The Human Race Wept Blood, and the Seeds Sprouted

Upon entering Shouyang Palace, Su Mu saw Nuwa and greeted her. "Greetings, Teacher."

"Mm. I wanted to guide your cultivation," Nuwa said, looking at Su Mu. "You've already reached the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm?"

"Yes, Teacher. I just kept refining things, and somehow I reached it. Hehe."

"Your talent truly is exceptional. I knew I hadn't misjudged you." Nuwa was delighted. Her choice back then had indeed been the right one.

"Teacher, how are the Witch and Demon Races doing?" Su Mu had been cultivating for three hundred years and hadn't paid attention to their affairs.

"Although Houtu achieved Sainthood, the Underworld is thoroughly sealed off by the Heavenly Dao," Nuwa sighed. "Her incarnations can only reach the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm once they leave the Underworld.

"With no other choice, she gave Chi You a drop of Ancestral Witch blood essence, allowing him to break through to the Primordial Golden Immortal realm. That was just enough for them to form the Twelve Capital Divine Gods Formation. The Witch and Demon Races are still evenly matched."

If that's the case, the Demon Race will still forge the Witch-Slaying Sword. Will the Human Race still have to suffer the calamity of annihilation?

"The Human Race will still be slaughtered by the Demon Race. That's impossible. I'll protect the Human Race," Nuwa vowed silently.

"Teacher, I'll return to my cave abode first," Su Mu said.

Su Mu returned to his cave abode, but no matter how hard he tried to cultivate, he couldn't calm his mind. So he left the cave and headed into the Primordial World.

The corpses of the Witch and Demon Races littered the road. In some places, they were piled as high as mountains, and the air reeked so strongly of blood that it turned his stomach.

The ground was pocked with craters, and traces of battle were everywhere. Even the once-fertile land had been stained dark red.

On the battlefield in the distance, the Witch and Demon Races were locked in fierce combat.

Both sides had gone berserk, completely disregarding their own safety. All they wanted was to kill their opponents.

Some Witch warriors swung enormous battle-axes at their enemies' heads;

some members of the Demon Race unleashed dazzling spells.

Flames soared across the battlefield, and smoke filled the air. It was like the end of the world.

In this brutal war, life had become so fragile.

Countless members of the Witch and Demon Races fell with every passing moment, but their comrades charged forward without hesitation, fighting for the glory and survival of their people.

The sight made it hard not to marvel at the depth of hatred between the two races. They were willing to pay such a terrible price just to determine a victor.

They were consumed by hatred, with nothing in their eyes but slaughter.

Pity showed in Su Mu's eyes, but he was powerless to help. At his current Grand Unity Golden Immortal level, there was nothing he could do.

As he walked, he heard someone call for help. "Help! Somebody, please save me!"

It was a woman's voice, clear and melodious, as sweet as a heavenly song.

"You won't get away. Give up and surrender." A massive figure appeared behind the woman: an enormous tiger at the Grand Unity Golden Immortal level. A powerful aura radiated from its body, and each step made the earth tremble. The tiger opened its jaws, revealing rows of sharp fangs.

The woman had also reached the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm, but she was no match for the tiger demon. When she first encountered it, she had thought of fighting it.

Only after they clashed did she realize how badly she had misjudged the situation. She had been defeated in fewer than three exchanges and could only flee.

That was how she ended up running into Su Mu.

When the woman saw Su Mu, she thought she had finally found a savior. Her face lit up with a mixture of surprise and delight, and without hesitation, she flew toward him. Her eyes brimmed with expectation and hope, as if she had placed all her trust in him.

When the tiger demon saw her flying toward Su Mu, panic seized him. He knew that if she reached Su Mu, his plan would fail.

So he decided to risk everything. He gathered all his strength and unleashed his strongest attack, trying to stop her.

The tiger demon spat out a cloud of black demonic energy. It quickly took the shape of an enormous tiger's head in midair, which opened its jaws and lunged at the woman.

The attack was devastating, as if it would rip apart the very fabric of space.

When she reached Su Mu and saw that he was only at the Grand Unity Golden Immortal level, despair filled her. She could only close her eyes and await death.

After waiting a while without being attacked, she opened her eyes. They widened, and she cried out, "How is this possible? He blocked the tiger demon's full-strength attack with a casual punch! Am I dreaming?"

The tiger demon was clearly stunned to see Su Mu block its attack. Then it said smugly, "Human brat, it's not bad that you managed to withstand an attack from your Tiger Lord.

"But don't you know that at the same realm, members of the Demon Race are stronger than members of other races?"

"Oh, is that so?" Su Mu said mockingly. "You're that confident you can beat me? Heh."

"Brat, how dare you look down on me! Take this!" The tiger demon swiped at Su Mu.

