Turns Out, I’m In A Villain Clan!

Chapter 359 The Empire Declares Emergency

Letters were sent to all the major powers of the Desolate Heaven Empire.

And the Desolate Heaven Empire had declared a state of emergency.

All the Top and Mid Sects and clans that received the letter were asked to send their leader for an emergency meeting, and as for the topic of the meeting, it was to be disclosed in the meeting.

It was an urgent call for a meeting and they were asked to come immediately. Those who failed to do so would be severely punished.

Imperial Palace - War Council Hall!

Before the sun had even fully risen, the Imperial Palace was already in motion.

The Dragon Throne remained empty.

Rows of generals, ministers, court officials, and leaders from powerful sects and clans stood beneath the towering jade pillars.

The four imperial heirs sat in the seats of governance-Yu Zidi, Yu Wenzhao, Yu Qingya, and Yu Longxuan.

A thick stack of intelligence reports lay on the long conference table, sealed with red wax and marked with the words: ”Beast Tide Frontline.”

At the center of the hall, the Minister of War-Grand Marshal Xiu Yucheng, a grizzled veteran with scars beneath his armor-stepped forward.

He gave a deep bow. ”Your Highnesses, Clan and Sect Leaders... the latest frontline situation has been compiled and verified. I will now deliver the full report.” ”The Empire has suffered severe losses.”

His voice was gravelly but steady. ”Within the last five days, we have confirmed over sixty-seven coordinated Beast Tide outbreaks across the Empire.”

He raised the next report.

Maps were unfurled by aides-showing red-marked regions spreading like an infection across the continent.

Xiu Yucheng continued. ”This is no longer a regional disturbance. This is a national crisis!”

Murmurs rippled through the hall, but he pressed on. ”Next-classified details regarding the level of Demonic Beasts.”

He took a deep breath. ”Multiple sightings of Grade-9 and Grade-10 Demonic Beasts have been confirmed.”” ”Grade-10?!”

A Sect Leader blurted out, paling.

After all, those were equivalent to Great Ascension Realm cultivators, and even the leader of a top sect was only at that level.

If multiple sightings of such demonic beasts were confirmed, that meant the sect and clanʼs Grand Elder needed to get involved. ”Yes!”

Xiu Yucheng confirmed.

The hall turned silent again.

Bai Tianheng and Li Jianghong didnʼt seem too concerned, as they were at Peak Great Ascension Realm and had forces capable of annihilating Grade-10 demonic beasts.

However, mid-level sects and clans couldnʼt help but be worried.

One wrong move, and they could very well face extinction when going against such powerful demonic beasts.

Of course, they knew that the strongest of the demonic beasts would obviously be handled by the strongest forces on their side, but still it was frightening when one realized that the enemy had equally powerful forces. ”How many confirmed?”

Bai Tianheng asked calmly. ”By conservative count-over five hundred Grade-9 beasts and more than one hundred Grade-10 beasts have appeared across the Empire.”

A cold shock hit the room like a tidal wave.

Even Bai Tianheng was surprised by the number that he didnʼt expect.

The Beast Tide had almost double of what the Bai Clanʼs force at the moment.

It meant that even if the Bai Clan sent every one of their Cultivators, they could face defeat.

And that was only what could be confirmed.

Who knows just how many more are waiting.

Li and Zhao leaders also showed grim faces. This wasnʼt something that they could take lightly as they initially thought.

A heavy, tense silence settled over the War Council Hall.

Zhao Wutianʼs fingers tapped the table. ”No wonder a state of emergency was declared,” he muttered. ”This level of Beast Tide has never occurred in the last thousand years.”

Others nodded in agreement. ”If this is not resolved quickly, the Desolate Heaven Empire may face devastation worse than any war.”

Yet despite the pressure hanging in the air, they all remained composed.

After all-with the combined might of the Top Three Clans and the Top Sect, the Empire was hardly defenseless.

However, that was only if they all cooperated well together. Conflicts existed between each sect and clan.

And the biggest problem in this alliance was the Bai Clan and the Li-Zhao alliance.

Only recently did the three come close to a full war due to Bai Xinyue.

The resentment between the Bai Clan and Li-Zhao Clan canʼt be put aside just because of a Beast Tide.

