Chapter 937: The Fifth Pillar of the Human Race, Secrets of the Ancient Past (I)

The overarching direction of the War of Civilizations had been decided. Next, the Primordial King, Chen Chu, Heavenly King Zhenwu, and the top-level experts of the Heavenly Feathered Race began to discuss the finer details, making adjustments based on the current strategic disposition of the human race.

In fact, the human race’s think tank had already laid out a comprehensive plan, including the deployment of weapons such as the Celestial Annihilation Satellite. However, certain information had to be shared with their allies, and their opinions sought. Only by renegotiating and reaffirming these plans could they show proper respect to their allies.

After all, this was a war that would determine the fate and fortune of entire races; it was no child’s game.

As both sides deliberated and revised their strategies, they clarified each side's objectives. For instance, the two divine kings of the Heavenly Feathered Race would join forces to restrain the two demon gods, Deorus and Kaodes.

The three supreme human powerhouses, Chen Chu, Zhenwu, a divine king from the Alliance of Gods, and one divine king from the Heavenly Feathered Race would form a group of seven supreme-level combatants to target the two demon gods of the Greeta Battle Demon Empire.

According to intelligence reports, there were also three unfamiliar demon gods providing support. Thus, they would deploy a 4-on-4 and 3-on-1 tactic, surrounding and killing one of them.

The pinnacle great demon king would be jointly targeted by the Lord of Holy Light from the Heavenly Feathered Race and the human Heavenly King Yan Kuang, who had mastered a supreme law.

In addition to that, according to current human intelligence, the two Purgatory Empires were known to have seventeen great demon kings. With one already slain by Chen Chu, sixteen remained.

Originally, the demon-king-level experts had numbered close to eighty, but due to the battles in which Chen Chu had directly or indirectly participated, more than a dozen had already fallen.

In the battle against the avatar of the god of the cult, thanks to Chen Chu’s exceptional performance, three demon kings from the Purgatory Empire perished. In the later battle within the mythical world, two more were slain.

Combined with the four or five demon kings either directly slain by Chen Chu or devoured by Mech No.1 on the Abyssal Battlefield, plus another seven killed during his later deep strikes into Purgatory territory, the total number of demon kings who had died because of Chen Chu exceeded a dozen. It was no surprise that the enemy hated him to the bone.

However, precisely because of these successive blows, the first wave of annihilation attacks launched earlier by the two empires didn’t inflict overly severe casualties on the human-king-level experts. Including past losses, the two empires were estimated to be able to field just over sixty demon kings with full mobilization.

Meanwhile, the human race currently had forty-one deployable king-level experts, the Heavenly Feathered Race had thirty-nine who had retreated and regrouped, and the Alliance of Gods responded with twenty more. Altogether, the coalition could field one hundred king-level experts.

In regards to heavenly-king-level experts, the humans had nine, the Heavenly Feathered Race had ten, with one other heavily injured and still recovering, and the Alliance of Gods had two chief gods.

With superior numbers in both mythical-level and heavenly-king-level experts, some of these would handle one-on-one matchups, while the rest would form groups of three to surround and eliminate targeted demon kings or great demon kings.

It was better to sever one finger than to injure five. This tactic of overwhelming force to exhaust and bleed the enemy through encirclement and attrition had long been the Purgatory Empire’s specialty.

In fact, over the past two decades, they had relied on such tactics to assassinate more than ten human kings, while sacrificing only a few of their own demon kings. That was under the watchful eyes of the three supreme powerhouses, within relatively limited battlefronts.

However, warfare was never just a numbers game. The outcome of the war also depended on the environment, external variables, and hidden cards that the two empires could still be holding. As a result, even with their apparently overwhelming advantage, the coalition remained extremely cautious.

Several hours later, the battlefield projection faded from the air. The Primordial King turned toward the Heavenly Feathered experts. "Do any of you still have objections?"

The Golden-Winged Divine King slowly shook his head. "Your strategy is very thorough. We currently have nothing to add. Our only concern is this. We believe that the task of restraining Deorus and Kaodes should be handled by one of your supreme experts alongside the divine king from the Alliance of Gods. Leave the mission to slay the other demon gods to us."

Another divine king with blazing wings nodded slightly, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes. "Indeed. We three are better suited for the dangerous task of killing demon gods."

After centuries of bloody war, these Heavenly Feathered warriors harbored boundless hatred toward the Purgatory Demon Clan. If given the chance, they would gladly suffer severe wounds just for the opportunity to take down a demon god.

In contrast, having learned that the Alliance of Gods had never directly fought the Purgatory Empire, and had even once accepted defectors from their demon kings, they retained some doubts about their divine king’s battle intent. These doubts weren’t about allegiance, but whether that divine king would truly risk grievous injury to kill an enemy demon god when the time came.

Since the Heavenly Feathered divine kings volunteered for the most dangerous mission, the Primordial King had no reason to refuse. "Alright."

With that final issue resolved, the meeting came to an end. One after another, rays of law radiance scattered outward. Hundreds of golden battleships shuddered slightly, then dispersed across a range of a thousand kilometers. Some hovered at low altitude and began setting up temporary strongholds. This included the expeditionary force’s thirteen orbital battleships, which also received orders to station in place.

However, once the meeting ended, the Primordial King summoned Chen Chu and Zhenwu to the red orbital battleship’s command center. In the spacious and minimalistic conference room, the three of them each sat at one corner of a round desk.

Looking at the youthful and spirited face across from him, the Primordial King smiled gently. "Your performance on the expeditionary battlefield took all of us by surprise."

Chen Chu knew he was referring to slaying the demon god and shook his head slightly. "Luck played a part in that battle. Had the demon god I faced been at the middle stage, I certainly wouldn’t have been able to kill him."

Since it was just the Primordial King and Zhenwu, both trusted allies, Chen Chu spoke honestly without modesty. In truth, his ability to slay that demon god had involved a great deal of fortune, as he had seized the advantages of timing, terrain, and manpower.

In regards to manpower, the enemy was only at the beginning stage of the ancient titan level and was completely outclassed by Chen Chu. The terrain had been in his favor due to the concealment provided by the earth ten thousand kilometers below. Finally, the six other demon gods—some even at the peak—had been restrained by the Divine King of Light.

Had even one of them intervened or given the demon god a chance to recover, Chen Chu wouldn’t have been able to kill him, and at most could have only severely wounded him.

The Primordial King smiled faintly. "Many times, luck is part of strength. The fact that you were able to kill that demon god shows that your power is already no less than mine, old as I am. Your current strength has reached the supreme level. It means our human race has gained another pillar." As he spoke, the Primordial King’s expression turned solemn.

"Next, I will grant you access to the civilization's inheritance and link you to the Human Race’s Secret Core Void Sea."

"Civilization's inheritance?" A curious look appeared in Chen Chu’s eyes.

Zhenwu smiled beside him. "Don’t rush. You’ll understand in a moment."

Chen Chu nodded slightly.