Chapter 703

The world is in chaos!

The Ancestral Witch Demon Emperor has lost its tyranny; the great trend of the Human Dao is bound to change.

In the Human Race Ancestral Court, the atmosphere was oppressively heavy; divine generals and senior ministers stood with hands lowered, guarding the Human Emperor.

At this moment, Fengxi's eyes were dim, as if he had lost the vigor of his former prime.

Nevertheless, his heroic spirit remained undiminished; he could subdue the strong, command their orders, and none dared to defy him.

After all, he is a ruthless person!

Joining forces with Nüwa's Dao, he set up a grand scheme to trap and kill the Yao Marshal... Although merely an outstanding youth who later attained the Dao, he had already stepped on the bones of his predecessors, displaying his might.

More importantly, he could let go of his principles!

Therefore, even though for the Seal the Demon Calamity he served as the main force, his energy and combat power were reduced by ninety percent; compared to the already feeble Great Luo, the gap between them shrank enormously... Yet he still retained enough authority to make the strong submit.

He stood in the Human Emperor's Holy Hall, eyes lowered, gazing in all directions: 'This is the challenge of our Human Race, and also our greatest opportunity.'

'We must prepare to take over the heavy responsibility.'

The Human Emperor spoke in a faint tone, seeming somewhat helpless: 'To succeed the Wu Clan, to bear the sacrifice of the Post-Witch-Demon Era.'

'The Wu Clan is already exhausted; it cannot afford any further sacrifice.'

Fengxi's words carried a hundred-thousandfold heaviness as he revealed, as a top-tier chess player overseeing the whole board, his discovery, and he explained the current situation to the Fire Clan leadership present.

The Wu Clan, compared to the Demon Race, is inherently deficient.

The Demon Race, broadly inclusive, is a myriad‑race collective that has persisted since the dawn of heaven and earth, possessing a complete reproductive system capable of endlessly drawing blood to raise troops.

As for the Wu Clan...

They are essentially a special race formed by ingeniously borrowing the future cosmic light of human heroes' souls, then diluting Pangu's blood.

During the peak of the Twelve Ancestral Witches, things were still fine.

These problems could all be remedied.

But now...

Pangu's essence blood has been taken away, and most crucially, Nüwa, who could replicate and dilute the essence blood, has been expelled from the field, left only to stare helplessly.

And the remaining Ancestral Witches, those top‑tier supernatural beings who master authority and play with spacetime, also, because of the Seal Era, have the Demon Calamity locked within them, consuming most of their energy, making it hard for them to pull off any tricky maneuvers.

This means...

The Wu Clan has been cut off at its source!

Once sacrificed, they cannot be replenished; each death reduces their number by one.

This has already become a clan destined to disappear.

Fortunately, the Human Race remains, able to carry on the mission.

This is the mission.

This is also sacrifice.

Henceforth, there will be few tall ones left to prop up the sky.

Only the Human Race must shoulder the entire camp!

This, then, is——

Post-Witch-Demon Era!

The Human Race feels immense distress and must prepare to face great storms and make countless sacrifices.

Fortunately.

The Demon Race fares no better.

Although they possess a complete reproductive system, the earlier surge of the Dragon Ancestor saw the dinosaur army march out; though merely a fleeting bloom, the blow it dealt to the Demon Race was devastating!

The Dragon Clan is terrifying; in a single leap it rose to the top of the food chain, slaughtering countless Demon Race members... Until even the Heavenly Dao could not stand it, delivering a world‑upending strike that wiped out the dinosaur lineage entirely, and even the true dragon clan suffered heavy losses.

After a fierce exchange of blows, looking back, the Wu Clan suffered losses, the Demon Race suffered losses, the Dragon Clan suffered losses, and the Human Race... only a small loss.

This small loss is still due to the Human Emperor's enormous sacrifice, having to engage in the work of sealing the Demon Calamity, losing what was originally a pillar that held up the heavens.

This cannot be avoided.

After all...

It is said to be the Seal the Demon Calamity.

But as the initiators, the Ancestral Witch and the Demon Emperor secretly harbor the mindset of 'better to mistakenly kill three thousand than to let one escape' in their actions.

Faced with what is nominally the Demon Calamity but in reality a neutral third party stirring trouble and opportunists preparing to defect, the Wu‑Demon leadership cannot distinguish friend from foe, so they simply cast a wide net to catch all!

The net of the Suppressing Era truly blankets all of Honghuang... No matter what lurking Five Fortunes Dao Lords! No matter what newly risen demon sect demon lords!

All shall be sealed!

Kunlun Mountain, Sumeru Mountain... the Dao lineage of the Heavenly Dao Saints—even if top‑tier mighty beings are seated there, when faced with the furious Wu and Demon clans, they utter not a word, being dragged into the era's seal like the Nether River Demon Ancestor by the heavenly net and earthly net.

Not to mention them.

