Hongjun's retreat caused a tremendous uproar among the saints.
This meant that humanity, once a weak and frail race, had officially stepped onto the Primordial World's political stage and gained the qualifications to contend with the Dao Ancestor.
And the ones who had granted them that qualification were the mysterious "Technology Fleet" and the mysterious man who had emerged from Nuwa's body—Chen Ran.
As the news spread, the entire Primordial World was shaken.
Countless races and independent cultivators who had once looked down on humanity began to reassess this rising power.
Chen Ran, meanwhile, seized this precious window of opportunity to begin the next phase of his plan—"flexing muscle."
High-end combat power alone was not enough. They had to show the entire Primordial World humanity's true fangs.
Inside the command room of the flagship Civilization.
Chen Ran stood before an enormous Star Chart, with the Three Sovereigns and humanity's high-ranking Generals lined up on either side.
"Though the Dao Ancestor has retreated for now, he will never let this go. The 'Investiture of the Gods Calamity' he mentioned is a blade hanging over our heads."
Chen Ran's voice reached every ear with perfect clarity.
"The Heavenly Court lacks three hundred and sixty-five righteous gods. Those vacancies will be filled sooner or later. If we do not strike first, we will become pieces on the board."
Heavenly Sovereign Suiren Shi stepped forward and asked in a grave voice, "What do you mean, sir?"
"Very simple."
Chen Ran pointed to a region on the Star Chart.
"Rather than wait passively for the calamity, why don't we conduct our own 'Investiture of the Gods'?"
The place he indicated was the Northern Jialu Continent, the stronghold of the demon race's remnants.
"After the Witch-Demon War, the Demon Heavenly Court shattered, but a centipede does not stop wriggling after death. Though Di Jun and Taiyi are dead, Demon Marshals like Bai Ze and Ying Zhao remain. They gathered the remnants and entrenched themselves in the Northern Jialu Continent, frequently harassing our human border tribes."
"They are our finest source of 'divine positions.'"
"I order the First, Second, and Third Human Fleets to depart at once and launch an expedition against the Northern Jialu Continent!"
"Objective: completely eliminate the demon race's remaining forces and make those Demon Marshals who resist to the bitter end the first names on humanity's Investiture of the Gods List!"
"This battle must not merely be fought—it must be fought magnificently, fought in a way that displays humanity's might!"
"Let the entire Primordial World see what happens to anyone who dares lay a hand on humanity!"
Chen Ran's orders rang out with ironclad force, filled with unquestionable authority.
"Yes! We obey your command, sir!"
The Three Sovereigns and the Generals answered in unison, blazing Fighting Spirit burning in their eyes.
They had waited far too long for this day.
Soon, three massive fleets, led by the flagship Civilization, marched mightily toward the Northern Jialu Continent.
This time, they did not conceal their movements.
Instead, they roared openly across the skies of the Primordial World.
The steel tide that blotted out the heavens filled every living being who saw it from the ground with a soul-deep tremor.
"Th-That... what is that?"
"It's humanity's fleet! Where are they going?"
"What terrifying killing intent! Are they going to war?"
Northern Jialu Continent, Myriad Demon Hall.
Demon Master Kunpeng, Bai Ze, Ying Zhao, and the other Demon Marshals had gathered together.
The atmosphere inside the hall was incomparably oppressive.
"Humanity... has gone too far!"
A wolf demon marshal roared furiously. "Not only did they steal the position of protagonists of heaven and earth that should have belonged to us, but now they dare declare war on us so openly!"
"Hmph, a pack of ants relying on strange tricks and clever devices. Do they really think they can contend with our demon race?"
"It is good that they have come! Let us taste what the flesh and blood of these 'protagonists of heaven and earth' tastes like!"
The hall erupted in impassioned cries, and shouts of slaughter shook the skies.
Yet Demon Master Kunpeng and the wise Bai Ze, seated at the head of the hall, wore deeply furrowed brows.
Both of them sensed an unprecedented threat from that fleet.
"Do not underestimate them."
Bai Ze spoke slowly. His ability to calculate the secrets of heaven was unmatched among the demon race.
"I have divined this battle. For our demon race... the odds are grim."
"What?"
"Sir Bai Ze, you are boosting others' morale while dampening our own!"
"What is there to fear from mere humans?"
Bai Ze gave a bitter smile and did not explain further.
Because he knew that his clansmen, blinded by hatred, would not listen.
