An invasion from the Abyss? I, a demonic cultivator, laughed.

Chapter 335 Why fight?
Chen Yuan, standing behind the Sun King, stopped massaging him and opened her mouth wide in astonishment: "How old? Brother Qin is not even twenty?"

"Master, are you referring to those who awakened less than twenty years ago?"

Even Chen Huang, who was usually expressionless, stopped in her tracks and cast a shocked look at Chu Xiu.

Chu Xiu, under the gaze of the three, froze completely.

He looked at the Sun King, the smile beneath his mask gradually fading, the power of gods and demons and the essence of magical artifacts merging within his body, ready to erupt at any moment.

Chen Huang stepped forward and stood in front of the Sun King, but the latter simply waved his hand dismissively.

"You don't need to be so nervous. If it were any other superstar, they might be tempted by your talent."

"However, I have already embarked on my own path, and no matter how glamorous other people's paths may be, they are irrelevant to me."

"Moreover, I have enough confidence in my talent."

The Sun King said calmly.

Chu Xiu was silent for a moment, then his body slowly relaxed.

He had indeed heard that among the eight Heavenly Kings, three were particularly gifted.

They are the Sun King, the Martial King, and the Giant King.

Of course, this does not mean that the other Heavenly Kings are weaker than them. For the Heavenly Kings, talent is only one of the many dimensions of their strength.

Moreover, if the Sun King really wanted to harm Chu Xiu, he would have done so long ago and wouldn't have waited until now.

Thinking of this, he made a decisive move, slowly removing the mask from his face to reveal a pale young man's face that had been covered for many years.

Chen Yuan, standing behind the Sun King, nearly popped her eyes out of their sockets and stammered, "Brother Qin, no, Brother Qin, uh, are you really only twenty years old? Doesn't that mean you're eight years younger than me?"

Chu Xiu nodded slightly.

Chen Yuan stood frozen in place as if struck by lightning, muttering to herself, "Eight years old... that's more than a decade older! Wait, does that mean Brother Qin, you've only awakened for two years???"

Chen Yuan felt like the sky had fallen.

Even Chen Huang couldn't hide the shock in his eyes.

The sisters had followed the Sun King and witnessed countless geniuses, but compared to Chu Xiu, the gap was beyond mere gradation; it was a gap of one gradation followed by a ten-gradation gap in between! Only then did the other geniuses come into play!

"Zhao Fengming is ranked first on the Chinese Dragon and Phoenix List. He is twenty-nine years old this year, but if he were to face Qin Yu head-on, he would probably not be a match for her."

"This talent"

Chen Huang was speechless, and even suspected that Chu Xiu might be the reincarnation of some superior being, otherwise there was no way to explain it.

Only the Sun Queen remained calm. She simply said, "Your disguise might fool ordinary heroic spirits, but it's a bit dangerous for demigods. As far as I know, there are at least fifteen demigods who can see through your disguise."

"As for the Heavenly King, there's no need to mention him."

“I am not familiar with your three Heavenly Kings of China, and I don’t know how they will handle this, but in any case, it’s best if you don’t use this identity lightly anymore.”

"Right now, those people haven't noticed you yet, but once they start investigating, you won't be able to hide it from them."

"You're lucky you met me. If you had met a conqueror who would kill even his own children, you would have been completely devoured on the very first day."

Chu Xiu paused, then clasped his hands in greeting and said, "Junior Chu Xiu thanks you for your advice, senior."

He frankly revealed his real name because, at this point, if the Sun King really wanted to investigate, he could easily find out his identity, so it was better to be honest.

Upon seeing this, the Sun King's eyes flashed with an appreciative smile, and he said, "I will not stay in China for long, but in order to deal with the threat of the extraterrestrial demons, Chen Huang will stay in China in my place to discuss follow-up actions."

"If you need anything, you can ask her. Consider it a small gesture from me on behalf of the Supreme Council."

After saying that, Chen Huang tapped his communication bracelet and sent a friend request to Chu Xiu, who accepted the request after a few taps.

The Sun King waved his hand again, and seven corpses appeared in the hotel.

These corpses were all horned demons of Heroic Spirit level, and some of them even had eight rings!

"I'll keep the demigod's corpse for myself, but since you need these horned demons of the heroic spirits, I'll give them to you."

"Consider this payment for taking care of Chen Yuan before."

