Only now did Nuwa realize why Chu Yan had made her agree to answer three questions earlier.
This bastard had been trying to trap her for the rest of her life.
If she agreed, then even after becoming a Sage, she would become the Human Race's enforcer.
But with the Heavenly Mechanism in chaos, Nuwa couldn't see the tribulations that lay ahead.
Still, she had seen what came before and after the Witch-Monster Tribulation. If she made a Dao Oath now, she would be utterly finished.
Even if she became a Sage, Chu Yan would have her completely under his thumb.
Chu Yan slowly rose to his feet and chuckled.
"What? You only just figured it out? You're pretty stupid."
"You..."
"What about me?"
Chu Yan cut Nuwa off at once.
"You want the benefits but don't want to do any of the work. Since when did the world offer such a good deal? Nuwa, do you know what you're doing? You want to have your cake and eat it too."
"Scoundrel! You've gone too far in insulting a Sage—"
As she spoke, Nuwa raised her hand to strike him.
"Nuwa, stop!"
Hongjun barked. At a time like this, how could she attack Chu Yan? Did she want Pangu to appear again?
Hongjun hated Chu Yan too. Who could have guessed the man would flip the table without warning?
He had nearly changed the General Trend.
Worse, he had nearly brought the Primordial World to the brink of collapse, sending it into the Immeasurable Tribulation ahead of its time.
If he could, Hongjun would have loved to slap Chu Yan to death.
But he held back and said to Nuwa, "You have become a Sage. Unless something important happens, you must not enter the Primordial World. You may establish a Daoist sanctuary Beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens."
"Yes, Teacher."
Hongjun then turned to Chu Yan. "Chu Yan, you be quiet too. Everything that's happened is because of you."
Hongjun had started trying to dump the blame on him. But how could Chu Yan fall for it? This was a colossal burden of Karma.
"This has nothing to do with me. You schemed against the Human Race, and now you expect us to be grateful?"
"Chu Yan, you're out of line!"
Before Hongjun could speak, his disciples had already lost their patience.
"I am out of line. So what? Come bite me."
"Enough!"
Seeing that another fight was about to break out, Hongjun hurriedly rebuked them, then addressed Chu Yan. "The Dao is fifty, while Heaven's Evolution is Forty-Nine. The One Escape Path grants all living beings a Thread of Life. Chu Yan, you secured this Thread of Life for the Human Race. From this moment on, you may serve as the Human Race Teacher and guide the Human Race. If you wish, you may also join my sect as its seventh disciple. But you must not alter the General Trend, or I will bring down Heavenly Tribulation upon you."
Chu Yan only laughed. What a damn clever scheme.
He immediately shot back, "You don't need to appoint me Human Race Teacher. I am of the Human Race, and the first among the Innate Humans. Guiding the Human Race is my responsibility. You needn't concern yourself with it."
Chu Yan remained undaunted. How could he not know what Hongjun was thinking?
The title was the same either way, but there was a vast difference between earning it himself and having Hongjun bestow it upon him.
If he didn't object, he would be accepting Hongjun's terms—and would surely be manipulated again.
Chu Yan knew that every one of these Primordial World big shots had eight million tricks up their sleeves.
Compared to them, he was nothing.
He would rather get nothing than give them leverage over him.
At the same time, those words also shut the door on Taiqing's chance to become a Sage. If Taiqing tried to force his way into the Human Race, Chu Yan would show no mercy.
He continued, "As for becoming your disciple? You're dreaming. We of the Primordial Human Race are each destined to become dragons. Our future is limitless. How could a mere disciple of the Dao Ancestor satisfy us? What right do you have to make the Human Race your disciples? Hongjun, you don't look like much, but you sure have a vivid imagination."
"You..."
Hongjun was so furious his beard bristled and his eyes bulged. How could he not see that Chu Yan was trying to escape the Fixed Number and become a Variable?
"What? Still have a problem? If you're not satisfied, we can fight again."
