Hu Shu looked at everyone with a resolute gaze. "No matter what, our Human Race will never sit back and wait for death. Put your heads together—we must find a way to break this deadlock." Yet faced with such a grim situation, everyone fell silent for a time. The oppressive atmosphere was suffocating, and how they should respond remained shrouded in fog.
Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the council hall. A Human Race scout, covered in dust from the road, rushed inside. His clothes were ragged and bore several bloodstains; clearly, he had encountered trouble on his way back.
"My lord!" The scout dropped to one knee, his voice weary yet urgent. "I have important intelligence!"
Hu Shu's heart tightened. He hurried over and helped the scout up. "Speak. What exactly did you learn?"
The scout took a deep breath, steadied himself, and slowly said, "We discovered that the Chan Sect is secretly joining forces with more factions, intending to launch a large-scale attack on our Human Race. Moreover, the Witch Tribe is preparing for a new offensive. It seems they plan to attack us from both sides in coordination with the Chan Sect."
The moment those words were spoken, the council hall erupted. Everyone whispered among themselves, their expressions growing increasingly tense as fear spread through the crowd.
"What are we supposed to do? The Chan Sect is already powerful, and now they have joined forces with other factions. The Witch Tribe is getting involved too—how can our Human Race withstand this?" an elderly Human Race member said anxiously. His hands trembled slightly, revealing his inner unease.
Hu Shu furrowed his brow, and a trace of anxiety flashed through his eyes before he quickly regained his composure. He swept his gaze over the crowd and said loudly, "Everyone, calm down first! The more critical the moment, the more we must keep clear heads."
The crowd gradually quieted and turned their eyes toward Hu Shu, as if searching for hope in him.
After pondering for a moment, Hu Shu gathered everyone around once more and began an emergency discussion on how to respond.
"First, let's analyze the current situation," Hu Shu said. "The Chan Sect has allied with other factions for no reason other than to completely suppress our Human Race and preserve their ruling position in the Primordial World. As for the Witch Tribe, they have always been at odds with us. By cooperating with the Chan Sect this time, they also want to seize the opportunity to wipe us out."
"Then what should we do? Are we supposed to sit back and wait for death?" a member of the elite squad asked, clenching his fists with unwillingness in his eyes.
"Of course not!" Hu Shu's gaze was firm. "Though our Human Race is relatively weak, we have our own strengths. We have the will to stand united, and we have the Invincible Domain System."
At the mention of the Invincible Domain System, a glimmer of hope flashed in everyone's eyes.
"But the Invincible Domain System's range is currently limited, and upgrading it takes time. Against so many powerful enemies, how much can it really accomplish?" someone questioned.
"That is indeed a problem." Hu Shu nodded. "But we can make proper use of the domain's advantages. For example, we can deploy it at key defensive points and concentrate our forces there. At the same time, we must find ways to improve the Human Race's overall strength."
At that moment, a Human Race sage stepped forward and said, "We can mobilize all the Human Race's strength to reinforce our defensive fortifications. In addition, we can organize our cultivators for specialized training to improve their combat ability."
"That is one way." Hu Shu voiced his agreement. "But it is not enough. We also need to seek outside aid and join forces with factions that have conflicts with the Chan Sect and the Witch Tribe, so that we can oppose them together."
Everyone nodded one after another and began discussing among themselves, putting forward all kinds of possible countermeasures.
Yet every proposal seemed to have flaws. For instance, if they sought outside aid, whether other factions would be willing to cooperate with the Human Race remained unknown. Whether there would be enough time to strengthen the fortifications and train cultivators was also a problem.
As the discussion deepened, everyone's brows furrowed tighter and tighter. Time quietly slipped away amid the tense atmosphere, yet no response plan had been finalized.
The wind atop Shouyang Mountain howled, making the branches outside the council hall rustle. The sky gradually darkened, and the atmosphere within the hall grew ever more solemn.
The important members of the Human Race were filled with anxiety and exhaustion. They knew well that little time remained for the Human Race. Every moment of delay brought the danger one step closer.
Hu Shu looked at everyone and knew that a decision had to be made quickly. But this decision concerned the very survival of the Human Race, and there could be no room for carelessness.
At this critical juncture, which plan could save the Human Race from the flames of disaster? Hu Shu fell into deep thought, while everyone quietly awaited his decision.
Before you continue