Chapter 303 This dungeon starts with Hell Difficulty
"Everyone." Xiao Yu's voice suddenly rose.
"What you saw today is the truth that our world is facing."
"This land beneath our feet, the home we have protected for generations, is being eaten away and destroyed bit by bit from the inside out by an enemy from outside the world."
"The Nether Rift isn't a natural disaster, but a breach created by the enemy. The enemy has also planted three holes within us that are poised to explode at any moment."
"Once those three beacons are fully activated and the main force of the evil demons descends, everything will be destroyed, and nothing will be spared."
"So, I summoned you all here today to tell you."
Xiao Yu's gaze became extremely fierce, making it almost impossible for everyone present to breathe.
"From today, from now on, put aside all your political differences, all your sectarianism, and all your trivial grudges and hatreds."
"Because we have a common and only enemy."
"This king has decided to integrate the power of the Great Zhou Dynasty court, the military, and all the sects of the Xuanmen Sect to establish the 'World Protection Alliance' with the sole goal of fighting against the evil demons from outer space."
"Ministry of War, immediately put all troops across the country into the highest state of combat readiness. The Ministry of Revenue will inventory the national treasury and allocate all resources to the military. Xuantian Division will unite with all major sects to form a monastic battle group and be ready to remove the Dao sign at any time."
"This war is not about expanding territory or changing dynasties, but only about... survival."
"Who is in favor, who is against." Xiao Yu looked around the audience.
After a brief silence.
Generalissimo Meng Qing was the first to kneel down on one knee. "The army swears to follow His Majesty and protect our country until death."
Immediately afterwards, Lingyun, the head of Tianji Pavilion, also stepped forward and bowed to Xiao Yu.
"The entire Xuanmen community is willing to obey the prince's orders and fight against the evil together."
With the help of his colleagues, Grand Tutor Li stood up tremblingly and bowed deeply to Xiao Yu.
"This old minister... seconded the motion."
"Your Highness and I second the motion."
The secret meeting in the Council Hall ended.
Those court officials who usually lived a life of luxury and the high-ranking Xuanmen sect leaders walked out of the hall in a daze.
There were only a handful of people left in the hall.
Xiao Yu, Chu Xuanyi, Ajiu, and the Grand Marshal of the Army Meng Qing.
A huge sand table map was lifted up, replacing the previous water mirror, on which the mountains and rivers of the Zhou Dynasty were clearly visible.
Three of the locations were marked with three shocking red circles by Chu Xuanyi using cinnabar.
Southern Xinjiang, one hundred thousand volcanoes.
In the east, there is a forest of corruption.
The capital city, the ruins of Shenji.
"Sigh..." Chu Xuanyi sighed deeply, feeling as if all the bones in his body had been pulled out. "I take back what I said before. This isn't a sieve, it's a fucking hornet's nest. We're going to stir up that hornet's nest now."
Meng Qing's expression was also extremely solemn at this moment. He stared at the sand table and said, "Your Highness, there are three landmarks. Which one should we attack first?"
"The location of the Shenji ruins in the capital is the most sensitive and dangerous," Xiao Yu's finger gently tapped the red circle in the capital, his eyes cold. "It is buried under the feet of all of us, like a bomb in the heart. Moving it will inevitably cause the greatest shock, and may even be noticed by the evil demons, causing it to explode prematurely. Therefore, we cannot touch this in the capital until we are absolutely sure."
Chu Xuanyi nodded in agreement. "Indeed, the Corrupted Forest is just as troublesome. According to the ancient records of the Xuantian Division, that forest itself exudes a strange aura, as if connected to some other dimension, where the laws are in chaos. Most importantly, it's too close to the eastern coast. If improperly handled, it could lead to widespread law contamination. Tens of millions of people along the entire eastern coast would instantly become food for the evil."
He paused and pointed to the last red circle with a bitter look on his face.
"So, after eliminating the two wrong answers, the only correct answer left is this one, the one I least want to choose."
Everyone's eyes were focused on the endless volcanoes in southern Xinjiang painted with red cinnabar.
One hundred thousand volcanoes.
"Southern Xinjiang is vast and sparsely populated, with a harsh environment, rife with poisonous miasma, and roaming with strange beasts," Meng Qing analyzed gravely. "By choosing that as our first target, even if something unexpected happens during the operation, the impact can be minimized. Strategically, this is indeed the best choice."
"Strategically, it's correct," Chu Xuanyi couldn't help but roll his eyes. "But from an execution perspective, this place is a hellish start. Marshal Meng, you've never been to that damn place. The miasma there would turn even a Grandmaster into a pool of pus within half an hour if they took a breath. Not to mention the bizarre-looking venomous insects there. Some are bigger than a palm and can spray venom, while others are thinner than a hair and can burrow into your brain and eat your brain marrow."
"And then there are those unruly barbarian tribes, all of them eating raw meat and drinking blood, treating us Central Plains people like two-legged sheep, beating them up whenever they see us. Oh, and the star map at the observatory shows that damned beacon is right in the heart of the volcanic cluster, entangled with the earth's fire veins throughout southern Xinjiang."
He looked at Xiao Yu and spread his hands. "Your Highness, here comes the problem. That thing is mixed with the underground lava, just like dough. You are in me and I am in you. How can we pull it out? Take a big sword and chop it down? I guarantee that if the beacon is destroyed, the entire southern Xinjiang plate will be blown up with it. The scene will be more spectacular than the fireworks during the New Year."
Although he spoke casually, everyone present understood the danger behind his words.
Forced destruction will trigger a super volcanic eruption affecting the entire southern Xinjiang, with unimaginable consequences.
"Therefore, the army cannot advance," Xiao Yu said with finality. "A conventional army entering the Hundred Thousand Volcanoes would be tantamount to committing suicide. This time, I will personally lead an elite team deep into the core of the volcano to carry out the cleanup mission."
"Your Highness, no," Meng Qing knelt on one knee upon hearing this. "You are the commander-in-chief of the alliance, a life worth millions. How can you risk your life in person? I am willing to lead the way and go in your place."
"General Meng, your mission is more important than mine." Xiao Yu raised his hand and helped him up. "I need you to lead 300,000 border troops, as well as the outer disciples of the Xuantian Division and the major sects, to completely encircle the entire Hundred Thousand Volcanoes area. Remember, it means completely encircled, not even a fly can fly out."
A cold glint flashed in his eyes. "Once we go in, we don't know what we'll alarm. I don't care if it's a demon or a mad beast that comes out. You have only one mission, and that is to kill them all outside the defense line. Don't let even the slightest bit of pollution leak out of Southern Xinjiang."
Meng Qing sensed the resolve in Xiao Yu's words. He solemnly clasped his fists and accepted the order, "General, I obey."
"As for the selection of the team..." Xiao Yu's eyes swept over Chu Xuanyi and Ajiu who had been quietly staying beside him, "You two must go."
"Alright," Chu Xuanyi shrugged. "I knew I couldn't escape. One of us is responsible for technical support, and the other is responsible for positioning. Your Highness has arranged everything for us clearly."
Ah Jiu nodded obediently, "Yes, I'll go with Brother Xiong Xiong."
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