Unsealing Emptiness

Chapter 492: Lack Of Soldiers.

After the Celestial Phoenix returned unharmed, Ember ordered the soldiers to recuperate and guard their territories on high alert.

She needed to assess how much damage they had really done to the Immortal Sect and the Wilderness before planning their next move.

It wasn’t long before she received the report of their own casualties, and she wasn’t surprised to see that the numbers were within her expectations. If anything, she was prepared to lose even more soldiers.

"This will not work again," Ozul spoke up, bringing Ember out of her thoughts. He needed to remind her just in case she was thinking of throwing him against a Sage again.

"I know," she hummed.

She wasn’t oblivious to the fact that such circumstances wouldn’t present themselves again. The next time she tried doing this, they would be met with complete force.

"We needed to get all the advantage."

Near them, old man Jaka nodded his head. He offered his insights, "Even after dealing such a blow, we still don’t have the upper hand. "

"You don’t think we are at a disadvantage?" She had her own thoughts about the matter but wanted to understand his perspective as well.

Jaka stroked his beard calmly as he replied, "We have fewer Sages, but there shouldn’t be much of a difference between Transcendents. In return, we also have the Phoenix who is stronger than two Empyreans combined."

Ember agreed with his thoughts, but it did not ease her heart.

After all, if even Jaka could see through this reality, then so could the Sect Leader Kai and the Wilderness Leader Hakuja. The next time an altercation occurred, they would be prepared, and she couldn’t plan for it.

"This is not your war, you cannot win or lose it," Ozul spoke again, feeling her emotions reach him even as he tried to ignore them.

"You are only half right."

Ember knew that it was not her war, but she stood to lose just as much.

"Whatever plans you make, they will be useless once they make a decision," Ozul just wanted her to stop thinking so much.

A single command by the Lord of Shadows or God’s Son was enough to overturn all her plans in the war.

Sighing loudly, Ember shook her head, "I cannot help myself."

She understood how powerless they were in the face of the real schemes, but that could not deter her from making her own plans.

...

And just like Ozul had said, those whose plans actually mattered were busy discussing their next course of action.

Jidu, the Heavenly Virtue of Humility assessed the situation of the Wilderness after confirming that the Phoenix wouldn’t return to attack the Sect.

He was more than enraged about the losses they had incurred, but before he could take it out on anyone, he received a transmission that yet another Celestial Beast had launched an attack.

The Realm of Abezan was mostly his responsibility, so he had to answer for everything that happened here. That was the reason for his anger, but knowing that the other 3 Realms which housed a Celestial Beast were suffering just as much, it would alleviate his shame a little.

In the Land Above Realms, Jidu returned to the castle that housed Kami, the son of God.

Right as he returned, Zihao and Tanlan, the Virtues of Kindness and Charity respectively appeared as well.

"Well?" Asked the Lan Duo, waiting in the room already.

"Those Beasts planned to cause destruction only!" Jidu growled, taking a seat.

"The Celestial Beasts have all proven themselves to be loyal to the Demonic Emperor. Even the Celestial Tortoise woke up from its slumber and attacked us." Tanlan and Zihao had just returned after deterring the Tortoise and Qingyu, the Virtue of Chastity aligned with the Demonic Emperor.

The doors to their room jolted open and Kami strode in with his usual frown.

"This wouldn’t have happened if you had dealt with the Beasts in the first place!" He exclaimed with annoyance written all over his face.

According to the reports he had just received, the factions supporting him in all four of these Realms had suffered great losses.

"You demand that as if they aren’t the Celestial Beasts who predate even the 7 Heavenly Virtues," Lan Duo, the only female in the room, rebuked.

The other Virtues shared her sentiments.

"Unless you are willing to send all of us, do not expect a Celestial Beast to fall anytime soon," Tanlan shook his head, not imagining such a thing to happen in the near future.

Kami stayed silent for a few moments before speaking, "If killing them is not possible, seal them. Find whatever methods you can, but show those bastards the consequences!"

