Chapter 1509: The Underworld Office's Move
Currently, Yang Haoran still held a small quantity of Soul Crystals. These were items he had secretly accumulated over many years, and the reason for his secrecy was the presence of Zhong Siyu by his side. If he didn't hide them, Zhong Siyu would quickly find a way to extract them from him.
Although Yang Haoran always played poor in front of Zhong Siyu, claiming he no longer possessed such high-grade goods as Soul Crystals, the truth was quite the opposite. He still held Soul Crystals; he simply dared not reveal them in front of Zhong Siyu.
Yang Haoran was always reluctant to use Soul Crystals unless it was a critical moment. Each Soul Crystal was hard-won for him, requiring the extensive refinement of Soul Pills and considerable luck to obtain even one. Thus, acquiring a single Soul Crystal was exceedingly difficult. If he casually absorbed and refined them, he would lack a life-saving measure when a crucial moment arrived.
In Yang Haoran's view, the current situation of the Great Night Empire had reached a critical juncture. The Underworld Office's retaliatory strike against the Great Night Empire had erupted the moment newborns began to appear without souls. The Underworld Office would undoubtedly dispatch troops against the Great Night Empire next. Under such circumstances, he believed it was indeed necessary to absorb Soul Crystals to enhance his strength.
On this particular day, Yang Haoran was fully focused on refining Soul Crystals when he suddenly felt a premonition. His tightly closed eyes snapped open, and with a wave of his hand, he dispelled the restrictive barrier. Immediately after, he received two Communication Talismans: one from Tang Shi and one from Shui Ling.
After receiving both Communication Talismans, Yang Haoran's expression subtly shifted. He slowly parted his lips and exhaled a Soul Crystal that had only been partially refined. Then, he stood up and continuously issued a series of Communication Talismans. Having completed all this, he tore through space and departed, reappearing moments later in the Night God Palace's grand assembly hall.
No sooner had Yang Haoran arrived in the assembly hall than the high-ranking officials of the Great Night Empire arrived one after another. The Communication Talismans he had just sent were precisely for these officials, with the aim of summoning all of them to the assembly hall.
It had been some time since Yang Haoran had convened a meeting of the high-ranking officials. He was not the type of leader who enjoyed calling his subordinates to meetings unnecessarily, as he genuinely disliked it. The Great Night Empire's high-ranking officials were all aware of this. Therefore, when he summoned them for this meeting, even though they didn't know precisely what had transpired, they were certain that a major event was about to unfold.
Seated in the main position, Yang Haoran was clad in an imperial robe of black, edged with gold. A faint smile graced his face, making him appear no different from usual, showing no hint that a major event was imminent. However, the high-ranking officials present were all well aware of Yang Haoran's character, knowing that he never let his emotions show. Thus, even if a faint smile lingered on his face, it did not mean that everything was fine.
“The sudden and urgent summons was due to intelligence I just received,” he began, “The Underworld Office has made a major move. They are currently mobilizing their Underworld officials. Unless something unexpected happens, they are likely preparing to strike at our Great Night Empire once again. ”
Yang Haoran used the word “again” because the Underworld Office had already launched one attack against the Great Night Empire previously. Their last retaliatory strike was the incident of newborns being born without souls, but that particular blow did not inflict significant losses on the Great Night Empire, having been resolved by the Soul Fusion Masters trained by the Great Night Empire. If the Underworld Office were to deploy troops against the Great Night Empire this time, it would naturally be their second assault.
As these words fell, Yang Haoran's gaze swept across the high-ranking officials present. He wished to observe their reactions upon hearing his announcement, and through these reactions, infer their thoughts and subsequently ascertain their loyalty to the Great Night Empire, as well as their courage and attitude when faced with significant challenges. Although he already knew their reactions would not disappoint him, he still wanted to see for himself.
Under Yang Haoran's sweeping gaze, some of the high-ranking officials present remained expressionless, some subtly furrowed their brows, some wore stern expressions, some appeared ashamed, and others showed excitement. However, not a single one displayed any sign of fear.
