Nuwa Halts the War

Under the influence of the calamity aura, the Witch Clan and Demon Race had already killed until their eyes ran red, knowing nothing but slaughter.

Now, with Bai Jing's Purification Dao lending its aid, those of lower cultivation in both clans were the first to regain their senses.

Only when they looked around did they realize that in this battle, both sides had lost so many of their people.

The Witch Clan had lost nearly thirty percent of its members, while the Demon Race had likely lost more than half.

Shebi Shi, who had been charging through the Demon Race's battle formation, likewise had bloodshot eyes under the influence of the calamity aura.

He punched a great demon of the Demon Race before him. The great demon, a Da Luo realm cultivator, wore a terrified expression and tried to flee, but Shebi Shi was a mid-stage Hunyuan Golden Immortal. How could a mere Da Luo possibly escape?

The great demon could not even struggle; he could not so much as move. He could only be beaten into drifting ash by Shebi Shi's fists.

After eliminating a Da Luo of the Demon Race, Shebi Shi swept his bloodthirsty gaze over the battlefield. Just as he was about to continue his charge, a gentle white light descended from the sky.

The pupils that had been filled with slaughter and bloodlust gradually cleared, and the crimson color faded from Shebi Shi's eyes.

Shebi Shi slowly regained his senses.

It was not only him. Apart from the region of space immobilized by the Chaos Bell, the ancestral witches of the Witch Clan and the demon sages of the Demon Race across the rest of the battlefield also gradually broke free from the calamity aura's influence and regained their senses with the help of Bai Jing's Purification Dao.

Zhurong, who had always possessed a fiery temper, revealed a shocked expression as he looked at the mountain of corpses and sea of blood below. Many clansmen he knew had actually fallen.

The other ancestral witches were equally incredulous. Had their Witch Clan not held an absolute advantage? Why had so many of their people still fallen?

Dijun, who had been fighting Di Jiang in the void, also gradually regained clarity of mind under the influence of the Purification Dao.

Dijun subconsciously glanced down at the battlefield, and his expression changed drastically.

The Demon Race army he had brought had somehow been reduced to less than half.

His younger brother, Eastern Emperor Taiyi, was being beaten down by Zhu Jiuyin and Houtu. Without the Chaos Bell, he would likely have been smashed to pieces already.

Fuxi was likewise being easily suppressed by Xuanming. If Fuxi had not been Nuwa's elder brother and Xuanming had not held back, he would likely have long since been defeated.

There was even less need to mention the demon sages. Under the attacks of the Witch Clan's ancestral witches, they were barely holding on. Almost none of them had escaped severe injuries.

Was the gap in strength between the Demon Race and Witch Clan truly so enormous?

Dijun was horrified. He quickly summoned the River Chart and Luo Script to block Di Jiang's attack, then shouted, "Di Jiang, this battle ends here!"

Dijun had regained his senses, and naturally, Di Jiang had as well.

Looking at the Witch Clan below, which had suffered nearly thirty percent casualties, his heart ached beyond measure. Many of these clansmen had grown up little by little under his watch. Calling them his children would not have been an exaggeration, yet now they had fallen here.

How could Di Jiang possibly let Dijun off so easily? He had made up his mind to kill Dijun on the spot and avenge his people!

Seeing that Di Jiang still intended to attack, Dijun grew anxious. At that moment, a scroll slowly unfurled from the heavens, and the ordinary members of both the Witch Clan and Demon Race on the battlefield below were instantly immobilized by it.

"The Mountains and Rivers State Map? Nuwa, have you gone mad? Interfering at a time like this—isn't that seeking death?" Xuanming muttered as she stared fixedly at the scroll.

Fuxi likewise looked worriedly toward the scroll in the sky. The two clans had fought to such a point that the karmic burden was already immense. Even if his younger sister was a Heaven-ordained Saint, could she withstand such karma?

Bai Jing's gaze also fell upon Nuwa. He too could not understand why Nuwa had chosen to intervene at this moment. For now, he could only wait and see how she handled it.

