Baiyu had no choice but to choose to enter the city under such circumstances.
The words of the old Shell Person standing on the city wall had an impact, but they weren't the main factor.
It was truly the situation at the moment.
Entering the city might be the best choice.
If they didn't enter the city, the Shell People inside and those entering from outside the mountain would be united, and they would find themselves surrounded.
And the situation would only get worse.
With the city gates closed, this place would become a dead-end. Of course, Baiyu wasn't really afraid.
The mighty power of the Black Moon Giant was enough for him to find a way out in this dire situation.
Even the soldiers and warriors around him could retreat safely from here. Baiyu was originally planning to investigate, and now there was no reason to back down.
In this cave.
Even facing adverse conditions, Baiyu was confident he could retreat safely, which was his biggest reliance on daring to delve deep here.
Soon.
The team carefully entered the city.
The entire city was completely different from human cities; though the exterior walls were tall and grand, pieced together from massive stones, they exuded a great imposing aura.
However, inside.
It appeared extremely simple.
The roads were lined with low sheds, some pits, and temporary simple shelters.
Various things filled the narrow streets on both sides. All the houses were arranged in a nine-square grid pattern, piece after piece, making the whole city's layout quite monotonous and filled with a solemn and oppressive feeling.
The city's water supply came entirely from underground water, purified through simple purification devices, though it was unknown whether they still contained deadly substances.
The light sources came from plants like Fluorescent Fruits and Fluorescent Trees, which could glow underground.
Long-term residence in such a place would cause mental and physical problems for its inhabitants.
The troops marched with a clatter down the streets, constantly bothered by foul odors, indicating the city's sewer system was poor, or perhaps non-existent.
From behind nearby houses and obstacles.
Shell People constantly poked their heads out, observing Baiyu and his group with eyes full of worry and fear.
These Shell People were indeed different from those outside.
They were more frail, more fatigued, and their clothing was simple and tattered.
Everyone looked sickly and emaciated.
Their skin showed a bizarre pale color.
As if they had suffered from long-term malnutrition.
Baiyu walked at the forefront, eyes cast straight ahead, judging from the previous situation to now, these Shell People indeed couldn't resist them.
The armored Shell People on the city wall were likely the city's entire defensive force.
Of course.
There's also the possibility that the Shell Person commander had hidden the rest of their forces.
Therefore, Baiyu remained cautious.
Once the troops fully entered the city, two Shell Person warriors came to greet them, looking at Baiyu and the soldiers behind him with complex expressions.
They didn't speak the human language, babbling in the Shell People language, which Baiyu didn't understand.
However.
Luckily, their expressive ability was strong, and through gestures and various body language, Baiyu finally understood that their commander was on their way.
The troops hadn't completely entered the city, and the city gates weren't closed.
Trust between both sides was extremely fragile.
No one dared to close the city gates at this moment, for fear of causing misunderstandings and conflicts that no one wished to see.
It wasn't long before.
The Shell Person who had negotiated with Baiyu on the city wall earlier was already dressed in special attire, hurrying over.
Though it seemed like he was trying to move faster.
However, in Baiyu and his group's eyes, his speed was still very slow.
"Sorry, I suffered serious injuries, my mobility isn't good. I hope the Human Commander can forgive me," he said.
At this point, the old Shell Person bent over, bowing deeply to Baiyu.
According to the Shell People's customs.
Only when receiving highly esteemed guests do they don such formal attire and conduct such respectful rituals.
From entering the city until now, at least on the surface, it seemed this group of Shell People didn't harbor much hostility.
But Baiyu kept remembering one thing.
The other race.
Cannot be trusted.
"Human Commander, let's go to the resting place and then talk in more detail.
As you can see, we have no malice.
You have to believe us.
I have a lot of internal information about the Shell People Race. They are planning to attack human cities recently, and I know many deployment plans.
Most importantly, I have information about the construction of the Shell People Race's 'Flesh and Blood Altar'."
Baiyu listened silently, without expressing an opinion.
The current situation was not optimistic; both sides were exercising extreme restraint, even if Baiyu and the Shell Person commander didn't wish to fight.
But both sides' troops were exercising restraint.
The education and ideology instilled since childhood destined that the two parties couldn't sit down and talk peacefully.
Moreover, as the war continued, grudges between humans and Shell People Race would only deepen.
If not for the presence of both commanders and the special conditions now, they might have already fought.
Baiyu followed the Shell Person commander to a more spacious area.
This was a slightly less crude-looking shed.
Outside stood a large stone table with several stone benches, and many puzzling diagrams were displayed on the table.
It seemed to be the stronghold of these other races.
"Human Commander, I have six construction sites for the 'Flesh and Blood Altar' in my hand. I only have one request: provide a safe shelter for our tribe, and I will give it to you," the Shell Person commander said in a low voice.
He had a sincere expression, his voice tinged with desperation, clearly at a point of no return.
Baiyu slightly frowned, prompting him to explain everything thoroughly.
Without understanding the situation, whatever the other party said was in vain. Even after understanding, it required careful discernment.
Soon.
Under Baiyu's request, the Shell Person commander began explaining the reason for the existence of this place.
This was a Shell Person Race base.
But it wasn't constructed by the main tribe of Shell People, rather, it was built by their affiliated tribes.
Just like humans have differences in skin color, countries, and regions.
There are distinctions among Shell People too.
They also engage in mutual conquests, alliances or attacks, with conflicts and disputes between different tribal clans.
Similarly.
Just like humans, they have those who love peace and hate war, and there are those who wish to negotiate peacefully with humans.
The inhabitants inside this mountain were a peace-seeking faction.
Like all peace-seeking factions among races, they weren't favored by the dominant war faction within the Shell People Race. Furthermore, the war faction occupied the majority of the population within the Shell People Race.
The internal struggle among alien races is even more intense and ruthless than those among humans.
