Only after Hong Jun had been gone for a full half-quarter of an hour did the Ancestral Wu recover from that suffocating pressure.
"Fourth!" "Fourth Brother!" "Fourth Brother!"
The Wu shouted as they rushed toward where Zhu Rong had fallen.
Ju Mang and Hou Tu stepped forward and helped the badly wounded Zhu Rong up, one on either side, pouring out the power of their Laws without holding anything back.
Under the gentle nourishment of the Law of Wood and the Law of Earth, Zhu Rong spat out another mouthful of pitch-black, stagnant blood with a retch. Only then did his breathing gradually steady and his senses return.
"Fourth Brother, how do you feel?" Hou Tu watched Zhu Rong anxiously, her face filled with concern.
"I'm fine!" Zhu Rong gave a bitter smile and tried to move, only for a wave of searing pain to shoot through his body.
"Thank you both for treating me, Brother, Sister. My injuries have recovered by thirty percent. Moving around shouldn't be much of a problem now."
Recalling the moment Hong Jun had struck, Zhu Rong still had deep, lingering fear in his eyes, and his voice unconsciously took on a slight tremor.
"A Saint's might is truly terrifying. It was just a casual attack, yet I didn't even have the courage to resist."
The other Ancestral Wu all wore grave expressions upon hearing Zhu Rong's words.
Never mind Zhu Rong being unable to resist—even standing off to the side, they hadn't had the courage to act.
Seeing his brothers' and sisters' spirits sinking lower and lower, Di Jiang hurried to reassure them.
"There's no need to be so discouraged. At least we still have that move. We couldn't defeat a Saint with it, but there should still be hope of fighting one to a draw."
Everyone's eyes lit up at his words. Di Jiang continued, "But given our current state, we need far more practice working together. Otherwise, once the great tribulation truly descends..."
Di Jiang stopped halfway through and said no more, but the other Ancestral Wu all understood what he had left unspoken.
At the thought of the tribulation coming and the Wu Clan's fate hanging in uncertainty, none of them knew what to do.
Meanwhile.
The Demon Race was hardly faring any better. Every face was clouded with worry, and the oppressive atmosphere made it difficult to breathe.
"You Demon Gods all understand what the Dao Ancestor meant, don't you? Speak up and let your emperor hear it." Di Jun's gaze swept over the ten Demon Gods' varying expressions as he spoke solemnly.
"Well..."
The ten exchanged glances, hemming and hawing before falling silent. None wanted to be the bird that stuck its head out first. Nine Infants, Gui Che, and the others practically wished they could hide themselves away.
Of course they understood what Hong Jun had meant.
In the Demon Race's eyes, they alone were the protagonists of Hong Huang, while the living beings of all other races were merely tools Pangu had brought into being to nourish them.
Some went even further: Gui Che had refined the living beings of a hundred thousand tribes to absorb their blood energy, while Nine Infants had slaughtered a million living beings just to refine a single magical treasure...
Such deeds were commonplace.
Now that Di Jun was questioning them, the Demon Gods, knowing they were in the wrong, had no idea how to answer.
Looking at the Demon Gods with their heads bowed in silence, Bai Ze felt nothing but helplessness. He had warned them many times and had even personally snatched away living beings they regarded as blood food and set them free.
But no sooner had he released those captives than the others went somewhere else to capture more.
Bai Ze glanced at the panic-stricken Nine Infants and Gui Che, then sighed.
"If you knew it would come to this, why do it in the first place?"
He and Shang Yang exchanged a look and nodded resolutely.
The two stepped out from among the Ten Great Demon Gods, bowed to Di Jun with their hands clasped, and said, "Your Majesty, this happened because we failed in our oversight and were lax in our supervision. Please punish us."
Di Jun glanced at Bai Ze and Shang Yang, then swept his gaze over the other Demon Gods. Seeing their expressions as they let out long breaths of relief, he felt an inexplicable flame of anger rise in his heart.
