Chapter 88: Hollow and Powerless

After all, the Demon Race and the Human Race bear a deep, bitter hatred; if these two choose to help now, the Demon Race's plan today will surely be foiled.

Mi Xi said with a hint of pleading, "Wen Sheng, please show mercy!"

At that moment, a cold snort from Nüwa echoed in the sky, followed by the descent of a powerful saintly aura.

However, this power was not meant to punish the Demon Race; instead it formed an invisible barrier that forced the twelve demon gods to retreat. Their faces turned pale instantly, daring not to make any further move.

"We're leaving!" After uttering this, the twelve demon gods fled quickly.

Zhou Yi watched all this with interest, and couldn't help exclaiming, "So Nüwa is also two‑faced; what she says and what she does are completely different—on one hand she wants to preserve her face, on the other she does this humbling act for her brother."

Nüwa naturally heard Zhou Yi's words, but she gave no reply, merely standing silently beyond Honghuang, observing everything around her with an indifferent gaze.

If Zhou Yi dared to act, she would retaliate at once.

Seeing this, Zhou Yi sighed helplessly, waved his hand, turned and walked away slowly, muttering under his breath, "Consider yourselves lucky!"

In truth, he harbored a deep hatred toward the Demon Race, yearning to strike immediately and annihilate them all.

Although a contract currently exists between the Human Race and the Demon Race, he will show no mercy whenever the chance arises.

He has already planned that after the war between witches and undead ends, when the Demon Race retreats to the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, he will find a way to completely seal off that area, leaving them nowhere to seek help.

Several demon commanders sensed Zhou Yi's departing gaze, as if pierced by a cold wind, and involuntarily shivered.

That icy stare filled them with fear.

The others, seeing Zhou Yi leave, breathed a sigh of relief and bowed toward Nüwa's direction, saying, "Thank you, Nv Wa Sheng Ren!"

However, Nüwa paid them no heed and walked straight away.

The turmoil in the Heavenly Court did not affect the bloody slaughter underway in Xiajie. The Jiuselu clan had long been lying in ambush here, awaiting the optimal moment.

At this point, the crafting of the Witch‑slaying Sword was nearing its end, with only the final step remaining.

At this critical moment, the new Human Race suddenly received a transmission from Nüwa, urging them to find a safe place to take refuge as soon as possible.

Upon hearing the news, everyone rushed toward the safe zone marked by Nüwa, with only one thought in their hearts: survive.

"Did they all hide inside?" a demon commander sneered, contempt flashing in his eyes, "Think this guarantees safety? How naive!"

Having said that, he stepped forward, preparing to take further action.

He, bearing unimaginable power, was the first to hurl a punch at the massive circular object.

However, at the instant his fist was about to touch the target, his expression changed abruptly.

A far stronger force rebounded from the circle, hurling his whole body into the air like a kite with its string cut, tracing an arc before crashing heavily to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

At that moment, the large circle silently transformed into a golden shield, tightly protecting the Human Race inside.

Meanwhile, the new incoming humans were few; as long as they could eliminate the Human Race hidden behind the shield, the Demon Race's task today would be considered successfully completed.

But this sudden change put the Demon Race in a dilemma; they stared at the seemingly insurmountable golden barrier, filled with helplessness.

The Human Race inside the barrier, after the initial panic, breathed a slight sigh of relief, grateful for their temporary safety.

Just as they were racking their brains on how to breach the barrier, Bai Ze appeared silently beside them.

"Demon commander!" the crowd shouted excitedly, rushing to surround him. Jiuselu hurriedly grabbed Bai Ze, pointing at the massive circular object ahead and asking anxiously, "What's going on? Why can't we get in?"

Bai Ze sighed, solemnly informing everyone of everything Nüwa had done.

Hearing this, everyone's faces changed, eyes filled with shock. "The Witch‑slaying Sword was only one step away from completion; how could this happen?"

Jiuselu angrily hammered the ground, leaving a deep pit.

Bai Ze spread his hands helplessly, saying, "Things have come to this point; we have no choice. For now we can only spare them temporarily, since they will continue to reproduce and new targets will inevitably arise."

Facing this reality, the crowd, though unwilling, had to accept it.

Subsequently, the Jiuselu clan decided to step from behind the scenes to the forefront, beginning to plot new actions.

Each day they drove large numbers of edible demon beasts toward the barrier; this barrier seemed to possess its own will, blocking Demon Race members from passing while having no effect on other races.

At first, the Human Race could not believe these demon beasts were edible.

Initially, they resisted trying demon beast meat.

However, as time passed, hunger gradually eroded their reason.

Eventually, someone mustered the courage to taste a bite of demon beast meat.

After confirming it was safe and harmless, driven by hunger, everyone rushed to join the scramble for food.

One after another, the demon beasts were quickly devoured.

When night fell, they would hide in caves within the barrier, believing this would evade the Demon Race's external surveillance.

Little did they know, Jiuselu and the others had already observed their every move clearly, leaving no secrets.

"Enjoy to your heart's content! Once you're fed, strive to reproduce." Jiuselu mocked, "This little circle has its limits; given the nature of the Human Race, in a few decades new trouble will inevitably follow."

Jiuselu and Bai Ze stood at a distance, watching everything with cold eyes.

For the short‑lived Human Race, the concept of time is vague. Just a few years are enough for them to forget the painful lessons of their predecessors.

At this moment, these people huddled in cramped, dark caves, barely sustaining themselves on food supplied by the Jiuselu clan.

The Jiuselu clan seemed like deities of life and death, arbitrarily distributing food for the Human Race to eat.

Beneath this seemingly tranquil life, countless dangers lurked.

As time passed, the Human Race's numbers suddenly rose, and a plump man named Liu Yun emerged, becoming the new leader.

Compared with the former chief, Liu Yun's appearance seemed out of place; his body was corpulent, and his flesh quivered with each movement.

In this place, where neither sorcery nor refined cultivation techniques are passed down, status depends on one's faint innate power and physical strength.

Relying on his massive physique, Liu Yun gained the upper hand in conflicts, swiftly uniting all the tribe.

Liu Yun stood at the high point of the cave and delivered a rallying speech: "Comrades, as long as we stay here and ensure our own safety, the evil demons outside will continue to supply food and will never let us starve. All we need to do is wait patiently until we become strong enough."

His voice echoed in the cave, sounding hollow and powerless.