Top Brass of Tiandao Alliance Defects on the Battlefield, Wang Hao Works Overnight to Turn Enemy Testimony into a Political Nuke

"Summoning the traitor of the Heavenly Dao Alliance... oh, no, the one who has forsaken the darkness for the light, Zhao Hu, for an audience!"

Wei Zhongxian pinched his sharp voice, the sound piercing through the layers of the palace walls.

Before long, a middle-aged man in ragged clothes, his body bound with barbed brambles, was escorted into the Hall of Supreme Harmony by the Imperial Guards, stumbling and crawling. Although this man's hair was disheveled, the faint fluctuations of true qi flowing within his body indicated that he had impressively reached the peak of the True Intent Realm, only a single step away from the Astral Qi Realm. He was by no means an ordinary figure.

"Sinner Zhao Hu kowtows to His Majesty, the Emperor of the Great Zhou! Long live, long live, long live His Majesty!" As soon as Zhao Hu entered the hall, without a second word, he prostrated himself completely. His forehead struck the basalt floor tiles with loud thuds. He even abandoned his protective true qi, forcefully smashing his head until bloody marks appeared.

The representatives of the various factions within the Hall of Supreme Harmony watched this scene, their expressions looking more uncomfortable than if they had swallowed a fly.

This was a high-ranking official of the Heavenly Dao Alliance? The Deputy Hall Master of the Punishment Hall? Where was the imposing aura from the manifesto just moments ago, claiming they would "rather be a shattered vessel of jade than an intact tile of clay" and "swearing to fight the tyrant to the bitter end"? How come before the ink on the manifesto had even dried, this guy had run to the imperial palace to offer a humble apology?

Wang Hao propped his chin on one hand, looking with great interest at Zhao Wuji, who was trembling like a leaf below.

"Deputy Hall Master Zhao, what kind of act is this?" Wang Hao's voice revealed neither joy nor anger. "Half an hour ago, your Heavenly Dao Alliance was still distributing flyers across the Nine Provinces calling for a crusade against me. What, finished handing out the flyers and decided to drop by my place for a cup of tea?"

Zhao Hu shivered all over and quickly raised his head, his face covered in a mixture of snot, tears, and blood, presenting a picture of extreme misery coupled with absolute loyalty.

"Your Majesty, please see clearly! This sinner is innocent! That bullshit manifesto was never my intention; it was decided by the Alliance Leader and a few elders whose hearts were blinded by grease! I was forced to join the Heavenly Dao Alliance."

Zhao Hu took a deep breath, as if making some immense resolution, and roared loudly, "This sinner risked death to come here today to expose the heaven-shaking conspiracy of the Heavenly Dao Alliance! To rid the common people of the world of a great evil!"

"Oh?" Wang Hao leaned forward slightly, like a hunter who had just heard an amusing tale. "Let's hear it. If you speak well, not only will I pardon your death sentence, but I will also reward you with a lifetime of wealth and honor."

Hearing the word "wealth," Zhao Hu's eyes suddenly burst with a greedy light. The reason he betrayed them was precisely because of the unequal distribution of spoils within the Heavenly Dao Alliance. Moreover, seeing the Great Calamity of the Nightmares approaching, he felt the Alliance had gone mad, even colluding with evil demons. That broken ship of the Heavenly Dao Alliance was bound to sink sooner or later, so he took the initiative to run over and cling to the thick thighs of the Great Zhou!

"Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Your Majesty!" Zhao Hu swallowed hard and loudly revealed the secret, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the Heavenly Dao Alliance has long been torn apart from within! The Alliance Leader's faction, the group that issued the manifesto just now, doesn't actually have the so-called 'Heavenly Dao Divine Crystal'! It's all a deceptive front, aimed at tricking the major sects into coming to Heavenly Dao Mountain, and then using a grand formation to blood-sacrifice them to resurrect the Martial God's Body. They even plan to use this to forcefully elevate Xie Wujiu's cultivation base so they can survive the chaotic times!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the hall gasped in shock.

The elders of the Purple Cloud Sect and others turned green with fear. Blood sacrifice? If Wang Hao hadn't forcefully kept them here for a meeting just now, some of them might have actually been fooled by that manifesto into going to Heavenly Dao Mountain to check out the situation. Wouldn't that have been sending sheep into the tiger's den?

Zhao Hu, determined to shock them to the core, continued to drop bombshells: "Not only that! Within the Heavenly Dao Alliance, there is another faction, and they... they have secretly colluded with the evil demons of the Western Regions!"

