Chapter 1510: The Underworld Office Arrives
When Lei Bao first joined the Great Night Empire, encountering a matter of such grave importance, one that threatened life and death, he would certainly not have uttered such words. Even if he had, it's unlikely he would have acted upon them. But now, his feelings for the Great Night Empire ran much deeper, which was why he spoke with such conviction.
Regardless of whether his words were truly heartfelt or merely a performance, since he had spoken them in front of so many people, he was bound to follow through. Otherwise, he would become a laughingstock among everyone and would never be able to hold his head high within the Great Night Empire again.
However, judging by his expression and tone when he spoke, he did not seem to be putting on a show.
After Lei Bao, other high-ranking officials also spoke one after another. Although their choice of words differed, their attitude was consistently the same: they would fight a bloody battle against the Underworld Office to the very end. No one suggested avoiding the conflict.
Yang Haoran was extremely satisfied with the attitude of his high-ranking officials. If they had shown fear before even fighting, not only would the great battle be an undeniable defeat, but it would also cause immense negative impact on the Great Night Empire, which was not a good thing. Therefore, Yang Haoran did not want to see such individuals among the Great Night Empire's leadership. Fortunately, there were none.
Whether to fight or flee, Yang Haoran had already made his decision long ago, and this decision could not be changed by the Great Night Empire's high-ranking officials. The reason he hadn't announced his decision immediately, and instead allowed the present officials to speak, was simply to observe their respective attitudes regarding the matter.
"Very good, you all think as I do. I, too, want to clash with the Underworld Office. Only by letting the Underworld Office witness the strength of our Great Night Empire will they not dare to invade us so easily. I have summoned you all here today for two reasons: one, to gauge your attitudes on this matter, and two, to warn you all to prepare for battle."
Yang Haoran smiled faintly. After receiving affirmative responses from all the high-ranking officials, Yang Haoran wasted no more time with idle talk, concluded the meeting, and sent the officials back to their respective posts.
Several days later, outside Half-Moon Island of the Great Night Empire, the space suddenly experienced a violent fluctuation. Immediately afterward, dozens of spatial rifts, varying in size, appeared. In the blink of an eye, the sudden appearance of so many spatial rifts created an extraordinarily magnificent spectacle. The sky looked like a piece of fabric torn in many places, appearing tattered and utterly desolate.
As the spatial rifts emerged, a massive number of Underworld Office agents, clad in Death God robes, poured out, suspending themselves outside Half-Moon Island, just as Lei Bao and Hou Yu had once led a vast force of sea demons to attack Half-Moon Island.
The Underworld Office did not descend directly onto Half-Moon Island because they knew the entire island was enveloped by a grand array, and they were aware of its power. If they were to descend within the array, they would undoubtedly be subjected to its attacks, which would not be favorable for them.
Conversely, breaking through the array from the outside presented an entirely different situation. It would not be as passive as the former, and under normal circumstances, once the array was breached, even if not completely destroyed, it would be impossible for it to reactivate in a short period, thereby eliminating a threat.
The Great Night Empire had scouts, and the Underworld Office likewise had its own. It was precisely for this reason that the Underworld Office knew Half-Moon Island was protected by a grand array. Not only did the Underworld Office know this, but it also possessed other information about the Great Night Empire.
The spatial rifts appeared quickly and vanished just as quickly. Soon, the sky returned to normal, and the space ceased to tremble, as if nothing had happened. Only the dense, dark mass of Underworld Office troops suspended in the air proved that everything that had just occurred was real.
With such a massive commotion caused by the Underworld Office's arrival, how could the experts of the Great Night Empire not sense it? Having already made preparations, the Great Night Empire immediately reacted. Waves of powerful energy erupted, and figures in droves converged towards the point of the Underworld Office's arrival.
The moment the Underworld Office arrived, a large number of Great Night Empire experts had already assembled on the opposite side. Their numbers were no less than those of the Underworld Office; in fact, they quickly surpassed them, and the count was still rising.
This scene, aside from the high-ranking officials of the Underworld Office who managed to remain composed, completely dumbfounded the lower-ranking Underworld Office agents. This was because the number of combat personnel in the Great Night Empire, as well as the number of experts, far exceeded their expectations.
