Chapter 134: Qi Wuhuo, Five-Thunder Judge of the Northern Exorcism Institute

When the talismanic seals on the mirrored surfaces all began to glow faintly, Qi Wuhuo immediately sensed waves of spiritual power descending upon him. In the blink of an eye, the mirror emitted a blazing brilliance. In the next moment, the young Daoist’s primordial spirit and spiritual consciousness were affected—within his awareness, even the heavens seemed to dim before his eyes.

A vast darkness.

Within the void, it was as if thunder roared and surged, illuminating flashes of light and shadow, outlining figures of towering majesty.

Some held battle axes, some rested their hands upon sword hilts. Clad in heavy armor and battle robes, blood-jade hairpins, and soul-stained jade pendants hung from their waists.

The radiant brilliance was searing, the thunderous voice awe-inspiring.

They surrounded him from all sides.

Their long swords had once cut through the karma of the Buddhist sect; their battle robes were stained with the blood of the Daoist order.

They had fought their way into the demon realms—wherever they stood was called Avīci. They had even cut down sacred disciples of the Daoist sect—their swords showed no mercy wherever they passed.

Their faces could not be seen clearly, nor could their forms be discerned; only within that pitch-black darkness could one sense each of those towering war gods bowing their heads. Yet their eyes were visible, shining with divine light, casting blood-red gleams. Cold and tyrannical, their aura, rather than belonging solely to the Northern Pole Institute of the North Pole Ziwei Great Emperor, chief among the Four Sovereigns, felt more like that of unmatched, peerless demon stars, slaughter spirits roaming heaven and earth.

“Oh? Who’s snuck in?”

“Hahahaha! It’s been countless years since anyone dared sneak in here to eavesdrop.”

“Hm? Hahahahahaha! Come out—are you from the Division of Thunder? Or the Division of Battle? Which brat is it? Did you lose a bet?”

Another voice chuckled helplessly:

“Hah, it must be that damned Niu Jinniu again. He always enjoys teasing those stubborn, straight-laced blockheads who can’t bend the rules.”

“Who cares who it is—since he’s come, we’ll put him through a bit of training!”

“Come now, boy, tell me—where are you hiding?”

The first speaker spoke again in a slow tone: “There’s the aura of our Central Heaven Northern Pole lineage—just not sure if he’s from the Division of Battle or the Division of Thunder…”

“Or perhaps, he bears some karmic connection to the [Great Emperor] himself.”

“Either way, he ought to be one of our own.”

Almost simultaneously, another voice added: “No matter. I can sense a faint trace of starlight within him.”

“Though weak, it is incomparably pure.”

“He’s likely from the Battle Division.”

“One of our own.”

“Besides, if he had nothing to do with this matter or this calamity, he wouldn’t be able to hear our voices at all.”

The threat and suspicion were thus dispelled—it should have been a moment to relax. Yet, those war generals of the Northern Pole Exorcism Court who had spoken earlier did not feel any ease. On the contrary, they all sighed in unison, with a tone of shared regret, as though feeling it was a missed opportunity:

“Tch…”

“How dull.”

“Sigh, and here I thought there’d be some fun.”

Qi Wuhuo’s spiritual sense felt those divine generals, who had earlier laughed heartily and greeted him with the boldness of coarse, brash martial men, gradually withdrawing their divine light and suppressing their presence.

In the next instant, the sound of countless weapons being sheathed rang out across the void.

A sharp metallic hum resounded—

Utterly terrifying.

There was no doubt now: all that prior idle talk and boisterous laughter had merely been a ruse to lure out any potential enemies. If they had sensed even a hint of demonic or fiendish aura, they would have struck without hesitation. Their intent to kill was real, and they were clearly veterans of countless life-and-death battles. One of them seemed to ponder briefly, then slowly said: “No matter. Since he bears a karmic tie to the Great Emperor and carries a thread of star aura upon him—if fate allows him to hear our words, then let it be so.”

“After all, the Northern Pole Exorcism Court also has many who originate from the Battle Division and the Thunder Division.”

“You may listen in quietly.”

The same voice continued: “Since we’ve a newcomer, we’ll repeat it once more. Just as we discussed several days ago, the Great Operation that occurs once every 3,600 years was sabotaged a month ago. Someone interfered with malicious intent. As for who it was, their origins remain unclear. But then again, tracking down those culprits, that’s not our responsibility…”

Everyone burst into hearty laughter.

The Northern Pole Exorcism Court is a place of ruthless killing and swift judgment.

As for divination, investigation, and deduction—that is the task of other immortals.

