Chapter 156

Slay Wu Sword!

From the name it's clear: this is a strategy of attack specifically against the Wu Clan.

In the Demon Emperor's hall, several attending experts patiently listened to Di Jun's thoughts, and gradually sketched out the whole strategy in their minds.

«The Wu Clan aren't easy to deal with…»

«Because as a clan specialized in slaughter, their strength is already formidable… the key is that they also have faith! And ideals! »

«The latter is what really gives people a headache. »

Di Jun let out a light sigh.

Clans with great innate talent and skill in slaughter are actually not rare in Honghuang.

What?

If they have great innate talent, their reproductive ability is usually low, so they can't match the Wu Clan in numbers?

Naive!

Even if it's hard for heaven and earth to naturally produce such a clan, can't we intervene artificially?

Can't a Daluo go create them?

For example, the Old Ancestor of the River of the Nether.

Various rumors plainly state that the master of the Sea of Blood seems eager to weigh the Wu Clan's martial clan's hegemony title, thus forging a terrifying race that lives by killing and goes mad for war!

Asura!

Using the Sea of Blood as bodily material, igniting remnant souls to kindle spiritual fire, they are innately aligned with the Great Dao of slaughter and destruction, terrifying without bound!

The entire Sea of Blood is the Asura clan's barracks, able to churn out troops endlessly, and still the top-tier troop type among peers of the same realm!

But how do they compare to the Wu Clan?

Even after setting aside heavenly factors external to affiliation, when forces of equal scale and level clash, the Asura tribe versus the Wu Clan…

Every demon emperor and Yao Marshal present, without exception, had no doubt that the Wu Clan side would ultimately win.

Because, when material conditions are equal, the heart… will become the decisive weight that tips the balance.

Of course, if it's that kind of opportunistic situation? Then it's a different calculation.

«Without doubt. »

«The existence of the Wu Clan is not just a strong army, but an iron army. »

«Pangu's essence blood grants the mightiest physique; Houtu sifts through endless spacetime human souls, leaving only those with a steadfast conviction, willing for humanity to rise in the cruel age to hack through thorns and fight, strong in spirit. »

«Though they act tyrannically, wage war across the cosmos, they uphold a protective thought, great love for the clan, possessing a selfless devotion to the Holy Way…»

The Wu Clan, from flesh to spirit, from exterior to core, are the most outstanding.

Such an army, when they embrace ideals, hold faith, fight to the death, never retreat…

No one would not feel a headache facing such an opponent.

Di Jun had no doubt.

Excluding the ancestral Wu and great Wu, within the Wu Clan from commanders down to soldiers, each member, after confirming the necessity of mission execution for clan development, can stride forward calmly even if the path is a mountain of blades and a sea of fire, or even if it's ten deaths with no life.

An ambush on all sides?

A siege from eight directions?

Very dangerous?

A dead-end situation?

But can it gain an advantage for the main force or preserve living strength?

What more is there to say then?

Go kill!

Go fight!

What harm is there in sacrificing my body!

So what if I die without a whole corpse!

Even if my body falls in battle, I still have my soul!

Ignite my soul, turning it into a willful surge, just to aid my comrades even a little…

If my soul shatters… my lingering obsession will still shout on the battlefield!

Although, this obsession may no longer be of much use.

But, if it can disturb the enemy's mental stability even a little… that's enough!

And even if that obsession is utterly shattered, worn away, and withered by a terrifying foe…

But!

The fallen warriors firmly believe.

This spirit of fighting to the death at any cost, that spirit for protecting the tender, wavering root clan between life and death, will surely leave the clearest mark in the ages, becoming the brightest star in history, expending the last of its strength to remind posterity—we will not be destroyed, we shall stand tall in Honghuang with the strongest posture, gaining the glory we deserve!

Such an opponent.

Facing such a clan head‑on, how many can remain calm?

The Demon Race is powerful, having inherited countless foundations and wealth from the previous era… yet they cannot afford to underestimate such an opponent.

An absolutely loyal, death‑defying squad that gives everything for a goal—the Demon Race's upper echelons are not incapable of cultivating such.

Like conversion, brainwashing, resetting worldviews… there are too many methods.

