Chapter 257: The Third Plan

"This is quite difficult to handle." A crowd sat in a circle, listening to Anthony analyze the situation: "If we only deploy the Church's forces, it is manageable; but if they mobilize the Seth Empire and the Capricorn Empire, we have no chance of victory."

"Why? We are deep in the desert, over a thousand kilometers in. Even if the enemy is numerous, it won't be easy for them to come. Besides, we can ask the elves for help." Lisa said, somewhat dismissively.

Anthony smiled, offered no rebuttal, and continued on his own: "The Prime Material Plane is the plane of humans..."

The Prime Material Plane is the plane of humans. Of the seven seats on the Plane Security Council, humans occupy four.

Elves hide in forests, dwarves remain underground, and dragons have fled far overseas. Humans occupy the most fertile lands. Why is this so?

Could it be that other species are too kind, voluntarily yielding fertile lands to hide in harsh, barren places and suffer?

Only elves would think so, because they are more adapted to forests, where they have the protection of the God of Life. But dwarves and dragons would have to say 'Khuabada'.

In terms of population, all other species combined do not reach one-tenth of humans. In terms of production capacity, they do not reach one-hundredth. In terms of organizational structure, humans are several generations more advanced.

The Star Republic has already entered a republican system, while elves and dwarves are still primitive tribes. Dragons do not even count as a tribe; they are just one big family.

Humanity's only flaw is disunity. On the Prime Material Plane, there are dozens of countries, big and small. If we count the small city-states, the number reaches several hundred.

Nations do not coexist peacefully; some are hereditary enemies, and wars and attacks between them occur frequently.

The last destruction of an empire occurred between the hereditary enemies, the Tiwan Empire and the Seth Empire. It caused millions of deaths and tens of millions displaced. An empire of ten million people, the Tiwan Empire, vanished into the river of history.

Because of disunity, sometimes our momentum is not as great as the elves'. These two recent movements by the elves have made humans very panicked; they even thought the elves were about to attack.

But that is only the general situation. If the elves really attack, humans will unite. At that time, the momentum will be completely different.

On the entire plane, the only thing capable of making all humans... at least more than half of all humans... unite is Guli Anni.

"If Guli Anni mobilizes human nations, let me tell you how they will fight this war. Step one: economic blockade."

"Cut off Meishencheng's economic ties with the outside world: supply transport, grain trade, and so on. Blockade the entire desert." Anthony said.

Thinking of no one coming to Meishencheng for beauty treatments, Lisa grew anxious: "What use is that? We don't need to eat. What use is a blockade?"

"You don't need food or clothing, but what about the clients? The Sand People? The Fallen People? Blockade for half a year, and everyone will starve to death." Anthony said.

Seeing Ange suddenly raised his hand: "I plant. I don't starve."

"Uh, I forgot. With my lord present, indeed no one will starve. But the blockade will still proceed to prevent various supplies from being transported in, such as copper, iron, magic crystals, and the like. First, blockade for half a year, then cut off the rivers." Anthony said.

Nai Ge Li Si drew in a sharp breath: "You are so vicious..."

The two rivers flowing into the Fallen Longhu are freshwater rivers. Their sources are all outside the desert. They are the main source of fresh water for the Fallen Longhu. If they are cut off, the people in Meishencheng will soon have no water to drink.

Compared to grain, fresh water is clearly more important.

"We have Feng Shui Towers. If we build a few more, we should be able to solve the fresh water problem." Lisa said, thinking seriously.

"Feng Shui Towers? What are those?" Anthony had never seen a Feng Shui Tower. Even if he had, he wouldn't know the specific parameters. He could only have Nai Ge Li Si explain.

After understanding the function of the Feng Shui Tower, Anthony couldn't help but exclaim: "This is a good thing. It can be used not only in the desert but also on ships. Build one on a ship, and you won't have to worry about fresh water when going to sea. It can also be used in the southern deserts. Any place with sufficient moisture but lacking surface water can use it."

Pausing for a moment, Anthony continued: "But it's useless, because step three will target the moisture problem. I will send a large number of mages to the source of the monsoons that bring abundant moisture to suck the water vapor out of the wind. Because even without Feng Shui Towers, ordinary mages can condense water vapor, so I will solve it from the source."

"Suck the water vapor out of the wind? How is that even possible?" Everyone was shocked by this incredible method.

"It's very easy to do. Just find ten thousand mages. They don't need to be very strong; third or fourth tier will suffice." Anthony said lightly.

