No one took the evacuation command in stride, whether it be cultivators from the holy ground or the other powers.
Some would have called Li Qiye insane if he wasn’t the current Sacred Lord.
“How are we going to stop the monsters without the wall?” Nonetheless, they still complained among themselves.
If they had a say in the matter, they would never agree with this decision.
“This isn’t a game, billions of lives are at stake.” Someone coldly uttered and the crowd heard him clearly.
Remember, no one dared to criticize Li Qiye. Even the Biandu paragon and the high monk of Heavenly Dragon Temple merely made suggestions.
The tone of this speaker, on the other hand, showed a lack of respect towards Li Qiye. In fact, it sounded like criticism.
Others followed the direction of the voice, wondering who had the audacity to speak to the Sacred Lord in this manner.
It turned out to be Sword Hero, which was rather understandable. Some found this to be the right development and secretly gave him a thumbs-up since Li Qiye had to be stopped.
“Sounds like you are strongly opposed.” Li Qiye glanced at him and smiled.
Sword Hero arched his chest proudly while being under the spotlight. As a top genius, he had experienced plenty of hardship and tribulations. He wasn’t afraid of Li Qiye’s status in the slightest.
“The Buddhist wall is the strongest defense in Black Wood Cliff. Recalling it is the same as handing this area over to the monsters with both hands and exposing the holy ground to their violence. It is unvirtuous and harmful, everyone should denounce this choice…”
“Stop, I’ve grown bored of these pompous speeches.” Li Qiye interrupted him: “I don’t need you to tell me what to do, go play somewhere else.”
Li Qiye showed himself to be dictatorial and imperious, not listening to anyone. A ruler like this wouldn’t win the heart of the people.
Alas, no one uttered a single word. The master of Sacred Mountain could make all decisions for the holy ground.
Sword Hero turned red with rage. He would have yelled at Li Qiye if the guy was just another junior. However, the Sacred Lord had a higher status than him.
They already had an ongoing feud. Now, Li Qiye suddenly became his superior and chastised him in public. This left him in an awkward position.
“I don’t know the rules of Buddha Holy Ground.” The Praetor suddenly interjected: “But in our Wild East Eight kingdoms, when there is an incapable ruler whose decisions are detrimental to the people, we’ll remove them.”
This caused a stir in the crowd, especially the members of the holy ground. Such talk was akin to betraying the holy ground, which was punishable by death. That’s why everyone kept their mouth shut.
“Stand to the side.” Li Qiye waved his hand at the Praetor as if he was chasing a mosquito away.
The Praetor had an ugly expression. Li Qiye’s new status made revenge difficult. His son’s death would be in vain. He needed to do everything possible to avoid this.
“You are blinded by arrogance!” He replied: “I am not under your jurisdiction. Our coalition army will protect this place till death. Anyone who wants to recall the wall is our enemy!”
“Vajra will do the same. We will not stand down to anyone because this pertains to the greater good!” Sword Hero shouted.
The generals and soldiers behind him became alarmed. This was nothing short of a declaration of war towards Li Qiye and most importantly, Sacred Mountain.
“I see.” Li Qiye smirked while staring at the duo: “You two wish to challenge Sacred Mountain’s authority. That’s fine, I’ll give you a chance. Want to fight alone or with your armies?”
Everyone took a deep breath. Anyone would need to think twice before challenging Sacred Mountain. The price in doing so was prohibitive.
Remember, Vajra’s current leadership position was bestowed to them by Sacred Mountain. In this situation, Vajra would be dragged down this mess as well.
“My brave soldiers, follow me into battle!” The Praetor roared heroically.
“We are at your command, victory shall be ours!” The soldiers chanted awe-inspiringly in unison. They didn’t have the same qualms as the members of the holy ground.
“Who will follow me to battle?!” Sword Hero gritted his teeth and asked.
“He’s crazy too.” A crowd member whispered. No one from the holy ground would support this treasonous act.
The soldiers of Vajra hesitated, not knowing what to do. They understood that although they worked for Vajra, the true power in charge was Sacred Mountain. Moreover, Sword Hero couldn’t represent Vajra either.
“Guardian Legion, follow me.” Wei Qianqing stepped forward first.
The soldiers in this legion left the formation and followed her, refusing to go against Sacred Mountain.
“Legions of the dynasty, march.” Another commander of Vajra also left.
The legion would never go against Li Qiye without the permission of Archaic Sun King and Ancestral Temple.
It didn’t take long before only several thousand disciples in black uniforms were left behind Sword Hero. They were his personal squad, ready to die for him.
“Good, you’re all I need to sweep through the world!” Sword Hero’s morale remained high despite losing two main legions.
He then pointed at Li Qiye and declared: “We’re more than enough to take you down.”
The spectators took a deep breath after seeing a formal challenge.