Deposed Crown Prince: After three years of service on the frontier, the entire court knelt and begge

The light and shadow in the middle are golden, the brightest and the most serene.

There were no seats around the hall, only an energy barrier around it, as if to isolate it from external interference.

Xiao Ce and Xiao Dingshan stood outside the barrier, only able to see the three figures of light and shadow on the platform, their outlines barely discernible.

Xiao Ce wondered if these were the three people in the council.

The air inside the council chamber seemed to solidify, and the blue energy light strips cast a cold light on the exposed rock walls, stretching the shadows of Xiao Ce and Xiao Dingshan long and narrow, pressed against the metallic-looking ground.

On the central circular platform, three clusters of light and shadow floated in mid-air. The blue cluster flickered slightly, as if adjusting its energy fluctuations. The red cluster occasionally flashed with a sharp red light at its edge, while the golden cluster remained steady, like an unchanging star, exuding an unquestionable majesty.

However, Xiao Ce had witnessed many strange things here, so even the strangest things no longer seemed strange to him...

Just then, the golden figure spoke first, its voice processed to carry an ancient and profound quality, as if it came from the depths of time: "Xiao Ce, former crown prince of Xiao Kingdom, and current de facto ruler of the Western Alliance. There's no need to be reserved. The fact that you're standing here proves your ability! Whether it's closing the Star Network Hub on Lost Island or integrating the chaotic forces in the West, you've far exceeded our expectations. You are definitely an ally of our Creation Base!"

When this golden figure spoke, it even had a bit of a dubbed accent.

However, Xiao Ce was still quite satisfied with them because they were direct and didn't beat around the bush.

Just then, the golden light paused, its radiance slightly diminished, as if observing Xiao Ce's reaction.

Xiao Ce nodded slightly, his tone calm: "You flatter me. Initially, I wasn't helping you. I was helping myself more..."

The Star Network Hub was shut down to prevent the arrival of extraterrestrial civilizations. I only learned this from my uncle...

As for integrating the West, it's also for my own benefit. It's simply to prevent them from engaging in pointless waste... It's not as noble as you all make it out to be..."

“A very good answer.” The blue figure suddenly interjected, its voice crisp yet carrying a hint of mechanical coldness. It was Evelyn Xiao Dingshan from the Star Core Research Institute, the android obsessed with energy technology who had been mentioned earlier.

“I am Evelyn, in charge of the base’s scientific research and alien threat analysis. First of all, on behalf of the Creation Council, I would like to formally thank you for shutting down the Starlink Hub. You may not know that the danger of that device far exceeds your imagination.”

Evelyn's blue light drifted closer, causing subtle ripples to appear on the energy barrier, as if data were flowing within it. "The Starlink Nexus is not a human creation, but a positioning device excavated by the 'Adventists' from an alien ruin. Its core is the same as the 'Starlink Type 1 Energy Cannon' you saw before, both powered by 'stellar core fragments.' These are 'beacons' used by alien civilizations to mark habitable planets when traversing the universe."

Evelyn was even more direct and didn't hide anything.

Xiao Ce's pupils contracted slightly as he recalled the Tianyin Star Chart on the base of the energy cannon and the secret of "guiding the heavens" that Xiao Dingshan had mentioned.

Furthermore, neither Xiao Ce nor Xiao Dingshan ever mentioned the energy cannon...

Just now, Xiao Dingshan was telling Xiao Ce that they should keep it a secret, but now it seems they were being a bit presumptuous.

Xiao Dingshan looked at Xiao Ce with even greater surprise, as if to say that he hadn't said anything.

At this moment, Evelyn seemed to have seen through what the two of them were thinking.

"Mr. Xiao Dingshan, don't be surprised. When you came back and uploaded the data, we knew all the data about your line of work and your experiences... We will know that too..."

Evelyn, on the other hand, spoke very frankly and clearly.

This time, Xiao Dingshan looked ashen-faced; he clearly had no idea.

However, Xiao Ce didn't think much of it...

On the contrary, at least so far, Xiao Ce's communication with them has been satisfactory.

"Uncle, it's nothing."

At this moment, the golden light addressed Xiao Dingshan, saying, "Mr. Xiao Dingshan, you needn't be like this. We are allies, we are partners. If we had any selfish motives, we wouldn't be saying these things..."

