Chapter 523

Chapter 523: Difficult Decisions

“Sign a life-and-death contract with me and pledge your loyalty to His Majesty! This is a tremendous opportunity placed before you!”

After allowing the Marquises and Counts to understand just how powerful and terrifying Yi Chen truly is, Marquises Moses finally got to the main point.

The six Marquises and thirty-five Counts initially thought of bursting into insults.

But as the words formed on their lips, they swallowed them back.

After all, their lives were in the other’s hands.

No one wanted to die.

Marquises Moses disregarded his status as a Marquises of the Undying Race and willingly became a servant of the strongest member of humanity; that was his own decision.

There was no need to risk their lives for a moment of bravado.

“It seems you still haven’t thought it through!”

Marquises Moses understood their attitude because he had been through a similar mindset.

At first, he surrendered only due to the terrifying sea of fire that relentlessly destroyed his body. The endless pain was unbearable.

He was forced to sign a life-and-death contract.

Only after helping Yi Chen acquire various rare resources and treasures, and gaining many benefits, did he start to change his mind, realizing that having such a powerful, promising, and generous master was actually a good opportunity.

After witnessing Yi Chen’s terrifying ability to challenge beyond levels on the Undying Planet, he fully committed, even feeling excited about it.

Today, learning that Yi Chen had advanced a major realm in just a little over a year, while still having the ability to defeat strong opponents across major realms, filled him with pride.

“Honestly, the Nika Tribe is backed by the Great Flame Empire, which you all know is part of the Great Flame Kingdom.”

Marquises Moses said leisurely, “Now, the Great Flame Empire has conquered the entire Black Tiger Tribe and Spirit Heart Tribe, and it won’t be long before they march to conquer the Swift Tribe.”

“His Majesty and the Great Flame Kingdom suddenly vanished from the exile planet a few years ago; you should all have some idea of the average strength and realm of the Great Flame Kingdom’s citizens at that time.”

“In just these few years, the Great Flame Kingdom has easily conquered several tribes, and you should know the reason by now.”

Listening to Marquises Moses’ account, the Marquises and Counts fell silent.

But the shock within them surged like crashing waves.

They finally understood why Yi Chen appeared in the outer space of the blood-colored planet.

It turned out that it wasn’t because the Black Tiger Tribe had a genius rising.

Rather, this strongest member of humanity saw the Black Tiger Tribe’s blood-colored planet as a development site for the Great Flame Kingdom.

In just a few years, the Great Flame Kingdom developed to a point where it could easily absorb three tribes.

In other words, they had traversed the developmental journey of other tribes over millions of years in just a few years.

The greatness of this strongest member of humanity, the creator of the Great Flame Kingdom, became evident.

In the history of the star cluster, no one had ever appeared who could single-handedly boost a tribe’s average strength at such an astonishing rate.

If this greatest genius in the history of the star cluster had been a member of the Undying Race, they would have had no hesitation and would have chosen to surrender and pledge loyalty at the first opportunity.

However, the other side is humanity.

“Have you ever thought about why His Majesty chose to develop in the Tianling Star Cluster and what the future development plan looks like?”

Marquises Moses suddenly posed a thought-provoking question.

The Marquises and Counts began to seriously consider the issue.

The more they thought, the more they felt their hearts trembling with fear.

Yi Chen leading the Great Flame Empire to develop in the Tianling Star Cluster undoubtedly aimed to temporarily avoid the human federation and build up strength.

And the future plan was obviously to unify the entire Tianling Star Cluster before attacking the Undying Star System.

If you think about it, at the pace of this strongest member of humanity and the Great Flame Empire, it wouldn’t be long before the Undying Race faced a huge threat.

All the Marquises and Counts first thought of quickly sending this news back to the Undying Race.

They believed that if the Undying King and Duke Bolai knew about Yi Chen and the Great Flame Empire hiding in the Tianling Star Cluster, and understood their development speed, they would surely set aside their grudges and cooperate to suppress Yi Chen and the Great Flame Empire in a fierce struggle.

Because anyone could judge that if Yi Chen and the Great Flame Empire continued to develop unchecked, the Undying Race would be in grave danger.

Even if the Undying King and Duke Bolai managed to defeat the other, it would be meaningless.

But then, thinking about it again, they all felt a wave of gloom and despair.

They had become captives, so how could they send a warning?

Unless they pretended to surrender and signed a life-and-death contract to regain some degree of freedom, then used a communication stone to pass the news.

But that would mean they were also violating the contract, which would certainly lead to their death.

It was akin to using their own lives to convey this important information.

Sacrificing themselves to save the Undying Race.

Among the six Marquises and thirty-five Counts, many struggled and wrestled with this decision.

Some directly abandoned this idea.

But others seriously considered the matter.

After all, it concerned the survival of their entire race.

“Perhaps you are all thinking about whether to pretend to surrender and report the news to the Undying King and Duke Bolai.”

Marquises Moses noticed the various expressions on the faces of many Marquises and Counts, as if they were in conflict, and immediately guessed their thoughts.

He said calmly, “But have you considered that after reporting the news, are you saving the Undying Race or accelerating its demise?”

“His Majesty’s character and approach are such that the more fiercely one resists, the harsher he strikes back!”

Startled, the Marquises and Counts shivered internally.

If that were the case, another possibility might arise.

For even if the Undying King and Duke Bolai teamed up, they might not be able to suppress the rise of Yi Chen and the Great Flame Empire.

This strongest member of humanity had successfully grown to this level despite the oppression from the human federation.

The situation was already set, and the chances of the Undying Race being able to suppress it were minimal.

Knowing the news in advance could lead to a bitter feud with Yi Chen and the Great Flame Empire, as the Undying Race possessed the strength to suppress it.

“Do you understand now?”

Marquises Moses said calmly, “Try to think about it from another perspective. His Majesty’s approach to fierce beasts on the exile planet and his treatment of various tribes in the Tianling Star Cluster has never been that of a brutal conqueror.”

“He is willing to give any tribe a way to survive, even a path to grow stronger. Surrendering and pledging loyalty to His Majesty, then leading the Undying Race to surrender to the Great Flame Empire in the future, is the true way for the Undying Race.”

“…”

The Marquises and Counts were left speechless.

No matter how they heard it, it felt harsh and unreasonable.

Yet strangely, they could not think of a rebuttal.

All the roots of their dilemma lay in the astonishingly rapid development of this strongest member of humanity and the Great Flame Empire.

As Marquises Moses’ flawed reasoning was based on that foundation, even though it sounded jarring, they had no choice but to agree that the possibility was indeed quite large.

What should they do?

All the Marquises and Counts found themselves in a difficult position.