The Zerg, the Demon Race, the Mechanical Race...—...and five other major factions, though temporarily allied! This was, however, a very loose coalition; in essence, they remained six separate powers.
The Freedom Alliance, however, was different. This newly formed super-alliance was remarkably stable, designed from its inception to exist permanently. It was analogous to the ‘Northern Territory Alliance,’ only vastly larger! Because it was intended to be eternal, its unity was naturally far greater.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~~” Golden tides rolled and surged across the starry expanse, having long swept the surroundings. Some stars and planets were like mere grains of sand within it, yet they sustained not a fraction of the damage.
Upon an island amidst this boundless golden deluge.
On the island, colossal thrones were arranged in a circle. Upon each throne either coiled a strange beast or stood a mighty expert. They belonged to diverse life forms—flesh-and-blood types, energy types, metal types, rock types, plant types, and so on—each radiating an overwhelming aura.
“Esteemed colleagues,” a towering purple figure sat upon a throne of pure, deep violet. As his voice echoed through every inch of the surrounding space-time, he declared, “As of this day, the Freedom Alliance officially stands supreme in this original universe!”
“Freedom Alliance! For survival! For freedom!”
“Every single race present here are independent factions. The strongest among you possesses only six Universe Masters. The vast majority have merely one Universe Master each. Individually, facing either of those two major factions renders us weak! Joining the allied camp forces us into the fray with the risk of perishing, yet even if true benefits arise post-war, we fear we would receive little share. And aligning with the Human Faction means facing retaliation from the allied camp after the conflict.”
“We, too, are races.”
“We, too, are part of this original universe.”
“We lack even the fundamental freedom to remain neutral, to simply exist in peace!”
“Who is willing to accept that?”
Shi Hua Island Master surveyed the gathering, and indeed, every Universe Master present nodded slightly. They had all found themselves in this agonizing dilemma recently.
“Although I am the strongest in the universe, a single supreme expert cannot shift the tide of this war between the two major factions. I, too, am unwilling to accept this fate,” Shi Hua Island Master continued. “What is the purpose of striving and battling through life and death in this vast cosmos? It is to obtain what we desire, to protect what is most important in our hearts!”
“For pursuit! For protection! But all of this first requires... freedom—the most basic freedom! If we don't even have the liberty to make our own choices, what is the point of talking about protection? What of pursuit?”
“Therefore... the Freedom Alliance was born!”
Shi Hua Island Master’s eyes shone with fervor and inspiration. “With the establishment of the Freedom Alliance, those Universe Masters who could not attend have arrived in avatar form. Our Freedom Alliance comprises 298 powerful factions, and the count of Universe Masters has reached a staggering 433! Once we unite, neither the allied camp nor the Human Faction can possibly contend with us!”
“The Human Race possesses Will Impact treasures, and the major factions have Palace-type Ultimate Treasures. But so what?”
“Once a Will Impact treasure is revealed, its inherent flaws become known.”
“As for Palace Ultimate Treasures? It only takes the combined effort of ten or twenty Universe Masters to easily resist the absorption of the Black Prison Tower, the Empress Palace, or the Star Tower.”
“Even in the future...”
“Even if the Human Race becomes powerful in the future, so what? The Human Faction currently has fewer than 20 Universe Masters. Even if they reach a hundred later, even if the Ancient Civilization proves miraculously potent and the Humans amass 300 Universe Masters... what then? Our Freedom Alliance has over 400 Universe Masters, and this number will only increase over time. Regardless of how strong the Human Race becomes in the future, we will possess the power to protect ourselves!”
“As long as we unite, as long as we are cohesive.”
“Then... it is destined that no one can touch us. Not now, and not in the future!”
“Thus, the war between the allied camp and the Human Faction is not a crisis, but rather an opportunity for the Freedom Alliance—a powerful opportunity,” Shi Hua Island Master’s voice resonated in the ears of every Universe Master, stirring the latent desires within them.
They too harbored desires.
They too held deep cravings!
It was just that their weakness previously prevented them from demanding much. But now, they merely needed to look around, at the dense array of thrones stretching as far as the eye could see, at the imposing figures resembling numerous Universe Masters, to feel absolute confidence! What an overwhelming power this was? Such formidable strength ought to command more!
As time wore on.
Universe Masters from independent factions who had pledged allegiance to the Human Race continued to defect.
The allied camp saw the same attrition.
Half a month passed...
Finally, no more Universe Masters defected. At this point, the number of powerful factions in the Freedom Alliance had risen to 298, and the count of Universe Masters reached a startling figure. This surge of power shocked both the allied camp and the Human Faction, generating immense pressure.
In the Demon Race territory, on Bloodfang Star.
The intents of the six supreme experts, along with the avatars of the Star River Master, the Black Lotus Master, and the Jing Lan Star Master, were all gathered here.
“Even counting the Universe Masters who defected to us—our six major factions combined... during this period, many independent faction Universe Masters left. This has dropped the number of Universe Masters in our allied camp to under 400! Even factoring in a few supreme experts, we barely stand equal to the Freedom Alliance.”
“Moreover, the loyalty of our vassal races is uncertain. Even in war, a portion must remain within their small universes, to guard against those Universe Masters betraying us at a critical moment.”
