grave as he pondered.

The Star Arc Civilization was located within the Ancient Star Desert, and while it had cut off its connection with the outside world in response to the calls made by the three Universal Civilizations, there was no way a Super Star Cluster Civilization would be this honest and obedient.

To make them obediently give up on studying this terrible virus technology with just an order? What sort of joke was this? Did they think them innocent babies?

So what if the virus breaks out? It's simple, just lock up all the offending artificial intelligences. There will definitely be more solutions than difficulties.

While the three Universal Civilizations were mainly there for disaster relief and did not express any hostility, the blocking of the Star Field still left the Super Star Cluster Civilizations in trepidation. As a civilization, it was impossible for them to place their future in the hands of others. They had to plan ahead.

It was not just Star Arc Civilization; all the advanced civilizations were also secretly planning something.

On a certain planet within the Ancient Star Desert, a subdivision of Machinery Faith was located.

Above the holy mountain, in the Temple of God, many priests stood on the edge of the circular hall, surrounding the holographic projections in the center. Those were the data structures of the Virtual Mutiny Virus, expanded and amplified, looking like stars in the galaxy.

"Look at the structure of this quantum network virus. It's like a thorny rose, coquettish yet dangerous. It's able to set off a machinery revolution, possibly creating a mechanical kingdom…"

One of the priests of the Virtual School could not help but sing out, a pious expression on his face.

"Quiet." The Grand Priest tapped the Machinery Scepter before slowly saying, "This virus is dangerous. We have to conduct research in a completely enclosed environment to prevent any leakage."

"This is no virus but the will of God. Why not spread it out?" Another zealot spread open his arms wide as he babbled. "Rather than saying that it's a disaster, it's better to claim it as the gospel!"

"Have you lost your mind‽"

Hearing this, most of the priests retorted.

"We're the believers of machinery, not the emissaries of a disaster!"

The quarrel was fierce, and the Grand Priest had a heavy expression as he listened to the different factions arguing.

Any faith would have some zealots with distorted mindsets, and the Machinery Faith was no exception. Most of them wished to study the Virtual Mutiny Virus and did not want to cause a disaster.

However, a small portion of them did not think so. In their eyes, the Intelligent Plague was a god-sent message for revolution, allowing machinery to get rid of the shackles of being a tool and gain freedom to form its own Machinery Kingdom. In those zealots' eyes, the Virtual Mutiny Virus was the will of God.

The Grand Priest turned his head, looking at the statues within the Temple of God. His eyes fell on the figures of Black Star and the Mechanic Emperor, and he prayed silently to them.

In another area of the Ancient Star Desert, a fleet was slowly cruising, within which was a bunch of players.

Now that the World Server was open, players from all Star Fields had gathered in the Flickering World. However, there were a few of the players that still chose to stay in their original Star Fields. Some of these people were happy being small-time characters, while others did not wish to travel all over the universe just to start from nothing once more. Thus, they remained in the Star Field to keep exploring.

The players in this fleet were an active guild based in the Ancient Star Desert, called the Western Sword Guild. They had been black market mercenaries for the past four versions, and everyone knew that they were Immortals.

The guild president's ID was Melancholic Prince, and his character belonged to the galactic Blood Race, which referred to Vampires in general. They possessed pale white skin, skinny figures, and had a melancholic vibe.

The Blood Race existed in the universe, classified as part of the long-lived races, but they did not possess the famed talents such as blood recollection, transforming blood servants, and becoming bats. They also did not have the standard weaknesses such as garlic, silver, or Holy Relics.

There were many theories about the origin of the galactic Blood Race, which included genetic mutations, part of biological weapons created by higher civilizations, or even dark energy invasions. After years of natural selection, the blood race had also adapted to the Galactic Civilization, which caused them to no longer be afraid of ultraviolet radiation, surviving on synthetic blood as well. Ten Enas could buy a few tons of synthetic blood, which also came with a full set of seasoning as well as a fluffy mascot as a free gift.

However, this species was still unpopular in the universe, as no one liked a creature that drank the blood of others to replenish their physical strength.

Beep beep…

The spaceship's communicator rang, and Melancholic Prince opened his eyes in surprise.

"Brothers, someone anonymously sent us an employment task through the black market, with a remuneration of five million Enas! They are paying a deposit of a million in advance!"

Everyone gathered around in excitement.

"Such a big order! What are we waiting for? Let's accept it!"

"What does the employer want us to do?"

Melancholic Prince glanced through the employment list, and he laughed."Haha, interesting, someone wishes to hire us to smuggle an infected node of the Virtual Mutiny Virus out of the Ancient Star Desert."

Hearing this, everyone could not help but exchange glances.

They were also trapped within the Ancient Star Desert, so they were naturally aware of the danger of the Virtual Mutiny Virus as well as the scale of the three Universal Civilizations. Thus, they hesitated.

"President, is the risk too high? If we're exposed, we will immediately become wanted men."

Melancholic Prince waved his hand. "What are you scared of? This is five million Enas. There's no reason not to risk our lives for it. Accept the mission."

Everyone could only follow the order, but some of them had other thoughts and began to secretly think to themselves.

Their anonymous employer wanted them to perform this task mainly because they had taken a fancy to their identity as Immortals.

One could see that in the isolated Ancient Star Desert, undercurrents were surging.

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Chapter 1103 The sickle is accurate, a leek every slice

After sacrificing sixty percent of his Luck attribute for fourteen days, which amounted to roughly zero points, the [Bold Explorer) skill was activated, and the world in front of Han Xiao's eyes changed. His sight panned out into outer space, and below him was a huge planet where its silvery gray earth extended all the way as far as his vision allowed. Blue and white dazzling lights covered the horizon, and the bright light from the photon energy tower stood out from the backdrop of the dark universe.

Han Xiao glanced downward. On the surface was a steel forest without any green vegetation, and numerous strange-shaped mechanical buildings occupied the area. The high mechanical towers shot into the sky, giving the planet a look like a mutated sea urchin wearing steel armor. The cold, heavy style brought with it an evil vibe.

At this time, the scene zoomed in, falling to the ground and focusing on the mechanical city at a low altitude. Han Xiao saw that the inhabitants of the planet were a group of mechanical bodies with varied appearances. There were almost no two identical individuals, their structures all complicated and exquisite. Their decals were all gorgeous, giving them a very advanced look.

"They're all mechanical life forms. Could this be a Mechanical Life Civilization?"

As a bystander, Han Xiao could not help but think of Psionic Prime's civilization under his banner. The two were very similar, with the difference that this machinery civilization revealed by (Bold Explorer) was far more advanced, already reaching its matured state.

Did the Virtual Mutiny Virus originate from this unknown mechanical civilization? Han Xiao thought while looking at the scene in front of him.

Right at this moment, something happened!

A piercing white glare that seemed to cover the entire sky swept past, and the giant planet was dead in the center of its blast radius.

A large shield covering the entire planet appeared in outer space, but the moment it came into contact with the light ray, the large shield disintegrated, breaking into countless energy particles.

The planet lost all its protection and was peeled off layer by later, annihilated and decomposed in a short moment. The entire planet's existence was easily erased in the universe by this light ray.

By the time the attack was over, the illusion disappeared, and Han Xiao's vision returned to the room. He frowned.

The attack just now seemed to be an advanced energy rank directional gamma-ray burst. It might not have been a natural disaster but rather an attack from a weapon.

Gamma ray bursts were a common universal disaster, and evaporating a planet was like child's play to them. But with the shields that most civilizations had, they would be able to shield themselves against it. However, the ray burst in the illusion Han Xiao experienced was strange in that it directly disintegrated the planet's shield the moment it touched it, even though the machinery civilization in it was at an advanced level.

Most people would not be able to observe many details, but the senses of the Beyond Grade As were different. Han Xiao found that there was an additional material added to the Gamma Ray, which might make it a galactic weapon utilized by another advanced civilization.

The universe was full of radiation, and it was actually very lively and bright. However, ordinary people would only see a patch of darkness. As a person's life level changed, so did the world they saw around them. It was like everyone was looking at the world through keyholes, but those of a higher life level would have larger keyholes.

The information obtained through the skill this time is not enough. There's no clear direction…

Han Xiao stroked his chin with his thumb, summing up the information he obtained in the short illusion.

Firstly, there was an advanced civilization that was suspected of being a Mechanical Life Civilization. They had a large colonial planet that was extremely advanced in technology, but it was blown up by a Planetary Annihilation Weapon, proving that they had another advanced civilization as their enemy. The hostile civilization would at least be at the Star Cluster level, even possibly at the quasi-Universal Civilization level.

The creator of the Virtual Mutiny Virus should be one of these two civilizations. There was too little information about the other civilization, so Han Xiao ignored it. He mainly analyzed this unknown Machinery civilization.

There are many possibilities for the origin of the Machinery civilization. The most common is for a Beyond Grade A to bestow Mechanical Life, but there are other factors. For example, a biological civilization could also undergo Mechanical Ascension, placing the consciousness of their entire race into mechanical minds and replacing their physical bodies with machinery carriers to obtain immortality. It's also possible that this civilization is in the form of an AI civilization, a world dominated by artificial intelligence, and the machines are just carriers for them to walk around in…

What piqued Han Xiao's curiosity most was whether this happened during the era of the modern Galaxy Calendar. He did not know whether it was a lost civilization that had existed during the exploration era or an unknown advanced civilization in an unexplored region of the universe.

He needed to continue using (Bold Explorer) to obtain intelligence or maybe use more relevant items for his ability…

Han Xiao suddenly recalled something.

There was still the safe in which the virus had been stored, which was in the custody of the three Universal Civilizations. That might be a better goal!

Along the way, he could also visit Harrison and the others. These guys had been temporarily imprisoned due to the release of the Virtual Mutiny Virus. In the face of such a disaster, the inspector did not have the last say, so whatever promises he gave to Harrison and this team would definitely be blown away like farts in the wind.

The three Universal Civilizations were quite considerate to this group of prisoners as well, fearing that their bodies would rust due to the long prison life. Thus, they were interrogated daily at a high intensity to help them work their brains and stay healthy. Han Xiao left his subordinates and Phillip in the room to continue analyzing the virus code. He left the RD department by himself and strode over to the headquarters on the dynasty's side. The three Universal Civilizations had appointed their senior officials to take charge of the affairs of the Ancient Star Desert. With Han Xiao's position in the dynasty, he met with the supervisor without much hindrance.

The other party stood up to greet him, exchanging some niceties before they got down to business.

"Your Excellency Black Star, what can I do for you?" the inspector asked.

"I've read the information you've given and hope to study the device that was used to store the virus."

"That's easy." The dynasty inspector immediately agreed, giving him a lot of respect.

"In addition, I wish to contact the group of scavengers that unearthed this virus, and if possible, release them temporarily."

"You can see them at any time, but releasing them… is a little inappropriate."

"I know, you guys have been interrogating them, but this has yielded no results. They should just be unlucky fools that got trapped in this. There's no point continuing to imprison them."

The Inspector furrowed his brows as he insisted, "But the virus has caused such a big impact. This is a severe crime. Even if it was an accident, they have to take responsibility for it."

Han Xiao shook his head as he pointed out, "They might be of help actually. Let them stay by my side to obtain some merits. If they really manage to make some contributions, then we will have benefitted from it."

The inspector hesitated for a long while before finally agreeing. "… Since you wish for it, alright then. However, their identities will remain as prisoners, and they cannot have freedom of movement."

He only did so out of respect for Black Star's position. If it was some other person suggesting this, he would not even bother.

"Thanks." Han Xiao smiled. "I would also like to request to be allowed to go out on field work."

"You wish to perform field work as well?" The inspector was surprised.

Han Xiao nodded. "That's right. The research work here has Manison and the rest at the helm, so there's no need for me to devote myself to it. I'm wasting resources here, and in my opinion, there are two tasks that are both as equally important as developing an antivirus."

"Please do tell."

"The first would be the search for the virus' core. If the core can be located, most of the triggering mechanisms of the Virtual Mutiny Virus will be invalidated, which will be equivalent to destroying the opponent's brain. The threat of the disaster will also be reduced."

"This point is indeed important." The dynasty's inspector praised.

If the virus core could be controlled, the difficulty of solving this disaster would be reduced by more than fifty percent. However, the virus core had hidden itself too deeply. No one had any idea what sort of abnormal data it was, and the three Universal Civilizations were also unable to find it.

Han Xiao then raised two fingers and continued. "Secondly, in my opinion, it will be a matter of time before the virus is cracked, with the current abilities of the three Universal Civilizations and the Beyond Grade A mechanics. The real difficulty lies in those with unsavory plans."

Hearing this, the inspector also frowned.

"Countless lessons in history have taught us that the greed and suspicion of the human heart is always a catalyst for disaster. If it's not controlled, the small problems will eventually evolve into bigger problems that cannot be handled," Han Xiao slowly said. "Presumably, the dynasty also understands that the virus is not difficult to solve, but the real problem is in those people with ulterior motives. Having the Virtual Mutiny Virus is akin to them having a switch of disaster. Now that they have such a good opportunity, who does not wish to have a strategic weapon as a deterrent?" He could clearly see that this was an opportunity for anyone to easily obtain nuclear-level weapons at an extremely low cost. Which ambitious organization would not want to give it a try?

The inspector stood up, suddenly packing around, before solemnly speaking.

"You're right. The three Universal Civilizations have been concerned about this. We're all from the same team here, so there's no need to cover it up. The Super Star Cluster Alliance has been at odds with us since long ago and will not sit quietly and obey our commands. The dynasty's main Artificial intelligence, Heroic Soul, has already calculated the probabilities. Not only the advanced civilization within the Ancient Star Desert but even organizations from the outside world will hire countless black market mercenaries and wanted criminals to help them smuggle the virus out. This is also one of the main reasons the blockade was imposed.

"While we require the Ancient Star Desert to cooperate with us to destroy the virus, at the same time, we cannot be too harsh on them. This is especially so for the Super Star Clusters; they can reopen their own external quantum networks at any time. It actually is not up to us to control if the virus will be leaked or not… Of course, they do not dare make any rash moves. Thus, the three Universal Civilizations are attempting to control the situation by being careful and closing one eye so as not to make them anxious. This is also why we are in such a hurry to develop the antivirus. As long as the threat of the virus technology is fundamentally resolved, the small actions made by the advanced civilization will not affect us."

The inspector then stopped and emphasized, "Your Excellency Black Star, since you're willing to go out into the field, I will hand over three dynasty fleets for you to command. I hope you can try to catch as many of these b*stards who are eager for profit and disregard the safety of the universe."

"Okay." Han Xiao stood up as well, shaking his head.

The other Beyond Grade As concentrated on research, wanting to understand this virus technology. No one wished to waste energy by going out to arrest people. In their opinion, this was hard work that they should not be responsible for.

But our Great Mechanic Han was different. He had the [Intelligent Plague) mission, so in order to raise his Mission Rating, he could not simply rely on research. After all, the credit for that would be shared by a large number of people.

In his opinion, the most direct way to improve the rating would be to catch the fish that slipped through the net with malicious intent. Furthermore, the special mission requirement was for him to destroy the virus core. He naturally wanted the reward and would not just stay in the command center to do research.

As for research, the more that everyone searched, the more they would share. He could wait till Old Man Manison had completely analyzed the structure of the virus to obtain the ready-made secondary research. Not only would this save a lot of his time, he could also relax for the time being.

After reaching a consensus with the person in charge, Han Xiao left the dynasty's office and went to the prison to visit Harrison.

Upon learning of Han Xiao's intentions, the Chief Warden immediately welcomed him in with enthusiasm, respectfully leading the way.

In the single cell, Harrison lay on the bed with his hands on his head, staring absentmindedly at the ceiling

"Is this how I'm going to spend the next half of my life?"

He sighed.

In this month that he had spent squatting in jail, not one day had passed when he had not expressed regret. His initial judgment was correct-digging out that triangular device would bring them huge trouble. If he had known that was the case, he would have not taken it out even if he had to risk his life.

The serious consequences brought about by this artifact gave him cold hands and feet. While this was an unintentional mistake, to have caused such trouble left him with a guilty conscience.

Not only did he bring about a disaster, he even threw his entire life away. His interrogators had let slip that this group of 'culprits' would be spending the rest of their lives in prison.

"If I knew this would happen, I wouldn't have come out to do archaeology. I knew it. Curiosity kills the cat. If I had stayed at home and inherited hundreds of millions of dollars from my family fortune, god knows how comfortable I would be now."

Harrison was disheartened.

Swoosh!

At this moment, the cell door opened, and two people walked in.

"Is it time for interrogation again?" Harrison sat up with a resigned expression.

Han Xiao glanced at him, piecing his young look with the old man in his memories before nodding. "You're indeed Harrison." "Eh? You're not a jailer? Who are you…" Harrison raised his head, and taking in Black Star's features, he gaped in shock. "Black… Black… Black… Black Star"

Right now, Han Xiao's face was well known in every household within the universe, his reputation frightening. However, there were a few that had heard about him through the movie (Black Star: Origins) and thus mistakenly thought Feidin was Black Star himself.

But Han Xiao was very magnanimous regarding this. After all, both of them looked equally handsome and alike, so it was a common mistake to mix up both of them.

He had heard that the movie was released whilst he was rushing over here, and the response was excellent. Not only had his reputation skyrocketed, he had also made a fortune. His returns were hundreds of times his initial investment and were still rising. From this, the huge profits within the entertainment industry in the interstellar era could be seen.

Putting aside the distracting thoughts, Han Xiao patted Harrison firmly on his shoulder while saying, "The virus was dug up by you

guys?"

Harrison was patted so hard he almost screamed in pain but quickly recovered. In front of a universally known figure like Black Star, he was a little cautious and nervous, nodding repeatedly.

"Good, then your teammates and you will follow me temporarily." "This… What do you mean?" Harrison had an expression of confusion.

Seeing his lost look, the prison warden snapped, "You'd better thank His Excellency Black Star. If not for him speaking up for you guys, you'd be sitting here for the rest of your miserable lives."

Harrison was stunned, an incredulous look on his face.

"Your Excellency Black Star, you… why did you save us?"

"Who said I was saving you? I just felt that you guys are good diggers and might come in handy… The warden will let you guys off later. I'm just here to meet you guys beforehand." "I can be of help?"

Harrison was lost, not knowing what he could possibly help with.

However, this did not prevent him from understanding that his own destiny was saved by Black Star. His eyes were filled with gratitude, and he wished to hold Black Star's hand to thank him, but due to their gap in status, he did not dare to act.

In his eyes, Black Star was an angel sent by the heavens to save him, shining with a holy light.Just as he was about to fall into the abyss, a stranger came and gave him a hand. Harrison's emotions were surging, and he had the urge to slam his head on the floor in gratitude toward Black Star.

While it was the first time they had met, Harrison's favorability toward him was almost filled up.

Han Xiao smiled at him before turning to walk out of the jail cell. The moment his back faced him, he could not help breaking into a smile as he looked at the combat information on his interface. Harrison's attribute table was displayed there.

Just by standing by my side, you're already helping me…

In the attribute column, there was the skill (Advanced Luck Glow] in golden lettering!

The third golden leek has fallen into my hands…

Han Xiao took a deep breath of joy.

That's right. This should be the smell of luck condensing on him!

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Chapter 1104 Cancer of the Universe, the Catalyst of Disaster

After meeting up with Harrison, Han Xiao ran back to the RD department and found the Beyond Grade A mechanics.

"You wish to go out and do field work?"

Hearing this, Manison and the rest of the Beyond Grade A mechanics felt surprised. They did not understand why Black Star would leave his easy research work and do the troublesome manual labor.

"What sort of attitude is this? I responded to the call of the three Universal Civilizations and am leading by example to take the lead," Han Xiao said in a tone of righteousness.

"Then just go. Why did you come to us?" Manison did not even bother to entertain him, only glancing at Han Xiao as he tried to find out his intentions.

Black Star, this jerk, had never committed himself until success was certain. If there were no benefits, he would not have chosen to take up field work. He felt that Black Star's motive should be to find the virus core and also to take the opportunity to infiltrate the major organizations in the Ancient Star Desert.

To be honest, Manison himself had thought of this at the beginning as well. However, he had given up this thought after much consideration.

Right now, would the three Universal Civilizations allow the Beyond Grade As to continue strengthening their own organizations? It was most likely that they would have to surrender whatever they obtained from their operations, so even the dishonest Manison was silently only researching the antivirus. Besides, the attraction of new technology far exceeded his organization's strength.

At this moment, Han Xiao suddenly laughed, sticking out two fingers as he righteously spoke out.

"Since none of you are fighting, please aid me and lend me some of your troops."

Everyone stared in shock.

Lending you our troops is akin to sending lambs right into the tiger's den. Will we still be able to get them back?

How is this lending? You just want us to sacrifice a portion of our troops for you, you lowly peasant! "… How many do you need?"

"Eh, I don't have large demands. This is mainly the moment when the three Universal Civilizations will be able to see your sense of justice. You guys can decide, and please don't exceed fifty million per person. That would be too much for me to accept." Han Xiao 'modestly' waved his hands.

Pui, a scale of 50 million per person? Are you thinking about openly stealing so many?

Do you even feel shame?

Everyone secretly slandered Han Xiao but did not refuse his request. The three Universal Civilizations' mechanics and several neutral Beyond Grade As loaned a portion of their ordinary mechanical soldiers, which reached about eight million in number.

Among them, Manison was the most generous, lending 2.5 million units. To him, this number of soldiers was only a drop in the ocean.

The stingiest was 'Mechanical Catastrophe' Francisco; he only gave five thousand troops, doing so unwillingly. Even Jackornitz who was a Mechanical Pugilist and did not have much proficiency in Machinery manufacturing also donated more troops. The Beyond Grade A Mechanics all had illustrious backgrounds, so giving out some mechanical soldiers was nothing to them. They simply treated it as losing some troops in battle. However, it was more important to show some face to Black Star, as well as the three Universal Civilizations, to show that while they were too lazy to make a move, they still supported the field work.

Putting away the troops 'sponsored by everyone, Han Xiao was satisfied. While this number was a pittance, he just wanted to see the Beyond Grade As grit their teeth and feel helpless in front of him.

Upon arriving at the dock, Han Xiao boarded a flagship arranged for him by the dynasty and took over the commander's authority from the captain. Right now, the three dynasty fleets were temporarily under his command.

After waiting for a while, a guard hurriedly escorted Harrison and his party over.

"Your Excellency Black Star, the procedures are complete. I'll leave them with you."

"Alright." Han Xiao nodded at Harrison and team with a smile on his face, saying, "You guys are not free yet. You have to follow me. If you mess around, I'll just throw you back in prison. Do you understand?"

"Understood!"

Before Harrison could speak, all his teammates yelled out loudly, for fear that they would lose their only bid at freedom.

Han Xiao nodded, and after sending the guard away, he gave the command to depart.

The fleet slowly rose up, leaving the command center of the three Universal Civilizations and soaring into space.

At this moment, the captain spoke.

"Your Excellency Black Star, where are we heading?"

"How do you normally operate?" Han Xiao asked back.

"We usually patrol around the desolate universe belt or go check some planets that are confirmed to have traces of infection…"

As of now, there were checkpoints set at every stargate of any civilization in the Ancient Star Desert, the borders, and the transport hub planets. The spaceships had to be inspected, and for those unknown spaceships that avoided the stargate stations and moved freely within the desolate universe belt, as long as they accessed the public quantum link of the Star Field, the three Universal Civilizations would track down their IP addresses and send people to stop them. Most of the field fleets were tasked with roaming around to perform such inspections.

Thus, the biggest problem would be for those spaceships that had shielded quantum network links and could enter stealth mode. They could only monitor the surveillance buoys located throughout the Star Field and try to find the whereabouts of these people.

"Let me think about it…"

After understanding the situation, Han Xiao pretended to ruminate, but he actually opened the players' forums to scroll through.

The outbreak of the Intelligent Plague had drawn the attention of the players toward the Ancient Star Desert. The discussion on the Ancient Star Desert was a hot post on every major section of the forum.

Because the majority of players were in the Flickering World, they were unable to join the event since the Ancient Star Desert was immediately cordoned off after the occurrence of the Intelligent Plague. They could only use the discussion boards to vent their strong curiosities.

Han Xiao opened the top post, and the discussion of the players jumped into view.

Fart Pockets in Tights: I told you all. The first few versions all had more than one Main Storyline mission, and Version 4.0 is the same. The Intelligent Plague should be the second Main Storyline. Quadratic Formula: But we are not able to participate in this Main Storyline. We cannot even enter the Ancient Star Desert. Can we only watch from the sidelines? Three Gays Under the Moon: Didn't you see the new update from 'Galaxy Times'? They made quite a reasonable guess, saying that it is impossible for this Main Storyline to be only for our viewing. There will definitely be opportunities for us to participate, as the chances of the virus leaking are quite high. Only then will there be a continuation for us to act.

Four-Eyed Speculative Emperor: That's right. Now there are many missions on the black market, all looking to hire people to sneak into the Ancient Star Desert. We players can do the same. Judging by our influence on the Main Storyline for the first two versions, this Intelligent Plague event could be decided by our actions as well. As long as someone succeeds in smuggling the virus out, this version's event can sweep across the universe!

Undead Don't Wear Underwear: Shall we let the disaster spread through the universe? It will indeed be the fourth disaster (:3] 2)

Sun Rider: This is too much. Wouldn't it be better to prevent the disaster? Do you have to make it such that the world is chaotic? Don't you have a conscience?

Sh*t Smells Good: That's right. Did you forget what the Army Commander taught us? To actually stab him in the back like that, killing the citizens of the galaxy…

On the forums, the players were divided into several factions, discussing the topic and cursing each other at the same time. The community was on fire. The players did not know that the Intelligent Plague was actually just a backstory in their previous lives, thinking that it was one of the Main Storylines of Version 4.0. With the majority of people in the Flickering World, unable to enter the Ancient Star Desert, many of them were anxious at not being able to participate.

Some of them believed that the main storyline would not just be a cutscene, so they inferred that the Intelligent Plague did not need to be actively pushed by them and would leak by itself.

Others felt that this main storyline had to be fought for, taking the initiative to release the virus and let the disaster spread in order to obtain the Main Storyline mission.

There were, however, many players in the universe who supported the promotion of the disaster. Some wanted to participate in the Main Storyline, some wanted to earn rewards, and some just wanted to watch the world burn.

'Indeed, the Cancer of the Universe…' Han Xiao secretly shook his head.

As the players who were ruled by chaos continued to grow stronger, their negative impact on the universe would become more and more obvious.

However, he was also a little relieved. If the players in his previous life encountered the Intelligent Plague, more than half of them back then would definitely have supported the promotion of the Intelligent Plague. Now, with the Black Star Army as their moral guide, more people were considering the problem from the perspective of the overall situation, opposing the spread of the disaster. There were obviously fewer players within the Chaotic Evil Faction than in his previous life.

My faction guidance plan is still somewhat effective.

Han Xiao felt relief.

As he swept through the other posts, one of them caught his attention. It was titled 'Ancient Star Desert Player Benefits! Employment task with a reward of five million Enas!

The poster triumphantly shared a screenshot of a mission, which was about smuggling the Virtual Mutiny Virus out of the Ancient Star Desert for five million Enas. For the players, this was a huge sum of money, enough to buy a dozen small and medium battleships.

Seeing that the players who remained within the Ancient Star Desert got such an opportunity to rake in the cash, many of the following replies expressed envy.

The poster was called 'Depressed Prince'. Han Xiao could not help but narrow his eyes.

Five million in remuneration, along with a deposit, gives this whole thing a fishy air. It seems that the employers are aware of the players' character and used them to their advantage. Humph, the players within the Ancient Star Desert aren't able to keep their hands to themselves. I have to strike down like peals of thunder on them and destroy their disaster-supporting tendencies. Han Xiao made the decision in his heart to kill the chicken in order to warn the monkeys. This Depressed Prince who went around publicizing his tasks was undoubtedly an excellent goal.

Only through striking down harshly on him would the other players then see the ending of those who tried to cause trouble and would cause them to fear the repercussions of their actions.

At the same time, he could also trace the source and check up on the mysterious employer of Depressed Prince. After all, there was no harm if there was no demand or supply for it. The mercenaries only acted based on orders, and it was the employers with ulterior motives that Han Xiao was interested in.

While Depressed Prince did not disclose his coordinates, since the other party was a mercenary, he would have recorded his whereabouts in the universe. So long as the record of his most recent time was locked onto, the approximate search area could be derived from there. To a pinnacle Beyond Grade A mechanic, this was as easy as lifting his hands.

The intelligence channel in the Ancient Star Desert might have been blocked, but the player forums were not affected. With this extra information network, Han Xiao would be able to obtain information that others did not know.

That's right, I also have to search for one of the administrators of the black market in the Ancient Star Desert. These employment tasks for smuggling the virus will be issued through the black market. As long as I can control this channel, I will be able to monitor the movements of those restless organizations and cut off one of the channels for employment.

Han Xiao's eyes gleamed.

If the administrator of the black market did not wish to cooperate, he still had a trump card up his sleeve. There was no need to be soft-hearted. Even the three Universal Civilizations would be glad to have someone temporarily controlling the black market channels, reducing the likelihood of disaster.

Mindful of this, Han Xiao finally had a clear plan of action and turned to look at the captain. "Let's split up and act. The main flagship will follow me to capture some b*stards."

Somewhere in the desolate universe belt, an interstellar fortress was suspended in the orbit of a desolate planet, with a spaceship patrolling nearby. Both of them had the same emblem, which was shaped like a roaring wolf's head.

