Chapter 1032

In the Glazed Pure Land, Wu Tie's right forearm could barely move a bit, and beneath his skin a few thin muscle strands could barely be seen growing out.

He held a small, already jade‑transformed turtle shell, inside which were several coins said to have been personally cast by a monk‑king of the Glazed Buddha Realm, clinking 'dang‑lang dang‑lang' as they shook, and then he slammed the turtle shell hard.

Several coins fell to the ground, spinning 'dili‑dili'.

The coins came to a stop; Wu Tie narrowed his eyes and stared at them intently.

Another cauldron of nectar poured in through the leak into his mouth; a faint wisp of heat rose from Wu Tie's scalp. In his almost dried‑up vessels, at last a thread of fresh blood began to flow slowly.

With a 'ding', a drop of the liquid fell from the nebula vortex in his mind, racing quickly through his meridians and blood vessels all around his body.

The liquid merged into his heart, then wave after wave of strange energy swept over his body, Wu Tie's bodily functions surged again. Each cell, which had originally stored a little energy, was strengthened again, then emptied again, turning into a terrifying black hole that radiated a powerful devouring force outward.

The specks of muscle on his right forearm withered away at a speed visible to the naked eye.

A horrible grinding sound came from within Wu Tie's five viscera and six bowels.

His empty intestines and stomach—every muscle fiber twisted and rubbed like a monstrous python, frantically strangling each other, emitting a piercing grinding noise.

Cauldron after cauldron of nectar poured into his mouth; just as it entered his stomach, still far from the intestines, the vast energy and rich nutrients contained in the nectar had already been completely devoured.

His empty intestines and stomach continued to writhe frantically, and every cell in his body still let out a frenzied roar—'Hunger!'

His right forearm could not move again; Wu Tie could only barely use his magic to shake the air, uttering a low voice: 'Prepare for battle, the Heavenly Court is about to attack…… In the northeast of the Glazed Buddha Realm lies an archipelago named Molu; we must establish a defense line in the Molu Archipelago.'

Lao Tie stared blankly, looked at the scattered coins and turtle shell on the ground, and shook his head: 'These mystical tricks, why can't I learn them? Tch…… I hate you lot who can predict the enemy's moves—why not just grab your famous swords and clash head‑on?'

While complaining, Lao Tie hurriedly ran out.

The Heavenly Court attacked again, and one can imagine how large the scale would be. Previously, the Heavenly Court's Thunder Department Subduing Demons Office was beaten to a sorry state; the floating clouds they rode, plus a Pool of Ascension, and over a thousand divine thunder vessels were all seized by Wuguo.

When the Heavenly Court comes again, the troops and number of experts dispatched will surely be more than just the Thunder Department Subduing Demons Office.

The order of the Glazed Buddha Realm has not yet been restored, countless civilians' psychological wounds have not healed, and the Glazed Buddha Realm at this moment cannot withstand another major war, so the battlefield can only be set up outside the Glazed Buddha Realm.

'Demonic Sovereign, Demonic Sovereign…… summon all the demon troops stationed throughout your Supreme Demon Nation.' Lao Tie's loud shout spread far and wide: 'Restrain them, then send them to be cannon fodder!'

Wu Tie again shook the air, emitting a low rumble: 'They are not cannon fodder but offerings, Lao Tie—select elite youths from the Witch Clan and let them quickly advance and break through…… This matter, you discuss with the Wugu Old Ancestor.'

Just those two short sentences left Wu Tie exhausted, his vision going dark.

He lay spread‑eagled in the Pool of Ascension, his body frantically devouring the surging spiritual liquid of the pool; cauldron after cauldron of nectar kept pouring into his mouth, turning into thread‑like warm currents that infused his whole body.

At the same time, the Heavenly Court.

Ji Baijie walked with his hands behind his back, bringing along Ji Kui, Ji Song, Ji Wuliang and other 'relatives', strolling along an extremely wide stone staircase.

Ji Wuliang, that is, Ji Baijie's paternal cousin, according to Ji Kui's calculations, would replace Ji Baijie and become the person who leads the Heavenly Court.

Originally, this fellow's name was Ji Wuliang, a name that represented Ji Kui's good wishes for him—hoping his future would be limitless, that he would become a towering figure of the human race, even able to enter Wa Island and truly take root in the human core.

But Ji Wuliang…… perhaps Ji Kui gave him too much, pampering him excessively from childhood, and the character of those close attendants around him had some minor flaws, so Ji Wuliang turned into Ji Wuliang.

Bullying clansmen, tyrannizing the market, even beating elders, kicking children, and such acts as kicking widows' doors and digging up graves of extinct families—Ji Wuliang has done plenty of these since childhood.

In the end, Ji Wuliang's infamy even reached the Ji clan; elders from the Ji ancestral hall came and sternly rebuked Ji Kui, who, helpless, then began to restrain Ji Wuliang, allowing him to run rampant only within his own territory and forbidding him to cause trouble outside.

