250: Chapter 250: Moral Blackmail?

Moon Secret Realm.

Although the first and second floors offered some opportunities, they were clearly lacking for these elites meticulously cultivated by top-tier forces.

Thus, all the forces simultaneously turned their gazes toward the most vital area.

Passing through layers of side halls and the guard areas of the Jade Rabbit statues, everyone converged at the deepest part of the palace complex.

Here stood a true Moon Palace.

Unlike the previous side halls, this Moon Palace spanned a thousand mu, towering and magnificent.

Its entire structure was built from silver-white jade, emitting a soft glow under the moonlight.

It featured upturned eaves, bracket sets, and intricately carved beams and painted rafters.

Every pillar was carved with lifelike scenes of Change flying to the moon, the Jade Rabbit pounding medicine, and Wu Gang felling the laurel tree.

The palace gates stood open, with two ancient characters carved upon the lintel.

"Moon Palace".

On both sides of the gate stood a row of Silver-Armored Guards.

These were not statues, but real Silver-Armored Guards.

They stood ten feet tall, holding silver spears, their faces stiff.

There were no pupils in their eye sockets, only two clumps of silver-white flames flickering within.

Each Silver-Armored Guard possessed the aura of the Peak Soul Transformation Stage, and there were at least a hundred of them.

Deep within the palace gates, the silhouettes of even more Silver-Armored Guards were faintly visible.

Before the palace gates lay a massive square.

On the square, various forces from the Human Race and the Yao Race had already gathered.

Zhao Wudi led the fourteen prodigies of the Zhao Family, Sword Dust led the fifteen Disciples of the Sword Sect, Li Qingyun led the eighteen prodigies of the City Lord's Mansion, and there were other loose Cultivators from various forces, totaling sixty or seventy people.

On the Yao side, there were the six Great Yao Sovereigns—Shi Haokong, She Yuan, Feng Qingyin, Quae Wangmang, Lei Qianjun, and Chi Hanyuan—along with the Yao prodigies following them, totaling seventy or eighty Yao.

The two races occupied opposite sides, separated by dozens of yards of open ground.

The atmosphere remained tense, but no one made the first move.

Because those Silver-Armored Guards before the palace gates were their common enemy.

"These puppets are not easy to deal with."

Zhao Wudi gripped his broken sword, demon slayer, his brow furrowed.

"Over a hundred at the Peak Soul Transformation Stage, with even more inside. Forcing our way in would result in heavy losses."

Sword Dust nodded. "Someone needs to charge first to draw their fire."

Li Qingyun said nothing, his gaze falling upon Xiao Ran.

Xiao Ran felt that gaze but ignored it.

He knew what Li Qingyun was thinking.

He had the Yellow Spring Army, over a thousand corpses at the Soul Transformation Stage, making them the perfect cannon fodder.

But he wasn't stupid.

His Yellow Spring Army was his trump card, not a consumable to be used by others.

"Brother Xiao."

A voice rang out. Xiao Ran turned his head and found it was a Disciple from the Luoxia Sect.

His name was Zhou Heng, at the Late Stage of Soul Transformation. Xiao Ran had met him once before alongside the Grand Elder of the Luoxia Sect.

Zhou Heng walked over and cupped his hands.

"Brother Xiao, you have the Yellow Spring Army. Why not let your undead charge first? We will cover you from behind."

Xiao Ran looked at him and smiled. "Why don't you let your people charge first?"

Zhou Heng was taken aback. "Our Disciples aren't as numerous as your undead."

Xiao Ran asked flatly, "So? Just because there are many, they deserve to die?"

Zhou Heng opened his mouth but found himself speechless.

Zhao Wudi also walked over and patted Xiao Ran on the shoulder.

"Brother Xiao, it's not about sending you to your death. It's just letting your undead hold the front while we attack from the sides."

"This way, losses are minimized, and everyone benefits."

Xiao Ran pushed his hand away. "Easy for you to say."

"My undead were also painstakingly collected. Every one lost is one fewer. What are you contributing? Just your mouth?"

(I'm lying to you; the Yellow Spring Army can't die.)

But Xiao Ran didn't want to send them up.

After all, you want the benefits without putting in the effort?

What a joke.

Zhao Wudi's expression stiffened, and he said nothing.