It was almost certain that the two sides wouldnʼt help the other even if they were getting killed.

Rather, there was even a high chance that they would take this as an opportunity to eliminate the other party.

But no one dared bring this up. They can only hope that three of them can see the bigger picture and focus on Beast Tide.

Just then, Grand Marshal Xiu Yucheng raised his hand. ”Thatʼs not all. There is something that you must also know.”

Everyone turned toward him.

A faint, unsettled expression flashed across his weathered face.

Xiu Yucheng placed the scroll on the table. ”Yan Taifeng, read it.”

The Minister of Internal Affairs, Yan Taifeng, stepped forward and unsealed the document.

His voice dropped slightly-as though the words themselves carried danger. ”This... is a letter delivered to us five days ago.”

The hall waited. ”From the Demonic Cultivators.”

Murmurs spread. Some cursed, asking what they wanted now; others couldnʼt shake off the bad feeling rising inside. ”They have asked us to surrender under their rule-or else war will be awaiting.”

Silence lasted only a heartbeat. Then the War Council exploded. ”Those damned lunatics!” ”What timing is this?!” ”As if the Beast Tide wasnʼt enough!”

Voices echoed sharply beneath the dome of the Jade Hall.

Clan Leader slammed fists on tables, Sect Leader cursed under their breath, and even experienced generals paled. ”What kind of accursed month is this? First a Beast Tide of unseen scale-and now the Demonic Cultivators declare war?” ”They must have seen the chaos and decided this is the perfect time to strike.

Cowards!” ”Do they really think that they can defeat all of us? They surely dream big!” ”However, this is indeed a big threat. We canʼt just ignore their message. They will surely strike us if we only focus on the Beast Tide!” ”Tsk! I knew we should have slaughtered those bastards when we had the chance!”

The Empire was pressed from the outside by tens of thousands of demonic beasts...

And now from within, by the one faction all righteous cultivators hated. ”With the Beast Tide swallowing borders and armies, our forces are stretched thin. If they launch an attack now, it would be devastating.”

Someone else spoke in a low voice- ”...If they send their Immortal Realm experts...”

The entire hall fell cold.

Because everyone here knew:

The Demonic Path still had Immortal Realm powerhouses on par with grand elders of the top sects and clans.

Just like the Bai Clan.

Just like the Heaven Sword Sect.

And an Immortal joining the battlefield didnʼt change outcomes.

It ended them before it began.

Thousands of Spirit Severing cultivators could be killed in mere seconds if such a powerhouse joined the fray.

The War Council Hall fell into a near-funeral silence.

There was no point pretending otherwise.

The Desolate Heaven Empire was now facing two calamities at once-either one strong enough to cripple a nation, but arriving together meant that the very foundation of the Empire trembled.

The generals and clan leaders didnʼt need to speak their thoughts aloud; the severity of the situation was written plainly on every face.

The Demonic Cultivators had chosen their moment with terrifying precision.

They had watched the Beast Tide ravage border cities, bleed the imperial armies dry, and force the strongest cultivators to the frontlines. Only then had they revealed their intentions.

The Empire was caught between the jaws of a giant beast-demonic beasts pressing from the outside, and the Demonic Path lurking within, waiting for the moment of collapse.

If the Empire concentrated its Great Ascension and Immortal Realm powerhouses on the Beast Tide, they might be caught off guard by the

Demonic Cultivator.

But if they separate their forces then dealing with Beast Tide would become a lot harder than it needs to be.

There was no avoiding the reality anymore.

If the Empire continued fighting with fragmented strength-each clan and sect guarding only its own territory-then even before the Demonic Path arrived, the Beast Tide alone would tear the map of Desolate Heaven into ruin.

Grand Marshal Xiu Yucheng slowly closed the final document in front of him.

There were no more statistics to read.

No more warnings to give.

Only decisions.

His voice, though calm, carried the weight of an entire civilization:

The Empire had no choice but to expand the scale of its armies immediately.

Each major power present was required to mobilize no less than sixty to seventy percent of their total available cultivators, including core disciples and even their Grand Elders.

Within seven days, all sects and clans must assemble their forces, finalize logistics, and be ready to move.