Hou Yu and Lei Bao, along with the six Demon Saints who joined the Great Night Empire after them, were all part of its high command. After all, given their power as Demon Saints, granting them high-ranking positions was the least amount of respect they deserved. Although all eight of them were now high-ranking officials of the Great Night Empire, they were not yet considered Yang Haoran's confidants. To become Yang Haoran's confidant required the accumulation of time and contributions to the Great Night Empire. Through prolonged ideological indoctrination, coupled with an unending stream of massive resources lavished upon them, they had come to acknowledge the Great Night Empire and recognize Yang Haoran as their Great Emperor. However, this was still far from enough to become his inner circle.
Furthermore, their desire alone wouldn't guarantee their success in becoming Yang Haoran's confidants. The crucial factor lay in the Great Emperor Yang Haoran's own thoughts—whether he was willing to acknowledge them. If Yang Haoran refused to accept them and did not view the eight of them as his inner circle, no matter how much they desired it, they would not be able to become his confidants.
Nonetheless, the eight individuals now genuinely desired to become Yang Haoran's confidants and were striving in that direction.
Whether it was Lei Bao and Hou Yu, or the six Demon Saints who joined later, they had initially been quite resistant to Yang Haoran's recruitment, unwilling to submit to him. The reasons they later genuinely chose to follow Yang Haoran were, on one hand, prolonged ideological indoctrination, and on the other, the immense resources provided. Beyond these two reasons, there was another crucial factor: Yang Haoran's strength.
This strength referred not merely to Yang Haoran's personal power, but also to the rapid development of the Great Night Empire under his leadership and its swift overall increase in might. This not only astonished but also greatly impressed them, and it allowed them to glimpse the hope of the Great Night Empire's powerful rise. They all believed that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Great Night Empire becoming a super empire was only a matter of time. And as members of the Great Night Empire, as high-ranking officials, that would be an unparalleled honor.
It was precisely for these reasons that the eight individuals gradually changed their attitudes towards Yang Haoran and, by extension, towards the Great Night Empire.
Presently, those who displayed expressions of shame were none other than the six Demon Saints who had joined the Great Night Empire later than Lei Bao and Hou Yu. Their shame stemmed from the fact that, in their initial efforts to oppose Yang Haoran, they had divulged every detail of his whereabouts and the existence of the Great Night Empire to the Underworld Office, hoping to eliminate him through the Underworld Office's power. However, they never in their wildest dreams imagined that not only would the Sea Demon Alliance be defeated, but they themselves would become members of the Great Night Empire.
They felt that if it weren't for their actions as the six of them back then, the Underworld Office's retaliatory strikes against the Great Night Empire might not have occurred, or at the very least, they would have come much later, allowing the Great Night Empire more time to develop. Considering the Underworld Office's previous strike against the Great Night Empire and now this impending one, they believed they were inextricably linked to these events, which was why they showed expressions of shame.
“It’s good that they’re coming,” Lu Wu was the first to speak, his face a mix of anger and, more prominently, excitement. From his expression, it was clear he was eager for a confrontation with the Underworld Office. “I’ve wanted to clash with the Underworld Office head-on for a long time. If we don’t let them see our capabilities, they’ll just keep thinking our Great Night Empire is merely some small faction they can manipulate at will. Their last attack on our Great Night Empire’s newborns left me seething with suppressed fury. This time, I can finally vent all the anger in my heart! ” This former member of the Underworld Office, a devout follower of the Death God, now had only the Great Night Empire in his heart and believed only in Yang Haoran. He had long since moved past his former identity.
Lu Wu was far from the only belligerent individual in the Great Night Empire; this held true even among its high-ranking officials. Thus, as Lu Wu's words faded, another voice promptly spoke up.
“Lu Wu is right,” Lei Bao began, “If we don’t show them a bit of our mettle, they’ll keep thinking our Great Night Empire is easy to bully. Only by letting them taste bitterness will they understand that confronting our Great Night Empire is no easy task. That way, they won’t dare to casually strike at us in the future, and we can live a little easier. Otherwise, they’ll constantly run to the Eastern Sunrise Ocean to harass us, and just thinking about it is annoying. ”
It was Lei Bao who spoke this time. Unlike the six Demon Saints who joined the Great Night Empire later, he felt no guilt about this impending war. Therefore, he boldly stated his opinion.
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