Chapter 1076

Wu Tie and Gong Sunyao exchanged blows from a distance, each throwing a punch.

Countless people, countless demons, countless spirits, and countless god-slaves stared unblinking at their direct collision.

Above Wu Tie's head, a stupa of radiant golden light, its merit boundless, shone in all directions, suppressing the eight corners of the universe.

Around Gong Sunyao, five five-colored banners billowed, like five auspicious clouds wrapping his body, stabilizing the four directions and eight extremes.

One punch—Wu Tie didn't move, nor did Gong Sunyao.

The stupa's golden light remained still, the five-colored banners unfurled as before.

Gong Sunyao looked at Wu Tie, and gradually he burst into loud laughter: "Wu Tie, that's all you've got, that's all you've got… I thought you'd be stronger!"

Wu Tie's face darkened.

Gong Sunyao's current strength is still inferior to his.

But the defensive power of those five banners is terrifying; Wu Tie's punch, amplified by three thousand dao seals, was swallowed whole by the banners, unable to budge Gong Sunyao's body in the slightest.

Of course, Gong Sunyao couldn't hurt him either. Not to mention the stupa's defense surpassing the banners; even just Wu Tie's own formidable strength means that, even if Gong Sunyao likewise condensed three thousand dao seals, he would hardly be able to injure Wu Tie's true body.

But this way, Wu Tie cannot effectively suppress Gong Sunyao.

Luo Chen, Ju Wu Ba, and their comrades had already gathered their sworn brothers into a battle formation, slowly pressing forward against the besieged spirits, demons, and god-slaves.

Besides the newly acquainted Luo Chen, Ju Wu Ba, and others, around the waters of Wa Island countless youths who had slept for unknown years and just been freed from ice coffins also silently took up arms and closed in.

Behind Gong Sunyao, Gong Sunjun appeared with a large number of the Gong Sun clan's trusted experts; each of these Gong Sun clan experts had a solemn aura, their cultivation realms far surpassing those of Wuguo's civil and military officials.

Besides the Gong Sun clan's trusted experts, some high-ranking members of other human clans also appeared.

These high-ranking members of the human clans had distinctive auras due to their bloodlines, so Wu Tie could single them out at a glance in the crowd.

For example, the Sui Ren clan's fire-drilling power.

For example, the Shen Nong clan's life force.

For example, the Zhuan Xu clan's lesser yang power.

And so on… such high-ranking members of the human clans are few among the crowd—roughly only three to five core members per clan.

But they all possess the aura and strength of the venerable level.

It is obvious that, like Gong Sunyao, they borrowed the power of the Wa clan's ancestral spirit space to break through to the venerable level; henceforth they suffer no more from limited lifespans and enjoy boundless life.

Without a doubt, this is a blatant bribe.

Gong Sunyao, or rather the Gong Sun clan, enabled these human clans' core high-ranking members to reach the venerable level, thereby buying their support.

What Wu Tie faces is not just Gong Sunyao alone; he likely faces the full pressure of the human clans.

Wu Tie gave Gong Sunyao a deep, solemn look.

Earlier, when he saved Gong Sunyao in the heavenly army, does he regret it?

Wu Tie shook his head; saving someone is all it is—what regret could there be?

What's more, Wu Tie forcibly took the Heavenly Mirror from Gong Sunyao's mother and wrested a holy sword from Gong Sunyao's own hand.

Taking others' wealth to avert disaster for them—there's nothing to regret about that.

Drawing a deep breath, Wu Tie waved his hand and bellowed in a low voice: "Retreat!"

This battle cannot be fought. Wu Tie himself has no fear for his life; even if Gong Sunyao and others join forces to besiege him, he is confident he can break through and escape. With the stupa's invulnerable defense, Wu Tie already holds an impregnable position.

But if Gong Sunyao and a few experts manage to entangle Wu Tie, then the venerable-level subordinates under his command will surely be slaughtered by the venerable experts of the Hidden Dragon Plan—the gaps in their cultivation time and foundational strength are simply too great.

When facing those demons, Wuguo's venerable experts can still rely on their numerical advantage to slaughter the demons wholesale.

But against these human elites, Wuguo's civil and military officials are no match—and even if Wuguo's army could suppress them, how could Wu Tie deal a lethal blow to Luo Chen, Ju Wu Ba, and the like?

He can't win, he mustn't fight—his only option is to retreat.

Wuguo's civil and military officials flew back in succession to the God-Slaying Vessel, where huge ranks of giant god-soldiers swiftly formed defensive formations beside it.

Luo Chen, Ju Wu Ba, and the others looked at Wu Tie helplessly.

Just moments ago we were fighting side by side, our spirits in harmony; a few words and we were of one mind, feeling that the other were kindred spirits.

