Chapter 2618: Seeds of Rebellion! Sprouting in Silence
The establishment of the Carbon Alliance was not done with great fanfare, announced to the world, or stirred up a huge commotion!
Instead, it was completed in silence, without causing any waves. All member races understood that this was not something worth shouting about everywhere!
To form an alliance right under the noses of Bose and Silicon was already like touching a tiger's arse!
If they went around bragging about it, wouldn't that just be asking for trouble?
At this time, no one wanted a head-on collision with Bose and Silicon, so it was better to avoid trouble than to invite it!
Stealthy development without being reckless was the only way to go!
It was not yet time to raise a banner and try to wrestle with the big brothers!
During the preparation period, all races focused their efforts on the upcoming Sequence Offensive and Defensive Battle!
Time always flies!
Yet no matter how much time there was, it was never enough during the preparation period!
The expansion of the Carbon Alliance did not stop there. In the time since the summit ended, the changes brought about by the alliance were significant!
Not to mention the commotion over at the Sea of Star Embers, where various races were enthusiastically helping humans build their base!
If it were just one or two races, it might be understandable, but when a large group of races rolled up their sleeves to help humans work—putting in more effort than building their own bases—that was a bit off!
After all, the Sea of Star Embers had turned into a starry construction site, with every race busy there!
Those who held the position of racial leaders were all sharp-nosed individuals who could sniff out the unusual!
Through multiple probing, the existence of the Carbon-Based Alliance surfaced!
After all, such a large alliance could not remain completely hidden beneath the ice. There were too many eyes in the starry sky watching!
Upon learning of the Carbon Alliance's existence, countless races scrambled to squeeze in!
In this turbulent time, finding a thick thigh to cling to was a wonderful thing, wasn't it?
And with the Sequence Offensive and Defensive Battle looming, who wouldn't want to join the Carbon Alliance?
Races recommended or actively applying to join the Carbon Alliance came in an endless stream!
Yang Jian did not accept everyone who came. Every race had to undergo evaluation. Only those whose racial history showed no major rot, whose foundation was sound, and who were deemed worthy of cooperation could join the Carbon Alliance!
Even though the bar was set high, the number of member races still surged during the preparation period!
Three hundred, five hundred, more and more!
The larger the Carbon Alliance's size, the more unshakable it became!
After joining the Carbon Alliance, one naturally had to abide by the alliance's treaties to enjoy various benefits!
Those who were unruly and reckless would be directly expelled from the Carbon Alliance and would never be allowed to apply again!
And this short 180-day preparation period was also the growth phase for the Carbon Alliance to absorb nutrients and expand wildly!
Everything was proceeding silently!
In the face of oppressive force, huddling together for warmth was only natural...
But little did they know, the seeds of rebellion had already sprouted in silence!
After the Bose-Silicon war, the starry sky became unusually quiet. All races restrained themselves, and the Carbon Alliance grew silently!
However, unusual movements in the starry sky could not escape the eyes of Bose and Silicon!
If they couldn't even find out about this, they wouldn't deserve to be the top dogs!
The war-torn Bose Star Domain was gradually recovering its strength. By the time the Sequence Offensive and Defensive Battle began, it would likely be rebuilt as if no war had ever happened!
The heritage of the starry sky overlord was terrifying. Even if the Bose Star Domain were completely destroyed, they could still rebuild it!
Tens of billions of years of accumulation were no joke!
Inside the Eternal Temple, Qan Li and the other Star Devourers listened to their subordinates' reports, their expressions dark.
Qan Li sneered: "Carbon Alliance, huh? Jiang Nan is a speculator. Taking advantage of the war between my race and Silicon, he exploited the exposed trump cards and widespread anxiety to form cliques, right? Hmph~"
"The weak can only seek psychological comfort by huddling together, but it still changes nothing!"
"Little do they know, in times like these, picking the wrong side can get you killed!"
Tian Lü rubbed his brow in frustration: "What stance should we take? The Carbon Alliance's scale isn't small. Several of the top ten sequences have gotten involved!"
"If we leave it unchecked, it could become troublesome!"
Yu Gen smiled bitterly: "If this alliance had been formed by someone else, it would be easy to dismantle—even if it were the Dark Cosmos Entity leading it, we could take it down!"
"But the problem is... this Carbon Alliance was created by Jiang Nan. Tsk, the Dimensional Gap is tricky to handle. Behind him is Black God. If we make a move, we won't gain much advantage. We might just end up with a mess and still fail to crush the Carbon Alliance, while getting ourselves dirty!"
This was the most troublesome part. Any attack on the Carbon Alliance would inevitably trigger a mad retaliation from that mad dog Jiang Nan!
He was capable of anything, and the initiative in the dimensional war was still in human hands!
Qan Li said indifferently: "We just finished a fight with Silicon. The starry sky situation is already fragile. During the preparation period, it's not advisable to move against the Carbon Alliance. Moreover, Silicon is still watching from the side!"
