227: Important meetings

Hearing this, Li Hongxue raised her eyebrows slightly.

“Oh my, the Talent of a God of War! Not bad at all!”

Lu Xingchen said with a bitter smile, “I’m not qualified to be a God of War. I heard that all previous Gods of War had Martial Saint-level combat power, but I’ve only just had a Breakthrough to Martial Ancestor. The gap is too large.”

Li Hongxue said softly, “There’s no need to belittle yourself. You’re still young. It’s not impossible to have a Breakthrough to the Saint Realm before you’re 30.”

“However, your chances of becoming a God of War are indeed slim. After all, we are about to launch a general offensive against the Demon Race, and the outcome of the Fifth Human-Demon War will soon be revealed. Before that, your probability of having a Breakthrough to Saint Realm is too low.”

Hearing this, Lu Xingchen was startled.

“Launch a general offensive?”

Li Hongxue chuckled, “Yes, that’s the main topic of this meeting.”

Lu Xingchen was greatly shocked.

The Human Race and Demon Race had been at war for over a hundred years. In every major war, the Human Race merely held their ground at the Demon-Rejecting Pass, barely ensuring it wasn’t breached.

But this time, they were actually going to launch an attack on the Demon Race!

Without the Demon-Rejecting Pass and the defensive Spirit Formations on the city walls, could the Human Race truly defeat the Demon Race Army?

With this question in mind, Lu Xingchen followed Li Hongxue to the City Lord’s mansion of the Demon-Rejecting Pass.

Those participating in this meeting included Her Excellency Xin Huo Lin Wanqing, and four Chosen Ones (of Heaven's Selection), the main and deputy commanders of the Demon-Rejecting Pass, Lin Wanqing’s Dao protector Mu Chun, and three Human Race experts he hadn’t seen last time.

Lu Xingchen looked at the heads of the three unfamiliar experts, which were conspicuously marked with “???”.

One must know that after his Breakthrough to Martial Ancestor, he could already see Li Hongxue’s cultivation, yet he still couldn’t see through the cultivation of these three individuals.

This indicated that they were very likely Martial Saint Experts.

The Martial Saint Experts gathered in this conference room numbered as many as nine!

Lin Wanqing nodded slightly towards Lu Xingchen, acknowledging him.

Lu Xingchen bowed and greeted all the important figures one by one. Then, everyone sat down and began today’s discussion.

Xu Chengyang said loudly, “Nearly half of the Human Race’s Martial Saint Experts are present, so I’ll get straight to the point. I’ve decided to counterattack the Demon Abyss of the Demon Race. What are your opinions?”

Chosen One Thirteen, Shadow’s Ethereal, Guo Xiaoquan, was the first to ask, “City Lord Xu, how can you be sure that our warriors at the Demon-Rejecting Pass can win a direct confrontation with the Demon Race Army?”

Xu Chengyang said with a smile, “First, we have Her Excellency Xin Huo. As long as she is stationed on the front lines, she can double the overall combat power of the Human Race. I’ve never fought such an advantageous battle in all my life.”

“Second, the Demon Race Army has changed commanders. Because the Demon Race’s previous few attacks yielded no results and they consistently suffered losses, the representatives of the 36 Demon Pillars lost confidence in Ning Mengqi, deposed her, and handed the position of Grand Marshal to Li Xiaoyun.”

“Li Xiaoyun is an veteran Demon Saint of the Asura Race, seasoned in countless battles and highly respected. However, his strength lies in his personal power; his command ability is far inferior to Ning Mengqi’s. The Demon Race’s last attack was clearly not as methodical as Ning Mengqi’s.”

“I have to say, the 36 Demon Pillars made a wrong decision, but for us, it’s a great piece of good fortune. If we’re strategizing against Li Xiaoyun, I’m confident I can rout the Demon Race Army and beat them!”

As Xu Chengyang’s words fell, everyone in the conference hall had their eyes shining.