Before launching their assault on the Great Night Empire, the Underworld Office had, of course, done their homework for this battle; it was a necessary step. And the current strength of the Great Night Empire, while not completely understood by the Underworld Office, was generally known. However, "Underworld Office" here referred only to the high-ranking officials of the Underworld Office, not the agents below them.
Precisely for this reason, facing the Great Night Empire's continuously swelling army and the increasing appearance of experts, the high-ranking Underworld Office officials remained relatively calm, as they had long anticipated this scene. Conversely, the lower-ranking Underworld Office agents, being unaware of the true situation and having little understanding of the Great Night Empire, had believed this mission would be very easy and effortless. But the reality was completely different from what they had imagined, which was why they were utterly astonished by the scene before them.
However, as more and more Great Night Empire experts continued to appear, even the high-ranking officials of the Underworld Office could no longer maintain their composure. Ten Demon Saints alone, equivalent to Life Soul realm experts in the Underworld Office system, had appeared. In addition to the Demon Saint-level demons, there were also a considerable number of Ghost Kings, as well as many experts who had opened their Heaven and Earth Souls. These individuals had once been Underworld Office agents loyal to the Underworld Office, but now they were traitors loyal to Yang Haoran.
Such a multitude of powerful experts far exceeded the strength that the Underworld Office had brought on this expedition. Of course, they found it difficult to remain calm; even if some could, it was merely a pretense, not genuine composure.
Regarding the strength of the Great Night Empire, the Underworld Office scouts had sent back intelligence. However, even after reviewing it, the vast majority of Underworld Office high-ranking officials remained unconvinced, harboring doubts in their hearts. They simply couldn't believe that in a mere decade or two, Yang Haoran had not only established himself in the Eastern Sunrise Ocean but had also enabled the laughable Great Night Empire to possess so many experts.
The Eastern Sunrise Ocean was inherently an extremely tough nut to crack, and the Heavenly Expanse Ocean was no different. This was precisely why no power had easily set its sights on these two great oceans, for they were the domain of the sea demons, with countless powerful ones. Small factions were out of the question; even major powers, if they wished to conquer these two oceans, had to weigh their capabilities carefully. If they were to recklessly attempt to take them, they would undoubtedly suffer heavy losses, thereby allowing rival forces to gain an advantage. Thus, no major power dared to do so unless absolutely necessary.
Yang Haoran, on the other hand, leading the Underworld Office agents of Jingling Continent's Ninth District, had fled to the Eastern Sunrise Ocean, not only establishing a foothold but also building the Great Night Empire and even subduing eight Demon Saint-level sea demons. To the high-ranking officials of the Underworld Office, this felt utterly unreal; they believed Yang Haoran could not possibly have achieved all this, hence their skepticism towards the intelligence sent back by their scouts.
When Yang Haoran initially chose the Eastern Sunrise Ocean, it wasn't a last-minute decision forced by the Underworld Office, but a calculated move. He knew that sooner or later, he would find himself in opposition to the Underworld Office, and with the Underworld Office's immense power across the four continents, there would be little room for him to maneuver. Thus, he had chosen the Eastern Sunrise Ocean in advance.
And the reason Yang Haoran was able to establish himself in the Eastern Sunrise Ocean, then build the Great Night Empire, and subsequently subdue the eight great sea demon saints, was not solely due to the Underworld Office agents he brought from Jingling Continent's Ninth District. The Flock of Demons Society, Myriad Ghost Grotto, Iron Blood Demon Hall, and Medicine God Society – all these organizations played an indispensable role.
Furthermore, his loyal experts, such as the departed Ye Zhiqiu, his Guardian Spirit Zhong Siyu, and the exceptionally capable administrators like Old Master Wu and Zhu Rong, all played crucial roles.
Moreover, throughout this process, every organization and individual shed unimaginable sweat and endured various hardships, ultimately leading to the Great Night Empire as it stood today. However, the high-ranking officials of the Underworld Office were unaware of these intricate details. Therefore, when they learned of the Great Night Empire's formidable current strength, most of them refused to believe it, finding it hard to accept as truth and unwilling to.
Yet now, the facts lay before them, leaving them no room for disbelief. Their skepticism was replaced by shock, and some high-ranking officials even began to feel regret for having participated in this operation!
Comments