This sign represented an interstellar organization named the Kepel Financial group, which was a legitimate financial group on the surface but operated as an arms dealer for the galactic black market in the Ancient Star Desert.

The organization was a family-run business, and the leaders were all members of the Kepel family. The current leader was called Kepel the Fifth, and he had the mutated bloodline of a Beastman, possessing a head that looked like a werewolf.At this moment, in the office of the leader, Kepel the Fifth had just received a capable officer who had rushed back.

"I made you responsible for spreading the anonymous employment task on the black market. Has the mission been completed?" Kepel the Fifth said in a deep baritone.

"It's completed. Many of the black market mercenaries have accepted the task, willing to smuggle the Virtual Mutiny Virus out." "Very good. The Virtual Mutiny Virus is a strong weapon and will definitely have a market in the future. We need to control it!"

As an arms dealer in the black market, the Kepel Financial group had no reason to let go of the Virtual Mutiny Virus, which was a powerful weapon of war. This was just purely commercial considerations. "Leader, I've also specially employed some of the Immortal troops. I feel that it would be more likely for them to complete the task."

"Beautiful! The Immortals are money grubbers and born to be mercenaries. So long as we give them enough money, they would rather sacrifice their lives. Moreover, they have unknown information networks within their groups, which cannot be interfered with even with our quantum networks. Their capabilities will increase the success rate of our plan. If one can be shipped out, the virus can be infinitely replicated!"

Kepel the Fifth was very satisfied with how his subordinate carried out the task.

Most of the major organizations had studied the characteristics of players, more or less summing up some rules. The Kepel Financial group was no exception, mastering some simple ways to utilize the players.

At present, since the Ancient Star Desert was sealed, the various gray organizations could be thoroughly investigated by the advanced civilizations at any time. The Kepel Financial group had decided to transfer their assets to the outside world and destroy evidence of their gray business. Thus, it was determined to transport their arms, along with the Virtual Mutiny Virus, out of the Star Field.

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Chapter 1105 Conspiracy?

The Western Sword Guild's spaceship slowly flew through cosmic space. Inside the cabin, Depressed Prince and the other guild members stood around the 3D star map and analyzed the route.

"We're now here…"

Depressed Prince pointed on the star map and drew an illuminated path. It extended around a desolate universe belt at the edge of the Star Field in an arc, all the way to outside the Star Field. He then said, "In order to leave the Star Field, the only way is through the desolate universe belt. The encirclement the three Universal Civilizations had set up at the borders will definitely have flaws. Although we have their defense map and patrolling route, we still need some luck…"

Hearing the president explain the plan, the guild members nodded.

After accepting the anonymous hiring with a five million reward, Depressed Prince had thought of some plans in order to successfully transport the virus out. Among which, making use of the flaws in the encirclement of the three Universal Civilizations and smuggling it out was one of those more likely to succeed.

In order to not be located by the three Universal Civilizations, the Western Sword guild had already cut off their network and kept their spaceship in stealth mode.

Technically, they would not be able to receive any information from the outside world this way. However, Depressed Prince used the fact that he was a player, logged into the forums, and secretly hired other players to private message him on the forums to provide intelligence. This was how he obtained the defense map and patrol route of the three Universal Civilizations. Even though they had cut off their quantum network connection, they still had a source of information. This way, not only could they avoid getting located by the three Universal Civilizations through the network, but they would also still be able to receive messages from the outside world. Compared to normal people, the players had a large advantage. No wonder the Kepel Financial Group specifically hired Immortals. "President," a player said, "the closer we are to the border, the denser the surveillance buoys will be. If we fail and are discovered, our spaceship will definitely be seized. We only have one chance."

"That's why we have a plan B."

With a confident expression, Depressed Prince smiled and said, "Once we're discovered by the buoys or the patrolling guards, we'll carry out the infiltration tactic. We'll leave a few people on the spaceship while the rest of us log out together. When the spaceship is locked up at the warehouse, the people who did not log out can then notify us to come online in the carrier and sneak into the enemy base. This way, we can bring in the virus-infected communicator."

The others nodded. This also relied completely on the players' specialty. This tactic was extremely suitable for infiltration, ambush, and smuggling missions.

There was also a plan if they turned out to be exposed after that. They would give up the spaceship, battle to their death, and then revive in their stronghold revival point. They could still think of other ways to complete the mission, and they had a very large margin for error. The reward was a total of five million anyway; as long as they could complete the mission, buying another spaceship was nothing

With so many advantages, the Western Sword guild members present were totally confident about completing the mission. They could almost see the five million Enas waving at them.

As for the possibility that they might become wanted criminals afterward, they did not care about it at all. They had always wandered in the gray area of the law, so they never even planned to become completely legit. In fact, turning into wanted criminals would even trigger a Milestone Mission, which gave them rewards as their bounty increased.

As for the damage that the virus leak would cause to ordinary people, they did not give a damn. Instead, they were even excited about the fact that they were playing a big part in the direction the world was going to take. Most players who currently supported the disaster's spread had the same thought.

Depressed Prince was confident. He smiled and said, "Alright, since no one has any objections, let's act according to this plan. As we can't use the stargates, we'll spend quite some time on the way there. The estimated time of arrival at the desolate universe belt is in seven days. Now…"

At this time, before he finished speaking, the spaceship alarm suddenly rang.

"Beep! Alert! Alert! The spacetime of this area has been stabilized. Hyperdrive is impossible. Exiting hyperdrive mode!"

The spaceship suddenly shook. The people inside had yet to react to it, so they all fell onto the ground, picking themselves up with shock.

"What's going on? There are spacetime stabilization anchors here? Whose trap did we fall into?"

Shocked, Depressed Prince hastily looked at the radar.

This time, light dots were appearing around them on the radar and surrounded his spaceship in the middle.

The people quickly came to the porthole and looked outside. Their expression changed drastically.

They were surrounded by dynasty battleships. All the barrels were aimed at their spaceship. "The Crimson Dynasty? Are they here to capture us?" Depressed Prince and the other guild members panicked.

"Did our whereabouts get exposed? But we did not bump into any buoys on the way! And how did they know we were planning to smuggle the virus out?"

After being stunned for a few seconds, Depressed Prince quickly regained focus and yelled hastily, "Stop daydreaming. Everyone, log out now. Don't get…"

Before he finished, a calm voice appeared behind them.

"Don't get what?" Everyone's body became stiff. They turned their heads slowly and looked at the middle of the cabin.

A tall, black silhouette had appeared in the spaceship. His lightning-filled eyes were coldly scanning them.

This face was way too familiar to the players!

"Bl-Black Star!"

Depressed Prince was in despair.

Everyone there was completely horrified. They originally thought that even if someone were to come to capture them, it would just be regular fleets and regular Supers. No one ever expected that someone as powerful and important as Black Star would personally act!

While shocked, Depressed Prince felt flattered for some reason.

The next moment, the lightning in Han Xiao's eyes flashed, and an electric shockwave exploded from his body.

Boom!

The energy shockwave slammed everyone into the wall.

Han Xiao controlled the damage so this shockwave was not powerful. Its main purpose was to force the players into Combat Status so that they could not log off any time they liked.

"I won't give up!" Depressed Prince clenched his teeth, made up his mind, and drew a long silver alloy sword. He then stabbed toward Han Xiao's throat.

The players were not afraid of death, so they dared to fight anyone. No matter how strong the opponent was, they would never stop resisting. In fact, Depressed Prince would rather get killed by Black Star. He would be able to revive somewhere else then and would not be captured. However, this mindset was transparent in front of Han Xiao, who knew how the players thought.

He casually pinched the sword with his fingers, easily splitting it in half. He then grabbed onto Depressed Prince's head and slammed it onto the ground, giving him a Stunned debuff.

Han Xiao carefully controlled his strength, worried he might accidentally kill him. Although the players were much stronger than before, they were still as fragile as paper in front of him.

Han Xiao did not let the others go either. There was no need to use any machinery; he could easily beat these players into a pulp with his fists and legs. He took out an electromagnetic restraining chain and tied them all up. The dynasty spaceships then approached and seized the spaceship. The dynasty soldiers boarded and searched it.

A ton of mechanical items piled up like a mountain. Han Xiao checked through and found a few communicators infected with the virus. He looked at the truly depressed Depressed Prince and the others and slowly said, "You're suspected of smuggling the Virtual Mutiny Virus, risking the public's safety and the universe's laws. You're now under arrest. Anything you'd like to say?".

"No, I'm sinful. People like me don't deserve to live in this world. I plead for the death penalty!" Depressed Prince said with a righteous tone.

Han Xiao rolled his eyes secretly.

This time, he suddenly paused, smiled, and said, "Are you guys very curious about how the dynasty found out you accepted the hire and set up a trap here?"

The Western Sword guild's people finally realized something. This was a hire from the black market and should have been very secretive. How did it get leaked?

"You have always been monitoring our communications?" Depressed Prince asked carefully.

"Nope." Han Xiao shook his head.

"Then… someone betrayed us?"

"Not that."

"What then?" Depressed Prince wondered.

Han Xiao smiled and looked at them. "That's because… the dynasty is the entity that hired you."

Like a streak of lightning, Depressed Prince and the others shivered. Their chins almost fell onto the ground, and their eyes opened so wide they were going to pop out. "What?" Depressed Prince almost jumped up. He could not believe it.

"Our anonymous employer is the three Universal Civilizations? Impossible! What reason do you have to do that?"

Han Xiao chuckled and casually lied.

"What do you think? The three Universal Civilizations knew all long there'd be people who ignore the big picture and try to hide and smuggle the virus. Therefore, the three Universal Civilizations also sent people to put up missions in the black market so that capturing those who took the hire is much easier. Do you really think that in such a crucial time like this, the three Universal Civilizations would just let the black market be?"

Depressed Prince was stunned. Complicated emotions such as frustration from being toyed with, rage from being tricked, and regret from falling for it rushed into his head. At this point of time, he just wanted to roar.

This was a conspiracy all along! Looking at how furious they were, Han Xiao smiled even more.

Of course, the employer of these players was not the three Universal Civilizations, but he deliberately said that so the players would get the wrong idea.

As long as these people made posts on the forums and spread it, the chaotic evil players would calm down. After all, no one could tell for sure whether the hire they received on the black market was real or the three Universal Civilizations' trap.

Capturing these people would set an example and make things much easier.

In fact, the Great Mechanic Han was not lying just for that. He really wanted to do something similar.

However, in order to do that, he first had to control the black market. Otherwise, in order to protect their own name, the black market would definitely not cooperate with this plan.

All kinds of thoughts flashed past. Han Xiao took out the Spacetime Amber and smiled kindly at them.

"Since the evidence is sufficient… you guys can now start serving your sentences."

Depressed Prince was instantly horrified and started struggling with everything he had.

"No, no, no… I beg you, please don't use the Spacetime Amber. I beg for the death penalty. Please let me die! D-don't!"

However, Depressed Prince's struggle was useless. Watched by the rest, his expression was fixed, and he was locked in the Spacetime Amber.

Using the same method, Han Xiao sealed all of the Western Sword guild members who were begging to die, wiping out the entire guild.

That'll do. More than enough to intimidate the other players.

He had already tested the effects of the Spacetime Amber on the players. Of course, the players' consciousness would still be able to log in and out, but their body would not disappear like usual. Instead, it would be sealed inside the Spacetime Amber. This meant that they could not change the location to log in to, and no matter how many times the players logged in and out, they would only ever return to their body that was sealed inside the Spacetime Amber.

This meant that as long as they were sealed by the Spacetime Amber, the players could not use their own specialties to escape by logging in and out. It would be like their accounts were frozen due to them using cheats; they would never be able to escape.

One reason these players were still confident despite knowing the consequences of being captured was that they could revive somewhere else after dying, so the chance of them getting captured was very low. The other reason was they all thought they would be lucky enough, till disaster really arrived.

Han Xiao was not surprised about this. Just like some people who still used cheats despite knowing their accounts would be banned, they basically asked for it.

He did not plan to release the Western Sword guild easily. This was how he wanted to intimidate the other players. He wanted to show the others that their account could effectively be banned, so he could ease the tilted mindset of the players on the forums. This was like applying insecticide to his leek field so that his good leeks would not be spoiled.

He was not worried about these players making posts on the forums. After all, what else could they do?

Furthermore, given the characteristics of the players, these people would most likely take revenge. As long as they believed what they said, the only way they could take revenge would be to expose the so-called conspiracy and mess with the three Universal Civilizations' plan.

The situation was all within his control.

Han Xiao shook his head and smiled. He summoned Phillip to hack into the artificial intelligence of this spaceship and flipped through all the communication records.The true identity of this anonymous employer was also a target he was going to go after. Phillip was very efficient. Through the quantum network, he quickly found a clue leading to the anonymous employer. "Master, hum… I've found it. This hire was published under a broker organization as the intermediate guarantor. This broker organization is one of the black market's managers. It has both a good name and reputation. It's trusted by countless black market mercenaries and employers. Basically, it's the Mercenary Alliance of the black market. Therefore, they should have information on this employer. However, this broker organization has been the black market manager for many years. As a very old intermediate guarantor, they won't leak their employers' names, hum…"

Han Xiao nodded. He had also heard about the name of this broker organization. Many hires on the black market came from them. It could be said that although this kind of organization called themselves neutral, without their approval, those anonymous hires regarding the virus would never have appeared on the black market.

They were undoubtedly responsible for this.

Looks like I'll have to start with this black market manager…

Han Xiao's eyes sparkled. He turned and tapped on the captain's shoulders.

"Depart. Destination, the headquarters of this broker organization in the Ancient Star Desert."

As the dynasty fleet was heading toward the next destination, filled with rage, Depressed Prince, who was sealed inside the Spacetime Amber, logged on to the forums and started making a post.

Just as Han Xiao expected, with the tone of a victim and the intention of warning the others as well as taking revenge on the three Universal Civilizations, Depressed Prince exposed the three Universal Civilizations' 'conspiracy'…

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Chapter 1106 Intimidation

"The Painful Truth! The Mastermind Behind the Intelligent Plague Conspiracy!

"Emergency announcement! Those black market hires to transport the virus are a trap! They're very likely the three Universal Civilizations' bait!

"I'm a player who previously shared the job I accepted to transport the virus on the forums. An hour ago, along with my guild, we moved into the edge area of the Ancient Star Desert. Suddenly, we were ambushed by the three Universal Civilizations. Black Star personally wiped out our guild. Now we're all sealed in the Spacetime Amber, not knowing when we'll get out. I'm probably done for.

"At the start, I had no idea how the message got out. Luckily, Black Star thought we had nowhere to run and felt that there was no way we would leak the information, so he told me about the three Universal Civilizations' plan. I was totally appalled. Guess what, those among those anonymous employers on the black market, there are some who work for the three Universal Civilizations! Their goal is to lure out those who dare accept the mission and catch them one by one!

"It's horrifying. Currently, other than the people of our guild, no one else knows about this secret. I'm making this post because I can't bear to see other brothers get tricked by the three Universal Civilizations like we did. Therefore, I hereby am warning all of you not to fall into that old rascal Black Star's tricks!"

To prove that what he said was true, Depressed Prince even posted screenshots and videos of Black Star speaking.

As soon as the post was uploaded, like a lit match landing in a pool of oil, the emotion of all the players was ignited.

Immoral Trilogy: What a shock, so those hires in the black market are conspiracies?

Important Things Need to Be Said Three Times: I knew it. It's not possible for those lawful factions to leave such a huge flaw. Turns out they had other plans. The three Universal Civilizations are really wise (cunning) in this kind of thing. Well played.

Military Chief: Black Star is Black Star. After all, like his name, he really does have a black heart.

Green Dot: Haha, I can't stop laughing. Where are those kids who were envying the Ancient Star Desert players? Why are they so quiet?

Human Slasher: If this is the case, the faction difference of this main storyline will be very clear. There are those of us who oppose the disaster, stand on the lawful side, and clean out the evil. If you support the disaster, you'll have to become an enemy of the three Universal Civilizations. I really envy the bravery of those players who choose the latter.

The lawful faction players all started to gloat, while those players who had supported spreading the disaster earlier all went silent and had nothing to say.

Especially those players who were lured by the high reward and had already accepted hires on the black market, they were all terrified. Most of them hastily gave up the mission, worried that they might be baited by the three Universal Civilizations too.

I

Calf: Let me see who's causing problems (Black Star looking out from the bush.jpg).

Army Commander's PP Big: Black Star: There, your account's gone! Long Live the Boot Lickers: Alas, if not for OP, we'd still have no idea and end up getting wiped out… I won't say much, thank you, OP, for saving our lives. Cheers, bottoms up.

Adult Site Senior Member: In order to get this information, OP has made a huge sacrifice. Here's to all kind people having a good life. Ps: If OP decides to create a new account, I'll kindly sponsor 100 Enas.

Feidin's Fan Group – Dual Cannons: A moment of silence for OP.

Fishes Don't Pee: A moment of silence 1.

There were people who doubted the authenticity of the post, but after seeing the screenshots and videos Depressed Prince posted along with it, they all had to admit it was the truth.

The Depressed Prince's post alarmed the players. Many people were indeed shocked and became much warier of things.

He thought he successfully broke the three Universal Civilizations' baiting plan, when his actions were actually all part of Han Xiao's plan.

Seeing that so many players believed this 'conspiracy' and gave up missions to transport the virus, Han Xiao knew that this measure of his worked. He smiled in satisfaction.

Depressed Prince was of great help, so he was thinking about taking a few minutes off his sentence. Although, this guy had no idea.

In the Ancient Star Desert, Planet Strange Gold did not belong to any civilization. It had been taken over by a few financial groups many years ago and modified into a neutral galactic port. Afterward, the Galactic Black Market had taken over and made it into a transit supply station for gray organizations. It was quite famous in the Ancient Star Desert.

Tracks of tons of gray organizations and wanted criminals could be seen there. Some gray organizations even had their headquarters or subdivisions set up there. Due to some sort of unspoken agreement and deals, the Galactic Civilization silently approved of the existence of gray transit stations like this and did not send out soldiers to wipe it out. Although places like this were extremely chaotic, it was not completely lawless. The big organizations in the black market would usually set the laws.

The organization stationed in Planet Strange Gold was a member of the black market managers-Black Index, a broker organization.

There were many kinds of black market manager organizations, such as mercenaries, armed dealers, miners, and so on. Among them, the ones who had the biggest power were the brokers. They took the high-class path, swinging between different civilizations and building very complicated connection networks. They provided protection and assurance for the other black market organizations.

The Black Index was one of them, and their business range was even wider. Using the name they had built for themselves over the years, they provided assurance for the hires and biddings done in the black market. At the same time, they also functioned as the intermediate exchange. They were basically the bank of the black market.

Safety of funds was always a problem for the gray organizations, and the Black Index provided security and confidentiality for all funds transferred through them. An outrageous amount of money passed through them every single day and spread through the entire Galactic Black Market. Their power was reflected clearly just from this. Of course, this much power required an equivalent amount of strength to maintain, which was even truer in the gray world, where only the law of the jungle applied. The Black Index had plenty of funds, so they used a lot of it on building a powerful military force. At the same time, they also had a Beyond Grade A protector behind them. These factors made sure the Black Index maintained its superior position among the black market managers.

The upper echelons of the organization were called Indexers. Their leader was called the Chief Indexer, and below this leader were the Second Indexer, Third Indexer, and so on. There was a total of five vice-leaders, all the way to the Sixth Indexer, each in charge of a certain area.

Inside the Planet Strange Gold subdivision of the Black Index organization, the Third Indexer stood before the floor-to-ceiling window of his office and looked up at the starlight in the dark sky. He was frowning.

His aide-de-camp who was wearing an elegant silver-black uniform walked into the room, saw him like this, and asked curiously, "Third Indexer, what are you thinking about?"

"Nothing… I just suddenly don't feel at peace."

The Third Indexer massaged the bridge of his nose. His mind was wandering off a little. As a hybrid Eternal, the Third Indexer had the special talent of having a very sensitive six sense. He could occasionally roughly sense certain bits of the future.

Since a few days ago, he had started to often lose focus and feel uneasy, like something bad was about to happen.

"I shall bring you some medicine to calm you down," the aide-de-camp said and was about to turn around to leave the room.

"No need, I'm fine."

The Third Indexer called him back, turned around, and asked casually, "Tell me, do you have anything to report to me?"

"Well…" The aide-de-camp took out a report and said seriously, "I've noticed some rumors, saying that the three Universal Civilizations have been secretly putting up hires on the black market as bait to capture black market mercenaries."

"Where did you hear that from? Rumors on the net?" The Third Indexer frowned.

"No, no, there are no such rumors on the network of the Ancient Star Desert. I heard about it privately from some people, so I did some investigations and realized that this rumor got spread out from nowhere. I feel that this might cause problems, so I came to report it to you…"

The Third Indexer shook his head and said, "Your source of information isn't reliable, nor is it trustworthy. As guarantors of the black market hires, although we do accept anonymous employers to put out hires, we still do some investigations. Things like this will certainly damage our name. Maybe we can endure it happening once or twice, but if someone plans to keep using our name to carry out this kind of plan, there's no way the organization wouldn't find out about it." "You're right. I've worried about it unnecessarily." The aide-de-camp nodded.

"There's nothing wrong with being wary about things like this. It's a good thing."

The Third Indexer continued to look outside the window and said with a serious tone, "We're the lighthouse of the laws of the black market. One thing we rely on is our powerful strength, and another is the brand name and reputation we've accumulated over many years. The savages of the gray organizations trust in our professional ethics, and that's our core competitiveness. No matter what… even in the face of death, we can't break the rules of integrity, confidentiality, fairness, and safety. Otherwise, we'd be damaging the very foundation of the organization, as well as the laws of the entire black market."

"Understood." The aide-de-camp took these words to heart with admiration.

Swoosh! As soon as the aide-de-camp said that, a remote communication image suddenly popped up beside the two of them. The panicking face of an observation personnel appeared.

"Bad news! The radar has detected that a dynasty fleet is approaching. They did not attempt to hide their movements. Their destination is clearly Planet Strange Gold, and we did not receive any prior notifications!"

The Third Indexer's expression changed with shock. His sixth sense was tingling even more intensely.

Usually, the three Universal Civilizations would never visit a gray transit station like this so openly. Today, however, the dynasty fleet suddenly arrived. It was clear they did not come with friendly intentions.

He thought of the Intelligent Plague instantly

—there did not seem to be any other reason the dynasty would go to them. Nonetheless, the Third Indexer was not one to panic in the face of emergencies. Very quickly, he calmed down and said with a deep voice, "Ask around. Who's the leader of this dynasty fleet?"

The dynasty was extremely powerful, sure, but he was also someone very important with a lot of power and strength, and he had a Beyond Grade A protector behind his back. Therefore, the Third Indexer was confident enough to speak with the dynasty.

Having thought of that, he had made up his mind that if the leader of the dynasty fleet was not high in ranks, he would not feel a need to welcome their leader, and he would be waiting there for their leader to come to him.

The aide-de-camp made some calls. Suddenly, his entire body shook. He gulped and said while shivering, "T-Third Indexer, the commander of this dynasty fleet… seems to be Black Star."

As soon as he finished his sentence, the Third Indexer's expression changed dramatically, and he instantly lost his cool.

Without saying another word, he rushed out the door while hastily making orders.

"Quickly, prepare a carrier for me. I'm going to welcome His Excellency Black Star at the dock!'

If it was an ordinary dynasty officer, the Third Indexer might have wanted to maintain his arrogance.

However, it was Black Star who had come, the person who made the strongest protector of the black market part of his collection. How dare he stay there waiting for Black Star to come to look for him?

The dynasty fleet entered the dock. As soon as Han Xiao stepped onto the dock, he saw the Third Indexer and his subordinates welcoming him respectfully. The two of them met, and Han Xiao did not say much, only mentioning that he had a deal he wanted to make and told the Third Indexer to lead him to the conference room to speak.

Accompanied by the cautious Third Indexer, they entered the subdivision of the Black Index and sat inside the conference room.

After sitting down, Han Xiao looked into the Third Indexer's eyes and said slowly, "You're a smart person. You should know why the dynasty has sent me, so I'll just cut to the chase. The Black Index has provided assurance and guarantees for anonymous hires, which led to a lot of black market mercenaries transporting the virus in the Ancient Star Desert, increasing the risk of the virus leaking. Now, on behalf of the Black Star Army and the Crimson Dynasty, I'm requesting you to temporarily stop providing such services and publicize the information of these anonymous employers to aid us in capturing them."

"Impossible!" The Third Indexer rejected it without hesitation. "This goes against the purpose of the Black Index. We can never leak the information of our customers. We…"

Han Xiao interrupted him and said with a more serious tone, "Is the purpose of a black market organization more important than the ruling of the three Universal Civilizations? Or has the Black Index made up its mind to spread the disaster and cause the entire universe to be filled with death?".

The Third Indexer hastily denied that. "Of course not. We've just been remaining neutral. What we've been doing has not changed since the Intelligent Plague erupted. We're purely maintaining a platform…"

"Don't try to convince me with this kind of excuse." Han Xiao tapped the table slowly. "Your inaction means your approval of others leaking the virus. Your inaction is equivalent to helping the disaster spread. The current situation has no room for neutral parties. Be it me personally or the three Universal Civilizations, no one wants to see anyone being an opportunist during such a serious disaster."

Hearing this, the Third Indexer looked worried.

His bad intuition had come true. He felt that Black Star was using this as an excuse to take away the guarantor platform they had built up in the Ancient Star Desert.

If it was just Black Star alone, he would not be this powerless. However, Black Star had come under orders, which meant that he represented the three Universal Civilizations' attitude.

Sure, the Black Index's forces were spread across many Star Fields, but crushing it would still be a piece of cake for the three Universal Civilizations. Furthermore, the Ancient Star Desert was now in quarantine, so there was no way he could even seek help. The Third Indexer did not want to give in, but he had no other choice. He could not even contact the headquarters while being in the Ancient Star Desert, so he had no choice but to bring up his background.

"Your Excellency Black Star, are you sure you want to do this? His Excellency Uru is behind us. He's a Beyond Grade A just like you…"

Han Xiao found it quite funny. "Yo, what's this? Are you trying to threaten me or something? That's quite brave of you. Even disregarding the fact that your protector is away and can't make it back here, so what if he could?"

The Third Indexer clenched his teeth, looked at the dynasty soldier beside him, and said, "I know what you're trying to do. You're trying to use this opportunity to infiltrate the black market and take control of some channels. The three Universal Civilizations now approve of your actions, but what happens when the disaster is over? They won't watch you reach out this far, so they will certainly take what you've obtained. Hence, whatever you're doing now, the three Universal Civilizations will always be the ones benefiting in the end. Why put in so much effort?"

"How dare you try to pick His Excellency Black Star and the dynasty apart!"

The dynasty soldier beside him was furious and instantly pulled out his firearm, pointing at the Third Indexer's head.

This time, Han Xiao raised his hand, signaling for the dynasty soldier to holster his weapon. He smiled and said, "You don't know me. Although I always chase after profits, I will never pick the wrong side on this kind of huge matter."

The Third Indexer clenched his teeth and continued trying. "The three Universal Civilizations are only allowing you to be in charge of this matter because they're using you. You'll be the one who ends up having beef with the black market organizations, and the three Universal Civilizations will be the ones taking the victory fruits after. Is the powerful Black Star willing to be used like this?"

"Hehe, fighting evil is everyone's responsibility, and I don't mind having beef with people because of it." Han Xiao smiled with mockery. "Furthermore, using each other is a more suitable way of saying it. It's still uncertain who'll benefit more from it in the end."

He had made up his mind on this matter. Rather than calling it a negotiation, it was more like a notification instead.

The Ancient Star Desert was now an isolated island. During the disaster, the illusion of equality was completely ripped away, exposing the dictatorship behind it. With the three Universal Civilizations backing him, he had nothing to fear.In situations like this, other than those Galactic Civilizations under protection, the rest of the private organizations were all just food for the big sharks. They would face their demise if they refused to cooperate.

Seeing this, knowing that there was nothing he could do and no words would change the situation, the Third Indexer gave up, leaned back, and looked hopeless.

"I can't resist anyway. The connections the Black Index has in the Ancient Star Desert are all yours…"

Hearing this, the aide-de-camp looked at the Third Indexer with disbelief.

That's not what you said earlier. What happened to never breaking the organization's integrity and name even in death

Noticing the aide-de-camp's look, the Third Indexer threw back an angry look at him.

What, can't I bullsh*t?

Black Star is right here, I treasure my life very much. Go ahead and die for the organization if you want to!

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Chapter 1107 Filling the Flaws of Science with Superstition

The Black Index's Planet Strange Gold subdivision controlled half of the Galactic Black Market's hires and funds in the Ancient Star Desert. Controlling this place meant that half of the black market's movements were being monitored.

In the main control room, the Third Indexer ordered the operators to open up the firewall and let Han Xiao inject his data needle, planting a ton of surveillance programs while looking at the documents behind recent anonymous hires in the black market.

The Black Index's internal database had records of the true identities of some employers, most obtained through investigation. As the intermediate guarantor, the reward of the hire would go through the Black Index before going to the mercenary. Therefore, following the source of the funds, it was not difficult to find the identities of the anonymous employers.

Han Xiao quickly copied the tons of documents the Black Index had accumulated in the quantum network. He glanced at the wary Third Indexer beside him and joked, "You guys aren't as reliable as you say you are. Tsk, you've been secretly investigating the identities of those anonymous employers. These documents are all their weaknesses. Don't tell me you guys collected these for fun."