Su Mu met it with a punch and killed it in a single blow.

"Hmph. You dare challenge me with that little cultivation?" Su Mu said disdainfully. He cultivated the Nine Revolutions Divine Art. If he couldn't even kill this tiger demon, wouldn't that bring shame upon Great God Pangu's art?

Su Mu casually took out a sword that was an Innate Spiritual Treasure and hacked the tiger demon into pieces.

Then he set up a grill and roasted the meat. It was ready before long.

The aroma spread everywhere, and the woman began to drool.

Su Mu didn't begrudge her any. He tore off a large piece of meat and gave it to her.

The woman accepted it without hesitation and began to eat. Once she started, she couldn't stop, and she ended up eating half the tiger.

After she finished, she wiped her mouth and said, "I'm called Nine Heavens Xuannü. What's your name?"

Nine Heavens Xuannü? Isn't she Queen Mother of the West's disciple? Could this be West Kunlun Mountain? Su Mu thought. He'd been watching the Witch and Demon Races fight along the way and hadn't realized he'd come near West Kunlun Mountain.

He replied, "I'm Su Mu, the senior disciple of Empress Nuwa of the Human Sect."

"So you're a Saint's Disciple. No wonder you're so powerful," Nine Heavens Xuannü said enviously.

"If you want to be powerful, you have to work hard yourself. Do you think your cultivation will increase on its own if you don't put in the effort?" Su Mu said helplessly.

"He's right. You haven't been cultivating properly, and you're running around during the Great Tribulation. If Su Mu hadn't been here, you might have died," a woman said as she appeared in the air, dressed in a plain-colored Daoist robe.

When Nine Heavens Xuannü saw her, she hurriedly spoke in a coaxing tone. "Teacher, what brings you here?"

"Su Mu pays his respects to Queen Mother of the West," Su Mu said, looking at her.

"You know my name?" Queen Mother of the West asked in surprise.

Oh no. Queen Mother of the West went into seclusion after the death of the Eastern King. There's no way the Human Race should know she exists. How do I explain this? Su Mu thought.

Then his eyes shifted as an idea came to him. "My teacher told me. She said Queen Mother of the West is one of the few outstanding women in the Primordial World. You decisively rejected the Demon Emperor Di Jun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi when they tried to recruit you, choosing instead to go into seclusion in West Kunlun to protect your female disciples."

"Saintess Nuwa thinks so highly of me? I'm truly flattered. Here, take this Peach of Immortality leaf."

Queen Mother of the West took out a leaf from an Innate Ren Water Flat Peach Tree and said to Su Mu, "If you ever run into trouble, hold this Peach of Immortality leaf, and I'll help you."

"Thank you, Queen Mother of the West." Su Mu accepted the leaf from the Peach Tree of Immortality and cupped his hands toward her.

"Xuannü, come back to West Kunlun with me." After saying this, Queen Mother of the West left with Nine Heavens Xuannü.

This trip had gone well. He had made friends with Nine Heavens Xuannü and become acquainted with Queen Mother of the West. He could say he'd returned with a full haul.

After returning to his cave abode, Su Mu resumed cultivating. He knew that in the Primordial World, where the weak were prey to the strong and danger lurked everywhere, only by growing stronger could he protect himself and those around him—especially the innocent and kind members of the Human Race.

Each breath he drew made Su Mu feel the Spiritual Energy flowing through his body, as if he had formed a wondrous resonance with heaven and earth.

He closed his eyes and immersed himself in cultivation, sensing the Spiritual Energy in his surroundings pouring into his body without end.

As time passed, Su Mu's aura grew steadier, and the spiritual light around him grew more intense.

His mind gradually settled, and he devoted himself completely to cultivating.

Throughout this long process, Su Mu held fast to his resolve and persevered. He understood that to establish himself in the Primordial World, he had to keep improving his strength.

Day after day, as he cultivated, Su Mu's realm gradually rose, and his power grew stronger.

Yet he wasn't satisfied. Instead, he worked even harder to explore higher realms.

He knew that countless unknown challenges still awaited him across the vast Primordial Continent.

In the days ahead, Su Mu would continue to push forward, striving for a higher realm and using his strength to protect everything around him.

He believed that as long as he persevered, one day he would become a powerful cultivator in the Primordial Continent and allow the Human Race to live in peace and prosperity.

Through cultivation, Su Mu consolidated his Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm and reached the middle stage.

His cultivation had only advanced by one minor realm, but his combat strength had reached the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm. He could even fight someone in the early Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm.

Su Mu was continuing to cultivate and consolidate his realm when he heard Nuwa's voice transmission. "Su Mu, Teacher Hongjun has summoned the Six Sages of the Primordial World to the Chaos Purple Cloud Palace. Keep cultivating."

