Chapter 1048

Amid Gongsun Yao's sobs, the massive army assembled by the Heavenly Court retreated in a rather dispirited manner.

This grand‑scale challenge, however, ended in a weak finish, concluding rather mysteriously.

But both the Heavenly Court and Wuguo knew full well—when Wuguo's army, whose soldiers were only at the Fetal Storage or Life Pool realm, each had a halo of merit golden light appear behind their heads, the Heavenly Court's army had lost face to fight further.

The common folk of humanity, those clan Elders, still cared about face.

Even if there were fools like Ji Kui and Ji Wuliang who seized the clan's foundations, ran rampant domestically, and let profit cloud their judgment, the high echelons of humanity—those clan chiefs and those shrewd, experienced Elders—still cared about face.

They knew full well that their fate was tightly bound to that of humanity.

When humanity thrives, they can enjoy peace and prosperity.

When humanity declines, they will surely suffer the annihilation of their whole families.

The gods may tolerate humanity's lowly commoners being penned like livestock, but they will absolutely not allow those high‑rankers who have inherited human civilization, tradition, and will to survive.

Since they still care about face, that makes things easy.

When Wuguo's army displayed the merit earned from slaying demons and rescuing the populace, the Heavenly Court's army had no choice but to retreat.

They could keep saying that Wu Tie and even Wuguo's army were demonic heretics.

After all, the laws of heaven and earth dictate that on Mu Dalu humanity cannot give birth to a Venerable.

Wu Tie is a Venerable, and so are many of Wuguo's civil and military officials; they must have used demonic means to sacrifice to extraterritorial demons, thereby loosening the heavenly laws and allowing them to condense Dao seals.

Because of the Dao seals, they can claim that Wu Tie and his followers are demons.

But demons cannot possess merit, nor rescue countless commoners—humanity's high echelons can, with a guilty conscience, claim that Wuguo's army rescued the people merely to pen them in, harboring various ignoble schemes.

But merit cannot be faked.

Wu Tie's merit is boundless; at least hundreds of his civil and military officials have likewise accumulated inconceivable, boundless merit.

Retreat, retreat as fast as possible. Several dozen commoner Elders dragged the struggling Gongsun Yao, retreating as fast as they could onto the floating clouds. Then they spared no mana to drive the clouds, spared no burning of vast amounts of primordial crystals, and swiftly activated the Heavenly Court divine formation etched upon the clouds.

Streams of light flickered, accompanied by a dull thunderclap, and these floating clouds instantly shifted and vanished, leaving no trace.

In the void, Gongsun Yao's sobbing cries still lingered: 'On what basis? On what basis? I am the Heavenly Court's Great Heavenly Venerable, I am the leader of humanity recognized by Wa Island, I am the president publicly chosen by humanity!'

'On what basis? On what basis have I never even heard of what he says? On what basis do I know nothing at all?'

'Could someone really starve to death?'

'Could it be that newborn children are abandoned because there isn't enough food?'

'Do those demons eat humans? Beneath the Miao Yin God Nation, are there truly that many slaughtered human remains?'

'Tell me, tell me, what exactly is the situation of humanity?'

'My mother never told me, my father never told me!'

'I am the Heavenly Court's Great Heavenly Venerable; I order you to tell me everything you know! Tell me! I don't want to just stay home and cultivate single‑mindedly; I need to know everything I ought to know!'

Gongsun Yao's voice was hoarse, his speech extremely rapid; before those Elders dragged him away, he bellowed out all the doubts in his heart, all the pent‑up resentment he had accumulated.

He wanted to have an open, aboveboard, king‑to‑king showdown with Wu Tie.

In Gongsun Yao's mind, this was a great duel worthy of the history books—two extraordinarily talented human leaders, whose fair contest would decide humanity's course for years to come and shape its future development.

Defeat Wu Tie, make Wuguo submit to the Heavenly Court, and have Wu Tie bring his officials to submit to me!

Imagining Wu Tie leading countless elite troops and strong generals to pay him grand homage, the young Gongsun Yao couldn't help but tremble all over, breaking out in sweat from excitement.

He never imagined that, after earnestly preparing for the duel for several days, it would end abruptly in this way.

Wu Tie's few slaps, his few questions… Gongsun Yao remained confident, firmly believing Wu Tie had merely ambushed him, that he had been confused by Wu Tie's questions, so he failed to see Wu Tie's move and accidentally got slapped.

He firmly believed he could defeat Wu Tie.

He firmly believed he could certainly defeat Wu Tie, after all he possessed a perfect Dao foundation forged from the Three Thousand Great Dao, and he also had several limes taken from humanity's Holy Valley, inherited for countless years, treasures that could be called the supreme artifacts of the entire human race.