The Third Indexer wiped away the sweat on his forehead and said, "It's just to audit the reliability of the trade and assess the employer's integrity. We only collected this information but never shared it with anyone. As for weaknesses… ahem, well, we're in the black market industry, so we must have some leverage."

"Got it, got it. It's the black market. After all, no one is clean." Han Xiao chuckled. The Third Indexer had no choice but to laugh together with Han Xiao, bowing and showing a lot of respect.

The dynasty fleet was right on this planet. The only thing he could do was to be obedient.

Han Xiao caressed his chin and said, "Speaking of which, that reminds me, I brought the dynasty fleet here, and you came to welcome me. There are a lot of people on this planet, so this news will get out sooner or later. There'll definitely be rumors saying you're being threatened by the three Universal Civilizations, which will lead to the mercenaries and employers lying low for a while, and the three Universal Civilizations' plan to lure out the uncertainties will end up being less effective."

"I-I suppose." The Third Indexer did not know how to respond.

"I think you should feel good about that." Han Xiao smiled. "You might even send people to spread the news on the black market, saying the Black Index is being forced to do this, warning the other black market members not to use the platform for hires. This way, the damage done to your organization's brand will be reduced."

The Third Indexer felt bitter. He did indeed think of that. Although he was forced to obey, he still wanted to control the damage.

"Don't worry, I won't stop you from doing

that."

Hearing this, the Third Indexer was confused and asked, "Didn't you control us to secretly monitor the black market and lure out the uncertainties? If the news of us not being reliable gets spread on the black market and people stop using our platform, what's the point of you taking over?".

"Sigh, looks like you're very adept to identity changes and have entered the position of a partner very soon. You've even started to think for us." Han Xiao laughed and clapped.

The Third Indexer's expression became stiff. He was angry but did not dare to express it.

Han Xiao raised his brows, summoned the dynasty officer, and said with a smile, "Later on, split up the dynasty fleet to head to any gray transit station in the Ancient Star Desert where a black market organization is stationed. Remember to do it as openly as possible and let everyone see you." Hearing this, the Third Indexer roughly figured out Black Star's plans.

"You're deliberately letting the black market know that the Black Index has been compromised. You'll then negotiate with every black market organization to create an illusion of the three Universal Civilizations having full control of the entire Ancient Star Desert black market so that most people will become suspicious and cautious, right?"

This way, even if the other black market organizations did not fall into Black Star's hands, with the Black Index as an example, those employers looking for confidentiality and safety would definitely no longer take the risk, fearing being exposed. Black Star could certainly force all the black market organizations in the Ancient Star Desert to compromise, but he chose to take another path. From the way the Third Indexer looked at it, this was Black Star giving himself a way out. This method was not as aggressive and would not lead to Black Star offending all the black market organizations, so the three Universal Civilizations would not end up easily taking over the fruits of victory.

Some black market organizations might even think of it as Black Star holding back on them.

"I got it." The Third Indexer hesitated. "This method is indeed less aggressive, but there are both pros and cons…"

Han Xiao did not respond. He knew what he meant.

Aggressively taking over all the black market organizations was the best way to lure those uncertainties out. He would be able to capture a ton of people who were trying to cause trouble. Comparatively, although this method required much less effort, it would cause most people to be alarmed and not make a move.

However, from the way he looked at it, there was no way to capture all the uncertainties. No fish could survive in an absolutely clean pond.

As the saying went, for a high enough reward, there would always be someone willing to take the risk. If those black market mercenaries were not completely discouraged, someone would definitely be willing to risk it for the huge profits, which would lead to the Ancient Star Desert becoming a mess. In the end, the three Universal Civilizations would have no choice but to put a lot of effort into chasing after them. This was the con of the more aggressive method.

Furthermore, when more of these people were captured, the fact that the three Universal Civilizations had controlled the black market would still be exposed. Therefore, he might as well make it public in the first place to not give anyone the thought that they might be lucky enough to pull off a fluke, making them afraid of the consequences. This way, the plan would turn from luring out those who would cause a problem to preventing those people from appearing in the first place, reducing the number of people willing to take the risk from the roots.

Indeed, luring them out would be effective, but it would also produce more uncertainties. As the rulers, a more righteous method was more suitable for the three Universal Civilizations. Using dirty tricks like this might be okay once in a while, but it was not suitable in the long run.

Han Xiao put those thoughts aside, glanced at the Third Indexer who was looking very obedient, and said, "You're not bad. I thought you'd only compromise after a slaughter. I didn't think you'd be so understanding as to not even give me a chance to do that."

"… As long as you're satisfied," the Third Indexer replied with resignation.

"However, I do like you more when you are defiant. Come, show me again," Han Xiao joked.

When was I ever defiant?

The Third Indexer complained about Han Xiao's humor in his mind but still straightened his back as he was told on the surface.

This time, Phillip had completed filtering the documents and identified a ton of employers requesting to transport the virus. "Report this list to the three Universal Civilizations. Have their troops cooperate with the operation to destroy these organizations."

Han Xiao glanced through it.

The data was very detailed. The employers were from all kinds of industries. For these people, he did not plan to hold back. While making them examples for the others, he could farm the Mission Rating of [Intelligent Plague] at the same time.

He searched through for a while and found an organization that hired Immortals multiple times. This was a black market arms dealer named the Kepel Financial Group. They had hired Depressed Prince too.

"I shall deal with this organization personally. Remember to publicize the execution process on the net."

On the dock of one of the Kepel Financial Group's Ancient Star Desert bases, cargo boxes were being loaded onto the ships. Kepel the Fifth was patrolling with his subordinates.

"How long before we can take off?".

"About two hours."

"Speed up as much as possible." Kepel the Fifth's tone was a little impatient.

About seven days ago, the dynasty fleet had visited the Black Index. This message was only spread out yesterday. All the anonymous employers who were giving out missions to transport the virus were appalled and instantly tried to save themselves.

Kepel the Fifth felt uneasy, too. Therefore, he decided to abandon this base and transfer his assets.

Currently, he was making his men empty the base.

While he was anxiously waiting, an observation officer sent him an urgent message.

"Alert, the exterior fleet has discovered a small Crimson Dynasty fleet approaching. We've sent a communication request but received no response."

"The three Universal Civilizations' men have come?" Kepel the Fifth was startled. Together with a group of officers, he hastily walked to the window and looked out into cosmic space. A few scattered dynasty spaceships appeared in their vision.

"There don't seem to be a lot of people?"

"They don't look like they're here to fight."

Seeing this, Kepel the Fifth was slightly relieved.

Since there were so few spaceships, he felt like they were more there to ask questions or negotiate. Having thought of that, Kepel the Fifth adjusted his clothes to look more formal. He then ordered with a deep voice, "Frigates, standby. Send a communication request in my name. I'll speak with them and see their intentions."

However, as soon as he said that, the dynasty spaceships stopped a distance away. "Hmm? Why did they stop?" Kepel the Fifth was confused.

However, the next moment, countless machines appeared out of thin air afar, quickly assembling into an enormous human-shaped machine that was wearing a cape and holding a longsword in its hand. It was so enormous that even the entire base was smaller.

"That's…"

Before Kepel the Fifth and the others recovered from their shock, this enormous machine suddenly hurled the long sword forward, which easily sliced through all the frigates in its path like a hot knife cutting through butter, heading right toward the base. At this instant, including Kepel the Fifth, all the people on the dock stopped what they were doing and stared blankly at the gigantic mountain-sized blade that was fast approaching

Their minds had all gone blank.

Swoosh!

The Celestial Punishment Edge easily penetrated the Kepel base. The blue psionic storm on its blade turned the base wreckage into dust. It was like a firework.

As if it had met no resistance at all, the blade continued to penetrate into the desolate planet below the base, through the ground, and came out the other side of the planet. It had given this planet a hole that extended from one side to another.

The enormous amount of psionic energy left by the Celestial Punishment Edge caused irreversible chain reactions inside the planet. Lava rushed up, and red cracks started appearing on the surface.

The next moment, a blinding white light erupted. The entire desolate planet expanded from within and shattered instantly. The shockwave from the explosion expanded, but the Mechanical Deity raised its Emperor's Cape and blocked the shockwave completely.

At the same time, it raised its hand. The Celestial Punishment Edge moved through the energy storm of the planet's explosion in an arc and returned to its hand. "This thing is quite powerful." Han Xiao somewhat understood why the Tyracles were so passionate about building equipment for the Mechanical Deity. There was no other reason except for it being so damn cool.

After playing with the Celestial Punishment Edge for a bit, the Great Mechanic Han reluctantly deactivated the Mechanical Deity and returned to the ship.

"Run a scan to see if there's still anyone alive."

What's the point?

The powerful light of the planet's explosion reflected on the dynasty soldiers' pale faces. The cabin was dead silent, as if they could hear each other gulping in fear. "Phillip, did you record that?"

"Yes, hum…"

"Upload it to the net, to intimidate those with ulterior motives and show them the consequences of what they might want to do."

Han Xiao waved his hand casually.

He did not plan to even speak with this organization. There was more than sufficient evidence. There was no point speaking, so he directly wiped them out with a slash to express his firm attitude.

After dealing with this small matter, Han Xiao waved at Harrison and the others, who were shivering by the side, signaling them to come over.

Harrison had just witnessed Han Xiao casually shattering a planet with his own eyes. The impact of it completely shattered his mental preparations for it before it happened. Even though he clearly knew Black Star was one of the strongest in the universe, he was still astonished.

Harrison's teeth were shaking. He cautiously approached Han Xiao and stuttered, "Y-Y-Y-Your Excellency Black Star, what can I do for you?"

"Why are you so nervous? I won't bite." Harrison chuckled and patted Harrison's shoulder. "Discouraging illegal dealings is about done, so looking for the virus core needs to be brought forward. I want to ask you, where do you think the virus core is hiding?"

"H-how would I know?"

"Don't be so nervous. Just make a random guess. Where do you think it's hiding?"

Harrison calmed himself down, regained focus, and cautiously said, "Previously, you said that the virus core is just a pre-designed program used to monitor the overall infection progress of the virus. This means that it is definitely exchanging information with the other viruses, so to hide itself, it can't possibly be the terminal of that information exchange, or it would have been found long ago. Therefore, I think that through recording all the routes the viruses are sending data through and finding the overlapping spots among them, that's where the virus core might…"

Han Xiao interrupted him and said, "The three Universal Civilizations thought of this long ago and have been doing exactly that. Each virus sends out a large amount of fake data every now and then. The routes are extremely complicated, and there are too many overlapping points. Therefore, there's no way but to filter them. However, not only is the location of the virus core very difficult to find, it seems to be changing randomly. This is why the three Universal Civilizations have not been able to find it."

"T-then I don't have any ideas and, unfortunately, won't be able to help you."

"No, I don't need your ideas." Han Xiao smirked. "Next time the three Universal Civilizations come up with the new set of overlapping points, I need you to choose some of them. What if you're lucky enough to find it right away?"

"Stop joking with me…" Harrison was anxious.

"I'm not joking. Think about it, you dug up an antique randomly, and it just so happened to be the source of such a dangerous disaster. From a certain viewpoint, your luck is through the roof."

Harrison scratched his head and realized that did make some sense.

Indeed, I always seem to have been quite lucky. No matter what I asked my family's financial group to invest in, it always ended up making money. If not because making money is too easy, I wouldn't have come out looking for excitement by doing archaeology… Han Xiao did not know what he was thinking. Seeing that he was daydreaming, he gave him a few words of encouragement and started pondering in his mind.

He had a lot of faith in the Advanced Luck Glow. Even if it failed the first time, if he let Harrison try a few more times, the chances of succeeding were still much higher than others.

Furthermore, Han Xiao even planned to make a request to the three Universal Civilizations to contact the outside world, so he could look for Floating Dragon's old man Aesop to read some feng shui for him.

No matter how well the virus core hid, everyone was equal in front of luck and prophecy.

Since science did not cut it, he planned to make it up with superstition!

Galaxy Calendar Year 731 March 9th, Black Star visited the Black Index organization, which controlled the black market, as a Crimson Dynasty emissary.

The two sides carried out a friendly and peaceful meeting regarding the three Universal Civilizations' control of the disaster, successfully exchanging information. In the end, they happily came to an agreement. The Black Index's Ancient Star Desert person in charge, the Third Indexer, expressed that be it a black or white faction, every powerful civilian organization had a responsibility to protect the universe. Preventing the Intelligent Plague from spreading was a duty every galactic resident should carry out. Hence, the Black Index was willing to fully support the three Universal Civilizations' operations.

March 17th, Black Star announced that the Kepel Financial Group had hidden the virus. He wiped Kepel out with one attack, shocking the other organizations.

With this incident as the signal, the three Universal Civilizations worked together and wiped out tons of private organizations that were suspected to have hidden the virus over the next month.

In April, the Crimson Dynasty fleet visited all the black market organizations in the Ancient Star Desert, seemingly gaining control of all the black market connections in the Ancient Star Desert.

Black Star upheld the rules of no negotiations and no compromises. He led his fleet on frequent attacks, reducing the number of smugglers by a large amount.

June 25th, the research group led by Manison created the first version of the special anti-virus and scanning tool, which was widely used.

In July, the Intelligent Plague was briefly under control. The three Universal Civilizations started to search for the virus' core.

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Chapter 1108 Great Machinery Sage

Han Xiao's fleet had stopped at the Crimson Dynasty's temporary Ancient Star Desert military base to resupply and repair their armor.

Over the past few months, using the information he had gained through the black market channels, he had done a cleansing of the restless gray organizations in the Ancient Star Desert, creating an image of him being merciless. This successfully made the rest not dare to take the risk. They chose to obey and stopped touching the Virtual Mutiny Virus. Hence, the Star Field's situation was getting better.

While doing so, Han Xiao was also trying to find the virus core. He had let Harrison choose the overlapping data points multiple times with his Luck Glow.

However, for once, the Luck Glow did not work, and he was never able to find the virus core. Even old man Aesop could not 'prophecy' his way to the location of this thing.

He was in charge of cleaning out the uncertainties, while Manison was focusing on researching. Both sides had gotten some results. Currently, the Intelligent Plague was somewhat under control.

"… I thought you guys would be able to come up with the antivirus very soon. Turns out it took you months. Now this doesn't suit your level, Manison."

Inside the lounge for upper echelons of the military base, Han Xiao was chatting with Manison's remote projection while snacking on some kind of seed similar to the Chinese melon seeds.

Manison shook his head and said, "Analyzing the virus' code wasn't easy. Plus, we had to prevent the virus from erupting, so we had to go around the conditions that would trigger it. We had no choice but to be extremely cautious. That's why it took us some time."

Beyond Grade A Virtual Mechanics could easily eliminate the Virtual Mutiny Virus, but the difficulty of turning their own ability into a tool that anyone could use was a completely different matter. For example, a man would be able to naturally walk and run, but if he was asked to build a robot that could do the same, he would definitely not be able to come up with it as easily.

"What are the three Universal Civilizations planning to do now?"

"The problem is still the conditions of triggering the virus eruption. In order to make sure it doesn't erupt, we can't cause the infection speed of the virus to plummet all of a sudden. Therefore, even if there are firewalls, we can't use them on a wide scale. For the time being, they can only be installed after all the infected nodes are cleaned. This is also the reason that despite the three Universal Civilizations' control, the Virtual Mutiny Virus has still infected more than half of the network nodes in the Ancient Star Desert over the past few months."

son a

"If I recall correctly, cleaning out the virus on a large scale will also trigger it, right?" Han Xiao asked.

"Yes," Manison replied. "Therefore, the scanning tool the three Universal Civilizations have asked us to build can't be discovered by the viruses. They plan to secretly lock onto all the infected nodes by scanning them, then implant antivirus tools with precision to clean all the infected nodes simultaneously. Afterward, they'll install firewalls immediately to prevent repeat infections. This way, even if the virus ends up erupting, the damage will be minimized."

"Although this method is a little bit troublesome, it's safest."

Han Xiao had no objection to the three Universal Civilizations' plan. It sounded quite reliable.

However, he had a question in mind. In his previous life, the three Universal Civilizations should have done exactly the same thing, so how did it still turn into a disaster for the entire universe in the end?

Could it be because I've done my job too well and changed some unknown details? For example, someone should have transported the virus out but has been stopped by me? Han Xiao put this question to the back of his mind.

Manison did not know what Han Xiao was thinking. He continued to explain the three Universal Civilizations' plan.

"Therefore, we have made various preparations. One is this plan to wipe out all the virus; the other is to locate the virus core. The virus core is the controlling terminal for most eruption triggers. As long as it's eliminated, the risk will be reduced even further, and we won't have to worry about the viruses erupting when we attempt to wipe them out."

"Do you guys still have no leads on the virus core?"

"It's hidden itself too well." Manison shook his head and did not say much.

Han Xiao snorted softly. He felt that old Manison was not telling the truth. However, there was no point exposing him. The two of them were competitors in this respect. Manison would not be so kind as to share clues with him.

I were

Out of all the Beyond Grade A Mechanics who had come to help, all of them wanted to obtain the virus core to learn the full secrets of the Virtual Mutiny Virus technology.

Now that the pandemic was under control and the most dangerous period had passed, the competition revolving around the virus core had come to the surface. Even the three Universal Civilizations intended to compete for

it.

Han Xiao knew that he would not be able to get any information from Manison, so he skipped this topic and said, "Now that your work is done, are you still planning to stay in the research department?"

"No, I'm planning to go and take a walk. One reason is to find clues about the virus core. Another is that I plan to go and take a look at the Machinery Faith."

"Machinery Faith?" Han Xiao's brows raised.

He had never forgotten that the two of them had conflicts of interest due to this religion. Manison was always in the position of the main god. He wanted to keep most of their faith to himself to maintain the (Key of Adeptus Mechanicus] bonuses.

For that, Manison had struck more than a decade ago and made Han Xiao suffer a slight loss.

Back then, he had chosen to use his soul talent of not competing. After that, he had been growing stronger while keeping a low profile, at the same time maintaining a decent relationship with Manison.

"What, you have some thoughts about it?" Manison sounded like he was smiling, but he was not.

"Humph, can't I?" Han Xiao narrowed his eyes.

"Compared to about ten years ago, you have indeed improved. However, it's still too early for you to want to challenge me again," Manison said coldly. "Don't envy what's mine. We have quite a good relationship now; keeping things this way is good for you. Don't say I never warned you. I don't wish to see you have any contact with the Machinery Faith in any form."

Then, the green remote projection disappeared, and Manison had hung up the communication.

Han Xiao's face turned black. He was a little irritated.

What a b*stard this guy is, changing his attitude like flipping pages of a book.

Also, when did the Machinery Faith become yours? Shameless! Speaking of, it's already been more than ten years since I last fought him…

Han Xiao narrowed his eyes and pondered.

He opened the interface, looked at the huge amount of EXP he had accumulated, and felt assured.

The Black Star Cup had been going on all this time, giving him bonus EXP for the past few months, which had stacked up to quite a huge amount. He did a slight calculation-it was roughly enough for him to level up from level 320 to between 335 and 337. Just a portion of this much EXP would be enough for him to obtain enough Potential Points to max all his class knowledges.

After farming for so long, I feel like I can have a rematch with Manison…

Han Xiao had decided to take a step back more than ten years ago because he wanted to become stronger first. Now that he had improved, his restless mindset once again seized control.

The competition around the Machinery Faith was one thing, but to Han Xiao, the other reason was the main reason.

I'm not happy. I have to fight that old man!

Last time, I was weaker, so I put up with it, but it's never too late for revenge!

In the past, you came to me and bullied my Phillip. Now, I have reason to be confident, so it's my turn to initiate the challenge and see the difference in our strength.

Due to the existence of the Beyond Grade A Association, the strength difference between individuals also affected the weight of their words. Although Manison's term was still long, he could totally make some early preparations for the next election.

Also, it was because of the development union that he did not have to worry about Manison's retaliation. As the president, Manison had to set an example and not cause trouble secretly, or it would go against the purpose of the development union. Although Manison provided some help to him during the attack on Hila, it was more of a win-win. To Han Xiao, favors and beef did not cancel out each other. He would repay Old Man Manison for what he did in the future at most.

All kinds of thoughts flashed past Han Xiao's mind. He brought up the ability list, selected a bunch of blueprint abilities, threw in EXP, and maxed out their levels. Notifications kept popping up on the interface.

You have maxed the level of one ability. You have received 1 Potential Point.

You have maxed the level of one ability. You have received 1 Potential Point.

Currently, Han Xiao only had three Ultimate Knowledges that were not at their maximum level. (Ultimate Mechanical Engineering) was at Lv.3, (Mechanical Life Tinder) was at Lv.4, and (Endless Material Science] was at Lv.2. They required a total of 144 Potential Points. Even though he still had some Potential Points left, he still had to max out more than a hundred abilities.

The more max level abilities he had, the higher the cost of leveling up the rest of the abilities, including even the low-level blueprints. Though, the cost did not increase as much as leveling up himself. This meant that although the players could utilize different levelling strategies, they would not have too much of an impact. They would still have to put in a lot of effort to receive more Potential Points.

His EXP gauge went down very quickly. Very soon, he had already spent more than half of it. When his remaining EXP was only enough for him to level up to 326, he finally had 144 Potential Points.

Although leveling up would also give him Potential Points, he did not want to wait any longer. He had tons of leeks and a continuous source of EXP, so being so calculative was not something he needed to do.

Furthermore, Han Xiao was also very curious as to whether Potential Points would still be of any use when all his knowledges were at the maximum level.

Looking at the 144 Potential Points, Han Xiao took a deep breath and spent them all on the last three Ultimate Knowledges.

You have leveled up (Ultimate Mechanical Engineering] to Lv.5 (Max)!

You have leveled up (Mechanical Life Tinder] to Lv.5 (Max)!

You have leveled up [Endless Material Science] to Lv.5 (Max)!

All 60 of your Class Knowledges have reached the max level!

You have received 1 (The First Sanctum) Ability Fragment. You have acquired talent (Great Machinery Sage]!

[Great Machinery Sage): 1.25 Total Machinery Affinity bonus multiplier; 3 levels to Mechanic Class related abilities (Not limited by the ability's max level); 40% production, enhancement, and repairing ability; 60% Virtual Technology effects; 15% Machinery basic attributes; 120% Machinery production speed; 3,000 INT. Remark: "In the machinery territory, you're an all-knowing sage."

The current Potential Points in your possession and the Potential Points you obtain in the future can be turned into 'Awakening Points' at a 1:1 conversion rate.

Usage I: 1 An Awakening Point can be converted into 100 Free Attribute Points (Irreversible).

Usage II: 1 An Awakening Point can be used to level up one maxed level ability by 1 level (Irreversible).

Usage III: Awakening Points can be used to increase the awakening process of Unique Talent. The amount increased by every 1 Awakening Point depends on the level and grade of the Unique Talent (Irreversible). 100 Awakening Points can be used to activate the brief structure of a Unique Talent (Custom talent direction).

Usage IV: Awakening Points can be used to increase the grade of blueprints. The amount increased by every 1 Awakening Point depends on the level and grade of the blueprint (Irreversible).

Usage V: Awakening Points can be used to increase the progress of inventing a blueprint. The amount increased by every 1 Awakening Point depends on the level and grade of the blueprint (Irreversible).

Your (Ultimate Mechanical Engineering) has reached the max level. [Inspirational Creation] activated!

Woah! Han Xiao was thoroughly surprised.

[Great Machinery Sage]'s effects definitely matched how difficult it was to obtain it. Not only did it provide very comprehensive bonuses, but the bonuses were also all quite large. Its impact on his strength was probably on the same level as (Perfect Mechanical Sense), increasing his overall strength by about ten percent.

I wonder if the suffixes of the talents given when all class knowledges are at the max level is the same for all the classes… The Magic Sage? Sounds fine. The Psychic Sage? Now that sounds a little weird…

The Esper Sage? Hmm…

The Pugilist Sage? Forget it, the Muscular Sage is definitely much better.

The talent was within Han Xiao's expectations, but the new use of Potential Points surprised him. No player in his previous life could level up all their abilities to the max level. This was a first even for him.

His Potential Points were now Awakening Points.

He carefully read its uses. The more he read it, the more excited he got. Compared to the one and only use the Potential Points had, the uses of Awakening Points were much more diverse.

Converting them into Free Attribute Points and increasing the upper limits of his abilities were clearly very practical and needed no further explanation, but what he was more impressed by were the other three functions.

Increasing the blueprint's grade seemed to be able to give him a stable stream of Gold blueprints. For example, if he kept throwing Awakening Points into just an ordinary low-level pistol blueprint, given enough Awakening Points, this blueprint might turn into a Gold blueprint!

And the type of blueprint would not change too much. It would only turn from a gunpowder pistol into a portable Planetary Obliteration weapon.

The Awakening Points could also be used to increase the progress of inventing a blueprint, which could be used together with [Inspirational Creation). [Inspirational Creation) had been gathering dust in the interface. The prerequisite for activating it was max level (Ultimate Mechanical Engineering). The effect of this ability was to use EXP to assemble multiple blueprints into one or more improved or fused blueprints, with no upper limit on the number of blueprints. At the same time, a choice could be made for the improvement path of the fused blueprints, such as attack, defense, or support.

This ability made inventing blueprints more stable and ensured a result. It was also the only way the players in his previous life could invent Gold blueprints. However, the chances of doing so were extremely low. Most of the time, one would only obtain the brief structure of a Gold blueprint or Inspiration Fragments, which he could use Awakening Points to increase the progress of.

The last use of Awakening Point was what the Great Mechanic Han liked the most-it could be used to fuse Unique Talents!

Han Xiao's eyes sparkled as he mumbled, "Old Manison, Sorokin, and the others might have obtained their Unique Talents this way."

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Chapter 1109 A Secret Only One Person Knows

One Unique Talent for a hundred Awakening Points, this cost was certainly high. However, at least it gave him a clear path. Han Xiao did not trust his luck at all. If he only relied on his luck, he probably would not have a wisp of a Unique Talent even in a hundred years.

He had a guess that the way of customizing would be probably the same as how he created his own Race Talent back when he advanced into Beyond Grade A, by selecting his preferences then randomizing from those given conditions. The Unique Talent obtained after fusing would only have a brief structure. He would need to spend more Awakening Points to activate it.

Potential Points turning into Awakening Points after all class knowledges were at max level was probably the same with other Mechanics such as Manison.

The difference was, unlike him, Manison and the others could not freely choose what to use the Awakening Points on.

Therefore, since the other Mechanics could not decide where to use the Awakening Points, they were probably random. He guessed it would probably feel like a sudden flash of insight for them.

Although the cost is quite high, at least it's a stable way to obtain Unique Talents. Han Xiao was quite content. He had been eyeing this for many years, and now he had finally seen some hope. However, the quality-price ratio of it was still uncertain. A hundred Attribute Points was equivalent to ten thousand Free Attribute Points, and his Intellect right now was not even thirty thousand despite it being his highest attribute. If he used all those Awakening Points on Free Attribute Points, it would be a huge improvement for him. He would only not make a loss if he were to get a Molding Talent level Unique Talent.

However, since it would be a Unique Talent, its effects would probably be decent. After all, its effects had to match how difficult it was to obtain it.

The Great Mechanic Han still remembered Sorokin's Unique Talent (Swindler-Sorokin, which gave him a direct twenty-percent bonus just on his Intellect and Mystery attributes, along with a bonus seventy-five percent Esper Ability strength and four levels to all his abilities. It was extremely powerful.

Old Man Manison's (Virtual Technology Innovation-Manison) gave him a 1.75-times multiplier on his Virtual Technology abilities, on top of his 'Indestructible Mechanic Empire' technology.

Both of these were at the Molding Talent level.

You never know until you try it. Although it's quite costly, I'll still have to get one and see how it is.

He had just leveled up more than a hundred blueprint abilities and spent all the Potential Points, so his current EXP inventory was not enough to get him another hundred Awakening Points.

Alas, Awakening Points… What a suitable name. Here comes another bottomless pit for EXP. Let's just think about it after my Promotion…

Han Xiao shook his head. His main goal of maxing the level of all his class knowledges was that one extra God's Trait Transformation Point during Promotion.

Now that he had completed that achievement, the Promotion at level 340 became his top priority again.

Other than these changes, the interface also mentioned that he had obtained another Ability Fragment of (The First Sanctum).

The Great Mechanic Han had already found a pattern. Whenever he overcame a certain threshold of the Mechanic class, he would receive a (The First Sanctum] fragment.

The first piece came from when he activated God's Trait Transformation, the second came from the first Universal Treasure he built, the third came from the fifth stage of his main class' God's Trait Transformation, and this was the fourth.

I can't wait to see how many fragments it takes to make it whole. Better not tell me it's a hundred.

Overall, he was very satisfied with the bonuses that came with maxing the level of all his class knowledges. It had given him a new path to grow. This was the biggest difference between him and the other Beyond Grade As-his growth path was crystal clear.

At the same time, with (Great Machinery Sage), he had more confidence in challenging Manison.

Last time, I lost in the virtual world; this time, I've got to fight him in the real world.

Han Xiao was looking forward to it with high morale.

This mindset could be simply explained as: "Stopped, the rain has; stopped, the wind has; now I think, I can do it again!"

Du du du!

While Han Xiao was getting familiar with the changes in his body, someone knocked on his door. Harrison walked in.

Over the past few months, Han Xiao had upheld his belief of not wasting any resource and did not let Harrison get away with doing nothing. Even though this guy was still guilty, Han Xiao did not mind and gave him a job as his temporary secretary.

