Chapter 813: Wind Rises, Face of the Flame Moon Deity

As soon as the Grand Tutor spoke, silence immediately fell across the entire imperial palace hall. The next moment, a heavy atmosphere suddenly arose, and powerful auras erupted from the various ministers.

At this moment, the twelve Heavenly Kings in the imperial court stood up, one by one. The Marquises below them followed suit.

The northwestern border was of extreme importance to the Human Race, as it bordered the powerful Flame Moon Profound Sky Race. Facing such a formidable adversary, any misstep could have widespread repercussions.

The Sie Race, in particular, being one of the three major affiliated races of the Flame Moon Profound Sky, could not have acted without the permission of the Flame Moon high command. Therefore, mishandling this matter could lead to catastrophic consequences.

Furthermore, on the Dark Sky battlefield, the Human Race army had been advancing triumphantly, but with the addition of the Bai Ze Race, it had clearly become a stalemate.

The Human Race army was bogged down there, making it difficult to advance or retreat. Such a situation left the Human Race in an extremely passive position.

For a moment, all the Human Race individuals in the hall, from the Heavenly Kings down to the officials, looked at each other. Due to the diverse factions and numerous families within the Human Race, there was often considerable internal strife. However, at this moment, ministers who usually had conflicts saw unwavering determination in each other's eyes.

There was no need for explicit declarations. Those who had reached the imperial hall possessed the necessary perspective. All struggles for personal gain could be set aside, political rivals with differing ideologies could be disregarded for now, and all private grievances could also be temporarily ignored.

Because the crisis at the border and on the Dark Sky battlefield was escalating rapidly, everyone understood they had to unite and integrate without hesitation, no matter the cost.

Everything related to individuals and families was insignificant. If the Human Race ceased to exist, what good would any amount of gain be?

The idea of defecting to foreign races was utterly unacceptable to everyone in the imperial court.

Thus, calls for battle erupted throughout the imperial court.

“Your Majesty, I request to go to the northwestern border and assist King Zhen Yan!”

“Your Majesty, my family secretly maintains eighty thousand elite warriors. I am willing to lead them personally to the Dark Sky Race to fight for our Human Race!”

“Your Majesty, military campaigns consume vast amounts of resources. We are willing to surrender our family assets; everything for the war effort!”

“The Five Palaces of the Lower Profound will spare no effort to sustain the war.”

“Very well. Though this old man finds King Dong Ding disagreeable and has many conflicts with him, now... I will personally go to the Dark Sky Race and willingly serve as King Dong Ding’s deputy!”

Calls for battle and pledges of support echoed through the hall. As Xu Qing listened to these words, his heart stirred with increasing intensity, for he realized that these people and their declarations were not false.

They genuinely thought this way and intended to act accordingly.

This situation exceeded Xu Qing’s expectations. He had always believed that the imperial capital was chaotic, with various factions constantly engaging in internal strife despite the Emperor’s oppressive rule, leading to much sordidness.

Therefore, this scene before him deeply moved him.

“Is this the other side of the Human Race?” Xu Qing murmured to himself.

“When there’s no external crisis, everyone competes for their own interests, seemingly harboring ulterior motives and hypocritically concealing their self-serving nature. But once an external crisis emerges…”

“Everyone, every faction, can instantly drop everything and unite…”

Xu Qing was deeply moved, but at this moment, these were just words. He didn't know if their actions would truly reflect these intentions, but his instincts told him it was very likely to be the case.

Not only the imperial ministers spoke, but the imperial princes in the crowd also stepped forward.

The Fifth Prince strode to the front of the hall and bowed deeply to the Human Emperor.

“Father Emperor, please permit me to return to the northwestern border immediately!”

“Father Emperor, your son is willing to go to the Dark Sky Race and share their fate, living and dying with them as a prince, to boost the morale of our Human Race!”

The Second Prince took a deep breath and also bowed. At this moment, he genuinely felt this way. While the rivalry among the princes still existed, the arrival of war had shifted its focus.

The competition was no longer about who was right or wrong, but about who would achieve the most merit. The Third Prince, Tenth Prince, Princess An Hai, and the other arriving princes all followed suit, speaking up one after another.

Ning Yan was also among them, loudly requesting to join the fight.

“Your Majesty, I wish to go to the Dark Sky Race!”

The Human Emperor showed no surprise at this scene. He naturally knew, and this was why he allowed internal competition, as it was part of his way of governing.

Thus, he raised his head, looked in the direction of the Flame Moon Profound Sky Race, and a profound look gradually appeared in his eyes.

In his heart, a soft sigh echoed: “It came a bit fast.”

Only the Human Emperor himself could hear this sigh. To outsiders, his expression always remained largely unchanged, because at his position, his expressions were scrutinized by everyone, and any slight change could provoke countless interpretations.

Such was the way of those in high positions; sometimes, expressions and demeanor were part of the art of kingship.

“Ministers, I have heard your words. The Five Palaces of the Upper Profound, heed my command,” the Human Emperor calmly stated.

Immediately, cultivators from the Five Palaces of the Upper Profound among the ministers stepped forward and bowed with cupped hands.

Simultaneously within the imperial capital, at the headquarters of the Five Palaces of the Upper Profound, five vast figures emerged and bowed in unison.

“Regarding the war against the Dark Sky Race, the Five Palaces shall cooperate with the Grand Tutor to establish a Military Affairs Office and devise three response plans—high, medium, and low—for this war. Submit them to the palace within one day.”

“As you command!”

The five figures in the imperial capital and the Grand Tutor in the palace spoke simultaneously.