Xiao Ce thought what they said made sense, so he gave Xiao Dingshan a smile: "That's right... Uncle, and besides, we have nothing to hide..."

Xiao Dingshan looked at the three orbs of light with obvious displeasure: "Why didn't you inform us beforehand?"

The three orbs of light said to Xiao Dingshan, "But you didn't ask..."

Xiao Dingshan was speechless for a moment...

Xiao Ce interrupted them directly at this moment...

"You mean, once the Star Network Hub is fully activated, it will allow extraterrestrial civilizations to pinpoint Earth precisely? Wasn't the Star Network Hub always activated before? And weren't your people always there? Didn't you control Lost Island all along, preventing people from getting close...?"

Xiao Ce was referring to Director Mi and the others...

“That’s right, the Star Network Hub has always been active. You saw Director Mi and his people; they’re controlling it so no one can detect them. Not only that, we also gave them a program that weakens the outward transmission of signals…” Evelyn’s light and shadow flickered more frequently.

"According to our research, the Star Network Hub sends continuous signals into a specific frequency band in the universe every month, and this frequency happens to be the same as the frequency of the 'alien fleet' signal that we intercepted. The Adventists thought that activating it would attract a savior, but they didn't know that they were inviting wolves into the house! Those alien civilizations are not here to help humanity at all, but to plunder Earth's resources, and even... enslave humanity."

"Director Mi has been acting as a medium for us on Lost Island all along. We've been trying to shut it down, but we've tried so hard and haven't been able to... We can only try to reduce the transmission power of his signal, and while it's effective, it's not very significant... It wasn't until you appeared that we realized it was possible... and it really was you who shut it down!"

"After you shut down Lost Island, our tracking revealed that those models used for external positioning also disappeared, like a kite with a broken string..."

Xiao Dingshan, listening from the side, was horrified: "So, Xiao Ce shutting it down was equivalent to preventing a catastrophic disaster?"

Xiao Ce remained silent for a moment. He had only known that the Star Network Hub was dangerous, and he had also heard about the possible occurrence of the alien fleet.

What was once speculation has now been confirmed by these people! "So, can extraterrestrial civilizations still locate Earth now?"

“Not for now.” The golden light spoke again. “When you shut down the Star Network Hub, you damaged its core circuitry, which is equivalent to completely cutting off the signal source. But we cannot let our guard down. Those alien civilizations possess travel technology far superior to ours. They may find Earth through other means; it’s only a matter of time. According to our calculations, they could arrive in as little as five years, and at the latest… no more than ten years.”

This moment made Xiao Ce's heart sink.

Five years may seem like a long time, but how difficult is it to integrate a fragmented human force and build a defense system capable of confronting an alien fleet? Or rather, it's nothing short of a pipe dream!

Just then, the red figure suddenly lunged forward, and a sharp aura emanated from through the energy barrier; it was Raymond from the Iron Guard Security Department.

His voice was cold and hard, metallic, without the slightest hesitation: "I am Raymond, in charge of the base's defense and strategic execution. Now, let's talk about the second question! Why did we come to you?"

Raymond's red shadow drew a sharp arc in the air, as if emphasizing his point of view: "You understand the current situation better than we do. The Western Alliance seems to be under your control, but there are still remnants of the Illuminati within it, and this Illuminati is actually the force of the Adventists. That person who looks just like you, although in our hands, we have no way to get him to talk."

The power behind him is always something to be wary of...

Although East Asia is under your control, its technology and everything else are far too backward. In this situation, if an alien civilization were to arrive, humanity would be defeated piecemeal, utterly powerless. Like a mayfly trying to shake a tree…

Xiao Ce frowned: "You mean, we need to unify the world? And you want me to deal with those Adventists?"

“That’s right.” Raymond’s voice was resolute! “Only by integrating the power of all humanity and concentrating all resources, technology and military strength can we establish an effective defensive line. Let’s repel those Adventists first! As for our base, although we have advanced technology, we have a fatal limitation: we cannot directly interfere in the political landscape outside.”

"Why?" Xiao Ce pressed, this was a question that had been lingering in his mind. The base possessed submarines, various advanced weapons, and an army of androids; integrating with the outside world wouldn't be difficult. Why specifically seek him out?