Chapter 172: Chapter 172: You’re Using the Lives of Your Own People to Threaten Those Who Came to Help?

The Cold Energy Monsters surged forward, relentlessly driving back the survivors of the allied nations on the Ice Continent.

Only when their losses began to mount and their own interests were threatened did they finally start getting serious.

Through overwhelming saturation strikes, they finally managed to halt the Cold Energy Monsters’ advance.

After that, they naturally fell into a stalemate.

The Cold Energy Monsters continued to send a steady stream of reinforcements, while the allied survivors used thermal weapons to kill them and hold the line.

During this time, they even managed to severely wound a Venerable-level Cold Energy Monster, which was the allied survivors’ greatest achievement in the war so far.

But soon, a serious problem emerged.

Supplies.

The allied survivors had occupied the Ice Continent for too short a time. They hadn’t properly established any development or production infrastructure before being besieged by the Cold Energy Monsters.

As a result, their material reserves were being depleted at a visibly alarming rate.

At this intensity of combat, they could last a month at most before their supplies, even if not completely exhausted, would be too low to sustain the fight.

Before this, the Ice Continent had been sustained by leeching resources from other regions.

Now, not only were those supply lines cut off, but what little they had was being utterly destroyed by the Cold Energy Monsters.

The Venerable-level Cold Energy Monsters were no fools. They had surely gathered intelligence in advance, and knowing this, they had long since laid their plans.

Therefore, if the allied survivors couldn’t end the war with the Cold Energy Monsters within a month, death would be all that awaited them.

This was an outcome no one could accept.

However, a turning point soon appeared. A group of self-proclaimed Cultivators from the Ancient Era came to visit the leaders of the allied nations.

"Senior Dragon’s Roar, may I ask how you all survived the period of weakening cold energy?" Speaker Zhong of the Holy Union Conference asked, his expression fervent.

They didn’t really care about getting help.

It wouldn’t matter if the Ice Continent was lost; it would even be acceptable if all their people died.

As long as they could preserve their immortality and immense power, things like influence and authority could always be rebuilt later.

"We have all read the letter you left, Senior Dragon’s Roar. We thought we would never have the fortune of meeting you, so to see that you have survived safely is truly a joyous occasion," Zhongling added, laying on the flattery.

Dragon Roar Daoist forced a smile. He had been sent here on a mission to aid the allied nations, to help them drive back the Cold Energy Monsters and allow the Human Race to establish a firm foothold on the Ice Continent.

But upon his arrival, while he was indeed given a warm reception, the process and the outcome were completely different from what he had imagined.

’Upon meeting them, neither Speaker Zhong nor the other council members seemed to care about the outcome of the war. Instead, all they wanted from him was a method to survive after the cold energy vanished.’

’It was a real eye-opener.’

’He had never imagined that such a group of selfish individuals could have usurped such high positions of power.’

’It was simply unbelievable.’

"Let us speak of this matter later. The most urgent task at hand is to help you, Speaker, drive back the Cold Beasts. The Human Race must..." Dragon Roar Daoist said, steeling himself.

But this topic failed to capture the attention of Zhongling and the others.

Zhongling cut Dragon Roar Daoist off dismissively. "It’s a minor ailment. Senior Dragon’s Roar, you’ve heard of nuclear bombs, I presume?"

"We are simply unwilling to make a move. Otherwise, even a so-called Venerable would be reduced to ash by a nuclear blast."

"The power of a nuke is more than enough to annihilate that horde of monsters."

"Let’s return to the method of survival. We have given it a great deal of thought."

Zhongling’s words left Dragon Roar Daoist’s scalp tingling with shock.

’This is horrifying. How can such a person exist?’

’He can’t even distinguish his priorities. Has his brain been eaten by worms or something?’

"But when I came to the Ice Continent, I saw bodies littering the lands everywhere. Why don’t you end the fighting first, Speaker Zhong? Afterward, I can explain the details to you," Dragon Roar Daoist said, forcing himself to continue despite his revulsion.

’So it turns out you could have held your ground all along, but you chose not to act because of your own selfish interests.’

’These were the worst rulers he had ever seen.’

Hearing this, Zhongling frowned. "It’s nothing but a little hardship. We couldn’t possibly trouble you to be so concerned, Senior."

"Please, Senior, impart the method to us first. Once we have the means to survive, we will certainly give you a satisfactory answer."

In his eyes, the deaths of a few people were no big deal.

’On second thought, if he could use this matter to gain leverage over Dragon Roar Daoist, that would be even better.’

Those words nearly made Dragon Roar Daoist lose his composure. ’Using the lives of your own people to blackmail someone who came to help you? What kind of twisted logic is that?’

"The method of survival is complex and convoluted. Furthermore, it was imparted to me by the Taiyin Celestial Monarch. If you wish to learn it, Speaker Zhong, you must wait for the Taiyin Celestial Monarch to teach you. It is not my place to pass it on privately," Dragon Roar Daoist said, forced to reveal this piece of information.

’There was no so-called method of survival. There was only assimilation.’

Thus, Dragon Roar Daoist had nothing to give him.

