Chapter 1515: Complete Victory
Huo Laoban had not anticipated such an absurd turn of events. Similarly, the Underworld Office forces had not expected the Great Night Empire to act in such a manner. They were all utterly stunned by the scene before them. By the time they recovered from their shock, Huo Laoban had already been reduced to ash and dust.
To ascend to the throne of Tongzhou Great Emperor, Huo Laoban had spared no effort, finally achieving his long-cherished wish to seize that position. Yet, he never imagined that before he could even warm the seat, he would lose his life, not even a wisp of his soul remaining.
Perhaps his ascension to the throne of Tongzhou Great Emperor had made him a little too arrogant, causing his confidence to explode. He underestimated Yang Haoran's determination to kill him, and also underestimated the ruthless methods of the Great Night Empire's high-ranking officials, ultimately losing his life in a daze.
Having instantly killed Huo Laoban, the Great Night Empire's high-ranking officials did not halt their assault. Luo Yao and the Jun Prefecture Great Emperor became the new targets of their attack. Other Great Night Empire combatants also launched an offensive against the Underworld Office's Guardians and Emissaries of Death. At this moment, the battle fully erupted.
Some of the Underworld Office forces had just regained their senses, while others hadn't even fully recovered, when they were met with the Great Night Empire's assault. Many were thrown into a flurry of panicked activity, able to do no more than hastily defend themselves. It was precisely because of this that many Underworld Officials lost their lives.
The war had just begun, yet the Underworld Office had not only lost a Great Emperor but also a significant number of their forces. The situation was extremely passive for the Underworld Office.
Luo Yao and the Jun Prefecture Great Emperor, facing the assault of the Great Night Empire's high-ranking officials, were under immense pressure. In a single exchange, both sustained serious injuries. Although their strength surpassed Huo Laoban's, they too could not withstand the onslaught of the Great Night Empire's top brass. Having suffered considerable wounds in just one confrontation, if the battle continued, it was highly probable that both would soon follow in Huo Laoban's footsteps.
Both were keenly aware of this. Neither wished to follow in Huo Laoban's footsteps. Luo Yao, who had already considered retreating earlier, now felt an even stronger urge to withdraw given the circumstances.
Knowing full well this would be the result, Luo Yao would not stubbornly fight the Great Night Empire. He also had no desire to gamble with his life, so he decisively issued the order to retreat.
"Retreat! Retreat immediately! ! !"
This time, Luo Yao did not consult the Jun Prefecture Great Emperor, but instead issued the retreat order directly. Time was of the essence, and he simply had no leisure to seek the Jun Prefecture Great Emperor's opinion.
Furthermore, he and the Jun Prefecture Great Emperor had always been at odds, and he harbored deep resentment towards the Jun Prefecture Great Emperor. Thus, he had no desire to solicit his opinion. Not only did he not want to seek the Jun Prefecture Great Emperor's opinion, but he also intended to lay the blame for the entire failure of this operation squarely on the Jun Prefecture Great Emperor's shoulders.
Previously, Huo Laoban had been brimming with confidence, believing he possessed the ability to turn the tide, and the Jun Prefecture Great Emperor, allied with Huo Laoban, had openly declared his support. At that time, Luo Yao had stated that if any mishap occurred, both would bear full responsibility. Now that Huo Laoban was gone, Luo Yao, both publicly and privately, was determined to shift all accountability to the Jun Prefecture Great Emperor.
Luo Yao was not the only one wishing to retreat. The vast majority of the Underworld Office forces yearned to escape this place, including many Guardians. They had no desire to lose their lives here; knowing that continued engagement meant certain death, they naturally refused to press on.
Although they desired to retreat, they dared not do so without an order. Now that Luo Yao had issued the command to withdraw, it was exactly what they wanted. Without hesitation, they immediately tore open space and fled the area, unwilling to linger for even a second.
The Jun Prefecture Great Emperor did not intervene, partly because he could find no reason to object, and partly because he too had decided to retreat. He had no wish to sacrifice his life here; knowing that continuing would inevitably lead to death, he certainly wasn't foolish enough to fight the Great Night Empire to the bitter end.
Not only did the Jun Prefecture Great Emperor not stop them, but his own retreat speed was remarkably swift. Shortly after Luo Yao's words fell, he tore open space and departed, moving even faster than many of the desperate Underworld Officials scrambling to escape.
The Underworld Office swiftly completed their withdrawal, though in the process, many Underworld Officials were left behind forever.