Any Great Luo that can move freely must at least once enter this net; the Great Dao's authorities check each other, their true bodies cannot cause trouble, and they can only incarnate as a Trumpet to hop about.

Three thousand divinities uniting the Dao have sealed off the era—a magnificent feat!

Likewise, it is a tremendous consumption; the stronger one is, the more they must give.

Yandi reached the peak, proved the Dao too easily, hadn't even had time to shake off his glory, wearing fine clothes and traveling by day, and thus fell back to roughly the same starting line as many ordinary Great Luos.

Fortunately, the lingering prestige of his authority remains, and he is still the Human Emperor.

However, a new storm has already begun to blow; Fengxi watches coldly, witnessing a frenzy of devastation.

'A faction of the Eastern Barbarians is plotting rebellion.'

Yandi spoke in a deep voice: 'They no longer obey the Ancestral Court's orders, privately mobilizing armies, taking advantage of the Dragon Clan's turmoil to interfere in its internal affairs... They have embarked on the path of expansion, which is also the path of independence!'

'Regarding this...'

Everyone, do you have any good plan?

'Deploy troops! Conquer!' Yinglong God General immediately stepped forward, shouting angrily, killing intent surging.

She suffered a great loss.

Originally, she had been holding the Dragon Ancestor Sage's 'last will,' trying to coax the Dragon Master into taking her form!

As a result, the Bird Master threw a wrench into the works, mobilized a large army, and carried out 'assistance' to the Dragon Master!

Yinglong weighed the strength of a division of the Eastern Yi Bird Master, feeling the situation was dire—she couldn't handle it!

Finally, having no choice, she withdrew in embarrassment and returned to the Fire Master.

'I follow the emperor's order, uphold the Dragon Ancestor's last will, to receive the leaderless Dragon Master……whether it's righteousness or reason, I occupy the right, this should have been a smooth task.' Yinglong God General recalled, still somewhat furious, 'but the Bird Master broke this rule.'

'This is the greatest provocation against our Fire Master's current human orthodox lineage……it absolutely cannot be indulged!'

Yinglong turned into the war faction……after all, the cooked duck about to reach her mouth flew away.

At the same time, this also resonated with many Fire Master ministers; their eyes were cold, killing intent overflowing, 'if so, the Eastern Yi must be punished!'

'At this moment, when the clan should unite up and down to fight to the death, someone dares to act recklessly, provoking the ancestral court's authority……if not severely punished, the consequences will be unimaginable!'

Many god generals and heavy ministers, thinking as one, all wanted to nip the hidden danger in the bud.

Yandi took in these ministers with his gaze, as if deep in thought.

After a brief silence, he did not express his stance then, but instead asked another person who originally shouldn't have been present.

That was a god general appearing weary from travel, the corners of his eyes showing vicissitudes, revealing a bit of old age.

He had once been a remarkable heroic figure of an age, but unfortunately, in this dynasty, he has become an old man with a story.

'Da Yi!'

Fengxi raised his hand to signal, his tone solemn, 'You are the husband of the Eastern Yi lineage's imperial princess; you should therefore have a deep understanding of this force.'

'Come and tell everyone…'

'What unique opinion do you have regarding the Bird Master's current actions?'

In response to the Human King's inquiry, Da Yi remained silent for a long time.

The generals and ministers in the hall looked at him, each gradually falling silent.

Those who were informed and perceptive, upon seeing Da Yi stagger back to the Fire Master, no longer living the former enviable life of a son‑in‑law who visited his wife's home, naturally could tell that behind this lay some tragic story that set the divine gossip fire ablaze.

However, considering Da Yi's cultivation and battle strength, no one wanted to provoke him while he was angry……for if his sorrow turned to rage and he loosed a volley of arrows, whoever stood out would be the one to suffer!

Even until now, with the Human Emperor stepping forward……they maintained an appearance of not looking or listening, seeming indifferent, but in fact their ears were all pricked up, waiting for an answer.

'Eastern Yi……Bird Master……'

After a hard‑to‑describe oppression, Da Yi finally spoke slowly, 'If the Fire Master wants to launch a punitive expedition, I have nothing to say, nor can I offer any plea.'

'I merely ask the Human Emperor to pay attention, to raise utmost vigilance, not to underestimate, and to treat it as an unprecedented great enemy.'

Da Yi did not know how much painful deliberation he had gone through before uttering these words.

Without directly revealing too many secrets, it was the last bit of affection, yet almost as if he had said everything, allowing Yandi to understand the danger.

'A great enemy? How great?' Fengxi's eyes flashed as he pressed further.

'As great as……fighting the Demon Race.'

This sentence, Da Yi conveyed to the Human Emperor via voice transmission.

'Alright, I understand.' The Human Emperor nodded, 'Da Yi God General, for years you have labored with great merit; earlier you performed the feat of shooting the suns, saving countless beings, for supreme merit.'

'For this, you also faced the Demon Emperor's might, likely already exhausted in body and mind……please go rest for a while; later the ancestral court will entrust you with another important task.'

