roccoschili Chapter 736 736: Crisis Descends · Outer Demon Invasion_1
Chapter 736 736: Crisis Descends · Outer Demon Invasion_1
Because the Ancestral Gods of Mankind launched a direct assault on their rearguard, the three tribes were forced to cease hostilities. The Demon and Ghost tribes, witnessing the Human Clan's growing power, had no choice but to join forces, temporarily merging into one tribe. Even the Ancestral Gods of these two tribes began to cohabit.It wasn't that they had developed a fondness for each other, but rather they feared a surprise attack from the Human Clan that could lead to their swift annihilation if they remained divided. Two against one, with good coordination, could quickly defeat them, but three against two was a different matter. This led them to band together for warmth and survival.
It was precisely because of the decisive actions of these two tribes that the Human Clan subsequently shifted all its offensive strategies to conservative ones, entering a period of recuperation and mending the world's wounds.
Thus, the entire Chaotic God World entered a rare period of tranquility.
However, this peace did not last long before the world once again underwent a bizarre transformation.
"This is..." Su Shan's expression shifted slightly as he gazed at the colossal golden pagodas blocked beyond the sky.
He could feel the entire existence of the Chaotic God World fluctuating due to these immense structures, which in turn caused numerous problems for them. Coupled with the fact that the world's injuries had yet to fully heal, this was truly adding insult to injury.
"An invasion! An invasion from a Different World!" Li Ying's eyes narrowed, his voice grave. "It now seems the impact from beyond the sky was likely no accident, but a precursor to the invasion by the Outer Demons."
They were not unfamiliar with such events, though never this brazen. Back when the Heavenly Dao still existed, they too had served as vanguards, invading other worlds.
First, the Heavenly Dao would open a passage to a Different World, and then they would charge through to conquer it. After annihilating all forces capable of resistance, the Heavenly Dao would enslave the invaded world, making it its own lower realm.
Next came the processes of modification and assimilation, which could last anywhere from a thousand to ten thousand years. Once reopened, the world would be completely reshaped.
However, they had never imagined their own world would become a target of invasion.
Fortunately, there was a sliver of good news: the invaders were currently blocked outside their world and had not yet managed to enter.
The problem, however, was that the enemy could already affect their world from beyond the sky. Once they breached the barrier, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"The War of the Ten Thousand Clans... perhaps these Outer Demons had a hand in it. Otherwise, the timing wouldn't be so coincidental," Yin Lu remarked, his expression turning grim.
At this moment, the Human Clan was severely weakened, and the Demon and Ghost tribes were even more devastated. This was, without a doubt, the most vulnerable the Chaotic God World had been since the fall of the Heavenly Dao.
Had they been given another ten million years to recover, with the favor the heavens and earth currently bestowed upon them, the Human Clan could have produced five more individuals at the Ancestral God Realm.
It wasn't that the various clans were unwilling to add new Ancestral God Realm powerhouses to their ranks; they simply couldn't.
The number of individuals in the Ancestral God Realm depended not on breakthroughs but on the clan's favor from the heavens and earth. Previously, the Human Clan's favor from the heavens and earth could only support three Ancestral Gods. Those in the ancient god realm below them had no possibility of breaking through.
Aptitude and resources were not the issue; what was lacking was a position.
For a member of the younger generation to reach the Ancestral God Realm, they either had to enhance their clan's favor from the heavens and earth, as was happening now, or kill an existing Ancestral God and take their place.
However, neither method was easy to achieve, which was why the other Ten Thousand Clans possessed so few high-level combatants.
BOOM.
A violent tremor shook the heavens and earth. The expressions of the three varied, but all looked up towards the sky.
"How are these Outer Demons resisting the erosion of the Void?" Su Shan murmured. They had abandoned exploring beyond the realms because they were unable to. However, judging by these Outer Demons, they seemed to possess a secret method to resist the Void's encroachment. If the Human Clan obtained it, then wouldn't they no longer be confined within the Chaotic God World?
This thought flitted through Su Shan's mind but ultimately faded into nothingness.
Firstly, acquiring this secret method was practically impossible, and secondly, they might very well be unable to withstand these Outer Demons.
"Go and contact the Demon and Ghost tribes."
"If we don't want the Chaotic God World to be overrun by the Outer Demons, we must cooperate sincerely now," Li Ying sighed, not answering Su Shan's question. How would he know what these peculiar Outer Demons relied upon to resist the Void?
"Will they... surrender?" Yin Lu suddenly interjected.