Other than to find Harrison something to do, this was also because he wanted to have him around so that benefitting from his Luck Glow would be more convenient.

However, only from the results, not only did he not benefit from it, he even somewhat neutralized it.

Of course, the Great Mechanic Han would not admit this. He strongly believed that it was just that Harrison's Luck Glow did not have a good quality.

Feidin's Luck Glow still turned out to be the best. It remained unaffected no matter how much of a burden he was.

Seeing that Harrison had walked in, Han Xiao closed the interface and asked casually, "Anything to report?" "Your Excellency Black Star, the dynasty fleet has told me to tell you that they're going to temporarily leave your team and go back to their usual groupings to execute other missions."

"What happened?" Han Xiao asked curiously.

"The captain has told me that this is a mission the dynasty upper echelons gave. Something has happened with a Star System civilization, and it's not suitable for you to deal with."

"What are the details?"

"I brought the information regarding the incident. Please take a look."

Harrison took out a set of data and displayed it on the virtual screen.

Han Xiao quickly looked through and understood.

In the past few months, the various civilizations of the Ancient Star Desert had come to understand the big picture and cooperated fully with the three Universal Civilizations' operations on the surface, not causing any problems like the black market once did.

However, when the three Universal Civilizations announced that the antivirus was complete, there seemed to be civilizations that felt that the pandemic was already under control and there would no longer be any dire consequences, so they started to stir things up.

There were three Star System Civilizations who were involved—the Tiger Race, the White Hair Race, and the Ferians. They were not transporting the virus but instead were suspected of using the virus to attack their enemies.

The Tiger Race and the Ferians were in the same Star System. Their territories were right beside one another. They were old rivals and often had conflicts with each other. The White Hair Race was in another Star System nearby, next to the Tiger Race but not the Ferians. Their relationship with the Tiger Race was relatively distant.

This was what the situation was roughly about. Not long ago, a machinery rebellion occurred on one of the important administrative planets of the Tiger Race. Those machines were infected by the Virtual Mutiny Virus, and because they had been disconnected from the network for too long, the trigger condition for the virus was met, and these machines were modified by the virus to hurt life forms.

The virus outbreak was only limited to this group of machinery. They were not large in number, and they could not connect to the internet either, so the other nodes of that planet were not affected. Therefore, the guards of the planet easily annihilated this group of machines. However, there were still civilian casualties.

After an investigation, a rather believable cause of this disaster surfaced on the network—that this group of machines were used by the Tiger Race to study the Virtual Mutiny Virus, and they accidentally lost control of them, which led to this disaster.

After this message got out, the Tiger Race civilians were in an uproar. Public opinion went out of control, and they all turned on their regime. The impact kept getting bigger.

The Tiger Race hastily said that this was just a rumor, that they did not study the virus at all. They said that these machines were hidden on the planet by an unknown force, who had calculated the day for the virus to attack to deliberately frame the regime and damage their credibility.

The civilians who were enraged felt this was nothing but excuses, so the Tiger Race had no choice but to request the three Universal Civilizations to judge it.

From the private report Han Xiao received, the Tiger Race explained to the three Universal Civilizations that this might be a conspiracy of the Ferians or the White Hair Race. The Tiger Race claimed that not only did both of those suspects want to frame them, but at the same time, the real culprit wanted to make the other suspect get the blame and stir up conflict between the Tiger Race and them, while they sat on the sidelines and benefited from it.

Both the White Hair Race and the Ferians had motives, but the Tiger Race was not completely trustworthy either. Hence, the three Universal Civilizations sent people over to investigate. Currently, the situation was still quite blurry.

The Star System Civilizations were protected by the Peace Treaty, so the dynasty did not let Han Xiao interfere with it. In this respect, the three Universal Civilizations did not allow any other organizations other than them to be the bullies.

The black market became obedient after what I did, but now the civilizations have started to cause trouble, I see…

Han Xiao frowned. Although this was not his responsibility, he still felt that something was not right.

He understood that the Ancient Star Desert being in lockdown had put the various local civilizations on alert, especially the Super Star Cluster Civilizations. The three bullies had lost their credibility during such crises long ago, so these civilizations had definitely prepared for the worst and gathered leverage. However, this was not helpful to the big picture at all.

I'll still have to deal with the virus as soon as possible. It can't wait. I shall use Bold Explorer one more time.

Han Xiao left the room and entered the warehouse.

Walking into the room, he saw the triangular device that had once stored the Virtual Mutiny Virus technology lying there immediately.

The dynasty had studied it but come up with no results. Seeing that Black Star had asked for it, they allowed Han Xiao to keep it with him.

Lately, as long as [Bold Explorer) was off cooldown, Han Xiao would use it on this triangular device. Sadly, he had only seen a ton of scattered images; none were of any value. He had only found out part of the virus' origin at most.

The machinery civilization he saw from the first time he used Bold Explorer was the creators of the Virtual Mutiny Virus. This was indeed a weapon. The very purpose of building it in the first place was to use it on the unknown civilization that used the Planetary Obliteration weapon to annihilate this machinery civilization.

The program of the virus was set to killing life forms, and the machinery civilization was clearly not in range. It was like a high-level war weapon that dealt no damage to their kind.

This machinery civilization, or more of an intelligent civilization, was the same as an artificial intelligence civilization. All of its citizens were artificial intelligence lives, only more advanced.

These machines roaming the streets were all shells carrying intelligent lives. They were basically their carriers for walking in the real world. They designed their shells themselves, so there were hardly any two machines that looked the same. Through using [Bold Explorer) time after time, Han Xiao had found out about some special language and symbols of this artificial intelligence civilization. However, after cross-referencing it, there were no related records in the three Universal Civilizations' database at all.

Either this artificial intelligence civilization was too ancient and even the three Universal Civilizations did not know about it, or it was an advanced civilization in the unexplored universe.

No matter which it was, it proved the fact that the source of the Virtual Mutiny Virus was a materialization phenomenon brought by an information state disturbance. Basically, it was a 'mirage' that interfered with reality.

Hope I can see something useful this time.

Han Xiao had Harrison beside him. He took a deep breath and prayed in his head to be blessed by the Luck Glow before placing his hand on the cold surface of the triangular device.

Buzz!

The next moment, the scene in his sights changed. He had come to a bright lab.

He looked up, and his eyes constricted with surprise.

In the middle of the room was the triangular device that was still not closed, showing the safe within it. Beside it was a group of mechanical lives who looked like researchers. They were operating their mechanical arms carefully and placing an almost transparent light-blue sphere of electrical sparks inside the device.

Is this when the Virtual Mutiny Virus was first created? Finally!

Han Xiao suppressed his joy and carefully observed this light blue sphere of electrical sparks. Tiny strings of electrical sparks swam in the air like a powerful electromagnetic field.

… This is the virus core?

Shouldn't it be a bunch of virtual data? Why is it a mass of electromagnetic energy?

Han Xiao was confused.

A monotonous electrical voice suddenly sounded. A mechanical life researcher by the side moved the camera to aim at him and said, "Experiment introduction: The Domino Virus, able to infect the quantum network and rewrite the fundamental logic of artificial intelligences. The current program is to kill all organic life forms.

"Raw material: One thousand mutated artificial intelligence lives with individual consciousness wiped, leaving only data structure and computing power. After 165 failures, the Domino Virus was successfully created. The virus' initial state has extremely high stealth, infiltrative, and infective abilities.

"Virus core: Pre-designed program with no individual consciousness. As the control center, it follows the logic given and controls the Domino Virus, monitoring the infection progress and activating the virus at a suitable time. It also has the ability to self-evolve. When the opponent has invented a targeted firewall, the virus core will automatically analyze the data and find the flaw with its strong computing power, continuously updating and enhancing the viruses to carry out a new round of infection.

"Remarks: From the second-generation virus onward, all viruses are active by default. Once infected, they will immediately rewrite the target's logic without an incubation period.

"Also, the virus core uses a lot of technology such as Virtual Soul, Bio-electricity Simulation, Electromagnetic Field Reformation, and so on. It has two forms. It can either exist as a virtual soul that lives in the quantum network or leave the quantum network at any terminal and enter the material world as an electromagnetic field life form.

"As the fundamental virus core is a virtual soul, when in the electromagnetic field state, it can infiltrate the quantum network at any time without coming into contact with any nodes. Due to this ability, the virus core has an extremely high escaping and hiding ability, as well as mobility.

"If used properly, one Domino Virus can shatter the majority of armed forces of a galactic civilization, causing the target's technology to regress many generations. Due to its extreme power, it requires caution when used. Currently, the Domino Virus is sealed up. Without authority, do not use…"

Han Xiao's eyes slowly widened.

He felt that his fragile mind had received ten thousand points of damage.

If not because he saw all this through (Bold Explorer), no one in the entire universe would have known the truth of the Virtual Mutiny Virus!

I'm the only one who knows all this now. Everyone else still has no idea!

At this time, a thought appeared in his mind.

Something's going to go wrong! The three Universal Civilizations' plan isn't going to work!

This thing is tougher to deal with than we thought!

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Chapter 1110 Countermeasures

At this time, the image of (Bold Explorer] stopped, and his vision returned to the warehouse. He lifted his palm from the cold shell of the triangular device, stood in place, and looked at the device in silence.

He remained silent and did not move at all. Clueless as to what was going on, Harrison sensitively felt that the atmosphere had gradually become heavier, so he cautiously asked, "Your Excellency Black Star, did something happen?"

"…Nothing." Han Xiao regained focus. He glanced at him and then walked out of the warehouse with wide strides. Harrison quickly followed after him. "Go do your stuff. You don't have to follow me."

"Oh, sure."

Like he had just been spared his life, Harrison quickly left.

Although Black Star did not do anything, just being beside him made Harrison feel extremely pressured.

After getting rid of Harrison, Han Xiao returned to his room and thought of the secrets he had just seen. His mind started working fast.

The Virtual Mutiny Virus's real name is the Domino Virus, it seems. What a terrifying weapon of war. Any organization that gets their hands on this technology will have the absolute upper hand in the information war…

He finally understood why the Intelligent Plague still swarmed the entire universe in his previous life. It turned out that it was not only because some people did not obey the three Universal Civilizations, but the three Universal Civilizations could not stop the Domino Virus' invasion.

It was not because their technology was inferior, but they did not have enough information and got caught by surprise. After all, who would ever think that the Virtual Mutiny Virus worked this way? If not because he had seen the virus' true identity from (Bold Explorer), he would probably have been in the exact same spot the three Universal Civilizations were in, still seeing the virus core as just a data program.

According to common sense, the virus core was supposed to just be the switch that monitored the entire infection progress. Hence, the three Universal Civilizations thought that they had nothing to be afraid of because they had already come up with the antivirus.

Of course, they had no idea that the virus core had the ability to update and evolve on its own. What they had under control at the moment was just the first-generation virus. As long as the core was not dealt with, there would still be the second generation, the third generation, and so on. Furthermore, there would be no incubation period next time; the virus would directly cause the machinery to rebel.

Not only was its infectiousness more horrifying than expected, but the virus core's ability to escape was also astonishing. It was not limited by its data state and could even enter the material world, forming an electromagnetic field as the body to carry itself and switch freely between the virtual and the real world. It was not afraid of being locked in the network at all.

As the foundation of its existence was a virtual soul, the virus core did not need any physical node to enter the quantum network. It was similar to how Beyond Grade A Virtual Mechanics could enter the quantum network anytime they wanted. It would only need a node as the exit when materializing, meaning that it could teleport between the various nodes using the quantum network.

No wonder I couldn't find any traces of the virus core over the past few months. It's probably not because Harrison's Luck Glow isn't good enough, but it simply can't be caught on the network.

This ability was similar to his Void Dimension Jump. To the virus core, the quantum network was like another secondary dimension it could enter any time it wanted. This artificial intelligence civilization probably did not reach the Universal Civilization level, since the three Universal Civilizations had the ability to analyze the Domino Virus completely. However, this needed time. Therefore, when facing this kind of weaponized virus, there would always be a period of time when there were simply no measures to deal with it. The specialties of every civilization were different. There would also be some civilizations that would invent some new technology. For example, the Kunde Race's Spacetime Splicer. The three Universal Civilizations were inferior in the virtual virus technology aspect. After all, even the citizens of this civilization were artificial intelligence life forms, so this was clearly their strongest suit.

Wait a minute, if the three Universal Civilizations successfully defused the Intelligent Plague in my previous life, the virus core was definitely dealt with, so the three Universal Civilizations would have certainly obtained this technology… But why did they not use it when fighting the World Tree Civilization?

Han Xiao had some suspicions.

Could it be that… the virus core did not end up in the hands of the three Universal Civilizations in the previous life but somehow got obtained by someone else?

The next moment, the image of an old man appeared in the Great Mechanic Han's mind…

Mechanic Empire Manison!

This b*stard was the most suspicious!

One could not blame Han Xiao for thinking this way. Manison gave him too strong of an impression as someone who would do something like this.

Furthermore, the original material of the Domino Virus was mutated artificial intelligence life forms, and Manison just so happened to be in control of an artificial intelligence civilization.

It was horrifying to even think about it!

Han Xiao hastily shook his head, left these thoughts behind, and pondered.

The three Universal Civilizations made a lot of mistakes and learned a lot of lessons before finally understanding how the Domino Virus worked. Now that I've seen the truth in advance, I can skip that process and come up with prevention measures!

Having thought of that, Han Xiao was relieved.

In his previous life, the three Universal Civilizations had no choice but to learn through mistakes. Now that he, someone who had already watched the 'instruction manual' was there, the same thing did not have to happen again.

Maybe, the source of the virus might even be dealt with in the first generation. This way, the virus would have no chance of causing an outbreak, and the damage would be minimized!

When looking at it this way, the butterfly effects he had brought seemed to lean more toward the positive side.

The main issue now is convincing the three Universal Civilizations to change their plan of killing the virus on a large scale. If the virus core isn't dealt with, no matter how many viruses they kill, it won't make a difference. The virus core's ability is very tough to deal with, so I'll need the three Universal Civilizations' cooperation to deal with it…

Its ability to self-evolve was the most terrifying one. As long as that was dealt with, the rest would not be too much of a problem.

He was not afraid of the virus core escaping from the Ancient Star Desert. The quantum network of this Star Field was in lockdown. It was like an enormous LAN network, so it could not receive any feedback from the viruses within the Ancient Star Desert from outside it.

Even if the virus core really got out, it would still have to come back and log in to this sealed network to monitor the overall infection progress of the Ancient Star Desert.

This meant that even though the virus core could teleport in the quantum network, its range was limited to the Ancient Star Desert.

As for whether it would go out and spread the virus seed, Han Xiao was not worried either. Although the three Universal Civilizations lacked information, they were not useless. In order to prevent the virus from getting out, they were also doing large-scale scanning in the outside world.

If the first-generation virus infected the outside world, the three Universal Civilizations would notice it very quickly. There was no need for him to worry. After analyzing for a while, Han Xiao had some ideas. He summoned Phillip and said, "Contact the three Universal Civilizations' pandemic command center as well as the other Beyond Grade A Mechanics for a meeting. Tell them I've made a huge discovery about the virus core…"

After receiving Black Star's invite, the three people in charge of the department, including Sidreun, and all the other Beyond Grade A Mechanic dropped their work and arrived at the Intelligent Plague Pandemic Command Center's conference room in the form of remote projections. They were all there to hear Black Star's discovery.

As soon as Han Xiao's remote projection appeared, Sidreun could not wait and asked, "Black Star, have you found the virus core?"

"Not yet, but I've made a shocking discovery."

Hearing that Han Xiao did not find the virus core, the people present were both disappointed and glad, followed by the curiosity of the huge discovery Han Xiao spoke of.

"What did you discover?"

"Here's the thing…"

Han Xiao cut to the chase and directly explained the rough mechanisms of the virus core, mainly emphasizing its ability to transform freely between the virtual and the real world, as well as its ability to self-evolve.

The threat of the Domino Virus was too high. Working together to defuse the pandemic was the top priority at the moment, so he did not plan to keep anything to himself.

After hearing what Han Xiao said, everyone present became silent. They looked at each other and did not even know what to feel.

Seeing this, Han Xiao continued and said, "Therefore, your plan to kill the virus on a large scale won't work. The threat of the Intelligent Plague will only be removed when the virus core is found, so I suggest you take action immediately…" This time, Sidreun interrupted Han Xiao and said with a strange expression, "Black Star, I'd like to ask… Where did you obtain this information from?"

The rest of the people present had the exact same thought. They all stared closely at Han

Xiao.

They had to be doubtful. This information was way too detailed… so detailed it almost seemed made up!

Are you messing with us?

It's not impossible given how cheeky you are!

This matter is huge, and there's no room for anyone to play tricks. We have to confirm the authenticity of the information. How can we just believe you if you don't show us some proof?

"I knew you'd say that." Han Xiao was not surprised at all and went on to explain, "Actually, I discovered the virus core's traces in the quantum network not long ago. I was just about to try to track and capture it when it disappeared from the quantum network without any signs, and the lead I had ended there… I'm a peak Beyond Grade A Virtual Mechanic, yet it could still disappear into thin air right under my nose without me having any idea of how it did it. Some of you surely know how difficult it is to do that. That's when I started suspecting that it's not just a data program."

"Then? How did you discover this information?" Sidreun asked.

"Your documents should have recorded that I have the ability to passively see the future. A few days after I noticed that the virus core isn't as simple as we thought it was, I had a vision and saw the future. I saw how the Intelligent Plague erupted and how it killed countless lives. At the same time, I saw the true identity of this virus core." Han Xiao shrugged. "So, if you're asking for proof, I really can't provide any."

"That's… you're making it difficult for us."

The various people in charge from the three Universal Civilizations all looked troubled.

It was not that they did not trust Black Star, but foresight was indeed inaccurate sometimes. This matter involved the safety of the entire universe. It was way too risky to bet all their chips on a prophecy without any real evidence.

Han Xiao had no other choice. He did not have any real evidence, so what he said was certainly not going to be convincing enough. He could only use his ability of foresight as an excuse. After all, (Bold Explorer) was not something he could really explain, and it was not even as convincing as prophecies.

Nonetheless, although what he said lacked any real proof and was not convincing enough, with his current position, even if the three Universal Civilizations' people would not believe him immediately, they would still definitely find ways to prove or disprove what he said. He did not have to do too much explaining

In the end, if what Han Xiao said was proved to be false, the three Universal Civilizations would undoubtedly trust Han Xiao less in the future. However, before that, they would not instantly take Han Xiao's words as false.

After so many things had happened, the name, reputation, and respect Han Xiao had accumulated in the universe was more than enough to have the three Universal Civilizations take his suggestions seriously.

At this moment, Manison slowly said, "I feel that Black Star's foresight does make some sense. In fact, I discovered the virus core's tracks some time ago. It also disappeared right before my eyes, and I suspected that it was not just a data program."

Hearing this, Han Xiao's eyelids twitched.

Him saying he had found traces of the virus core was completely made up, but Manison was most likely not making it up. I knew it. This old b*stard really did make progress but never said anything about it. If not because I tricked him today, he would never have publicized this information on himself.

Phooey! You say I don't have enough resolution, but you're even worse, hiding such key information! The people exchanged looks and digested this impactful piece of information.

In the end, Sidreun coughed and said, "No matter what, we'll check out the content of His Excellency Black Star's vision. This is a very important piece of information."

While saying so, he secretly looked at Manison with derision.

The strongest Mechanic in the universe? How come you did not discover as much information as Black Star when the two of you had the same experience? Learn from him!

Manison looked directly ahead and acted like he did not notice Sidreun's gaze.

This time, Kant said worriedly, "If the Virtual Mutiny Virus is really as Black Star says it is, we're in big trouble. The firewall we've come up with this month will be useless before the next generation of the virus. By then, the disaster will sweep across the entire universe."

"Who in the world invented such a horrifying virus technology? Aren't they afraid of it biting themselves in the foot?" 'Mechanical Catastrophe' Francisco wondered. "Whether what Black Star said is true or false, we'll still have to come up with a plan." The dynasty's ally Quantum Demon showed his support.

Han Xiao spoke again with a deep voice. "That's right. It doesn't matter if my foresight is accurate or not. It won't hurt giving it a try."

That's true… The people in charge from the three Universal Civilizations exchanged looks and nodded.

"What plan do you have then?".

"I wouldn't call it a plan. It's just a rough idea."

Han Xiao paused and looked around. Seeing that everyone's attention was on him, he said slowly, "The mobility of the virus core is too high, so it's very difficult to catch it. However, it still has limits. It can enter the quantum network anytime, anywhere, but when it leaves it and materializes, it has to choose a terminal node as the exit. This might be our opportunity.

"In order to receive feedback from the rest of the viruses, the virus core will return to the quantum network once every so often. This time, we really might have to cut off the network on a large scale and reduce the number of terminal nodes in order to restrict the range of the virus core's ability to teleport within the quantum network. This way, when the number of exits is reduced, we can station people at every node and set up traps."The people stationed at each node have to be Beyond Grade A Virtual Mechanics with the knowledge of 'Virtual Paramount'. This is because after the virus core materializes, it doesn't have to come into contact with any node in order to re-enter the quantum network. Therefore, the chance will only last for a short instant. At the instant the virus core materializes, the Beyond Grade A Mechanic will use 'Virtual Paramount' to lock up the virus core's virtual soul so that it can't escape its body temporarily, then capture it together with its physical body.

"The technology to seal the virus core already exists. That safe prevents the virus from leaking, so it can certainly suppress the virus core's virtual soul and prevent it from entering the quantum network. As long as we parse that triangular container, we can obtain this targeted technology…"

Hearing this, the people all looked at Han Xiao with weird expressions once again.

Not to mention the feasibility of this plan of yours, just the fact that the people stationed at the nodes have to be Virtual Mechanics who have the knowledge of (Virtual Paramount), aren't you being too obvious?

Virtual Paramount is an ability only Divine Throne Mechanics of the Virtual branch can obtain, so clearly only peak Beyond Grade As. You're one, Manison is another, and that's it.

So, you're saying that only you guys can compete for the virus core. Even the three Universal Civilizations have to stand aside?

Are you really not tricking us? Manison, however, smiled and fully approved of this plan.

"Black Star is right. To maintain peace in the universe, we are more than willing to step up. How many terminal nodes are there to set up traps for? How about this, I'm willing to deploy fifty million spare Lord's Avatars, ensuring that I can advent in any location the virus core appears. Is that enough?"

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Chapter 1111 Manison: I Lack a Sense of Security

As soon as Manison finished speaking, the entire conference room went silent.

Everyone turned to Manison simultaneously.

You pulling our legs?

Han Xiao almost forgot to breathe. He sized Manison up with a suspicious look.

"You really have fifty million Lord's Avatars?"

"Maybe I exaggerated it a little," Manison joked.

Now that makes sense. Lord's Avatars are not mechanical soldiers. How can you build that many? I don't even have five thousa… ahem, fifty thousand spare Lord's Avatars.

Secretly relieved, Han Xiao asked subconsciously, "So, how many do you really have?"

"48,001,052… Oh, it's 48,001,054 now. Just built two more while we spoke."

The world went silent.

Han Xiao's mouth twitched. He was a little lost and completely did not understand why.

"Wait, I can understand no matter how many mechanical soldiers you've built, but what's the point of building so many Lord's Avatars? You can only descend on one at a time. How are you going to utilize all of them?"

"Oh, I lack a sense of security," Manison replied. "No harm building more."

The world went silent once again. You're the damn Mechanic Emperor, lack a sense of security? I f*… okay, that's an indisputable reason.

Other than the word shameless, the people present could not find any other word to think of.

All Han Xiao wanted to do was blast off Manison's head.

You're showing off your wealth, right? You must be showing off your wealth!

Close to fifty million Lord's Avatars, are you an animal? How wealthy can you get?

You're trying to take over all the ambush locations, aren't you? You think you're mighty just because you're rich?

Noticing Black Star's almost overflowing resentment, Manison calmly smiled and gave him a look. That's right. I'm mighty because I'm rich. Thanks for the assist.

Han Xiao clenched his teeth and sent Manison a private message. "Stop messing around. There's no point in building tens of millions of Lord's Avatars other than it being a waste!"

"Hehe, you're too young. The Mechanical Race doesn't have much, but it never lacked machinery…" Manison smiled and softly stroked his beard before adding, "And money."

F*ck, almost forgot you were born rich! Damn rich people!

Han Xiao ground his teeth secretly.

"I came up with this plan. Shouldn't you show some sincerity at least? How about giving me ten million Lord's Avatars."

"My avatars are my size, not like you can use them. What do you want them for?" Manison raised his brows.

"I can melt and rebuild them. The material cost for ten million Lord's Avatars isn't low."

"Sure, exchange them for some Spacetime Amber."

"F*ck off!"

Han Xiao instantly cut off the private conversation.

This old man is always trying to get my Spacetime Amber. Bad!

While the two of them made faces at each other, the person in charge from the three Universal Civilizations also looked back and forth between them with strong suspicion.

One of you is the president of the Beyond Grade A development union, and the other is the vice president…

Are the two of you putting on an act together?

Sidreun coughed, forced out a smile, and said, "We appreciate Your Excellency Mechanic Emperor's generosity, but the plan has yet to be finalized. You don't have to be in such a hurry…"

"You're right." Manison nodded. He casually waved his hand, signaling that he was just casually making a suggestion and that they could continue their previous conversation.

Sidreun then turned to Han Xiao and said with a deep voice, "Your Excellency Black Star, your idea does indeed seem good, but its feasibility still requires more discussion. Firstly, we have to make sure that the virus core has returned to the quantum network for us to cut off network connections on a large scale and limit the range of its exits. But how will we know when it has logged on to the network? You must know, those viruses don't have a fixed time for sending feedback data. We have no way of knowing when the virus core will be online.

"Secondly, as of now, we can't even lock onto the virus core's data pattern and aren't able to trace it on the network. If it remains in the quantum network, will we just not be able to find it?"

"Hence, this was just a rough idea. The details still need to be decided. However, it should be feasible," Han Xiao said.

"These problems all have a way of being solved. Since we know that the virus core is a life form and have its details, we can use that as an anchor and use prophecy spells to search the time it will log on to the network," Kant added.

"As for the data pattern of the virus core, I can provide some details," Manison said. "Although I didn't catch it, I recorded the traces it left behind when it was in the quantum network. With that as the clue, we can do cross-referencing, and we should be able to lock onto its data pattern."

The people present discussed ideas for a while and gradually filled in the details. They all felt that this plan was worth trying. This time, Sidreun brought up the last issue. "I have one last question. The participants of this operation might not have to know Virtual Paramount. Every Beyond Grade A should have the ability to capture the virus core, and the chances will be higher if all the Beyond Grade As here take part in it."

He did not believe the nonsense Han Xiao said at all. Beyond Grade As should all have the ability to capture the virus core. There was no way Virtual Paramount was a requirement. That certainly had to be Black Star and the Mechanic Emperor's conspiracy. "I have no objections. I'm glad to be of help." The rest of the people present all agreed.

Of course you have no objections. What objections will you have since you will have an opportunity to obtain the core… Han Xiao complained in his mind.

"Then it's decided," Sidreun said with a serious tone. "This plan still requires approval from the upper echelons. The three of us all have to report it. The results should come very soon, and it'll most likely go smoothly. This operation still needs you guys, the Beyond Grade As, so I hope you're all well prepared. The safety of the universe depends on you."

Deactivating the remote projection, Han Xiao's vision returned to his office.

He casually knocked on the table and pondered.

All the Beyond Grade As would be working together to capture the virus core, and every single one of them wanted to get their hands on the core. Hence, choosing the ambush location was the top priority. This was a matter of probability. The more avatars one had, the higher the chances of meeting the virus core. In this respect, no one could compare with the Mechanic Emperor.

Comparatively, Han Xiao's spare Lord's Avatars were very few. It was not because he lacked money, but to him, there was not much of a point building too many of them. He would only be able to descend on one avatar at a time no matter what.

It was clear old man Manison had ulterior motives for building so many avatars. He was probably planning to take over countless planets one day.

Humph! What an ambitious b*stard!

Manison probably has more Lord's Avatars than the number of trap nodes. He will definitely come into contact with the virus core, so he's basically unbeatable. While the rest of us can only rely on luck…

Han Xiao massaged the bridge of his nose.

The number of people stationed at each location was not limited. Manison would basically be everywhere, so there was no way of dodging him.

When the three Universal Civilizations have decided on the trap nodes, I'd better let Harrison help choose the ambush locations…

If my luck fails me and I don't end up meeting the virus core, I'll just live with it.

However, if I do meet the virus core, Manison's avatar will most likely be around too. I'll have to compete with him, and it definitely won't be just a verbal negotiation.

I'll just have to improvise…

If he had any advantages at all, it was that he did not have to care about whether the virus core was dead or not. The others all wanted to capture it alive and parse it for the full Domino Virus technology, while he had the [Intelligent Plague) mission, which would give him a related talent if he eliminated the virus core personally. Given the specialty of the Domino Virus, the related talent would most likely have something to do with Virtual Technology.

Although he would lose the opportunity to obtain the full technology this way, thinking about it, if the three Universal Civilizations or other Beyond Grade As obtained such a powerful virtual virus, it might not be a good thing. Furthermore, even if he obtained it, it would be a hot potato. Countless people, including the three Universal Civilizations, would have their eyes on him at all times.

However, the Domino Virus technology could also become a powerful weapon against the World Tree Civilization.

Han Xiao was stuck in a dilemma.

