They saw a vast, densely packed crowd of humans near Buzhou Mountain.
Nearly ten million.
Men and women, young and old, were all filled with joy.
Chu Yan let out a long breath. The Human Race truly lived up to its reputation as the future protagonist of the Primordial World.
Then he looked at the One Hundred Thousand Innate Humans. Thankfully, the Human Race Destiny still bolstered them; otherwise, they would have grown old long ago.
Chu Yan understood that if the Human Race Cultivation Method did not appear soon, all the One Hundred Thousand Innate Humans would likely perish within a thousand years.
As for the acquired humans, their lifespans were only around a hundred years. Fortunately, the Human Race reproduced quickly and thought nimbly.
That was one advantage.
"Greetings, Human Master."
The moment Chu Yan appeared, every human knelt.
The legends of Chu Yan had long been etched into every human's soul and bones.
He had stood up to Sages, challenged Hongjun, and slain Taiqing.
Every one of these deeds filled the humans with pride.
"Rise. The Human Race has only just begun to flourish. There will be many more hardships ahead, so do not forget your original purpose."
"We will obey, Human Master."
After giving them a few words of instruction, Chu Yan manifested his true form and crossed a thousand li in a single step.
The instant he stepped into the Primordial World, Chu Yan was stunned.
"How strange. Why is there so little baleful aura between Heaven and Earth? This doesn't make sense."
During the Witch-Demon War, baleful aura had filled Heaven and Earth. Otherwise, the Twelve Ancestor Witches would not have been influenced into fighting the Demon Race to the death.
Nor would they have broken Buzhou Mountain.
Yet the Primordial World now felt utterly inscrutable.
"Could someone have tampered with things?"
But with the Heavenly Mechanism in chaos, and Chu Yan himself lacking cultivation, he could not see through it.
"Forget it. The urgent matter comes first."
He took another step forward.
"Fellow Daoist Tongtian, I, Chu Yan of the Human Race, have a favor to ask. I hope you will come out and meet me."
His calm voice boomed like thunder, instantly resounding throughout the Primordial World.
In an instant, all the Great Powers of the Primordial World awoke and looked toward the sound.
"That's the voice of the Human Race Teacher. Has he entered the Primordial World?"
"We've had two hundred years of peace. Now that the Human Race Teacher has entered the Primordial World again, is chaos about to begin once more?"
They all projected their Dharma Bodies. But the next instant, their expressions changed dramatically.
"Heavens, how can there be so many humans?"
"Wait, look! How can the Human Race Destiny be so vast?"
"What?"
Countless Great Powers were shocked.
Hadn't they said the Human Race Destiny had been depleted after the previous battle with Taiqing?
How had the Human Race Destiny grown so much in just two hundred years?
"Terrifying. What incredible potential. I can't believe that in two hundred years, the Human Race Destiny has not only recovered its previous losses, but even grown stronger. Even the Witch Race has benefited from it."
The Six Heavenly Dao Saints were equally greedy and resentful when they saw this.
"Damn it! This is unforgivable! This Human Race Destiny should have been mine! Chu Yan, I will kill you!"
Nuwa was seething with rage.
Yuanshi, Jieyin, and Zhunti felt the same envy and resentment.
Suddenly, an angry voice rang out.
"Chu Yan, you dare show your face in the Primordial World? Today, this Saint will destroy you!"
A handprint descended from the Nine Heavens, and a Dharma Body entered the Primordial World.
The Primordial World trembled instantly.
"Heavens, that's Saint Taiqing's might! He's actually trying to kill Chu Yan!"
"Chu Yan humiliated Saint Taiqing. If he isn't killed, how can the Sage preserve his dignity?"
Chu Yan's eyes narrowed. He raised one hand, and the Killing Spear appeared in his grasp.
He charged straight at the Heaven-Covering Great Hand Seal.
"Do you think I'm afraid of you?"
Rumble...
The moment they collided, the entire Primordial Void rang with an explosive boom.
Pfft—
Chu Yan spat out a mouthful of blood, but his fighting spirit only rose higher.
When the Great Powers of the Primordial World saw this, their expressions changed dramatically.
Chu Yan had actually withstood a Sage's attack. He was truly monstrous.
But the next instant, they were left dumbfounded.
Pfft—
Taiqing spat out a mouthful of blood too.
"How could this be?"
Taiqing's expression changed drastically. He was a Sage. How could he have suffered a backlash?
Had his Teacher's hint been wrong? Was he not supposed to kill Chu Yan?
Taiqing stared in disbelief, utterly stunned.
"The Sage actually spat blood? When did Chu Yan become so powerful?"
Countless Great Powers of the Primordial World were aghast.
Chu Yan's Ten-Thousand-Zhang Golden Body erupted once more, and his terrifying killing intent took physical form.