But these means are all founded on twisting people's hearts—the very 'death' in 'death‑defying' already says it all: they have no future, no heart of their own.

And the Wu Clan… this comes from the heart, believing they should act thus.

They are Wu, the guides of the sprouting‑era human tribes, the pioneers who opened roads in the murky darkness!

They possess the most resolute will, and the grand ambition of 'even if tens of thousands stand against me, I still go forward alone'!

What's wrong with going to die?

That is also practicing one's own heart, one's own Dao!

Body united with Dao, Dao united with heart…… Sacrificing the body to face clan calamity, regarding death as suddenly returning home.

The utmost heart, the most selfless thought.

Spirit and will may perhaps exceed the limits of the body, release boundless potential, and create miracles.

Although such a miracle may be like a meteor, flashing and gone.

But at the moment of blooming, they are the most dazzling!

The more adverse the circumstances, the Wu Clan might just be able to create miracles, overturn the chessboard, and directly slap it onto the faces of enemies who dare to be careless, beating them until their faces are bruised and swollen.

The Twelve Ancestral Witches, holding such a hand, make the Demon Emperor express deep envy.

But they can only envy.

The Wu Clan can do this because they have staked the human race's struggle from weakness to strength, thereby cultivating the spirit of sacrifice and dedication, then preemptively drawing on the results to seize the position of the protagonist of heaven and earth, then completing a closed-loop operation in time and space——this is the whole human race's birth, rise, and glory turned into cause from effect!

This can be seen as a sentient being called 'human race' that, after attaining the Dao of Great Luo, turns effect into cause, locking its own foundation!

Success in turning effect into cause is the protagonist of heaven and earth.

Failed……

Specifically, refer to what Fengxi saw: the fate of that being who attained the Dao of Great Luo on the River of Time.

The true self sinks, only the Dao nature remains.

The collective consciousness of the human race stakes everything, just to carve out a sky in this fiercely competitive, mad Honghuang, guaranteeing its independence.

All the sacrifice and dedication on the past rise should be compensated, rather than turning into illusory bubbles and becoming dust at the bottom of the River of Years.

Thus, with the cooperation of the ancestral witches, the Wu Clan was born, bearing such a heart, such a thought.

But this is not something the Demon Race can simply copy and play with.

Sacrifice?

Dedication?

Alright.

Those races at the bottom of the food chain, for the survival of their group, may possess such a spirit.

But from the middle tier upward…… they are innately strong, why bother considering these?

As for promoting the lower tiers, letting them extend that sacrificial spirit and expand the object to face the entire Demon Race?

Likely it would shatter their spirits right away.

——In the endless ages, they were hunted, struggling to survive.

Now, must they also sacrifice for such a Demon Race……?!

Unless, burn the entire middle tier of the Demon Race!

Console the departed souls!

The Demon Race's upper echelon, anyone who clearly understands the weight of both sides…… after serious thought, feels this is better left alone.

The middle tier must not be moved.

——Whoever makes a move, even if it is the Demon Emperor, will be overthrown.

Maintain the status quo, everyone silently dividing the benefits…… isn't that also fine?

Look at the Demon Race's overall scale, it's that huge; even though internal contradictions make it hard to fight against the wind, a fight easily blows up…… but can one still fight with the wind?

Being able to fight with the wind is enough.

Winning the wind-favored battle, with a stable system……

Stable, stable!

The Demon Race's Mandate of Heaven endures; the protagonist of heaven and earth is none other than them.

Unfortunately.

Their opponent, however, is——the Wu Clan!

This clan possibly has maxed-out skills for counterattacking against adverse winds!

……

the Wu Clan.

the Demon Race.

Lich Great Tribulation.

On the surface, it is a game played by the heavenly wills standing at the peak of heaven and earth, contending for qi fortune.

In fact, at its deepest, the entire era can also be seen as a super-large social experiment, an experiment by the topmost players in envisioning boundless future spacetime.

Vast Honghuang, Myriad Heavens dimensions, innumerable beings, Great Luo gods…… all dance lightly on a chessboard.

All of this, intertwined together, jointly enact a vast calamity of the ages.

No way.

No one can convince anyone else.

Then we can only personally enter the fray, using the language called fists, to have a proper say.

In this process, casually digging some pits for the opponent is also quite normal…… right?