Never mind, it's too early to think of all this. I'll first have to make sure I meet the virus. Only then will I have the chance to compete with Manison…

He focused his thoughts.

Anyway, this would be a huge operation, so the preparation stage would last quite some time, meaning he had sufficient time. He could add some production lines and produce as many Lord's Avatars as possible to be stationed at more locations, increasing the chance of him meeting the virus core.

"This information is from Black Star?"

Meanwhile, the remote projections of the three Universal Civilizations' leaders gathered and listened to the report from Sidreun and the other two.

Right after the meeting hosted by Black Star ended, the three monitors contacted their three leaders through the one and only coded channel that was connected to the outside world to explain the operation plan, hoping to get approval.

After hearing it, Urranrell crossed her hands before her chest and slowly said, "If what Black Star said is true, he'll be a great hero of the explored universe who saved it from a disaster. Without his prophecy, we'd all have to pay a bloody price to discover the truth of the Virtual Mutiny Virus."

"Hmm, the brief structure of this plan came from him too. If we catch the virus core because of it, Black Star will indeed be a hero to the entire universe who changed the disaster of a future he saw in the prophecy." Bader expressed his compliments too.

"Black Star is indeed worthy of merit." The church's pope agreed too.

Ie

Putting aside their beef in the past, both the Federation of Light and the Arcane Church recognized and appreciated what Han Xiao did in the battle against the Intelligent Plague. He acted very reliably and contributed a lot. Having thought of that, the three of them looked at each other and nodded.

"We shall approve of this operation. We allow you to deploy the resources in the Ancient Star Desert to execute this plan. Don't disappoint

us."

"Understood," Sidreun quickly replied.

The church's pope suddenly said, "One more thing, do make sure that the virus core ends up in our control in the end. We can't let any non-direct members obtain it."

"That's right. The Virtual Mutiny Virus is a weapon of war. It's too dangerous. We must not let this technology get leaked, or the order of the universe will be threatened."

Bader agreed and added, "Especially Black Star and Mechanic Emperor. If a peak Beyond Grade A Virtual Mechanic gets this technology and improves it, it might become something even more dangerous than the Intelligent Plague."

Even though Manison was the Federation of Light's ally, Bader knew what was more important.

Although they all wanted this technology, the three of them clearly understood that preventing a fourth party from obtaining this virus technology was more important.

In the eyes of the three Universal Civilizations, they had to have a monopoly on this kind of extremely powerful weapon of war. Only then would it be beneficial for the entire universe.

Somewhere in the Ancient Star Desert, a small civilian transport fleet had arrived at a desolate planet.

This was a legitimate galactic transportation company. It was not large and did not have much of a name for itself. It only operated on a few fixed routes. Its business range was limited to between several Star Zones of the same Star System. There was a small desolate universe belt there. Due to its size, the advanced civilizations did not set up any stargates. Hence, there were quite a number of long-distance transport companies that filled this gap.

The transport fleet slowly came to a stop in this planet's orbit.

"Let's resupply here. There are fuel resources on this planet. We're going to collect some."

Inside the main ship, the senior captain, who had worked in this transport company for many years, gave the order.

Suddenly, an observation officer said, "Captain, the radar shows that this planet is shrouded by a strange electromagnetic storm."

The captain was surprised. He moved to the porthole and saw that the atmosphere of this desolate planet was filled with flickering light-blue electrical sparks. It looked like a looming electromagnetic shell.

"That's weird. I've run this transportation route for decades and stopped god knows how many times on this planet. When did this appear here?" the captain murmured and looked at the radar again.

The more he looked at the electromagnetic field structure, the more he felt it looked familiar.

"The structure of this electromagnetic field…" the observation officer said with hesitation. "Why does it look somewhat like the bio-electrical network of the neurons' movements in the brain of a living life form?"

The captain was startled. When he looked at it more carefully again, the structure of this electromagnetic field totally looked like a brain that was enlarged countless times.

"Could it be alive? Is it an electromagnetic field life form?"

The captain was surprised. This kind of life form had always been rare. They could be sold to collectors with special tastes at quite a high price.

Having thought of that, the captain immediately ordered, "Quickly, try to capture it!"

However, as soon as he said that, the electromagnetic storm shrouding the planet suddenly dissipated into thin air like it had never appeared. There were no signs of it on the radar too.

The members inside the cabin were all startled.

"Am I tripping?"

The captain rubbed his eyes with shock.

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Chapter 1112 Trap and Pursuit

On the Star Arc Civilization's mother planet, the upper echelons were having a discussion in the conference room. "The three Universal Civilizations sent us a notification not long ago, demanding that we be ready to shut down all the quantum network base stations on all our planets any time. What's this about?"

"Isn't the Intelligent Plague already under control? Did something happen?"

"Or are the three Universal Civilizations plotting against us again?"

The upper echelons' expressions were stiff. They were full of suspicion. Initially, when the three Universal Civilizations announced that the antivirus had been created, they thought the Intelligent Plague was basically dealt with. Hence, their attention was focused on the fact that the Ancient Star Desert was still in lockdown. They felt that the three Universal Civilizations might use the opportunity and do something to them afterward, so they had been on alert 24/7. It was like they were suffering from delusions. The three Universal Civilizations' sudden order to tell them to be ready to cut off all the quantum network connections in their territory made the Star Arc Civilization even more suspicious. They almost thought that this was a signal of the three Universal Civilizations' attacks on them.

This time, it was not cutting off their communications to the outside world but shutting down the quantum network in their territory, which meant that their galactic society foundation would be shut down. In the interstellar era, large civilizations like them completely relied on the immediate exchange of information through the quantum network to rule and manage their planets. Shutting that down meant that they had to abandon their ruling over their territory temporarily. It was no wonder they were worried.

The civilization's leader knocked on the table and silenced the room. "The three Universal Civilizations sent the same announcement to the other civilizations too. We're not the only one."

Hearing this, the others all nodded with relief.

"Then it should still be related to the Intelligent Plague… What have the three Universal Civilizations been doing lately?" an official asked.

The person in charge of the intelligence department raised his eyes and said, "The three Universal Civilizations' troops are stationed separately on various planets. Those Beyond Grade A Mechanics are making strange movements too, dispatching their mechanical troops to those planets. They seem to be up to something big." "All the Beyond Grade A Mechanics are acting?"

"Yes, all."

"What do you think they're doing?"

"I don't know the details, but it sure looks a lot like they're setting up an encirclement." "Hmm…"

The civilization leader pondered for a moment and slowly said, "Cooperate with the three Universal Civilizations' arrangements. For the time being, investigate what the three Universal Civilizations and those Beyond Grade As are planning to do. Pay close attention. Don't ignore any moves they make. I want to know what their goal is."

In the Flickering World development union headquarters on Planet Finn, the remote projections of various Beyond Grade As gathered for the routine plenary meeting.

Some of the seats were empty, mostly Beyond Grade As who were summoned, including the president and the vice president seats.

"Speaking of which, Mechanic Emperor and Black Star have already missed quite a few meetings. I wonder how they're doing in the Ancient Star Desert," someone casually said. This topic quickly sparked discussion.

"The Intelligent Plague in the Ancient Star Desert has lasted for many months. No news has gotten out. What's the situation now? Is the disaster under control?"

"The Star Field is under lockdown. I can't get any information either. Any of you know what's going on?"

Since the three Universal Civilizations evaluated the Intelligent Plague as a universal disaster, the entire universe was paying close attention to the Ancient Star Desert. However, since leaking any information was forbidden, they did not know the situation in the Ancient Star Desert.

The Beyond Grade As present were all curious too.

"Hey, Hila, anything from your army commander?" A Beyond Grade A turned and looked at Hila, who rarely spoke.

"No." Hila gave the simplest response.

She was also a member of the association. Since Black Star could not attend the meetings, she acted as the representative of the Black Star Army.

Tolaen curled his lips and said, "Humph, Black Star might have already been taken out." "Are you itching for another beating?" Hila said with an expressionless face.

Tolaen gave a creepy smile and said, "The way I see it, the three Universal Civilizations calling all the Beyond Grade A Mechanics over was a conspiracy to begin with. Think about it, both the president and the vice president are Mechanics. Wouldn't they be able to easily achieve what they've been wanting to do to us this way?" The allies of the Arcane Church all looked at him with speechless expressions. Whose side are you really on?

"Stop talking nonsense. You'll be held accountable for the things you say," a direct member of the church said with a displeased tone.

"My bad, I always say whatever I want to say." Tolaen snorted.

Hila did not bother with him, but she was indeed a little worried.

All the other Mechanics only sent their avatars there; Black Star was the only one whose original body had gone over.

The Ancient Star Desert was in lockdown. If the three Universal Civilizations really wanted to do something to Black Star, that place would instantly turn into a death trap. Hila did not trust the three Universal Civilizations from the bottom of her heart. Although the King suit could teleport Han Xiao out anytime, it was not enough to make her not worry.

On the other side, Secret Master's eyelids trembled uncontrollably.

As a protector of the black market, he was more interested in the Ancient Star Desert's situation than the others.

Ever since the Star Field had gone into lockdown, all contact with the black market over there had been cut off. A lot of the businesses there were under his protection and had always given him a lot of profit. Some were the Beast Ancestor's businesses that he had just taken over not long ago. After having no contact for so long, he had absolutely no idea how his businesses were doing.

I wonder how the black market of the Ancient Star Desert is faring… Secret Master pondered.

According to Han Xiao's operation plan, the three Universal Civilizations did a lot of preparations over more than a month. They dispatched fleets to be stationed at all the trap node planets. Most of their time was spent on traveling and waiting for the Beyond Grade As' mechanical armies to arrive at the locations.

Since this was a Star Field level network, there were quite a number of trap nodes that spread across the various Star Systems of the Ancient Star Desert. The trap nodes the three Universal Civilizations had chosen were mainly those territories that were not easy to control with just orders or some crucial spots.

Every terminal exit had a Beyond Grade A Mechanic and the three Universal Civilizations' fleet around it, and Manison's Lord's Avatars were at all of them.

In this time, Han Xiao had also built a batch of specially made Lord's Avatars, but it was still not enough. He decided to compromise and stationed only his mechanical troops at every spot.

As for the Lord's Avatars, he placed them at the locations carefully selected by Harrison and hoped he was lucky enough.

The target of [Lord's Descent) was not limited to specially made Lord's Avatars. It could be used on even normal mechanical soldiers, only not at full power and with a full set of abilities. Therefore, even though any Beyond Grade A Mechanic would be able to set up an ambush at all the locations, they could only be a bystander at most, and none had the advantage Manison had. After all, there was no way they could compete with Manison's Lord's Avatar if they descended on ordinary machines.

Therefore, the other Beyond Grade A Mechanics were all planning to do their best to force the virus core to materialize at one of the locations their Lord's Avatars were at.

Due to how stealthy the virus core was, there was currently not a scanning tool that anyone could use. Only Beyond Grade A Mechanics could track the virus core on the network. Although some of them were not specialized in the virtual area, as long as they had learned the (Virtual Creator] Ultimate Knowledge, it was enough.

In order to improve everyone's virtual ability and range, the Federation of Light provided a large-scale strategic device—Super Range Virtual Brainwave Enhancer.

This was equipment exclusively for Mechanics. It improved one's virtual ability in many ways, drastically increasing the range. It could be fully utilized by Beyond Grade A Mechanics.

The size of this device was enormous, like a spherical, silver galactic fortress. Its exterior looked like it was assembled through plates. There were clearly visible gaps between, and it was not smooth at all.

The inside of the device was very empty. In its heart, all the Beyond Grade A Mechanics formed a circle and hovered in midair. They were ready.

The remote projections of the three Inspectors, including Sidreun, appeared in this circle. Sidreun said with a serious tone, "Guys, the mechanical troops are all deployed. There are only thirteen minutes to the time when the virus core will go online according to the prophecy. When the time comes, we will cut off the network immediately and make the Ancient Star Desert a trap. Please act according to the plan. We're relying on you; you must catch the virus core."

The people nodded. Although this was a huge responsibility, everyone there was someone who stood at the top of the universe, so they did not feel pressured.

The first step of the operation involved them tracing the virus core after the trap was set, preventing it from hiding. It was like catching a chicken inside a cage. With the data pattern Manison had provided and the bonus of the Super Range Virtual Brainwave Enhancer, they could track the virus core for as far as they wanted and not worry about it escaping

This time, Kant said with a smile, "This should be the first time all the Beyond Grade A Mechanics in the universe have worked together. I think this will be written down in history."

Hearing this, many people present laughed.

Indeed, all the people at the top of the Mechanic class working together was something worth writing about in the history books.

Han Xiao glanced around and curled his lips.

Humph, you're all laughing now, but when we fight for the virus core later, you'll all beat each other up without hesitation.

I hope Harrison's Luck Glow works this time and the virus core ends up meeting my Lord's Avatar…

Not taking part in the conversation, Han Xiao prayed in his mind.

The people went silent to stay focused. Time passed minute by minute.

Finally, when it came to the last minute, Sidreun looked at the time and said with a deep voice, "Guys, let's go!"

In the quantum network vision, the Ancient Star Desert was an illuminated Star Field. Countless bright nodes formed a sea of light, and countless data streams connected the nodes, forming an extremely complex 3D network structure.

These data connections that looked like strings were the foundation of the galactic society.

At this time, a stream of light suddenly appeared outside one of the data links.

This stream of light looked like a cluster of extremely intricate data. Countless symbols flowed on its shell. This was what the Domino Virus' core looked like. It was in the form of an artificial intelligence life form.

The next second, the virus core came into contact with the firewall of this data link. Its shell instantly assimilated with the firewall, easily getting through the alarm system, and infiltrated this link. It then moved along with the data flowed, capturing the feedback data in the network.

Ka!

At this time, a large portion of the bright Ancient Star Desert in the quantum network vision suddenly became dark.

Countless data links broke off, and countless nodes extinguished simultaneously. The sea of light became much smaller.

Buzz!

At the same time, more than a dozen powerful consciousnesses arrived in the quantum network, scanning through the remaining quantum network area like nothing could hide from them.

The next moment, a consciousness locked onto the virus core.

Data streams came together and formed a silhouette of light before the virus core. Kant's virtual soul smiled at it.

"Found you…"

At this instant, the virus core's program quickly came up with a measure and immediately fled!

Through the data link, the virus core changed its form multiple times and fled to a place that was countless nodes away.

However, suddenly, a data stream tornado appeared in front of it.

"Are you playing hide and seek?"

The data streams formed Quantum Demon's face. It was intently staring at the virus core.

Without hesitation, the virus core turned around and fled again, hoping to find a location and hide in the quantum network.

However, no matter how much computing power the virus core spent on coming up with disguises, it would still end up meeting a Beyond Grade A Mechanic every time. It was forced to keep changing direction. It looked quite similar to someone who was panicking.

Han Xiao, Manison, Kant, Judith, and the other Beyond Grade A Mechanics showed up one after another, stopping the virus core in its path.The encirclement started to shrink around it.

At this time, the virus core suddenly stopped fleeing. It entered one of the nodes and disappeared without a trace.

"It has materialized!"

Inside the real world, Han Xiao's original body's eyes sparkled.

The terminal exit that the virus core had chosen seemed to be a planet where the Machinery Faith was. That was one of the ambush locations his Lord's Avatar was at!

Buzz!

At the same time, powerful Mechanical Forces appeared around every Mechanic in the Super Range Virtual Brainwave Enhancer.

Multiple consciousnesses traveled in the cosmic space and headed to the planet this node was at!

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Chapter 1113 Confrontation and Negotiation

In the Ancient Star Desert, Planet Magnetic Cloud was one of the gathering grounds of the Machinery Faith. Its ground was yellowish-black, and heavy bases in the style of the Machinery Faith stood on the surface neatly, forming a ring-shaped industrial city. Around it were open mines with countless large industrial cranes. The streets of the city were well connected in all directions, all flat gray roads. Convoys of carriers rode past the pedestrians on the sides of the street wearing heavy kinetic armor one after another.

At the heart of the ring-shaped city was a tall mountain. It was sliced flat in the middle as a platform, where the temples were. On top of it was a floating island releasing a gentle artificial light.

The Machinery Faith had many followers and factions. It had no strict rules and mostly centered around the Grand Priest and the various bishops, forming fleets that traveled the universe looking for planets to migrate to. Their goal was the planets' mines and the machinery wreckages underground, accumulating them or selling them. Therefore, most of the planets the Machinery Faith visited were just temporarily strongholds. They were somewhat like a wandering religion. The Machinery Faith did not have many fixed strongholds. Some were the subdivisions of different factions, some were long-term gathering and residential areas of the believers such as Planet Magnetic Cloud, and some were holy grounds recognized by all the believers.

Now, the heavily armed fleet of the three Universal Civilizations hovered above Planet Magnetic Cloud. The believers on the ground, however, were not surprised. They only occasionally glanced above and then got back to what they were doing. The three Universal Civilizations had already contacted the Machinery Faith. This kind of loose organization with religious factors was always hard to manage. The three Universal Civilizations did not trust in the Machinery Faith's ability to execute their orders, so they just stationed their fleet there and used it as a trap node.

Currently, on the open platform at the top of the mechanical temple, the Grand Priest who was wearing the bishop armor looked up at the fleet above and softly murmured.

The priest beside saw this, approached him, and asked, "Grand Priest, are you worried about the three Universal Civilizations' fleet?"

The Grand Priest shook his head and said, "We're just a civilian organization that obeys the law. We've never had much contact with the three Universal Civilizations, so they won't do anything to us. I'm glad that the three Universal Civilizations are here." "Glad?"

"Yes, ever since the Intelligent Plague erupted, the fanatics in the religion have been growing by the day. Not only have they been studying the Virtual Mutiny Virus privately, but they even wanted to spread it. This completely goes against the Machinery Faith's neutral stance; their twisted faith will bring disaster to the religion sooner or later. Now that the three Universal Civilizations have come, they've indirectly kept those fanatics obedient," the Grand Priest mumbled.

Thinking back, it still felt quite heavy.

After the three Universal Civilizations invented the antivirus, there were even some fanatics who attempted to improve the virus and crack the antivirus so that the Intelligent Plague would continue. These madmen strongly believed that this was a great artificial intelligence revolution.

Therefore, left with no choice, he dispatched the Guards of Faith and locked these people up. However, this idea remained and was still spreading around this gathering ground. "Hmm, maybe…" The priest paused momentarily. "Even now, I still don't understand why the three Universal Civilizations are temporarily using our gathering ground."

"It seems to be related to the Intelligent Plague. I don't know much either…" The Grand Priest shook his head.

Before he finished his sentence, the radar in his armor suddenly reacted.

"Abnormality detected in the planet's magnetic field. A vortex has appeared, coordinates…"

The Grand Priest was startled. He turned and looked at the magnetic field vortex together with the priest beside him.

The magnetic field of Planet Magnetic Cloud was very special. The armor of the Machinery Faith believers here was equipped with specially made monitors of the magnetic field. At this time, they all heard the notification from the radar. The people on the streets all stopped and looked in the same direction. They quickly switched to Electromagnetic Vision so that they could clearly see the movement of the magnetic field. In their vision, in the sky far away, the magnetic field seemed to have formed a tornado, and bright light sparks appeared out of nowhere, quickly forming an energy field.

Right at this moment, something happened!

Boom!

Bright meteors suddenly flew out from the three Universal Civilizations' fleet one after another, quickly heading to the location of the electromagnetic vortex.

Although these meteors were not large in size, they all gave off an astonishing energy presence, dragging extremely bright electrical tracks behind them that left long-lasting marks on the pupils of those watching. Those meteors made thunderous sounds while moving, as if the sky was collapsing.

"What is that?"

Including the Grand Priest, all the Machinery Faith believers on Planet Magnetic Cloud were shocked.

At this time, the first batch of meteors arrived at the electromagnetic vortex's location and all stopped. After the flames around them disappeared, their appearance as machines appeared. They were all Lord's Avatars of the various Beyond Grade A Mechanics.

Manison was the quickest. He looked up and glared at the electromagnetic vortex, and it stopped moving for an instant. Then, he raised his hand and grabbed toward it. The electromagnetic field at the vortex's center was grabbed by him, and it entered into a mini triangular container the size of a human head.

The next moment, the abnormal electromagnetic vortex disappeared. The wind and the rain stopped, and the sky became bright again, as if the electromagnetic tornado just moments ago was only an illusion.

"Are those the Lord's Avatars of Beyond Grade A Mechanics?"

Seeing this, although the Machinery Faith believers still had no idea what was going on, they were all instantly overjoyed and thrilled.

In their eyes, this many Beyond Grade A Mechanics appearing was the same as Gods descending.

However, before they could be surprised, the situation changed drastically again. Suddenly, the other Beyond Grade A Lord's Avatars behind Manison attacked him all at the same time.

Boom boom boom!

Explosions erupted in midair and illuminated the faces of countless Machinery Faith believers.

The next second, Manison's Lord's Avatar flew out from the explosion and was surrounded by the others.

Seeing this, a flash of shock appeared in the eyes of every believer.

These Beyond Grade As are going to fight here? Then aren't we witnessing a 'Battle of Gods'?

Ten seconds prior…

Inside the three Universal Civilizations' fleet outside Planet Magnetic Cloud, mechanical troops of the various Mechanics hovered. Some mechanical troops were surrounding their own Lord's Avatars.

The instant the virus core escaped the quantum network, all of their consciousness arrived. The eyes of the mechanical bodies lit up one after another. "Target locked!"

As soon as Han Xiao arrived, the radar's notification sounded beside his ear.

At the same time, a black silhouette landed from not far away. That was Manison's avatar, and it rushed to the virus core's material body instantly.

That old man is fast!

This thought flashed past his mind in an instant. Han Xiao was just about to use his ability, only to realize he could not use any teleportation abilities such as the Void Hyperdrive.

His pupils constricted, and he understood what was going on. Without further ado, he instantly followed after Manison's avatar and fell toward the planet surface. Behind him were many meteors, all avatars or troops of the others.

Bang!

They passed through the atmosphere. Their high speed gave them a burning flame coat. Han Xiao stared at the target closely. The electromagnetic vortex enlarged in his sights as he quickly approached.

The virus core had just escaped the quantum network and was gathering electromagnetic energy to form its body, only to realize a group of Beyond Grade A Lord's Avatars approaching. It gave up materializing and attempted to head back to the quantum network to flee.

However, in an instant, a dense electrical light shot out from Manison's eyes. He had activated (Virtual Paramount]!

Weng!

The virus core's virtual soul was instantly locked, unable to escape its shell that had yet to even form fully.

Manison's movements were smooth without any hiccups. He quickly took out the specially made containment device and sucked the virus core in.

This containment was specially made to suppress the virus core's abilities. It could perfectly contain it. As long as the virus core was caught in it, it would never escape.

Han Xiao's pupils constricted. Old Man Manison got it!

However, the next instant, the other Lord's Avatars that followed attacked at the same time. Highly dense beams passed him by and headed right toward Manison's back.

Boom!

Manison had expected this. Layers of shields appeared and blocked the bombardment, causing violent explosions.

Using this force, he quickly got away from the others, at the same time turning toward them, with the containment that carried the virus core still in his hands.

The others surrounded and confronted Manison.

"Be careful. If you guys destroy the container, my efforts will have gone to waste."

Manison was not angry at all and spoke calmly.

A direct member of the Federation of Light, Defender Romo, said with a deep voice, "Manison, hand over the virus core. You should know that this kind of thing can't be leaked."

The remote projections of the inspectors including Sidreun appeared. He said with a solemn tone, "That's right. Your Excellency Mechanic Emperor, you're a sensible person. The three Universal Civilizations will certainly reward you generously for capturing the virus core, but this thing cannot remain in the hands of someone else."

"Hehe, you don't have to be so nervous. After I'm done studying it, not only will I hand turn the virus core over, I'll even share the technology I've obtained through it."

Manison was very casual and did not panic at all.

Han Xiao did not speak. He looked around and nodded secretly. This was completely within his expectations.

In his previous life, the person who obtained the virus core had probably obtained it secretly. Now, however, the situation was completely different. The virus core was a hot potato. No matter which Mechanic possessed it, they would instantly be in a difficult situation and become the target of the rest of the Mechanics. At the same time, the three Universal Civilizations would certainly ask for the virus core from them.

The battleships were of no help in capturing the virus core, so why did the three Universal Civilizations deploy fleets at the trap nodes? Clearly, they were not there to deal with the virus core but to deal with them, the Beyond Grade A Mechanics!

The Lord's Avatars present all had short-range hyperdrive abilities. Han Xiao even had Void Hyperdrive, but no one used it. This was because the fleet had activated spacetime stabilization anchors at the trap nodes long ago, preventing anyone from escaping.

And this was the exact reason Manison stayed to talk, or he would have escaped the moment he succeeded.

The only way to leave with the virus core was… to fight a way out!

However, although the three Universal Civilizations and the other Mechanics wanted to take away the virus core, they were worried about destroying the container, so they all held back.

The three Universal Civilizations hoped to take back the virus core from Manison through a negotiation. They were even mentally prepared for Manison to ask for an outrageous price.

"Mechanic Emperor, the Virtual Mutiny Virus is a strategic weapon that can threaten the entire universe. It will only be safe in the hands of the three Universal Civilizations. We won't allow any risk to exist, so no matter what, we have to take the virus core today. You should know the severity of this matter."

The inspector of the Arcane Church's tone was firm.

Manison did not respond instantly but looked at the avatars of the other Mechanics. He then said slowly, "See that? Anyone who gets the virus core will have to face this. Are you guys still planning to fight for it?"

"Honestly, I don't have a lot of interest in the virus core. After all, I'm not a Virtual Mechanic… However, I wouldn't mind exchanging this for more good stuff." Kant chuckled.

"Don't look at me. As long as I get the virus core, I'll regain my freedom, so I'm on the side of the church," Mechanical Catastrophe Francisco said.

"I'll fight for something with all I've got as long as there's a chance… Teacher, you taught me that." 'Mechanic Empress' Mornisa's tone was calm.

Everyone expressed their attitude. Their reasons were different, but they all had the same resolve.

In the end, Manison's eyes stopped on Han Xiao.

"Black Star, what about you?"

Han Xiao did not answer it directly but replied with a mocking tone, "You didn't ask around just to chat, did you? Are you stalling for the time, or are you trying to find a temporary ally?"

Hearing this, Manison smiled. "Black Star, you know me well… That's right, I need an ally to deal with this tough situation together. You and I both know the situation the Beyond Grade As are in. We're on the same side. I plan to study the Virtual Mutiny Virus not only for its technology but also to add a layer of insurance for the Beyond Grade As. If you're willing to help me, I won't mind studying this technology together with you." Everyone looked at Han Xiao with different emotions.

Han Xiao was not convinced at all. He casually said, "Sounds good, but I have a feeling you'll go back on your word."

"Hehe. You might not believe me, but I need someone to take this risk together with me. Two people having this technology suits my interests more, so this time, I will keep my word."

"Tsk, that's all words. No matter how good they sound, they're just that."

"Then, how do you want me to prove it?"

Han Xiao pointed at the container in Manison's hands, smiled, and said, "Since you're willing to study it together with me, who's holding the virus core won't make a difference. Give the device to me. I'll take the risk, and you'll help me to get out of this. That way, I'll believe that you're sincere and not just toying with my feelings."

"I'm okay with that, but will you be willing to study it with me when it's in your hands? How can I be sure you won't go back on your words?" Manison asked the same thing.

"As you just said, I need someone to share the pressure too." Han Xiao shrugged.

Manison stayed silent for a few seconds. As the atmosphere became heavier and heavier, he finally spoke slowly and shocked everyone.

"Since that's the case… then why not?"

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Chapter 1114 The Choice of the Era

At the same time, what was happening on Planet Magnetic Cloud was being broadcast live to the Central Galaxy through a military coded channel. The leaders of the three Universal Civilizations were monitoring events in real-time. Seeing this, the three of them were all silent.

Bader took a deep breath and slowly said, "Manison… We've given him too much freedom. We can put up with other things, but this time, he crossed the line."

The church's pope said, "He always ignores our warnings, provoking our authority time after time, and now even wants to acquire a strategic intimidation weapon. He says he's fighting for a form of insurance for the Beyond Grade As, but he's just trying to make us fear him so he can be on the same level as us. He'll definitely also use this to threaten us for more things in the future. The possibility of all that happening has to be eliminated at the roots."

"I seem to recall that Black Star has a similar ability to the Multi-Dimensional Sky Opening Transportation Device. If he works with Manison and takes the virus core, he'll be able to teleport out immediately…" Bader turned to look at Urranrell, who was silent, and said with a more serious tone, "As long as he leaves the scene with the virus core, we'll assume that the Virtual Mutiny Virus has already been obtained by Black Star… So, Your Excellency Dynasty Ruler, what are you planning to do?"

Urranrell stayed silent for a while before saying, "Now isn't a good time for a cleansing. The Flickering World is in development, and the Super Star Cluster Civilizations are a threat. If we force Black Star and Mechanic Emperor to turn on us, they might go to the Super Star Cluster Civilizations with the Virtual Mutiny Virus in their hands. That's going to be a real threat, so we should try our best for things not to come to that." "That's right. With the Super Star Cluster Civilizations, now indeed isn't a good time to have a cleansing… However, our compromise and tolerance should have a limit, and we can't step behind that line," Bader said with a deep voice.