Sword Dust spoke up, "Xiao Ran, if you are willing to charge first, my Sword Sect Disciples can take responsibility for the left-side attack."

Li Qingyun also said, "The Disciples of the City Lord's Mansion can handle the right side."

Xiao Ran looked at them and suddenly laughed.

"Sure. You guys charge first, and I'll be responsible for covering you from behind."

Zhao Wudi frowned. "You..."

Xiao Ran interrupted him. "What? Do you have an army? Do you have cannon fodder?"

"None of you are willing to charge first, so why should I? Just because I have more soldiers? Does having more soldiers mean they deserve to die? What kind of logic is that?"

A silence fell over the square.

Zhao Wudi, Sword Dust, and Li Qingyun all fell silent.

Because they knew Xiao Ran was right.

They had Disciples, fellow sect members, Magic Treasures, and trump cards, but no one was willing to charge first.

Why should Xiao Ran be the one to charge first?

On the Yao side, they were discussing the same issue.

Shi Haokong looked at the Silver-Armored Guards before the palace gates, frowning.

"These guards are not easy to deal with. Someone needs to charge first."

She Yuan hissed, "Let the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow charge first. He can swallow them; he can take as many as he can."

Quae Wangmang snorted coldly. "Why should I charge first? Why don't you go first?"

Lei Qianjun said flatly, "It's the same whoever charges first. If no one does, no one gets in."

Feng Qingyin said nothing, merely staring at the palace gates, a hint of contemplation flashing in her amber eyes.

Chi Hanyuan exhaled a breath of cold air.

"Why not charge together? Whoever is fastest gets in first."

Shi Haokong shook his head. "Charging together would cause too many losses. We need someone to draw the fire."

The several Great Yao Sovereigns exchanged glances; none were willing to be cannon fodder.

Just as the Human and Yao Races were at a stalemate, Xiao Ran moved.

He didn't release the full Yellow Spring Army, but instead summoned ten corpses from the yellow spring banner.

Ten corpses at the Peak Soul Transformation Stage, wearing tattered armor and holding rusted Long Halberds, with silver-white ghost fires flickering in their eye sockets.

They lined up in a row, standing before Xiao Ran.

"I'm only providing ten."

Xiao Ran said flatly.

"As for the rest, figure it out yourselves."

Zhao Wudi's expression changed. "What good are ten?"

Xiao Ran looked at him. "Enough to draw ten Silver-Armored Guards. You can handle the rest yourselves."

Sword Dust frowned. "Xiao Ran, you are forcing our hand."

Xiao Ran laughed. "Correct, I am forcing you."

"My soldiers are not cannon fodder. If you want to enter the Moon Palace, you have to bleed too. You want others to risk their lives while you just watch? How can there be such a good deal?"

Li Qingyun was silent for a moment, then spoke.

"Disciples of the City Lord's Mansion, follow me."

With a wave of his hand, the eighteen prodigies of the City Lord's Mansion drew their swords simultaneously, their Sword Qi soaring to the heavens.

Zhao Wudi gritted his teeth and said to the Zhao Family prodigies behind him, "Zhao Family, get ready."

Sword Dust also drew his sword. "Sword Sect, form the array."

On the Yao side, seeing the Human Race's movements, Shi Haokong no longer hesitated.

"Go! Charge together!"

The six Great Yao Sovereigns attacked simultaneously.

Shi Haokong roared to the heavens, his golden Demonic Qi burning like fire as he struck at the foremost Silver-Armored Guards with a claw.

She Yuan's nine heads simultaneously spat out venom, which fell like rain, covering a large area.

Feng Qingyin shook her wings, and her Five-Colored Divine Fire transformed into countless fireballs, smashing into the Silver-Armored Guards.

Lightning coiled around Lei Qianjun's body as he slashed out a bolt of thunder with a claw.

Chi Hanyuan exhaled a breath of cold air, freezing several Silver-Armored Guards on the ground.

Quae Wangmang opened his giant beak, and a Heaven-Swallowing Vortex spun, sucking several Silver-Armored Guards into his mouth, crushing them, and spitting out the remains.

The Human and Yao Races joined forces, engaging in a fierce battle with the Silver-Armored Guards.

Xiao Ran stood in the back, protected by the ten Yellow Spring corpses, and did not charge forward.

He was waiting, waiting for the Silver-Armored Guards to be mostly depleted before he made his move.