Master Hollow Wind tapped the long desk lightly. He glanced at Elder Nether Spring, who was sitting at the end of the desk like a statue, before he solemnly said, “After days and nights of analysis and calculation, we have basically figured out the scheme of the ‘triangle’.
“It is well known that the comprehensive capability of the Heaven’s Origin Sector is lower than that of the Blood Demon Sector, but they are developing faster than us. Therefore, all along, the strategy of the Heaven’s Origin Sector has been home defense. They traded space for time, and they traded time for the overall improvement of their capability so that they can launch a thunderous counterattack when they surpass the Blood Demon Sector.
“Right now, the arrival of the Flying Star Sector has significantly boosted the development speed of the Heaven’s Origin Sector, which makes them even more desperate for a few years of peace!
“For the Heaven’s Origin Sector, their best strategy right now is to stall us at whatever cost to buy them a few years of time. To achieve the purpose, they will certainly resort to all methods possible!
“This is the reason we have decided to activate the Red Tide Plan and start a national war with all the strength of the Blood Demon Sector immediately. In a few years, when the capability of the Heaven’s Origin Sector has soared, we will certainly be doomed!
“But obviously, the Heaven’s Origin Sector does not want a strategical war at this moment. With the high-speed communication between the Heaven’s Origin Sector and the Flying Star Sector, for every day the war is delayed, the advantage of the Heaven’s Origin Sector will grow a bit, and the sacrifices they will have to pay will be reduced a little.
“Therefore, while they are building an impregnable defensive line in the Giant Blade Pass at the south of the Grand Desolate Plateau, they have also implemented an unprecedented strategical deception!
“I believe many demon emperors here have heard the rumors of the Imperium of True Human Beings, haven’t you?
“The rumors come from the Star Glory Federation. It is said that, before long, the Star Glory Federation will send out a delegation of diplomats for the prisoner swap. They will discuss a temporary ceasefire and the issues regarding the Imperium of True Human Beings.
“The purpose of our enemy is as clear as daylight. They are trying to reach a truce with us to buy themselves more time with the groundless existence named the Imperium of True Human Beings!
“Haha. A minor apocalypse from the Imperium of True Human Beings will arrive in five years? They have indeed thought the whole thing through! It is a message that can neither be proven true nor false!
“If we really cease fire now, a minor apocalypse may not come at us in five years, but a hundred crystal suit legions of the Star Glory Federation, with the help of the Flying Star Sector, certainly will!
“In conclusion, we have determined that the Imperium of True Human Beings is a strategical deception. It is the task of the ‘triangle’ made of Suo Chaolong, the Fire Ant King, and the mysterious Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator to spread rumors in the Blood Demon Sector and even to reach out to the leadership of the Blood Demon Sector, namely a few demon emperors here, trying to convince you that the Imperium of True Human Beings does exist.
“If the few demon emperors here are fooled into believing the Imperium of True Human Beings and influence the Pantheon of Demons’ decision in order to reach a truce with the Star Glory Federation, then their strategic deception will be a complete success. The entire demon race will be hopeless!”
The ten emperors were like fossils just excavated from the depths of the earth. They listened attentively. There was no telling what was on their mind.
Master Hollow Wind’s voice turned even creepier. “What is more terrifying is that…
“Do you think the so-called ‘threat of the Imperium of True Human Beings’ is their only strategical deception?
“No. We have also discovered a second plan of strategical deception during our investigation named the Spore Stratagem.
“According to the Spore Stratagem, they will announce that a mysterious force within the Blood Demon Sector boasts a frightful ‘Demon God Virus’ that will destroy both the Blood Demon Sector and the Heaven’s Origin Sector should it spread out!
“Therefore, the Blood Demon Sector and the Heaven’s Origin Sector should not start a total war right now. Instead, we should cease fire for now and deal with the mysterious force that boasts the ‘Demon God Virus’.
“It is not hard to tell that, although the Spore Stratagem and the ‘threat of the Imperium of True Human Beings’ appear very different, they are both for the same purpose. Our enemy is trying to assure us that the Blood Demon Sector is beset by internal and external problems and that we must stop the war and reach a peace agreement with the Heaven’s Origin Sector immediately!
“Hehe. What is the Demon God Virus all about?
“We are all clear that it is just a shameless lie that human beings made up to insult us. They claimed that the demon race originated from the demon beasts that were injected with the Demon God Virus forty thousand years ago!
“We are the descendants of the Pangu Clan from the primeval era. The primeval blood flows in our veins, which is why we possess features of the primeval era! Where does the Demon God Virus come from? It is an out-and-out lie!
“All in all, the sole purpose of the Fire Ant King, Suo Chaolong, and the mysterious Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator is to convince us that the Imperium of True Human Beings and the Spore Stratagem do exist. They are fabricating a powerful yet hostile ‘third party’ in order to mislead us into a truce, if not comprehensive peace, with the Heaven’s Origin Sector.