He firmly believed, he would certainly defeat Wu Tie!

But Wu Tie gave him no chance to win—a merit force with a diameter of thirty thousand Chinese miles and a thickness of one hundred Chinese miles, solid as a huge golden‑cast pancake!

Too excessive!

Really, too excessive!

Wu Tie directly launched a dimensionality‑reduction strike, completely obliterating any possibility for Gongsun Yao and his duel.

No qualifications!

Gongsun Yao has no qualifications to duel Wu Tie!

Gongsun Yao felt wronged and angry, so he wept, and thus he came to hate those nearby human high‑rankers!

Listening to the echoing roar of Gongsun Yao in the air, Wu Tie stepped step by step to the outskirts of Tianlai City.

Wa Qingxi tensed her whole body, gave a dry smile, set down her five‑stringed lute, and bowed respectfully to Wu Tie: 'Wa Qingxi of the Miao Yin God Nation pays respects to King Wu, Your Majesty… I do not know what orders Your Majesty has.'

Wa Qingxi and her attendants, each with stiff faces, stared at the thick, solid golden pancake behind Wu Tie as if looking at a monster.

With a diameter of thirty thousand Chinese miles… Wa Qingxi and the others exerted their divine souls, only with difficulty estimating the size and scale of this merit golden pancake.

A bit excessive, huh.

Wa Qingxi recalled that a few days ago, when she commanded the Miao Yin God Nation's army and annihilated the invading horde of demons and monsters, the merit she earned was only a few strands, barely condensing behind her head into a halo of three‑Chinese‑foot golden light—as thin as a cicada's wing, a three‑Chinese‑foot golden halo!

Diameter thirty thousand Chinese miles, thickness one hundred Chinese miles!

Too excessive!

Wa Qingxi really wanted to ask Wu Tie—by doing this, where have you placed humanity's great destiny fields, battlefields, and hunting grounds, the high‑rankers of humanity's common folk, the inheritors of Wa Island and Xi Huang, and all those hidden behind the scenes, the great figures of humanity?

You've slapped the face of the entire human high‑echelon!

You have offended the entire human high‑echelon!

Wa Qingxi's mind churned with countless strange thoughts, yet the smile on her face grew ever more brilliant!

Wu Tie stood with his hands behind his back, looking at Wa Qingxi: 'You are remarkable. Miao Yin God Nation, a female‑led state, actually managed to annihilate the invading demons and monsters and protect the nation's common folk. You have the qualifications to stand on your own within the Wuguo system.'

Wa Qingxi lightly exhaled, she smiled brightly and said to Wu Tie: 'This is… I… no, the honor of this humble woman!'

Wu Tie nodded: 'I will leave a garrison stationed in the Miao Yin God Nation to assist you in resisting invading demons. All provisions and baggage will be supplied by your Miao Yin God Nation—any problems?'

Wa Qingxi stared blankly, she quickly glanced at those standing on the small Slaughter God ships, the Wuguo retainers with overwhelming aura.

"Probably..." Wa Qingxi gave a dry laugh.

"They won't interfere in your Divine Kingdom's affairs; I merely fear that other battlefield evil demons might slip in here and catch you off guard." Wu Tie extended a finger: "One small Slaughter God ship, a hundred standard Zun-rank commanders. They only bear the responsibility of resisting evil demon attacks, buying time for our Wuguo main forces to come to aid."

Wu Tie said in a deep voice: "Just rest assured, if you can resist the evil demons and prove you are capable, I have no designs on your Miaoyin Divine Kingdom; otherwise I would now punch you all to death, wouldn't that be neat and clean?"

Wa Qingxi and all her retainers instantly broke out in a cold sweat.

Wu Tie's words were direct and blunt, yet indeed somewhat terrifying.

After seriously looking at the merit golden cakes behind Wu Tie, Wa Qingxi slowly nodded: "In that case, Qingxi thanks you, Your Majesty Wu Tie."

Wu Tie showed a bright smile: "No need to thank me. My mother is also a member of the Wa clan, and even the matriarch of a small tribe; calculating the Wa clan bloodline seriously, we are all relatives."

Wa Qingxi smiled until her eyes narrowed into slits: "Oh dear, if we really count, we humans are just the descendants of those few ancient ancestors... everyone is related, everyone is related! Your Majesty, would you like to come in for a cup of tea? Our Miaoyin Divine Kingdom actually produces quite a few fine famous teas."

In the end, Wu Tie also did not enter the city to drink tea.