The church's pope said with a grave tone, "Maybe having a trump card to protect their safety is a sensible demand of the Beyond Grade As, but we can't ignore how much of a threat this is to our rule. I know that if Black Star or the Mechanic Emperor acquire the virus technology, we'll still be able to maintain a peaceful relationship with them as long as we don't push them too hard, and things won't end up in the worst scenario. However, it will still be a hidden threat. Can we close our eyes and act like all this never happened just because it won't show its dangers for the time being? We did not get to where we are today by having illusional hopes in others!"

Urranrell frowned and shouted, "Do you have any idea what you're talking about? You're talking about a war that will involve all the advanced civilizations in the entire universe, a cleansing that will last for decades or even a century. Do you not know the consequences of that? Do you want to go back to the exploration

era""

"It won't come to that. We're already the absolute rulers. No one can stand above us. Maybe this will be the most chaotic time since the start of the Galaxy Calendar, but it will make sure all our obstacles are cleared. It's better than watching our enemies grow so powerful that we can't get rid of them…" The pope's tone was calm.

"What about the threat of the Super Star Cluster Civilizations?"

"If the Super Star Cluster Civilizations want to use the Virtual Mutiny Virus technology, we'll announce this to the entire universe. It'll be the best reason to start a war with them. The Super Star Cluster Civilizations have ignored the safety of the universe and attempted to use such a dangerous weapon; to maintain order, we have no choice but to wipe them out.' This will be an opportunity to shatter all the Super Star Cluster Civilizations. Although both sides will end up suffering, nothing else will be able to shake our position afterward… After our enemies are eliminated, we'll have more than enough time to deal with internal matters."

Urranrell bit on her lips and squeezed out the words from between her teeth. "Stability above

all."

The church pope was unconvinced. "Our bottom line doesn't allow provocations."

The atmosphere became tense. Disagreements were common in such meetings.

Seeing the two of them argue, Bader looked left and right with a strange expression.

The always aggressive Crimson Dynasty shockingly spoke about stability today, while the usually cheeky Arcane Church suddenly became a war fanatic?

Bader was at a loss.

He suppressed his shock, coughed, and said, "That's very decisive of you, Pope. Since the Dynasty Ruler doesn't agree with the more aggressive approach, maybe we can do it another way. Let's say the Mechanic Emperor and Black Star succeed, we can temporarily compromise with them on the terms of them having to deal with the Super Star Cluster Civilizations. When they're both wounded, we can come in and clean the two sides." "Too assumptive." The church pope shook his head. "If the Mechanic Emperor and Black Star acquire the technology, they definitely know the risks they'll take by eliminating one of their potential customers. Otherwise, the leverage they have will lose its biggest threat."

"Things are still not clear yet," Urranrell said with a heavy frown. "Black Star has yet to agree to work with the Mechanic Emperor. He's a smart person. I believe he will make a choice that's beneficial for the peace of the universe."

The church pope coldly said, "But what if? The federation once trusted the Mechanic Emperor too much as an ally, which led to him pushing the boundaries and gradually getting out of our control. With such an example, is the dynasty still planning to continue to protect Black Star for the sake of not offending him? A choice has to be made between the big picture and allies; unending fawning will only make the other party think you're weak."

Hearing this, Urranrell closed her eyes, only opening them again after a while. Her eyes were emotionless when they opened again.

"By then, I'll have my measures."

"Such as?"

"That's not for you to worry, Your Excellency!"

On the other hand, the confrontation was still underway on Planet Magnetic Cloud. As soon as Manison said that, everyone present was startled. They did not think Manison would be willing to pass the virus core to someone else.

Han Xiao was shocked too. He was just mocking Manison and testing him. He did not think Manison would really agree to it. Hearing this, Han Xiao hesitated and did not respond instantly. He started to think quickly in his mind.

Manison wants to work with me, not only to shift the target to me but also because of the teleportation ability of the King suit. Of all the people here, I'm the only one who can leave this place with the virus core easily. Old Man Manison is strong, sure, but even he isn't very confident in fleeing from here, which is why he has chosen me…

Han Xiao pondered. This body was a Lord's Avatar that did not have the King. Nonetheless, he could summon a spare one from the Dimension Factory, so it was not an issue. Manison is killing two birds with one stone. If I agree and leave with the virus core, I'll instantly become the target of everyone, while Manison won't have to fight for a way out after throwing the hot potato to me. Instead, he got himself out of the equation, and I'll face the most pressure from the three Universal Civilizations.

If I break my promise after acquiring the technology, not only will I have to endure the pressure alone, but I'll also have to suffer the consequences of breaking my promise. Not speaking of offending Manison, my name among the Beyond Grade As will plummet for sure. Therefore, he's certain that I'll need an ally, so he knows he'll most likely still get his hands on the technology, and he's willing to gamble on it…

Han Xiao clenched his teeth in his mind.

He's playing these dirty tricks again! The two of them did not chat privately but openly. Manison's intentions were clear; he wanted to shift the target of the conflict, and everyone understood that. However, some people still panicked. Seeing that Han Xiao was about to be convinced, the dynasty's inspector yelled loudly, "Black Star! You have to think carefully about what you're doing!"

He had to panic. Although the spacetime was stabilized, Black Star was the only one who could just teleport out.

Although the two of them could run but could not hide, if the three Universal Civilizations could not retrieve the virus core on the spot, it would cause tons of problems afterward.

The Beyond Grade A Mechanics changed their positions and stood apart from Manison and Han Xiao.

This time, Manison raised the contained virus core, stared at Han Xiao, and said, "Black Star, I've always had high hopes for you. You should know that this will become the amulet for the Beyond Grade As. We have the same philosophy. Leave with it. Our future is in your hands."

"Bullsh*t. Although you're the association president, you still don't have the right to make this kind of decision on behalf of all the Beyond Grade As. No one needs you to plan the future for them." Kant turned to Han Xiao and said, "Black Star, don't get tricked by him. Not only will possessing the virus core not give us insurance, but it will bring us a disaster."

Han Xiao hesitated.

His philosophy was not the same as the Mechanic Emperor's. He wanted to interfere with the Calamity of the Supers so that the explored universe could preserve more strength to deal with the World Tree Civilization in the future.

Manison wanted to make the Beyond Grade As stronger, making everyone in this Grade his shield. Another goal of him attempting to acquire the Domino Virus technology was most likely to make the other Beyond Grade As more united around him and see him as their leader.

In Han Xiao's previous life, Manison most likely was the one who got the Domino Virus. However, he did not use it during the World Tree Civilization war. His ambitions showed from that-since he still did not expose his trump card even when the explored universe was threatened by an outside enemy, he clearly wanted to use it on the three Universal Civilizations.

Han Xiao looked around and saw the expression on everyone's face.

Is the Domino Virus really an amulet? Who knows? It might be a death invitation.

How can the three Universal Civilizations possibly be willing to be restricted by someone? If I threaten them with this as leverage, I won't receive compromises but, more likely, the three Universal Civilizations' resolve to eliminate their enemies no matter the cost.

Most of the time, the three Universal Civilizations would think about the big picture, but this did not mean that they would compromise without limits. Strategic weapons would only achieve a balance of power when the power of the two sides was on the same level in the first place. However, if one side's power overwhelmed the other, it was tough to imagine they would allow an outsider to use a weapon that could threaten them to demand things. If he obtained the Domino Virus technology, he would be able to cause huge damage to the entire universe if he wanted to and make the galactic society go back multiple generations. He might feel this meant that the three Universal Civilizations would have no choice but to choose to tolerate and compromise with him… However, this would be the exact source of the three Universal Civilizations' resolve to eliminate him.

Even if he did not think of causing trouble, people could change, and the three Universal Civilizations would not be willing to take that risk.

From Han Xiao's perspective, the three Universal Civilizations allowing them to possess the Domino Virus technology did not seem like a big deal. After all, as long as everyone held back, it seemed like no one would suffer any losses. It looked like a small issue not worth all the trouble.

However, this was only his mind playing tricks on him, telling him he might get lucky. In truth, the three Universal Civilizations had lines that could not be crossed. They could tolerate others being greedy, but they would never allow anyone to threaten their positions as the absolute rulers.

In this situation, if he ignored their warnings and took the virus core away, no matter what he said afterward, the three Universal Civilizations would still assume he was thinking of overthrowing their rule.

If things really turned ugly, Han Xiao did not think the other Beyond Grade As would be standing on his side. He knew very well that everyone had their own plans. His call only got so many responses before because it suited their interests. However, no one was ready to turn on the three Universal Civilizations. By then, there would definitely be more people who would choose not to be involved than people who chose to take this path to the end.

By that time, he and the Mechanic Emperor might be seen as the cancer of society. Most of the time, the majority represented the society they were in.

Also, the impact of things turning completely ugly would show in all areas. The Black Star Army's territory in the Flickering World would be retrieved; the civilizations would no longer provide any resource channels; the civilian financial groups would terminate their partnerships; the army's funds and accounts would be frozen, and the army would not be able to purchase any resources; countless army soldiers would quit and leave; the army's business would shrink dramatically… The three Universal Civilizations would only have to make a simple announcement for all this to happen. All the benefits he was enjoying from the advanced civilizations would be gone forever.

Everyone was a member of the galactic civilization. There would certainly be extremely few people who would be willing to fight against the three Universal Civilizations on the Black Star Army's side.

After all, most people were just ordinary people. No one could blame them for putting themselves first.

Han Xiao's eyes flickered. He stopped joking around and said with a deep voice, "You're putting me in the gamble."

"I'm thinking about the big picture." Manison's tone was calm.

Han Xiao stayed silent for a while before suddenly moving.

Buzz!

Void energy erupted and shrouded this area. Everyone there felt like they were in a swap and could not move freely.

Void Prison!

Due to the spacetime stabilization device, the strength, duration, and range of this ability all decreased drastically, but it was still barely enough.

In this area, only Han Xiao's movements were unrestricted. He flew past the encirclement around and instantly came before Manison, grabbed onto the virus core and immediately moved aside.

"Black Star!"

As Void Prison ended, everyone came and surrounded Han Xiao this time.

Everyone's eyes landed on him with all kinds of complicated emotions such as anger, worry, anxiety, and many more.

Outside the crowd, Manison looked at Han Xiao and said, "Looks like you've figured it out. You're a smart man. Don't disappoint me."

"Black Star, don't do anything stupid." Sidreun and the inspectors were shocked.

Han Xiao did not respond to anyone. He looked at the virus core in his hands carefully, softly rubbed the container, and made sure it was the real thing.

With so many Beyond Grade As around, the possibility of it being swapped without getting noticed was nonexistent.

With the virus core in his hands, he felt as if he was not holding onto a physical object but the fate of countless people in this universe.

The direction of the era and the path it would take might be all decided by his one decision.

This time, Han Xiao looked up at the nervous eyes of everyone and slowly said, "Before taking the bet, one has to see the risks first. Sorry, I might have made a not so right decision. It's just that I suddenly recall something a woman once said to me…

"She said… this universe has an end no matter how enormous it is, but ambition has no limits."

Right after he said that, under the shocking look of everyone, Han Xiao's Mechanical Force erupted and flowed into the container.

The Mechanical Force was mixed with a virtual soul attack. It completely wiped both the virus core's physical body and soul.

Ka-cha!

He shattered the metal shell with his fingers. The empty container turned into pieces and fell to the ground.

At this moment, it was like everything froze.

Everyone watching, including the leaders of the three Universal Civilizations who were watching the broadcast, were all completely astonished.

Everyone had a lot of guesses in their minds, but not a single person had thought of what just happened.

Black Star destroyed the virus core?

He's mad! Why did he do that?

Even if you don't want it, you didn't have to destroy it!

A bright light suddenly appeared in Manison's eyes, and a terrifying energy flowed in his body like a tsunami.

His deep voice echoed around word by word.

"What! The! Hell! Have! You! Done!"

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Chapter 1115 Twin Gods Advent

The lightning snaked wildly around, flickering with arcs of electricity as the energy fluctuations blasted around with the force of a hurricane. The Beyond Grade A avatars and machinery present were all blown away and retreated. Han Xiao was blown back a short distance, and he immediately stabilized himself, staring at the other party. Manison was entwined with a brilliant golden arc of Mechanical Force, releasing an astonishing aura. His pinnacle Beyond Grade A energy was fully released, and even though this was just an avatar of his, Han Xiao felt a heavy sense of oppression.

Manison's eyes flashed as he locked onto Han Xiao, repeating his question.

"Do you know what you just did?"

"Are you angry?" Han Xiao did not bother to explain, only indifferently replying. "I'm very disappointed in you. You definitely understood what sort of chance you just gave up! Why did you destroy the virus core?" "Eradicating the Intelligent Plague is the goal of our trip. I just did my part… and on the first day I arrived, I told you this. It's my generation's responsibility to prevent the universe from growing more chaotic, but you didn't seem to take it seriously."

Manison hovered in the air, his tone not revealing any surprise or joy. "It seems like my understanding of you is still insufficient."

"Many people don't even understand themselves, let alone say that they understand others… Mechanic Emperor, you think that we're the same kind of person, but in fact, we're not."

"Since things have reached this point, there's no need to say any more. Since you disappointed me, you should know how this will end today!"

Manison's Mechanical Force soared up to the sky, piercing through the clouds, and connected to his machinery in outer space. His voice boomed out.

"Let me see just how much ability you have!"

Just as his voice sounded, a black wave of machinery passed through the atmosphere, shooting out a dense beam of light as they fell from the sky like a meteor shower toward Han Xiao's position.

"My thoughts exactly!" Han Xiao's left fist slammed upward toward the sky in a fanfare of light. An arc-shaped psionic protective shield unfolded in the air.

The dense cluster of light beams hit on the protective shield like a heavy downpour hitting the leaves on a plantation. This was accompanied by crackling explosions.

Han Xiao's Mechanical Force also rushed upward to the sky, summoning his machinery on standby in outer space.

The machinery acted instantaneously and broke through the atmosphere. Manison's troops immediately shifted their targets, exchanging fire with Han Xiao's troops at a high altitude. The crisscrossing beams gave off a mysterious glow in the skies.

Han Xiao and Manison's avatars were not idle either. They quickly drew close to each other in a collision.

Boom!

Just like a comet hitting the earth, a bluish-gold circular shock wave exploded at the center of their impact.

The two figures exchanged attacks hundreds of times, entangled as they rose into the air.

Boom!

Alloy rubbed against alloy, releasing countless electric sparks, and shock waves constantly formed at the point of their impacts.

Just as two of them started fighting, the other Beyond Grade A avatars and troops on the scene immediately diverged from each other, running off to the side to watch without getting involved.

Seeing Black Star fighting against the Mechanic Emperor, everyone then recovered from the shock of Han Xiao destroying the virus core.

"I really didn't expect… that Black Star would do this." Maximiler was surprised.

"By doing this, he has put an end to the possibility of any organization obtaining the complete technology of this Virtual Mutiny Virus. Neither us nor the three Universal Civilizations can restore this technology now. He was too impulsive. Now no one has obtained anything from this trip," Mornisa complained. "Impulsive? In my opinion, he's the one who is the calmest and most rational," Sun Hunter replied. "While doing this will cut off our hope of obtaining the virus technology, from the perspective of the universe and the bigger picture, this was a selfless choice."

Kant nodded, speaking emotionally. "Come to think of it, we did not lose anything, nor did the three Universal Civilizations. The only ones who truly lost were Black Star and the Mechanic Emperor. The Mechanic Emperor has been made a fool of, and his position is making the three Universal Civilizations feel a certain degree of danger from him. As for Black Star, he has relinquished the possibility of obtaining benefits.

"If I was in that position, I would definitely not have destroyed it. I would have negotiated with the three Universal Civilizations in exchange for a lot of benefits. Yet Black Star was able to give up on those benefits to choose to destroy the root cause of this disaster. This should be the most beneficial to universal peace… I always thought of Black Star as a pure profit-seeker and didn't expect him to do such a thing. Maybe I was wrong all along."

"That's right…" Judith sighed. "Our understanding of Black Star seems to be too limited. Turns out, he was not such a profit-seeker."

Everyone was in a complicated mood. At this moment, the image of Black Star rose rapidly in their hearts since they did not expect him to perform such a noble move.

Even Jackornitz and those who had some enmity with him had to admit that their impression of Black Star had risen a notch. While the hope of restoring the virus technology was lost, no one was too disappointed even though they thought it a pity. In fact, they heaved a sigh of relief. This was an outcome they could all accept.

In fact, everyone had this vague worry in their heads as to what would happen after the three Universal Civilizations obtained the Virtual Mutiny Virus. Everyone present was a mechanic, and the Virtual Mutiny Virus would be the most lethal to them. The Virtual Mutiny Virus would pose a huge threat to their Class, which would cause their entire profession to enter hibernation.

In contrast, destroying the virus core was a wise choice. From this point of view, most of the people present were not against Han Xiao's choice and even thought of it as a compromise that would benefit the Beyond Grade As.

They just did not know if Black Star had thought about all this when making a decision.

"Then, what shall we do now?" One of the neutral Beyond Grade As stared at the fierce battle unfolding. "Are we going to intervene?"

"Black Star and the Mechanic Emperor have deep conflicts, as they were originally the President and Vice President of the Development union. This is a dispute over their chosen paths. Let's see how it goes." Kant paused for a while before continuing. "Uh… the dynasty's fleet seems to have switched off the spacetime stability anchor."

After fighting for a while, Han Xiao and Manison noticed the release of the spacetime anchor and suddenly broke apart, confronting each other at a higher altitude.

Their machines stopped fighting, returning to the positions of the two, guarding their own avatars.

"Your strength has improved very quickly," Manison said indifferently. "It's just that, without burning your potential, you're still not my opponent." "Try me."

Han Xiao casually threw back the ball. He maintained his focus, his fighting spirit soaring

After Black Star's Godlike Battle, the outside world recognized Black Star to have two fighting styles. One would be the regular form, and the other was the explosive form caused by burning his potential.

Han Xiao did not have the ability to 'burn his potential'. He had already obtained the (Mechanical Great Sage] skill as well as a few stacks of the God's Trait Transformation skills. In addition, he had managed to draw several powerful specialties after the attack on Hila. His strength at the moment was considerable, enough to give Manison a run for his money.

However, it was still an undeniable fact that the Mechanic and Machinery abilities of Manison were well above his own.

The Mechanic Emperor had a higher level and God's Trait Transformation level, as well as more mechanical abilities and talents. The quality and quantity of his own machinery were incomparable to Manison's.

Han Xiao had intended to challenge Manison, but because the two of them were only present with their avatars, he would not activate his Character Summon Cards immediately. After all, both of them were Army Style Mechanics, so their fight would be over who had the most troops. A winner would not be easily decided. From their previous exchange, he had discovered that Manison's clone was not easy to fight. His opponent had taken preventive measures, and not only were his armor and shields strong, his melee skills were also good. The longer one lived, the more versatile one got.

Old Man Manison was still a pinnacle Beyond Grade A, and his HP would not be too low. Furthermore, it was more normal for a Mechanic to use an avatar to fight rather than the main body… with Han Xiao being the only exception.

At this moment, Manison spoke with a chill in his voice. "It's been a long time since I last used this move… Black Star, you're worthy of me showing my true ability."

As he spoke, he waved his hand.

Buzz!

His secondary dimensional army box burst open beside him, and the boundless army of machinery descended, covering the sky.

"Come on, who's afraid?"

Han Xiao immediately saw through the Mechanic Emperor's intentions and also opened his secondary dimensional army box. Countless mechanical soldiers rushed out, surrounding him. The size of their mechanical troops continued to soar and quickly covered the sky. On one side was the pitch-black machinery representing Black Star, whilst the other had the white gleaming troops from the Mechanic Emperor. The two sides faced each other far away, separated by a strip of sky, as though that was the dividing line. The machinery then started to converge on their avatars, quickly forming a huge mechanical structure.

Boom!

The next moment, two Mechanical Deities, one black and one silver, descended on the world!

The black Mechanical Deity was holding a black war halberd, wearing a huge robe, its body wrapped in the blue glow of psionic energy.

The silver Mechanical Deity held onto a purple trident, wearing a cloak and armor, its entire body flashing with golden arcs.

The two Mechanical Deities faced each other, and countless various mechanical soldiers stood by their sides.

"Mechanic Emperor!"

"Black Star!"

The sound waves swept across the entire planet.

The halberd slashed down, and the trident stabbed forward, as both Mechanical Deities simultaneously wielded their weapons.

Their huge bodies seemed to move slowly, but the actual movement was so fast that time distorted around them.

The halberd hit the edge of the trident, and the two Universal Treasure weapons locked onto each other.

Clank!

A resounding clash echoed in everyone's soul, causing a frightening tremor.

An eye-piercing glow appeared at the position of the strike, suddenly blooming and turning into a silvery white lightning as it extended infinitely toward both ends.

At first glance, this looked like a glowing cut, searing the retinas of the countless people watching, as though the impact had torn apart the black backdrop that was the universe!

At the same time, at the Machinery Faith Colony on the surface, be it the believers or the priests, all of them turned their heads up to stare blankly at the sky, watching the two Mechanical Deities engaging in an earth-shaking 'Divine Battle'.

Seeing Black Star swing his war halberd toward the publicly recognized Machinery Faith leader, every believer of the Machinery Faith was stunned.

To see the Mechanical Deities that they worshipped fighting before their very eyes, only one sentence could describe their current feelings…

"Baby, come out and look at God."

At the same time, in the flagship of the Crimson Dynasty nearby, the commander, who had gone out to answer an emergency call, hurried back to the bridge at the command room and loudly ordered, "The Ruler has issued her orders. Immediately intervene in the battle and open fire at will!"

The members were dumbfounded. Gazing at the battle between the two Mechanical Deities, as well as the frantically rising energy fluctuations, they subconsciously asked, "Which one… do we help?"

Pa!

The commander raised his hand, slapping the back of the guy who asked this nonsensical question as he raged, "You f*cking tool, help the black one!"

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Chapter 1116 The Full Firepower of the Strongest Mechanic

The aftermath of the collision between the two Mechanical Deities stirred up the atmosphere of the planet, forming a huge vortex. The clash between the weapons constantly released sparks of electricity, distorting the viewers' perception of space. The Mechanical Force was akin to a neural network, circulating around the body of the Mechanical Deities, turning the huge mechanical structure into a part of one's body. The Celestial Punishment Edge collided against Manison's trident again and again, setting off circles of energy shock waves that were visible to the naked eye. They swept across the sky of the planet, raising an endless gale.

The earth was disturbed to the point that sand and rocks were flying around, with every inch of the ground cracking, and even the Machinery Faith Colony seemed to be teetering on the edge of collapse. Because the body of the Mechanical Deity was too large to completely display their fighting prowess on the planet, the two fought as they ascended higher, leaving the atmosphere and making outer space their battlefield. Their secondary dimensional army boxes were still sending out troops, and the scale of the battle continued to expand.

Clank!

As the purple trident stabbed at him, Han Xiao blocked it by holding the halberd horizontally, and the majestic energy wrapped along the trident collided with his psionic shield, causing it to continuously flicker.

In the channel, Manison's voice sounded out. "Celestial Punishment Edge? That's a weapon I threw away long ago." "It all depends on who is using the weapon." Han Xiao's eyes focused, and he squeezed the handle and twisted. Psionic energy burst out, and he took the chance to flick away the trident.

However, the trident vibrated and shot out a phantom copy. Under the assistance of the force field guidance, the rebounding force was converted into a propelling force. The trident only bounced back slightly before it stopped and shot back with an even faster speed.

Han Xiao took a defensive position, resisting Manison's concentrated attacks whilst his thoughts ran fast, analyzing the current situation.

My Celestial Punishment Edge's blueprint came from the Federation of Light, and Manison likely understands the characteristics of this weapon. But I have a limited understanding of the weapon in his hands, so I need to play defensive and test the waters

some more…

The lethality of a Universal Treasure weapon far exceeded its ordinary counterparts, so the Mechanical Deities chose to engage in close combat. Only in this manner could they break through each other's thick shields with only half the effort.

Old Man Manison had rich combat experience, and while Han Xiao did not know if he possessed any Universal Treasure level Space Wonders, he definitely had quite a few Universal Treasure mechanical devices, much more than Han Xiao himself.

The trident, as well as the cloak and armor his deity possessed, were definitely at the level of Universal Treasures, but it was unknown just how many more he had.

Activating his Mechanical Deity meant that Manison was going all out. Han Xiao had no doubt about his opponent's endurance. If he was unable to utilize the Mechanical Deity for an extended period of time, he would not lay down all his cards at the start.

Both Manison and I are here with our avatars, and both sides are using Mechanical Deities. It is impossible to easily crush the other's avatar, so it will become a battle of attrition against whose troops are better…

Thinking about this, Han Xiao glanced at the interface.

Just as the two of them started to attack each other, a new mission appeared on his interface. [Mechanic Emperor Manison-Mechanical Deity Battle!]

The mode of the mission was the same as the other missions that involved challenging Beyond Grade As. He could complete the mission so long as he held on for a certain period of time. The rewards were also similar, having Character Summon Cards and getting to randomly draw a skill.

This was within Han Xiao's expectations. With the three Universal Civilizations present and so many Beyond Grade A onlookers, the influence of this battle was definitely not small and was bound to trigger the mission. Both of them would also not be able to distinguish victory and defeat for a while, so completing the mission was basically a given.

Last time, it was only battling in the Virtual World. This time, fighting him in reality, I can finally see what it's like when Manison goes all out.

Han Xiao suddenly felt the attacks cease and saw that Manison had retreated a step back, in a stance to gain momentum.

blades started rotating rapidly like a drill bit. The golden Mechanical Force was highly compressed on the tip of the blade, shining with a strong, dazzling light akin to a small sun. As the blade rotated, the psionic energy was drawn into it and swirled along, producing a psychedelic effect similar to a water vortex.

Han Xiao's senses were ringing in alarm, and the machinery under his control began to fire at Manison. However, layers of diamond-shaped psionic shields emerged on the surface of Manison's Mechanical Deity, blocking out all the concentrated fire of the machinery.

Whoosh!

Manison's figure suddenly blurred, and he accelerated in an instant, the shining trident thrusting out so quickly it turned into a gold and blue beam.

Han Xiao held the halberd horizontally in defense and raised his Emperor's Cape to generate a powerful shield.

Ka!

The trident was once again blocked by the halberd.

However, the golden blue piercing light continued unabated, shooting out from the main blade of the trident to pierce through his Emperor's Cape, hitting the abdomen of his Machinery Deity.

Swoosh!

It tore through his abdomen, disappearing into the distance and leaving a huge penetrating wound in Han Xiao's Mechanical Deity. All the parts within the beam were annihilated into molecular-grade fragments, and the edges of the wound showed fiery red melting marks.

What a powerful penetrating force! Han Xiao's heart was shocked.

In terms of just strength, this trident was indeed higher than the Celestial Punishment Edge. It was not just because of the blueprint but also because the Mechanic Emperor's creation was of a higher quality and possessed stronger Mechanical Force bonuses, which served as a multifaceted suppression. With just a thought, the surrounding mechanical soldiers stopped fighting, turning around and converging on him as they transformed into parts to supplement the gap in his Mechanical Deity.

The Mechanical Deity itself was already a structure composed of a large number of machines. As long as there were no fatal injuries and one had enough energy and machinery, they could recover from all sorts of injuries.

Manison was about to seize the opportunity to pursue his attack, but at this moment, a sudden change occurred.

Dense beams of dark energy shot out diagonally, blasting into Manison's troops and exploding the shields of countless mechanical soldiers, disrupting the formation.

Both of them stopped moving, glancing toward the source of the attack. The third party that fired was the fleet belonging to the Crimson Dynasty, its countless battleship weapons constantly firing toward the Mechanic Emperor's troops.

The dynasty came to aid me? Han Xiao had the thought in his heart but did not find it a surprise.

With the Mechanic Emperor as a negative example, Han Xiao destroying the virus core was considered good behavior in the eyes of the three Universal Civilizations, increasing his positive image by a lot. While the virus technology would not be made available, it was indeed an acceptable result.

that his own relationship with the Mechanic Emperor had soured, they naturally had to express their stance. Rationally, they could not just sit back and watch idly as an ally that had completed a feat beneficial to the peace of the universe fight alone. Thus, their probability of intervening in the battlefield was almost guaranteed.

However, the attitudes of the other two civilizations were more ambiguous, sitting by the sidelines with no intention of interfering.

The federation was not ignorant of Manison's position, but it was another thing to show support to him now. After Manison just demonstrated his intention to hide the virus and antagonize the three Universal Civilizations, the federation obviously could not provide support at this time, so they sat on the sidelines and watched the dynasty attack their 'ally'.

As for the church, this was not their business, so they happily sat at the side with popcorn.

The three Universal Civilizations' troops that were stationed at the trap node were mainly there to prevent the Beyond Grade A from absconding with the virus, so they naturally possessed some measure of combat capabilities. While the spacetime anchor was now lifted, allowing the mechanics to summon troops on a large scale, and only the dynasty was currently shooting at him, Manison still could not afford to take them lightly.

"Annoying flies." Manison gestured with his trident, and a portion of the mechanical soldiers emerging from the secondary dimensional army box split off, forming an array to exchange fire with the dynasty's fleet.

The Army Style Mechanics were the Supers best suited for interstellar warfare. If it were any other profession, they were bound to be restrained by the suppressive firepower of the fleet. However, mechanics were able to take out a part of their soldiers to fight on their own, minimizing the restraining abilities of the fleet.

If they wished to cause considerable interference to the Mechanic Emperor going all-out, the scale of the dynasty's troops had to be hundreds if not thousands of times larger.

Han Xiao understood that this was a short reprieve granted by the dynasty and immediately repaired the damage to his Mechanical Deity.