“After three to five years of peace, when the Heaven’s Origin Sector establishes a hundred crystal suit legions through the communication with the Flying Star Sector and receives the support of the super cosmic fleets, they will certainly tear off their mask of ‘peace’ and reveal their true face—aggression!
“How sordid and scary!
“Think about it. If we hadn’t seen through such a plot and really believed their bullsh*t, the Blood Demon Sector would have been burnt into ground in three to five years like the Grand Desolate Plateau was in the past!
“Commander Jin was right. The Blood Demon Sector is now in peril!
“In the sleazy plans of strategical deception, the Fire Ant King and his Blade of Chaos are the most threatening for us.
“The Blade of Chaos can easily incite millions of low-level demons who do not know the truth, especially the irresolute ones in the coalition army who are scared of war. If the low-level demons choose to believe the rumors about the Imperium of True Human Beings and the Spore Stratagem, their morale will certainly be lower than ever. They will certainly not able to launch the most callous attack against the Heaven’s Origin Sector if they can hold themselves from another mutiny at all.
“However, unfortunately—”
Master Hollow Wind finally bared his sharp tusks. This time, he did not glance at Elder Nether Spring but stared at the other ten demon emperors, especially Jin Tuyi, the commander-in-chief of the coalition army. “One of the demon emperors here is deeply connected to the Fire Ant King, the leader of the Blade of Chaos!
“I am not implying that the demon emperor knew the Fire Ant King’s real identity and indulged him to grow large for his own benefits, nor am I insinuating that the demon emperor betrayed the Pantheon of Demons and the demon race and embraced the Star Glory Federation! Of course, that is absolutely impossible!
“However, it was with the help of the ‘ignorant and innocent’ demon emperor that Void Turmoil City flourished, and the Blade of Chaos expanded to what it is today—influential enough to activate the ‘Riot of Bloody Blade’. That is also an undeniable fact!
“Therefore, I think that today, when we are going to activate the ‘Red Tide Plan’ to take our chances to resolve the greatest crisis for the Blood Demon Sector, the demon emperor is not suitable for the important posts in the Pantheon of Demons before the investigation regarding his relationship with the Blade of Chaos is concluded.
“The demon emperor is of the same clan as me. I believe in his innocence. This is not an impeachment but a protection in a different form. Once it is proved that he is irrelevant with the matter, his position in the Pantheon of Demons will certainly be restored, and he will get to play a greater role in the glorious ultimate war to come.”
Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!
While he was sitting at the end of the desk, Elder Nether Spring’s bones and shells were uttering cracking noises in his fury.
Jin Tuyi’s demonic energy suddenly burst out and covered Elder Nether Spring like a giant cloud. “Elder Nether Spring, what do you have to say for everything that Master Hollow Wind has just stated?”
“Nothing!” Elder Nether Spring’s hands stabbed deep into the solid desk, and the rock that made up the desk was scorched, producing black smoke. “Every one of you knows that there is no way I would betray the demons and mess with the Blade of Chaos!
“Every betrayal needs a reason. Why would I betray the Pantheon of Demons?
“In the Nether Spring Kingdom, I am the omnipotent ruler. In the Pantheon of Demons, I am among the strongest of the twelve demon emperors. I am already standing at the peak of the Blood Demon Sector. What benefits can I get by hooking up with the Blade of Chaos?
“It is even more absurd if you think that I conspired with the Blade of Chaos in order to eliminate every one of you so that I will be the sole master of the Pantheon of Demons.
“If that was my plan, I wouldn’t have asked my subordinates to fight so hard in the Heaven’s Origin Sector over the past few years!
“You know better than anybody that the war against the Heaven’s Origin Sector has been mostly fought by the Nether Spring Kingdom alone in the past years. It is because my forces that I accumulated for decades were wasted in the Heaven’s Origin Sector for the interest of the Blood Demon Sector that you have this opportunity to judge me pretentiously!
“He who has a mind to beat his dog will easily find his stick. What is there to say for myself? The only thing I did wrong was that I did not see through the Fire Ant King’s ambitions earlier!
“However, was it really my fault? Every one of you has a lot of deals with Void Turmoil City in terms of strengthening drugs and slaves. You are all responsible for the rise of the Fire Ant King! Did it ever occur to you ten years ago that the Fire Ant King was actually the mastermind of the Blade of Chaos?”
His words made quite a few demon emperors ill at ease.
“Elder Nether Spring, we believe in your loyalty to the demon race. You and the Fire Ant King are different,” Jin Tuyi said solemnly. “However, we are in the middle of harsh times right now. The Red Tide Plan is about to be put into action, and a national war will begin soon!
“The fate of our race will be decided by the war!
“The most important thing about the Red Tide Plan is confidentiality. If your blood brother is really working with the Star Glory Federation, we have to be prudent. It is indeed not suitable to keep you among the decision makers now.
“I believe that you would make the same decision if you were in my place. Don’t you agree?”
The ten demon emperors all gazed at Elder Nether Spring coldly.
Their eyes suppressed Elder Nether Spring like the sturdiest chains.