"The Wu Clan, battle-heart steadfast, will tenacious." Di Jun's gaze at times deep and dim, at times bright, "For protecting the inner pure land, they might stage miracle after miracle."

"Though the body perishes, the soul still fights; though the soul perishes, the obsession will still roar…… even if the spiritual belief is too brilliant, forcibly transcending life and death, with an ant's body they could still reach one ten-thousandth of our Great Luo, possessing a bit of Great Luo nature?"

"Heh…… this is too troublesome."

"So, to avoid such a vexing scene……" Di Jun sighed, "Let's just exterminate their hearts."

"Destroy their inner pure land, tell them——what you protect is nothing but a bunch of what kind of people?"

For such a person, to fight to the death, to stake everything…… Is it really worth it?

To slay the Wu, one must strike at their hearts!

Di Jun then elaborated on the 'Slay-Wu Sword' he had designed.

The three top leaders of the Demon Race listening had varied expressions.

As for the expressions of Báizé and Taiyi, we will not mention them for now.

Xihuang, however, beat the rhythm in praise, saying, 'The human heart is subtle; fellow Daoist, you are truly perceptive.'

'With this plan, the Wu Clan will inevitably fall into a dilemma. Moreover, there's no need to worry that this plan will be used against us, harming the Demon Race.'

'Not at all, not at all.' Di Jun said modestly twice, then gave a wry smile, 'Not fearing backlash…… is entirely because the foundation of our Demon Race fears no further deterioration.'

'Dragging it down to a worse line, defeating idealistic opponents with a lower baseline…… This is nothing to boast about.'

Di Jun sighed.

Xihuang shook his head.

After learning the details of the 'Slay-Wu Sword,' Fuxi could not help but admire Di Jun's wisdom and low baseline, being able to devise such a vicious plot to disturb the enemy's mind.

The Wu Clan, as the selected elite, are excellent and difficult to deal with.

But the humans behind them…… number in the countless millions, with varying intellect and beliefs, leaving too much room for exploitation.

Xihuang, who understands human nature to a slight degree, knows that without a life-or-death crisis, too many people engage in underhanded maneuvers that can chill the hearts of the Guardians fighting at the front——

For example, because of their idol worship, they send life-preserving pills and fine equipment to personnel of the enemy race……

Another example, disregarding the bigger picture for personal gain, they sell key intelligence……

All sorts of miraculous maneuvers—who knows if the soldiers fighting at the front will have their hearts shaken?

Moreover, between life and death there is great terror!

When the Demon Race sends assassins to slaughter humans——it is not merely for the result of killing, but for the process itself.

Faced with death, some kneel, some weaken, some go mad……

With a little guidance, it becomes a heart‑slaying sharp sword that cuts off the path by which humans seize the protagonists of heaven and earth.

——The ignorant shout: 'We humans have already occupied a place to settle in the Honghuang heaven and earth; why must we continue fighting? Expanding the front gives the enemy a chance to break through and slaughter us…… What? The sacrifices of our ancestors cannot be in vain? Then on what basis should we descendants also make sacrifices?'

'What? To contend for the protagonists' position, death if we fail? If we give up, will the great Luo who support us be disappointed? Will they abandon us? We will fall from the position of candidates for the protagonists of heaven and earth, become ordinary peoples, in the game of the mighty of heaven and earth we will have no certainty day to day, and our descendants will taste the bitter fruit of such decisions.'

'This also won't do! I refuse! I want to live!'

There are always some who disregard the sacrifices of their forebears and the survival of their descendants…… their actions prove that humanity is never perfect; the so‑called united struggle for the protagonists of heaven and earth is merely a phantom dream.

Their doubts and opposition, even the disgraceful choices made just to survive, turn them into human traitors who side with the Demon Race, or go into hiding and fabricate theories to justify their actions, thereby undermining the very foundation of humanity's dream.

All of this will gather and settle in the hands of the Demon Race's high leaders, ultimately forging a heart‑slaying sword!

This sword will be directed at the Wu Clan, at the ancestral Wu!

Breaking their mental defenses, shattering their convictions——a perfect clan as the protagonists of heaven and earth? You are dreaming!

After all, it is the Demon Race's model that is more viable and superior!

