Silver Moon City.
On top of the silver-white high tower, the entire senior leadership of the Silver Moon Clan stood in a circle.
Among them were some elderly members of the clan who had already stepped away from positions of power within the Silver Moon Clan.
Such a situation was rare in the Silver Moon Clan, at least it had never happened since they entered the human world.
In front of them was a long silver-white table, on which were placed the incomplete mechanical puppets from the Silver Serpent Empire, brought by Star City, as well as several photographs taken by Star City soldiers from the mysterious unknown domain field.
The current Silver Moon Clan leader, Yin Gui, and the former leader, Yin Tuo, stood side by side. Their gazes swept over the items on the table, before turning to the elders of the clan.
"It's not wrong. The Silver Serpent Empire is indeed our ancestors' legacy."
The Elder of the former Elder Council, who had been studying for several days, spoke with a trembling voice.
Hearing these words, even though they had prepared themselves mentally, the Silver Moon Clan's senior members still couldn't help but clench their fists in excitement.
According to historical records, the Silver Serpent Clan had lost a part of its history during its long wandering existence.
The Silver Moon Clan had also tried to trace this missing history.
However, the history was so ancient that the Silver Moon Clan had no clues about where their ancestral land was before they began their wandering, and they were never able to find any information about the lost history.
As time passed, this matter was gradually abandoned by the descendants of the Silver Moon Clan.
But just a few days ago, the blank area covered by the mists of history suddenly appeared before their eyes.
The murals in the mysterious unknown domain field, as well as the incomplete puppet props.
All of this confirmed that the missing history of the Silver Moon Clan was, in fact, the Silver Serpent Empire depicted in the murals.
And the Silver Moon Clan was the direct descendant of the Silver Serpent Empire.
The incomplete technology they had was also derived from the Silver Serpent Empire.
This discovery both shocked and thrilled him.
History, for any race, is a powerful source of unity.
From the history of various races, one can conclude that the cohesion of a race is most evident in three aspects:
A shared historical past and recognition of the same homeland.
A shared religion or hero worship.
A common ancestry and cultural heritage passed down through generations.
...
The pursuit of ancestors is a goal many ambitious races and forces strive for.
For example, the Mist Clan of the Alliance is very proud of the vast territories their ancestors once ruled, and this strong sense of connection to their forebears has led them to develop a unique ancestral worship practice, which strengthens their unity.
Similarly, the human race has the same strong sense of ancestral pride.
In the domain world, many forces even falsely claim to be the descendants of once-powerful races and then use this to boost their confidence, promoting their lineage both internally and externally.
The emergence of the Silver Serpent Empire has filled the Silver Moon Clan's historical gap. More importantly, this history is not pieced together from the histories of other races but is a genuine, recorded history.
Seeing the vast domain of the Silver Serpent Empire depicted in the murals filled the leadership of the Silver Serpent Clan with a sense of identity and pride.
Though they weren't born during the glorious ancient era, their souls resonated strongly in this moment.
The murals and the incomplete relic machines left by the Silver Serpent Empire made the Silver Moon Clan realize something: the wealth left behind by the Silver Serpent Empire was waiting for them to inherit.
This legacy held great significance for the Silver Moon Clan.
The various incomplete relics would allow the Silver Moon Clan to develop rapidly based on their ancestors' wisdom.
Some of the powerful prehistoric machines, once repaired, could be used again, greatly enhancing the Silver Moon Clan's technological and combat capabilities.
More importantly, there was the ultimate war machine.
The final weapon of the Silver Serpent Empire.
This was a terrifying war machine crafted with the full resources of the Silver Serpent Empire for the sole purpose of war. Possessing it would mean having vast territories and resource-rich lands.
Unlike the human race, which faces numerous challenges, with talent being a limiting factor for their development, the Silver Moon Clan had the overall strength to surpass humanity but still struggled with a shortage of resources.
This had to do with the efficiency of resource conversion.
Much like the strongest races, they could convert the same resources into strength more efficiently than weaker races.
Thus, acquiring resources remained the primary goal for the Silver Moon Clan.
At this moment, the grand opportunity lay before them. They realized that the rise of the Silver Moon Clan was imminent.
However, the newly arrived domain field was within human territory. In order to investigate and obtain data from the domain field and the Silver Serpent relics, they would obviously need the consent of the human race.
The emissaries were already urgently heading to Star City to establish contact with the humans.
They believed that, due to the alliance between the Silver Moon Clan and the human race, the humans would undoubtedly agree to the proposed joint investigation.
After all, as allies, the rise of the Silver Moon Clan would bring many benefits to the human race as well.
But just as everyone was waiting eagerly, a pattern on the forehead of the Silver Moon Clan leader began to glow.
The leader immediately raised a hand to his forehead, and at that moment, the voice of the emissary rang out.
"Clan Leader, the latest news from the human side: the newly arrived unknown domain field, which was linked to the Rift Heaven domain field, seems to have made the Rift Heaven domain field feel threatened. Just now, the Rift Heaven domain field suddenly expanded and consumed the unknown domain field. Now, that domain field is under the control of the Rift Heaven Clan."