He could only place his hopes on Demon Master Kunpeng.
As a peak Quasi-Saint who had lived from ancient times to the present, Kunpeng's strength was unfathomable.
Perhaps only he could withstand humanity's advancing blade.
Kunpeng said nothing. He merely raised his head, his gaze seeming to pierce through the ceiling of Myriad Demon Hall toward the approaching steel storm clouds.
In his eyes flickered a light woven from wariness and greed.
The battle erupted without warning.
After humanity's fleet arrived above the Northern Jialu Continent, they wasted no words.
The flagship Civilization's main cannon—the Human Way Destruction Beam—began charging.
Vast energy gathered at the muzzle, forming an energy sphere enough to make even a Quasi-Saint's heart race.
"Fire."
Standing on the bridge, Chen Ran calmly gave the order.
Boom—!!!
A dazzling pillar of light that pierced heaven and earth descended from the sky and struck the mountain-protecting formation of Myriad Demon Hall with pinpoint accuracy.
The demon race's grand formation, capable of resisting the combined assault of several Quasi-Saints, shook violently beneath that single blast, its radiance instantly dimming by more than half.
Every demon was stunned senseless by that shot.
What... what kind of attack was that?
"All fleets, fire at will! Target every location where demon aura is concentrated!"
At Chen Ran's command.
The secondary cannons of thousands of warships opened fire at once.
In an instant, countless energy beams poured down like torrential rain, engulfing the entire Northern Jialu Continent in a sea of flames.
"Counterattack! Counterattack now!"
The demons finally came to their senses. Riding demon clouds and unleashing divine abilities, they charged toward the fleet in the sky.
But what greeted them was an even denser web of firepower.
And... countless Psionic Mechas flying out from the warships.
A Dimensional Strike of "technology" against "mythology" had officially begun.
The demon race's divine abilities and spells could only send ripples across the mechas' energy shields.
But the High-Frequency Battle Sabers and Psionic Beam Guns in the mechas' hands could easily tear through the demons' physical defenses.
From the very beginning, the battle had been utterly one-sided.
Humanity was slaughtering them in a manner the demon race could not comprehend at all.
Just as the demon army was about to collapse.
An enraged roar came from the depths of Myriad Demon Hall.
"You brat! How dare you!"
Demon Master Kunpeng finally made his move.
He transformed into his true Kunpeng form, vast enough to cover the sky. With a sweep of his wings, he raised endless fierce winds that engulfed dozens of mechas and shredded them to pieces.
With a single inhalation, endless Netherworld True Water transformed into towering waves that surged toward the flagship Civilization.
The might of a peak Quasi-Saint was fully displayed.
However, Chen Ran had anticipated this long ago.
"Three Sovereigns, it is your turn."
"Yes!"
Heavenly Sovereign Suiren Shi, Earthly Sovereign Youchao Shi, and Human Sovereign Ziyi Shi leaped from the flagship together.
None of them wore a mecha.
Yet behind them appeared three immense Concept Weapons formed from Human Way Destiny and Civilization Power.
Behind Suiren Shi shone a blazing, resplendent sun burning with the Sacred Fire of Civilization.
Behind Youchao Shi stood a towering divine city that suppressed the ages.
Behind Ziyi Shi floated a magnificent heavenly garment woven with scenes from countless civilizations.
The Three Sovereigns joined forces, their auras merging into one, faintly showing signs of surpassing Quasi-Saints and touching the threshold of saints!
"Demon, die!"
The Three Sovereigns charged toward Kunpeng.
A pinnacle battle that would determine the future structure of the Primordial World thus began.
While the Primordial World fought with blazing intensity.
In the depths of boundless chaos.
Several figures, equally powerful yet utterly incompatible with the Primordial World's laws, were drawn by the aftershocks of the battle.
Their gazes pierced through endless chaos and fell upon humanity's fleet, brimming with a sense of "technology."
"Oh? Such an impoverished world has actually given birth to such an interesting civilization?"
"The rudiments of Mechanical Ascension... interesting."
"It seems it could serve as a fine 'testing ground' and 'Resource Point.'"
A deep voice filled with a metallic texture echoed through the chaos.
"Pass on my order. Dispatch an Explorers fleet to that world."
"Lock onto the coordinates."
"Objective: capture this civilization's core technologies and analyze its potential."
"If there is resistance... subject it to 'formatting.'"
A greater crisis from beyond the Primordial World was silently descending.
Before you continue