Gradually, Ji Wuliang's notoriety faded a little, and in recent decades hardly anyone mentioned him.

This time, if Ji Kui had not personally led Ji Baijie to come knocking, Ji Baijie would almost have forgotten that he still had such a paternal cousin.

However, facing the mighty Ji Kui and Ji Baijie father‑son duo, Ji Baijie actually showed extreme humility and cooperation, personally leading this group of uninvited troublemakers to tour the Heavenly Court palace complex built among the mountains.

'This is the Fire Department.' Ji Baijie smiled as he introduced the successive stone palaces along the way to Ji Kui and the others: 'The Fire Department is the main combat force of the Heavenly Court's nine divisions, versed in fire‑based divine abilities.'

'Over there, far opposite the Fire Department, is the Water Department.'

'As the saying goes, water and fire are merciless; the power of water and fire is also the most primitive and destructive force in heaven and earth, so the Water and Fire Departments are both listed as one of the Heavenly Court's nine divisions. The Water Department can further control great and small waterways; once activated, a radius of billions of miles becomes a vast marsh, its might capable of being called world‑ending.'

As Ji Baijie gave his introduction, Ji Song's face grew increasingly wan and dim.

This Heavenly Court is the foundation built by Ji Baijie.

By rights, this should be Ji Baijie's private property.

Yet his own paternal cousin, his own clan chief, actually forced him to bring people to the door to seize the foundation that his son had painstakingly built.

Ji Song felt very uneasy about this.

But what could be done? Ji Kui is the chief of this branch of the Ji clan, holding power of life and death over ordinary clansmen. And Ji Song, a lifelong weakling, simply lacked the courage to resist Ji Kui's intimidation.

Meanwhile, Ji Kui and Ji Wuliang father and son, together with the few clan core members Ji Kui brought, were so excited their faces flushed red, almost about to break into a dance.

'Of course, the newly founded Heavenly Court lacks personnel in the Fire and Water Departments.' Ji Baijie said calmly: 'The posts of Fire Heavenly King and Water Heavenly King are both vacant, and even lower ranks such as Heavenly Lords, Heavenly Generals, and Heavenly Soldiers have huge vacancies.'

'By comparison, the Thunder Department Subduing Demons Office is today the only Heavenly Court bureau that has filled one‑tenth of its quota.' Ji Baijie said solemnly: 'The Thunder Department commands thunderous power, masters secret arts and divine abilities, can fly without trace, and teleport through space—it is the Heavenly Court's most swift mobile force.'

Ji Baijie waved his right hand, and in a hall under the Thunder Department Subduing Demons Office, mighty auras shot up into the sky.

In the high sky, dark clouds roiled; terrifying bolts of light that turned Ji Wuliang's face pale flickered faintly within the clouds, continuously emitting deafening thunderclaps.

Thunder is the heavenly mandate, the concrete manifestation of heaven and earth's majesty.

Thunder not only innately restrains demons and monsters, it also possesses an innate deterrent power over certain humans who harbor evil intentions or have corrupt conduct.

Countless terrifying thunderbolts flashed and surged overhead; Ji Wuliang, who had never known how many guilty deeds he had done, trembled all over, his hairs standing straight up, and he instinctively clenched his legs.

'Good, good, good.' Ji Kui flipped his left hand, a furious blast shot up into the sky, turning into a flying bear with twin wings on its back that roared toward the thunderclouds above, and as he struck he laughed at Ji Baijie: 'I never expected, Baijie, you actually……'

Ji Kui's strike was originally meant to shatter the high‑altitude thunderclouds—one purpose to dispel the embarrassment of Ji Wuliang being cowed by thunder, another to flaunt his martial prowess before Ji Baijie and prove that the so‑called Heavenly Court Subduing Demons Office amounted to nothing before him, the great clan chief of the Ji family.

But the flying bear, its body earth‑gold yellow and a thousand zhang long with twin wings on its back, slammed into the thunderclouds, whereupon terrifying thunder dragons rolled and surged forth, instantly smashing the bear to pieces and exploding it into countless tiny specks of yellow light that drifted down.

The thunderclouds suffered no damage at all, and Ji Kui's all‑out palm was simply neutralized completely.

Ji Kui's face suddenly stiffened.

The few retainers he brought along simultaneously changed color, for they well knew that Ji Kui's cultivation had already reached the peak of the half‑step to the Venerable level; were it not for the great Dao's shackles binding heaven and earth, Ji Kui could long ago have broken through into the legendary Venerable realm!

Although Ji Kui's palm seemed light and casual, given his nature—intending to show off his strength and intimidate Ji Baijie—he surely exerted every ounce of his power.

Yet Ji Kui's all‑out palm could not break through the thunderclouds emitted by these 'lowly lackeys' of the Heavenly Court Subduing Demons Office?

Several Ji clan members silently surrounded Ji Baijie; if he dared to make any move at this moment, they would all rush forward and cut him down on the spot.

