Humanity's Last Line of Defense
"Will High Priest Ryun appear when the time comes?" Xia Fei sternly asked.
In the insectoid race, Ryun was undoubtedly Xia Fei's most important enemy, and he was also the only enemy that Xia Fei was unwilling to make an enemy of. If he were to join the fray, it would be extremely disadvantageous to Xia Fei's side.
Qingliu paused for a moment before saying in a deep voice, "We don't know yet. A few minutes ago, Uti personally went to High Priest Ryun's cultivation area and invited him to enter the Silent Vale. As for whether he'll agree or not, we'll know later today."
Xia Fei silently nodded, speechless. Qingliu then asked, "If High Priest Ryun joins, will you give up on the assassination plan?"
Xia Fei stood with his arms behind his back, a confident smile on his face. "Give up? That word doesn't exist in my dictionary. Go and make your preparations. I'll definitely go to the Silent Vale, and Uti must die. "
His tone was not heavy, but every word was sonorous! It was as if he was issuing an order to Qingliu, but it also seemed like he was declaring his challenge.
Qingliu and Qingyan stared at Xia Fei in shock. That calm and decisiveness exuded from him without reservation. Qingyan's gaze wandered, and for a moment, she was somewhat dazed.
…
North of the Golden Tent, High Priest Ryun's Snowstorm Vale.
Every time he came here, it was like a trial, and this time was no exception.
Uti walked into Ryun's courtyard, shook off the snow on his body, and let out a long sigh as he entered the main hall.
Ryun's hair-raising laughter could be heard from afar. "Congratulations, the Silent Vale has reopened once more. This time, the insectoids will once again receive the grace left behind by the Black and White Gods."
Mingzhu brought over a chair for Uti and some hot tea so that he could warm himself up.
Uti replied, "Lord High Priest, I'm here precisely for the matter regarding the Silent Vale."
"Oh." Ryun nodded. "I wonder if Uti has any other business?"
Uti cupped his hands. "High priest, every time the Silent Vale opens, it will nurture a batch of top-notch experts for our insectoid race, and it will also produce quite a lot of treasures along the way. As for how much is produced, that will depend on the strength of the army. After all, the valley is extremely dangerous, and without a powerful team, it will be difficult to escape unscathed, not to mention treasures."
Ryun smiled and said, "Back then, the Black and White Gods left this Mystery Realm behind. Firstly, it was to benefit the insectoid race, and secondly, it was to test the strength and development of our race. The greater the strength, the more benefits. This has always been the case."
"Now that the insectoids are prospering under your leadership, be it in terms of military might or the lives of the common people, they are far better than they were in the past. There's no need for Uti to worry. You'll be leading the army this time, and you'll definitely be able to return with a bountiful harvest. You won't lose to the previous rulers."
Uti pursed his lips. Ryun was clearly just being polite. Back in the Golden Tent, he had heard the same kind of praise countless times a day, to the point that calluses were about to form in his ears.
With a troubled expression, Uti solemnly said, "High priest, you might not know this, but the insectoid race is currently at war with the Pan-human Alliance. All of our elites have been sent out, and it'll be very difficult for them to return in time. The experts that were left behind in our territory have also been killed by that human assassin. Right now, the insectoid race really doesn't have any soldiers or generals, and we're very weak.
"I personally don't care if I can become a Virtuous Emperor, but the amount of treasures we can obtain from the Silent Vale will affect the safety of the entire insectoid race. The Silent Vale only opens once every several thousand years, and if we don't take advantage of this opportunity to obtain some treasures from the valley, who knows when the next time will be.
"That's why, no matter what, I implore the high priest to personally make a move. For the sake of the insectoid race's survival, you must help me with this."
With that, Uti actually bowed deeply to the high priest Ryun. Logically speaking, Uti was the king, while Ryun was the subject. There was a difference between a ruler and a subject, and even if Ryun was some otherworldly expert, Uti should not be so courteous to him. From this, it was not hard to see that Uti was not only intelligent but also someone who knew when to submit and when to stand tall. When it was time for him to act like a grandson, he would not hesitate.
Ryun looked troubled as he sighed. "Uti, please take a seat. It's not that Ryun doesn't want to help, but that I can't."
Uti was startled, furrowing his brows. "What do you mean by that, high priest?"
Mingzhu suddenly interjected, speaking with a buzzing voice. "Emperor of the Golden Tent, do you know what cultivation my master currently has? Back then, the Black and White Gods left behind the Silent Vale to benefit the common people of the insectoid race, and my master is no longer among them. Even if my master wants to enter the vale, he can't do so. The restrictions at the mountain gate will keep my master out, because my master's strength has already surpassed the upper limit of entry into the Silent Vale! "
These words shocked Uti to no end. Could Ryun really have become a god, an existence that was an entire plane higher than the common people? An existence on the same level as the Black and White Gods? If that was the case, why did he still stay in the insectoid race and not go to the legendary realm where the God Race resided?
Doubt and shock rose in Uti's heart at the same time, but the high and mighty Ryun had a smug look on his face. He smiled at Mingzhu and said, "There's no place for you to speak before the emperor of the Golden Tent. Hurry up and leave."
It sounded like he was reprimanding Uti, but it was very difficult to discern any hint of reproach in Ryun's words. It was all pride and glee.