Like our Demon Race, we never worry about there being a 'Slay-Demon Sword'.

Because…… the Demon Race is simply the purest form of survival of the fittest!

……

'The Slay-Wu Sword grants a special attack bonus against the Wu Clan…… Who let this clan's founding basis and social experiment theme be to create a universally applicable template for a group's rise from weakness to strength?'

'Just like humanity, starting from a blank slate, step by step elevating, from lowly to exalted, becoming the spokesperson and even ruler of the concept of humanity that represents all sentient beings?'

'The ancestral Wu imagined something beautiful…… but it is not realistic.'

'Upon receiving this sword, one strike shatters the dream!' Di Jun looked left and right, 'Gentlemen…… what do you think?'

Taiyi looked at Báizé, Báizé looked at Xihuang, Xihuang lowered his head, as if in contemplation.

After a moment, Xihuang spoke softly, seeming regretful, seeming sighing, 'This matter is of great importance; we few will decide by vote.'

'That works.' Di Jun nodded, 'Each of us counts as one vote, and Xihuang you will also hold a vote on behalf of Nüwa…… Let the voting begin.'

'Right.'

'I hope everyone stays in their place and attends to their duties.' Di Jun took a deep breath, 'Don't let hedging risks make it too obvious that you're straddling two boats.'

Upon these words, Taiyi shrank his neck, Báizé tugged at the corner of his mouth, Xihuang smiled slightly, saying nothing.

Finally, the voting results came out.

Three votes in favor, two abstentions.

The abstention votes were both cast by Fuxi.

Faced with the doubtful looks of his colleagues, he calmly brought up the great mountain known as Nüwa.

'Alas…… my younger sister wants to create humanity, keeping little accounts in her heart, everyone knows that.'

'But we are receiving salaries from the Demon Sovereign…… so we had no choice but to abstain.'

'I see.' Di Jun nodded, 'Xihuang, your little sister is arrogant…… cough, cough, we can understand.'

'As long as everyone understands.' Xihuang sighed, 'My little sister is now powerful; being her elder brother is not easy for me either.'

'No problem…… but afterward we still need fellow Daoists to persuade her.' Di Jun waved his hand, 'She wants to start a business—that's not impossible, but don't forget she is still one of the original major shareholders of the Demon Race…… this bowl of rice the Demon Race eats has many great Luo feeding on it.'

'Even Hongjun Daozu is watching…… so please, Nüwa, handle this delicately, so as not to cause trouble for everyone.'

'That is natural.' Xihuang nodded, 'My younger sister will not be so impulsive.'

'With Xihuang's promise, we can rest easy.' Di Jun chuckled lightly, 'All right, since everyone agrees, let us begin the preparations…… after the humans are in position, we will strike at the Wu Clan's roots, countering their "Reincarnation Strategy".'

……

Having confirmed the future strategy, the Demon Sovereign and the Yao Marshal each went their separate ways.

Xihuang leisurely returned to the Xihuang Palace, took his seat on the cloud bed, and before him on the desk lay three classified documents laid out in a row.

A summary of the intelligence on the Wu Clan's "Reincarnation Strategy".

Related information about the Lesser Yang Emperor's 'Immortal Clan Strategy'.

A rough plan of the Demon Race's 'Slay-Wu Sword Strategy'.

The three factions each have their own tricks, exhausting their thoughts to spill the dirty water in their bellies, just wanting to thoroughly kill the opponent for a big gain.

The Wu Clan scorns the Demon Race, the Demon Race schemes against the Wu Clan, and the Immortal Clan jumps left and right.

Fuxi the Great Sage glanced back and forth a few times; the future trend and countless heavenly secrets were all in his mind, without a trace of confusion.

Suddenly, he laughed.

His smile was radiant, not knowing what he had thought of.

He shook his head, his sleeve casually brushing over the documents on the table, turning them into flying ash and dust.

At this moment, the Xihuang had a flash of sharpness, completely different from before.

"All are battle trash."

"Not a single one can fight."

"Wait for the perfect Holy Emperor of the Five Virtues United to come out..."

The words in the Xihuang Palace gradually faded away.

Finally, it fell into complete silence, with no sound whatsoever.

(End of chapter)