"The Heavenly Mystery Pavilion?!" Shen Xue and Yun Meng exclaimed at the same time, shock flashing through their beautiful eyes. The evil demons of the Western Regions were the most mysterious faction in the Eastern Wasteland, historically known as the most secretive demonic cult. How could these demons get involved with rebels like the Heavenly Dao Alliance?

"Exactly!" Zhao Hu was like a mad dog that had bitten into a dead rat and refused to let go. "And Lin Wuwang, he's not some young figurehead pushed forward by the Heavenly Dao Alliance at all! He is actually a pawn secretly cultivated by the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion! The Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, Xie Wujiu, wants to use the chaos of the Nightmares to reshuffle the world, letting the Great Zhou and the major factions fight until both sides are heavily wounded, so they can reap the spoils as the fisherman!"

These words were like a nuclear explosion, setting off terrifying waves within the Hall of Supreme Harmony!

The titans of the major sects looked at each other in dismay, feeling a chill run through their bodies. It turned out that while they were feeling complacent over fighting for a little bit of resources, the true masterminds behind the scenes had already treated the entire Eastern Wasteland as a chessboard!

Only Wang Hao remained steadily seated on the dragon throne, his facial expression not showing a single ripple.

Of course, he didn't believe all of Zhao Hu's nonsense. The Heavenly Dao Alliance might really want to conduct a blood sacrifice, and the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion might really want to reshuffle the board, but whose pawn Lin Wuwang truly was, and just how deep these waters ran, was absolutely not something a Deputy Hall Master could fully grasp. In Zhao Hu's words, there was thirty percent truth and seventy percent falsehood, mostly fabricated personal additions meant to exaggerate his own merit.

But, did that matter?

To Wang Hao, it didn't matter at all! Truth or falsehood was irrelevant; as long as this confession could become a blade in his hand, then it was the most perfect truth in the world!

"Very good, Deputy Hall Master Zhao. The information you brought is extremely important." Wang Hao nodded, revealing an amiable smile.

Zhao Hu was ecstatic, thinking his wealth and glory were finally in hand, and hurriedly kowtowed. "This sinner is willing to spill his brains and blood on the ground for Your Majesty! I still have a group of fiercely loyal brothers under my command. With just a single word from Your Majesty, I will immediately lead them..."

"There is no need," Wang Hao interrupted him with a smile.

Zhao Hu froze in stun.

Wang Hao turned his head to look at Wei Zhongxian, his tone as casual as if he were ordering a dish. "Grand Companion Wei, take Deputy Hall Master Zhao down and have him sign his confession. Then, sever the tendons in his hands and feet, cripple his qi sea, and detain him on the ninth floor of the Heavenly Prison according to the highest standard for negative examples. Have him tortured in shifts for twenty-four hours a day. Just leave him with a single breath so he doesn't die."

As soon as these words came out, the temperature in the hall seemed to instantly drop to the freezing point.

The ecstasy on Zhao Hu's face completely stiffened, immediately transforming into extreme terror and disbelief.

"Y-Your Majesty! You just said... you would pardon my death sentence and reward me with wealth! I came to surrender! I am a meritorious subject!!" Zhao Wuji screamed mournfully, struggling as he tried to lunge at Wang Hao.

"Bang!" Two Imperial Guard generals at the True Intent Realm directly pinned him firmly to the ground.

Wang Hao looked down at him from above, his eyes revealing a coldness that chilled one to the bone. "I did say I would pardon your death sentence, which is why I told Grand Companion Wei to leave you with a breath. As for wealth? Entering the ninth floor of the Great Zhou's Heavenly Prison, enjoying a private cell, an exclusive set of torture instruments, and twenty-four-hour uninterrupted service from the Eastern Depot technicians—is this not a heaven-sent wealth?"

"You!" Zhao Hu was so furious that he spat out a mouthful of old blood. It was too late to resist. "Wang Hao! You shameless tyrant! You go back on your word! You will die a horrible death!"

"Drag him down," Wang Hao waved his hand in disgust. "His mouth is too foul. Rip his tongue out first."

As Zhao Hu's shrill screams faded into the distance, the Hall of Supreme Harmony once again fell into a deathly silence.

The representatives of the major factions did not even dare to breathe loudly. They had finally seen through the man sitting on the dragon throne; he was no benevolent monarch who would show mercy over a minor contribution, but an absolute devil who would stop at nothing to squeeze dry everyone's usefulness!

