Thanks to the continuous development of the space jump technologies, while the teleportation of a massive fleet would consume abundant spiritual energy, the commutation of one or two starships was still bearable. Therefore, many Sector Masters just traveled between the frontline and their nests in such a way.
After hearing that Lei Chenghu had escaped and even rose up, the Sector Masters and local lords who had been commanded by him for more than ten years all joined him, partly because of their loyalty, and partly, as well as more importantly, because they hoped that Lei Chenghu could defend their interests, like the Wei family from the Red Nimbus Sector.
“General!”
“My lord!”
“Commander!”
The moment they saw Lei Chenghu entered the room, all the 3D projections stood at attention and saluted Lei Chenghu in the most standard way, before they greeted Lei Chenghu in an assortment of ways.
However they called him, there was the same eagerness in every Sector Master and warlord’s eyes.
Lei Chenghu glanced around slowly and, surprisingly, he did not return the courtesy. Instead, he took off his hat and made a movement that shocked everyone. He closed his legs and bent his back by ninety degrees, bowing deeply at his subordinates!
“This is—”
All the Sector Masters and warlords were stunned. What they projected to Iron Torrent, the general flagship of the Third Battle Area, were only shadows, and their real bodies were still on their respective flagships. Naturally, it was impossible for them to move forward and stop him. They could only stammer, “What-What is the meaning of this, general?”
“Before the military meeting officially begins, allow me to express my deepest apology to everyone.”
Lei Chenghu did not stand straight again until he bowed for three seconds. He put on the hat again, cleaned his clothes, and said solemnly, “Don’t misunderstand me. I am not just apologizing to you but also to the men of the Imperium under your command who have fought in blood for more than ten years and even sacrificed valiantly.
“I promised to you and to every man that was gathered below my saber that I would lead them to victory and let them deserve what they did. Even if they died in the battles, their sacrifices would earn honor for themselves, rise for their offspring, and a future for their hometowns!
“I promised that I would make the Council of Elders fulfill their promise before the war and give the inconspicuous, miscellaneous troops in the past the respect, honor, credits, and interests that we deserved. I said that I would establish a monument of ten thousand meters in the capital, on which the name of every person who had sacrificed could be found!
“I promised everything with my life before!
“However…
“I have disappointed everyone. I failed to fulfill my promise. A month ago, I went to the Council of Elders to let them hear the voices of the frontline, our voices, in a peaceful way! But the Council of Elders turned down our reasonable request in the most indifferent, humiliating, and shameful way, smashing the efforts of all of us—both the living and the deceased—into pieces. Our hundred years of sacrifices, loyalty, devotion, and patriotism had been stomped on like dust!
“I am sorry for everyone. I’m sorry for every soldier of the Third Battle Area who has been fighting bravely. I’m sorry for all the deceased souls who charged at destruction under the lightning trident flag under my call. I’m sorry for everyone that used to trust me!”
As he spoke, the eyes of the “God of War” turned red, and his voice was shivering.
“General!”
“My lord!”
“Commander!”
Having grown into a big shot in their world in the cold, ruthless environment of the Immortal Cultivators, those warlords and Sector Masters had hearts as tough as iron. But still, they could not help but feel touched by Lei Chenghu’s mind-boggling apology. They said in excitement, “It’s… It’s not your fault. We all know that you have tried. It is a pity that the Council of Elders is full of wolves that nearly swallowed you too!”
“Only the losers say ‘I tried’; the winners will only think how to win!”
Lei Chenghu’s eyes were still red, mixed with the dirty tears shed for the heroes, but he had turned from grief and sorrow to determination. He gnashed his teeth and said, “The facts in the past month prove that the path of peace and stability has been entirely cut off. Not just the soldiers in the frontline such as us, even the Imperium and His Majesty have been mired in great danger.
“As Immortal Cultivators and soldiers of the Imperium, we have to do everything that can be done. We certainly cannot back off saying that ‘I tried’. Given the crisis right now, we will have to walk on a different path!
“At this moment, I am no longer a general, a lord, and a commander, but just a common Immortal Cultivator, a soldier of the Imperium, and a brother that has fought through life and death with you for more than ten years!
“Today, I have summoned all my brothers to this place because I want to ask you one question; are you willing to believe in me one time, one last time?”
Lei Chenghu’s eyes were the most accurate depiction of “the eyes of an aggressive tiger”.
