The people gathered around Yang Kai were pleasantly surprised beyond measure.
Yang Kai had previously told them he had already met with the Great Emperors, and none of them doubted his word. If he had met with the Great Emperors and returned safely, then it stood to reason that the traitor accusation had been cleared.
But no one had expected the Great Emperors to personally issue a decree, clarifying matters for Yang Kai and for Lingxiao Pavilion.
Yang Kai's own testimony, and the entirety of Lingxiao Pavilion had no doubts about him, but outsiders were a different matter. Without proof, no one could explain things convincingly. But now that the Great Emperors had issued their decree, the matter was settled once and for all!
Yang Kai was no traitor who had betrayed the Star Boundary. He was a great hero who had bravely risked his life to infiltrate the enemy's ranks and gather intelligence!
These were the words of the Great Emperors—who would dare to question them? Their palace master had transformed overnight from a traitor to the demonic path into a hero who had endured humiliation for a greater cause, and in the process, the sect's reputation as a heretic sect had been washed clean as well. This transformation was simply too dramatic. Every disciple of Lingxiao Pavilion was filled with surging emotions, erupting in cheers and jubilation. To have such a palace master was an honor to be proud of! Years of silent endurance had finally paid off.
But that was not all!
Yao Si continued issuing orders: "By decree, the master of Lingxiao Pavilion, Yang Kai, shall be appointed commander of the Jizi Army Corps. All personnel and supplies for the Jizi Army shall be arranged at the commander's discretion. Should there be objections, they may be addressed to Commander-in-Chief Li Wuyi of the Seven Fog Sea!"
Yang Kai looked up at Yao Si and blinked, thinking he must have misheard. If even he reacted this way, let alone the others—they all drew in a sharp breath simultaneously, then held it.
The Star Boundary currently had fifty-four army corps, named according to the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. This newly established Jizi Army would presumably be the fifty-fifth corps. On the way back from escorting Fan Xin and the others to their station, Yang Kai had chatted with Fan Xin about such matters and knew the general situation of these army corps.
As far as Yang Kai knew, the fifty-four army corps of the Star Boundary, ranked in order, ended with the Wumao Army Corps. Following the sequence, the fifty-fifth should have been the Wuchen Army, followed by Wusi, Wuwu, Wuwei, Wushen, Wuxu, and Wuhai. Only after all the "Wu" series of Heavenly Stems were exhausted would it be the Jizi Army's turn.
The Great Emperors having Yang Kai establish a new army corps was not unusual in itself. But they had skipped six banner designations and granted the Jizi Army banner directly—and this particular banner designation was extraordinary.
Among the existing fifty-four army corps, every corps bearing the "Zi" character in its banner was, without exception, commanded by a Pseudo-Emperor-level powerhouse. This was because a "Zi" banner corps marked the beginning of an Earthly Branch cycle. Its commander answered upward to Commander-in-Chief Li Wuyi, and downward oversaw all other army corps under the same Heavenly Stem.
In other words, a "Zi" banner corps commander was essentially a half-superior to other corps commanders under the same Heavenly Stem! For instance, if a Jichou Army, Jiyan Army, or Jimao Army were to be established, Yang Kai would have authority over their commanders. As long as his orders did not affect the broader strategic picture, those commanders would have to comply unconditionally.
Therefore, all "Zi" banner corps commanders could only be Pseudo-Emperors. A mere third-level Emperor Realm cultivator could never command the necessary respect.
Of the Star Boundary's fifty-four army corps to date, only five bore the "Zi" character in their banners. The commanders of those five were the five most powerful Pseudo-Emperors—Li Wuyi and Yang Yan among them.
That was precisely why Yang Kai was so surprised, and why everyone wore expressions of shock.
If the Great Emperors' previous decree clarifying Yang Kai and Lingxiao Pavilion's innocence from the traitor and heretic sect label could be considered compensation, then this appointment was a mark of extraordinary favor.
What surprised Yang Kai even more was why the Great Emperors would want him to go about establishing an army corps? He had already told the Great Emperors at the Seven Fog Sea that he had many matters to attend to in the coming period and no time to organize an army corps. Moreover, Yu Rumeng, Bei Limo, and Chang Tian had already arrived in the Star Boundary, commanding numerous powerful subordinates. The passage between the two realms had been sealed by Yang Kai, leaving the Demon Race isolated and without aid, while the armies of the Star Boundary stood ready to march. No matter how one looked at it, it was only a matter of time before the Demon Race was utterly crushed—what difference would one more or one fewer army corps make?
But the Great Emperors had their reasons for acting this way. Even if Yang Kai didn't understand, he could only suppress his confusion and plan to ask Li Wuyi later about what this was all about. Or he could ask Zhan Wuhen—it didn't matter, he had his own Void Spirit Bead on hand and communication would be convenient.
"Does Yang Kai not accept the order?" Yao Si barked in a low voice, his expression sour. While Yang Kai acting respectfully before him was certainly pleasing to see, this kind of task—delivering的好处 to someone—was thoroughly disagreeable.
"Yang Kai of Lingxiao Pavilion accepts the order!" Left with no choice, Yang Kai called out loudly and stepped forward respectfully to receive the jade disc. The moment it touched his hand, the disc shimmered with flowing light, squirming and transforming into a fierce-looking command token inscribed with the characters "Jizi"!
This must be the commander's token. Not only was it a symbol of status, but within it lay a divine ability and secret seal personally bestowed by the Great Emperors. How powerful it was remained to be seen, but it was certainly not something a half-saint or Pseudo-Emperor could withstand. One could say it was a life-preserving talisman—a treasure that could save one's life at a critical moment.
The commanders of each army corps bore enormous responsibility. Should one fall in battle, an entire army could dissolve into a disorganized rabble. For this reason, the Great Emperors had personally refined each commander's token, each containing different sealed divine abilities.
The Great Emperors and the Demon Saints had an agreement not to appear on the battlefield, but such matters fell outside that agreement.
"Congratulations, Palace Master! Congratulations on your appointment as commander of the Jizi Army! Henceforth, wherever the Jizi passes, demons and evildoers shall flee!" Hua Qingsi offered her congratulations with a cheerful smile.
The moment she spoke, the surroundings erupted in a cacophony of voices as congratulations poured in from all sides.
Zhou Cheng's face turned white once more!