Chapter 655 - 648: The Plan
At Zhou Yuanjue’s words, everyone present was once again shaken.
Right now, the Starry Sky Country was the symbol of the Celestial Demon headquarters. To set foot on its soil was essentially the same as conquering their main base!
In truth, despite their recent monumental victory, most people in the room were still in a defensive mindset.
"Isn’t this a bit too hasty? According to our intelligence, there are about seven fully recovered Primordial Ancestors. Although three of them have been sealed, the Celestial Demon side still has four fully-formed Primordial Ancestors active. And now, these Primordial Ancestors have all holed up in the Starry Sky Country. The Celestial Demon Power from all over the world is also contracting. When this power converges, I fear it will be unprecedentedly strong."
"I believe our most urgent task is to reclaim our lost territories as quickly as possible. With you as our Guardian, humanity’s forces can recover quickly. This is the most stable plan for now. Humanity’s various factions are exhausted. To launch a rash offensive now is probably unrealistic."
From the screen, Gleb’s deep, resonant voice spoke up, offering a different opinion.
Both on the screen and in the room, many people couldn’t help but nod at his words, largely agreeing with Gleb’s statement.
Humanity had been at war for years, relying solely on willpower to hold on. All sides were severely overdrawn and desperately needed time to rest and recuperate, an opportunity they never had before.
Now, with Zhou Yuanjue’s return, he had sealed three Celestial Demon Ancestors in one fell swoop. The Celestial Demons were shaken and fearful, pulling back their forces and ceasing their attacks. Large swaths of occupied territory had been left empty. This was the perfect time to rest and recover. Humanity truly couldn’t endure another major war.
What’s more, although the Celestial Demon forces had suffered a setback, they were not completely powerless. In fact, compared to humanity, they still held a certain advantage.
Although Zhou Yuanjue had sealed three Primordial Ancestors in a single day and displayed overwhelming superiority, this was all achieved in one-on-one situations where the Celestial Demon Ancestors were caught off guard. Now, four fully-formed Celestial Demon Ancestors were holed up in the Starry Sky Country, gathered in one place and on their guard. Taking on four at once was, after all, not a wise move.
At this moment, Zhou Yuanjue was the core of everything, the sole pillar on which humanity could rely. If something were to go wrong again, as it had three years prior, all of human civilization could instantly plunge into an abyss of eternal damnation.
"Yuan Jue, I know you’ve just returned after three years and are anxious about the world’s current situation, but the more critical the moment, the steadier we must be. We are gradually gaining the upper hand, and humanity is also developing rapidly. The Celestial Demons, on the other hand, are at a standstill. Defeating them is just a matter of time. Why risk everything by rushing in now?"
Even the Chief Commissioner couldn’t help but speak up. Recalling the events of three years ago, he truly didn’t want to take such a huge risk now that the situation was looking so promising.
Humanity could not afford another disaster.
Following the statements from the Chief Commissioner and Gleb, some other Martial Artists also voiced their agreement.
"Everyone, I understand how you feel. But you should have all seen the relevant data and know why the Celestial Demons suddenly paid such a huge price to attack me—to attack the entire human world."
"If I may be blunt, in my eyes, the Celestial Demon Ancestors can no longer be considered our true enemies or threat."
"The true threat facing human civilization should be the existence that even the Celestial Demon Ancestors fear."
"If I’m not mistaken, those beings come from the depths of the True Realm. Their level of life is, without a doubt, far beyond that of the Celestial Demon Ancestors. That is the true crisis we face."
"If we don’t resolve the Celestial Demon problem quickly, get the necessary intelligence and information from the Primordial Ancestors, and allow all of humanity to enter a state of stable development to build up our strength, who knows what kind of situation we will face when the crisis arrives."
"Our time is also extremely tight. After all, the Celestial Demons can simply burn this planet and leave. We, on the other hand, cannot abandon our home world. We can only make a last stand and fight to the death against those true High level Life forms!"
Zhou Yuanjue said in a solemn voice.
At Zhou Yuanjue’s words, everyone fell silent.
In the three years of war with the Celestial Demons, they had all but forgotten this other crisis.
Now that Zhou Yuanjue brought it up, they remembered.
If the True Realm truly possessed the incredible abilities Zhou Yuanjue described, then the arrival of a disaster would be completely unpredictable.
"Besides, everyone, don’t think of the Celestial Demons as too strong, and don’t think of me as too weak."
"I’ve said it before: the Celestial Demon Ancestors are no longer a concern of mine. This is not an empty boast."
"Next, I will deal with the remaining four active Celestial Demon Ancestors all at once."
"I imagine it won’t be long before twelve crystal sculptures are placed in a human museum, becoming a part of our civilization’s history," Zhou Yuanjue said with a smile.
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「Meanwhile, in the Starry Sky Country.」
At this moment, the Starry Sky Country had seemingly transformed into a demonic land.
The entire world seemed to be shrouded in a kind of gray mist. What was once the most developed and civilized nation on Earth now resembled a Nightmare City. Figures moved about like the walking dead, mechanically maintaining a state of "being alive." Their eyes were numb and vacant, their bodies trembled intermittently. Their clothes were tattered, their forms gaunt.
These people seemed to live in a nightmare every single moment. When night fell, it was the time they feared most, for they would be completely devoured by their nightmares, offering their fear to the Master of Nightmares.
Countless people had gone mad, and countless had died.
And at this moment, in the infinite heights above the Starry Sky Country, within the reshaped Nightmare City, the four fully-formed Celestial Demon Ancestors who had retreated to the Starry Sky Country, including the Master of Nightmares, sat in their Ancestral Incarnations around a conference table in a deathly silence.
They simply couldn’t believe what had happened that day.
Three fully-formed Primordial Ancestors. That was three fully-formed Primordial Ancestors!!
To be completely sealed in a single day... That Zhou Yuanjue, who had vanished for three years, not only hadn’t died in the chaotic currents of the True Realm, but had returned and displayed overwhelming power the moment he was free.
For the Celestial Demons, the situation had been excellent. Victory was in sight, yet the tables had been turned in a single day.
"Everyone, I would very much like to know... what realm is that man in now? Has he... has he broken through that shackle and truly transformed into a ’True Realm Life’?"
In the heavy silence, Zhou spoke, enunciating each word.