"Ten thousand? And that's easy?" Nai Ge Li Si said, eyes wide, looking as if Anthony was playing with him.

However, Anthony nodded very seriously: "Yes, it's easy. When humans mobilize, the mages they can mobilize number in the tens of thousands. The Seth Royal Magic Academy has four thousand students. Magic academies with populations in the thousands... the Seth Empire has at least ten or more. The Capricorn Empire has fewer, but still seven or eight."

"And there is an even more terrifying organization—the Magic Guild. As long as the money is in place, the Magic Guild can organize more than twenty thousand mages within seven days. This is why I say that once humans mobilize, we have no chance of victory."

Everyone looked at each other in silence. Admittedly, Dai Sen was unlikely to organize such a massive force to deal with Meishencheng, but such numbers still left people with a deep sense of powerlessness. And this was only one or two empires. If all humans on the entire plane united...

While everyone was in shock, Nai Ge Li Si noticed that Seeing Ange straightened his back.

Seeing Ange rarely straightened his back. He only did so when his attention was particularly focused or when he heard something that interested him.

Nai Ge Li Si leaned his head over and quietly asked: "Seeing Ange, what are you thinking?"

Seeing Ange tilted his head and replied: "With so many people, how much grain is needed?"

"Pfft, you're calculating that? Do you even want to grow enough grain to feed all living beings on the entire plane?" Nai Ge Li Si sneered.

Knowing that Seeing Ange was thinking of such an unrealistic question, Nai Ge Li Si stopped paying attention to him and continued listening to Anthony's analysis.

"Sucking out the water vapor, cutting off the rivers. Within half a month, Meishencheng will probably see more than half its population die of thirst. The rest will have to flee to oases. But one oasis cannot supply too many people. If they scatter to different oases, it will give us the opportunity to defeat them one by one."

"Step four: bombing. Griffin Knights will provide escort. Two-legged dragons and airships will transport incendiary bombs, fire oil bombs, wax oil tanks, and the like, dropping them from the sky onto the ground. Even if we have Bai Hou Bone Dragon Nai Ai Li, it's useless. The numbers are too small; we cannot break through the Griffin Knights' protection."

"Bombing and cutting off water vapor will proceed simultaneously. Next comes the advance of the main army. Do you know why we need to mobilize the Capricorn Empire? Because they breed a kind of giant sand sheep, which they call 'Mo Jie'. It is very adapted to the desert climate."

"One Mo Jie can pull a sand sled for rapid movement. One sand sled can carry twenty soldiers. They can travel a thousand li a day. Ten thousand Mo Jie can transport two hundred thousand soldiers here within two days. After being blockaded, cut off from water, and bombed for so long, what can we use to resist two hundred thousand soldiers?"

Everyone was speechless. Simply listing the data made people feel that suffocating powerlessness. No wonder Anthony said the Prime Material Plane is the plane of humans.

After analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of both sides, it was time to make a decision. Everyone turned their gaze to Seeing Ange. Only he could decide whether everyone would fight or flee.

Seeing Ange was startled. He tilted his head in confusion, wearing an expression of 'Why is everyone looking at me?'

"This vegetable skeleton is distracted again," Nai Ge Li Si said helplessly. "Everyone is waiting for your decision. Should we persist in fighting, or return to the Resting Abyss? If we return to the Resting Abyss, Meishencheng will definitely be lost."

Nai Ge Li Si didn't dare mention the farmland by the Fallen Longhu. If those fields were brought up, no one needed to think to know what decision Seeing Ange would make.

However, Seeing Ange chose neither option. Instead, he said: "Kill the Pope."

Anthony's expression trembled. He jumped up instantly: "Great idea!"

He had just analyzed a great deal with everyone, all based on the strength of both sides, but he had overlooked our side's greatest advantage.

No, no. Seeing Ange's words reminded him. Anthony began to pace. He needed to reorganize his thoughts.

Others were confused by this sudden turn of events. Safiya leaned over and asked: "What is going on?"

Lisa explained: "Lord Anthony summarized two plans. Lord Seeing Ange disagreed and proposed a third plan. Lord Anthony thinks it is better than his own plan, so he has overturned his own plan and is preparing to study the feasibility of Lord Seeing Ange's plan."

Safiya felt as if she had heard some absurd strange tale. Seeing Ange vetoed Anthony's plan? What kind of joke is that?

Lisa also thought it was quite absurd. Even though she was a mindless follower of Seeing Ange, she wouldn't dare say Seeing Ange was smarter than Anthony. When it comes to schemes and intrigues, if everyone here were tied together, they wouldn't match Anthony, this old godly swindler.

