The chief minister’s words resulted in complete silence in the palace hall. Then, a moment later, auras erupted everywhere.

The thirteen heavenly kings all stood. Further down on the stairs, the heavenly marquises did the same.

The northwest border was a very important and significant area. That was where human lands connected to the territory of the Firemoon Darkheaven people. For an area to be directly facing such a powerful species was a big weight. That was especially true considering that the Saia were one of the top three subsidiary species of the Firemoon Darkheavens. In other words, there was no way they would take any important action without the endorsement of the Firemoon Darkheavens. If this situation wasn’t handled properly, it could lead to widespread destruction.

Furthermore… the armies of humankind had commanded the upper hand against the Nightshades for some time now. But with the Whitemarshes added into the mix, things were clearly going to get much more difficult. Now the armies were entrenched and couldn’t easily retreat. Clearly, this was going to have a big effect on the overall situation for humans.

The gathered officials exchange glances, from the heavenly kings on high to the ordinary officials below. Humankind was made up of all sorts of disparate forces, and contained many important clans. As a result, there was always secret infighting going on. But right now… even officials who were in conflict with each other could see the determination in each other’s eyes. No words needed to be spoken. Every person who had somehow managed to earn a place in this hall knew where they stood in a situation like this.

At certain times, power struggles needed to be put to the side, and ideological differences with political rivals needed to be forgotten. Personal vendettas had to be temporarily sidelined. A crisis on the border and on the Nightshade battle lines superseded all. With enemies surrounding them, everyone had to pay the price to achieve some unity. Neither personal nor clan affairs were important in comparison.

If humankind ceased to exist, then profits or losses of any kind would be meaningless. Members of the imperial court could never accept the option of seeking asylum with some other species.

Therefore, requests for war assignments immediately filled the palace hall.

“Your Majesty, I’m willing to accept a combat post! Please send me to the northwest border to lend a helping hand to King Firecrusher!”

“Your Majesty, my clan has 80,000 death commandos ready to sacrifice their lives on the battlefield. I can personally lead them to the Nightshade front lines to fight for humankind!”

“Your Majesty, sending armies onto the campaign trail is very costly. I’m willing to contribute all of our clan resources…. This war is the number-one priority!”

“The Five Lesser Celestial Divisions will devote all available resources to the war effort.”

“Ah, whatever. I might not like King Eastcauldron very much, and have clashed with him numerous times. But right now… I’m willing to personally lead troops to the Nightshade front lines and serve under his command!”

Numerous such declarations could be heard.

Xu Qing was increasingly moved as he realized that the words being spoken were all sincere. This was what they really thought, and this was what they were really willing to do. It went beyond anything he could have predicted. He had previously believed the imperial capital to be a place of chaos, with the emperor keeping a tight grip on the populace, but with everyone constantly at odds with each other. As a result, he was touched by what he was seeing.

Is this just another side to humankind that I never saw before?When there’s no big crisis, everyone is out for their own good. It makes it seem like they all have evil intentions and are only seeking their own profit. But when crisis looms…. Every person and every group can put all of that aside and work together….

Xu Qing was visibly moved. Of course, words were words. What really mattered was actions. That said, Xu Qing’s intuition was telling him that, in all likelihood, these people were being sincere.

It wasn’t just the court officials who were speaking up. The imperial princes were also stepping forward.

Fifth Prince walked out and bowed to the emperor. “Father, please permit me to return to the northwest border forthwith!”

Fourth Prince took a deep breath and also bowed. “Father, I’m willing to go fight the Nightshades. I’ll die in battle with them if I must! As an imperial prince, I have the warrior spirit of humankind!”

He was speaking with full sincerity. Though the succession struggle between the princes was still on, the prospect of war changed everything. As of now, it wasn’t important to highlight who was right or wrong in various aspects. What was more important… was meritorious service!

Third Prince, Tenth Prince, Princess Anhai, and all of the other imperial princes stepped forward and said similar things. That included Ningyan.

“Your Majesty, I’m willing to fight the Nightshades!” freewebnøvel.coɱ

The emperor didn’t seem surprised at all by this. He was well aware of what humans were like, which was why he allowed internal struggles. That was his way of ruling. Looking off in the direction of the Firemoon Darkheaven people, his eyes flickered with deep meaning. Inside, he sighed.

This happened sooner than expected.

Only the emperor himself could hear his sigh. Others could not. They just saw the emperor sitting there with the same expression as usual. After all, being in the position he was, he had long since learned to prevent others from seeing what he was thinking. Any change in expression on his part would be analyzed by everyone who saw it. Most people who reached high positions were like that. Oftentimes, one’s facial expression was one of the most important factors in one’s method of ruling.

“I have heard your petitions,” the emperor said calmly. “And now, the Five Greater Celestial Divisions will hear my orders.”

Cultivators from the Five Greater Celestial Divisions immediately stepped out from the officials and bowed. At the same time, in the central headquarters buildings of the Five Greater Celestial Divisions, majestic figures rose up and bowed in the direction of the palace.

“The five divisions will work with the chief minister to form war plans based on everything known about Nightshade war practices. Arrange for three potential war plans, to be referred to as War Plan I, War Plan II, and War Plan III. Deliver them to the palace within a day!”

“Your orders shall be followed!” the five figures said in unison along with the chief minister.

“Now the Five Lesser Celestial Divisions will hear my orders,” the emperor continued.