But under the order of the Wa Emperor, the Hidden Dragon elites can only bow their heads and obey.

Luo Chen, Ju Wu Ba, and the others gripped their weapons tightly, veins bulging on the backs of their hands, their hearts torn.

For some reason, they felt Wu Tie's opinion was correct.

Many of them came from the underworld.

Countless among them were of humble origins.

They had personally seen the gods' lackeys and henchmen in the underworld abduct talented boys and girls and sacrifice them.

Some of them even had brothers or sisters snatched away, never to be heard from again; everyone understood they were likely delivered to the gods' side and reduced to their playthings.

Therefore, they accepted Wu Tie's words.

These god-slaves, these old and young, look no different from ordinary humans and carry human blood in their veins; they do not deserve death. If anyone is truly guilty, it is the human tribes that failed to protect them, the human elites that failed to guard their own people!

The harmed, the violated, those violently deceived… what crime have they committed?

But Gong Sunyao gave the order to slaughter these people.

Whether spirits, the demons and monsters raised by spirits, or even those god-slaves who have become loyal servants of the spirits—all must be slaughtered to the last.

Those youths selected for the Hidden Dragon Plan by the elders of Wa Island—even Wu Tie himself hadn't been able to enter the ancestral spirit space right away, merely being placed on the observation list. These youths are hot-blooded, simple, loyal, valiant, free of stray thoughts, grateful, and will obey Wa Island's commands!

Luo Chen's silver spear sprayed specks of silver light, lance after lance thrusting straight at Wu Tie's face.

Ju Wu Ba let out a low, guttural roar, his black tiger mount uneasy and snarling; a pair of green eyes shot out icy light over three feet long, fixed unblinkingly on Wu Tie.

Wu Tie, Old Iron, and Xiahou Wuming retreated step by step, leaving the Wa Emperor's Temple step by step and withdrawing toward Wuguo's fleet.

Wu Tou, Sheng Rong, Mi Wu, Huan Wu, and the others also sneaked away, taking those spirits forced to ally with Wu Tie, slipping furtively back to Wuguo's fleet.

They carefully took along a portion of the spirits who had dropped their weapons and knelt in surrender.

Gong Sunyao lightly shook his head, half-smiling, and said: "King Wu Wu Tie, you have extraterrestrial demons under your command… Are you in league with them? Or perhaps you are their lackey?"

Shaking his head, Gong Sunyao chuckled: "No, no, with King Wu's strength he could never be their lackey; then you must be colluding with them…"

Wu Tie's cold, stern voice interrupted Gongsun Yao's words: "Gongsun Tu, if you utter another nonsensical word, I will risk my life today and slay you on the spot."

Gongsun Yao immediately shut his mouth.

Although Wu Tie insultingly changed his name from "Gongsun Yao" to "Gongsun Tu", Gongsun Yao suppressed the anger in his heart and absolutely did not let it flare up.

Although he had gained leadership over countless human elites of the Hidden Dragon Plan, and although he had won the support and allegiance of many high-ranking people among the human populace, the more this was so, the more Gongsun Yao dared not be careless.

As Qingning said, the Human Emperor's throne is right before you; are you letting the future Human Emperor and Wu Tie fight to the death?

Gongsun Yao is not that foolish.

The barefoot fear not the shod; now Wu Tie is the barefoot one, while he, Gongsun Yao, is the one wearing shoes.

Gongsun Yao remained silent, merely narrowing his eyes as he watched Wu Tie retreat step by step; his gaze followed the retreating Wu Tie all the way to the deck of Slaughter God Vessel No. 1, where he instantly saw the pair of twin sisters standing on the ship's prow, dressed in white robes and red combat attire.

Bai Ying emerged, graceful and untouched by dust.

Zhu Yi burned hot as fire.

Such beautiful maidens, and moreover a pair of twin sisters, made Gongsun Yao feel as if his heart had been split by a blade, an inexplicable sourness welling up—how could such peerless beauties be in Wu Tie's camp?

To cast pearls before swine, how could two pure snow lotus flowers be thrown into a cesspool?

A surge of sourness rose in Gongsun Yao's chest, making his eyeballs feel painfully sour and unbearable; he looked at the Bai Ying sisters, then at Wu Tie, and then recalled Qingning's earlier words.

If he ever took a fancy to some family's young lady, Qingning would personally bring the Human Emperor's imperial edict to their door to confer the titles of empress and consort!

Gongsun Yao gritted his teeth, glared fiercely at Wu Tie, and snarled through clenched teeth: "Kill, exterminate all these demons!"

Wu Tie let out a long whistle; the Yin-Yang Daoist behind him strode forward, the Yin-Yang Two Qi Bottle atop his head spewing a black and a white strand of spiritual light, like a great tornado, with a "whoosh" sweeping up those God Slaves on the battlefield.

