Yan Yan Old Ancestor felt the gazes from all directions, which put him under unprecedented pressure.
He had never felt this way even when facing life-or-death crises in the past.
His inclination was to fight, but he also knew that the overall situation was paramount and could not be decided by his single voice.
Furthermore, due to his attitude and identity, he had become the representative of the war faction.
It could be said that his every word and action from now on would concern the future decisions of the Jiuzhou Alliance. Should he stubbornly adhere to his own opinion, or should he yield a step?
Yan Yan Old Ancestor was unusually conflicted.
"Old Ancestor."
At this moment, a voice as faint as a mosquito's hum reached his ears.
Yan Yan Old Ancestor did not need to distinguish to know who the voice belonged to.
He hesitated for a moment, and finally nodded slightly towards Xu Yi.
He conceded.
This decision surprised many, especially the cultivators who leaned more towards the war faction, their hearts stirring.
Even an Old Ancestor of a sect had been persuaded by Xu Yi, so their own opinions would likely not be adopted.
Forget it, forget it.
The overall situation was more important.
Xu Yi received the glance from Yu Xiaoyu not far away, and a sigh of relief escaped him. He couldn't help but feel grateful that he and Ji Buwang had joined Kunlun Academy together back then, forging deep bonds with elite disciples from various major sects. Otherwise, the Jiuzhou Alliance would not have developed so smoothly.
The Kunlun Academy held a transcendent position on the Jiuzhou Continent, but due to its low-key approach, its reputation was not as prominent. The five major sects, which were slightly inferior, enjoyed extremely high prestige and influence on the Jiuzhou Continent.
Moreover, the five major sects had long been in a state of competition, making it difficult to have them in the same camp and coexisting harmoniously.
The current scene of them sitting together was thanks to Ji Buwang and the disciples who could directly face the sect leaders from the other four major sects, such as Bei Xinghan, who had finally escaped from the Wave-Cutting Secret Realm, and the highly respected Xiong Zhuangzhuang.
And the Yan Yan Old Ancestor, who had reacted most fiercely just now, was not only the Old Ancestor of the Daqi Sect but also Yu Xiaoyu's grand-disciple.
Yu Xiaoyu, as the young sect master of the Daqi Sect and a rare female disciple, was greatly favored by Yan Yan Old Ancestor.
And at this moment, Yu Xiaoyu's whispered plea was the last straw that tipped the scales.
After persuading Yan Yan Old Ancestor, Xu Yi immediately took his seat, returning the right to speak to Jingzhi Old Ancestor.
This time, when Jingzhi Old Ancestor proposed the strategy of holding back, no one objected, and a series of plans targeting the demon and devil races commenced once again.
The Jiuzhou Continent once again fell into peace, but everyone knew this was merely the calm before the storm.
Soon, the storm would arrive.
...
"What is the situation?"
"Over thirty thousand demonic beasts have perished, including two demon lords. Countless are injured, and three demon lords are severely wounded."
The Earth Devil lowered his head, not daring to meet the Sky Devil's gaze.
"Thirty thousand demonic beasts!"
Even though he had anticipated it, the Sky Devil could not control his rage, his eyes filled with boundless hatred.
This was nearly one-tenth of the demonic race's population, not to mention the countless injured. And this was merely their first encounter with the human race.
If the situation continued like this, the demonic race would be wiped out after a few more battles.
While the Sky Devil was furious, he had to admit his failure this time, bearing a significant portion of the responsibility.
As the commander, he had underestimated the enemy.
The Sky Devil immediately thought of the spies he had placed in the human race over the years, who were being discovered and eliminated one after another.
From that moment on, the human race had begun to be wary. It was a pity that he, relying on his own perceived strengths, had not taken it to heart. Now, he had stumbled badly, and it was too late for regret.
The Sky Devil's fingers twitched involuntarily.
Was this the best time to summon the Demon King?
The Sky Devil hesitated.
According to the original plan, he would summon the Demon King during the most intense period of the war between the human and demonic races, turning the Jiuzhou Continent into a demon's lair.
Of course, if he could defeat the cultivators of the Jiuzhou Continent without summoning the Demon King, that would be even better.
The current situation was completely beyond his expectations.
The Sky Devil began to consider what would happen if he summoned the Demon King now and let the Demon King witness his incompetence. Then he...
The Sky Devil's eyes snapped shut, and a chill ran down his spine.
No.
He could not do that.
The Sky Devil's gaze flickered with internal struggle. His emotions surged, and he finally made up his mind.
He would try one more time.
This time, he would put in a hundredfold effort and absolutely would not repeat the previous situation.
"Earth Devil!" he suddenly called out.
"Yes!"
The Earth Devil's spirit stiffened.
Here it comes.
"Those cultivators think that by finding out those spies, everything is settled. Now it's time to let them see the methods the demonic race has been cultivating for millennia."
The Earth Devil was startled, then let out a cold sneer.
He knew that the Sky Devil had been doing many things behind its back.
"Come closer and whisper to me."
The Earth Devil suppressed his inner displeasure, stepped forward as instructed, and the tense corners of his mouth soon curved into a slight arc.
After the Sky Devil finished speaking, his eyes gleamed with cold light, exuding fierce aggression.
No wonder the Sky Devil always appeared so confident of victory.
It turned out he had so many hidden trump cards.
The human race would have to shed a layer of skin this time, even if they didn't die.
...
"Zhidu! Zhidu! Get out! Get out here!"
Zhidu opened its eyes and heard the noisy sounds from the barrier, feeling a surge of anger colliding in its chest, ready to erupt at any moment.
It suppressed its anger and ignored the shouting outside. It then looked at its drooping white tail behind it, feeling a pain beyond words.
Its beautiful tail...
"Zhidu! You still have the nerve to lie here? Don't you have anything to say to me!"
The barrier that Zhidu had set up was originally only for early warning. It was forcefully broken through in just a few tries.
"Man Niu, what are you doing?"
"What am I doing? You're actually asking me what I'm doing?" Man Niu stomped its iron hooves heavily on the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. "The human race is not as easy to deal with as we imagined! Some demonic beasts are already clamoring to go back! Don't you have anything to say!"
"Are you regretting it?" Zhidu asked indifferently.
Man Niu paused, then, as if to cover something up, raised its voice and roared, "Yes, I regret it! My Qing Niu clan has lost dozens of members! I hate it! I hate it!"
Man Niu was different from Zhidu.
It did not have such grand ambitions. It simply wanted its Qing Niu clan to prosper.
And this was also why Zhidu had persuaded it to join in the first place.
Vaster lands, more abundant spiritual energy.
But now, it had not seen any benefits, and instead, had lost so many of its kin. This greatly violated the original expectations.
It regretted it!
Deeply regretted it!
Zhidu could clearly see the obvious bloodshot veins in Man Niu's large pupils.
After a long silence, it suddenly laughed.
"It's too late, Man Niu. It's too late for you to regret it now. You can't leave."
Man Niu's expression changed, "What do you mean? Are you threatening me?"
"No, I'm just telling you the truth." Zhidu wore a smile mixed with pity and mockery. "I will not agree to you withdrawing, nor will the demonic race."