Chapter 1046

Glazed Buddha Kingdom, Luomo Archipelago.

The vast archipelago was refitted into a prison, by the people of Canghai Sea, who activated the forty‑nine thousand water veins in the deep sea, awakened their spiritual intelligence, turning them into water dragons, and also took forty‑nine water‑attributed innate spiritual treasures from the Wuguo state treasury, forming an extremely yin imprisoning grand formation.

This formation turned into visible blue‑white water waves, covering hundreds of large and small islands, cutting off heavenly and earthly primal energy; those on the islands could not draw even a thread of that energy, making even healing wounds difficult.

All of their supplies—spiritual pills and elixirs, rare treasures and exotic gems—were completely looted by the Wuguo troops stationed here.

The Heavenly Court members imprisoned here were each struck down by Wu Tie into serious injury, at their weakest. Moreover, their bodies could not absorb heavenly and earthly primal energy, and without medicinal pills to treat their wounds, they received only the plainest coarse tea and simple meals each day, so they could only obediently squat on these islands to endure the days.

Besides the Heavenly Court members, there were also many other humans.

These humans included some god‑nation deities who disliked the Wuguo army's attitude, some who turned hostile after being rescued and refused to acknowledge favors, and even some high‑ranking god‑nation officials who harbored other thoughts toward the Wuguo army……

In short, they are all a group that bears grudges against the Wuguo army and does not get along with it.

They were also all sent to the Luomo Archipelago, where several islands were specially cut apart so that they could 'live and work in peace'.

Speaking of which, the Wuguo army earlier selected the Luomo Archipelago as a battlefield, where they completely annihilated the Heavenly Court forces under Ji Kui and Ji Wuliang. They chose the Luomo Archipelago as the battlefield precisely because it is sufficiently remote.

Island after island lay desolate and uninhabited, with thickets of shrubs growing, yet not a single towering tree could be found.

The imprisoned Heavenly Court members and god‑nation high officials could only drive some barely functional subordinates to manually cut the shrubbery and erect some crude wooden shacks for themselves, barely providing shelter.

Aside from them, the other prisoners could only live under the sky and on the ground, residing outdoors all day.

Poor that imprisoning grand formation—it could not block the sun by day nor the rain when it fell. Moreover, the Luomo Archipelago lies at a confluence of ocean currents, where heavenly and earthly changes are frequent; in three days there are always two days of torrential downpours.

Baked by the sun until your whole body slicked with oil, then a torrential downpour 'splash‑splash‑splash' drenches you to the bone, and before you can find shelter, the clouds part, the rain stops, and the sun cheerfully peeks out half its face.

After you've been roasted until sweat drenched your back, the chill from that downpour still hasn't dissipated—well, the rain comes again.

Some imprisoned Heavenly Court soldiers vividly called this tempering—'quenching fire!'.

"Quenching fire, this prison is a furnace, and we are nothing but worthless iron for others to toy with." A Yi clan elder lay in the crude wooden shack, gritting his teeth as he looked at the several peers of similar age and status sitting nearby.

"Several elder brothers, can you endure this humiliation?"

The Yi clan elder lowered his voice: "Gong Sunyu is incompetent, Qing Ning is manipulating power—this is why we are in this situation… Consider our human populace: they are the orthodox lineage of humanity, the bloodline of Nuwa and Fuxi, even up to the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors of antiquity, countless human sovereigns, and innumerable human sages—all reside in our human populace!"

"Our ancestors endured hardship for countless years, accumulating their wealth—how could we possibly lose to a mere Wuguo?"

"Yet we actually cannot defeat Wuguo—this is not right!"

"Is it our incompetence, or is it the fault of Gong Sunyu and Qing Ning?"

Several old men exchanged glances, and one elder said slowly: "I am unworthy, having lived through one hundred and eight reincarnations; in my earliest twelve lives, I bore the mystery of the womb, all of which were entrusted to the human battlefield—from a mere royal prince, step by step I ascended to the god‑sovereign throne, governing the state to prosperity and the people to peace and contentment."

He shook his head and spoke coldly: "After those twelve lives, my innate divine soul grew strong, thereby freeing me from the womb's ordeal; each time I was entrusted to the human destiny field, undergoing over ninety reincarnations, regardless of birth, I invariably managed to bring my clan to flourish and thrive."

"I also know how to concoct pills, forge artifacts, set formations, and farm fish and livestock… Indeed, having reincarnated one hundred and eight times, I have led troops in battle no fewer than tens of thousands of times; the demons and monsters we face today, I have personally slain each one in past lives."

He made a gesture and sneered coldly: "Those demon and monster venerables may indeed possess extraordinary personal cultivation, but I clearly recall that, in the course of my many reincarnations, I have slain dozens of such venerable demons and monsters."