The Yin-Yang Daoist moved with lightning speed; the Yin-Yang Two Qi Bottle, a rare innate treasure, caused the countless God Slaves across the field to vanish in a flurry of "whoosh whoosh whoosh", and wherever the black and white qi passed, millions, even tens of millions of God Slaves were directly sucked in.

Gongsun Yao burst out cursing; the Five-Colored Great Banner at his side rolled, the Five-Colored Wondrous Light shot up to the heavens, wave after wave of soft, pliable force surged forth, forcibly blocking the Yin-Yang Two Qi from outside.

Of the God Slaves on the field, only about thirty percent were taken by the Yin-Yang Daoist; the remaining God Slaves, together with the other God Spirits and demons, were enveloped in the spiritual light emanating from the Five-Colored Great Banner. The Five-Colored Wondrous Light spun about, casting the full field of God Spirits, God Slaves, and demons with faces ashen as death.

"Retreat!" Wu Tie bellowed in a low voice.

This battle cannot be fought.

Whether it be the Hidden Dragon Elite or the civil and military officials under Wu Tie's command, Wu Tie was unwilling to let them die.

The massive Slaughter God Vessel retreated slowly backward, while countless Wuguo warships, like birds returning to their nests, swiftly vanished into various Slaughter God Vessels of all sizes.

The Giant God Soldiers lined up in neat ranks and quickly returned to the holds of the Slaughter God Vessel; the vessel turned its bow and flew toward the outer seas of Qi Island.

Gongsun Yao stared deeply at Wu Tie, his voice ringing through the heavens: "Wu Tie, you are indeed a demon all the way… you are a traitor to the human race."

"Just wait; after I slaughter all the demons… suppress the Heavenly Court, then I will settle accounts with you for today's affairs."

"Humanity cannot tolerate someone like you, a wolfish ambitious lot."

"Humanity must be pure, unadulterated, and united."

"Under my, Gongsun Yao's, governance, in the newly risen human realm, there is no place for a piece of trash like you."

"I, Gongsun Yao, am the true human orthodoxy, the human orthodoxy recognized by Qi Island."

Before countless people, Gongsun Yao arrogantly proclaimed his victory and declared Wu Tie's defeat.

Wu Tie stood on the prow of Slaughter God Vessel No. 1, raised his right hand high; a blood-colored talisman on his hand suddenly glowed, and the apparition of an elderly old woman appeared within that crimson light.

Among Luo Chen, Ju Wuba, and the others, nearly half shouted in unison: "Old Mother Qizhi!"

The withered old woman, her voice hoarse and aged, echoed across Qi Island: "I am Qizhi; the bearer of my Essence Blood Soul Imprint is the child deemed so by that haggard old woman… the Qi Emperor Jade Talisman on that old woman's person is annulled… the Qi Emperor Order is annulled!"

Wu Tie's cold voice reached everyone's ears.

"Gongsun Yao, you claim you have received the acknowledgment of all the old matriarchs of Qi Island, were entrusted in a crisis, and given charge of the Qi Emperor Order."

"Heh, heh, however, however, I am not as formidable as you; I only obtained the acknowledgment of a dying old matriarch… before her death, she granted me this Essence Blood Soul Imprint, making me her sole recognized heir."

"May I ask, how did you come by your Qi Emperor Order?"

"Old Matriarch Qizhi does not acknowledge your right of inheritance, nor did she pass on to you the Qi Emperor Jade Talisman she held…… how did you piece together your Qi Emperor Order?"

"Human orthodoxy? Heh, on the map of human orthodoxy, exactly this piece is missing from you; your so-called human orthodoxy is probably incomplete."

Gongsun Yao's face turned deathly pale; the complexion of those behind him, such as Gongsun Jun, also became unsightly.

Wu Tie said coldly: "I retreat, not because I fear you, but because I fear that the vital energy of my human race is being depleted too heavily, depleted to the point of being worthless... Oh, you of the Hidden Dragon, you were selected by the old matriarchs of the Goddess Island; your talent and wisdom must be the top of the human race."

I only ask you one thing: without this Qi Emperor Jade Talisman of the old matriarch of Qi Weaving, is Gongsun Yao still the human orthodoxy recognized by the Goddess Island?

I only ask you one thing: the old matriarch of Qi Weaving did not bestow the Qi Emperor Jade Talisman upon Gongsun Yao; how exactly did he obtain the Qi Emperor Command in his hand?

"Nonsense!" Gongsun Yao screamed hysterically: "Fake, fake, it's all fake... You have extraterrestrial demons beside you; you are part of the demon faction; everything you say is nothing but demonic deceitful words."

Kill, kill, kill, exterminate all the demons of the Goddess Island; then I will lead you... straight to strike at the Yellow Dragon, to overturn the root of the extraterrestrial demons!