As Zhang Tie made his move, the backup measures he had arranged in both the Forbidden City and Dragon Emperor City sprang into action at the same time.
What even several elders and court masters did not know was that while Zhang Tie had been touring the Dragon Fang Army's grand formation with them, the 300 Dragon Fang Army divine generals he had originally stationed in Cloud River Valley to guard Cloud River Castle's Dragon Emperor Potion production had already silently returned to the Forbidden City.
The 300 divine generals split into three teams. Leng Manxue led one team of 200, and at the very moment Zhang Tie launched his attack, they had already arrived at the five great courts within the Forbidden City. The other 100, led by the Liu brothers and divided into two teams of fifty, headed directly for Xia Yangming's and Shi Zhongyu's residences to raid their nests.
At the same time, under Xu Gang's command, all the soldiers stationed in Dragon Emperor City urgently left their camps and entered the city to maintain order and enforce martial law.
For a time, hoofbeats rolled like thunder through Dragon Emperor City. Armored soldiers and flying lizards filled every street, and the entire city was instantly plunged into a state of tension.
"By His Majesty's decree, traitors are being apprehended today in Dragon Emperor City and the Forbidden City. Xia Yangming, Shi Zhongyu, Tang Shenghou, and Huo Xianlai have betrayed the Dragon Emperor Temple. From this moment on, all personnel of the five great courts are to remain at their assigned posts. No one is permitted to leave. Any who resist or defy this order, or spread wild rumors to deceive the masses—regardless of who they are—the divine generals of the Dragon Emperor Temple may join forces