Guo Xiaoquan said in a deep voice, “I’m just a warrior and don’t understand military strategy. But I believe that City Lord Xu, as the commander of the Demon-Rejecting Pass, would not joke around with the Human Race’s warriors. So, this might truly be the Human Race’s best chance to counterattack the Demon Abyss.”

Xu Chengyang said with a smile, “Since that’s the case, let’s vote by show of hands! The minority obeys the majority. Those who agree to counterattack the Demon Abyss, please raise your hands!”

Hearing this, the nine Martial Saint Experts present, as well as Li Hongxue, all raised their right hands.

Lu Xingchen, however, wisely did not move.

He understood his place very well. With his strength and prestige, he was not qualified to participate in decision-making; he was merely there to observe.

Seeing the proposal to counterattack the Demon Abyss pass unanimously, Lu Xingchen was also startled.

It seemed these Human Race leaders still had some fighting spirit. After being suppressed by the Demon Race for so many years, they all wanted to counterattack the Demon Abyss.

Xu Chengyang laughed, “Good! Unanimous vote! But I still need to ask Her Excellency Xin Huo, are you willing to go to the front lines to stimulate the Bloodline Power of the Human Race warriors?”

“This could be very dangerous, but the nine Human Race Saints, including myself, will protect you. Unless all our Human Race Saints perish, we will never let anyone from the Demon Race harm a single hair on your head!”

Lin Wanqing nodded heavily and said in a deep voice, “Since all you Seniors are so brave, I, Lin Wanqing, will not fall too far behind. In this operation, I am willing to fight alongside the many Human Race warriors!”

Xu Chengyang laughed, “Thank you for Her Excellency Xin Huo’s trust. However, there is still one problem. Deep within the Demon Abyss, there is a giant teleportation array that can transport large numbers of soldiers simultaneously. To prevent the Demon Race Army from escaping or bringing in new reinforcements from there, it needs to be destroyed before the general offensive is launched.”

Li Hongxue said in a deep voice, “Leave this task to me. Demon Pillar Twilight has already been crippled by me, and now my Crimson Tassel Division is the most elite unit on both the Human and Demon sides. I will lead the Crimson Tassel Division to infiltrate the Demon Abyss and destroy this teleportation array.”

Hearing this, everyone present was greatly astonished.

Infiltrating deep into the Demon Abyss—what an extremely dangerous undertaking!

With just a slight misstep, the Crimson Tassel Division could be completely wiped out.

Everyone felt a deep sense of admiration for Li Hongxue’s boldness.

Xu Chengyang said in a deep voice, “Xiaoxue, this matter is no small thing. Not only is it highly difficult and dangerous, but there’s only one chance. Are you confident?”

Li Hongxue chuckled, “In battle, no one has absolute certainty of victory. But I am willing to exchange my life for a chance at victory. Counterattacking the Demon Abyss is an supremely glorious endeavor, and I am willing to take this risk for the Human Race.”

Xu Chengyang nodded heavily, “Good! After the Demon Race’s next attack ends, I will immediately launch a counterattack, gradually eroding the Demon Race Army’s territory and besieging the Demon Abyss. Once your mission is complete and you return to our army camp, I will launch the general offensive!”

Li Hongxue nodded heavily, “I will not fail in my mission!”

Xu Chengyang immediately announced the end of the meeting, and everyone returned to prepare.

Lu Xingchen, however, remained in the conference hall until only he and Lin Wanqing were left in the room (Mu Chun had wisely gone to wait outside the door).

Lu Xingchen walked up to Lin Wanqing and pulled her into his embrace.

“Miss Wanqing, a war is about to begin. Are you scared?”

Lin Wanqing shook her head slightly, “I am the Human Race’s Kindling, strategically very important. Unless all nine Saints perish, I will be fine. In fact, I’m not in much danger. But Big Strong One, you’re different. I remember you are also a member of the Crimson Tassel Division.”

“Infiltrating deep behind enemy lines to destroy the teleportation array is truly too dangerous. How about I use my connections to get you out of it?”