He lifted his head and looked at the Yi clan elder: "Elder brother, it's not that we are incapable. Among us, who is not a top‑tier human talent? If heavenly and earthly laws did not forbid it, some of our achievements might even rival those of the ancient sages."

The Yi clan elder laughed brightly: "Since it's not our incompetence, then our repeated defeats must have a cause."

The several old men looked at the Yi clan elder and said in unison: "If you have something to say, just speak plainly."

The Yi clan elder produced a fist‑sized translucent purple‑gold crystal stone, its shape resembling a delicate little stele; within it one could faintly see a thin flagpole, from which hung a banner of rising rosy clouds.

The Yi clan elder smiled: "This matter originally would have waited a while longer before I explained it to you elder brothers."

"But the Wuguo army's conduct has left us old brothers bruised and battered… Elder brothers, if the soldiers on the battlefield feared no death, if we on the battlefield no longer had to worry about injury or death…"

He gave a slight smile and again lowered his voice: "If, when we fall on the battlefield, we could instantly recondense our dharma bodies in the rear, never again needing to fear true death… thereby we would have no limit to our yang lifespan, able to share longevity with heaven and earth, shine with sun and moon, and eternally enjoy carefree bliss…"

"Is that it?" the old man who had just recounted his one hundred and eight reincarnations stared in shock at the tiny crystal stele.

"Elder brothers, do you know the Heavenly Court's true foundation?" the Yi clan elder laughed smugly: "Qing Ning certainly gained the favor of the old matriarchs, and Gong Sunyu, even if he had comprehended the three thousand great Dao and possessed unmatched cultivation… yet they have only touched the Heavenly Court's superficial fringe, not even a thread of its deep foundation."

"If you elder brothers don't believe me, just drip a drop of blood onto this 'Investiture of the Gods' list, and everything will become clear."

The Yi clan elder placed the crystal stele before the several old men and spoke softly: "We are now in this situation; do you elder brothers still fear that I would harm you? How many years of friendship do we share?"

A fellow Yi clan elder fell silent for a moment, then drew blood from his heart and dropped a drop of his lifeblood essence upon it.

On the tiny stele, threads of cloud‑mist rose, accompanied by a faint celestial melody; a cluster of golden light lightly jumped on the Yi clan elder's body, and then his aura became markedly different from before.

Divine, majestic—as if the whole heaven and earth were bestowing power upon him.

His aura had not grown stronger, yet it had indeed become far more solemn, grand, and inscrutably mystical.

"This…" the remaining several old men simultaneously shuddered in awe.

After a quarter hour, the several old men left the crude wooden shack, each returning to his own shack, and then ordered their trusted commanders and clansmen to go and confer on strategy.

Like a rolling snowball, as the little steles spread, more and more of the imprisoned Heavenly Court members on the Luomo Archipelago dripped blood to leave their names, becoming true retainers of the Heavenly Court.

In the Heavenly Court headquarters, within the underground secret palace, a gigantic crystal divine stele stands upon a mass of auspicious clouds; above the inscription on the stele, tens of thousands of tiny names appear with every flick of a finger.

Ji Bai Jie's aura gradually grew stronger as these names continuously flashed.

With each additional person who dripped blood and left their name on the list, a strand of mysterious creative force naturally bolstered him; as this bolstering grew stronger and more numerous, Ji Bai Jie's aura rose like water lifting a boat.

His realm had not broken through to the venerable level.

Yet his strength undoubtedly reached above the venerable level!

Three thousand strands of golden light and eighty‑four thousand strands of purple qi swirled and danced behind Ji Bai Jie. Countless Heavenly Court soldiers, each having comprehended different great Dao and peripheral methods, together they altogether covered all those Dao and peripheral methods completely.

All that these Heavenly Court members know and are capable of, through the secret treasure refined from this marvelous 'Investiture of the Gods fragment,' feeds back onto Ji Bai Jie.

Just as he himself had comprehended, just as he himself had perceived.

"Get ready, ladies and gentlemen." Ji Bai Jie chuckled as he looked at the nearly thousand Heavenly Court high‑rankers drinking and making merry in the secret palace, and he laughed happily: "Although countless resources were drawn from the human populace by Qing Ning, about seventy percent of them have come under our control."

"As for the rest, we'll put all effort into forging the Immortal‑Ascension Pool." Ji Bai Jie waved his hand and chuckled: "Put all effort into forging the Immortal‑Ascension Pool… When we have completely absorbed the so‑called five great legions, that will be the optimal moment for our Heavenly Court to rise again."

A Heavenly Court sovereign laughed, raising his wine cup: "The Heavenly Sovereign's grand scheme—Qing Ning, Gong Sunyu and the like are mere clowns… My Heavenly Court is eternal and immortal!"