He had thought the conduct Hong Jun described was limited to certain members of the Demon Race. Only upon seeing the Ten Great Demon Gods' reactions did he realize that no small number of demons must have been doing such things.
If even the Ten Great Demon Gods behaved this way, he could only imagine how utterly lawless the demons beneath them had become.
Rage burned within Di Jun. Remembering the scenes Liu Mang had described, and how Liu Mang's questions had left him speechless, he broke into a cold sweat.
"This is driving the Demon Race straight into a dead end! Such conduct is nothing but a road to death. How is it any different from suicide?"
At that moment, Di Jun was truly afraid!
"Look at what you've done! If the great tribulation truly comes, not one of you will escape."
Di Jun suppressed his fury. He took in the indifferent expressions on some of the Demon Gods' faces, furrowed his brow, and hardened his heart.
It seemed nothing short of drastic measures would do!
Di Jun snorted coldly and turned to Bai Ze and Shang Yang.
"Bai Ze, Shang Yang, pass down my decree! From this day forward, no member of the Demon Race may use the blood energy or blood sha of other races to refine forbidden arts or Spiritual Treasures. Those who disobey will be expelled from the Demon Race for lesser offenses, killed without mercy for serious ones, and have their souls annihilated for the worst!"
Everyone was startled by Di Jun's declaration. Bai Ze and Shang Yang even raised their heads to stare at him in astonishment.
Punishments this harsh had never existed anywhere in the Demon Court.
"Your Majesty, isn't this... punishment too severe? Perhaps..."
Before Shang Yang could finish, Di Jun raised a hand to cut the objection short. "My decision is final! There is no need to dissuade me!"
As he spoke, Di Jun recalled Liu Mang's words and looked up at him, only to find Liu Mang watching him with a mocking expression.
Di Jun gritted his teeth and continued, "Furthermore, from this day forward, you are forbidden from starting disputes with the Wu Clan without cause. If I discover any malicious provocation, don't blame me for showing no mercy!"
Seeing Di Jun's solemn expression, Bai Ze and the others knew further persuasion would be useless. They answered in unison, "We obey Your Majesty's decree!"
Di Jun had made no attempt to conceal his words. Everyone present heard him clearly.
After speaking, Di Jun glanced at Di Jiang, and their gazes happened to meet. Seeing each other's expressions, both froze briefly before quickly looking away.
"That mangy bird finally did something good!"
"Ahem! Ninth Brother! Don't be disrespectful!"
Di Jiang coughed and addressed the other Ancestral Wu.
"Our Wu Clan must not maliciously provoke the Demon Race either. Anyone caught doing so will be forbidden from entering the ancestral temple for life!"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Jiuyin and the others bowed solemnly.
"We leave it to you, Eldest Brother!"
The Wu Clan's ancestral temple was where Pangu's skull was enshrined. To the Wu Clan, being barred from the ancestral temple was equivalent to being expelled from the clan.
With that as the punishment, no member of the Wu Clan—whether a Great Witch, a lesser Wu, or an Ancestral Wu—would dare cross that red line.
Di Jiang thought for a moment, then added.
"Furthermore, our Wu Clan should also feed on ferocious beasts and creatures that have yet to develop intelligence whenever possible. We must not slaughter the living beings of all races as the Demon Race does."
Di Jiang knew that some members of the Wu Clan devoured powerful blood food to increase their cultivation, but they were ultimately a minority.
Besides, Hong Huang had plenty of ferocious beasts. There was no shortage of alternatives.
Neither leader had hidden his words from either side present. But Liu Mang knew that the longer the conflict between the Wu Clan and the Demon Race was suppressed, the more violently it would erupt.
Looks like I need to find a way to let the Wu Clan and the Demon Race fight once.
But an ordinary person couldn't keep that within the right limits.
As these thoughts ran through Liu Mang's mind, his gaze fixed on Di Jun, Tai Yi, and Di Jiang. Whatever occurred to him next, he shook his head.
Then he turned his gaze toward Nu Wa.
I'll need a few Saints to preside over the game.
Before you continue