The high-ranking members of the Silver Moon Clan immediately changed their expressions upon hearing this news.
They had believed that the Silver Moon Clan was about to seize an unprecedented opportunity for development, gaining a pass to become a powerful race. However, just as their hopes for a bright future were beginning to take shape, they were confronted with an unexpected turn of events.
The Rift Heaven Domain and the Rift Heaven Divine Clan—how could the Silver Moon Clan not know about them?
This force was extremely powerful. According to the information provided by the humans, it seemed to be coming from the direction of Winterfell City.
At this moment, they were the most powerful force in the vicinity.
However, this force appeared to have gone through a war and was currently in a period of recovery. It had not shown any signs of aggression toward surrounding forces.
But to their surprise, the Rift Heaven Divine Clan suddenly made a move at this crucial moment.
After careful consideration, the Silver Moon Clan realized the cause of this sudden change of events.
Firstly, the mysterious unknown domain field had suddenly appeared in an area where the Rift Heaven Divine Clan and the human race were connected. This not only startled the humans, who sent forces into the domain field for investigation, but it also seems that the Rift Heaven Divine Clan felt threatened and alarmed, which led them to expand the domain.
This situation left the high-ranking members of the Silver Moon Clan with an intense headache.
They immediately began discussing the matter in detail.
During their discussion, they considered that the sudden expansion of the Rift Heaven Domain might have another reason. Perhaps the Rift Heaven Divine Clan had discovered something valuable within this mysterious domain and wanted to claim it for themselves.
This idea made the Silver Moon Clan's leaders feel increasingly anxious.
It was like suddenly learning one day that they had inherited an ancestor's fortune worth trillions, only to find out the next day that someone else had claimed it as their own.
The feeling of falling from heaven to hell in an instant made the Silver Moon Clan's leadership furious. They would not allow this to happen.
At the end of the meeting, the current Grand Elder of the Silver Moon Clan glanced over the group and then spoke in a deep voice:
"The wealth of our ancestors cannot fall into the hands of another race. Even if the Rift Heaven Divine Clan acquires our ancestors' inheritance, they will not be able to master how to control it. I propose that the Silver Moon Clan declare war on the Rift Heaven Divine Clan and take back our ancestors' inheritance."
The words of the Grand Elder were undoubtedly the thoughts of everyone present.
But how to fight this battle was another question.
Based on the current intelligence, the Silver Moon Clan had no chance of defeating the Rift Heaven Divine Clan. They could only seek support from the human race and the Mist Clan.
However, the cost of a full-scale war was enormous. It would require a vast amount of resources and soldiers.
To get the humans and the Mist Clan involved, they would need to offer enough benefits.
The human side was relatively easy to handle, as the Rift Heaven Divine Clan had already invaded human territory and lay to the north, significantly impacting human development. As long as the terms were right, humans would undoubtedly be willing to participate in the war.
The Mist Clan, on the other hand, was more difficult.
Although the Silver Moon Clan was an ally of the Mist Clan, their alliance with the Mist Clan was based on their relationship with the human race. The Silver Moon Clan had not even established direct contact with the Mist Clan yet, nor had they sent envoys to them.
To get the Mist Clan to join the war, the humans would have to persuade them, and sufficient benefits would have to be provided to the Mist Clan.
The idea of going to war with the Rift Heaven Divine Clan was clear, but there were still many issues to resolve regarding how to fight this battle.
After the clan meeting, the Silver Moon Clan's elders, along with their leader, immediately set off for Star City.
They felt that the declaration of war on the Rift Heaven Divine Clan could not be delayed. They had to quickly integrate all available allied forces and reclaim the Silver Serpent Empire's inheritance.
The next day at noon.
Ji He called a meeting of the highest council of Star City.
Present at the meeting hall were all the senior members of Star City, as well as the leader of the Silver Moon Clan and the Elder Council.
After the meeting began, the Silver Moon Clan leader shared his thoughts with the Star City leaders.
Many of the high-ranking officials were already aware that the Silver Moon Clan would be arriving and had even guessed what the Silver Moon Clan leader would propose. However, when they heard that the Silver Moon Clan intended to go to war with the Rift Heaven Divine Clan, they all appeared hesitant, using excellent acting skills to express their reluctance to go to war.
Upon seeing this, the Silver Moon Clan leader immediately began making promises.
In front of all the Star City leaders, the Silver Moon Clan leader said:
"Dear allies, the mysterious domain field that suddenly appeared contains our lost history and technology. This is of great significance to my Silver Moon Clan. I promise you all that if we win this war, the miracle artifact from the Rift Heaven Divine Clan will belong to the human race, and when the Rift Heaven Divine Clan's stored resources are distributed after the victory, my Silver Moon Clan will not take a single cent. We only want the ancestral inheritance taken by the Rift Heaven Divine Clan."
"As for the specific distribution of benefits, I leave it to the humans to decide… But I hope that the human race can invite the Mist Clan to support this war, as this will help us win quickly."
Upon hearing this, the high-ranking officials of Star City fell silent.
Before the meeting was even called, they had anticipated that the Silver Moon Clan would offer various benefits.