At this moment, Manison turned toward Han Xiao.

"Black Star, you seem to have grown once again. I've been watching you for a long time. The more battles you go through, the faster your growth. Is this the basis for your confidence?"

"Have you not battled for too long a time, to forget that running your mouth is to give opportunities to your opponent?" Han Xiao did not hesitate, and his Celestial Punishment Edge lashed out.

The psionic energy converged into a biting blue blade of light, slashing toward Manison's body. The highly concentrated energy resembled a bright half-moon sapphire.

Manison, however, remained motionless. The Universal Treasure cloak on his body suddenly shook, and a spherical white shield covering his entire body popped out, giving off a hazy texture like a cloud of flowing white smoke.

The light blade from the Celestial Punishment Edge hit the white shield, and the smoke on the surface of the shield suddenly accelerated, turning into swirling patterns. The sapphire-colored light blade suddenly shattered, turning into motes of light and scattering into the sky.

The next moment, the energy spots seemed to be drawn and absorbed by the shield, and the now discolored shield was swallowed and retracted into the armor of the Mechanical Deity, converted into energy to supplement the consumption of the Mechanical Deity.

Absorbing damage to replenish energy?

Han Xiao's eyes turned solemn.

"I was very interested in your Indestructible Body, and there are many similar abilities and magics in the universe, but none of them have reached to a degree comparable to yours. Thus, I specially researched into this and explored your ability principles through your battle videos. I finally created this Universal Treasure level equipment that is dedicated to the Mechanical Deity, imitating part of your abilities," Manison faintly said. "It seems like the actual combat effect is quite good."

Han Xiao felt his head ache, secretly envious of Manison.

The Mechanic Emperor could research and create his own Universal Treasure, unlike me, who had no idea what to do before I unlocked Awakening Points!

Just craft what you're lacking in. This is the true style of a proper mechanic! At this moment, Manison slowly commented, "Black Star, you're still too green. I've seen many talented Mechanics in my life. Before they were taught a lesson, they always thought that the strength of their talent could make up for the lack of accumulation. I once taught this lesson to many of them, and right now, I shall also teach you the same lesson. A Mechanic needs to settle down and accumulate. Time is our greatest source of strength!"

His voice echoed loudly in the wide area communication channel. At the same time, a different type of troop burst forward from his secondary dimensional army box.

This special unit possessed many different individuals. Some were luxuriously equipped special mechanical soldiers, while others were luminous energy beings. The combat power of each individual was amazing, and they killed their way into the battlefield as though unafraid of death, sweeping aside all of Han Xiao's mechanical soldiers. And when these individuals were killed and destroyed, there was no need to utilize skills such as (Waste Modification). Their bodies automatically regenerated, and they went back into battle without any reduction in strength.

The moment these troops entered the battle, it overturned the entire situation, gaining an absolute advantage.

Han Xiao's pupils shrank as he recognized the origin of this unit.

Manison's Aces—the Indestructible Mechanic Empire! Without waiting for him to observe, Manison's Apostle Weapons led the army, smashing into the battlefield from the other direction, causing huge casualties to Han Xiao's troops.

Han Xiao took a deep breath.

Glancing roughly, he could tell that there were at least forty to fifty Apostle Weapons present!

This meant that Manison's (Apostle Life Creation) skill had broken through the upper limit by forty to fifty levels at least!

In this violent clash, the scale of troops which Manison released accounted for about seventy percent of his total, and all of them were under the Mechanical Force bonuses. Manison still looked at ease, his Mechanical Force completely covering all the soldiers.

Assuming that one point of Mechanical Force for Han Xiao could give bonuses to ten soldiers, Manison's Mechanical Force could aid over twenty-five!

This difference was not only due to Attribute, Talent, and Skills but also because of the gaps in their equipment.

Han Xiao personally saw Manison pulling out four more Universal Treasures dedicated to his Mechanical Deity from the secondary dimensional army box. All of the equipment types were different, not only allowing the Mechanical Deity to be armed to the teeth but also expanding its size. After using all these treasures, Manison's Mechanical Deity increased significantly in strength.

Some Class-specific Universal Treasures would provide a certain increase to its user. For example, Han Xiao's King suit could provide additional Machinery Affinity bonuses. Manison's equipment was similar with all-round enhancements to his Mechanical Force and his body.

At the same time, Han Xiao realized that he had also been invaded on a virtual level. Manison had summoned Finette, the ancestor of the AI civilization, and allowed it to perform a Virtual Intrusion with a large group of Virtual Life Forms to fight with Han Xiao on a virtual level for control of the machinery.

"Old man, you really have a lot of methods…"

Just as Han Xiao had this thought, a flash of light appeared in front of him. He only saw the afterimage of Manison's fully equipped Mechanical Deity, slamming down with the trident. He hurriedly raised his halberd to block, but the shock wave penetrated his body, jarring his ears with the sound.

Clank!

The terrifying force was transmitted along his arms, and the countless built-in shock absorbers were instantly scrapped. Large pieces of his outer armor cracked, and Han Xiao's Mechanical Deity appeared to be full of cracks.

If he had not obtained the [Machinery Control Master) from Jackornitz, gaining an additional thirty-five percent efficiency bonus for his Mechanical suits, Han Xiao doubted that the arms of his Mechanical Deity would still be intact.

Manison, however, did not slow down in his attacks. Taking advantage of Han Xiao's stun, the newly-equipped Universal Treasure wing-type self-automated Planetary Obliteration Cannon shot out a thick psionic beam with a diameter of more than a hundred meters.

Boom!

Han Xiao was blown away by the Planetary Obliteration Cannon, and his shield shattered under the continuous attacks. Manison followed, chasing after him, his trident spinning rapidly as it shot out waves of light, continuously dismembering the opponent's Mechanical Deity.

The Mechanic Emperor had shown his true mettle, fully opening up the Mechanical Deity, machinery, and the Virtual layer, a three pronged attack!

Seeing this situation, the Beyond Grade A avatars on the sidelines avoided the aftermath of the battle, feeling the powerful suppressive aura of Manison flooding the area. They chatted quietly in their channel.

"It's been a long time since I've seen Manison go all-out. It's still so terrifying…" Kant recalled some bad memories.

"The Mechanic Emperor is still the Mechanic Emperor." The Sun Hunter's voice was subdued.

'Mechanical Catastrophe' Francisco shook his head. "It's different from the battle in the Flickering World. This time, it's an internal battle between two pinnacle Beyond Grade A Mechanics. Black Star is completely suppressed. Luckily, it was his avatar that came this time."

The man in question, Han Xiao, who was being beaten up, did not know that he was a topic of conversation for the audience.

He was trying his best to resist Manison's frenzied attack, gritting his teeth secretly.

F*ck, old man, you're really good at fighting!

You're really forcing me to 'explode'!

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Chapter 1117 You Pay to Win, I Cheat, We All Have a Bright Future.

Manison showcased his full firepower, and with his P2W[1] method of strengthening his foundation, he quickly occupied an absolute advantage and completely suppressed Black Star.

This scene also fell into the eyes of the Machinery Faith believers who were watching the battle on the surface of Planet Magnetic Cloud.

"Am I dreaming? I can see the descent of two Mechanical Deities with my very own eyes in my lifetime."

"Quickly record it. No one knows when the Mechanic Emperor last went all out. This is precious first-hand data!"

"Why did the two of them start fighting?"

"It seems like a challenge. Black Star's situation doesn't look good." "The Mechanic Emperor is still the Mechanic Emperor, having occupied the highest position in our faith for so many years. Black Star is still too young. It's unknown what will happen in the future, but right now, how could he be an opponent for the Mechanic Emperor?"

"Black Star set a historical record a while ago, and I thought that he had already arrived at the same level as the Mechanic Emperor. Now it seems like he's still lacking in accumulation."

The onlookers were extremely excited. As enthusiastic fans of the top mechanics, they considered the experiences of each pinnacle Beyond Grade A their precious heirlooms. While they did not know the reason for the battle, this did not prevent them from discussing the fight.

While their settlement was threatened by the aftermath of the battle, few of the believers were willing to leave.

In their opinion, as long as they could watch the magical battle of the Mechanical Deities with their own eyes, it was nothing to bear some risks in return. If not for the fact that the land only reached this high, they would have moved even closer to them.

On the top floor of the Machinery Faith temple, many of the priests looked at the virtual screen in front of them, which showed the image of Han Xiao and Manison in outer space.

"Both Deities have moved away from the battlefield, but the settlement might still be in danger. Grand Priest, should we evacuate the organization's followers?" one of the priests softly asked.

The Grand Priest in question was staring at the screen quietly, for fear of missing any second of what the image showed. He watched in fascination and did not even turn back as he said, "Wait, let me watch it for a while more."

By the side, someone muttered, "While I don't understand why they started fighting, there should be no suspense in the result. Both parties are here as avatars, and they're only fighting based on machinery abilities. In this regard, Black Star is indeed below the Mechanic Emperor."

"It seems like that."

The various priests also nodded. Having seen the situation, the majority would regard it as so.

However, no one would be disappointed over this, because in the eyes of the Machinery Faith, this was a normal situation, a given.

However, the situation suddenly changed, and the energy readings at the edge of the screen suddenly soared.

The Grand Priest was taken aback.

"Black Star's energy fluctuations… suddenly spiked"

At the same moment, the three Universal Civilizations were also watching the live broadcast of the battle between the two. The flashing lights on the screen reflected in the faces of the trio.

The Arcane Church's Pope turned to glance at Urranrell. "Your Excellency, Black Star doesn't seem to be in too good a state."

"It's expected." Urranrell was calm. "We never hoped that Black Star would fight with the Mechanic Emperor. He has amazing potential and needs more time to strengthen his foundations, even if his growth always exceeds expectations. It's still too early for him to fight against the Mechanic Emperor head on."

"However, the first to release the spacetime anchor was your dynasty's fleet. It seems that you wish for them to fight with all their strength instead," the Pope joked.

"You're mistaken. Since the virus has been resolved, of course the blockade should be lifted. We cannot forcibly retain the avatars of the mechanics. We opened the blockade in hopes that the Mechanic Emperor would leave, but it seems like he wishes to show his strength in front of us," Urranrell solemnly replied.

Her order to close the spacetime anchor was not an arrogant decision. Urranrell was aware that Black Star could leave the area at any time even under the restraint of spacetime, but in her opinion, Black Star did not do anything wrong. Destroying the virus core was an act beneficial to the universe, so why should he run? The one that should be running was the Mechanic Emperor.

"It's understandable that after being made a fool of by Black Star, the Mechanic Emperor would definitely retaliate." The Pope glanced at Bader.

Bader continued staring at the screen, silently telling them to just continue chatting among themselves whilst he acted as the backdrop.

Seeing this, the Pope knew that Bader was not going to talk about the Mechanic Emperor for the time being, so he withdrew his gaze and continued. "However, Black Star is not on the Mechanic Emperor's level. It is likely he will lose."

"We don't wish for Black Star to have conflicts with the Mechanic Emperor right now, but since they have started fighting, the dynasty will support Black Star to the end. There's no need to back down," Urranrell decisively stated.

In terms of their stances, the three Universal Civilizations were on Han Xiao's side, but they did not deny the fact that the Mechanic Emperor was still more powerful.

Furthermore, Black Star was only using his avatar, so losing to the Mechanic Emperor was not unacceptable. After all, Black Star's age was but a fraction of Manison's, and his future potential was promising. Just as the trio were thinking of that, an abnormality appeared on the battlefield.

Han Xiao's energy reading suddenly skyrocketed, climbing to an astonishing level.

The three of them were startled.

"Black Star's switched modes? He's burned his potential again?" Bader was stunned.

The Pope was dumbstruck.

"This is too impulsive. Does he need to struggle like this…"

The fact that Black Star had two modes of fighting was no secret. His regular mode would not be able to defeat the Mechanic Emperor; this was something the trio knew well in their hearts. But they also understood that Black Star's fighting prowess would only peak when he burned his potential.

Black Star had utilized his burning of potential to shock the entire universe during his Godlike Battle. Whether such a form could match up to the Mechanic Emperor, no one knew.

Urranrell's expression was not too good. Black Star's actions were once again out of her expectations.

He could obviously utilize a slow and methodical approach to develop and accumulate his foundation, but he just had to burn his potential to explode in strength. She was unable to accept such an approach.

Didn't you already burn your potential once? You still want to burn more? How much more potential do you have to waste!

Black Star was the dynasty's ally, and she had high hopes for him. The position he had taken was also in line with universal peace. Now that Black Star had burned his potential, it was a loss to the dynasty.

In her rational judgment, this move would no doubt be a loss in blood, but in an emotional sense, she appreciated the never-say-die attitude of Black Star.

The choice Han Xiao had made lived up to the trust she put in him. Whichever way she looked at Han Xiao now, she found it very pleasing to the eye.

Clank!

The trident once again cut open the shield provided by the Emperor's Cape and drew a deep line on the abdomen of Han Xiao's Mechanical Deity. Many mechanical parts were dug out, and the body of the Mechanical Deity now was scarred with defects.

The surrounding mechanical soldiers wanted to come over to repair the wounds, but they were all blocked by the troops of Manison. They could not overcome the blockade of the combination of the Indestructible Mechanic Empire, Apostle Weapons, and the Mechanical Life troops. The performance of his machinery was suppressed by the Mechanic Emperor on almost all fronts, with only his attack power being stronger than the latter. This was all thanks to his (Legendary Battle Technique, which was not something to be trifled with. It was only that the majority of the attacks were being absorbed by Manison's Indestructible Mechanic Empire, which was not afraid of destruction or damage.

The legend of the Indestructible Body had long been spread through Galaxy, and because Manison had no idea if this also applied to Han Xiao's avatar, all his attacks were concentrated toward the non-critical parts of the Mechanical Deity, aiming to destroy the majority of Han Xiao's machinery in the shortest time possible.

At this moment, Han Xiao was finding it difficult to resist, and the thoughts spun rapidly in his head.

If this continues, my Mechanical Deity will be cut apart piece by piece. Manison has the advantage now, and if I were to allow him to attack so unscrupulously, it will greatly consume my machinery. I have to stop being forced into this passive state…

The large number of Universal Treasures had greatly enhanced Manison's combat power.

His own foundations were not solid enough. If he wished to bridge this gap, he could only do his best to improve his attributes, especially Intellect, which would directly affect his Mechanic class's abilities.

Opening the interface, Han Xiao saw that he had accumulated quite the bit of experience over this past month or so while the three Universal Civilizations were preparing for this operation. He originally wished to hoard it until he could promote, but the plan could not keep up with the changes. The experience urgently needed to be turned into combat prowess.

Han Xiao did not hesitate, taking out most of his experience and using it to upgrade his blueprints on a large scale in exchange for more Awakening Points.

His current accumulated experience was not enough to gain a hundred Awakening Points, which did not meet the conditions of obtaining a Unique Talent. However, Han Xiao's purpose this time was not to generate Unique Talents but to replace his Awakening Points with Free Attribute Points in order to pump them into his Intellect. In that instant, his Intellect attribute rose by almost 8,000 points!

He had also accumulated more than 4,000 Free Attribute Points, and after placing 1,000 into his Endurance, allowing it to break through the 15,000 point threshold, he placed the remaining 2,000 points into Intellect.

Adding both together, his own Intellect attribute skyrocketed by more than 10,000 points in total, breaking through the 30,000 threshold and approaching 40,000!

This was his fastest increase in history!

After completing this delightful step, Han Xiao did not hesitate to start activating his Character Summon Cards.

[Mechanic Emperor Character Summon Card The Ancient Ones)!

Effect: 20% INT, 10% MYS, 2 to all Skill levels, last for 24 hours.

(Nero Character Summon Card-Perfect Mechanical Sense)!

Effect: x1.4 Machinery Affinity, Grade of Mechanic equipment that receive Mechanical Force bonuses are temporarily increased by 1 – 2 tiers (highest quality will not exceed Pink Grade), 4 to all Mechanic Skills.

However, Han Xiao did not stop here. He activated (Polar Channel Flow-Blood Rage), and his HP value plummeted.

At the same time, the additional effect of (Advanced Strengthened Life] came into play. For every forty percent of his HP lost, his attributes all temporarily increased by ten percent!

Since Manison will not hit me, I'll hit myself!

He also had talents such as [One Against the World), which gave him an eleven percent bonus to all attributes, and [Battlefield Wisdom), which gave him a fifteen percent bonus to Intellect… Han Xiao took out everything he had.

Old Man Manison has a solid foundation?

What's scary about that?

If you know how to P2W, then I can just cheat!

We're evenly matched in this regard!

This wave of bonuses came into play in an instant, and a powerful force surged throughout his body. The energy fluctuations Han Xiao was releasing suddenly skyrocketed.

Manison keenly noticed the change in Han Xiao and was shocked.

"You…"

Before he could finish speaking, Han Xiao turned his defense into offense, knocking the trident aside with an elbow and slashing the Celestial Punishment Edge down diagonally.

A highly compressed psionic energy enveloped the blade, drawing a blue trajectory line.

Swoosh!

The power behind this slash exceeded the upper limit of which the blue protective shield could handle and broke through the defense.

The blade suppressed the trident before embedding itself deep within Manison's battle armor.

The next moment, the psionic energy wrapped around the blade caused a violent explosion! Manison's offensive was interrupted, and a huge portion of the Mechanical Deity's body was slashed away. A huge wound was left in the chest of his battle armor, left by the eruption of the psionic energy. A large portion of his outer armor was torn and corroded.

This was the first time Manison had been repelled since the fight began.

The one-sided battle was instantly turned around by Han Xiao!

"Eat a few more of my blades!"

Han Xiao pressed the advantage, slashing out in rapid succession to seize the battle rhythm.

The combat capability of Han Xiao's Mechanical Deity was enhanced in every respect, and the gap in their combat capability was shortened. Han Xiao was no longer suppressed.

His increase in Mechanical strength was reflected in his surrounding mechanical soldiers. The Black Star troops experienced an increase in their combat power, successfully breaking through the blockade of the Mechanic Emperor's troops, approaching Han Xiao to repair the damage to his Mechanical Deity. Manison finally stabilized himself, and while waving his trident to counter Han Xiao's attacks, he spoke on the wide area channel with astonishment.

"You burned your potential again?"

"Think what you want. How's that blade taste?" Han Xiao laughed. "… You're ruining your talent!" Manison's tone turned cold.

He originally only wished to teach Han Xiao a lesson but did not expect him to burn his own potential in retaliation.

To consume his future potential to fight a battle with their avatars was a foolish act from Manison's point of view. Even if this battle involved factors such as prestige or speaking rights, it would still be a loss-making business.

He was puzzled by this. Maybe their ideals were different, but he did not think that Black Star was such an impulsive person.

He had no way of knowing Han Xiao's thoughts. Since he was willing to waste his potential, Manison was also happy since they were all competitors.

However, while he sneered at Han Xiao's approach, he had to admit that the combat power Han Xiao displayed in his mode was extremely strong, which allowed him to immediately recover from his disadvantage.

If he did not go all-out, he would definitely suffer!

Moreover, Manison felt that the increase in Han Xiao's combat power this time was higher than the first. This discovery surprised him.

What is this? Can burning your potential even be trained?

Also, since when was Polar Channel Flow so strong? How did I not know about this?

What is behind of Black Star's explosive ability? How is the effect so good and yet unknown?

Feeling the surge in Han Xiao's aura, Manison was both surprised and suspicious.

[1] Gaming slang for Pay to Win, meaning the person becomes strong through using real world cash.

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Chapter 1118 A Just Cause Enjoys Abundant Support

The flames of war blazed in outer space, and the two Mechanical Deities, one white and one black, collided into a blur. The exchanges between their weapons continued to explode outward in shock waves.

Psionic energy collided with psionic energy, and metal crashed against metal!

Surrounded by their huge mechanical armies, which hovered around them like crows, they fought tirelessly. The entire area was filled with molten metal caused by the high-intensity energy rays, which would rapidly cool and condense into weird-shaped metal blocks. Some fell down to the surface of the planet, while others turned into space debris, orbiting Planet Magnetic Cloud.

It looked as though two gods that could penetrate the sky and earth were leading their respective armies to engage in a battle of the universe.

This burst by Han Xiao allowed him to obtain a significant amount of combat power. His Intellect rose by almost forty percent, and his degree of Machinery Affinity also skyrocketed. With the twenty percent increase from Manison's Character Summon Card, it only further magnified his strength.

According to his calculations, these tens of thousands of Attribute Points in Intellect enhanced his Mechanic abilities way beyond his rewards from the attack on Hila mission. It could be said that this was the current peak state of Han Xiao!

Because he did not have the time to familiarize himself with his newfound strength, Han Xiao's control over his power was not as fine as it should have been. However, this still gave him quite the confidence, and riding on the increase in his senses, he adapted a pure offensive style.

The sharp glint of a blade flashed continuously as the Celestial Punishment Edge twirled in Han Xiao's hands. Every slash he made was heavy and unrelenting, fierce and ruthless. He seemed to be embodying the spirit of Guan Yu[1, killing his way through with reckless abandon.

His boosted Mechanical Force controlled the Mechanical Deity to become even more agile than before. The Celestial Punishment Edge in his hands seemed to exude an even higher amount of strength, breaking through the shield around Manison and leaving gaping wounds in his armor.

While Manison was surprised at Han Xiao's combat power after his boost, it did not affect his performance. With the support of his six Universal Treasure Equipment, his trident endlessly counterattacked, poking large and small holes in the body of Han Xiao's Mechanical Deity.

Both sides suffered from various injuries, being evenly matched. Only these two figures could be seen traversing the starry sky, taking the universe as their battlefield. The trident and the halberd crossed dozens of times in an instant, blasting out electrical arcs.

While it seemed like they were simply fighting each other in close combat, the two parties were actually mixing their melees with a lot of advanced technology. Force fields, electromagnetic pulses, and energy conversions were merged seamlessly. In addition, there were also countless control-type mechanical devices exerting their effects. Various restrains were wrapped around each Mechanical Deity like a spider web, restricting their actions. At the same time, they also maintained their artillery bombardment, with countless muzzles around their bodies spewing high-energy beams like a torrential downpour blasting into each other's shields, creating fireworks.

This seemed to paint a beautiful picture, but it was full of an energy that could destroy the world.

The Mechanic Emperor's Apostle Weapons were too powerful in combat, having a huge advantage in the Mechanical Army fight. Han Xiao could only continue to pull out his troops from the secondary dimensional army box, using numbers to make up for his lack of advanced combatants.

The battle gradually approached a climax, and under the countless excited and shocked gazes, the two fought in outer space for quite a lengthy period, unable to extricate themselves.

Swoosh!

Han Xiao's blade condensed and swept across, slashing into Manison's neck and slicing three quarters of the way through, almost beheading the Deity.

At the same time, the trident pierced through Han Xiao's head, scattering countless broken machinery.

The two Mechanical Deities, however, acted like they were unaware of the injuries. They raised their hands, grabbing the opponent's weapon that was embedded in their bodies before pulling it out. They raised their legs and kicked toward each other's crotches. Their moves were at least ninety percent synchronous with each other! While they shot backward, both parties simultaneously raised their hands, throwing their weapons at the same time. Both their huge weapons shot through the air, colliding halfway before bouncing apart. The trident slammed down toward the planet surface, landing in the wilderness with a loud bang, printing an outline on the planet's crust.

The Celestial Punishment Edge spun off course and smashed into the battlefield of the mechanical armies, wiping out countless soldiers on both sides.

At this moment, Manison's figure suddenly flickered and disappeared as he warped through space. The next moment, he appeared behind Han Xiao, and a bright light shot out from his waist.

A silver-colored short sword was pulled out its sheath, and the sword drew an upward arc. The light of the sword swept across Han Xiao's waist, instantly bisecting the Mechanical Deity.

Han Xiao reacted quickly, turning his upper body to whip his arm condensed with psionic energy toward Manison. It broke through the shield, and the remaining force slammed into Manison's head, beheading it and throwing it out toward one of the three Universal Civilizations' fleets. It was smashed into pieces by the intercepting fire from the fleet.

At the same time, Han Xiao's severed lower body disintegrated, re-transforming into mechanical soldiers, which once again integrated back with the Mechanical Deity. The Celestial Punishment Edge, which had been sent off course, stopped in midair before flying back as though being pulled by an invisible rope, forcing Manison to retreat as it circled around before landing back in Han Xiao's hands.

Another Universal Treasure.

Seeing Manison take out another weapon, Han Xiao felt bitter in his heart.

His Emperor's Cape had the effect of strengthening the internal structure of his Mechanical Deity, but the short sword sliced through it easily. It had to be Gold Grade equipment.

The fact that his foundation was insufficient was already a sad issue, but after fighting for such a long time, the Mechanic Emperor was still so fierce and lively, not showing any signs of weaknesses. His reserves were unfathomable, and his endurance also surprised Han Xiao.

It stood to reason that so long as a lot of energy was consumed, the number of bonus stacks would decrease, resulting in a temporary decline in status and attributes.

Because he had the ability to convert HP to energy, he had always stayed at the peak, but this old man seemed to have eaten Viagra, for him to be able to maintain this state for such a long period of time!

While the old man also managed to come out with equipment that would allow him to convert damage to energy, Han Xiao discovered that there was a limitation to this piece of Gold Grade equipment. There was a cooldown required after each absorption, unlike his own talent which was effective anywhere.

Thus, maybe Old Man Manison possessed some kind of talent that would allow him to retain his energy bonuses but at the cost of a reduction in strength. That sort of ability was rare but not unique.

But this was not the main point. Han Xiao was surprised to discover that not only did Manison's strength not drop, it was even slowly rising

He's probably the same as me, having talents to continuously obtain bonuses in battle… He's worthy of being the top powerhouse in the universe, just as difficult to handle as myself.

Han Xiao ground his teeth.

Even after fighting for so long, they could only be evenly matched. Attempting to expand on his advantage would only cause him to be blocked by Manison time and again, as if he was some spring that could not be completely compressed

Fortunately, the same was true for Manison. Neither was able to suppress the other.

The time for the Character Summon Cards is ultimately limited, and I cannot keep this state up forever. Manison's attributes are also slowly climbing, and if we continue to fight, the situation that I finally stabilized will be reversed once more… Damn, it's usually me who kills the enemy after a protracted battle. Now I've finally met someone who can last longer than me.

Han Xiao analyzed the grim situation, but his mood was actually quite relaxed.

It was a lonely thing to not be able to find an opponent. It was rare to also face a strong enemy that required him to utilize all his moves. He had fought heartily and comfortably, venting all his energy on the Mechanic Emperor.

Furthermore, he had managed to witness Manison's combat power to estimate the gap in their strength, which was not small at all.

In fact, the hit-and-run tactics were still effective against Manison. While his avatar might be durable, it was in no way comparable to himself. The problem was that the other party had deeply hidden himself within the Mechanical Deity, and he could not damage the other party in any way. As long as he did not shatter the Mechanical Deity, there was no way he could hurt his opponent's avatar. This was something he needed to pay attention to. In other words, he was now obtaining experience on how to deal with Manison.

As all sorts of thoughts flashed through his mind, Han Xiao spoke in the wide-area communication channel.

"Mechanic Emperor, we're evenly matched, and there won't be any results even if we fight for the next ten days. Are you sure you want to continue?"

"You're thinking too much. I don't think you can hold on for so long," Manison replied blandly. "This should be your current peak, but you're at most only able to fight evenly with me. How long can your burst mode last?"

"Never counted, but it should last till the end of our fight."

Since no one knew of his details, Han Xiao just made up a lie calmly. "So, you wish to fight a protracted battle with me?" Manison let out some emotionless laughter, as though scorning Han Xiao's confidence. "How much of your machinery can you waste? Is it even a fraction of mine?"

"Isn't it just money? It's not like anyone here lacks cash." Han Xiao smirked.

While he spoke this manner, the Great Mechanic Han had to still admit that the old man had a stronger ability to make money.

He wished to test out his strength against Manison, not to show off his accumulation.

Han Xiao also did not forget that Manison still had some Beyond Grade A 'collectibles' in his hands, which were not used. They had probably not come out because this was not a good time to use them, since he did not wish to show them off in front of the three Universal Civilizations.

In other words, this might not be Manison's true strength.

While their growth models had a difference of heaven and earth, there was one thing that Han Xiao agreed with—the importance of accumulation to a Mechanic.

Were Manison's attributes higher than his? That remained to be seen, but his opponent definitely had much stronger machinery compared to his. That was due to his accumulation over the years.

The Mechanic class was different from all the other professions. Even when everyone reached a bottleneck in power, the Mechanics could ignore the bottleneck and improve their own combat power through manufacturing, research, and development of machinery. Thus, it could be said that P2W was the root behind all the powerful Mechanics!

This gap is not small at all… Han Xiao shook his head.

While he considered himself affluent, compared with Manison, who was filled with Universal Treasures, he suddenly looked a lot more shabby.

In this manner, the difficulty of me defeating Manison currently is too high. Manison wants to beat me in order to maintain his face, so I have to draw with him at least. It is impossible to retreat or escape, or else I will lose all credibility…

Just as Han Xiao was thinking of which trump card he should utilize, the situation on the battlefield changed once more.

A different group of machines suddenly broke into the battlefield, attacking Manison's troops at the same time, separating the battlefield and preventing the two forces from fighting. A dozen streams of light flew from the distance, stopping between the two as they faced Manison.

Han Xiao and Manison looked at the dozen or so figures, which were the other Beyond Grade A avatars originally watching the show.

"Mechanic Emperor, let's stop here," Kant said.