Contacting them wouldn't be much of an issue, but the animosity, especially racial hatred, could likely never be resolved.
The tripartite war was not a distant memory; just a short while ago, the three sides had been locked in a life-or-death struggle.
The Demon and Ghost tribes had merged, and the Humans had observed the resulting situation: constant conflicts among the lower ranks and significant friction among the upper echelons.
Everyone on both sides had the blood of the other's kin on their hands, leading to irreconcilable hatred. It was only thanks to the two Ancestral Gods suppressing the situation that it hadn't exploded long ago.
Of course, the Human Clan had also played a part in fanning the flames. If the other two had no internal issues, the Human Clan's instigation wouldn't have had much effect, even if they tried.
It was a case of "flies only buzzing around cracked eggs"; their problems were largely self-inflicted.
Yin Lu's words made Su Shan and Li Ying hesitate. Previously, they would never have believed Black City and Mysterious Ginseng would defect to the enemy. But now, things were different. The war between the races had just concluded. What if, in a fit of passion, they threw their lot in with the invaders?
Or perhaps, to retaliate against the Human Clan, they might recklessly disregard everything. That was also a possibility.
"We two are not as despicable as you make us out to be," Mysterious Ginseng's voice transmitted over.
"Hmph, indeed, human hearts are the most venomous. Even we Ghosts are not as bad," Black City chimed in. The two of them bantered with considerable rapport.
The three Ancestral Gods of the Human Clan had their reasons for thinking so. But Mysterious Ginseng and Black City weren't fools; why would they side with invaders?
They, too, had experienced the era when the Heavenly Dao orchestrated invasions to enslave other worlds, so they knew very well how collaborators were treated.
The only choices were to become cannon fodder or slaves. Regardless of the choice, the outcome would not be pleasant.
Putting themselves in that position, resistance was the natural choice.
At this moment, facing this dire situation, the five Ancestral Gods naturally felt regret. If only they had been more cautious and recognized that the impact from beyond the sky was truly a meticulously planned prelude to an Outer Demon invasion, they might not have allowed the Chaotic God World to descend into the internal strife of the Ten Thousand Clans, leading to such widespread annihilation.
Honestly, the five of them had little confidence in resisting the Outer Demons.
"Since surrender is not an option, our three races must consider how to face these Outer Demons." Yin Lu showed no embarrassment at having his thoughts exposed. As an old creature who had lived for eons, face was of little importance to him; only benefits truly mattered.
"How to face them? I fear it's a precarious situation," Mysterious Ginseng stated bluntly. This was true. If the Ten Thousand Clans were still at full strength, they believed their chances of victory would have been very high. Back then, there were thousands of Cultivators in the Ancestral God Realm.
This weakening wasn't just a cut to the heel; it was as if only the heel remained.
"It's not entirely hopeless," Li Ying countered. "The Outer Demons haven't entered the Chaotic God World yet. We just need to keep them out. If they can't get in, how can they harm us?"
"That's a good idea. A war of attrition. If we can create a stalemate, they'll surely be the first to run out of resources," Black City agreed with Li Ying's sentiment. Even though irreconcilable conflicts existed between them moments ago, external threats made internal strife seem insignificant, and they quickly reached an understanding.
This wasn't some Feudal Dynasty, still mired in internal conflict even as invaders breached the gates.
They were all high-ranking figures who had once led campaigns to invade and enslave other worlds, turning them into lower realms.
Therefore, they naturally understood what fate awaited them, the five highest authorities, once the enemy successfully invaded. No matter how great their internal conflicts, could they be more important than their own lives?
"Use what to block them? Surely not just the five of us? We wouldn't be able to hold them off," Mysterious Ginseng scoffed, though his words implied agreement with Li Ying's strategy.
"Use the lower realms to block them. I recall there are still a few lower realms that haven't been fully dealt with," Li Ying stated his plan directly.
The other four Ancestral Gods were also stunned. They truly hadn't expected Li Ying to be so ruthless as to suggest using the lower realms as a shield for the Chaotic God World. However, upon reflection, despite the immense difficulty, the plan indeed aligned perfectly with their interests.
"It's worth a try!" Su Shan was the first to voice his support. Li Ying was in his camp, and the plan had a certain feasibility.
"I also agree with this plan," Yin Lu naturally followed suit.
At this juncture, the opinions of Mysterious Ginseng and Black City were not crucial. Being outnumbered, they had little choice but to acquiesce to the plan's execution.
Unless they could propose a better alternative, they couldn't prevent it, nor did they intend to.