Chapter 1401: Human Dilemma

A faint glimmer of dawn rose from the horizon.

That night, the leadership of humanity's five major domains had not slept a wink.

High above the Xuanyu Domain, a colossal base floated and spun, bustling with countless staff. On a glass observation deck at its highest level, several figures stood, buffeted by the wind, gazing into the distance.

"Jian Changsheng, are you certain your source is reliable?" The Xuanyu Base Commander's brow furrowed slightly.

"Absolutely reliable."

Jian Changsheng nodded without hesitation.

"Then why are you unwilling to reveal your source?"

"I..." Jian Changsheng hesitated. "I can tell you, but you might not believe it..."

Jian Changsheng had absolute trust in Chen Ling, but to other domains, a warning of an apocalyptic attack delivered by an apocalyptic disaster itself would seem far too fantastical.

The Xuanyu Domain's high-ranking officials exchanged glances, revealing expressions that said, "Just as we thought."

Jian Changsheng had been confined to the Xuanyu Domain for some time, and his sudden acquisition of information about the apocalyptic disaster was in itself highly improbable. Moreover, it was well-known that Jian Changsheng's former comrade was Heart Six, and incidents of killing in dreams had reportedly occurred in the South Sea Domain recently.

All these factors combined, the Xuanyu Domain's high-ranking officials had, in fact, more or less guessed the source of the information. However, after careful deliberation, they still chose to notify other domains, placing all of them on maximum alert.

"I know what you're worried about," Tian Huai said calmly.

"But the Scarlet Star is already upon us, and given the timing, they must be getting restless. Even if Heart Six might be relaying false intelligence, we cannot gamble. This time, we choose to believe him."

"But it's already dawn," another Eighth-Ranker said, "and there's still no sign from the calamities in the Void Mountains. It's the same in the other domains."

"No activity is the greatest concern," the Xuanyu Domain Head said gravely. "There is always calm before the storm. Notify the front lines to maintain vigilance. They must not relax their guard just because it's daytime."

"Understood!"

Seeing this, Jian Changsheng's heart eased slightly. He had feared the human domains' leadership wouldn't believe Chen Ling, but it seemed they were wise after all.

From the corner of his eye, Jian Changsheng noticed a figure in a Tang suit standing by the railing, frowning and gazing into the distance. He couldn't help but ask:

"Diamond, do you see anything?"

Sun Bumian stared at the edge of the domain, golden light and black swirling continuously in his pupils, as if he were peering into the ebb and flow of auspicious and ominous energies.

His expression was exceedingly solemn.

"...No, nothing," Sun Bumian sighed lightly.

"No, don't sigh like that! A sigh from you makes me uneasy..." Jian Changsheng's heart immediately leaped to his throat again.

"If they truly launch an all-out attack, can the Xuanyu Domain, in its current state, still hold out?" The Xuanyu Base Commander, ignoring Jian Changsheng's and Sun Bumian's conversation, looked directly at Tian Huai.

"...Difficult," Tian Huai replied truthfully. "The war of attrition over the past few months has almost depleted the Esoteric Sect's combat strength. If not for the reinforcements from the Lingxu and South Sea Domains, and the assistance of General Jian and his team, we likely wouldn't have lasted this long..."

"If they truly launch a desperate, all-out assault, our chances of holding out are less than 10%."

"And the Delusion Calamity still hasn't made its move."

At this, everyone fell silent.

If the calamities from the Void Mountains were the enemies plaguing the Xuanyu Domain, then the Delusion Calamity, which had left no trace to date, was the Sword of Damocles hanging over the entire domain, keeping everyone on edge.

For months, the Xuanyu Domain's leadership had barely slept soundly. No one knew when the Delusion Calamity would appear, or when the Xuanyu Domain would face a life-or-death crisis. This constant, high-stakes tension was far more terrifying than directly confronting the Delusion Calamity itself.

"They have the Delusion Calamity, but don't we also have Lord Xuanyu?" Jian Changsheng asked, puzzled.

"Summoning Lord Xuanyu from another time isn't that simple," the Xuanyu Base Commander said, shaking his head. "Not only is the summoning process extremely complex, but he can only remain in this era for a very short time. We've already brought the Master of the Sky-Piercing Pagoda to the Xuanyu Domain in advance, so if the Delusion Calamity appears early, we will still have time to summon Lord Xuanyu..."

"Isn't Lord Xuanyu right here?" Jian Changsheng asked, pointing to the glass platform beneath their feet. "What if we awaken him directly?"

"Yes, he is here," the Xuanyu Base Commander said after a pause. "But once we truly awaken his main body, it means he will leave his dormant state and age at an extremely rapid rate. And the Xuanyu Domain... will also begin its countdown to destruction.

Lord Xuanyu is the lifeline of this domain, our ultimate trump card. His awakening signifies our complete defeat; it is the final, mutually destructive option.

This holds true not only for our Xuanyu Domain but for Cangyun and Lingxu as well."

The image of the Aurora Domain's destruction immediately flashed in Jian Changsheng's mind.

Yes, the human domains of today are not without the means to resist apocalyptic calamities. However, once they deploy their ultimate trump card—the Nine Lords—it signifies the irreversible demise of an entire domain.

Without awakening the Nine Lords, humanity cannot defeat the apocalypse. Yet, awakening them means humanity can only watch itself descend into the abyss.

It was an unsolvable conundrum.

"However, the good news is that the Turbid Calamity is more adept at remote attacks using plants and doesn't possess strong surprise assault capabilities, so we still have a fighting chance," the Xuanyu Base Commander added, seemingly sensing the dip in morale.

A low wail —

A low horn blast echoed from the distance, and everyone's gaze sharpened, snapping towards the front lines.

There, at the edge of the horizon, a dense, black tide, like restless ocean waves, surged overwhelmingly towards the Xuanyu Domain. Its scale was many times greater than any previous calamity assault!

Just as Jian Changsheng had forewarned, the calamities of the Void Mountains had now emerged in full force.

As the wave of calamity rolled forth, a foul-smelling hurricane swept across the sky. On the observation deck at the top of the Xuanyu Base, the garments of the figures flapped wildly in the wind!

Jian Changsheng spoke in a deep voice:

"...They're here!"

The Tian Shu Domain.

BOOM—!!

Frenzied, ferocious skeletal behemoths desperately charged towards the distant Tian Shu Domain!

As their massive feet stomped the ground, the soil in some areas immediately caved in. The electric grid landmines, already deployed by the Sky-Piercing Pagoda, were instantly triggered, and countless ferocious bolts of lightning erupted from deep within the earth, blasting the leading behemoths directly into pieces!