This is really not mechanical ascension
Chapter 696 - 363: Intrigues and Different Calculations

Chapter 696: Chapter 363: Intrigues and Different Calculations

"Why did the Holy Revolution Army suddenly step forward to admit responsibility?"

In the room, Robbin looked astonished, holding his smart terminal to show Li Ming.

All major interstellar media outlets were scrambling to report on this matter.

Li Ming’s gaze flickered but showed little surprise.

The Holy Revolution Army and the Star Abyss Empire had been bitter enemies for a long time. They were now a massive underground organization spanning the stars, spreading the seeds of the Holy Revolution everywhere.

The organization advocated for equality among interstellar species and worked tirelessly to eradicate oppression. Some customs and civilization habits of certain interstellar cultures, which Li Ming had occasionally heard of, seemed utterly absurd.

Slavery was considered a minor issue compared to the rampant cannibalism within certain species. Though the goal appeared lofty and vague, at least so far, the organization had consistently pursued it.

Its origins lay within the Star Abyss Empire. According to certain confidential sources, the Holy Revolution Army’s prototype was actually a resistance group funded by the Upper and Lower Houses, aimed at wresting voice and power from the Empire’s Royal Family.

At one time, they caused significant revolutionary upheaval within the Empire, with slogans calling for the overthrow of the Royal Family.

Later, as the Upper and Lower Houses gained more power and formed a tripartite power dynamic, they ceased funding; otherwise, they feared they might end up being revolutionized themselves.

This led to a united suppression effort, extinguishing the flames of the Holy Revolution Army. Yet during its initial development, it had already gained considerable momentum across the interstellar community.

It persisted like weeds regrowing after a spring breeze, shifting its primary activities from within the Empire outward, spreading across the stars. At one point, it was even classified by the Interstellar Alliance as a terrorist organization, universally condemned.

However, due to some unknown incidents, the Holy Revolution Army has now been removed from the Interstellar Alliance’s terrorist list.

Li Ming had previously learned the general situation from Connet.

In most civilizations, resistance activities continued unabated. Once reaching a certain scale and refraining from harming innocent lives in the process, the Holy Revolution Army would proactively initiate contact and subsequently offer funding.

Among unofficial organizations, if judged by who successfully stirred the strongest armed forces, the Holy Revolution Army would undoubtedly take first place.

Nonetheless, their forces were exceedingly fragmented, serving as a spiritual emblem rather than a cohesive entity, and suppressed within every civilization—reduced to a statistical strength rather than tangible power.

More critically, they were a long-standing nemesis of the Empire. They resurfaced periodically to stir trouble, leading the Star Abyss Empire to eventually grow numb to their antics.

If Empire members saw intelligence reports about an attack on a base within the Central World, they might be startled and tense.

But upon learning the attackers were the Holy Revolution Army, they might relax with a dismissive "Oh, it’s them again—just give them a beating, that’ll settle them."

It neither fostered too strong a centripetal force within the Empire nor failed to provide a scapegoat, making it almost a perfect setup.

The sole point that astonished Li Ming was how pervasive the Pioneer’s power truly was.

Even if they made the Holy Revolution Army take the blame, the Empire wouldn’t remain indifferent. They would surely launch a relentless pursuit against the Holy Revolution Army for some time.

The losses incurred couldn’t possibly be minor. At least one or two S-Class Life Forms might have to be eliminated before they’d let it go.

"I wonder how they managed to convince the Holy Revolution Army..." Li Ming pondered, his thoughts shifting to the matter he’d promised the Pioneer, speculating on unknown motives.

Robbin gazed at him, growing increasingly convinced of Boss Qinglong’s unfathomable capabilities, able to compel the Holy Revolution Army—a fanatical organization—to take the fall for him.

In his many years of wandering, Robbin hadn’t been without encounters with the organization. He could only describe them as lunatics—fearless, reckless lunatics.

Li Ming continued watching the news. Recent days had seen intense debates over the attackers, with various hypotheses emerging endlessly and suspicion targets numbering in the hundreds.

The Holy Revolution Army had always been among the leading suspects.

Azure Dragon was also prominently listed as a high-probability suspect. According to some unnamed insider sources, Azure Dragon bore substantial suspicion.

But as soon as the Holy Revolution Army admitted responsibility, doubts vanished entirely—everyone considered it utterly reasonable and began rushing to report.

Many interstellar civilizations experienced palpable relief. The Holy Revolution Army had remained dormant for quite a while, leaving many civilizations suspicious that they were plotting something major.

Now, the major event had finally arrived, and as long as it wasn’t directed at them, it was undoubtedly the best possible outcome.

...

"It’s absolutely impossible that the Holy Revolution Army did this." Diaz declared firmly during the meeting, his expression grim.

Jaint, lounging in his chair, remarked indifferently, "To be so confident—are you secretly in touch with the Holy Revolution Army? Did they personally tell you?"

Diaz’s face darkened but didn’t respond to Jaint, instead turning to Prince Costat and saying gravely, "If it was the Holy Revolution Army, our intelligence system would need a complete overhaul—from top to bottom—given the total lack of warnings."

Jaint smirked coldly but refrained from further retort. He knew the probability of it being the Holy Revolution Army was low at best, though he couldn’t entirely discount their involvement.

Even if numerous clues pointed directly to Azure Dragon, what if it really was done by the Holy Revolution Army?

Prince Costat ignored Diaz and shifted his focus, asking, "How’s the interrogation of that person named Luo’er coming along?"

A nearby officer by Jaint’s side immediately responded, "We’ve already scanned his memories. It can be confirmed that he was subjected to mind control—he has no knowledge of his actions whatsoever."

"We found the controller in the surveillance footage, but he seemed to appear abruptly from a blind spot. His physical characteristics don’t match anyone in our database."