All the Heavenly Court heavyweights personally selected by Ji Bai Jie raised their cups and shouted loudly: "My Heavenly Court is eternal and immortal!"

On the ground, within the Heavenly Court's Lingxiao Palace.

Qing Ning sat upon the throne that originally belonged to Gong Sunyu, his gaze cold as he looked at the elders of the human populace in the hall.

"For the sake of the human race's grand plan, Yer'er personally went to risk his life against the Wuguo state lord… Elders, if Yer'er can achieve this, yet you still think only of preserving yourselves, it would chill my heart."

The five major armies need reinforcements and supplies; all of you Elders must give me a clear answer today.

Soon, voices of assent came from within the Numinous Heavens Palace as many human Elders declared: "For the future of our human race, how could we preserve ourselves for private gain and abandon the great plan? The Matriarch's request, we will certainly not refuse."

After a little over two hours, at the core of Wa Island, Qingning carried a small bamboo basket holding several fine seasonal vegetables, and followed a mountain path to a cave dwelling below the cliff.

Familiar with the way, Qingning entered the cave, placed the dishes on the stone table, and warmly greeted the Old Matriarch seated cross-legged on the stone couch: "Old Matriarch, these are dishes Qing'er made personally—please try them, are they to your taste?"

The Old Matriarch slightly opened her eyes; two clusters of spiritual light flickered in her pupils, illuminating the entire cave.

"Qing'er, you're not busy in the Heavenly Court—how do you have time to come here? Lately, how goes the fighting? How are the casualties among our people?"

Qingning's smile suddenly froze, then she forced a laugh: "Everything is firmly under control…"

The Old Matriarch shook her head: "Qing'er, speak frankly—what exactly happened?"

Qingning fell silent for a moment, then she suddenly knelt before the Old Matriarch's stone couch, voice trembling: "Old Matriarch, I'm afraid… Yaor is going to fight the Wuguo Sovereign, but that Sovereign is a demonic entity, already of Venerable-level cultivation; even if Yaor's talent is superb, I fear… I fear…"

Two streams of clear tears streamed down as Qingning cried hoarsely: "Especially, especially—the Wuguo Sovereign possesses several top-tier Primeval Spirit Treasures… Yaor has only a few heirlooms, heavenly‑dao divine weapons forged by his ancestors; even if Yaor's cultivation surpasses his opponent's, in terms of treasures… he is at a great disadvantage."

The Old Matriarch's gaze flickered uncertainly as she softly said: "Foundation… Yaor… he's a good child."

After a moment's silence, the Old Matriarch slowly said: "Go to the Holy Valley and take a set of ancestral relics to give Yaor… He is now the Lord of the Heavenly Court; to subdue those old fogeys among the populace, he needs a few decent items, or it won't do."

Qingning instantly turned her tears into smiles, her grin blossoming like a peony.

She was exceedingly thoughtful, ladling a bowl of millet porridge into a coarse earthenware bowl, mixing in some side dishes, and handed it to the Old Matriarch with a beaming smile.

The Old Matriarch let out a gentle sigh, reached out to touch Qingning's palm, and said: "Come to think of it, you, Qing'er, are the best at warming hearts… Ah, you are far more clever and quick-witted than they are."

Qingning's eyes flickered, her face full of a gentle, smug satisfaction.

On the human battlefield, Wu Tie stood upon a surrendered Stellar Divine Vessel, while hundreds of Heavenly Court White Tiger Regiment commanders lay prostrate on the deck, looking at him with faces full of humiliation.

Warships all around fell like rain; countless Heavenly Court soldiers, severely wounded and coughing blood, collapsed to the ground and were seized en masse by the Wuguo army.

Wu Tie furrowed his brow, lowered his gaze to the commander of this White Tiger Regiment, and asked: "Why didn't you bring the Pool of Immortal Ascension? Moreover, if your captured soldiers commit suicide, can't they return to the Pool of Immortal Ascension to reform their dharma bodies and be reborn?"

Hundreds of White Tiger Regiment commanders stared blankly at Wu Tie, their minds foggy, utterly unaware of what he was saying.

Wu Tie looked at them in astonishment: "You don't know? So it is—you seized this husk of the Heavenly Court, but you didn't take its true foundation… The Heavenly Court has a Pool of Immortal Ascension; fallen soldiers can be reborn instantly. You didn't know that?"

The White Tiger Regiment commander screamed shrilly: "How could that be? Where is such a thing? We have no idea! Ji Bai Jie, Ji Bai Jie… If that's the case, then…"

Before his scream had faded, a flash of lightning appeared in the distance, and a Thunder God Vessel had already surged forward.

"Wuguo Sovereign Wu Tie? I, the Grand Heavenly Venerable of the Heavenly Court, challenge you!"