The cultivators on duty at the Five Lesser Celestial Divisions appeared. They were also extraordinary in aura and appearance.

“You will assist in all matters related to preparation for war, as well as any follow-up issues. No negligence will be tolerated. All human territories… are now officially in a state of war.”

The emperor’s voice resonated in heaven and earth. At the same time, the imperial capital’s grand spell formation rumbled to life, causing all spell formations in the Imperial Region to do the same. As their powers combined, human territories were sealed off and protected from the outside.

Court was not adjourned. No one left. Everyone waited for the chief minister and the Five Greater Celestial Divisions to release the plans for the war. There was a lot of work involved, including the overarching strategy, various calculations and inferences, as well as assessments.

Time slipped by slowly but surely. Twelve hours later, War Plans I, II, and III were presented to the emperor. After two hours of discussion, the emperor selected one of the war plans.

Xu Qing observed the entire process but didn’t say anything. This was his first time participating in anything like this.

After the war plan was approved, a series of imperial edicts were issued.

First, the emperor issued five edicts related to the Nightshade war.

Imperial Edict A: Four heavenly kings shall lead an army to provide backup to King Eastcauldron. The goal is to reverse the situation of the human forces pinned down by the Nightshades. Instead, they will pin down the Whitemarsh forces. When a stalemate exists, no one can take the initiative. Third Prince will join the action.

Imperial Edict B: The forces in Sea-Sealing County, the Nightspirit Region, and the Holytide Region will work together. Sea-Sealing County will lead. They will be the primary force operating against the Nightshades. Their mission is to take advantage of the moment when the Whitemarshes are pinned down to mount an invasion of the Nightshade Region.

Imperial Edict C: Five heavenly kings, along with Twelfth Prince Ningyan, will lead reinforcements to support Sea-Sealing County. They will bear with them three Dawning Suns.

Imperial Edict D: King Wildmist will work with the Special Operations Division to form a Spec-Ops Corps. They will infiltrate the Whitemarsh ancestral land. Considering that the entire Whitemarsh species is mobilized for war, they will destroy the ancestral land. Sixth Prince will participate. 1

Imperial Edict E: Xu Qing will travel to the Moonrite Region and petition the Heir Apparent and his siblings to provide assistance if a crisis arises. This will be the primary backup plan in case something goes wrong.

Those five edicts covered all aspects of the Nightshade war. They seemed simplistic, but the reality was that they were quite comprehensive.

When it came to the Saia invasion of the northwestern border, six imperial edicts were issued.

Imperial Edict 1: Fifth Prince will lead an army of 10,000,000 to the border.

Imperial Edict 2: Four heavenly kings will form a unified army that they will lead to the northwestern border to support King Firecrusher. Their mission is to secure the border.

Imperial Edict 3: Fourth Prince is authorized to participate in operations in the northwest. Furthermore, he will request that the imperial preceptor erect a Star-Plucking Tower in the northwest. As long as the imperial preceptor lives, the northwest will not fall!

Imperial Edict 4: Seven lines of defense will be erected around the imperial capital. Every line of defense will be overseen by an imperial prince or princess. All requests for assistance shall be honored by all parties. Forces on the lines of defense will remain on permanent standby to ensure no one attempts to mount an invasion.

Imperial Edict 5: Grand Prince will leave immediately on a diplomatic mission to the Firemoon Darkheavens to investigate the reason behind the military activity. He will do everything in his power to end the war while there. If he can’t, he will at least buy time.

Imperial Edict 6: All important Firemoon representatives in human territory, as well as all commercial operations, will be put on immediate lockdown. They will not be freed until the war is over.

As a result of the eleven imperial edicts, humankind became like a huge weapon of war. A buzz of activity immediately ensued. The Five Greater Celestial Divisions took action, and the Five Lesser Celestial Divisions cooperated. Everyone acted according to their assigned role, putting aside any personal conflicts to work together.

This was completely different from the previous war with the Nightshades. This time… virtually all of the imperial princes joined in the action. In fact, they were pillars of the war effort, drawing out the best of all the parties involved. Before long, the imperial capitals’ teleportation portals were activated. In line with the various imperial edicts, the armed forces began teleporting away.

Ningyan bid farewell to Xu Qing, although he would be representing Xu Qing on the way back.

Xu Qing made preparations to leave. Before departing, he looked out at the wartime atmosphere of the imperial capital, and decided to visit the Red Dust Emotional Suppression Pavilion. The place was completely locked down at the moment, and seemed empty and desolate.

As he stood outside, a jovial voice reached his ears.

“You and your humans are suddenly very busy, you naughty little boy. Did you come here to plead for help from me?”

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Xu Qing thought for a moment. He was familiar with gods, and because of that, he knew full well that gods weren’t swayed by emotion. To gods, other living beings were like bugs. He himself was just a fleeting shadow in the very long lifespan of such figures.

He shook his head.

The clay fox smiled. “You just get me to like you more and more, naughty boy. Truth be told, despite the fact you said no to my question, I wouldn’t mind helping you if it was a personal matter and you agree to give me your primal yang. But this is a war between two species, and there’s some major karma involved. Unless you offered something even more incredible, then… I would have to refuse to help.”

1. King Wildmist was mentioned in chapter 750. She is the female heavenly king who is rumored to be in a relationship with Sixth Prince. I’d say it’s highly likely that she’s the woman who spoke from among the heavenly kings in the last chapter. ☜