The core tenet of the Northern Pole Exorcism Court is: to kill, not to save.

To enter this place and become a war general, whose sword has not drunk the blood of Buddhist saints or Daoist disciples of the Three Pure Ones? Who among them has not severed the heads of Yuqing or Lingbao sect members? Who has not battled the direct bloodline of the Great Sages of the demon race?

If one hasn’t done such things, they’d be too ashamed to even speak their name aloud, let alone claim to be a true war general of the Northern Pole Exorcism Court.

They serve directly beneath the Northern Emperor—the ruler of the north, master of death.

Anyone who violates the heavenly laws, whether it be one of the Twelve True Saints of Yuqing or some demonic spirit from the shadows—

Whether immortal or deity, dragon or phoenix, regardless of how exalted their title may be—

None shall escape death.

This is the final enforcer of Heaven’s law—

And the most brutal and uncompromising hand of retribution.

After all, cultivation is no easy path. If one were to fall into the hands of the Heavenly Lord of Judicial Authority, at worst, their cultivation would be crippled, and they would be sent to the Immortal Execution Platform—their Three Flowers atop the head severed, their Five Qi within the chest cut off, their Dao foundation abolished. Even so, their soul would be spared, allowed to enter the cycle of reincarnation. But if one were to fall into the hands of the Northern Pole Exorcism Court, and if the charges were proven deserving of death, then even immortals and gods could be slain until not even their souls remained.

At present, the one presiding over the matter calmly recounted all that had transpired and said: “A month ago, malevolent auras and plague qi ran rampant across the realm. The Thunder Division’s war generals were dispatched everywhere, and it took them a full month to suppress and eliminate most of the foul qi and pestilence. You all should know, this grand formation was laid to preserve peace between Heaven and Earth, to eradicate calamity and demonspawn in their earliest stages.”

“Now that the formation has been broken, demons will inevitably breed and rise.”

“In the past, we could not act ourselves. For if we engaged in too much slaughter while the plague spread, the killing qi and bloodlust would only accelerate the contagion, causing needless casualties. Thus, the Thunder Division was first dispatched to purge with evil spirits with thunder. But now, the Thunder Division has completed its task.”

The tone remained calm, but Qi Wuhuo sensed a cold and solemn killing intent surging and spreading like dark mist.

“The Thunder Division has withdrawn.”

“The demonic aura is about to emerge.”

“Then it falls to us to descend and slay demons, to exterminate evil.”

The speaker’s voice remained even, unhurried, and said:

“First, we shall cut down all the demonic aura spawned from the failure of the formation. Next, we shall cut down every demon and fiend that has harmed the innocent.”

“And lastly, we shall cut down all those derelict in their duties.”

“The name-list has already been compiled. Every name upon it—not a single one shall escape.”

A faint killing aura leaked out. The young Daoist could feel the heavy, restrained presence of the war generals from the Northern Pole Exorcism Court. He could hear their hands gripping their sword hilts; low, muffled sword cries rang out from within their scabbards. That previously exposed killing intent was but a single thread—the rest still hidden within the sheaths.

“We are already the final line of defense for the order of Heaven and Earth. If we show mercy, it would be turning our backs on all living beings and the laws that govern them. There can be only one thought—”

“When the gods forsake their duty, they become evil. When mortals lose their hearts and kill wantonly, they become evil. To indulge desire and kill is evil.”

“All such must be slain without exception!!!”

“Where are the Dragon-Tiger Cavalry Officers?!”

Qi Wuhuo heard a deep, thunderous voice. In the next instant, a heavy chorus of armor-clashing and weapon-summoning surged through the void like a wave of battle fury. Then came a calm, nearly emotionless voice: “Present!”

“You are hereby entrusted with the Northern Pole Exorcism Execution Writ.”

“Any mountain gods, earth spirits, or even celestial gods of the Heavenly Court who attempt to obstruct us without rightful cause may be slain on the spot.”

“Understood!”

“Where are the Four Spirits Deities?!”

“Present!”

“You shall bear the Four Direction Heavenshrouding Banners of the Central Heaven Northern Pole.”

“By the decree of the Ziwei Great Emperor, sovereign of the Central Heaven and Northern Pole.”

“Command the gods of the four directions to retreat—none shall obscure the celestial phenomena or interfere with the movements of Heavenly Secrets. Not the slightest concealment shall be permitted. Command the wind, rain, thunder, and lightning to heed the call. From the Primordial Lords above to the spirits of cloud and mist below, all must comply and assist. Unfurl the Net of Heaven’s Secrets—halt the movement of the stars and constellations, fix the tides of fate across the skies, lest demons escape and gods deserving of punishment flee their judgment.”

