"Impossible!"
"That's absolutely impossible!"
Di Jun's whole body shuddered as if he'd been struck hard. He suddenly spat out a mouthful of golden blood essence and stared at Huang Tian in disbelief, crying out in shock.
Golden light still blazed around Huang Tian, who was like the scorching sun hanging high in the sky.
Di Jun and the countless living beings watching from all across the Prehistoric World couldn't look directly at Huang Tian.
They could only make out a towering figure within the golden light.
He stood between heaven and earth, looking down upon all creation, unmatched in his domineering presence.
"What's impossible?"
"I am the Human Emperor of the Human Race, Huang Tian!"
"At the same time, I wield the authority of the Purple Emperor Star."
"The Purple Emperor Star is the Lord of All Stars. It stands in the Central Enclosure of the Three Enclosures, commands the celestial constellations, and governs the celestial order."
"It is ten thousand times more exalted than the twin stars of the Sun and Moon."
"Di Jun, you merely borrowed the power of Hetu Luoshu to draw on the energy of the stars, yet you dare to show off your paltry skills before me."
"Trying to command the stars to suppress the Lord of All Stars—don't you think that's laughable?"
From within the golden light, Huang Tian gazed at the disheveled and stunned Di Jun, his expression utterly indifferent.
"Chirp!!"
Without the slightest hesitation, before Huang Tian had even finished speaking, Di Jun could no longer keep his composure.
He instantly transformed into his Golden Crow True Form, and Demon Emperor Dijun let out a shrill cry.
In an instant, his Golden Crow True Form, ten trillion zhang tall, shot into the sky, wreathed in Sun True Fire that could incinerate the heavens and destroy the earth.
Wherever he passed, the void twisted from the heat, and the seawater evaporated.
The entire Shore of the East Sea trembled before the boundless, terrifying Sun True Fire.
Seeing this, living beings of the Ten Thousand Races throughout the Prehistoric World cried out in shock, their faces filled with disbelief.
"The Human Race is truly terrifying. They actually forced Demon Emperor Di Jun to reveal his Golden Crow True Form!"
"Ever since he took charge of the Demon Clan, Demon Emperor Di Jun has fought in his true form only a handful of times."
"Every time he's revealed his Golden Crow True Form, Di Jun has had the last laugh."
"If the Human Race had a little more time, and their Human Emperor could keep growing, the Demon Clan would never be a match for them."
"What a pity!"
"In just a million years, the Human Emperor has grown to such a level. He even broke the Lesser Zhou Tian Star Dou Formation and forced Di Jun to transform into his Golden Crow True Form. How terrifying!"
"Unfortunately, this is as far as the Human Race will go. Aside from the Ancestral Witches joining forces or a Sage descending, the Golden Crow True Form is invincible!"
Discussions rose and fell, and the living beings of the Ten Thousand Races all shook their heads, none of them believing Huang Tian could win.
Yet, as everyone watched, something utterly astonishing happened.
That Golden Crow True Form, ten trillion zhang tall, actually used Hetu Luoshu to shield itself, then turned and fled, trailing raging Sun True Fire.
It was heading straight for the Demon Clan's lair: the Demon Court in the Thirty-three Heavens.
The sight left the Ten Thousand Races of the Prehistoric World dumbstruck.
Even the top Great Divine Powers were stunned.
No one had expected the haughty Demon Emperor Di Jun to flee in the middle of battle after revealing his true form!
Huang Tian fixed his gaze on the fleeing Di Jun. His eyes remained calm as he raised a fist and punched.
A fist force infused with the boundless Destiny of the Human Race and terrifying Imperial Dao Laws tore through the air, instantly catching up to the Golden Crow True Form, ten trillion zhang tall.
Boom!
The deafening blast shook heaven and earth. The Golden Crow True Form cracked, and countless drops of golden blood rained down like a shower of gold.
The golden rain fell upon the earth, burning through endless mountains, rivers, and lakes, and killing countless living beings along the way.
Strands of Karmic Retribution spread through the world, winding around Di Jun's Nascent Soul and Golden Crow True Form, steadily eroding his Demon Race Fortune.