All the warlords and Sector Masters hurried to nod their heads. “Of course we are. Not just one time, we will believe in you a hundred times!”
“One time. One last time will be enough, because I will not disappoint you again. No men will die in vain again, and no swine and wolves will ever lay fingers on the interests that you deserve!”
Lei Chenghu took a deep breath and looked around with his lightning-like eyes again, which were so intense that almost all the holograms were torn apart. In the end, he finally said unhurriedly, “I have introduced the details to you in the secret letters, so I will not waste time on that here. Now that you are willing to trust me and lead all your elites to fight with me without bothering anything, you will be the central forces to establish a new Imperium, and I am willing to trust all of you without reserve too!
“Allow me to introduce to you Fellow Cultivator Li Yao who escaped from the capital at the risk of his life. He used to be His Majesty’s personal bodyguard. Now, he has been authorized to represent His Majesty with His Majesty’s secret decree!”
Li Yao coughed slightly and moved forward. Vague flames of spiritual energy surged out of his body, highlighting the immeasurability of his dark eyes with the bright gold color.
“We’re privileged to meet you, Envoy Li!”
Whether or not this uncanny “Envoy Li” and the “secret decree” were authentic or fake, the Gold Vulture and Li Yao’s unparalleled strength were certainly true. The warlords and the Sector Masters were keen enough to realize that “Vulture Li Yao” was a key person of the reformists, and that once the cause succeeded, his identity would be justified even if it was fake at the beginning.
Therefore, they all bowed at Li Yao in respect, accepting his identity as the emperor’s envoy.
Solemnly, Li Yao did not return the courtesy but closed his hands in a gesture that looked like a blossoming lotus flower, while he retrieved a jade chip from the Cosmos Ring.
He was so careful and serious as if some incredible treasure was stored in the jade chip.
Everybody was slightly dazed. When they looked at the jade chip that was carved with the lighting trident emblem and the royal runes, they immediately realized what it was. Their hearts were all pounding.
Lowering his head, Lei Chenghu said, “Generals, please heed the royal decree!”
The secret decree was not an official, public one, and the Imperium of True Human Beings did not have all the formalities of the ancient dynasties. Therefore, they did not have to kowtow and kneel before the decree.
The warlords and the Sector Masters all stuck their fists to their chests, waiting in patience.
Li Yao mumbled spells while he changed his hands into dozens of different gestures in the blink of an eye, which were the protocols of the royal family that Li Linghai taught him recently. With the understanding and imitation abilities of the Divinity Transformation Stage, he naturally performed them without any error.
As his hands changed quickly, the delicate jade chip was shimmering too. Suddenly, a vague roar of a dragon echoed, and the light in the form of dragons soared out of the jade chip, running to all directions.
The glamorous sound and visual effects were enough to suggest that the jade chi was indeed produced by the royal refiners through hard work. It was indeed a piece of royal ware from the palace.
As Li Yao’s spells approached the end, Li Yao clapped his hands, and a light beam was immediately triggered by the jade chip, which was decorated by lightning at the edge with dragons flowing vaguely up and down. At the center of the light beam, it was exactly—
Nothing.
The so-called “secret decree” was empty without a single word!
All the Sector Masters, warlords, and fleet commanders were dumbfounded. They looked at Li Yao in confusion.
“His Majesty’s every action is monitored closely. If there were a single word on the secret decree, do you think I could’ve brought it out of the royal palace and the capital? Even if I did, wouldn’t His Majesty be killed once it was discovered?”
Li Yao said coldly, “This ‘wordless decree’ is indicative enough of His Majesty’s difficulties and the blatant arrogance of the scoundrels!”
“Yes. Please take a look at the stamp on this ‘wordless decree’. His Majesty’s soul mark is truly inside. Now that we have the stamp, we could’ve just written anything on it if we wanted to fool other people.”
Lei Chenghu said solemnly, “But it was exactly His Majesty’s purpose to express his situation and his fury with this ‘wordless decree’. Do you not know what is said in the secret decree in your heart? In that case, just let Envoy Li speak it out for you. They are all from His Majesty’s original words.”
The warlords and Sector Masters looked at each other in bewilderment and realized that it did make sense. They turned around and looked at Li Yao again.
Narrowing his eyes, Li Yao declared resolutely, one word after another, “The scoundrels in the court are conspiring to marginalize the monarch and ruin the rules. The awards and punishments that they issued were not the will of the sovereign. All the men of justice in the universe shall slay them together!”