"If the starry sky situation collapses, it will inevitably lead to an all-out star war. For now, the focus is on the Cosmos Seed and Xun Zu!"
Di Chou urged anxiously: "Lord Qan Li, we can't give Jiang Nan, that little rabbit bastard, any time! We've already suffered losses before!"
"We need to think of a way to mess with him! Otherwise..."
Qan Li's eyes darkened: "Did I say we won't touch the Carbon Alliance? Also! You forgot the most important point—Xun Zu's existence has been exposed!"
"Our race's strategy is no longer the same as before when we were hiding things. With the trump card revealed, there are new ways to play!"
"No matter how big the Carbon Alliance's scale is, without top-tier combat power capable of contending with Xun Zu in the starry sky, they're just a bunch of chickens and dogs. A single squeeze and they'll crumble!"
"But for the Carbon Alliance, we don't need to use Xun Zu as a trump card yet. Don't forget, the Sequence Offensive and Defensive Battle hasn't been fought yet!"
Tian Lü's eyes lit up: "You mean..."
Qan Li sneered: "They joined the Carbon Alliance just to seek safety and a backer! But what if that backer can't be relied upon? What if joining the alliance doesn't bring protection but instead brings bloodshed and disaster?"
"In the Sequence Offensive and Defensive Battle, we crush the Carbon Alliance. Let them all see clearly that their so-called backer is so fragile. Who would still want to join the Carbon Alliance? They'll just distance themselves to avoid calamity!"
"No cooperation in this world is unbreakable. When that happens, this ridiculous alliance will collapse on its own!"
"As weaklings, just stay kneeling where you are and obey! No matter how many weaklings gather, they are still weaklings. There is no change in essence!"
Yu Gen said excitedly: "Exactly! And in the Sequence Offensive and Defensive Battle, no matter how fierce the fighting gets, it's all within the rules. It won't put pressure on the fragile starry sky situation!"
"This is undoubtedly a great opportunity to resolve the Carbon Alliance. All races will face reality and stop hoping for anything more!"
Di Chou hesitated: "But... can we win? Jiang Nan's combat power now is a bit..."
At this mention, many Star Devourers frowned!
That guy's title as the strongest below Star Devourer was not just hype—he was really that fierce!
Putting him in the Sea of Star Embers was like having a living bug!
Qan Li narrowed his eyes: "Do you have some misunderstanding about our race's strength?"
"The Sequence Offensive and Defensive Battle is not a cosmos war. Troops can be replenished indefinitely. It is a contest of overall racial expedition capability. Individual combat power, though important, is far from decisive!"
"Unless Jiang Nan has Star Devourer-level strength for dimensional reduction strikes! But if he did, he would be disqualified!"
"How long has humanity been in the starry sky? How long has my Bose race sat on the throne? Do you think our expedition capability can't compare to Jiang Nan's?"
Di Chou broke out in a cold sweat: "N-no... I was just saying... Ahaha, haha..."
Liu Ren interjected: "What about the Cosmos Seed? And Xun Zu's side..."
At this, Qan Li looked utterly annoyed!
"We've tried once. Whether the thing is in Silicon's hands or not, getting it back is extremely troublesome..."
"But still, we have to find it! Even if we have to search the entire starry sky! Xun Zu can't wait any longer..."
"However, we can't rely entirely on the Cosmos Seed. Xun Zu only needs Realm Force. Since we can't get the Cosmos Seed for now, we'll have to collect it elsewhere!"
"We're just a little short. We can't miss any opportunity!"
The Star Devourers were taken aback!
Yu Gen's eyes widened: "You mean the Sequence Offensive and Defensive Battle?"
The Chuangjie Daxu had been absorbing the Realm Force contained within the elites who died there over hundreds of sessions and millions of years to condense a Cosmos Seed!
Now that the Cosmos Seed was lost, they had to find Realm Force elsewhere!
The Sequence Offensive and Defensive Battle was the opportunity. In terms of war scale and casualties, it far exceeded the Cosmos Grand Hunt!
Although the quality wasn't comparable, it was better than nothing!
The Realm Force within those who died in battle would return to the starry sky. How much Xun Zu could collect depended on himself!
It was uncertain if it would be enough, but it was better than having empty hands. Every bit counted!
Xun Zu was forced into a corner!
Qan Li licked his lips, his eyes filled with menace: "This Sequence Offensive and Defensive Battle will be the most brutal since the Sequence Wars began!"
"And it must be!"
Tian Lü sighed. If the Cosmos Seed hadn't been lost, the Bose race might have already achieved their dream!
"What about the defectors Innocent and Zhong Xu? The Lvzhe Troops have been searching but found no clues..."
Qan Li narrowed his eyes: "Demote them to Exiles and keep searching! Their suspicion hasn't been cleared!"
"The fact that they ran away makes them even more suspicious. We want them alive!"