"Your Majesty, Human Emperor!"
"Di Jun has been defeated. Please give the order!"
"We'll bring out our full strength and root out the Demon Clan!"
Taibai, Sui Ren Shi, Zi Yi Shi, and the other Six Human Clan Leaders hurried to Huang Tian's side. They knelt on one knee and respectfully requested his command.
"No need."
"Just now, when I struck, I sensed the aura of Hongjun, the Dao Ancestor of the Immortal Dao."
"Hongjun intervened in secret and sacrificed one of his avatars to protect Di Jun, allowing him to escape with only minor injuries."
"The Heavenly Dao is turning, and the Lich Tribulation has begun. This is now the Witch-Demon Era."
"In the opening clash between the Witch Clan and the Demon Clan, someone must bear the calamity of the Tribulation."
"The Heavenly Dao won't allow us to destroy the Demon Clan at this point. Otherwise, the Tribulation will fall out of balance, and even greater upheavals will arise."
"Besides, even if we could catch up to Di Jun and destroy the Demon Clan, I wouldn't wipe them out completely."
"The next era will belong to the Human Race."
"Until then, our most important task is to recuperate and build our strength."
"If we drive the Demon Clan into a corner now, they might throw caution to the wind and deploy the complete Zhou Tian Star Dou Formation, which can rival the power of a Sage."
"Even if the Human Race won in the end, it would be a Pyrrhic victory, costing us a great deal of our fortune and many of our people."
"Then the Witch Clan would simply reap the benefits. It wouldn't be worth it."
Huang Tian shook his head and looked toward the Zixiao Palace on Jade Capital Mountain, speaking in a calm voice.
"We will obey Your Majesty's command!"
Taibai and the others understood at once and solemnly accepted his order.
Then the Six Human Clan Leaders rose and respectfully stood behind Huang Tian.
"Hongjun, to protect Di Jun's escape, you were willing to sacrifice an avatar and lose several kalpas' worth of progress in your Dao Integration."
"But I'd like to see how long you can keep protecting the Demon Clan."
Huang Tian stared intently toward the Zixiao Palace on Jade Capital Mountain and murmured to himself.
Jade Capital Mountain, Zixiao Palace.
"What an extraordinary Human Race. What an extraordinary Human Emperor."
"Still, the Human Dao hasn't awakened, and the outcome remains uncertain."
Hongjun, with his white hair and youthful face, looked down at the Shore of the East Sea. Then he entered meditation once more, hastening his Dao Integration.
Wa Huang Palace.
"The Human Race is the tide of destiny?"
"But my elder brother joined the Demon Clan, and before I attained Sagehood, I was also closely tied to them. What should I choose?"
Nuwa murmured to herself, caught in a dilemma.
Kunlun Mountain.
"The Human Race actually won? Di Jun transformed into his Golden Crow True Form and fled?"
Laozi could hardly believe it.
"Useless Di Jun. He can't even defeat the Postnatal Human Race!"
Yuanshi sneered.
"Human Emperor! What an extraordinary Human Emperor!"
Tongtian's fighting spirit surged even higher.
The West, Mount Sumeru.
"Senior Brother, the East is blessed with outstanding people and fertile lands. Even the Postnatal Human Race has prospered so well, while our West..."
Zhunti's face fell as he spoke helplessly.
"That one won't stand by and watch the Human Race rise. Just wait."
With a bitter expression, Jieyin spoke calmly and resumed his meditation.
The Shore of the East Sea.
Brilliant golden light blazed around Huang Tian, and the aura of an emperor surged even more powerfully from him.
"Leaders of the twelve clans—the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig! Where are you?"
Huang Tian shouted. His overwhelming Human Emperor pressure swept outward, his voice echoing across the Shore of the East Sea and shaking heaven and earth.
The next moment, twelve brilliant beams of light shot up from various places along the Shore of the East Sea.
Each beam of light enveloped a dignified figure.
"Homage to the supreme Human Emperor!"
"Homage to the supreme Human Emperor!"
"Homage to the supreme Human Emperor!"
When the light faded, the leaders of the twelve clans knelt on one knee and respectfully called out to Huang Tian.
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