Chapter 89: Unshapable Rotten Mud

Most of the tribe members below remained silent; though they harbored discontent, they dared not voice it.

In that oppressive environment, people dared not speak out for fear of his brutality.

If an opportunity to escape arose, fewer than ten would be willing to follow him.

Time passed mercilessly like flowing water.

The current chief Liu Yun, notorious for his extremely immoral behavior and lust for beauty, is infamous.

Whenever a woman in the tribe possesses even slightly better looks, regardless of marriage or children, he will use any means to possess her, relying solely on his brute force.

The whole tribe is thus filled with mournful cries, and the oppressive atmosphere is almost suffocating.

"Mother Goddess, why let the wise clan chief depart, yet elevate such a scoundrel to the chief's seat? Why no longer protect us?"

An elderly woman knelt on the ground, hands clasped, crying out to the heavens, her eyes full of despair.

"Mother Goddess, your people are suffering; please open your eyes!" a young man shouted alongside them, hoping Nüwa would once again perform a miracle to save everyone.

Three years passed without any response from Nüwa, and the new Human Race had long grown disheartened.

Outside the cave, the Jiuselu tribe watched hungrily, awaiting the optimal moment to strike; inside the cave, Liu Yun continued his wanton tyranny, plunging the tribe's lives into endless suffering.

At the cave's edge, three frail, gaunt individuals gathered quietly, their eyes showing confusion and despair, yet also a flicker of madness.

"I think those outside aren't the Demon Race but gods more reliable than Mother Goddess; they give us food every day," one whispered.

Surprisingly, the other two did not object; instead they nodded in agreement, showing strong support for the claim.

"Perhaps we should offer babies to these gods; perhaps they'll be happier and give us more food."

Another person put forward an even more extreme and shocking suggestion. Hunger had already stripped them of reason.

Under the harsh blow of reality, their inner moral standards gradually crumbled.

At present, Liu Yun tightly controls all food resources in the cave; he also maintains a guard of a dozen‑plus men to enforce his rule.

Whenever food is distributed, the guards always eat first, and only the leftover scraps reach the other tribe members.

This has caused the three to suffer chronic malnutrition, leaving them physically weak and their cultivation regressing, far below the Earth Immortal Standard possessed by the ancestors of the Human Race that Nüwa originally created.

After a brief discussion, the three gritted their teeth and, under the cover of night, secretly took a newborn baby out of the cave and offered it to the outsiders.

Then, without hesitation, they knelt on the ground, kowtowed, and muttered prayers.

All of this was observed by the Jiuselu tribe, who stood at a distance with smug smiles curling their mouths.

"I'm not wrong, am I? These people will eventually find their own way out," a Jiuselu tribe member said softly.

Two of them approached slowly; after hearing the three's mad words, their faces first showed surprise, then turned to contempt.

They did not expect the new Human Race to have fallen to such a state, appearing even more fragile than Zhou Yi's tribe.

Yet this was precisely the outcome they had anticipated.

So they waved a hand; their followers promptly brought a freshly slain demon beast, ruthlessly tossed it into the barrier, and swiftly took the pitiful baby to forge the Witch-slaying Sword.

The three who had just been kneeling on the ground saw the meat brought in, and their eyes instantly flashed with light, their faces filled with ecstatic joy.

They kowtowed even more frequently, continuously uttering words of thanks, and pledged to serve the higher immortal for generations.

To obtain food, they have completely lost their dignity and self.

Without waiting for any response, they hurriedly took the meat, hid in a dark corner of the cave, and devoured it ravenously.

Soon, the three were full—a satiety they had not felt in years—and a warm feeling surged in their hearts.

In the darkness, they seemed to see a glimmer of hopeful light.

Under this mindset, their respect and reliance on the Jiuselu tribe deepened further.

However, faced with the remaining half of the meat, they fell into a dilemma.

"What shall we do with this meat?" one said while licking his lips, his eyes full of reluctance and greed as he stared at the leftover chunk.

After a brief silence, they huddled together, whispering, and quickly devised a plan.

"We'll distribute the meat so others can taste this delicacy."

"Once they taste the meat, they'll join our ranks."

"Then we'll have enough power, preferably to eliminate that detestable Liu Yun!"

One of them said through clenched teeth.

At those words, each person's face showed a complex expression.

But after a moment's hesitation, they all nodded, as if seeing a chance to change their fate.

Thus, in the darkness, they began quietly sharing the precious meat.

At the same time, reverence for those so‑called "gods" outside silently spread throughout the tribe.

Meanwhile, the new chief Liu Yun remained immersed in his own merriment, oblivious to the outside world.

"These new Human Race members are far inferior to those on Li Yuan's side," a Jiuselu said, standing in the Demon Race camp, looking toward the Human Race cave with disdain. Bai Ze nodded in agreement, his eyes also showing contempt.

"Indeed. The tribe led by Zhou Yi possesses an inner resilience; no matter how dire the circumstances, they will not submit to others."

It is precisely because of a leader like Zhou Yi as a model that his tribe appears so strong and unbreakable.

"In contrast, this Human Race trapped here is like a heap of unshapable rotten mud."

Bai Ze's mouth twitched slightly upward, and the Jiuselu also laughed.

Just as they were smug, a sudden upheaval occurred inside the cave. Those long‑starved individuals, tempted by food, gradually joined their alliance.

To trade for a bit of food, they even sent newborn children away as exchange. Seeing this, the Demon Race adjusted its strategy, reducing the number of prey sent in, making food even scarcer.

Human Race chief Liu Yun noticed that those around him no longer showed signs of hunger, and an ominous foreboding rose in his heart. Yet before he could react, the guards who usually obeyed him also began to change their attitude.

Tempted by profit, formerly loyal companions suddenly betrayed.

Although Liu Yun possesses Earth Immortal strength, his constant indulgence in pleasure and lack of ambition have left his physical power waned, rendering him unable to resist the traitors.

He was seen in sheer terror, eyes wide open, and before he could resist, he was subdued by the crowd.

Then someone forced his mouth open and stuffed it with stones.

Liu Yun's painful wail echoed in the cave, but no one cared.