Chu Xiu never expected to receive any benefits from the Sun King, so he quickly expressed his gratitude and said that he would never forget the Sun King's kindness.

"Alright, that's all I wanted to say. You can leave now."

"unless--"

The Sun King smiled and pressed the play button on the movie again.

"Unless you're also interested in this movie."

Chu Xiu, being sensible, took his leave and departed.

After leaving the hotel where the Sun King was staying, Chu Xiu thought for a moment, then moved and flew towards the military camp.

At the same time, a victory celebration ceremony was also being held in the military camp.

Every soldier who fought bravely in this battle received a generous reward, and the families of those who died in battle received enormous compensation, enough to ensure they would live comfortably for the rest of their lives.

Their descendants will also enjoy additional preferential treatment as children of martyrs.

In fact, considering the rank of these soldiers, the rewards they received were actually more generous than those of the powerful heroic spirits.

After all, they risked their lives to achieve this.

However, such a generous reward did not bring much joy to the faces of the people.

Although the banquet was lively and the attendees were not gloomy, but rather chatting and laughing, there was a faint, unyielding sadness deep in their eyes.

These sorrows stem from grief over the deaths of comrades, but even more so from the doubts about faith that arise from being used as bait and discarded.

It's like having a heart full of passion crash into a cold stone wall.

But just then, heavy footsteps sounded in the distance. Everyone turned around and saw a tall figure slowly walking up the platform.

The moment they saw that figure, the air seemed to freeze, and everyone involuntarily held their breath.

With white hair like a lion, he was none other than the King of Slaughter!

No one expected that a Heavenly King would arrive today!

The King of Killing is the Heavenly King who controls the army. His position in the army is unmatched. He is like a symbol of the God of War and holds an extremely high position in the hearts of every soldier!
In the past, even high-ranking soldiers of general and king ranks rarely had the chance to see the King of Slaughter! They could only hear glimpses of this Heavenly King's deeds from veterans.

Unexpectedly, such a high-ranking Heavenly King would personally come to visit them, the soldiers.

The King of Slaughter strode onto the stage, his majestic gaze sweeping over the crowd like a lion's. He first bowed his head in silent tribute to the soldiers who had died in battle. A minute later, he raised his head and spoke calmly: "I am here to congratulate you all on your victorious return and to thank you for your service to the country." As his words fell, a round of applause erupted from below.

However, Zhang Qingshan, who was in the crowd, felt that there seemed to be a hint of perfunctoriness in the applause.

In the past, let alone the King of Killing personally thanking him, even just seeing him from afar would be something to brag about to his comrades for three days and three nights.

But now, after the battle in Pengcheng, many people's faith has wavered. In everyone's hearts, the King of Slaughter seems to have lost his god-like halo and become a person, a powerful person.

Even Zhang Qingshan found himself not as excited as he had imagined. Although he clapped his hands vigorously, a faint sadness lingered in his heart.

But just then, the voice of the King of Slaughter rang out again: "Besides thanking everyone, I'm here to explain."

Explanation?

Everyone was taken aback when they heard this word.

The King of Slaughter's calm voice rang out: "I know that after this battle, everyone will have many doubts in their hearts, wondering if the army was sending you to your deaths, wondering if you are just pawns that can be discarded at will in the eyes of the country."

"I will not explain the heavy casualties in this battle here, because soldiers must be prepared to sacrifice at any time! They must face the most extreme and dangerous battles!"

"In the future, there will be battles a thousand times more brutal. Not only you, but even heroic spirits, demigods, and even I may die!"

The words of the King of Slaughter caused the expressions on everyone's faces to turn serious.

Everyone thought that the King of Killing would say something to boost morale, but to everyone's surprise, he actually told the truth of the matter so directly.

The truth that everyone has been avoiding.

No one wanted to die; they simply used the greater good of their country and people to convince themselves that they were no longer afraid of death.

Looking at the expressions on everyone's faces, the King of Slaughter sighed softly: "I know what I should say now. I should say that your sacrifice is noble, that you are heroes who protect your country, and that you are fighting for your families."

"These are all true, of course, but I don't want you to lose your lives because of a moment of passion."

"The path of a soldier is an extremely difficult one. You advance with passion, but when faced with death and hardship, you will shrink back and feel fear! You must think clearly about what you are fighting for, and whether the beliefs you have always upheld are worth risking your life for, in order to continue on this thorny path."

