Chapter 969: Dyeing Order

Chapter 969: The Decree of Tainted Aura

Hearing Gao Zhijian speak such words at this late hour, a sudden, inexplicable fire ignited within Li Huowang’s heart.

"How many times must I say it! I am not sick!" Li Huowang stood up abruptly. "Do you believe me or not? If you don't, I’ll go it alone!"

"I believe you." Gao Zhijian tried his best to steady Li Huowang, then shifted his tone, continuing: "However, this matter is of great importance and cannot be known only to the two of us. The White Lotus Saintess, as well as the other Dragon Veins and the Si Tian Jian, must all be informed."

Li Huowang could not refute this reason; after all, this concerned the fate of the entire world, and it was only right that others should know.

If everyone here helped him, becoming his support, it would undoubtedly be more reliable than relying solely on Zhao Shuangdian and Qing Wanglai.

These people were scattered across the corners of the earth, and gathering them back to the capital would have been a massive ordeal, but with Li Huowang’s help, they were brought into the capital in short order.

Among them were not only Bai Lingmiao, but also the Dragon Veins of various nations, the abbot of Zhengde Temple, the Grand Master of the Mohists, the Hall Master of the Minglun Hall, the six Great Elders of the Aojing Sect, and the Sect Leader of the Luo Sect.

Every sect and school had arrived; one could say that unless they were incapacitated, every major faction in the world was represented.

Even the grand hall where the Great Liang held its morning court was packed to the brim.

The commotion caused by the Prime Minister’s head was no small matter; anyone with eyes could naturally see what had transpired.

Before Gao Zhijian spoke, everyone whispered among themselves about the current situation, many casting their gazes toward Li Huowang.

After all, he made no attempt to hide his identity as a Heart-Sustainer, displaying it quite nakedly.

Yet, compared to before, it was clear that no one dared harbor any ill intent; their standing below while Li Huowang stood above spoke for itself.

As Gao Zhijian raised a hand, an old eunuch beside him waved a golden whisk through the air. "Silence!"

The voices in the hall died down. Everyone looked toward Gao Zhijian on the dragon throne, and the other Dragon Vein emperors seated beside him. The atmosphere in the hall turned heavy and solemn.

"The reason I have summoned you all today is something you likely already know: the world is now at the brink of life and death!" The hall was deathly silent, everyone listening intently.

Gao Zhijian did not continue immediately; he waited for a eunuch to bring a golden imperial decree, then picked up a brush, writing as he spoke.

"The world’s military strategists have already sacrificed themselves, and foreign enemies watch like tigers stalking their prey. To protect the people and the realm, I, as the Emperor of Great Liang, hereby declare the Decree of Tainted Aura."

Having spoken these final words, Gao Zhijian pressed the Great Liang imperial seal heavily onto the decree.

The other Dragon Veins said nothing, but stood in unison, producing the seals of their respective nations and pressing them onto the decree as well.

Yet it did not end there; every emperor dripped their own blood onto the scroll.

With such a grand display, a large portion of those below had no idea what it meant, though some who had lived long enough understood exactly what this decree represented.

An old woman, leaning on a phoenix-headed staff and covered in blue-and-white porcelain-like cracks, asked with a trembling voice: "Your Majesty? Must we truly go this far? Even when the Dharma Sect caused such chaos, we did not invoke the Decree of Tainted Aura. Must we resort to such measures now?"

"The Dharma Sect? They didn't even cross Qingqiu back then. Can they be compared to what we face now?"

"The peace and tranquility we enjoyed before were all thanks to the Si Tian Jian and Brother Li holding the line. Since we no longer intend to hide the truth, I will tell you all today: the Dharma Sect was merely a scout’s probe from the foreign enemy!"

Gao Zhijian’s words weighed upon everyone’s hearts like a mountain. They might not have known everything, but everyone knew the extent of the chaos the Dharma Sect had caused.

If that level of destruction was merely a probe, then how powerful was this current enemy?

Seeing the unease spreading below, Li Huowang stepped forward to steady their emotions.

"Don't panic! We can win! They aren't as strong as you imagine. As long as we work together, we can surely overcome this crisis!"

"Brother Li, may I ask in what capacity you speak these words?" asked Yan Xi, the Great Elder of the Aojing Sect.

"Me? In what capacity?" Li Huowang pulled a waist token from his robes and held it up. "I am the Si Tian Jian of Great Liang! How about that? Am I qualified to say this now?"

Gao Zhijian was clearly unaware of this news; he, like the others, stared in astonishment at the token in Li Huowang’s hand.

It was Xuan Pin’s token, taken from her corpse.

"They are nothing to fear! Their elephants are no bigger than ours! We have no reason to be afraid!"

"Whatever happens next, bring out your most hidden trump cards! Let us join forces and find a way to annihilate them!"

Li Huowang’s words did not resonate with the others, but with the backing of the Dragon Veins behind him, they clearly accepted his status as the Si Tian Jian and the weight of his words.

When all the emperors of the world issued a joint call, everyone knew the gravity of the situation.

The grand trend of the world was now clear; whether they could win depended on the final outcome.

After the decree was issued, the civil and military officials and the sects of the world began to move, scrambling to carry out the Decree of Tainted Aura.

Even those evil cultivators who would not help dared not cause trouble at such a time.

"The entire world's population must be tainted with this aura?" Li Huowang asked, looking toward Gao Zhijian on the throne.

"Everyone." The stern and solemn Gao Zhijian gripped the dragon heads on the armrests of his throne.

Li Huowang’s voice began to tremble. "Even the brothers and sisters in Niuxin Village!?"

Gou Wa, Yang Xiaohai, Zhao Wu, Sun Baolu, Lu Xiucai, Chun Xiaoman—his former companions flashed through his mind, but as a good emperor, he repeated firmly, "Everyone."

Bai Lingmiao had been tainted by the military aura, and Lu Xiucai had been tainted as well; he knew the consequences.

If the entire world were to be tainted with this aura, it would be a man-made catastrophe.

Li Huowang’s heart felt suffocated, but he could not speak; in the face of such a global crisis, he had to wait and see.

"Don't be in such a rush to act. Save the Prime Minister’s head as a last resort. Use it only when we truly cannot fight them any longer," Li Huowang said in a low voice.

It was hard-won to have allies, but the price of using them was far too heavy.

"That goes without saying. These are my subjects, this is my empire, and I cherish them more than you do."

Just as Li Huowang opened his mouth to say something more, a woman’s voice came from behind: "We shall not rely on the people alone!"