"By now, both clans have suffered grievous losses. Why not stop here?" Nuwa's voice rang across the entire battlefield.

"What a joke! You say stop, and we stop? If we don't slaughter Dijun, that mongrel-feathered bird, my Witch Clan will never stop!"

Faced with Di Jiang's utter lack of courtesy, Nuwa did not grow angry and continued, "Fellow Daoist Di Jiang, quite a few injured members of your Witch Clan can still be saved. If you are willing to stop, I can use the Dao of Creation to help heal them."

Di Jiang's eyes lit up. "Is that true?"

"Of course."

"Fine! I'll give you, a Heaven-ordained Saint, this respect. Witch Clan, heed my command! Everyone, cease fighting!"

Nuwa sighed in relief upon hearing this. She had truly feared that she would be unable to persuade Di Jiang.

Fortunately, what Xuanming had told her earlier was true. Di Jiang valued every member of the Witch Clan immensely, especially the final batches of Witch Clan members who had taken form from the blood pool. Their bloodlines were inferior to those who had formed from the blood pool earlier, and their cultivation was weaker. Di Jiang had always protected them, like a father silently guarding his children.

Thus, healing the Witch Clan was Nuwa's greatest bargaining chip. If even that had failed, Nuwa would not have known what to do.

Fortunately, Di Jiang chose to stop for the sake of his people's lives.

"Nuwa Empress, many members of my Demon Race still have a sliver of life left. I ask Nuwa Empress to lend her aid," Dijun hurriedly requested.

"Save my Witch Clan first." Before Nuwa could speak, Di Jiang spoke first.

"Di Jiang, in your dreams! Fellow Daoist Nuwa is the Demon Emperor of my Demon Race—"

"Fine! Then let's keep fighting!" With that, Di Jiang threw a punch at Dijun.

"Fellow Daoist Di Jiang, stop!" Nuwa called out to halt Di Jiang, then turned to Dijun and said, "Fellow Daoist Dijun, the Demon Race lost this battle. Take your people and withdraw. Once I have healed the Witch Clan, I will naturally go to the Heavenly Court to heal the Demon Race's people."

Though unwilling, Dijun knew that Nuwa was not wrong. The Witch Clan indeed held the advantage now, and not a small one. If they pressed on in one breath, they might even have a chance to completely wipe out the Demon Race.

If Di Jiang had not cared so deeply for his people, the Demon Race might have faced annihilation today.

Nuwa telling the Demon Race to withdraw now was also for the Demon Race's own good.

Dijun let out a long sigh. "Demon Race, withdraw the troops. Return to the Heavenly Court with me!"

Following Dijun's command, the Demon Race soldiers carried their wounded comrades and retreated one after another.

The Witch Clan likewise sounded the gong to withdraw under Di Jiang's orders.

Hearing the signal to withdraw, Zhu Jiuyin flew into a rage. The Demon Race had clearly been on the verge of collapse. Unwilling to accept it, he viciously slammed the Chaos Bell, and Taiyi, hiding within the bell, let out another muffled groan of pain.

After enduring more than a decade of siege by two ancestral witches whose cultivation was a full realm higher than his, even with the Chaos Bell, Eastern Emperor Taiyi had reached his limit.

Now that he heard the two clans had ceased fighting, Eastern Emperor Taiyi actually felt as though a great weight had been lifted. He released the immobilized space, controlled the Chaos Bell, and turned it into a rainbow streak that vanished beyond the horizon.

Watching Eastern Emperor Taiyi's escaping light, Zhu Jiuyin was unwilling to let him go. With reddened eyes, he roared, "What is Big Brother thinking? We have such a huge advantage—why have we stopped fighting?!"

Houtu was also somewhat unwilling. Just as she was about to speak, gentle white light fell upon her. Her entire body trembled, and reason returned.

She looked at the mountain of corpses and sea of blood below, only then realizing just how brutal this great battle between the two clans had been!

Zhu Jiuyin was likewise enveloped by the white light, but compared to Houtu, he had been more deeply affected by the calamity aura and had not yet fully regained his senses.