The next morning.
Lin Yu had just gotten out of bed and stepped out of his room when he looked up and noticed a drastic change in the sky.
Numerous void trains, like colossal dragons, were emerging from the distance.
Adventurers, both surprised and delighted, pointed and chattered at the sight of the void trains.
"Is something big happening? Why are there so many?"
"No, those are military void trains. The army is coming!"
"It seems something truly significant is unfolding. We should prepare ourselves too."
A sense of impending storm began to weigh on everyone, and worry gnawed at their hearts.
While some were filled with fear, others brimmed with fighting spirit.
For instance, the adventurers who had previously scavenged Lin Yu's fallen comrades were eagerly anticipating the outbreak of war.
With war came an inevitable surge in corpses, meaning they could trade for even more Flesh and Blood Pills from Lin Yu.
If Lin Yu could hear their thoughts, he would undoubtedly scoff, "You're thinking too much."
In this battle, he wouldn't be so ostentatious.
He understood the principle of "the nail that sticks out gets hammered."
Looking up, the void trains slowly descended, docking on the open ground outside the base.
The gates opened, and heavily armed soldiers emerged, escorting array masters from the void trains.
"Everyone, a great war is about to begin. The base's arrays will be reinforced comprehensively. Please refrain from leaving the base for now and clear the way!"
No one dared to obstruct them, and they promptly made way.
After these individuals had passed, they looked on with confusion.
Many had already guessed what was happening and began to make preparations.
This day was destined to be anything but peaceful.
Some departed from the Southeast Base, others headed for the Central Base, and some vanished without a trace.
These shifts within the human race did not escape the notice of other races.
A thousand miles north of the Human Central Base, a territory was guarded by an alien race.
This location was of paramount importance to them as their spatial gateway was situated here.
The only distinction between this race and humans was the presence of a tail.
They were not called humans but Tianshen.
The Tianshen, bearing the word "shen" (god), were naturally extraordinary.
At birth, they possessed a strength of over a thousand jin, far surpassing that of humans.
When categorized by combat power, a Tianshen was born with Tier 1 strength. As they grew, upon reaching adulthood, they typically possessed Tier 5 strength.
However, this race was scarce in number, with only tens of millions.
After reaching adulthood, they were virtually invincible within the same realm. Yet, they found it difficult to break through to higher realms, and their cultivation speed was slower than that of humans. Consequently, they did not have many peak powerhouses, but their mid-tier powerhouses were innumerable.
Thus, despite their formidable talent, they could only occupy a corner, as their capacity for expansion was limited.
At this moment.
Within the Tianshen Imperial Palace.
The Emperor sat on his throne and declared, "The Wind God Dragon Realm has begun to deal with the humans!"
The Prime Minister nodded and asked, "Should we offer the humans some assistance?"
The Great General objected, "Absolutely not! Humans are cunning. If we help them, we might end up being betrayed. Don't you recall how many times those human merchants have cheated us?"
The Emperor had initially considered helping the humans.
After all, humans and Tianshen were very similar in appearance, differing only by a tail.
However, the thought of those deceitful human merchants filled him with rage.
Years ago, due to their similar forms, humans and Tianshen had enjoyed a period of cordial relations, exchanging resources.
But after a few years, they discovered their own country had become impoverished.
Investigations revealed that a group of human merchants, using seemingly legitimate means, had siphoned off a vast amount of Tianshen wealth.
Upon discovering this, the Emperor was incensed, arresting some of the merchants and confiscating their assets.
The Tianshen considered humans to be fraudulent merchants, but humans viewed it as normal business practice, and the Tianshen were simply unable to play the game.
Following this incident, humans dared not venture into Tianshen territory. They realized these people were too straightforward, making business there too risky.
Consequently, the relationship between the two races plummeted to an all-time low. While not to the point of open conflict, interaction became infrequent.
The Prime Minister pondered, "Your Majesty, the Wind God Dragon Realm's intentions are crystal clear. If we do not aid the humans and they fall, their next target will very likely be us, wouldn't it?"
The Great General snorted, "There are over a dozen other races surrounding Guixu, each stronger than the humans. We can seek cooperation with other races!"
The Prime Minister glared at him dismissively. "Do you know that the other races are beast-like? They have always been at odds with us Tianshen, even viewing us as food. Do you think we can cooperate with them?"
The Great General was rendered speechless.
The Blue Star, known as the Hub of All Realms, was a convergence of countless races, broadly categorized into several types.
Humanoid, Bestial, Spiritual, and Aberrant.
Humanoids were those with human-like forms, differing from humans perhaps by an extra tail, a pair of wings, or horns.
They were largely similar to humans.
Bestial races, however, resembled ferocious beasts and monstrous creatures, with forms utterly unlike humans, even viewing each other as prey.
Despite their formidable strength, the Tianshen were too few in number to possess the capacity for expansion, thus confined to their territory.
By guarding Guixu, they could hunt countless fierce beasts.
They had initially expected to develop gradually for several hundred years, but instead, they were met with an invasion of alien beasts.
If it were an ordinary race, they would have immediately engaged in battle. However, facing the alien beast race required caution.
If they were of the bestial type, surrender might have been an option. But as humanoid beings, surrender was not an option; defeat meant only being consumed as food.
"Your Majesty, we are as inseparable as the lips and teeth. I implore Your Majesty to reconsider!"
The Emperor fell silent.
He pondered for a long time, comparing humans and alien races. He suddenly realized that humans were quite agreeable.
If they fell into the hands of alien races, they wouldn't even qualify as slaves.
They would either be kept as pets or as food.
The thought sent a shiver down his spine.
No!
They must not be defeated!
They must plan ahead.
"I have decided. We shall unite with the humans!" the Emperor resolved. "Great General, lead our warriors and station them at the border. When the alien beast race retreats, strike them fiercely and annihilate them completely!"
Though the Great General was displeased, he had to obey the Emperor's decree.
"Yes, your subordinate will not fail this mission."
"Prime Minister!"
"Your servant is here!"
"Go and mobilize the army's provisions, ensuring the logistics for the troops. If we lose this war, our race will have no choice but to retreat to the Tianshen Realm."
The thought of the Tianshen Realm caused his brow to furrow.
The Tianshen Realm was vast, but an ancient war among gods had shattered the world into fragments, lowering its level by several tiers. The world was now plagued by frequent natural disasters, with the world itself on the brink of destruction. Thus, the Blue Star was now a survival ground they could not afford to lose.
The Great General and the Prime Minister understood this. They bowed and departed to make preparations.
Meanwhile.
At the alien beast encampment.
In the main tent, a four-winged Wyvern sat on a chair.
As its purple wings flickered, the surrounding temperature dropped by several degrees.
"Report!"
A small bird flew in rapidly, crying out urgently.
"What is it?" the four-winged Wyvern asked leisurely.
"The humans are mobilizing their forces, showing every sign of a major conflict with our race!"
The four-winged Wyvern glanced around. The alien beasts on either side burst into laughter.
"Little humans, reacting now is too late!"
"Once our army is fully assembled, these humans will be easily vanquished!"
"After victory, I shall raise a litter of humans!"
The four-winged Wyvern also chuckled, "Mere humans are not even worthy of being slaves. As for the Tianshen, they are not inferior to our Alien Beast Royal Clan. After we defeat them, they can serve as pets!"
"Marshal, your words are most apt!"
"Hahaha, let us all strive for this goal. Humans for food, Tianshen for pets. To our success! Drink!"
"Cheers!"