The Great Witch Xing Tian rushed in with the news. His words were like a thunderbolt, exploding within the silent gloom of the Pangu Temple.
The Ancestral Witches shot to their feet as one. Di Jiang lunged forward, his face a mask of shock and suspicion.
"Fighting? What do you mean 'fighting'? Speak clearly!"
He was panicking. In his heart, he knew what it meant, but he needed to hear the confirmation, to grasp at some other possibility.
"Our border warriors have clashed with the Yao Race," Xing Tian said, his voice heavy and resonant. "The situation has spiraled out of control."
His words shattered the last of the Ancestral Witches' hopes. A collective chill ran down their spines.
"Why did they fight? Who gave the order without my command?" Di Jiang shouted, grabbing Xing Tian by the shoulders and shaking him violently. We were living perfectly well in our stalemate—why would you go and poke the nest? Are you rushing to your deaths?
"I... I don't know the specifics," Xing Tian stammered, his head bobbing from the shaking. "I heard a dispute broke out, and our warriors 'accidentally' wounded a demon. Then everything went to hell."
"Foolish! How do you 'accidentally' wound someone when you have the entire border to drill in?" Di Jiang roared, his fury boiling over.
"I don't know! Some say the Yao struck first!" Xing Tian scratched his head, just as confused as his masters. He hadn't been there; he only knew the results.
"So, the Yao have finally decided to move against us?" Zhu Rong (God of Fire) growled. Violent flames erupted from his eyes, warping the very air of the temple. Amidst his fear, a torrential rage began to drown out his common sense. He wanted to tear the Yao limb from limb.
"The day has finally come..." Xuan Ming said, her voice eerily calm despite the gravity of her words. "Father Pangu's deterrent has faded. Perhaps the Yao have seen through our ruse and decided they won't endure it any longer."
They had pretended to receive blessings and support from Father Pangu, but it was a hollow mask. They knew a bluff couldn't last forever, but they hadn't expected it to crumble so abruptly.
"One way or another, we die today. Why not take them with us?" Gonggong roared. He had abandoned all hope. He needed to vent. Before the Saints could descend to erase them, he wanted to kill as many Yao as possible.
"Indeed! Since the secret is out, let us fight!"
The desire for slaughter began to surge within the Ancestral Witches. If they were destined to fall, they would make the world bleed for it.
Di Jiang scanned his brothers and sisters. His expression was solemn. After a long silence, he spoke. "The Yao have moved. This war is unavoidable. However... I want us to restrain ourselves just enough to ensure the Witch Bloodline survives! Some of our kin must live on!"
"If you want to hide, then hide! I'm going to tear them apart!" Zhu Rong spat, turning his back on the temple and storming out.
The Yao Stronghold: Hundred Thousand Great Mountains
At the Yao Race's headquarters, Fuxi and the other giants were equally stunned by the reports.
"Bastards! How did this happen? Why would we engage them now?" Guiche screeched, his nine avian heads twitching in agitation.
Below, the reporting demon shivered, prostrating itself on the cold floor. "The Witches struck first! Our brothers were killed! We had to retaliate! It wasn't our fault!"
"It's a disaster," Jiuying cried, pacing in a tight circle. "The Witches know the truth. They know Nuwa has abandoned us."
"I knew this wouldn't work! We couldn't hide it forever! Now that they know we're alone, what do we do?" "We lasted as long as we could. The Witches are brutes, but they aren't brainless." "This was Bai Ze's plan! Let's hear what he has to say!"
The Great Demons babbled in a panic until all eyes settled on Bai Ze.
Bai Ze sat below Fuxi, his white robes pristine, his feathered fan moving with a steady rhythm. He looked remarkably composed, as if he had anticipated this moment.
"It was always a temporary measure," Bai Ze said, his voice deep and steady. "The Witches were bound to find out. Since the battle has begun, we have no choice but to see it through."
Deep in his eyes, however, a flicker of suspicion remained. He felt something was off. The conflict had started too suddenly, too conveniently. It felt as if a hidden hand had tipped the scales. But he kept the thought to himself—at this point, the truth of the start didn't matter. Only the end did.
"Should we... ask for peace?" one demon suggested tentatively.
The hall erupted in mockery. "You're dreaming! After we've tricked the Witches for this long? They'll skin you alive before they listen to a word of peace! What leverage do you have?" Guiche sneered. Internally, he wanted peace too, but he knew it was a fantasy.
Fuxi watched them, feeling a hollow sense of futility. His troops were losing their fighting spirit before the first major battle. The gap in raw power between a leaderless Yao and the Ancestral Witches was simply too wide.
And so, the Honghuang World, which had enjoyed a brief respite, was plunged back into the fires of war. At first, both sides were cautious, still wary of the other's hidden cards.
But then, a piece of news reached the Witch Race. Rumor had it that during the All-Saints' Sermon, a Yao demon had let slip a devastating truth: Nuwa had completely abandoned her race after achieving Sainthood.
When Di Jiang and the others heard this, they froze. Then, a volcanic rage erupted.
They had been played.
During this entire standoff, the Yao had been faking it, posturing and threatening them—exactly like the Witches had been doing. Both sides were terrified of paper tigers.
The realization of how much time they had spent "Void-searching" and posturing against an empty threat made the Witches' faces burn with a primal, agonizing shame.
"Bastards! They dared to mock me?!" Qiang Liang roared, his voice shaking the mountains. "I'm going to kill every last one of those dogs!"
The desire for slaughter hit a fever pitch. Complete madness had finally arrived.