"The Taiyin Celestial Monarch is still alive?" Zhongling’s expression was one of shock, quickly followed by delight. "Then, when will Senior Taiyin be arriving? We will prepare a grand ceremony to welcome him."

"Well, that is currently unclear. Taiyin is occupied with an important matter and cannot get away," Dragon Roar Daoist said.

This part was true. Dealing with the "person of destiny" was a convoluted and deeply-rooted problem, not one that could be easily resolved.

"Then is there anything we can do to help? Although we are besieged on the Ice Continent, we still have the spare capacity to offer some assistance," Zhongling said, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"This matter concerns Taiyin’s path of Qi Cultivation. Outsiders cannot interfere."

"But if all goes well, he should arrive to help in ten days or so." Dragon Roar Daoist was deliberately vague as he spoke.

However, Zhongling could tell the other party was unwilling to say more, so he didn’t press the issue.

Asking further would be impolite.

"Excellent. Then we shall await the Taiyin Celestial Monarch’s arrival," Zhongling said without hesitation.

"And the matter of the Cold Beasts..." Dragon Roar Daoist had to ask, seeing as the other man hadn’t mentioned it at all.

"There’s no hurry. After the Taiyin Celestial Monarch arrives, we will invite him to watch a fireworks show."

"A fireworks extravaganza with that so-called Venerable as the offering." Zhongling indicated that it wouldn’t be too late to deal with it after the Taiyin Celestial Monarch arrived.

At that moment, Dragon Roar Daoist could feel his blood pressure soaring.

’What kind of bizarre statement was that?’

Seeing that he had no way of persuading the man, Dragon Roar Daoist could only nod helplessly.

"Since Speaker Zhong has already made a decision, it is not my place to interfere further." Dragon Roar Daoist understood that the situation had gone completely beyond the Taiyin Celestial Monarch’s expectations, and he could no longer control its direction.

"Excellent. Someone come, please see Dragon’s Roar and the other seniors to their rest. Treat them with the hospitality befitting guests of a state banquet," Zhongling said directly.

It sounded pleasant, but in reality, it was a disguised form of house arrest.

Having finally gotten their hands on these humans from the Ancient Times, Zhongling and his people were determined to get what they wanted.

Things were cordial for now, but if their demands weren’t met, they would surely turn hostile.

Hearing this, Dragon Roar Daoist could only nod. "Then we will be troubling Speaker Zhong. However, there is no need for the state banquet treatment. We have no need for such extravagance."

’He understood his situation perfectly.’

’As for leaving, that was probably impossible. He could sense many people outside who had practiced the Qi Cultivation Method, and they were armed with firearms.’

’There were quite a few of them. He might not die, but he would definitely be injured.’

He had come to provide support, only to end up a prisoner. The situation left Dragon Roar Daoist feeling extremely aggrieved.

’These people had no honor, tricking an old man like him.’

Of course, they had also miscalculated the attitude of Zhongling and his people. Normally, they would have been treated with courtesy—and they were, on the surface—but in reality, it was house arrest.

It was a superficial attitude; their true attitude was that they didn’t respect them in the slightest.

"How could that be? You seniors have traveled a great distance to aid us. We understand the proper etiquette," Zhongling replied with false courtesy.

Dragon Roar Daoist gave him a long, hard look but said nothing.

Zhongling was unconcerned by Dragon Roar Daoist’s glare. The fact that he dared to do this meant he held all the cards.

Then, someone entered and led Dragon Roar Daoist and the others away to the rooms that had been arranged for them.

-----------------

"They actually went to help the Ice Continent, and so many of them," Qi Suian remarked. He, of course, had received news of Dragon Roar Daoist and his group’s situation immediately.

"It seems they really do have a connection with each other."

"This is great news. To think I managed to fish out so many of them at once."

Qi Suian was certain this was his "protagonist halo" building up for a huge payoff, squeezing out every possible advantage for him all at once.

’All he had to do was go and reap the rewards.’

"You think that’s all of them?" Qi Suian asked.

[The probability is high. Therefore, I suggest you capture this group of the third kind as soon as possible to avoid any complications.]

"I know. And this Speaker Zhong... he’s really something else."

"Without him, weakening the survivor faction’s numbers would have been no easy task."

"With this batch of the third kind as fuel, I think the Tai Sui God should be able to evolve again," Qi Suian said, his eyes narrowing.

[Yes. However, I advise you not to be hasty in using them as fuel. It would be best to prioritize interrogation to find out their true purpose.]

[Perhaps it’s the source of the cold energy.]

The AI’s words made Qi Suian instantly realize something.

’People don’t show up without a reason. To this group of the third kind, the survivors were not their kinsmen.’

’Furthermore, it made no difference to them who won or lost.’

’After all, in the many eras they had lived through, the Cold Energy Monsters had always been in charge.’

’The human survivors being in charge wouldn’t really affect them either.’

’For them to rush over now, claiming to be aiding the survivors... they must have some other objective.’

"Let’s not worry about that for now. First, let’s catch them all in one fell swoop," Qi Suian said, not wanting to speculate further. Only after he had them in his grasp could he plan his next move.

As for Zhongling and his people? Qi Suian couldn’t give a damn about them. If it weren’t for their constant blundering, he would have killed them long ago.