'Thank you, Human Emperor.' Da Yi bowed, ignoring the curious glances of many colleagues, turned and left straight away, leaving a weathered back.

'Fate toys with people.'

Fengxi silently mourned Da Yi twice, withdrew his gaze, his face unchanged, 'Everyone, any further advice?'

'I have a few things I want to say.'

Hougang suddenly stepped forward, his expression solemn, 'Yinglong God General's expedition is unfavorable; the campaign against the Eastern Yi should be postponed.'

'Oh?' Fengxi became interested, 'I don't know how the Strategist would instruct me.'

'Your Majesty's talent is outstanding; I, a mere Strategist, how could I possibly instruct you?' Hougang replied humbly, as if he had just endured a societal beating, old fellow meeting old fellow, shots fired in the back, after feeling the pain he decided to plot properly, 'I merely noticed a few minor doubts.'

'Prince Yinglong, bearing righteousness and mastering legal principle, represents the authority of the Human Emperor and the Dragon Ancestor, two supreme beings; he ought to have unquestionable authority among the Dragon Master.'

Hougang looked at Yinglong and asked, 'Shouldn't it be like that?'

'Correct.' Yinglong recalled, then nodded.

'Then……is the Dragon Master weak?' Hougang seemed to ask an unrelated question.

'Naturally it is not weak.' Yinglong replied, 'Although the Dao Ancestor acted, seeking to obliterate the Dragon Clan……yet with the Human Emperor's intervention, the Dragon Master still retained some vital energy.'

'It cannot compare to its peak, nor can it be called overly weak; it can still be considered a dominant regional power.'

'The problem lies here.' Hougang spoke gently, as if holding a pearl of wisdom, 'Such a force, with Your Highness you, the legitimate heir, in command, should in any case have some resistance……how did the Eastern Yi easily drive you out?'

'Let me guess……perhaps in this process the Dragon Master's overall performance was lackluster?'

Hougang said with a smile.

Yinglong first pondered, frowned, then slowly her brows relaxed, half‑smiling.

'In that case, I was used as a gun.'

Yinglong sighed, having figured something out.

At least she had followed the great benevolence of the Human Dao, struggling through this era for many years, having seen much of the world.

Even if this time the stakes were too great, causing her mind to waver and become momentarily confused.

But when someone nearby pointed it out, she quickly grasped some subtleties.

'It seems that this parachuted heir of mine is not favored by the entrenched interest groups, tangled like roots, within the Dragon Master.'

'Even with the Dragon Ancestor Sage's orally transmitted last will……she was still sold out the moment she turned around.'

Yinglong lamented, yet also had little resentment.

"Speak carefully." Fengxi glanced at Yinglong, his tone light, "The Dragon Ancestor daoist friend is not dead yet; he's merely temporarily entrusted to you."

"Oh, right." Yinglong nodded, indicating understanding.

"Among the Dragon Sect, there are considerable doubts about Your Highness's authority—perhaps due to selfish motives, or perhaps they think the dragon ancestor's command in your hand is problematic… they don't want to see you assume regency." Hougang said casually, having seen many such things, "But ultimately, on the surface, you have the great merit of summoning reinforcements and saving the Dragon Sect."

"Directly defying orders is improper."

"Going with the flow, allowing external forces to disrupt the situation… that can be done."

"After all, this would make Your Highness look incompetent—you were given the opportunity, but you're useless!"

Hougang chuckled, Yinglong wasn't angry either, just nodded, listening attentively to learn.

Drawing lessons, self-growth.

She noted down the debt; later she can go settle the score.

"The Dragon Sect has freed itself from Yinglong, Your Highness's righteous suppression, allowing the Eastern Yi to obtain temporary regency authority… one successfully preserves its own interests, the other expands its prestige and influence—this is a mutually beneficial situation."

Hougang concluded, "Only our Fire Sect is suffering a loss in this."

"They're quite bold, then." Yandi said with an inexplicable tone.

"This is also somewhat unexpected yet reasonable." Hougang smiled, "If Your Majesty hadn't been sealing the demon calamity, committing most of his cultivation and strength, he would still be the supreme ruler of the Taiyi who commands the world; even borrowing a bit of courage from the Dragon Sect, they wouldn't dare act so recklessly."

"Unfortunately… your strength has greatly diminished, you can't easily go along the communication lines to strike them; the authority of the Central Royal Court has greatly declined, so it's inevitable that some ambitions arise."

"Perhaps they're still thinking—we just want to preserve our own Dao lineage, awaiting the return of the Dragon Ancestor, what's wrong with that?"

"However…"

"I heard Dayi's earlier words—the Eastern Yi seem not so simple…"

Hougang pondered, "Perhaps in the end they… inviting deities is easy, sending them away is hard!"

"The Dragon Sect's original heir was Dan Zhu, right?"

"Perhaps in the end, he wants to reclaim authority, proclaim himself emperor within the Dragon Sect, only to find… nobody pays him any heed."

(End of chapter)