Chapter 574: Instantly Playing the Trump Card!
At some unknown moment, a member of the Ghost Clan had appeared amidst them. This was a ninth-order Ghost Clan entity, and its appearance was identical to the one that had self-destructed earlier!
The Ghost Clan had truly gone mad, even bringing out a ninth-order to self-destruct!
Emperor Kong and his entourage quickly retreated, enveloping their entire bodies with their domain for protection. A tremendous blast resounded as the ninth-order Ghost Clan self-destructed.
The sky seemed to turn completely white. Whether human or Ghost Clan below, all closed their eyes. The power of the ninth-order Ghost Clan's self-destruction was simply astounding.
After a while, the blinding light began to gradually fade. When they looked back to the sky, Emperor Kong and the others were still there, albeit looking rather disheveled.
“Cough, cough. If it weren't for the Psychic shield, I would have been gravely injured or dead," Eastern Emperor remarked, examining his tattered clothes with a lingering sense of dread.
Originally, the ninth-order Ghost Clan was stronger than them. Coupled with the explosive power, they felt as if they were about to meet their end. Fortunately, they had dual protections: the Psychic shield and their domain, which just barely shielded them.
However, to counteract the explosive force, their Psychic shield device was now damaged beyond repair. Even their domains had suffered significantly. Continuing the battle would be perilous, especially if the Ghost Clan decided to deploy another self-destruct.
"Why has the Ghost Clan gone mad? Not just eighth-order, but even ninth-order ones are self-destructing. Are they preparing for a desperate resistance? Weren’t their high-ranking members planning to escape via Warship?" Emperor Yu was puzzled.
It wasn't just this battlefield. Other battlefields also witnessed self-destructing Ghost Clan elites. The Restoration Army and the human alliance, which lacked the luxury of Red Alert Base's equipment, suffered heavy casualties, prompting a temporary halt in their offensive.
Marshal’s face was grave. This single wave of suicidal attacks had cost him at least five to six elites, among which many were Seventh Order elites on the verge of breaking into the eighth order. These were the cream of the crop from the human alliance.
"What's gotten into the Ghost Clan? Are they so desperate that they want to take a chunk out of us before they perish?" Marshal said solemnly.
"My subordinates reported to me. The Ghost Clan detonated eight eighth-order members, killing one of our eighth-order elites and at least two hundred thousand soldiers. Those were our elites!" Prince Hewlett said, his face turning a shade of blue with rage.
Only the representative of Red Alert Empire remained indifferent, silent, seemingly in a detached state.
"Did the Red Alert Empire suffer no losses?" Marshal’s gaze rested on the representative, seeking some solace, given the heavy losses suffered by the Restoration Army.
The representative nonchalantly replied, “We only lost some soldiers. Our elites are all fine.”
“What? Impossible!” Marshal exclaimed in disbelief. He knew the terror of such self-destructing actions, especially from eighth-order elites.
“Marshal, are you suggesting you’re unhappy with our elites being unharmed?” The representative squinted, a hint of coldness evident in his eyes.
Marshal was momentarily taken aback by the audacity of the challenge. He realized he had misspoken and promptly said, “My apologies. The self-destruction of the Ghost Clan is indeed powerful. How did your elites manage?”
“Luck, no special reason,” the representative said dismissively.
Marshal’s temples throbbed with irritation. If not for their alliance, he might have lost his temper.
“Marshal, now is not the time for this. We must strategize on how to counter the Ghost Clan’s tactics. We can't just let the army deal with it. If the Ghost Clan elites take the field, we’ll be in deep trouble,” Prince Hewlett interjected.
After a lengthy discussion, they still couldn't find an effective countermeasure. The Ghost Clan seemed fearless even in the face of death. How could they fight that?
This was truly a case of playing the trump card at the slightest disagreement!
If the situation continued as it was, even if they managed to wipe out the Ghost Clan, humanity would suffer grievous losses, which was contrary to what they had envisioned.
"Your Highness, there’s new intel from the front."
A soldier from the Restoration Army approached and relayed the latest news.
“The Ghost Clan has sent envoys for peace talks.”
Upon hearing this, everyone present was stunned. First, the Ghost Clan played their trump card, and now they were seeking negotiations? Was this some kind of joke?
“Are you certain this isn't misinformation?” Marshal asked with skepticism.
“The message is accurate,” the soldier confirmed.
After dismissing the soldier, Marshal pondered, “What are the Ghost Clan's intentions? Do they believe there’s still a chance for peace negotiations under these circumstances?”
Ever since the emergence of the Ghost Clan, they had eradicated countless humans, reducing the population of Yan Yun Star to a historic low. Under such circumstances, peace talks seemed impossible to Prince Hewlett.
The hatred between the two sides was too deep, beyond reconciliation.
If only Marshal knew the situation on Earth, perhaps he would have had a different perspective. But Earth's situation was different and couldn't be simply equated here.
“We cannot negotiate peace!”
“We can negotiate peace!”
Two voices rang out simultaneously.
Marshal turned his gaze to the representative, who had voiced the latter sentiment.
“What do you mean? Do you truly believe, under these conditions, that humans can negotiate peace with the Ghost Clan?” Marshal asked, his tone sharp.
Undeterred by Marshal’s glare, the representative declared, “Why not? As you’ve seen, the Ghost Clan has reached its limits. If cornered, they might resort to more suicide attacks. Today, we lost a few eighth-order elites and hundreds of thousands of soldiers. But what if they silently infiltrate our cities? Even without self-destruction, they can easily slaughter countless civilians.”
“Marshal, do you truly believe we can eliminate every single Ghost Clan member?”
Marshal was silent, knowing the sheer challenge of such an undertaking.
While Yan Yun Star was vast enough to hide millions, the Ghost Clan also had the Underworld. The complete extermination of the Ghost Clan was an objective even Marshal found hard to believe in.
“But I can't accept a peace negotiation!” Marshal exclaimed.
The representative smirked, “Of course, not real peace talks. We need time, and so does the Ghost Clan.” (To be continued)
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