Chapter Ninety-Six: The Demon Clan's Conspiracy, the Human Race's Great Calamity Begins

As time slowly passed, tens of thousands of years slipped away without a sound. The vow made by the Dao Ancestor, the one spanning a great cosmic cycle, was now drawing ever nearer.

Within the Primordial World, the friction between the Witch and Demon clans grew steadily more frequent. Everyone knew that once the appointed time arrived, the two races would inevitably clash in a great war.

On this day, at the shore of the Eastern Sea, there lay the settlement where the first generation of humankind had lived, revered by mankind as the ancestral homeland of the human race.

After tens of thousands of years of development, the human race had finally secured a foothold in the Primordial World.

Though the protection of the Holy Lady Nüwa was now gone, the intimidation she had once wielded still lingered. Even after the time limit had passed, no one had troubled them. To the eyes of others, the human race remained far too weak to pose any threat.

Yet in these years, unnoticed by many, the first ten thousand humans created by Nüwa, along with the slightly smaller second generation, had gradually faded from sight.

Because humans possessed a reproductive ability far surpassing that of other races, their numbers in the Primordial World had already swelled to a terrifying several hundred million.

After a unanimous decision by the chiefs of the human tribes, mankind began migrating outward from the ancestral homeland as the center.

Thanks to their frightening adaptability, within a few thousand years many regions controlled by demons and witches also saw the rise of human tribes.

At first, because humans had always treated the Witch and Demon clans with great deference, neither race bothered to concern itself with these pitifully weak beings.

One day in the Heavenly Court, Emperor Jun was staring intently at Bai Ze, asking in surprise, “Are you certain this is true?” Even Taiyi, standing nearby, looked astonished. He had not expected the human race, which seemed utterly useless, to possess such astonishing bloodline power.

It turned out that Bai Ze had reported that among the demon race there was a little demon whose gluttonous nature had led him, by sheer accident, to eat a human. To his surprise, he discovered that his aptitude for cultivation had improved a little, and his power had increased as well.

The discovery sent the little demon into a frenzy of delight. Fueled by wicked intent, he secretly devoured an entire small human tribe, only to find that his cultivation had leaped directly from the early stage of Heaven Immortal to the late stage of Profound Immortal, while his aptitude had also improved dramatically.

Overjoyed, the little demon quickly reported the matter. After Bai Ze learned of it, he personally captured some humans and had his subordinates eat them. As it turned out, just as the little demon had said, this did not merely increase cultivation; it also improved aptitude. Bai Ze was overjoyed and hurried to bring the matter before Emperor Jun.

Upon hearing Bai Ze confirm the truth of it, Taiyi revealed a fierce expression and said harshly, “If this is true, then let the lesser demons hunt humans on their own and strengthen our demon race!”

“No, brother,” Emperor Jun said hastily. “If this matter is known to Holy Lady Nüwa, our demon race may face a great catastrophe!”

“Are we to stand by and watch when we clearly possess a means to increase our strength?” Taiyi asked unwillingly.

Emperor Jun hesitated for a moment. A ruthless light flashed across his face as he said, “We can take generous gifts to Mount Kunlun and pay a visit to the Three Pure Ones. First ask the saints to approve this matter. Then, even if Nüwa and the one on Fangzhang Island learn of it, with three saints standing behind us, they will be powerless to do anything.”

Hearing this, Taiyi was delighted and immediately ordered Bai Ze to go to the treasury and prepare lavish gifts.

At Mount Kunlun, within the sacred grounds of the Three Pure Ones, Primordial Lord was currently wearing a cold expression as he looked at Tongtian, whose face showed complete indifference. Laozi sat with his eyes closed, ignoring the quarrel between the two.

It turned out that ever since Zhenyuanzi had established the Daoist path and taken in a great number of disciples, the other saints had also developed thoughts of taking disciples. Only Laozi, after accepting Xuandu as his disciple, had never again shown any desire to take another.

Primordial Lord, on the other hand, only accepted innate beings who possessed merit and deep foundations. As for ordinary creatures covered in fur or scaled and feathered, he had always held them in contempt.

Tongtian was the exact opposite. Holding to the belief that instruction should be given without distinction, he accepted anyone who came seeking apprenticeship, which greatly displeased Primordial Lord.