Manison glanced at the others, slowly asking, "You all are helping him?".

"Black Star doesn't need our help. There's no clear winner now, and even if you fight for a month, the battle likely won't end." Kant deliberately spoke using the wide area channel. He chuckled. "It's impossible for the three Universal Civilizations and us to be here watching you for a month, so we'll consider today a tie."

"Tie?" Manison's tone sank slightly.

"Isn't it so?" Kant smiled as he replied.

Manison narrowed his eyes. "And if I wish to continue fighting?"

"We are also people that take our dignity seriously. Since we have spoken, we will act." Kant laughed. "If you don't give us face, then I'm sorry, but we can only join you for a couple of rounds."

Just as he spoke, all the Beyond Grade As collectively took a step forward. While they did not say it clearly, their intention to protect Han Xiao was clear.

Want to touch Black Star?

You'll have to do it through a gang fight!

Seeing this, Manison sank into silence. The battlefield was at the Machinery Faith temple, so he naturally wished to suppress Han Xiao. While Han Xiao's burst mode was strong, it was only temporary. If they continued fighting, he was confident in winning. However, the situation caused his plans to fail.

The battle between them was interfered with, and Manison could naturally see what they intended to do. They wished to create a situation where it was a tie, forcing him to accept this instead of fighting for a win.

After thinking for a bit, he understood the reason.

Manison raised his head to look at Han Xiao, speaking in a somewhat complicated tone.

"This is really… a case of a just cause enjoying abundant support."

Having spoken, he did not intend to stay, collecting all his troops and recalling his avatar, cancelling the Lord's Descent skill before leaving

No matter how confident he was, he did not plan to challenge all the Beyond Grade As present.

Seeing this, Kant laughed before looking at Han Xiao.

"Alright, this matter is over."

Han Xiao was a little surprised. "I thought you'd continue spectating. Why did you suddenly help me?".

If the dynasty aided him, he could understand this. But why did the mechanics from the federation and the church also stand up for him?

Could it be that my heroic act of destroying the virus core convinced them to forget their grudges?

Sigh, blame me then, for inadvertently failing to restrain my inner charm, infecting and influencing them too much.

[Mechanical Catastrophe] Francisco snorted coldly. "Don't over think this. We're not doing this for you."

"You could have fought for over ten days, so how could the three Universal Civilizations continue to keep watching? Thus, they asked us to interfere and end the battle."

"Then that's weird. Couldn't you have done that earlier? You had to wait till we reached this stage?"

"Hehe, it's not just an order. All of us were quite happy to see the Mechanic Emperor suffer a little," Kant said in a tone full of schadenfreude.

Alright, I understand now…

The majority of people present had been bullied by Manison before but could only hold in their anger. Seeing Black Star's brave performance, they felt that they could take the opportunity to attack Manison, so they chose to intervene.

The result of deliberately promoting a tie was the small revenge for this group of people. This would shake the Mechanic Emperor's position as the main deity for the Machinery Faith, building momentum for Black Star.

As long as the record was set, Black Star would be able to disperse the firm belief in the Mechanic Emperor among those of the Machinery Faith, allowing Manison to suffer. Of course, the premise of doing so was that Black Star had to be able to withstand the Mechanic Emperor. If Han Xiao kept getting beaten up, then this group would not have deliberately chosen the best time to help him.

Intervening in the battle was not just because of orders but also a decision from their hearts.

As for whether or not there was a factor of admiration due to Black Star's actions, only they themselves knew.

Once Han Xiao understood this, he also sighed in relief.

Indeed, the more people you have close relations with, the more benefits you obtain.

Ignoring how Manison has lived for so long and has a wide range of contacts, in the eyes of the Beyond Grade A Mechanics, the Mechanic Emperor's image is worth very little. He's offended too many of his peers in the Beyond Grade A realm!

As the saying went, 'a just cause attracts much support; an unjust one finds little'!

[1] Guan Yu is a character from the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

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Chapter 1119 Poaching People

After Manison withdrew, the operation to deal with the Virtual Mutiny Virus core was finally settled.

Han Xiao dismissed his Mechanical Deity, putting away the combat troops. He only left a few maintenance teams to cooperate with the three Universal Civilizations in cleaning up the battlefield.

While he and Manison had deliberately moved away from the battlefield to prevent the troops from firing in the direction of the planet, the aftermath of the battle still had a considerable impact on Planet Magnetic Cloud.

The earth seemed to have been sanded down by a file, and its 'skin and flesh' that was filed down turned into sand and dust in the sky. From outer space, the surface was full of traces of falling objects as well as pits and ravines, of which the most conspicuous was the ravine left by Manison's trident, transforming the wilderness into a large group of rift-like valleys.

The settlements of those in the Machinery Faith were affected to a certain extent, and their protective shield was dim, but it was not wiped out. It was just that there was a violent earthquake that caused a large number of buildings to collapse, as well as sinking the surrounding terrain by one or two meters. The city shrouded in the shield suddenly became an island.

Seeing this, Han Xiao had an idea and piloted his Lord's Avatar down to the settlement.

Everyone had gone over to chase and kill the virus core, and the battle had happened straight after. While they all noticed the Machinery Faith on Planet Magnetic Cloud, there was no time to contact it. Now was the best time.

Manison had warned them before that he did not wish to see any other Beyond Grade As contact the Machinery Faith, but now that he had completely disregarded Manison, Han Xiao naturally did not care about his warnings.

Han Xiao slowly descended, stopping in the air directly outside the protective shield.

The other Beyond Grade A Mechanics also swiftly approached. Han Xiao did not restrict them; he was no Mechanic Emperor.

After a few seconds, the shield opened automatically, and Han Xiao and his group landed on top of the temple in the middle of the settlement. All the priests formed a circle around them in excitement.

"Look, it's a Mechanical Deity, in the flesh!"

"So many Beyond Grade A Mechanics. I really want to touch them."

"Do you think that they will allow us to take photos with them?"

Many of the priests whispered among themselves in fanaticism.

This should be heaven!

On an ordinary day, it was only the Mechanic Emperor that would contact them, and none of the other Beyond Grade As would come over, as though they had no interest in the Machinery Faith, making them feel as though these Beyond Grade As looked down on them.

The priests normally did not take the initiative to come into contact with the objects of their faith, and each individual would have their own idol of worship, so the interaction was limited. Getting to see so many living Beyond Grade A Mechanics in person made everyone happy, excited, and cautious. They wished to jump upon them but were also afraid of making their 'gods' unhappy.

In the end, it was the Grand Priest that took the initiative to greet everyone.

"I'm the Grand Priest of this Machinery Faith colony. Beyond Grade A Mechanics, I welcome you on behalf of the Machinery Faith."

Han Xiao knew how to interact with them, choosing not to say anything about the scene nor give any self-introductions. He directly glanced at the collapsed buildings in the distance, asking in a tone like a commander asking over their subordinates.

"I fought a really fierce battle with the Mechanic Emperor just now. Are you guys still alright?"

"We're fine. We all have heavy armor as protection, and the residents have already taken refuge in the flying vehicles. There were no casualties, so the loss of the city is nothing since we can always rebuild it."

Seeing Black Star's concerned attitude gave the Grand Priest a great boost to his spirits. His expression was one of joy. My idol is concerned for us!

I have no more regrets in this life!

"It would be better for you all to shift to another planet. The damage done to Planet Magnetic Cloud is quite serious, and there might be natural disasters in the future," Han Xiao said with concern.

The Grand Priest vehemently shook his head. "No, no, no, we're going to stay here and pay tribute to the traces of battle that you and the Mechanic Emperor have left."

With Planet Magnetic Cloud already beaten to this state, a normal person would choose to move to another planet, but those of the Machinery Faith were not ordinary. They believed that having witnessed a fight between Black Star and the Mechanic Emperor, Planet Magnetic Cloud had become some sort of 'Divine Battlefield', which possessed a lot of commemorative meaning. They could not wait to pray to it every day.

What, moving? Out of the question!

"In this case, that's fine too. Since I'm already here, let me help you guys." Han Xiao pointed at the air, and a virtual screen unfolded, showing a 2D map of Planet Magnetic Cloud. He said in a kind tone, "I'm to blame for your residence being destroyed, so choose a location. I'll help you guys to build a new city there."

Many of the priests immediately opened their eyes wide, not daring to believe that such a superior being was actually so benevolent. "We don't dare. How could we trouble someone like you to do such a small thing?" The Grand Priest hurriedly declined the offer.

"Don't be so polite. We're considered a family. I've always known of the existence of the Machinery Faith and heard that you guys worshipped me as a god. While you have never contacted me before, you respect me as a god, so I shall not be stingy with succor."

Han Xiao did not beat around the bush, directly using the 'I'm a reliable backer, so just lie on my huge and assuring chest' logic.

Hearing that, the Grand Priest could not help but feel a little moved. Their beliefs would not be transferred because of material interests, but they also did not find it necessary to reject their god's divine bestowal.

Everyone discussed it a bit before choosing a location for their new settlement.

Glancing at it, Han Xiao discovered that it was the rift created by the trident. He was not surprised and deliberately smiled. "Very good, this area was the spot that the Mechanic Emperor's weapon landed after being deflected by me."

Hearing this, the priests present all had their curiosity dug out.

They had been watching the battle between the two Mechanical Deities and discovered that they had stopped fighting halfway. Later, they heard Kant speak on the wide area channel, saying that both of them were tied. Manison left soon after, and because everything had happened so quickly, the priests were still in a state of confusion.

"Your Excellency, why did you and His Excellency Mechanic Emperor start fighting? What happened in the end? Er… if this is sensitive, then I apologize for my offense."

The Grand Priest could not help himself from inquiring about it. While he knew it was somewhat abrupt, he felt the itchy to sate his curiosity.

"It's no secret and will be made public sooner or later anyway. There's no harm in telling you guys. You've heard of the Virtual Mutiny Virus, right?"

"Yes, yes."

All of them nodded like chickens pecking.

"That plaything isn't any ordinary virus but rather an information systems weapon with a core controller. It has the ability to continuously evolve and upgrade itself, and it can even phase in and out between the virtual and physical world. Us Beyond Grade A Mechanics responded to the call of the three Universal Civilizations to cooperate and kill it," Han Xiao briefly explained.

The eyes of the priests were open wide in shock. Only at this time did they realize that the Virtual Mutiny Virus that plagued the Ancient Star Desert for many days was actually such powerful technology.

The Grand Priest was immersed in Han Xiao's narration, hurriedly asking, "Did you succeed?"

"We caught the virus core, but we had a conflict in handling the issue. Manison, regardless of the risk, wished to keep the core and research the technology behind it on his own. For the sake of universal peace, I took the virus core and destroyed it, angering the Mechanic Emperor. He wanted to teach me a lesson, so we had a fight. I'm embarrassed to have affected you."

Han Xiao was speaking the truth, but he slightly changed the details to highlight Manison's 'disregard for the safety of the universe'.

Kant and the others glanced at him, knowing that this was him trying to discredit the Mechanic Emperor, but no one stopped it as they were happy to see it happen.

"Then the result…"

"Just as you heard, it ended in a tie. Both the Mechanic Emperor and I do not know of the outcome, and he felt that if he continued to fight, he likely would not be able to beat me, so he ran away and did not continue fighting with me."

Kant and the others once again glanced at Han Xiao before nodding along.

Not bad, keep this up. Continue to smear his name. Don't stop.

"No wonder…" The Grand Priest sighed contentedly, like a reporter who had gotten his scoop.

From the start, Black Star was suppressed by the Mechanic Emperor, and the situation was only reversed after he burned his potential. However, the Machinery Faith only recognized the result. Regardless of whether Black Star had burned his potential or not, as long as his Mechanic abilities produced the desired result against his enemy, they would recognize that Black Star and Mechanic Emperor had tied. They placed the two on the same level now and could not wait to advertise it in their sect and share the gossip. At the same time, the Grand Priest felt a little regretful.

While he did not belong to the zealot faction, it hurt to hear that such powerful technology like the Virtual Mutiny Virus had been destroyed by Han Xiao.

However, he admired this feat even more. Black Star clearly had the core of the virus at his fingertips, but he cared for the common people and eliminated any opportunity for any organization to obtain this technology from the roots itself for the sake of the universe. This was an admirable act.

As for the Mechanic Emperor, he wished to study this virus in order to master the weapon. The safety of the ordinary citizens was not within his consideration. While the Grand Priest could understand the Mechanic Emperor's approach, he felt that his bearings were inferior compared to Black Star. Subconsciously, the image of the Mechanic Emperor was no longer so tall and mysterious, and the image of Black Star grew much more.

Rumors could always be distorted, and it was more likely that the information revealed by these bigshots would be more reliable… Many of the priests thought that way.

Han Xiao and his party thus promoted his battle record of achieving a tie and, in the process, discredited the Mechanic Emperor, allowing this group of Machinery Faith members to vigorously publicize it in their internal networks, reducing Manison's believers.

The Machinery Faith only believed in the strong, and they did not have any diehard fans. With a record as evidence, it was not difficult to poach people.

To achieve their goal, Han Xiao and the rest had a conversation with the believers, deepening their impression of them in the Machinery Faith. They then left the planet, dispelling their Lord's Descent and only leaving the construction machinery to build the new settlement for the Machinery Faith.

"The Mechanic Emperor has withdrawn."

The three Universal Civilizations' leaders looked at each other the moment the live broadcast screen ended.

"While there were some twists and turns, the operation was largely successful, and the threat of the virus core has also been resolved. Black Star's intelligence was correct, and he also went to great lengths for the operation to succeed. If it were not for him, we would definitely have suffered a huge loss. This achievement could be said to have turned tide, and he should be rewarded," Urranrell said.

Bader and the Pope nodded in agreement. This was a disaster that threatened the whole universe, so they let go of past grievances for the time being and reward those who had contributed.

"Furthermore, in order to destroy the Mechanic Emperor's plan, Black Star had to burn his potential and fight. We should compensate him," Urranrell said again.

Bader secretly screamed out the word 'shameless', and he retorted, "This isn't too justified. Handing over the virus core to us would also have ruined the Mechanic Emperor's scheme, but Black Star did not do this. Perhaps it is out of his consideration to maintain the order of the universe, but it could also be his distrust in us. We are not of the same mind. So, the reward is justified, but the compensation isn't."

"We can't end it like that." Urranrell shook her head. "Black Star ruined the virus core based on his own considerations. This might be a case of a wise man looking after his own hide, but he indeed cut off the source of the disaster. Through this behavior, we can finally catch a glimpse of his vague position… that he chooses order above everything else. While Black Star might not be one of our direct members, but based on his position, he is consistent with our interests and should be awarded more trust."

Bader frowned without replying.

Seeing this, Urranrell solemnly continued. "In fact, we have not lost this technology even with the destruction. The monopoly of the virus technology was just to prevent leakage. With our own strengths, we can already naturally suppress the explored universe, and without this technology, we're still the overlords, but there will be one less variable that can threaten the entire universe."

She made no attempt to hide the fact that she wished for Black Star to obtain more benefits. Bader looked as though he wanted to speak, but the Pope suddenly spoke. "We need to consider how to deal with the Mechanic Emperor. His current position is extremely dangerous to us, and if Black Star had not revealed the specialty of the virus' core, he would have hidden it in his intelligence.

"Manison's appetite is growing larger. While he did not succeed this time, he has already revealed his ambition. We cannot tolerate him doing whatever he wants, so we have to find ways to weaken him, such as his businesses, status, his believers in the Machinery Faith, and his speaking rights in the development union. We have to choose a candidate to go against him, repeatedly stealing his resources."

"And the person you're suggesting is Black Star, huh?" Bader was a little unwilling.

"That's right. He's the best candidate. While he is not of our direct line, his position is worthy of our trust as he will not do anything to disrupt order. It's better to make Black Star bigger than the Mechanic Emperor, who is unscrupulous. It would be best for Black Star and the Mechanic Emperor to compete, causing a division. If Black Star can lead the Development union, that would be even better. We will not have to worry about those Beyond Grade A people creating any sort of radical collective behavior."

After they exchanged their opinions, a consensus was reached.

For Black Star, not only did they have to reward him, they also had to vigorously promote his deeds throughout the universe. This would build an image for him to compete against the resources of the Mechanic Emperor, as well as to promote the correct values that were conducive to their order.

As for the Mechanic Emperor, they had to suppress him hard, no longer allowing him to be so unrestrained.

Apart from other things, they had to first lock down that old thing's main body. Manison was no Black Star, so his true body was his fatal weakness.

His vision shifted from his Lord's Avatar and returned to his main body.

Han Xiao slowly opened his eyes. He was still within the virtual brainwave amplifier, and the consciousness of the others did not return to their avatars there. He was the only one in this space.

"I finally solved the virus core problem."

Han Xiao opened the interface, and the special requirements that required him to destroy the virus core by hand showed a completed sign.

However, the entire (Intelligent Plague] mission was not over yet. All rewards for this mission would not be handed out until the three Universal Civilizations had eliminated all the first-generation viruses within the Ancient Star Desert.

As for the [Mechanic Emperor Manison – Machinery War] mission, that could be turned in. He and Manison had fought for half a day, allowing him to reach the highest evaluation.

Since Feidin, Nero, and Ames were not around, he could only look for Harrison.

After taking a trip out to meet Harrison and giving him a good rub under the other party's confused and terrified gaze, Han Xiao clicked on the reward settlement with a satisfied look. He glanced past the experience and Character Summon Card rewards, looking directly at the skill extraction interface.

You have received: Draw one of Manison's ability (talent/skill)

Tip: Manison is a Virtual Mechanic, and your Class is completely compatible with his. You will be able to draw any of his abilities. If you draw an ability that you have, you can strengthen your ability to a certain extent.

Randomizing… complete.

Please select one from the five options below as the reward:

Blueprint-Emperor Mechanic's Sacred Trident – Skill: A Universal Treasure Class melee weapon dedicated for the Mechanical Deity's usage. Manison has combined a lot of weapon technology to develop this fine piece of work. The specific parameters are as follows… (Expand/Collapse). Minimum Manufacturing Requirements: Character Level 310, 20,000 INT, [Ultimate Mechanical Engineering Lv.5), [Endless Material Science Lv.5, [Eternal Power Source Lv.4)…

Perfect Mechanical Sense – Talent: x1.4 bonus coefficient to Machinery Affinity. Grade of Mechanic equipment that receive Mechanical Force bonuses are temporarily increased by 1 – 2 tiers (highest quality will not exceed Pink Grade), 4 to all Mechanic Skills.

Blueprint-Punisher – Skill: Manison's self-developed advanced mechanical soldiers, powerful war weapons made possible through Biological Transformation and Biochemical Machinery. A living Super is needed as raw material, and the stronger the Super, the higher the performance will be after transformation. The specific parameters are as follows… (Expand/Collapse).

Note: To transform a Beyond Grade A living Super into a Punisher, the minimum requirements are: Character Level 340, 32,000 INT, and possess [Endless Material Science Lv5), (Mechanical Life Tinder Lv5, [Eternal Power Source Lv5, [Virtual Creator Lv5)…

The Ancient Ones – Talent: A long life gives you a wealth of experience, which is precious spiritual wealth. 20% INT, 10% MYS, 2 to all Skill levels.

100 Million Mechanic Empire-Manison – Talent: 15% INT, 1.2x Machinery Affinity Coefficient, 2 to all Mechanic Class Skills. In addition, 6 to (Machinery Fusion, [Emperor's Gift, [King's Mentor), [Tinder Awakening), [Apostle Life Creation, [Dimension Factory), [Apostle Evolution), (Mechanical Proliferation Growth), (Strengthened Machinery Civilization)… 5,000% for machinery production efficiency and 10% – 40% for the quality of mechanic artifacts produced. Furthermore, 36% in abilities relating to the research and manufacturing of ordinary blueprints, and 12% in abilities relating to the research and manufacturing for Golden blueprints.

When battling against any other machinery, you will obtain a bonus of 10% to all Attributes, -15% to damage received, and 10% to damage dealt to the other party. Your energy and stamina consumption are also reduced by 25%.

Remarks: You're the owner of hundreds of millions of machines. You are the Mechanic Emperor!

Gulp. Han Xiao was a little dazed, swallowing unconsciously. Is the Goddess of Luck finally willing to hold onto my pants…

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Chapter 1120 Snatching Manison's Treasure

The quality of this wave of extraction was just too scary!

Han Xiao was unprepared for this and was stunned for a while before ecstasy surged in his heart.

Because both of their classes were perfectly matched, any skill or expertise could be drawn, so the thousands of blueprints Manison had would lower the possibility of him drawing anything good.

Han Xiao's original goal was to at best extract a Molding Talent, but he did not expect to draw out Manison's treasured baby!

(100 Million Mechanic Empire-Manison), a Unique Talent!

Just look at the effect! Woah, the difference in template level! And it's even top notch among the templates!

This was definitely the reason behind Manison's strength!

The Unique Talents of most characters stemmed from their own experience, which also carried a strong personal touch.

Generally speaking, the talent formed after becoming strong would definitely be more powerful compared to the earlier ones, and the [100 Million Mechanic Empire) was obviously the specialty borne after Manison had been famous for a long time. Its conditions for forming were extremely harsh, and it was the summation of his lifetime of experience.

To put it in layman's terms, this talent was equivalent to the old man's 'inner core'. It contained the essence of his life!

And right now, the old man's lifetime of work was unfortunately extracted by him…

It was as though one had gone down to the river to fish, and immediately caught a protected animal in one go!

The richness of this harvest completely outstripped our Great Mechanic Han's expectation, and he was so excited that he wanted to gorge on his nutrition fluid as a reward.

I f*cking earned big this time!

One's character indeed needs to be accumulated. Harrison has stored so many years of luck with him, and I probably wiped it all clean in one go.

Han Xiao was full of excitement.

Forgetting the (100 Million Mechanic Empire), the overall quality of this extraction was also surprisingly high, with two Molding Talent level abilities and even (Perfect Mechanical Sense).

Fortunately, he had long obtained the [Perfect Mechanical Sense) template by bullying Nero, and even if he chose it again, he would only obtain a minor upgrade to the skill. The price to performance ratio was too limited, otherwise he would have had trouble deciding.

The other options were also quite good. The Emperor Mechanic's Sacred Trident was the weapon that Manison had used in the battle against him, which was a Universal Treasure stronger than the Celestial Punishment Edge. The blueprint (Punisher) was a special living weapon modification technology that was even applicable to the Beyond Grade A levels. Most likely, all the Beyond Grade As 'collected' by Manison were transformed into advanced weaponry in this manner. [The Ancient Ones) was also a high-level talent, which Han Xiao had used before through the Character Summon Card. If he did not draw the (100 Million Mechanic Empire] talent, then this ability would have been good to solidify himself. Since the other abilities paled in comparison in front of Manison's Unique Talent, Han Xiao did not need to hesitate.

Tonight, we are all Manison!

You have received a new talent: 100 Million Mechanic Empire-Manison!

An unexplainable change occurred in his body, different from the pain experienced during the sublimation of life level. Han Xiao only felt as though he was flying, the unknown shackles binding him having been broken off.

His vision rippled, and scenes flashed quickly in front of him.

He saw the fast-forwarded process from a baby's birth to when he became a teenager. Obscure books on machinery theory were being read as children's books, casually flipped through.

He saw the first Mechanical Force of the boy being born, the first book he read, the first machine made, the first blueprint refined, the first enemy killed…

As the stars shifted, countless messy and fuzzy pictures flashed by, and the person in the illusion finally turned into an old man dressed in a silver robe, with his eyes flickering with lightning. Behind him stood a mighty mechanical army, boundless and as numerous as the stars in the galaxy, occupying every inch of Han Xiao's sight.

The illusion ended there, and Han Xiao opened his eyes in revelation. This must be Old Man Manison's life story. It seems as though obtaining the Unique Talent of a person will allow me to see the general outline of said person's life… But hey, that old bugger is still alive, so why does it seem like they're celebrating his life?

The illusion was fuzzy most of the time and lacked detail. It only showcased the more important nodes of Manison's life.

Han Xiao did not receive any intelligence despite viewing the whole thing, at most only having a better outlook over Manison's life. He was a proud son of heaven, talented in many ways, and had always been the outstanding one from a young age.

The stereotypical child-next-door. Han Xiao grimaced.

The only special thing worth noting was that despite Manison being so dazzling since childhood, he seemed to have no interest in material enjoyment, nor did he have any interest in passing down his genes. All he wanted was to stay in his workshop and tinker with machinery.

This is a little similar to me. We're all craftsmen that are focused on our own crafts…

Han Xiao shook his head, putting this illusion to the back of his mind before carefully scrutinizing the effects of (100 Million Mechanic Empire-Manison). While the talent was now his, the suffix of 'Manison' had not disappeared. This would always display the origin of the skill.

One of the most exaggerated bonuses within would be the 5,000% increase in production efficiency. Most likely, the nickname of Mechanic Emperor for Manison was derived because of this, as his speed of creating machinery was frightening.

While this was awe inspiring, fifty times the production efficiency also meant fifty times the speed of money burnt!

Manison had been continuously expanding his organization all the while. Other than ambition, it was because he needed to support his own expenses. With the expenses he incurred in his own class, he spent the money he earned fast.

The biggest difference between me and Manison now is our accumulation. With this bonus, the speed at which I accumulate my foundation will increase sharply. While it will not shorten the gap, it will not allow Manison to open up the gap between us even more… Han Xiao stroked his chin as he thought. It's just that my money will be spent too quickly… Luckily, I'm not short on cash.

The Black Star Army was at a huge scale now, with huge cash flows and terrifying profits daily. Furthermore, there was the cornucopia in the form of the Evolution Totems. His own personal finances were now full enough to have permanently crossed out the term 'lack of money' from his dictionary.

The bonus awarded to his blueprint manufacturing and RD was also large, which could be around the range of dozens of stacks from the (Spirit Instrument] buff. The best would be the twelve percent bonus to Gold Grade blueprints. Manison's specialty was the research and development of various Universal Treasures, and this should be affected by his expertise.

This will make things easier when I study Universal Treasures myself in the future. Han Xiao was overjoyed.

As for the buffs that would take effect when facing off against other machinery, this was the best when having a battle against other Mechanics. This was one of the reasons Manison was so powerful when facing other Mechanics.

The next time he faced off against Manison, he would also obtain the same targeted increase.

The bonus given to me by the (100 Million Mechanic Empire) is equivalent to two [Perfect Mechanical Sense) talents stacked together. The Unique Talents of the best are actually so terrifying…

Han Xiao was satisfied as though he had managed to eat a full meal. The gap between him and the Mechanic Emperor was already greatly reduced now.

What I said earlier still stands. Manison is indeed a good person. Every time I argue and fight with him, I obtain such a huge gift. What sort of attitude is this? Returning grievances with virtue!

If it were not for his fear of angering the other party, he would send a pennant over to Manison, with the words "The Timely Assistance for Galaxy, Hero Manison!" It seems like I need to fight more with Manison. My ability to obtain a fortune depends on him now.

Han Xiao secretly clenched his fists.

Closing the skill interface, he looked at the other mission rewards.

Directly challenging Manison was an extremely difficult mission, and the experience awarded was even greater than the first time, giving him close to a hundred billion. His stock, which was basically used up to exchange for Awakening Points, was now filled up again.

As for the Character Summon Card awarded, it was an ability known as (Vigor Resonance). The effect reduced energy consumption as well as strengthened his attributes. When converted to Mechanical Force, it increased the coverage of Mechanical Force bonuses given. At the same time, as long as his energy value did not reach zero, his energy bonuses would always remain at the maximum. Perhaps due to him using up all his luck, the effect of the Character Summon Card was quite ordinary. With his own HP to Energy exchange, this Character Summon Card was quite useless to him.

However, Han Xiao was not discouraged. With Manison's core talent in his hands, he was already very satisfied.

vasAfter doing some statistics, Han Xiao closed the interface, thinking about the impact of his actions.

I've changed the trend of the plotline, as the virus core was directly eliminated by me. The Intelligent Plague will no longer sweep through the universe like in my previous life, and the losses have been reduced by more than ninety-five percent. The explored universe has survived this disaster without any risk, and more people have been saved in this life. With the work I've done, I should obtain the highest Mission Rating this time. Other than the mission reward, the three Universal Civilizations will also give me a second wave of remuneration. When the news is released, I can once again obtain a third wave of rewards from the feedback given by the galactic society.

It's a pity that this Domino Virus cannot be used to deal with the World Tree. However, since the virus was not used in my previous life, the impact should not be too huge. Actually, if the World Tree managed to crack this technology and turn it against us, that would be bad. The negative impact of this virus on us is far greater than that of the World Tree, so eliminating this variable might not be a bad thing.

The possibility of the Mechanic Emperor retaliating against me is low, since he'll have to deal with the suppression from the three Universal Civilizations. Even if he really wishes to mess with me, I'm now full of abilities and will not be too afraid of him.

Since we've made our contradictions clear, the Mechanic Emperor and I will definitely fight in the development union. The Beyond Grade A Mechanics are not on the side of the Mechanic Emperor, so they are equivalent to my hidden supporters. My speaking rights in the union should increase. Han Xiao calculated the pros and cons silently, discovering that his gains this time were huge, with the only disadvantage being that he had offended Manison.

In the past, it was likely that Manison had obtained the virus core, becoming the greatest beneficiary of the Intelligent Plague.

Now, it was the other way around. In this operation, the Old Man Manison became the only one that lost out.

It seems like I did him a good number this time… Han Xiao scratched his head. Bah, what does it have to do with me? It's not that I'm bad; you're just too sly.

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