Chapter 162: Hope

Yes, what they just killed was a Flood Dragon with a danger value of 2500 and not a true Sovereign.

A true Sovereign wouldn’t give them the chance to enter his stomach. His methods wouldn’t be as clumsy as a Flood Dragon.

That black-clothed man had a lower danger value but held a far greater threat.

What needed to be done was to divide and conquer, to complete his advancement mission.

With the mission accomplished, Chen Ming’s power would jump in quality.

The enemy had an army, while he had heaven-defying geniuses. Chen Ming believed that the other side knew all of their movements, ready to counter any trick they’d pull.

Therefore, he just needed to wait for them to sent the army and hunt them down.

Su Qingyang gazed at Chen Ming, “Then, what are we supposed to do now?”

Chen Ming said, “Pretend like you know nothing, and do nothing.”

Su Qingyang was doubtful, “Are we supposed to sit around? We clearly know of the demonic sect’s attack.”

“I saw those arrays and I am certain I can pass through them, but I can’t promise I can avoid the Demon Sovereign blocking my way. Do you know when it’s the perfect time to strike? When your side has the advantage in numbers, turning the battle to your favor. We are just a bunch of disorganized Human Kings, while the other has a Sovereign. He is gathering his forces not because victory is impossible, but because it’ll come at a heavy price. This battle is bound to end with our defeat.”

Chen Ming continued, “And I have no intention of participating in a losing battle.”

Su Qingyang asked, “Then how do we fight?”

“When the enemy retreats we advance. When they advance, we retreat. If he leaves, I attack. If he attacks, I leave!(1) If we focus on our advantage, we will put an end to their power! We don’t need to fight them because the outside will know of our precarious situation. If we live, we win.”

This was a great leader’s abridged method of winning from a position of weakness. Chen Ming had no shame as he explained, free of any guilt. My, Immortal Master Chen, learning ability is greater alright?

Xue Ziyu said, “That means we’ll use the other Human Kings as bait.”

Chen Ming laughed, “I will let you tell the other of the demonic sect, to become aware of the danger. This is the only concession I’ll make. Do you know what is the meaning of battle? It means for the enemy to die, to slaughter them to the last person. As a leader, one must have control over the whole situation and not let a part of the battlefield devolve into losing the entire battle!”

Chen Ming straightened his robe, “You can tell everyone that, when Heavenly Tribulation strikes, that is when the opportunity will present itself. That will be our time to strike back because I’ll have the power of a Sovereign.”

For a commander to lead a bunch of unfamiliar Human Kings, it would turn into a joke. They were no Regalia Legion, and the enemy also had King ranks.

Chen Ming embodied the black turtle and was ready to venture into the darkness. He turned his head and smiled at the four, “Make sure you live, at least you all have the hope of getting out alive.”

When it came to their choice, Chen Ming had no way of interfering. He wasn’t a people pleaser. No matter who led this losing battle, winning was out of the question.

Zhuo Qingyao on his back asked, “Master, where are we going?”

Chen Ming smiled, “To find the King Corps sent to kill these geniuses and end them!”

Xue Ziyu, Su Qingyang, Fairy Zi Xia, Liu Mang were caught in a bind. Xue Ziyu’s face never settled. He came from an immortal sect, yet this was the first time he met such a situation, “I just cannot abandon all those Human Kings and let them find their own way out!”

Liu Mang said, “You want to do the impossible! One man’s courage is laughable when up against a King Corps!”

Su Qingyang added, “His Eminence is right. They have come for the specific purpose of killing us, and certainly prepared to see it through to the end. His Eminence won’t leave on his own and waits for a chance to reveal itself. What he’s killing is none other than the enemy’s King Corps. We will all be fleeing while his Eminence, all on his own, will fight them off!”

Fairy Zi Xia’s face turned green. It was just too hard for a righteous disciple from an immortal sect to do this. But she had to concede that Chen Ming was right, that this was a losing battle, “All we can do now, is to give everyone hope! When there’s hope, they will have the desire to fight for their chance at life!”

Xue Ziyu said, “Then let his Eminence be the light that dispels the darkness, the one that shines everyone’s path!”

Fairy Zi Xia said, “I will tell this to everyone. When the Heavenly Tribulation descends, we will seize the moment to strike back, to prevail against this oppression!”

The four geniuses told the ancient immortal sects’ Human Kings to spare nothing in finding the other Human Kings and spread this information. In the end, some of them were killed by the demonic sect, while some were found.

In quick succession, the entire Nine Frozen Springs sank into a deafening silence, the demonic sect also noticing their cover was blown. But what startled them was that these ever arrogant and pompous immortal sects disciples renounced banding together and instead fought them to death.

Deep in a dark cave, a dozen Human Kings were hiding. They didn’t even let the night pearl out. In the ever-present silence, they started whispering, “Did you hear? Another hundred Human Kings ended up dead under the demonic sect’s blade. Some say that the Demon Sovereign alone killed tens of them already.”

This news sends them into a bout of shivering, “They couldn’t have found us, could they?”

“We are in a naturally formed cave, with no signs of human presence. It’s not that easy to detect us.”

“But under their awareness, all are found in the end!”

“Wouldn’t it be better to… fight them till the end?”

One of them bolted to his feet and shouted, “You’re all going to your deaths! A pointless struggle! A struggle that will not change this dire situation!”

Some of them were close to insanity, “Then what are we supposed to do? All we do here is waiting to die! One day, they will find us!”

The one who shouted continued, “At least we still have a chance to live. At the time of Heavenly Tribulation, we shall be delivered from this oppression! ”

They all calmed down in an instant. Yes, they still had hope.

(1)    A saying from On Guerrilla Warfare, by Mao Tse-tung.