In recent tens of thousands of years, under Primordial Lord’s careful selection, he had taken in twelve disciples, all of whom possessed extraordinary foundations and aptitude, and this made him quite proud. The twelve disciples were named Guangchengzi, Chijingzi, Qingxu Daode Zhenjun, Taiyi Zhenren, Yuding Zhenren, Lingbao Dazhaoshi, Huanglong Zhenren, Puxian Zhenren, Cihang Daoren, Julu Sun, Daoxing Tianzun, and Wenshu Guangfa Tianzun.

Every day, Primordial Lord led his disciples in secluded meditation and sitting in contemplation, living in leisurely contentment.

But recently, Mount Kunlun had been thrown into chaos by the hundreds of disciples taken in by Tongtian. The constant uproar made both Primordial Lord and his disciples restless and unable to settle their hearts.

Seething with anger, Primordial Lord dragged Tongtian before Laozi to reason with him. Unexpectedly, Laozi paid them no heed at all and simply closed his eyes to continue cultivation, leaving Primordial Lord utterly helpless.

“You dare call yourself a saint, yet you take as disciples those furred and feathered creatures. Do you not fear disgracing the face of a saint?” Primordial Lord said bitterly to Tongtian.

“We each take our own disciples. Who I choose as a disciple is not something that need concern Elder Brother Primordial Lord,” Tongtian replied carelessly.

“You... you are unworthy of being a descendant of Pangu!” Primordial Lord cried in fury.

“You...” Tongtian also grew angry, ready to argue with Primordial Lord, when a voice suddenly came from outside: “The demon emperors Emperor Jun and Taiyi seek an audience with the Three Pure Ones!”

At this, Laozi opened his eyes and sighed. “Very well, let this matter be set aside for now. Do not let outsiders see us make fools of ourselves.”

“Hmph!” Primordial Lord and Tongtian glared at each other, then each returned to his own cloud couch.

“The two demon emperors of the demon race, enter!” Laozi’s calm voice drifted outward. Not long after, Emperor Jun and Taiyi entered the great hall...

No one knew what was said among them, only that when Emperor Jun and Taiyi departed, their faces wore satisfied smiles.

Near Mount Shouyang, a group of humans had arrived there a hundred years earlier and established a tribe, calling themselves the Shouyang Tribe.

On this day, just as the tribespeople were preparing to set out for the day’s hunt, they were suddenly surrounded by a crowd of demons descending from the sky. The leader of the demon host shouted loudly, “You humans have dared to slaughter members of our demon race. By decree of the Demon Emperor, there shall be no mercy!” With that, a savage look spread across his face, and he led the demon forces in a charge against the humans of the tribe.

The people of the Shouyang Tribe were stunned. They had only ever hunted ordinary wild beasts for food. When had they ever killed any demon? And what ability did they have to do such a thing?

But the situation no longer allowed them to ask. Seeing the demon army before them, each face twisted with malice, the tribal chief knew that his tribe was likely doomed.

He raised his head and roared in fury, “You demons seek to kill my human race, so why bother with excuses? Even if we die today, we will not fear you. There will surely come a day when someone settles accounts with you!” With that, he leaped forward at the demons, only to be swallowed at once by a demon who revealed his true form.

Seeing their chief devoured by the demons, the people of the Shouyang Tribe erupted in angry cries and charged toward the demon host with roaring fury.

There was no surprise in the outcome. Uncultivated humans were no match for the demon race. In short order, the entire Shouyang Tribe was slaughtered and devoured by the demons.

Under the setting sun, the ruined tribe looked utterly desolate beneath the glow of the blood-red dusk. Bitter cold winds swept through the sky, and the souls of the countless dead humans let out wave after wave of furious howls, as though accusing heaven itself of injustice.

The Shouyang Tribe was merely the opening note in the demon race’s slaughter of humankind. In the decades that followed, countless human tribes throughout the Primordial World suffered the same fate as Shouyang, being butchered and devoured by the demons.

For a time, across the entire Primordial World, countless lingering souls filled with resentment, fury, and grievance howled in the heavens. Having nowhere to go, they could only remain in the world, crying out day after day, as if recounting the cruelty of the demon race and the injustice of the Heavenly Way.

Only those lofty saints could perceive the baleful aura spreading through the Primordial World, and all of them could not help but sigh:

The great calamity had arrived.