The four Heavenly Virtues present were all in agreement. They too felt their pride hurt at being taunted like this.

"There is something off about their attacks," Lan Duo voiced out her concerns. "It would have been more beneficial to them if they continued..."

"That coward has always been like this. If he had the guts and didn’t hide all these eons, he would have long been slain!" Kami replied, not thinking much about it.

The other Virtues also didn’t pay much mind to it. Since no one knew what exactly the Demonic Emperor was after, they couldn’t make sense of his actions even if they wanted to.

"We only have control over 3 Realms. Other than them, not only do our people face the threat of Celestial Beasts, but also a superior army provided by the Demonic Emperor," Lan Duo carefully phrased the situation while sipping wine.

"That man had been building his army for who knows how long," Tanlan had also personally seen those soldiers.

Ember wasn’t the only one who was generously given an army of trained soldiers. In all 4 Realms with the Celestial Beasts, the Demonic Emperor had gifted an army to his faction.

In stark contrast to Kami, whose only support to the factions supporting him was in the form of the Heavenly Virtues, the difference in treatment became apparent to all.

After the recent attacks by the Celestial Beasts, it was inevitable that a seed of doubt had sprouted in the hearts of the factions supporting Kami.

Despite all his arrogance, Kami could see where it was all leading to.

A few more skirmishes like these and the factions supporting him in these Realms might really have a change of heart.

"That sly man cannot win in terms of resources," he smirked, declaring outright, "I will personally see to it that those supporting us do not lack in men and resources."

He was the only son of God who had supposedly seen the birth of all these Realms they were fighting over. There were no resources, no treasures too great for him to get his hands on.

"But you do not have an army?" Jidu questioned. Resources were all good, but what they lacked the most were cultivators who could keep fighting.

"I will take care of that as well," Kami reassured them as he was confident he could convince his mother.

Although he had his own personal army that he had raised for a long time, it was nowhere big enough to aid four different Realms at the same time.

But one of the things he had yet to take control over were the soldiers of the Divine Palace.

Despite his father’s absence from all affairs, the command of soldiers remained in his hands. He could order them around the Palace, but he did not have the authority to call them to war.

The only other person who could command them was his mother. Although he confidently told them that he would take care of it, convincing her would not be a small task.

She was not only against the war, but even more reluctant to resort to violence. It wouldn’t be easy to convince her to hand over the authority she had over the soldiers.

"Make preparations! This is a war that I must win!" Kami proclaimed while grinding his teeth.

He had to win this war to prove to his father that he was worthy of his throne. Once he did, there would be no problem in ascending to the throne!

. . .

In the Realm shrouded by darkness and shadows, the citizens thrived in the bustling cities.

In the castle which overlooked the affairs of the entire Realm, Baoshi and Qingyu awaited the presence of the Lord of Shadows.

Unlike Qingyu, Baoshi was rough in appearance. She had to go to the Celestial Tortoise’s aid, and so a battle with the other Virtues was inevitable.

Suddenly the shadows shifted and the presence of another man could be felt by both of them.

"They have been provoked. What next?"

"Defend," the Lord of Shadows ordered.

"How long?"

"Till they settle down. Then provoke them again."

"But the factions supporting us will not be able to afford such skirmishes," Qingyu pointed out their weak spot.

The factions who had decided to support them were the ones with shorter ends of the sticks to begin with. The longer it continued, the more they would dwindle.

"Give them resources and more men," the Lord of Shadows replied offhandedly. He had been preparing for this for a long time.

"Will it be enough?" Qingyu asked with some caution.

"I have enough soldiers to sustain the war for another 100 years all by myself."

Even Baoshi was surprised by that statement. Although she had a few guesses at his military might, it was never to this extent.

Qingyu and Baoshi were allowed to be on this realm only recently, so they hadn’t even yet seen the entirety of it. As such, they hadn’t seen the hundred thousand cultivators all willing to die for the Lord of Shadows.

"Let death spread..."