After coming here and having a showdown with Gong Sun Yao, a lot of time has already been wasted. Wuguo's detachments are frantically expanding outward in search, using the Slaughter God ships' ability to shuttle through the void, the Wuguo army burns elemental crystals without regard to cost, and the Wuguo army's steps have already reached broader human territories.

Battlefields were discovered one after another, hunting grounds were discovered one after another.

Like the Miaoyin Divine Kingdom, because it is closely tied to the human holy land and its own national strength is strong, capable of annihilating great armies of evil demons, after all it is only a few fortunate ones.

For the vast majority of battlefields and hunting grounds, countless human commoners are struggling in dire straits, countless human commoners are being frenziedly slaughtered by evil demons.

Wu Tie was busy day and night.

One after another new spatial gates were erected; Wu Tie passed through gate after gate, constantly rushing to the battlefields of each detachment to conduct rescues.

Not only Wu Tie, but also the Canghai Daoists, the Five Elements Daoists, and the Yin-Yang Daoists each scattered, rushing to various places to engage in battle and slaughter.

The Wuguo army expanded ever more like a snowball, and more and more human battlefields and hunting grounds were planted with the Wuguo iron-blood banner.

Meanwhile, the Heavenly Court's five great armies were also running about everywhere, frantically encircling and suppressing those great armies of evil demons.

Their numbers were even greater than the Wuguo army's, their soldiers' combat strength more formidable, and their equipment more exquisite.

Therefore, the Heavenly Court's five great armies also achieved great merits.

However, the Heavenly Court's five great armies now, upon seeing the Wuguo fleet, need no negotiation; they immediately turn and flee. Even the situation of some battlefields and hunting grounds, which they had stabilized, will cause them to retreat three leagues at the sight of a Wuguo fleet.

It is quite evident that Gong Sun Yao and that group of human high-ranking officials who support him have played a major role here.

Perhaps it is also because those Heavenly Court generals have grown ashamed, truly lacking the face to continue competing with the Wuguo army for credit.

Thus, another year flashed by in an instant.

Within the Heavenly Crystal War Star, in the grand Crystal Stone Hall, Xuan Wu and the four other Grand Chancellors sat on their respective thrones, their faces black as if smeared with soot from a pot bottom; even the usually magma‑spewing, flame‑flickering Yi Zun now had all his fire energy gone, his mood sunk to the utmost depths.

Qing Ning stood poised in the center of the hall, smiling as she looked at the five Grand Chancellors.

"I have long said, strike early... as for the human race, Your Highnesses, being young, you probably don't know how terrifying their tenacity can be."

"Do you Your Highnesses think that keeping Mu Dalu is purely for gathering resources, purely for harvesting their divine soul crystals and blood essence? Wrong, wrong, totally wrong."

"Keeping Mu Dalu serves one purpose to collect these treasures; another is that back then, when all the divine clans joined forces, they still lacked the power to completely conquer Mu Dalu. If my divine race could truly annihilate the human race, would we still tolerate humans producing things like fate fields, battlefields, hunting grounds, and playing all sorts of petty tricks against us?"

"If my divine race could truly exterminate the entire human race and raise them like livestock, we could simply station ourselves on Mu Dalu and be happy and carefree; why would we endure these days in this dark void?"

"Ah, therefore, Your Highnesses, you must quickly make up your minds..."

"I would not harm you... I dare not... I have already sold the wise divine clan of the observation outpost to you Your Highnesses, having committed a heinous crime; my clanspeople will not forgive me."

"My sole reliance now is on you Your Highnesses... how could I possibly bring about my own ruin and frame you?"

Xuan Wu and the other four exchanged a glance.

You Zu said gloomily: "But the women of the Conspiracy Divine Clan are the most untrustworthy beings in this world... even if you sold them the Mist and Illusion, who knows whether this isn't another of your schemes?"

Xu Po said slowly: "How many divine spirits have you lot killed by trapping them? I certainly don't want to, one day, on my deathbed, cry to heaven and earth cursing you!"

Xuan Wu said bluntly: "So, you need to give us some... some..."

You Zu laughed: "Give us a handle, so we can be confident we can control and master you, and be confident we won't be schemed against by you."

Yi Zun nodded, speaking in a muffled tone: "I think the same!"

Chi Chan slapped the armrest of the throne, pointing at Qing Ning: "Exactly, I think the same. Hurry, come up with a method yourself to convince us it works; otherwise I will tear you apart right now!"

Qing Ning widened her eyes, looked at the five people and sighed: "As I see, Your Highnesses still don't trust me... then I can only offer my divine soul, leaving it to a certain Highness to completely control my life and death."

With a "pfft" laugh, Qing Ning leisurely said: "Which Highness is willing to become my master?"

You Zu and the four others glanced at each other, their eyes flashing once again.