Uti said no more, his face looking rather embarrassed. As a mortal king, he found a deep sense of inferiority in Ryun, and inferiority was something that he had grown up with and hated.
Ryun was silent for a while. Seeing Uti's self-esteem hurt was a very delightful thing for him. The smile on his face was clearly saying, "So what if you're the emperor of the Golden Tent? You still have to prostrate yourself before me! "
It was about time, and Ryun put on a troubled look. "This matter is very difficult to handle, but it's not like there's no way at all."
Uti was slightly taken aback, but he immediately understood what Ryun meant, so he put on a smile and said, "I hope that the high priest can speak plainly. As long as you can help me, the insectoid race will naturally reward you greatly for your kindness."
Ryun had been waiting for these words. Ever since he sensed the strange activity in the Silent Vale, he had already come up with a countermeasure. He could help, but he had to give him a share of whatever he obtained.
Ryun nodded. "I've recently taken in a new disciple. He's very talented and has the courage to go against ten thousand men. If he follows you on this trip, you'll definitely succeed!"
Uti replied, "That's naturally good."
Ryun waved his hand, and the monster-looking Li Mo strode out from the shadows. He was completely naked, and in his hand was a piece of raw meat that he was chewing on. The blood on the meat had yet to dry!
Savage! Violent! Barbaric!
None of these words could describe this half-man, half-beast creature. Uti was so shocked that he nearly jumped out of his chair.
Seeing Uti's flustered appearance, Ryun was even more delighted.
"Ming Lie, follow the emperor of the Golden Tent to the Silent Vale. Do everything according to Uti's instructions. If he wants you to kill, you'll kill. If he wants you to die, you'll die! Do you understand? "
Li Mo nodded dumbly, gnawing on the raw meat as he walked over to Uti's side. The fresh blood dripped from the meat just so happened to splatter on Uti's luxurious clothes, and the thick stench of blood nearly caused Uti to faint.
"Ming Lie may look ugly, but he's an honest man. Even if you ask him to cut off his own head, he won't hesitate. Moreover, I dare to guarantee that aside from me, no one in the insectoid race can defeat him in terms of martial prowess," Ryun said gleefully.
Aside from Ryun himself, no one could defeat him? Uti was secretly shocked, but since these words were said by the high priest himself, Uti did not doubt them. It was just that Li Mo's appearance and actions made Uti feel disgusted.
Since things had developed to this point, Uti had nothing else to say. No matter how ugly he was, he was still a powerful ally, and he was also obedient. For someone like Uti, who valued his own safety more than the heavens, he would rather endure Li Mo's vulgarity than take any risk. Ryun proposed that he would pick thirty items from the Silent Vale, and Uti agreed. Nothing was more important than his own life, or else Uti would not have lowered himself to beg the old monster Ryun.
Sighing, Uti led Li Mo away from High Priest Ryun's residence.
'Last time, I brought back a mute, and now I'm bringing back a monster. How can this be?' Uti shook his head as he thought to himself.
…
"Tai, we have no way out," Chief of Staff Wilhelmsson said in a suppressed voice.
The three of them sat in Tai's office for a good half an hour before Wilhelmsson said something.
The northern fleet led by Layton had retreated all the way to the western front, losing more than half of their fleet. The military triumvirate had finally reunited, but this time, they could not bring themselves to smile.
"I know." Tai stood up and walked to the porthole, gazing out at the stars with a deep gaze.
Layton stomped his foot and roared, "Let's fight it out with them! Right now, all our troops are on the western front. Though we've suffered significant losses, the capital ship is still here, and so is the Freedom Cavalry! Plus, we still have the Westwind Defense Line. If we fight a desperate counterattack here, we'll be in the Na 'vi territory if we retreat any further! "
The room was silent, with only the sound of Wilhelmsson chewing on a piece of candy.
Tai turned around and returned to his seat. "Wilhelmsson, what do you think?"
Wilhelmsson smiled bitterly. "Though I'm the chief of staff, given the current situation, there's not much I can do as a staff officer. Seventy percent of the Alliance's territory has already fallen. You should know that we have to fight this war whether we want to or not!"
Tai nodded gravely, remaining silent.
Wilhelmsson continued. "At least we can still rely on the Westwind Defense Line if we fight here. The 1165 fortress planets aren't made of paper. If the insectoids want to invade from here, they'll suffer heavy losses even if they don't die."
Another oppressive silence ensued. Tai suddenly slapped the table and shouted, "Good! We'll make the Westwind Defense Line our base and mobilize all our fleets! Prepare for a battle to the death! "
Though the decision had been made, there were no cheers of excitement in the office.
After a pause, Tai solemnly said, "Inform the Ministry of Civil Affairs to prepare for the civilians to seek refuge in the Na 'vi territory, or to go further away through the Na' vi territory. The military will do their best to hold the Westwind Defense Line until everyone leaves."
The tears that he had been suppressing finally burst forth. The straightforward Admiral Layton was bawling like a child.
Everyone knew that Tai's decision was correct. Even if the Westwind Defense Line, the Freedom Cavalry, and sixty percent of the military's combat power were still there, they still would not be able to stop the insectoids' advance.
The military's final effort was to hold their ground, using the lives of the 168 billion soldiers of the Alliance in exchange for a chance for the civilians to escape.
Humanity would once again abandon their territory and head into the depths of space. No one knew how long it would take for them to return, or if they could even return.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