In this operation, the Underworld Office had arrived with great momentum, yet within a short time, they chose to flee. One Great Emperor fell in battle, three Guardians lost their lives, and nearly ten thousand Emissaries of Death perished. This was only because the Underworld Office withdrew promptly; if they had hesitated even slightly, the death toll would undoubtedly have risen further!
The Underworld Office had sought Yang Haoran for so many years, and after finally locating him, they had intended to eliminate him to regain the face they had lost years ago, and simultaneously teach this traitor the consequences of betraying the Underworld Office. Instead, they ended up losing even more face.
Compared to the Underworld Office's massive losses, the Great Night Empire suffered almost none in this battle. To describe it as a complete victory would be no exaggeration. As the Underworld Office retreated in disgrace, the Great Night Empire's combatants erupted into earth-shattering cheers.
The Underworld Office was a colossal entity. Looking across the entire New Beginning Realm, few forces dared to directly confront the Underworld Office, and even fewer could emerge victorious from such a clash. Yet, the Great Night Empire had achieved precisely that this time. This was a testament to the Great Night Empire's formidable strength. As members of the Great Night Empire, they were naturally excited and proud; cheering is the best way to express their inner emotions.
With the great battle concluded, the Great Night Empire's participating personnel either cleaned up the battlefield or headed to the Medicine God Society for treatment. Each performed their duties in an orderly fashion. Yang Haoran, who had not appeared before, now revealed himself in the area where the battle had erupted.
Although Yang Haoran hadn't shown himself earlier, he had been secretly observing the entire battlefield. It wasn't that he worried about any unexpected turn that might disadvantage the Great Night Empire; he was secretly watching the battle simply to get a better look at Xu Meijing.
Because Yang Haoran had given specific instructions, the Great Night Empire's high-ranking officials not only refrained from deliberately targeting Xu Meijing, but actually made an effort to avoid her. However, to prevent causing Xu Meijing any trouble, Yang Haoran didn't dare make it too obvious. Necessary attacks against Xu Meijing were still launched, but none of these attacks were full-powered. They looked intimidating, but in reality, contained little force.
Precisely because of this, Xu Meijing only sustained minor injuries, none of them fundamental. If not for Yang Haoran's deliberate actions, the outcome in such a chaotic battle would have been highly uncertain; it would have been no surprise for Xu Meijing to suffer severe injuries, or even lose her life.
Yang Haoran, observing from the shadows, had kept his full attention on Xu Meijing. When she escaped without severe damage, having only suffered some minor, negligible injuries, Yang Haoran breathed a sigh of relief.
Nevertheless, when Xu Meijing tore open space and departed without a backward glance, Yang Haoran felt a pang of sadness and a sense of helplessness. Yet, he did not stop her, nor did he reveal himself because of it. Instead, he watched her enter the spatial rift and disappear.
Now, Yang Haoran appeared, gazing at the very spot where Xu Meijing had just torn open space and left. The faint smile that usually graced his face was gone, replaced by a hint of melancholy in his eyes.
The sound of tearing air filled the sky. Seeing Yang Haoran appear, the Great Night Empire's high-ranking officials rushed over. Yang Haoran sensed their approach; the melancholy in his eyes vanished, and a smile once again returned to his face.
"Greetings, Great Emperor!"
The high-ranking officials bowed one after another. Yang Haoran nodded with a smile, his expression one of deep satisfaction.
"Haha, good, very good. Our Great Night Empire achieved a complete victory in this battle, and your contributions are indispensable!"
Yang Haoran spoke with a laugh, his words filled with affirmation for everyone present.
"Great Emperor's foresight is unmatched. We merely acted according to your commands, and the Underworld Office retreated without a fight, so we didn't exert much effort and therefore deserve little credit," Old Master Wu responded with an awkward smile.
"Haha, regardless of the process, a win is a win. Since we've fought a victorious battle, you all deserve rewards. Not only will I reward you, but everyone who participated in this war will receive their due rewards. The Underworld Office suffered a great loss at our Great Night Empire's hands this time and has witnessed our formidable strength. I believe they certainly won't move against our Great Night Empire again in the short term. They've definitively lost face this time. It's just unknown how much time they'll spend vying for the position of Tongzhou Great Emperor this time."
Yang Haoran said with a smile, then ordered a grand victory banquet. This battle was a complete triumph, with far better results than anticipated. Of course, he had to order a proper celebration to bring joy to all citizens of the Great Night Empire and allow them to partake in this honor, this honor belonging solely to the Great Night Empire.
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