The Jade Emperor’s eyes were deep and unfathomable, no one knew what he was truly thinking.

However, both of the people in the Lingxiao Treasured Palace knew that with the war having escalated to this point, ending it in a short time was now an impossibility.

This was completely contrary to their initial expectations, and although it seemed like the Heavenly Court was suppressing the Demon Clan and the Buddhist Sect and not allowing them to raise their heads, the initiative was gradually shifting towards the latter.

After all, although Demon King Mara was formidable, the Buddhist Sect had long since changed and, with the passage of time, he would likely be unable to restrain the steps of the Buddhist Sect.

Moreover, behind the scenes, who knows how many pairs of ill-intended eyes were watching the Heavenly Court, the tall tree catches the wind, the Heavenly Court, having pressured the Three Realms for so many years, had naturally made countless enemies.

Although they dared not show their faces when the Heavenly Court was strong, the moment the Heavenly Court showed the slightest weakness, they would surround it like hyenas that had been waiting for a long time, tearing at this colossal entity bit by bit.

The Jade Emperor was clearly aware of the malicious intentions of those hidden in the shadows—this was also the reason he had planned to quickly subdue Luzhou in the North, yet reality had struck him a resounding slap to the face.

Li Jing, as a famed general of the Heavenly Court, leading a million-strong army, and with Divine weapons like the Treasure Ship and cannons that could shake the Three Realms, still faced heavy losses in Luzhou in the North and could not make any progress.

The tenacity of the Demon Clan far exceeded everyone’s imagination; they seemed to have undergone a transformation, shedding their former disunited image, as if an invisible force had bound them together.

"What exactly has happened to the Demon Clan? This is not the Demon Emperor’s doing," the Jade Emperor murmured to himself.

Having contended with Feng Jiu for many years, he believed he knew this androgynous Demon Emperor well; the latter was not someone capable of such feats, and even after so many years of being sealed, at most it could have made him a bit more composed.

But the things the Demon Clan had demonstrated felt to the Jade Emperor as if another Heaven and Earth had been unveiled, revealing stunning vistas never before seen.

The Divine Exorcist Great Saint also fell silent upon hearing this, sharing the same doubts as the Jade Emperor. Born of the Demon Clan, he had been part of the Demon Court, and knew these powerful figures better than anyone.

The Demon Master, reputed to be the wisest of the Demon Clan, also lacked such a strategy; if he had, he certainly would not have spent so many years being chased into hiding.

"There must have emerged an unprecedented figure within the Demon Clan, who has brought about this new transformation. That the Demon Clan has become so difficult to handle must undoubtedly be related to him. Go and find out who this person is and why he possesses such great power, enough to influence the Demon Emperor’s decisions," the Jade Emperor said in a deep voice that resonated through the Lingxiao Treasured Palace.

The Divine Exorcist Great Saint nodded; what the Jade Emperor sought was also his pursuit. Having been rooted in the Demon Clan for so many years, yet he had never seen such a person, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

As the mana rippled, the figure of the Divine Exorcist Great Saint vanished from the great hall, leaving the lone figure of the Jade Emperor seated on the throne of the Supreme of the Three Realms.

The swirling mists slowly obscured his features, rendering him even more imposing and sacred.

As the war progressed, the atmosphere in the Heavenly Court also grew increasingly tense. Having gone through several major battles, the people of the Heavenly Court had realized the tenacity of the Demon Clan.

The war turning into such a state had shaken their confidence.

Fortunately, the Heavenly Court still maintained its superiority, but for many people with far-sighted views, they had already foreseen a future crisis for the Heavenly Court.

Many turned their gaze unanimously toward the West, the direction of the Buddhist Sect’s Mount Ling.

Everyone knew that the current Buddhist Sect was caught in the demon disaster stirred up by Demon King Mara and was too preoccupied to lend help, but everyone also knew that Mara’s defeat against the vast Buddhist Sect was only a matter of time.

Once the Buddhist Sect was free to act, then the pressure on the Heavenly Court would increase greatly, and it might very well face an existential crisis.

The atmosphere in the Heavenly Forge Bureau was also extremely tense. Even Lu Shu, who usually liked to joke around, was keeping a straight face, diligently working on his tasks.

No one spoke in the workshop, and the only sounds in the entire room were the continuous clinking of the forging materials.

As the war progressed, the pressure on frontline resources grew more and more intense. The significance of the Heavenly Forge Bureau was highlighted even further. To date, countless orders for equipment had landed in their hands, keeping the artisans so busy that they hardly had time to touch the ground, let alone rest.

However, strangely enough, at such a critical juncture, Mr. Mo, the true head of the Heavenly Forge Bureau, and a man hailed as a genius, remained elusive and out of sight.

As a result, many craftsmen speculated if something had happened to their superior.

Liu Ming slowly put down the object in his hands and rubbed his sore eyes. He hadn’t rested for ten days and nights, and although he was a practitioner of cultivation, the prolonged exhaustion still made him feel dizzy.

"Take a break. You won’t finish this work in a short time. Don’t wear yourself out," an older craftsman said to Liu Ming in a low voice.

Liu Ming nodded and said somewhat sheepishly, "I just don’t feel at ease unless I get these tasks done."

"I understand how you feel, but this work is never-ending. The losses at the frontline this time are severe, and there’s a dire shortage of equipment. The demands for cannons and treasure ships are urgent. The tasks assigned from above have piled up like a mountain, and to think we can complete them in a short period of time is simply a fool’s dream," the old craftsman said with a sigh.

He had been with the Heavenly Forge Bureau for so many years that he had lost count, but he had never been this busy before. Moreover, the atmosphere outside was fraught with panic, with all sorts of rumors going around.

People’s previously optimistic attitude toward the war had completely vanished. Instead, many began to worry about the future of the Heavenly Court. Some even believed that engaging in war with the Monster Clan from Luzhou in the North was a very unwise decision.

Liu Ming also sighed. Although he had always been in the Heavenly Forge Bureau, he was quite familiar with the rumors within the Heavenly Court, thanks to having a talkative friend like Lu Shu.

The Heavenly Court had emerged from these recent battles with severe casualties, which had indeed caused a drop in morale. Just hearing about it allowed Liu Ming to imagine how bloody and cruel the battlefield must be, and recently a rumor had been spreading widely within the Heavenly Court.

Some people insisted that the Demon Clan had found a way to prevent the resurrection of the Heavenly soldiers and that the soldiers who died in this war were truly dead, never to be revived from the Immortal Transformation Pond.

Of course, this rumor was quickly suppressed by the Divine Exorcist Great Saint who sent people to quiet it down, but rumors are tough to contain. Despite their strict monitoring, the whispers still found their way into the ears of the masses within the Heavenly Court.

Many started to scrutinize the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals, looking for some telltale signs.