Surrender? In his eyes, the only value of a turncoat was to serve as a negative example to terrify the rest!

In the back rows, Xiao Chen and the other young prodigies were silent out of fear. Xiao Chen touched the Chief Walker of the Prodigy Pavilion token in his robes, suddenly feeling that having his performance points deducted and being forced to do quests every month was already Wang Hao showing extraordinary leniency. If it were anyone else, even their bones would have been boiled into soup!

Alright, the little interlude is over. Wang Hao clapped his hands, as if he had merely swatted an annoying fly.

He turned his head and looked down at the terrified crowd.

You all heard what Zhao Hu just said. The Heavenly Dao Alliance is colluding with the Nightmares, intending to blood-sacrifice the world; the Heavenly Secret Pavilion harbors evil intentions, plotting to subvert the human race. This is no longer a simple struggle for power; this is treason against our race that incurs the wrath of both men and gods!

Wang Hao's voice suddenly rose, carrying an unquestionable murderous aura: Wei Zhongxian, hear my decree!

Your servant is here! Wei Zhongxian immediately stepped forward.

Interrogate Zhao Hu overnight. Subject his confession to cross-verification and deep excavation. Before dawn, I want to see a blood-weeping, firmly evidenced Top Secret Archive of the Heavenly Dao Alliance and Heavenly Secret Pavilion Colluding with Alien Races to Betray the Eastern Wasteland (Public Excerpt Edition)!

Your servant obeys! Wei Zhongxian understood Wang Hao's intentions all too well. What did deep excavation mean? It meant that as long as they could pin the blame on their enemies, they could fabricate the most horrifying stories imaginable! What did Public Excerpt Edition mean? It meant taking things out of context and infinitely amplifying the parts that would incite the most hatred!

Wang Hao nodded in satisfaction, then looked smilingly at the sect masters and family patriarchs below.

My beloved subjects, the current situation is as precarious as a pile of eggs, and traitors are among us. Shouldn't our Demon-Suppressing Co-Lord Alliance Charter be implemented now? Who is in favor? Who opposes?

Inside the hall, not a single person dared to utter a word of dissent.

An elder of the Purple Heaven Sect was the first to rush forward. Grabbing a brush, he signed his name on the covenant at the fastest speed of his life, and for good measure, bit his finger to press down a massive bloody handprint.

The Purple Heaven Sect pledges its life to the Alliance! Anyone who dares to obstruct the establishment of the Alliance is the sworn enemy of my Purple Heaven Sect!

With someone taking the lead, the remaining faction representatives surged forward like madmen, fighting for the brush to sign. They knew very well that Wang Hao would make that political nuke of an archive public first thing tomorrow morning. By then, anyone who had not joined the Alliance would be labeled an accomplice of the Heavenly Dao Alliance and a running dog of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion! Wang Hao would not even need to lift a finger; the spit of the world would drown them!

Truth only exists within the range of cannons, and current public opinion was entirely under Wang Hao's butcher knife!

Shen Xue and Yun Meng exchanged a glance, both seeing deep apprehension in each other's eyes.

Using the enemy's blood to sharpen his own blade; using a traitor's mouth to seal the lips of the world, Shen Xue sighed inwardly. With such world-manipulating methods, who in this world can still keep him in check?

Just as the civil and military officials and the bigwigs of various factions were frantically signing and leaving their marks to show their loyalty, and the entire hall was brimming with a bizarrely harmonious atmosphere of unity...

BOOM—RUMBLE!!!

Suddenly, an extremely muffled roar, as if echoing from the depths of the netherworld, instantly pierced through the palace's multiple defensive arrays, shaking the glazed tiles of the Hall of Supreme Harmony violently!

Not only that, but an extremely cold, evil, and terrifying aura that seemed capable of freezing souls crossed a distance of millions of miles, sweeping over the entire Great Zhou capital like an invisible storm!

A few family patriarchs in the front rows with slightly weaker cultivation bases even let out muffled groans under the impact of this aura, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths!

What is going on?!

Where did this bizarre aura come from?!

The hall instantly descended into chaos, everyone's expressions changing drastically.

Report—!!!

A purple-robed eunuch stationed at the teleportation array hub scrambled and crawled into the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Holding high a sound transmission jade slip that emitted a piercing red light, his voice was as shrill as if he had seen a ghost:

Urgent dispatch! Emergency report from the Northern Borders!!

The ancient seal... has cracked! The Weird Tide... has erupted prematurely!!!