pertwk Chapter 2718 Things have come to this point, there is no other choice.
Chapter 2718 Things have come to this point, there is no other choice.
Chapter 2718 Things have come to this point, there is no other choice.
Both of these sentences sent a chill down Gao Huaiyuan's spine: "Within seven hours!"
"I think you know perfectly well what the Holy One's instructions mean," Jia Loutian said succinctly. "The Holy One is determined to obtain the Great Square Pot!"
"Yes!" Gao Huaiyuan replied somewhat guiltily, because launching the general offensive required an imperial decree from Lingxu City.
As for why the Venerable Lingxu was so determined to get his hands on the Great Square Pot, the Gao family had long heard many conspiracy theories. The rebellion of Yuan Kingdom decades ago was also said to be related to the Great Square Pot. This pot could help the gods return to the mortal world. If this was true, the Venerable Lingxu would not let go of this pot, and therefore would not let go of Panlong.
Now that the Emperor's struggle against the Heavenly Palace has begun, the next step is very likely to be a ceasefire against Panlong.
He had already figured it out while he was alone and thinking, that this war was about to end.
He quickly replied, "But once the order from Lingxu City is delivered, I cannot disobey it."
This army was not his personal force; soldiers at all ranks had countless members of the imperial faction.
If the Emperor orders a halt but Gao Huaiyuan disobeys and launches a forced attack, the army will likely erupt in chaos.
"So, launch a general offensive within seven hours. Surely we can hold out for a few hours to keep the news of the national upheaval at bay?" Jia Loutian said in a chilling tone, "The Holy One's command is to fight to the death."
Gao Huaiyuan should have agreed, but the simple word "yes" stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a sound.
Suddenly, he encountered such a momentous event!
The Holy Lord's order was for him to single-handedly unleash a tremendous upheaval. Would he dare to agree?
How could he dare to get involved in the battle between the Emperor and the Gods?
Jia Loutian remained silent, and it was Wu Yao's turn to speak and persuade:
"Lingxu City is in chaos, and the Gao family cannot remain unscathed. Your Emperor has not yet taken action against the Gao family because you are leading troops outside. If you do nothing and obey the King's order to resign from your position as commander, you will have to await your fate upon returning to Lingxu City. The Gao family will not escape the fate of other families; however, if you defeat Panlong and help the Holy Venerable seize the Great Fanghu, then you will have made a great contribution, and the Gao family will exclusively enjoy the Holy Venerable's favor and endless glory in Lingxu City."
"Which of these two outcomes would you choose?"
Gao Huaiyuan's forehead was covered in sweat.
Jialoutian was right about at least one thing: the Gao family were devout followers of Jialoutian and had long been aligned with the Heavenly Palace. Even if he himself was somewhat flexible in his stance, the Emperor was currently purging the Heavenly Palace forces in the royal court with a swift and decisive approach, preferring to kill the innocent rather than let the guilty go free. He had no time or inclination to carefully distinguish between them.
Benevolence? Even if the Emperor had any benevolence left, he wouldn't show it at this moment!
Gao Huaiyuan and his family were nothing special; their fate was almost sealed. Unless…
"Ask yourself honestly, Gao Huaiyuan. What did you do wrong in this chaos?"
Gao Huaiyuan was stunned for a long time before shaking his head.
Regardless of the power struggles at the top, Gao Huaiyuan simply obeyed orders and diligently led his troops into battle, overcoming countless difficulties on the front lines of the hellish Panlong Wasteland, fighting the most brutal war in Bekaa's four hundred years of history. What did he do wrong?
Perhaps some decisions were flawed, and perhaps we couldn't mitigate more of Bega's losses. But wasn't the Holy Lord's demand, in the first place, "at all costs"?
He did nothing wrong, so why is he going to be dragged into an abyss?
This sense of helplessness, this sense of impending collapse, is what truly fuels resentment and anger. But does he still have even a sliver of a chance to defy fate?
Wu Yao added, "In the end, it's because you didn't do anything."
These words were like a wake-up call. It was as if a plug had been pulled out of Gao Huaiyuan's heart. With a "pop," all the anxiety and fear of the past few months found an outlet.
Yes, he and the Gao family did nothing wrong, yet they are implicated in a terrible situation; the Emperor, for his own selfish reasons, wants to destroy these meritorious but innocent ministers, and won't even allow them to save themselves?
"Take one step forward and you live, take one step back and you die. You only have this one chance," Wu Yao said, staring at him. "If you miss it, you can just wait to be slaughtered."
“Even if…” Gao Huaiyuan’s voice was bitter, “even if I launch a full-scale attack, I may not be able to take down Panlong this time.”
Despite the shrinking territory of Panlong, its resilience seems to be increasing, and the rebound force that Bega is experiencing is also growing stronger. This hellish place is like a copper pea, impossible to flatten or break even with relentless smashing and stewing.
Bega has launched many attacks on it, but Gao Huaiyuan is not confident that he can take it down in this final battle.
"Don't worry." Xi Yu and Wu Yao exchanged a glance. "We're here."
"The three of you..."
Xi Yu interrupted him: "There are more than three of us. The strength of the forces we brought is beyond your imagination."
Then he said a few numbers.
Gao Huaiyuan was startled: "There's... there's more... Uh, may I ask, how will the various deities descend at that time?"
If so many gods really did descend, this final battle might actually be successful.
But does the barrier between the two realms no longer exist? How can so many gods descend to the mortal realm?
"This great battle will likely be protracted. If the gods can only descend for a quarter of an hour or two..." then unless they can seize the right moment, what difference is there between them and not descending at all?
Xi Yu's face fell: "You don't believe me?"
Gao Huaiyuan bowed and said, "This matter is of great importance, and as the commander-in-chief of the war effort, I have no choice but to ask a few more questions. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me!"
His life and fortune depended on this, so he had to ask for details.
Wu Yao spoke up: "Do you know about the Qi Beast?"
Gao Huaiyuan shook his head.
The Qi Beast is one of the Heavenly Palace's deepest secrets, so it's not surprising that these warriors were kept in the dark. Wu Yao didn't elaborate much, only saying, "It's a remarkably powerful shell, enough to sustain us through the entire fierce battle. Furthermore, with the current surge in the concentration of spiritual energy in heaven and earth, it can support our complete divine descent, allowing us to unleash our full power!"
"Ten percent divine power!" Gao Huaiyuan swallowed hard. This was practically the descent of the gods!
With such powerful divine assistance, Panlong might actually be able to be conquered in one fell swoop!
Wu Yao then pointed to Xi Yu: "I won't go into details, you just need to know that as long as he is there, the gods can descend to the mortal realm."
Before Gao Huaiyuan could speak, he continued:
"You have no choice, you know that perfectly well. So, let's save each other some time and make arrangements as soon as possible."
Gao Huaiyuan let out a long breath, as if he wanted to leave all his troubles behind.
With Jialou Tianzun and all the gods already standing here, what other choice did he have?
Now that things have come to this, Wu Yaoshen was right; he really had nowhere else to go.
"Alright." He needed to calm himself down to make the most important decision of his life. "Launch all forces within seven hours!"
"Are you all ready, esteemed deities?" This was addressed to several celestial beings.
"Of course." They traveled day and night, and made all the necessary preparations along the way.
Gao Huaiyuan immediately ordered the entire army to prepare for battle.