After all, Ji Baijie is merely a cadet branch of the Ji tribe; his father Ji Song is just an ordinary clansman with no authority, influence, or backing. For the sake of such a great foundation as the Heavenly Court, what does it matter if we kill him?

Kill Ji Baijie, kill his father Ji Song, then arbitrarily find some excuse to wipe out the Ji Song household—wouldn't the vast Heavenly Court then become Ji Wuliang's pocket‑able prize?

Ignore the fire and water departments that barely have a few members; just the Thunder Division Demon-Subduing Office, which has just filled one-tenth of its quota, as Ji Baijie just introduced, has 108 commanders, over a million heavenly generals, and over two hundred million heavenly soldiers!

Good grief, the Ji clan people under Ji Kui's charge, with all their big and small tribes combined, plus over a hundred attached big and small tribes, have a total population of just over a hundred million!

Ji Baijie's mere thousand years of accumulated estate is far richer than the efforts of over a hundred generations of this Ji clan people.

More importantly, the Heavenly Court has no elderly, weak, women, and children; it consists solely of elite troops and strong generals.

And the Ji clan tribe under Ji Kui can field no more than ten million elite warriors for battle.

For this foundation, what's killing people?

Especially, the Demon-Subduing Office's displayed combat power is astonishing; Ji Kui's all-out strike actually couldn't shake their thunderclouds—if Ji Baijie harbored any treachery, he need only raise his arm and call...

A few Ji clan members' hearts broke out in cold sweat; they now stand on the Heavenly Court's territory—if Ji Baijie harbored any treachery, should the Demon-Subduing Office's army mobilize, they would likely... be reduced to mud!

Ji Baijie seemed not to notice these few 'relatives' acting strangely; he calmly said, 'Uncle, I've toiled a thousand years, finally gathering a group who lived unhappily in our own tribe, painstakingly forming the Heavenly Court.'

'Ji Baijie knows that, whether it's talent, virtue, or any aspect of ability, he is insufficient to lead the Heavenly Court to a better future.'

'After all, we're just a huddle for warmth, a group of miserable folks scraping together a meal.'

Ji Kui's face twitched; he would have to be a ghost to believe Ji Baijie's words.

A huddle for warmth of miserable folks?

Ha ha, ha ha, do you think everyone under heaven is an idiot?

With such a massive organization, such fine division of labor, such strict hierarchy, such excellent armor, and even these grand, finely constructed palace complexes—do you claim this is just a miserable bunch scraping together a meal?

Of course, now Ji Kui, going along with the flow with a smile, said, 'Worthy nephew, speak plainly.'

Ji Baijie gave Ji Kui and Ji Wuliang a deep look: 'Uncle, you want the older cousin to take over the Heavenly Court—I have no objections. But, brothers settle accounts openly; here in the Heavenly Court, I've poured in too much effort—if he takes over, you must offer compensation.'

Ji Baijie gave a bitter smile: 'I dare not rebel against the main house... the Ji clan is one of the most noble and ancient clans of humanity; I dare not rebel against the main house... but you cannot simply take the Heavenly Court for nothing.'

Ji Kui said in a deep voice: 'Just say it.'

Ji Baijie had already torn away that false veneer of 'kinship' from everyone's faces, and Ji Kui was all too happy about it. Give you a little benefit, send you packing, and then... get lost. The Heavenly Court is Ji Kui's precious son Ji Wuliang—namely, Ji Kui's foundation!

For the envisioned bright future, paying some price is only natural.

'Just as Ji Baijie said—'Brothers, settle accounts openly!'

Ji Baijie said calmly: 'I want to be the Elder of this Ji clan branch sect, and I want command over all the warriors in the clan.'

Ji Kui fell silent for a moment, then gave Ji Baijie a deep look: 'I can give you this mandate... but you must ensure that throughout the Heavenly Court, everyone obeys your older cousin's orders.'

Ji Baijie directly pulled out a gleaming gold jade seal from his sleeve and threw it to Ji Wuliang.

'Take it, bring him—throughout the Heavenly Court, recognize the seal, not the person! Don't you dare lose it.' Ji Baijie grit his teeth, laughing as he grabbed the flustered Ji Wuliang who was clutching the seal: 'Throughout the Heavenly Court, with so many people, it's impossible for everyone to know me, right?'

'This seal is the Heavenly Court's highest command token. Your older cousin just needs to try it later and will know.' Ji Baijie said in a deep voice: 'However, my orders aren't absolutely supreme throughout the Heavenly Court; for any matter, we still discuss it together.'

He spread his hand, reaching toward Ji Kui, and Ji Baijie said calmly: 'All right, Uncle, where's my mandate? Hurry up and hand it over. Uh, don't fool me—grant me the mandate to be Elder of this branch sect, grant me the mandate to be leader of the tribe's warriors; you must issue a written notice to all the major branch sects of the Ji clan, and not deceive me.'

Ji Kui stared hotly at the jade seal, then nodded heavily: 'Rest assured, worthy nephew... you're open and bright, I'm open and bright too—we're one family, we're all one family!'