What they hadn't expected was that the Silver Moon Clan was willing to take nothing and would fight the Rift Heaven Divine Clan as the main force in the war.
The situation was unfolding in a way they hadn't predicted.
At that moment, everyone in the room turned their attention to Ji He, who sat at the head of the table.
Though it was the highest council of Star City, its authority had mostly become symbolic. The development of Star City was entirely decided by Ji He alone. The other members of the council were more like subordinates, responsible for carrying out Ji He's ideas.
The leader of the Silver Moon Clan also turned his gaze toward Ji He, whose hair had turned white at the temples.
"Ji He, what do you think?" he asked.
Ji He didn't respond immediately. After a long pause, he looked at the Silver Moon Clan leader and spoke.
"I can understand your urgency, but a full-scale war is not something to take lightly. You are the most steadfast allies of the human race. We will definitely help. After all, the Rift Heaven Divine Clan is entrenched to the north and has already affected human development. This war is inevitable... But before we go to war, I think we should try to recruit as many allies as possible to increase our chances of victory."
"Here's the plan: tomorrow, I will visit the Mist Clan and try to get their support for the war. Then, I will go to Winterfell City, where we should be able to get some military support. Finally, I will visit the Central Region, though I'm not sure if we can secure support from the humans there."
Upon hearing this, the leader of the Silver Moon Clan showed a pleased expression and immediately expressed his gratitude.
It was clear that the human race had reservations about suddenly going to war with the Rift Heaven Divine Clan, but they were clearly abiding by the original alliance agreement and were willing to fight for their allies.
This made many of the Silver Moon Clan's high-ranking members feel deeply moved.
Ji He's response undoubtedly strengthened the bond between the human race and the Silver Moon Clan.
But the next thing Ji He said further moved the Silver Moon Clan members.
"If the Mist Clan, Winterfell City, and Elf City are all willing to join the war, the human race will take the lead and claim only 50% of the resources from the Rift Heaven Domain. The other 50% will be divided among them. This is the sincerity I bring to the upcoming negotiations."
"The Silver Moon Clan will forever record the human race's kindness to us. Our friendship will never fade," the Grand Elder of the Silver Moon Clan said excitedly.
Ji He smiled and nodded.
"This war is not just for you, but also for the future of the human race."
"We will prepare our troops for battle. From here on, the task of requesting support is up to all of you."
…
After the Silver Moon Clan left, Ji He stood up, looked around the room, and spoke softly.
"Prepare the troops for battle."
With those words, Ji He turned and left.
Over the next few days, he decided to visit the Mist Clan, Winterfell City, and then the Central Region.
All three factions had already agreed to join the war, but Ji He was doing this to show the Silver Moon Clan that he was fulfilling his promises.
After all, there were many Silver Moon Clan members active in Star City, not just the envoys, but also many Silver Moon Clan technicians scattered across the city.
It didn't hurt to be cautious.
Over the following days, Ji He became busy.
First, he went to the Mist Clan and shared intelligence with the Elder Council, offering them a 25% share of the resources.
Ji He knew well that even without offering them any benefits, the Mist Clan would still participate.
However, doing so would strain the relationship between Feng Qi and the Mist Clan leader. Such cooperation couldn't last forever.
The Mist Clan had kept secrets and was willing to participate in the war, so offering them 25% was reasonable. He decided to give 15% of the remaining 25% to Winterfell City, as they had yet to merge with Star City and needed development resources. They would not be deprived of their share.
The remaining 10%, as agreed with the Elf King, would go to Elf City.
The benefits offered by the Silver Moon Clan surprised Ji He, showing how much the Silver Serpent Empire's legacy tempted them.
But even with victory, the Silver Moon Clan would be disappointed.
He had instructed the military to store the Silver Serpent Empire's legacy in the domain field that had been swallowed by the Rift Heaven Domain. If they won, the Silver Moon Clan would get it, but they would still lack the one thing they most desired—the ultimate war weapon.
If that weapon fell into their hands, the Silver Moon Clan's rise would be unstoppable.
While the Silver Moon Clan was reliable now, Ji He couldn't guarantee they would always be this reliable. When the clan's leader position changed again, who was to say they wouldn't get another figure like Yin Tong?
To ensure the future development of the human race, he needed to eliminate any potential risks.
Before provoking the Rift Heaven Divine Clan, he had instructed the military and the Expeditionary Force to return the ultimate weapon to the Silver Serpent Empire's ruins.
Whether they won or lost this war, the Silver Moon Clan would not be able to obtain the ancestral inheritance they dreamt of.
As for why the ultimate war weapon wasn't stored in Star City, that was for safety reasons.
After the war, most of the Silver Serpent Empire's documents would be handed over to the Silver Moon Clan, and they might find ways to track the ultimate weapon's signals. If they discovered it was stored somewhere in Star City, the relationship between Star City and the Silver Moon Clan would quickly deteriorate.
Storing it in the Silver Serpent Empire's ruins was, in Ji He's view, the safest choice.
As for whether to give the ultimate war weapon to the Silver Moon Clan, he left that decision to the future human leadership, who would decide based on future circumstances and the relationship with the Silver Moon Clan.