Seeing Nuwa leave Shouyang Mountain, Su Mu knitted his brows. "Why would Teacher leave Shouyang Mountain at a time like this? Could it be so the Demon Race can forge the Witch-Slaying Sword?"

"Ding!"

"The Human Race is about to face a calamity. Host, seek protection for the Human Race and preserve the Human Race Hearth Fire."

"Mission reward: Five Grains seeds—rice, broomcorn millet, foxtail millet, wheat, and beans."

Fortunately, Queen Mother of the West owed him a favor because he had saved Nine Heavens Xuannü. She could shelter some of the Human Race, while Great Immortal Zhenyuan should protect the rest.

Su Mu immediately went to find the Three Ancestors of the Human Race. When Sui Ren Shi saw him arrive, he asked, "Su Mu, what brings you here? Is something the matter?"

"Elder Brother Sui Ren, we need to lead the people away from Shouyang Mountain as soon as possible," Su Mu said solemnly to the three of them.

"Su Mu, why are you suddenly asking us to leave? The Human Race has lived on Shouyang Mountain for a long time. Besides, it's where the Saint Mother's Training Ground is. The people probably won't be willing to leave," You Chao Shi said in surprise. They were living here just fine, so why move?

Zi Yi Shi looked at the two of them and said, "You two, we should trust Su Mu.

"Su Mu has always been levelheaded and knows what he's doing."

"Good. We'll immediately prepare for the people's relocation. But where should we move?" Sui Ren Shi asked Su Mu.

"Elder Brother Sui Ren, you and Elder Brother You Chao should take this Innate Ren Water Flat Peach leaf and go to West Kunlun. Ask Queen Mother of the West to shelter our people."

Then Su Mu turned to Zi Yi Shi. "Elder Sister Zi Yi, you and I will lead some of the people to Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Mountain and ask Great Immortal Zhenyuan to shelter them."

The Three Ancestors immediately informed the tens of millions of members of the Human Race that they were relocating. Most of them trusted the Three Ancestors and Su Mu, and they hurried into action.

However, some of the Human Race didn't want to leave their homeland. They believed that Shouyang Mountain was the Training Ground of the Saint Mother Nuwa, and that nobody would dare hurt them there.

The relocation had already begun. Members of the Human Race were heading in droves toward West Kunlun Mountain and Longevity Mountain.

Those who remained on Shouyang Mountain watched the others leave and began to speak. "Is there any place safer than the Saint Mother's Training Ground? Back then, the Saint Mother even drove off the Three Pure Ones."

Chaos Purple Cloud Palace.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun sat upright on his cloud bed and looked at the Six Sages below. "Today, I will preach to you once more.

"You must listen in stillness and cast aside distracting thoughts." Though the Six Sages were confused, they began listening attentively.

What the Sages didn't know was that as soon as Dao Ancestor Hongjun began preaching, he sealed the Purple Cloud Palace with the power of the Heavenly Dao, preventing them from sensing the Primordial World.

Thirty-three Heavens, Demon Race Heavenly Court.

Di Jun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi were discussing the forging of the Witch-Slaying Sword when a minor demon came to report from outside the hall that the Human Race had left Shouyang Mountain and was heading toward West Kunlun and Longevity Mountain.

"Second Brother, we must act quickly. Zhenyuanzi and Queen Mother of the West are both peak Quasi-Saints. If they really shelter the Human Race, I'm afraid we won't be able to forge the Witch-Slaying Sword." Di Jun looked at Eastern Emperor Taiyi.

"Elder Brother, I'll dispatch the troops immediately to hunt down the Human Race. We shouldn't tell Fuxi about this operation.

"He might stop us if he learns we're hunting the Human Race his sister created." Eastern Emperor Taiyi looked to Di Jun for approval.

"Good. Call the Ten Great Demon Saints. The twelve of us will lead the army." Di Jun was also afraid Fuxi would make trouble.

Di Jun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi led the Ten Great Demon Saints and the Demon Race's army in a mighty advance, pursuing the Human Race.

"Su Mu, we're nearly at the boundary of Longevity Mountain. Should we take a break?" Zi Yi Shi asked.

"Even though we have some cultivation, most of the people are ordinary and haven't attained immortality."

"We can't. We can only stop once we reach Longevity Mountain and see Great Immortal Zhenyuan," Su Mu said sternly to Zi Yi Shi.

Seeing how stern Su Mu was, Zi Yi Shi grew anxious. Su Mu was rarely this serious.

"What could it be..." Before Zi Yi Shi could finish, the sky behind them suddenly darkened.

"Elder Sister Zi Yi, take the people and get into Longevity Mountain as quickly as you can." After saying this, Su Mu transformed into a streak of light and flew toward the Demon Race in the sky.