"Taiqing, you dare show your face before me again? Do you really think I'm afraid of you?"
He reached out, and the Killing Spear instantly turned scarlet.
"Condense!"
In an instant, the terrifying killing intent of the Human Race enveloped the entire Primordial World.
Chu Yan was clad in Human Race Destiny, and his will manifested as a Golden War God.
"Taiqing, do you really think becoming a Sage lets you do whatever you want? If I could kill you once, I can kill you again. Even if you've become a Sage, I still dare to kill you—"
Rumble...
A bolt of thunder split the clear sky. Heavenly Tribulation descended, shocking countless Great Powers.
Chu Yan truly feared nothing. He had actually dared to insult a Sage.
Faced with the lightning punishment, countless Great Powers of the Primordial World hurriedly retreated. They couldn't afford to get involved in a battle like this.
But Chu Yan advanced instead of retreating. He was truly formidable.
"Chu Yan! I'll kill you!"
Taiqing instantly flew into a rage. He was a Sage, yet Chu Yan had exposed his greatest shame. The humiliation was unbearable.
As Leader of the Human Religion, he had not the slightest share of the Human Race Destiny. That alone was humiliating.
Now Chu Yan had dragged that wound into the open again. Taiqing had lost every shred of dignity.
"Chu Yan, if you had stayed hidden in the Ancestor Witch Divine Hall, this Saint would have been unable to do anything to you. But you entered the Primordial World and came looking for death. Today, this Saint will grant your wish."
The Heavenly Mechanism was now obscured, and fate was in chaos. Even if he killed Chu Yan, the Heavenly Dao would cover for him. After all, turning a Variable into a Fixed Number required a price.
Besides, after becoming a Sage, Taiqing had already seen the fate of the Human Race during the Witch-Monster Tribulation. The One Hundred Thousand Innate Humans were destined to perish.
"Die!"
The terrifying power descended. The Sage's attack was indeed overwhelming, and every living being in the Primordial World trembled.
Taiqing had put all his strength into this strike.
"You want to kill me? You're not worthy."
Chu Yan charged forward, and the Human Race Destiny erupted in an instant.
"Break!"
Rumble...
Pfft—
Pfft—
Chu Yan and Taiqing both spat blood and were sent flying backward.
"How could this be?"
Taiqing's face changed drastically. This time, he saw it clearly: he had suffered a backlash.
The countless Great Powers of the Primordial World watched, stunned. Was Chu Yan really this powerful?
But the other Sages understood what was happening.
"So that's why. Saint Taiqing's Human Religion exists to teach the Human Race. By attacking and killing a human, he has violated its Doctrine. No wonder he suffered a backlash."
Hearing this, Taiqing was so furious he nearly lost control. That wretched Doctrine!
Though he had taught them absolutely nothing.
Chu Yan was in bad shape too. A Sage's might was no easy thing to withstand.
If he hadn't been able to freely draw upon the Human Race Destiny, that last strike would have killed him.
Even so, he had depleted a great deal of the Human Race Destiny.
"Brothers, I ask you to lend me your aid and kill Chu Yan. We'll divide the Human Race Destiny equally."
Seeing that he couldn't kill Chu Yan alone, Taiqing had no choice but to join forces with the other Sages.
Otherwise, he would violate his Doctrine completely, and his Human Religion would be finished.
"Elder Brother, I'll come to your aid."
The next instant, the Pangu Banner appeared, illuminating the Primordial World. Yuanshi Tianzun had arrived, and its power immediately suppressed Chu Yan's aura.
"And this Saint as well."
The Map of Mountains and Rivers unfurled, once more suppressing Chu Yan. Nuwa had arrived.
"Chu Yan, this Saint created the Human Race, yet you refuse to bow to the Holy Mother. Such defiance is intolerable. Today, this Saint will erase you."
Three Sages had arrived.
The Human Race Destiny was so immense that even Sages wanted to claim it. Even an equal share would be enough for them to enjoy.
Suddenly, the Dharma Bodies of Jieyin and Zhunti descended as well.
"Chu Yan, the Human Race Destiny has a connection to the Western Lands. If you join our Western Dao Tradition, the Two Saints of the West will keep you safe."
"Get lost!"
Chu Yan roared, unafraid in the slightest.
"You two Western baldies are nothing. You dare show off in front of me? Believe it or not, one day I'll destroy the Western Teachings and cut off your Dao Tradition!"
Thump—
The Two Saints of the West turned pale. Chu Yan was a madman.
"Chu Yan, stop spreading lies. With the Five Saints joining forces today, you're as good as dead."
"Is that so?"
Suddenly, terrifying Killing Aura surged from the Primordial World. The next instant, Sect Master Tongtian descended.
"Immortal Slaying Sword Formation, rise!"
Before you continue