I'll be damned...
Hongjun's Three Corpse Gods nearly leaped out of him, and the veins on his forehead bulged.
Chu Yan knew Hongjun wouldn't dare start another fight, and that was why he acted without fear.
"Hongjun, listen carefully. The Human Race's affairs are for the Human Race to settle. Keep your disciples in line. If anyone dares set their sights on the Human Race, I will grind them to dust, no matter who they are. Not even a Sage will be spared."
His words were firm and decisive. When he finished, Chu Yan suddenly turned his gaze to Jieyin and Zhunti.
Chu Yan knew that after the Witch-Monster Tribulation came the Investiture of the Gods. Those two would be the ones to deceive Di Xin and humiliate Nuwa.
That was what led the Humanity Dao to be manipulated during the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation, leaving the Human Race without a Human Emperor.
Then he enunciated each word. "Even if it means we all perish together and the Primordial World is shattered."
As he spoke, Chu Yan unleashed a boundless killing intent, his resolve to fight to the death surging straight toward Hongjun.
Hongjun was so enraged he nearly lost control.
At last, he understood why Nuwa had been pulling her hair earlier.
Realizing Chu Yan had seen through his intentions, Hongjun forced down his anger and nodded. "Is that so? Then let's each rely on our own means. If you insist on this, you will bear all the karma and burdens of the Human Race from now on. Take your time to consider it. My seventh disciple's place in the Purple Sky Palace will remain open for you."
Hongjun's expression was neither sorrowful nor joyful, though his face was somewhat pale.
He had planned to turn every Variable into a Fixed Number.
But now it seemed that path would be a long one.
"Enough. We're leaving."
With that, Hongjun took his disciples and headed for the Purple Sky Palace.
Suddenly, Chu Yan called out to Tongtian without thinking. "Fellow Daoist Tongtian, the Xuanmen Immortal Path has no future. You'd be better off cultivating Pangu's Great Dao. You saw it yourself just now: one surge of Pangu's Will turned Hongjun into a dog."
Clang—
Hongjun stumbled and fell flat on his face.
He turned and roared, "Chu Yan, shut up!"
With a sweep of his hand, he made everyone disappear.
"Damn it, I thought you were going to do something. All you did was talk tough. You think I was scared of you?"
Watching Hongjun leave with Saint Nuwa and his other disciples, Chu Yan finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The countless mighty figures also began to disperse, each turning over their own schemes in their minds.
The Primordial Human Race had only just appeared, yet it had caused such a tremendous shock.
Pangu had even appeared—and for the sake of the Human Race, he had given up the chance to alter the River of Destiny.
Ancestor Minghe, Zhen Yuanzi, and the other big shots also began making plans of their own.
"Chu Yan."
An aged voice rang out.
Chu Yan turned and saw Dijiang, the leader of the Twelve Ancestor Witches.
But Dijiang had long since lost his earlier confidence and spirit. Now he looked like a frail old man on the verge of death.
"The Human Race's Thread of Life has been opened. You may develop as you please. If you need any help, come to the Ancestor Witch Divine Hall. Even if the Witch Race has to stake everything, we'll keep you safe."
Chu Yan was deeply moved by those words.
The Witch Race was only willing to pay any price because of Pangu.
Even so, this was a tremendous debt of Karma.
"Thank you. Once I've settled the Human Race, I'll come visit."
"Excellent. We've spent too much of our strength and can't stay long. We must return to the Ancestor Witch Divine Hall to recover."
With that, the Twelve Ancestor Witches dragged their weary bodies toward the Buzhou Mountain Range, one step at a time.
The earth trembled with every step they took.
Chu Yan was stunned. As expected, even in their old age, the Ancestor Witches were still unbelievably powerful.
All the mighty figures had left, leaving only the One Hundred Thousand Innate Humans standing dazed in the sea breeze by the Eastern Sea.
"People of the Human Race!"
Chu Yan's shout rang out.
Before you continue