“The Five Palaces of the Lower Profound, heed my command,” the Human Emperor continued.

Instantly, the main figures of the Five Palaces of the Lower Profound also appeared, magnificent in their aura and equally impressive.

“You shall assist with all preparations and follow-ups regarding this war. Do not be negligent.”

“The entire Human Race territory shall immediately enter a state of war.”

As his words echoed, the heavens and earth resonated. The grand formation of the imperial capital roared into action, mobilizing all the capital’s great mechanisms. One after another, formations activated in unison, finally merging into countless arrays to form the Human Race’s earth-shaking prohibition, which fully unleashed its power.

The imperial court session did not end, and no one left. Everyone waited.

They waited for the Grand Tutor and the Five Palaces of the Upper Profound to finalize the arrangements for the overall war situation.

This task involved an immense workload, requiring coordination, calculation, deduction, and consideration of numerous factors.

Time slowly passed. Six hours later, three proposed plans—high, medium, and low—for the war were submitted to the Human Emperor.

After an hour of discussion, one plan was approved by the Human Emperor.

Xu Qing witnessed this entire process. Although he remained silent, this experience was a first for him.

As the plan was approved, a series of imperial decrees were issued, announcing them to all directions.

First, for the war against the Dark Sky Race, the Human Emperor issued five imperial decrees.

Decree One: Four Heavenly Kings shall lead armies to reinforce King Dong Ding. Their mission is to reverse the Human Race’s current predicament on the Dark Sky front, transforming it into a situation where the Human Race can effectively contain the Bai Ze Race. Both sides must remain stalemated, with neither gaining the upper hand. The Third Prince is permitted to accompany the army.

Decree Two: The forces of Seal Sea Commandery and Saint Wave Great Domain are to be mobilized to join the battlefield. With Seal Sea Commandery at the lead, they shall become the main force in this war against the Dark Sky Race. Their mission is to take advantage of the Bai Ze Race's entanglement and accelerate the subjugation of the Dark Sky Great Domain.

Decree Three: Five Heavenly Kings, along with the Twelfth Prince Ning Yan, shall lead troops to reinforce Seal Sea Commandery, bringing three Sundial Suns.

Decree Four: King Nuo Lan, in coordination with the Special Assignment Bureau, shall form a special military corps. They are to secretly proceed to the ancestral land of the Bai Ze Race. Since the entire Bai Ze Race has been mobilized, their mission is to utterly destroy its ancestral land.

Decree Five: Xu Qing is commanded to go to the Sacrifice Moon Great Domain to request assistance from the Young Lord and others at a critical juncture. This is one of the guarantees for this war.

These five decrees, covering the war against the Dark Sky Race from various angles, seemed simple, yet they had considered almost every aspect.

As for the war at the northwestern border, where the Sie Race was invading, six imperial decrees were issued.

Decree One: The Fifth Prince shall return immediately with an army of ten million.

Decree Two: Four Heavenly Kings shall each proceed to the northwestern border to cooperate with King Zhen Yan and ensure the defense of the territory.

Decree Three: The Fourth Prince is specially permitted to join the army in the Northwest. Furthermore, the Imperial Advisor is to build a Star-Plucking Tower in the Northwest and be stationed there. As long as the Imperial Advisor stands, the Northwest shall not fall.

Decree Four: Seven defense lines shall be established outside the imperial capital. Each defense line shall be guarded by an imperial prince or princess, with all factions providing necessary assistance. This serves as a safeguard and a constant readiness against the Lock Flame Race and other groups attempting to raid.

Decree Five: The Eldest Prince shall immediately embark as an envoy to the Flame Moon Profound Sky Race to investigate the cause of the conflict. He is to do his utmost to resolve this war from within the Flame Moon Race. If full resolution is impossible, he must at least delay the conflict.

Decree Six: All properties belonging to Flame Moon high-ranking officials and clans within Human Race territory shall be sealed. The seals shall not be lifted until the war concludes.

With the issuance of these eleven imperial decrees, the entire Human Race, like a colossal war machine, instantly began to operate.

The Five Palaces of the Upper Profound fully mobilized, and the Five Palaces of the Lower Profound fully cooperated.

All factions, indeed, put aside their disputes as stated in the hall, and cooperated with one another.

What differed from the previous Dark Sky War was that this time, virtually all the imperial princes were involved. They became the focal point, drawing in all supporting parties accordingly.

Soon, the imperial capital’s teleportation formations continuously activated. As per the imperial decrees, all parties were being transported to their respective destinations. Ning Yan also bid farewell to Xu Qing, as he would represent Xu Qing on his return journey.

As for Xu Qing, he also had to leave. However, before departing, Xu Qing looked at the imperial capital, which was filled with a wartime atmosphere, and finally arrived at the Red Dust Oblivion Tower.

The tower was now sealed and desolate. Standing outside, Xu Qing gazed at it, when a light laugh reached his ears: “My stinky little brother, your Human Race is busy with all this teleportation right now. Are you seeking me out at this time to beg for my help?”

Xu Qing remained silent. He understood gods, and precisely because he understood them, he knew very well that gods had no emotions.

In the eyes of gods, all living beings were mere ants. His own presence was nothing more than a fleeting glimpse in their vast tapestry of life, a temporary whim.

So he shook his head.

The Mud Fox smiled, “You stinky little brother, you make me like you even more!”

“Actually, even if you ask, it’s no use. If this were a personal matter for you, and you offered your prime essence, I might still help you a little. But this is a dispute between two races, carrying immense karmic consequences. Unless you offer better terms, then… I can’t help you either!”