"The biggest problem now is Dai Sen and Guli Anni. We don't need to kill Guli Anni; taking out Dai Sen is enough. The difficulty is greatly reduced."

"Dai Sen's greatest advantage is his ability to organize and mobilize human forces, possessing absolute numerical superiority. Where is our advantage?" Anthony pointed forcefully at Seeing Ange: "It's here!"

"My lord's space is our greatest advantage. We can put everyone inside it, then release them on Dai Sen's territory and push him over in one wave."

Everyone's eyes lit up as they couldn't help but ponder the feasibility of this plan.

The Palace of Rest is a divine artifact; it is an independent space capable of holding living beings and sustaining them for long periods, something no other storage space can achieve.

Even if some special storage spaces can hold living beings, the energy consumption required would be extremely high, making it utterly impossible to use for large-scale personnel transfer.

But the Palace of Rest can do so. In fact, its energy consumption is also very high; placing things inside and retrieving them both consume Soul Flame. If calculated by the Soul Flame consumed, very few people could afford it, because Soul Flame is exclusive to gods.

By this calculation, Dai Sen has been punished by the gods.

A good plan is one that, once spoken, everyone finds feasible. Seeing Ange's plan is clearly such a good plan that everyone can approve of; immediately, people began adding suggestions in a cacophony of voices:

"Equip everyone with teleportation scrolls; once the mission is complete, teleport away directly."

"Ask Xia Mala for help; her precognition ability can let us avoid most dangers."

"Get some equipment for Zihai and the others to increase their attack power."

"Bring Valigu's Demon Egg Cannon; it might come in handy during the assault."

"Bring those medicines Alchemist Sawa concocted too; when they set up camp, just put them in the drinking water, and they won't need to sleep tonight."

"... When you mention Alchemist Sawa's medicines, do you mean 'that kind' of medicine?"

Just as everyone was adding details in a cacophony of voices, Seeing Ange suddenly said: "We need XXX million tons."

That nonsensical statement left Lord Nai Ge Li Si completely bewildered: "What did you say?"

"So many people, we need XXX million tons... of grain." As he spoke, the Ring of the Balance behind Seeing Ange flashed briefly.

Kuabada, Lord Nai Ge Li Si was about to go mad. Everyone was discussing the plan he had just proposed, yet he was calculating how much grain was needed? He must have used the Ring of the Balance to figure it out; Seeing Ange himself lacked such mathematical ability.

Estoria sat dazedly in her chair, allowing Seeing Ange to act, yet her fingers involuntarily clenched. It had been so many years since anyone had touched her this closely; while this made her uncomfortable, she also felt a strange sensation in her heart.

Just as Seeing Ange touched her eyelids, she couldn't help but call out to stop: "Wait a moment. Is the condition for curing my eyes really just to protect my lord Seeing Ange when necessary? Do I not need to fight the enemy?"

Lisa hurriedly interjected from the side: "Yes, yes, you don't need to fight the enemy; you just need to protect the person. In fact, you don't even need to protect them; you just need to cast the Anti-Magic Field. We all understand your difficulties; after all, you represent the Elves, so we won't put you in a difficult position."

Estoria gave a bitter smile and took a deep breath: "Come on, I am ready."

She wasn't afraid of being put in a difficult position; she was just a bit panicked and used this as an excuse to adjust her mood. Seeing Ange's fingers touching her eyelids made her feel the urge to call out to stop again, but she forcibly suppressed it.

With light about to be restored to her, that feeling was not just joy, but also fear; in short, it was very complex, making one reluctant to face it...

Seeing Ange pried open her eyelids, revealing an empty cavity where the eyeball had been lost. Seeing Ange picked up a drop of Essence Worm Ash Liquid and flicked it onto the necrotic tissue deep within the cavity, then holy light shone into it.

A pair of crystal-clear eyes grew out bit by bit. When the first ray of light entered her eyes, even a master of the Elemental Dead Zone, a Truth Mage possessing an Anti-Magic Field, couldn't help but burst into tears.

Truth God +1.

After Estoria joined the team, Lord Nai Ge Li Si went to find Lamo. Lamo, who had circled the Abyss of Rest, confirmed Seeing Ange's identity—the God of Undeath.

Thirteen Graveyard Watchers offered their souls to Seeing Ange; Undead Archmages +13.

An unprecedentedly powerful team was assembled and then packed into the Palace of Rest.