“If any are found derelict in duty, they may be warned thrice. But if they remain defiant, you are permitted to slay them on the spot.”

“Understood!”

“Thunder Justice Divine General—by command, go to the Nine Divisions of the Thunder Department and mobilize the elite battalions specialized in slaughter and conquest. Patrol the wilderness beneath the starlit heavens.”

“Wherever the Celestial Director Star shines, all demons and fiends roaming the wilderness shall be revealed and struck down. Should there be resentful souls or fierce ghosts that stir at this moment, taking advantage of leaked demonic qi to act recklessly, let a single strike of thunder force their retreat. If they refuse to obey, they shall all be slain without mercy!”

“Haha! We shall ensure that across ten thousand li, all demons shall be shattered into dust! Understood!”

One decree after another, one execution order after the next—the killing intent grew ever heavier.

On the surface of the celestial mirror, one after another divine sigils flared to life. But as the cold, murderous commands were issued, those symbols dimmed, yet the pressure of overwhelming slaughter only grew stronger. Only then did the young Daoist understand why even Uncle Niu, at the mere mention of the Northern Pole Exorcism Court, would feel a headache rising and avoid it at all costs.

They uphold the righteous qi of Heaven and Earth.

First came the Rainfall Division of Penglai.

When that was disrupted, the Thunder Department stepped in.

When even that failed, only then was the Northern Pole Exorcism Court stirred into motion.

They do not simply act against demons and disasters—but are tasked with supervising all the celestial gods and immortals of the Three Realms.

They are the sword suspended above all divine heads.

Should any mountain god or earth spirit, any heavenly official or celestial immortal, rely upon their divine posts and divine authority to act wantonly, once the Northern Pole Exorcism Court intervenes, there can be only one fate: death.

Thus, though the gods possess mystic power, and the earth spirits wield vast divine arts, they all abide by the laws of Heaven. They do not indulge their desires by virtue of their might.

For the Northern Pole Exorcism Court oversees the celestial, aquatic, terrestrial, and even underworld deities—all the immortals and gods without exception.

And their governance is by killing without even the slightest hint of partiality or mercy.

If the Demon-Expelling Court were to show leniency even once, then the very order of the Three Realms, built upon the iron foundation of the Northern Pole Exorcism Court’s justice, would fall into chaos.

Thus: They slay—but do not save.

The young Daoist suddenly recalled what he had learned before in the Mingzhen Dao Alliance regarding the Way of the Human Sovereign—and in that moment, he gained new insight. The Way of the Human Sovereign must also be restrained, just like the powers of the myriad gods and immortals. Only then could it be properly enacted.

The authority of the gods was vast beyond reckoning, and their status supremely exalted, yet even so, within the Three Realms, with the Northern Pole Exorcism Court in place, they never dared to act as the Human Sovereign once had.

“Lastly—you.”

The voice suddenly turned to Qi Wuhuo. It seemed to pause slightly before continuing: “You appear to be here for the first time. You do not yet possess a registered title within the Northern Pole Exorcism Court. The responsibility of slaying demons and purging evil cannot yet be laid upon you… What’s more, you have no military merit, and your cultivation level is insufficient.”

“However, during the rainfall in Central State(Zhongzhou), you did contribute. The Northern Pole Exorcism Court makes no exceptions in matters of reward and punishment. Such merit must not go unrewarded.”

The young Daoist was stunned—he had not expected the speaker to know the deed he had performed in the past.

And yet he hadn’t even had the chance to explain the true origin of that rainfall.

But that voice, calm and even, continued:

“You are neither a demon-slaying Battle General nor one of the Thunder Department. By rights, you would not be assigned among the Martial Deities of the Northern Pole Exorcism Court. Instead, you shall be placed under a different division—[Those Who Oversee All Affairs Concerning the Evil Spirits of the Three Realms]”

“There are still a few days remaining.”

“This will ease your passage and actions.”

“You are hereby granted the [Northern Pole Exorcism Court’s Five Thunder Seal].”

“Temporarily vested with the title of Five Thunder Judge of the Central Heaven Northern Pole Exorcism Court!”

Before the young Daoist’s eyes, the mirror shimmered with divine light, and a token emerged—entirely black, as if forged of solid iron. On its surface, thunder-wrought script formed a bold inscription, radiating awe-inspiring might: five bolts of thunder interwoven, rewarding the good and punishing the evil. This was the Seal of the Five Thunder Judge. Though it was merely a token of an ordinary Heavenly Officer in the administrative ranks overseeing evil and demons within the Northern Pole Exorcism Court, it was nonetheless extraordinary.

