Chapter 406: Recorders of Past and Present (Seventeen)

Five hundred years later.
The demons have not invaded humanity for five hundred years.
Zhou Chong's cultivation has grown even stronger.
These five hundred years have felt like a fleeting dream.
Many have forgotten the existence of the demons.
But Zhou Chong has not forgotten.
As long as the demons remain, humanity will never be at peace.
The demons have remained silent...they must be plotting something.
As it turns out, Zhou Chong's guess was correct.
However, he never expected
the demons' counterattack to be so brutal.
Within the Holy Mountain
Zhou Chong coldly looked at his most prized disciple.
"Master, I'm sorry, I have failed your cultivation."
"Rou'er and I are truly sincere; we want to be together."
Zhou Chong looked at the alluring woman beside him. Although she, like the young man, bowed respectfully, Zhou Chong could sense the mockery and sarcasm in the eyes of the woman called Xiao Rou.
"Do you know she's a demon?"
Indeed, Zhou Chong felt only irony. He had risen to his current position through the merits of slaying countless demons, witnessing firsthand how generations of human warriors on the Holy Mountain had fought fearlessly to protect those behind them.
And only five hundred years had passed.
What had happened?
Some had already begun to forget the threat of demons, even believing they could coexist peacefully with humans.
How laughable.
This reminded Zhou Chong of the 'person' who had given him the mask.
"Disciple knows... but humans and demons are both living beings. Disciple believes that humans and demons can coexist harmoniously."
Zhou Chong looked at his stubborn disciple, a deep disappointment flashing in his eyes.
"I'm giving you one last chance. If you're willing to kill her with your own hands to show your resolve, I can forgive and forget what happened today."
The young man before him was resolute: "Master... Rou'er is my family."
"I would never harm my family!"
Zhou Chong looked at his stubborn disciple, the last trace of warmth in his eyes turning into icy killing intent. He sat on the main seat of the hall, surveying his surroundings; no one dared to meet his gaze.
"The ironclad law of my Holy Mountain... humans and demons are irreconcilable. Since you are unwilling to kill her, you should know the consequences."
The young man remained steadfast, tightly gripping the woman's hand: "What Master gave me, I can take back. I'm willing to leave the Holy Mountain and travel the world with Rou'er."
Zhou Chong laughed angrily: "Fine... fine... I never thought I would teach a disciple like you."
"You think it's all so simple?"
He struck with his sword, beheading the woman named Rou'er. No one reacted in time. By the time the young man realized what had happened, he was grieving, clutching the woman's body.
Zhou Chong looked at his disciple. Humans aren't plants or trees; how could they be without feelings? But some things had to be done, some rules couldn't be broken.
Suppressing the grief in his heart, he met the young man's resentful gaze and slapped him mercilessly. Blood trickled down his feet, staining the ground red.
This was the demon's retaliation.
Zhou Chong suppressed his anger and grief, coldly looking at the assembled elders: "From now on, anyone who dares to collude with demons will be treated as a traitor to humanity. Humans and demons are irreconcilable enemies; only one side can survive on this land."
"I will not rest until the enemy is dead!"
The next day
Mount Holy was in turmoil.
A disciple of the Holy Mountain's master had formed an alliance with a demon. Upon learning this, the Holy Mountain's master had the disciple executed.
This news spread rapidly from Mount Holy to the surrounding human population.
For five hundred years, the demons hadn't given up their invasion of humanity; rather, they had changed their strategy, trying to lull humanity into a false sense of security and create the illusion of peaceful coexistence.
This illusion was believed by many who hadn't experienced the century-long war between humans and demons.
Zhou Chong's decision regarding such people was—no mercy!
Within a few short years, humanity erupted into a terrible internal strife. Taking advantage of the chaos, the demons seized the opportunity, effortlessly conquering much of human territory.
It was Zhou Chong's early display of ruthlessness that prevented the situation from escalating further.
Following the century-long war between humans and demons five hundred years ago, an even more devastating conflict erupted. With the human race's sacred mountain losing the initiative, the battle was predictably arduous, drawing the full force of humanity's resources.
"Zhou Chong, I never expected you to be so ruthless!"
Even the Holy Demon King was astonished.
He hadn't anticipated Zhou Chong's decisiveness, his willingness to even harm his own disciple, whom he considered both student and son.
Zhou Chong, too, hadn't expected the Holy Demon King to be so vicious, attempting to subtly influence humanity.
Enemies meeting again naturally ignited intense hatred.
Six hundred years ago, Zhou Chong was a key figure in the massacre of the demon race's future hope, the Demon Qilin. Six hundred years later, Zhou Chong was forced by the demons to personally kill his most valued disciple.
A world-shaking battle erupted.
Zhou Chong truly lived up to his reputation as a peerless talent of this world; in less than a thousand years of cultivation, he was already only one step away from becoming a saint.
Unfortunately, the demons had prepared for this day for five hundred years.
Within the barrier.
Zhou Chong grieved.
A light rain of blood fell from the sky, and all the human warriors were filled with immense sorrow.
This sorrow stemmed from the fall of a saint on the Holy Mountain.
The Holy Demon King laughed maniacally.
"Zhou Chong, oh Zhou Chong... the saint of the human Holy Mountain is dead. This continent is destined to have only one power, and that is my demon race!"
Zhou Chong was now facing an attack.
In dire straits.
A bronze mask appeared on Zhou Chong's face.
He vaguely touched the threshold of sainthood.
Almost instantly, Zhou Chong's body erupted with power beyond the Nirvana Realm; he was about to take the final step!
But he had no time to take that step.
His longsword slashed down... the entire world seemed to be cleaved in two.
"What...do you want to do?"
The Holy Demon King, still reeling from the shock of Zhou Chong's impending breakthrough to the Saint Realm, was thrown into turmoil upon seeing Zhou Chong split the two domains.
Zhou Chong's body was disappearing bit by bit.
He was actually using his body as a barrier to buy humanity a final chance to breathe.
In the Holy Demon King's furious, unwilling roar, what had seemed a certain outcome was changed by Zhou Chong alone!
"Zhou Chong...in five hundred years at most, five hundred years, and humanity will be utterly doomed!"
The Holy Demon King gritted his teeth.
Whether the barrier lost its power or he, the Demon Saint, recovered from his injuries, humanity was destined for annihilation.
Outside the World
As Zhou Chong transformed into a protective barrier,
the bronze mask, now without its wearer, quickly fell... eventually landing in a rushing river, gradually disappearing with the current.
...
Time flew by.
Thirty years had passed since Zhou Chong transformed into the barrier.
"Damn it, I didn't catch any fish again today. I'm going to starve!"
A young man in simple clothes muttered, looking at the moss-covered bronze lump.
"Oh well... maybe this bronze lump can be exchanged for some money, maybe that's better than catching fish."
The young man looked at the bronze lump.
This seems to be... a mask?