MMORPG: War God, You are Invincible Again-Chapter 1436 - 31: Meeting

"Has anyone ever escaped from your grasp?" Lu Hong asked gravely, realizing he might derive a terrifying conclusion from Kofatis.

"No, while two people were trapped by my Ice Seal and initially didn’t perish, within half a day, they would surely die under the frozen seal, with no chance of survival."

Upon receiving Kofatis’s confirmation, a terrifying thought suddenly emerged in Lu Hong’s mind: Perhaps the Great Daoist Venerable and Gu Hai were already dead, and Fu Sang, through resurrection, had returned them to act as undercover agents behind their ranks.

That thought grew wildly, and Lu Hong increasingly felt it was a possibility.

However, to verify the truth of this matter required one last step: Whether the Great Daoist Venerable and Gu Hai had been rescued by external forces. Of course, this point wasn’t crucial, merely differentiating between absolute confirmation and ninety percent likelihood. After all, the Great Daoist Venerable previously claimed he and Gu Hai escaped independently, not saved by anyone, especially since almost no one could free them from the Ice Seal imposed by Kofatis.

At this moment, Lu Hong was mostly sure the Great Daoist Venerable and Gu Hai were dead, replaced by Fu Sang and returned.

Still, such a matter...

Even if Lu Hong was certain the Great Daoist Venerable and Gu Hai had become Fu Sang’s lackeys, how could he prove it?

Tell others Kofatis informed him?

No way, Kofatis was considered an enemy who killed fellow comrades, not just one or two but thousands, a grudge not easily forgotten with mere words.

Kofatis refrained from massacring the Star Sea; otherwise, Lu Hong could not cooperate with Kofatis due to ethical concerns.

Thus, without solid evidence from Kofatis proving the Great Daoist Venerable and Gu Hai’s betrayal, how could Lu Hong substantiate their identity?

Failing to immediately prove the duo’s death and control by Fu Sang, Lu Hong’s accusation towards the Four Major Powers Alliance would seem baseless, especially as Kai Family was tightly bound to Dao Yi True Realm now. Without successful persuasion, internal friction would increase dramatically.

Fu Sang’s plan for an undercover mission would succeed without any need for covert action.

Moreover, a massive Dao Yi True Realm, following the deaths of the Great Daoist Venerable and Gu Hai, lacked anyone able to take charge and steer the situation.

Regardless, Lu Hong didn’t know.

After pondering for a moment, Lu Hong decided to suppress the matter and await the right moment.

However, he must also prepare and respond adequately towards Dao Yi True Realm, maintaining vigilance against the opponent’s schemes.

"Kofatis, indeed, you provided a tremendous help, and I thank you." Without Kofatis, Lu Hong might never have realized the betrayal of the Great Daoist Venerable and Gu Hai, which would have had dire consequences during crisis-ridden moments if both defected.

"No problem, come to me whenever you need assistance. Alright, I need rest now, feel free to leave!" Kofatis, overcome by drowsiness, closed his eyes and blocked out external perceptions, becoming unaware of the world unless Lu Hong physically roused him.

Seeing Kofatis sleep instantly made Lu Hong somewhat envious as few people could fall asleep so promptly amid troubled times.

Lu Hong, though not needing sleep, couldn’t help but admire such simplicity.

Leaving Kofatis’s hiding place, Lu Hong returned to the Star Sea and called a meeting.

Once everyone was seated, Nuoshan impatiently slammed the table and yelled at Lu Hong, "You just had to play bigshot, didn’t you? For ten years, you made us guard Hanqiu Mountain Realm. You want us, Star Sea soldiers, all dead, right?!"

Nuoshan’s roar echoed twice throughout the hall.

Lu Hong chuckled, "Lord Nuoshan, your vigor is admirable. Seems like your health management is impressive!"

"Cut the nonsense and tell us, how should we handle this? And shouldn’t you give us an explanation? How do we guard for ten years?"

Upon hearing Nuoshan’s words, some senior Star Sea members who were unaware looked increasingly uneasy.

Not oblivious, they deciphered the context from Nuoshan’s tone.

It seemed Lu Hong boasted about Star Sea’s ability to independently defend against the Undead Heavenly Calamity for a decade in Hanqiu Mountain Realm.

Realizing this, everyone looked at Lu Hong with hostile eyes.

Indeed, ten years amounts to ten years of warfare; how many Star Sea members would die?

No need for calculations, surpass Star Sea’s capacity, and a single strong individual could slaughter all Star Sea Department entities.

Therefore, tallying damages is pointless.

Facing intense scrutiny from Star Sea’s senior members for the first time, Lu Hong felt undeniable pressure and hastily spoke, "No need to panic, since I dared pledge ten years, I’m not doing it to flaunt, I naturally have my confidence."

"Ha, then tell us, how do we last ten years?" Nuoshan sneered; others remained silent, only Nuoshan and Lu Hong’s wives dared protest, and, oh, the Netherworld God, but he wasn’t present.

"Steady now, steady now, we’re adults, no need to panic." Lu Hong grimaced, sipping tea before explaining, "Perhaps you all are unaware of the Dark Continent Titan and Dao Yi True Realm’s catastrophic defeat?"

Hearing this, everyone exchanged glances, Li An asked, "Did the Undead Heavenly Calamity attack them?"

"They initiated against the Undead Heavenly Calamity but were defeated, crushed by powerful figures amid the Heavenly Calamity, their frontline troops almost entirely obliterated, suffering significant losses."

Lu Hong paused for everyone to digest the intelligence, then continued, "Both sides attributed failures to us, blaming delayed reinforcements and increased pressure from Fu Sang-controlled departments, prompting fierce attacks on them, resulting in disastrous defeats, demanding Star Sea to undertake defending Hanqiu Mountain Realm duties."

Upon hearing, everyone was angered, Eferot smashed his table, shattering tea across.

"Darn it, isn’t this bullying Star Sea? Blaming us? They didn’t communicate military actions, how should we know their operations? Now they blame us for defeat?"

Listening to Eferot rant, Nuoshan calmly advised, "Table repair costs deducted from your salary."

"Uh, no way!" Eferot exclaimed in panic, "How much have you deducted? You’ll leave me utterly destitute!"

Nuoshan coldly chuckled, "No worries, your wife’s salary can sustain, but your knees might buckle for months."

Faced with this, Eferot seemed utterly defeated.

Lu Hong refrained from engaging in banter, motioning everyone to quiet before continuing, "Although they’ve thrown blame on Star Sea, we cannot avoid consequences. However, I’m not foolishly admitting it’s Star Sea’s fault. Yet, the magnitude of defeat for Dark Continent Titan and Dao Yi True Realm was enormous, leaving their elite troops decimated. Given extended recuperation, I decided Star Sea would guard for ten years. Naturally, I understand vigilance against the formidable threat of Undead Heavenly Calamity decimating two major forces. How then could we withstand their assaults? Rest assured, I’ve considered this; in the next decade, Star Sea might not endure mass attacks unless proactively engaging. Should we remain defensive, the Undead Heavenly Calamity likely won’t vie with us."