Chapter 40: A Gentle Wave of the Hand

Considering that the current safety situation of the Human Race is relatively stable, Zhou Yi thought and decided to let Hen Ren stay to guard. "You stay here in charge." Hen Ren nodded in agreement.

Zhou Yi scanned the surroundings and found that everyone, including Yao Yan, Fang Yun and Shi Hao, longed to go to the Wu Clan together.

Especially Shi Hao, who was full of curiosity about the Wu Clan described by Zhu Song.

He originally planned to take Yao Yan along, but noticing many injured among the returning crowd, Zhou Yi decided to let the alchemy‑skilled Yao Yan stay to treat the wounded.

Similarly, Fang Yun's presence can soothe people; his poetry can calm them. Thus, with Sui Huang's help, Fang Yun will swiftly arrange internal affairs of the Human Race.

Finally, Zhou Yi made the decision: "Zhou Yi and Shi Hao will go to the Wu Clan, the others will temporarily guard the camp. The Human Race is at a critical developmental stage, thank you all for your effort." Everyone expressed understanding and support.

Hen Ren returned to the cave, while Yao Yan and Fang Yun followed Sui Huang into the crowd; they all admired Zhou Yi's quick and orderly arrangements.

In Di Hong's heart, Zhou Yi became even more important.

With a gentle wave of his hand, Di Hong cut a spatial rift in the air. "Let's go." He reached out to Zhou Yi and the others, indicating they should follow. But Zhou Yi shook his head, "We don't need to use spatial jumps; we'll fly straight over. I want to remember this route."

Although somewhat puzzled, Di Hong obediently closed the spatial rift. Then he led Zhou Yi, Zhou Yi and Shi Hao eastward. As the Huang Guo receded, the outline of Mount Buzhou became clearer. This massive mountain, piercing the clouds, is the central pillar of the Vast Wilderness World, visible even from distant places.

Zhou Yi silently calculated the journey in his mind. For those with low cultivation, full‑speed flight would take at least ten days to reach here, assuming a relatively short distance. For ordinary people, the trip could take a month or even three months.

During the journey, Zhou Yi carefully noted which places hid danger and which routes were empty. This land stretched boundlessly, beyond everyone's imagination. The Human Tribe Settlement lay at the foot of Mount Buzhou, while the Wu Clan dwelled in the Pangu Temple on the mid‑mountain slope on the opposite side. The distance from here to there spanned tens of thousands of li.

Having already received the news, the Twelve Demon Gods paused their cultivation, waiting with curiosity and anticipation. They all wished to see the legendary Human Race progenitor, the hero who repeatedly defeated the Demon Race. Thinking of this, everyone felt a surge of excitement.

As they neared the destination, the surrounding murky Qi and hostile Qi increased noticeably; even Zhou Yi frowned, his golden dragon pattern on his robe seeming to react, faintly glowing. Around Shi Hao, a faint lightning aura appeared, repelling the abnormal aura. Zhou Yi merely glanced lightly; he knew the Wu Clan was famed for robust bodies, thus attracting much murky Qi, vastly different from the modern Honghuang cultivation methods.

Then Zhou Yi's complexion grew a bit pale. He had just tried to use his divine perception to probe the Pangu Temple on the mid‑mountain slope, but when his perception just reached there—

A massive pressure surged at him like raging waves. In an instant his heartbeat seemed to stop. His soul trembled under the force. After a long while he slowly recovered. Though the pressure had not fully dissipated, it carried an ancient, profound aura.

When the party gently descended, the surrounding Demon Gods gathered around. Di Hong quickly scanned the area and immediately sensed something amiss. "Where are Yu Qiang and Hou Tu?" he asked.

Hearing the question, Ru Shou inwardly lamented, not expecting his elder brother to be so sharp and discover his issue so quickly. "Hou Tu and Yu Qiang left early on business," Ru Shou forced himself to answer, his voice betraying a hint of nervousness.

Di Hong's mind was full of doubts; he recalled that he had been the first to propose dealing with the Human Race, so why now, with Zhou Yi arriving, does he have to leave? Unable to understand, Di Hong decided not to think further and led Zhou Yi and the others straight to the Pangu Temple.

This time, Zhou Yi dared not casually use his divine perception to explore; Yao Yan and Zhou Yi focused on watching the Pangu Temple. With their extensive experience and insight, they judged that even the Great Emperor might not possess such a temple. Just from the aura the temple emitted, they sensed a heavy pressure.

After entering the temple, Zhu Song warmly welcomed everyone, especially walking to Shi Hao and embracing him. The Shui Shen looked at Zhou Yi and Zhou Yi, secretly amazed at their strength: "This guy's aura is almost on par with ours; I wonder what fate brought him to this level?" At the same time, a strong battle intent rose in his heart.

Zhou Yi keenly sensed the Shui Shen's battle intent and stepped forward. The Shui Shen recognized Zhou Yi, recalling the battle where he opposed the Dong Huang Bell with his flesh. "You are the later‑emerging strong one; shall we spar?" he said, reaching for Zhou Yi's arm.

Zhou Yi reacted swiftly, mirroring the stance to block the Shui Shen's attack. Their arms tangled, muscles taut like rock. Without any spiritual power, they collided using only bodily strength. After years of cultivation, Zhou Yi's body was as solid as a mountain; even the powerful Shui Shen felt the pressure. In the strength contest, the Shui Shen's arm was slightly rebounded.

The onlookers widened their eyes, clearly not expecting such a result.

"Shui Shen, haven't you properly cultivated your bodily strength?" Zhu Song teased.

The remark bruised the Shui Shen's pride, his anger flaring.

"Let's go, the two of us will spar, without using any techniques!" the Shui Shen said, staring intently at Ye Yi.

Ye Yi looked around, seeing everyone's eyes filled with anticipation and excitement, clearly everyone was waiting for a good show. How could he back down? The stubbornness and competitive desire in his heart were instantly ignited.

"No problem!" Ye Yi replied loudly without fear.

Di Hong had anticipated this; seeing the scene, he gave a gentle wave of his hand.

In an instant, the scene before everyone's eyes shifted; everything around vanished, leaving only an empty space prepared especially for them.

Ye Yi frowned slightly; he hadn't perceived how the environment changed, even though his divine perception was already highly sharp.

This made him deeply shocked by Di Hong's spatial manipulation ability, and he couldn't help but wonder how profound Di Hong's mastery in this area truly was.

Meanwhile, lightning flickered around Ye Yi's body as he tried to probe the nature of the space.

However, before his thunder power could spread, an invisible force suppressed it back.

Turning around, Ju Mang and the others were watching him intently.

At this moment, the Shui Shen and Ye Yi stood face‑to‑face, ready to begin their duel.

Although neither side used techniques, their sheer bodily strength alone was astonishing.