“Therefore, the combat strength we can actually deploy is actually inferior to that of the Freedom Alliance.”
“What shall we do?”
“Agree to their terms?”
The highest echelons of the allied camp exchanged glances. The Freedom Alliance had indeed presented terms.
The conditions were simple...
If Ancient Civilization inheritance is obtained from the Human Faction in the future, it will naturally be shared—this is indisputable.
Grant the Freedom Alliance ‘Two Ultimate Treasures,’ and the Freedom Alliance will immediately join the allied camp.
“Two Ultimate Treasures—the Freedom Alliance truly dares to ask for this. This war against the Human Faction is not solely for our benefit; they stand to gain benefits afterward as well. Yet, they demand two Ultimate Treasures from us!”
“Is there any doubt? Under the same conditions, the Freedom Alliance would much prefer to join the Human Faction, because if they join the Humans, the Human Faction is guaranteed to win! Furthermore, the Human Faction can offer them the Ancient Civilization inheritance... So, naturally, they prefer the Human Faction. Presenting such an outrageous condition to us is merely a deliberate tactic!”
“Indeed. They must have also presented terms to the Humans and are awaiting their reply.”
“Ultimate Treasures... neither the Northern Territory Alliance, the Prison Race, nor the Crystal Race possesses an Ultimate Treasure. Only my Demon Race, along with the Zerg and Mechanical Races, have them—three in total! Giving them two? What a joke.”
“Don’t rush.”
“The Humans will give them an answer. If the Humans refuse, then negotiations with the Freedom Alliance will become much easier, and these terms... can be lowered!”
The allied camp felt a degree of helplessness; the Human Faction was in an equally difficult position.
“I need to convene our internal Human Race leadership for serious deliberation. Once a conclusion is reached, we will certainly reply,” City Lord of Chaos murmured.
“Then the Freedom Alliance will await City Lord of Chaos’s reply.”
A phantom image resembling flowing water then transformed into a streak of light and soared away from the primal secret realm.
Moments later—
The Universe Masters of the Human Race itself gathered in the main hall.
“The envoy from the Freedom Alliance has already visited,” the City Lord of Chaos stated directly. “The conditions are as high as we anticipated: detailed inheritance experience regarding the Ancient Civilization, from the level of Universe Master up to the limit of being a Universe Supreme Master. They demand a portion of this must be given first before they join, and the remainder after the war concludes.”
“This is the first scenario.”
“The second scenario requires us to give them at least the Ancient Civilization inheritance experience spanning from Universe Master to Universe Supreme Master! Only then will they remain neutral. Otherwise, they will join the allied camp.”
As the City Lord of Chaos finished speaking, angry curses erupted in the great hall.
“These independent races truly have the nerve to demand this.”
“They really have the audacity.”
“How could they lack audacity? With so many Universe Masters, they naturally have confidence.”
“Even to remain neutral, they still demand the Ancient Civilization cultivation experience from Universe Master to Universe Supreme Master.” For a time, the Human Universe Masters were filled with righteous fury.
But what use was their anger?
The initiative lay with the Freedom Alliance!
“I will postpone making a decision on this matter for now; there is no need to reply immediately,” the City Lord of Chaos stated. “Let’s see if the situation develops a turning point!”
The Human Race was certainly unwilling to easily transmit their experience. After all, even the ‘most concise’ Ancient Civilization experience... a portion would need to be shown to the Freedom Alliance Universe Masters, making them feel they had gained significant insight before they would agree to help. Allowing the other side to gain significant benefit... was tantamount to assisting them. The Freedom Alliance was already powerful; once they obtained even a fraction of the experience, they would likely become even stronger!
“No rush.”
“This is the most critical juncture; I must now reveal the final secret of our Human Faction to all of you,” the City Lord of Chaos looked at every Universe Master present.
“The final secret?”
Instantly, a profound silence fell.
Luo Feng and the others were all stunned.
“Chaos, what other secrets does our Human Faction possess?”
“Senior Brother!”
“Chaos!”
Everyone felt lost, as those present already constituted the highest echelons of the Human Faction.
The City Lord of Chaos looked at Luo Feng, the Darkness Master, the Desolate Mirror Master, and all the others, speaking slowly: “When the First Ancestor roamed the universe sea, he was absolutely invincible. Later, the First Ancestor chose a perilous path. Knowing this path was extremely dangerous, he waited until Giant Axe broke through to become a Universe Supreme Master, and then left behind the Human Faction’s ultimate defensive means, only then embarking on that journey... In the end, the First Ancestor was permanently suppressed by the will of the original universe.”
Luo Feng’s eyes lit up.
“I have always been stationed in the primal secret realm; this is the final defense line of our Human territory. Luo Feng, Darkness, Peng Gong, you engage the external races in battle, while I maintain watch. If I possessed no means to hold this position, on what basis could I stand guard?” The City Lord of Chaos declared. “At this crucial moment, it is time for you all to know this most vital secret.”
“Follow me,” the City Lord of Chaos turned around.
Luo Feng and the others exchanged glances, unable to suppress a spark of joy, and followed the City Lord of Chaos.