Reborn As A Ghost: Time To Build My Undead Army!-Chapter 1765: The Heavenly Emperor’s Disbelief
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The Heavenly Emperor, more than anyone else—even more than Xarion—was the most deeply affected. He who had dismissed Maria as a trivial threat now faced the bitter truth of his arrogance. Three of his seven Heavenly Saints, the mightiest warriors beneath him in all of Murim, were gone.
He clutched his head with trembling hands. Though no tears fell, his eyes widened and reddened with raw disbelief.
And beneath it all surged a pain he had not felt in centuries.
Sorrow.
"...Red Heaven, Yellow Heaven, Purple Heaven!"
He gnashed his teeth in fury, fingers digging into his scalp, ripping out strands of hair in a storm of rage, frustration, and grief.
"DAMN IT! HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?! WHAT... WHAT IS SHE?! THIS MAKES NO SENSE! IT MAKES NO GODDAMN SENSE AT ALL! HEAVENS! WHY?! WHY HAVE YOU UNLEASHED THAT MONSTER UPON US?!"
As he roared, the remaining four Heavenly Saints wept openly, mourning the abrupt loss of their three cherished siblings.
The mood in the hall darkened further.
"Do you finally see how dangerous she is, Your Majesty?!"
"We must mobilize every force we possess!"
"It is the only way we can hope to defeat her!"
"We could even lure the Golden Dragon Emperor!"
"He once helped us vanquish the Heavenly Demon with his power, though many of our soldiers perished in his rampage..."
"..."
The Heavenly Emperor turned his furious gaze upon the council of Immortals before him. His anger burned hottest against his own shattered pride, now forced to acknowledge that every warning they had given him was true.
"I... owe you all an apology," he muttered. "I made a grave mistake, and I will take full responsibility. A monster of that magnitude... we cannot allow her to roam freely in my world any longer. Murim belongs to me, and I will not let anyone seize it from my grasp."
"M-My lord!"
"He has finally seen the truth!"
"Thank you, thank you!"
The Immortals rejoiced, relieved that they had at last persuaded the Heavenly Emperor to open his eyes. Yet his admission stemmed not from humility.
Far from it.
It arose from wounded pride and pure selfishness.
He did not grieve the deaths of loyal subordinates.
No.
He mourned the loss of three priceless weapons, stolen from him along with three hundred Immortal troops.
To him, they were mere tools—precious objects whose destruction or theft inflicted genuine pain.
The same agony one might feel watching a grand house, built over decades, reduced to ashes.
And naturally, he viewed Murim as his world alone, not theirs.
No one else could ever claim ownership.
Thus, Maria’s actions ignited unbearable fury within him. She had not only shattered and stolen his most valuable possessions.
She now threatened to wrest his entire world from his hands.
He had labored so long to forge this sect, these tools and weapons, to claim the throne.
He would not permit it.
"We will mobilize all troops and meet her with everything we have," he declared, his expression hard as stone. "I will also activate the special Formation to summon every Calamity here, including the Golden Dragon Emperor!"
"W-Wait, what?!"
"All the Calamities?!"
"Your Majesty, are you certain?!"
"The Golden Dragon Emperor alone might suffice, no?"
"No. This woman is more dangerous than the Heavenly Demon," he said, his eyes blazing with golden light. "She possesses the power to create an endless army. By herself, she is a Calamity—one that has come to invade and destroy my world. We cannot hesitate. The Calamities still dwell in Murim, do they not? Then they must fight to protect the world they inhabit!"
"You are right..."
"Allow us to assist you, Your Majesty."
"We already know the locations of the other four Calamities."
"It will be simple to draw them here ourselves."
"Good. Handle that," the Heavenly Emperor nodded. "I will personally lure the Golden Dragon Emperor after preparing the Formation. Elders of the Heavenly Palace, you may each select one Dharma Treasure from my Treasury and use it to ascend to the Celestial Immortal Realm. We can no longer afford to hoard resources."
"T-Thank you!"
"We shall ascend!"
"For the Heavenly Palace!"
"For the Murim Alliance!"
"And to safeguard our world, Murim!"
The Elders hurried away as the four Heavenly Saints dissolved into streams of colorful light and vanished.
"Now, the next step..." The Heavenly Emperor stared at his hand as large, metallic golden scales suddenly covered it.
"I see the recent news has shaken you deeply as well, Heavenly Emperor."
"...!"
He whirled around, spotting a swirling mass of red and black energies coalescing into the faint, ghostly form of Xarion Lucarion, Head of the Lucarion Family.
"You...?! You are not truly here?" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶
"A minor technique I have perfected. I infuse my soul into my Aura and project it wherever I desire, allowing me to manifest at will."
"I... see."
"I heard you lost three of those Heavenly Saints of yours."
"Yes. They fell... to Maria, along with an army of three hundred Immortals."
"Oh my, what a waste. All that blood gone unused. Nothing displeases me more than wasted food."
"...Will you aid me, then?"
"I already have my own plans. One of my daughters perished."
"Your daughter...?"
"Yes. You recently lost a son, did you not? So we are even now, ha."
"..."
"Poor joke, I admit. In any case, far more has transpired than you realize. One of your Murim Alliance members forged a pact with an Archdemon—Leviathan of Envy."
"...Who?!"
"A man called the Thousand Poison Master."
"From the Poison Sect! Did he not sire two Dhampir children with... your daughter?"
"Oh, did he? I scarcely recall. Then I suppose I have two grandchildren remaining. Dhampirs are generally weaker than pure vampires yet lack many of our vulnerabilities. It might prove worthwhile to invest in them—if they behave, that is. Though I doubt my daughter raised them properly."
"You do talk excessively. Has no one ever mentioned that?"
"Many times. Strange, since I usually dislike speaking at all. But once I begin, it flows like an engine. Hm. Regardless, I came to inform you that the Church of Leviathan will assist us. It consists mainly of vampires who have become vessels for demons, making them at least as strong as Vampire Dukes."
"Stronger than Immortals?!"
"Yes. The Saintess is one of my Archduchesses. She is bringing my twin sons, the Archdukes Verulke and Varulke, along with the remaining Dukes under my command. Additionally, two other Family Heads have agreed to intervene, provided I share the spoils with them."
"Hm. And what do I gain from this?"
"You should consider yourself fortunate we are offering aid at all. Three Family Heads uniting merely to support you—that is reward enough."
"...I suppose."
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