"I am here today to explain to you the reasons behind the government's plan and to give you a choice!"

The words of the King of Slaughter caused everyone to look at him with solemn expressions.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the Killing King continued, "The reason the government is keeping this from you is because this operation must be kept absolutely secret. The Extreme Path has infiltrated too deeply, and any leak could alert the extraterrestrial demons, causing the painstakingly prepared plan to collapse completely."

"But I can assure you of one thing: sending you into this dangerous situation is not to use you as cannon fodder as bait, but because this is a battle we cannot avoid!"

"Whether we defend passively or launch an attack, the extraterrestrial demons will descend at the opportune moment. In that case, why not detonate this landmine in advance when we are prepared? That way, the cost will be minimal!"

"If we wait for the extraterrestrial demons to make their move, even more people will die, and we will pay an even heavier price!"

"Therefore, you were not deceived into entering a dangerous situation, but rather you bravely stepped onto a battlefield that you would have to face sooner or later!"

The words of the King of Killing moved many people to tears.

Yes, this was a battlefield we had to face sooner or later. Although everyone was completely unaware of the plan, they did deliver a crushing blow to the extraterrestrial demons with thorough preparation!
Looking at the crowd below, the King of Slaughter continued, "I might as well tell you all that there is more than one extraterrestrial demon."

"In the future, we will face more and more difficult battles!"

"Therefore, I am giving you two choices."

"One option is to stay and fight alongside me, defending our homeland and people with our blood and courage against a powerful enemy! The other option is to leave with the rewards. Rest assured, you will still be heroes of China. You will simply be transferred from the dangerous front lines to the rear."

"No matter what choice you make, the country will never forget your contributions, and you will always be a member of the military!"

"Now, everyone, please think about what you are fighting for! Is what you are fighting for worth the price of your life!"

After saying this, the King of Killing left.

Only the bewildered crowd remained, whispering amongst themselves.

Ten minutes later, the banquet ended, and everyone returned to their lodgings. They needed to submit their final responses within three days.

"Qingshan, what do you plan to do?"

Beside Zhang Qingshan, a short young man asked. He was Zhang Qingshan's classmate and had been Zhang Qingshan's follower since entering high school.

"Ade, what about you?"

"Me?" Chen Youde raised his severed left arm with a bitter smile. "I'm already like this, even if I stay in the army, I won't be of any use, will I?"

"Besides."

"I'm homesick."

Chen Youde's words silenced Zhang Qingshan. He turned his head to the other side, and Chu Qin happened to look at him as well. In that instant of eye contact, the tacit understanding formed through countless life-and-death experiences allowed them to understand each other's thoughts without needing to say a word.

"I miss home too. If I die, my parents will be very sad," Zhang Qingshan said in a low voice.

Chen Youde sighed, "Qingshan, I understand you. Which of us who made it into this unit is afraid of death? But... who doesn't have people they care about? We can't let them down!"

“Look at those awakened ones who are hiding in shelters, mixed in with civilians, and always hiding in the rear. Whether they are strong or weak, aren’t they all living well now? Our fallen comrades are certainly glorious, but how are you and I supposed to face the questions from their loved ones?”

"I think I've figured it out. Sometimes, being a little selfish might be the best way to live a better life."

"Qingshan, Aqin, I'm sorry, I've decided to go back," Chen Youde said in a low voice.

“Don’t be like that,” Zhang Qingshan patted his shoulder. “You haven’t wronged anyone. You are a true hero.”

Chen Youde's eyes welled up with tears. He moved his lips as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he held back and just patted Zhang Qingshan's shoulder heavily.

"You should all think about it carefully."

After saying that, he turned and left, but his back seemed to have suddenly lost some of its sharpness.

"so."

Chu Qin took Zhang Qingshan's hand: "Qingshan, what do you want to do?"

Whatever you choose, I will support you.

Zhang Qingshan opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

How could he bear to let Chu Qin accompany him on this adventure? And how could he bear to let his parents worry about his safety all the time?

But he couldn't bring himself to leave the army now, when the country and the people needed him most!
Just as he was hesitating, a voice suddenly rang out behind them.

"Let's go back."

The two were startled and turned around to see a figure wearing a mask and completely hidden in a trench coat slowly emerging from the shadows.

(End of this chapter)