Zi Yi Shi watched Su Mu's departing figure. Though she was worried, she still called out to the people, "Everyone, hurry! Get into Longevity Mountain!"

Looking at the sky packed with demons, the members of the Human Race were terrified, and they quickened their pace without thinking.

Su Mu was already fighting the Demon Race. Though they greatly outnumbered him, their strongest fighters, including Di Jun, had yet to arrive, and he managed to hold back the army.

West Kunlun was closer than Longevity Mountain, so the group arrived there quickly.

At the foot of West Kunlun Mountain, Sui Ren Shi bowed toward the mountain and called out, "Sui Ren Shi of the Human Race requests an audience with Queen Mother of the West."

Queen Mother of the West sat in her Training Ground and opened her eyes. "Xuannü, go see what he wants."

"Yes, Teacher." Nine Heavens Xuannü left the Training Ground and went down to the foot of the mountain.

"What brings the ancestor of the Human Race to West Kunlun?" Nine Heavens Xuannü asked.

"Immortal, my younger brother Su Mu sent us to ask Queen Mother of the West to shelter the Human Race." As Sui Ren Shi spoke, he took out the Innate Ren Water Flat Peach leaf.

Nine Heavens Xuannü took the leaf and looked toward Queen Mother of the West. "Teacher."

"Let them enter the mountain," Queen Mother of the West said, her voice carrying the Dao. Su Mu was a direct disciple of Saintess Nuwa, and he had also helped Nine Heavens Xuannü. Naturally, as her teacher, she should repay that favor on behalf of her disciple.

Sui Ren Shi bowed. "Thank you, Queen Mother of the West." He then organized the Human Race and led them into West Kunlun. As soon as they entered, the Demon Race's army arrived at the mountain.

Di Jun had personally led the troops. He looked at Queen Mother of the West and said, "Fellow Daoist Queen Mother of the West, are you going to protect the Human Race?"

Queen Mother of the West said nothing. She immediately summoned the Xuan Yuan Water Control Banner, using the Peach Tree of Immortality as the formation's core to set up the Innate Ren Water Formation.

With Queen Mother of the West controlling the formation at her peak Quasi-Saint level, it was naturally difficult to break through.

But Di Jun still attacked. He and three Demon Saints joined forces to break the formation. As time passed, Queen Mother of the West began to struggle, so the female immortals of her Training Ground joined the battle as well. Together, they barely managed to hold back the Demon Race's attacks.

At Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Mountain, Zhenyuanzi, the Ancestor of Earth Immortals, watched the Human Race entering the mountain in one group after another, along with the Demon Race in the sky.

With a wave of his hand, Zhenyuanzi helped the Human Race enter Longevity Mountain. Then he summoned the Book of Earth and set up the Book of Earth Formation.

As Su Mu neared Longevity Mountain, he began sending a voice transmission to Zhenyuanzi. "Great Immortal Zhenyuan, I'm Su Mu of the Human Race. I humbly ask you to protect our people.

"If you're willing to help us, I'll offer you the Twelve-Grade Pure World White Lotus, a Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, in exchange. I hope you'll accept."

That was why Zhenyuanzi intervened. Eastern Emperor Taiyi arrived and immediately brought the Eastern Emperor Bell crashing down on Su Mu. Su Mu managed to summon the Supreme Innate Spiritual Treasure Creation Pagoda in time, but the blow still sent him tumbling from the sky.

Zhenyuanzi waved his hand and drew Su Mu into the Book of Earth Formation.

Both groups now had protectors. Tragically, though, the Human Race left behind on Shouyang Mountain suffered a merciless slaughter.

As time passed, more and more members of the Human Race were killed by the Demon Race. Their blood was collected, and their souls forcibly captured.

Their bodies, meanwhile, became food for the Demon Race, who ruthlessly devoured them.

Every person of the Human Race who died was filled with unbearable pain and resentment. Their grievances gradually gathered together, forming a tremendous force.

Grievous energy spread through the air, like a dense cloud blanketing the entire world.

It continued to accumulate until it covered the whole sky, blocking out the sunlight and plunging the land into darkness.

People looked up and saw the sky filled with thick, resentful energy. The sight weighed heavily on their hearts.

This resentment was more than an outpouring of emotion; it was a silent protest against the Demon Race's atrocities. It seemed to speak of the suffering and injustice endured by the Human Race, and of their despair for the future.

The Human Race under the protection of both sides watched as those left on Shouyang Mountain were slaughtered. Some were relieved they had left, but they were also overwhelmed by grief. They all wept, and some even shed tears of blood.

Chaos Purple Cloud Palace. Nuwa sensed the Human Race's Destiny plummet. "Could it be...?" She looked up at the Dao Ancestor on his cloud bed.

Nuwa's heart ached. "Was I wrong?"