Once one entered the ranks of the Northern Pole Exorcism Court—

Even a temporary appointee wielded weight enough that mountain gods, earth spirits, and celestial officials alike would be compelled to step aside.

The voice continued: “This is granted solely to facilitate your actions.”

“Hence, the [Five Thunder Judge Seal] bears only the authority of identity. It holds no actual thunder divine arts within it. That you must understand.”

There was a pause. Then the voice grew gentler: “The Northern Pole Exorcism Court is not like the Thunder Department or the Battle Division. This time, in consideration of your merit for summoning rain, no punishment will be issued. But next time—it may not be so.”

“You may go.”

The voice faded, and the vast, star-river-like currents upon the surface of the mirror slowly receded. The mirror itself returned to a calm stillness—yet, it was no longer the same as before.

The young Daoist reached out almost unconsciously and grasped the [Five Thunder Judge Seal of the Central Heaven Northern Pole Exorcism Institute]. Streams of thunder-force pulsed and shifted, subtly affecting the primordial qi within his body. From that thunderous influence, a trace of thunder-essence began to form. His Innate Qi was of the most pure and upright Daoist origin—capable, in theory, of dividing into two, generating three, and performing myriad inconceivable transformations. 

Qi Wuhuo closed his five fingers around the token and sensed the subtle changes in his Innate Qi caused by the stimulation.

After a long while with eyes shut, he softly murmured to himself: “So… this is how thunder transforms?”

His five fingers closed together, and his Innate Qi began to imitate the trajectory within the [Five Thunders Judge Seal]. As the fingers joined, strands of blazing white lightning flowed and transformed between Qi Wuhuo’s fingers, emitting low rumblings and an intense, searing heat. The young Daoist released his hand and exhaled softly. “So that’s how it is.”

“As long as one understands the changes and movements of thunder itself, and then derives it using Innate Qi, it becomes a Thunder Art?”

“This path differs from the method of casting through Cloud Seal script talismans.”

“But, it’s too exhausting.”

Strictly speaking, true cultivators of the Daoist sects and those of the Buddhist schools do not possess what could be called ‘magical power’.

The Daoist principle lies in using the Primordial Spirit to command Primordial Qi, invoking the forces of Heaven and Earth to manifest all manner of miraculous divine abilities. It is not that a mortal body contains some extra reservoir of expendable energy, but rather, it is a refinement of life itself. Like a mortal’s physical strength, it may be hindered by extreme exhaustion, but it never ceases entirely.

So it is with true cultivators of the Dao. As long as the Primordial Spirit remains resilient, they can continue to unleash divine abilites.

Even when the Primordial Spirit is deeply fatigued, it only affects the scale of the divine art, from thunderous roars to lightning merely coiling around one’s fingertips.

Just like a mortal, wearied after a long day, may no longer wish to move, yet can still lift a bowl and chopsticks.

For Qi Wuhuo, the Thunder Art was still far too taxing on his current Primordial Spirit and Primordial Qi.

At this moment, the blazing white lightning had stabilized somewhat, yet could only condense around him.

It could not yet strike at distant enemies.

Qi Wuhuo wasn’t even certain whether it was because his Primordial Spirit was too feeble or that the lightning within this token was simply too profound.

Most likely, his cultivation was still too shallow.

Still, he allowed himself to imagine: if one’s Primordial Spirit could stretch a thousand li, and a single thought could ripple through the void, then endless lightning could descend in an unceasing divine onslaught.

The young Daoist considered this, then picked up the seal once more—and discovered that within it still lingered traces of divine will.

A divine ability had been etched, woven into a painted scroll.

Before Qi Wuhuo’s eyes, it slowly unfurled. The young Daoist recognized it—it was a map of the Central Province(Zhongzhou).

It seemed the mirror was capable of directly locking onto and determining the young Daoist’s current region, and then transforming accordingly. While Qi Wuhuo was still reflecting on recent events, countless characters suddenly floated up from the scroll, coming together to form a ranking list.

Golden light flowed, black words on white paper, outlined in cinnabar.

Across the Central Province, those to be judged—

The young Daoist’s gaze fell upon the first line of the list.

Dragon King of Jing River, Prefecture City of Central Province, Ruler over 936 li of water veins, master of 25 branch water palaces, a local true deity of water. Altered the descent of rain without decree, disrupting great formations, bringing forth plagues, allowing monsters to rise.

And then came a single command, written in cinnabar:

【Execution by Flaying】!