Jieyin and Zhunti walked through the Human Clan Land (Human Clan Land). They moved like ghosts; to the mortals around them, they were invisible, existing on a plane beyond the perception of the mundane.
"I see it now."
After a long silence, Jieyin spoke, the path forward finally clear in his mind.
"Brother, what have you found?" Zhunti asked.
Jieyin did not hide his thoughts. As he spoke, Zhunti's expression shifted through several layers of shock before he finally found his voice.
"Brother... is this truly acceptable?"
He was startled by the cruelty of the suggestion: to use the Human Race (Human Race) to forge a Divine Artifact (Divine Artifact) capable of slaughtering the Witches. This was the key Jieyin had deduced to overturn the current stalemate.
"Of course it is. The Human Race is destined to face a tribulation," Jieyin said with a serene smile, as if discussing the weather. "If the Yao Race possesses a Witch-Slaying Sword (屠巫剑) alongside the Five Elements Grand Array, they can wound even the Saint-tier body of Di Jiang. The board will change."
Zhunti pondered this for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Excellent!"
The two shared a silent understanding. There were other layers to this: the Human Race was the future protagonist of the world, carrying immense Luck (Luck). Since Nuwa and Laozi had based their Sainthood on humanity, seizing a stake in human destiny was a strategic necessity for the West.
"Though the humans are frail, they have begun to cultivate. Their essence will be all the more potent," Jieyin noted. "Nuwa's ten-thousand-year protection of the race is nearly at an end. When that clock strikes zero, we can let the Yao loose."
The two Sages vanished from the horizon, heading toward the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains (Hundred Thousand Great Mountains) of the North.
The Desperate Hall of Demons
Back at the Yao headquarters, the atmosphere was funereal. Following their crushing defeat, the remaining demons were broken and demoralized.
"Di Jiang has achieved Physical Sainthood. Not even the Five Elements Grand Array could hold him," one pessimistic Great Demon sighed. "There is no future for the Yao."
"The Witches have a Saint on their side! It's unfair!" Guiche snapped. "Shouldn't our Empress Wa (Nuwa) step in to protect us now?"
All eyes turned to Fuxi. As Nuwa's brother, he was their only bridge to the divine.
"Emperor Fuxi, won't you go and ask Empress Wa to manifest her protection?" Guiche asked tentatively, a request echoed by the desperate gazes of the other demons.
Only Kunpeng remained calm. He was certain the Sanqing would find a way to help him—after all, they had saved his life before. He kept this "secret" to himself, savoring the feeling of having a hidden patron.
Fuxi looked at the expectant faces and slowly shook his head. "Do not pin your hopes on her. If she intended to strike, she would have done so already. There is no need to ask."
His words were cold, but they carried the weight of truth. During the last battle, even the Sanqing and the Western Duo had appeared, yet Nuwa remained silent. The last spark of hope in the hall was extinguished.
The Sinister "Discovery"
Just then, a demon general rushed in with an urgent report.
"What is it? Are the Witches attacking?" the Great Demons shouted, jumping to their feet.
"No, but I have found something vital! I discovered that using the Essence Blood and souls of the Human Race to forge a Spirit Treasure (Spirit Treasure) can easily pierce the physical bodies of the Witches!"
The general reported this with frantic excitement. He had heard it from a subordinate, and after realizing its strategic value, he had rushed to claim the credit.
The Yao giants were stunned.
"How did you learn this?" Bai Ze, who had been silent for a long time, asked sharply.
"I... I was passing through the Human Clan Land and happened to observe a phenomenon. Every word is true!"
Kunpeng, sitting at the head of the hall, felt a surge of triumph. It's here. This must be the hint from the Sanqing. He assumed his "patrons" were moving the pieces for him.
"Good. Go and wait for your reward," Kunpeng said, his voice booming with newfound confidence. "If this is true, the Witches are not invincible. Di Jiang's body is hard to break, but with a weapon forged for that purpose and the Five Elements Array, victory is still possible."
"But Emperor," one demon hesitated, "the humans were created by Empress Wa. Is this... wise?"
The hall fell into an awkward, heavy silence.
Guiche eventually broke the tension with a sinister grin. "In the Honghuang World, the strong devour the weak. Empress Wa granted them ten thousand years of protection. That implies that after ten thousand years, the protection ends. If she wanted them to be safe forever, she wouldn't have set a limit."
Most of the Yao nodded. The logic of "survival of the fittest" was ingrained in their souls. Furthermore, many felt a lingering resentment—if not for the Human Race, perhaps Nuwa wouldn't have "abandoned" the Yao.
The killing intent toward humanity began to take root. They couldn't beat the Witches, but they could certainly slaughter humans.
Fuxi and Bai Ze exchanged a troubled look. Fuxi worried about his sister's reaction, while Bai Ze felt the entire situation was far too convenient. He smelled a trap, but seeing Kunpeng and the others already committed, he knew he couldn't stop the momentum.
"The ten-thousand-year mark is almost here," the demons whispered. "Once it passes, we harvest the humans."
The Shadow over the Tribes
Kunpeng and Guiche traveled in secret to the borders of the human lands, standing atop a mountain to survey the sprawling tribes below.
"In less than ten thousand years, they have grown to this scale," Guiche hissed. His Divine Thought (Divine Thought) swept across the land; though the humans were young, many had already achieved Immortal (Immortal) status.
"They breed like insects," Kunpeng noted coldly, looking down at the tribes as if they were his personal garden. "This is like Raising Gu. With such numbers, they were bound to produce some energy. Let them enjoy their final moments of peace. Once the protection expires, their souls will forge our weapons, and their flesh will feed our armies."