The surrounding people dared not speak, for the battle at the Central Continent Divine Platform had brought shame upon the human race, a painful memory no one wished to recall.
When the strong experts of all races challenged them, the human race had the largest contingent, but ultimately, they were killed by a few powerful ancient clan experts, most of them in a single move.
The strongest among them could not withstand ten moves from an ancient clan expert. Ever since then, the human race's destiny seemed to be at its end, just as the Sky-Human race had predicted.
Within the human race's territories, they were constantly provoked by experts from other races. Except for a few ancient human families that remained steadfast, most human factions lived under the oppression of other clans.
It seemed the human race truly had no strong experts left. Throughout the Great Wilderness, rumors spread that the human race's destiny had run its course and that they were on the verge of extinction.
Although the human race did not admit it, and knew these were rumors deliberately spread by ancient clans with ulterior motives, other races took them as proof of the human race's demise, mocking them with such words whenever they encountered them.
Indeed, no exceptionally strong human experts emerged. Even the younger generation feared persecution by other races and were held back by the powerful figures of major factions, preventing them from appearing.
A few human prodigies did emerge. Disgusted by the bullying of other races towards the human race, and against their sect's warnings, they challenged some of the most vocal foreign race experts and killed them.
However, the foreign race experts immediately dispatched even stronger individuals, who then killed these prodigies.
All humans knew that there was a mastermind plotting against the human race, aiming to seize all their destiny.
The human race possessed powerful destiny. If it could be stolen, it would undoubtedly allow their own race to develop and grow, even becoming the overlords of the Great Wilderness.
These masterminds were not a single faction but a coalition of many. The wise human factions understood they could not contend against this united front and voluntarily retreated, choosing not to engage in conflict.
Yet, this approach baffled many, and further led foreign races to believe that the human race was truly declining and their destiny had indeed waned.
When many foreign races emerged, they began to occupy human territories and destroy human sects and factions.
While not all foreign races succeeded in occupying territories, the majority enjoyed treating the trampling of humans as their first act upon emerging.
This bandwagon effect quickly turned into a trend. More and more foreign races felt that the human race was weak and easy to bully, believing they could be crushed underfoot.
After killing a human prodigy, a Sky-Human race expert arrogantly declared to the surrounding humans, "If any humans dare to enter, they will be killed without mercy!"
"You!"
An elder of the Array Sect had just uttered one word before a spiritual feather, launched by the Sky-Human race prodigy, pierced his forehead.
"Elder!"
Several disciples, eyes red with rage, looked at the Sky-Human race expert. As they raised their weapons, the Sky-Human race prodigy struck again, killing them.
Witnessing this scene, the surrounding humans realized the terrifying strength of this Sky-Human race prodigy, far beyond what any ordinary person could contend with.
The remaining members of the Array Sect, led by several elder figures, forcibly escorted all their disciples away.
Seeing that no one dared to step forward, the Sky-Human race prodigy became even more audacious, proclaiming, "As expected, humans are all cowards. I alone can sweep away the entire human race."
These words were arrogant and deliberately intended to humiliate the human race.
"The humans of the Great Wilderness are truly patient," Ye Xun remarked from the side.
"They strategize before acting. Faced with a pack of wolves, they retreat to gain an advantage, then strike. The humans of the Great Wilderness are not foolish."
Zhou Yan naturally understood why the humans of the Great Wilderness were not acting. It wasn't inaction, but rather that the time had not yet come.
If Zhou Yan had not reached the pinnacle, he would not have understood this. But at his level of strength, he could see that the humans of the Great Wilderness were not unwilling to act, but rather that they were not yet able to.
If these foreign races could truly exterminate the human race, why wouldn't they all attack together to wipe out humanity?
They also knew that the human race was not simple, and it was impossible to completely destroy them in a short period.
However, very few truly understood this kind of human strategy; only the top experts of the Great Wilderness were aware of it.
Most humans, however, believed the human race was weakening and that their doom was at hand, given the immense persecution they had recently suffered from foreign races.
The Sky-Human race experts, in league with powerful individuals from other races, began to break the formation outside this mansion. After a long while, the formation surrounding the entire mansion was finally breached.
"Go! You stay here. Any human who enters will be killed without mercy!"
The Sky-Human race experts bore a deep hatred for the human race. The Sky-Human race had once been nearly annihilated by a human Saint God, and they harbored a bitter grudge. Thus, whenever they encountered humans, they would kill them without hesitation.
The Sky-Human race's rampant arrogance on human territory, forbidding entry, was a blatant act of trampling on the dignity of the Great Wilderness's human race.
Yet, no human expert stood forward. Perhaps they were all too patient, choosing to ignore the Sky-Human race's overbearing attitude.
Countless foreign race experts strode into the Stronghold of the Powerful, and some human experts also rushed towards it.
"Boom!"
The Sky-Human race experts intercepted them, fiercely attacking several humans and stopping them.
"Humans are forbidden entry. Do you think we, the Sky-Human race, speak lightly?"
These Sky-Human race experts exuded powerful auras, filled with killing intent, as they glared at these humans.
"I've never taken the words of a mere brat seriously."
"Move aside!"
"Do you truly think you are invincible?"
These human experts showed no fear, meeting the gazes of the Sky-Human race experts.
"Kill!"
The Sky-Human race experts attacked directly, releasing a dense shower of spiritual feathers, like flying swords, engulfing these human experts.
These human experts were no ordinary individuals. They produced magical artifacts to block the spiritual feathers. One of them produced a gourd and unleashed a torrent of purple flames, enveloping several Sky-Human race experts.
"Whoosh!"
The Sky-Human race experts employed divine abilities, forming a barrier to block the raging flames.
At this very moment, the Sky-Human race experts who had just entered the mansion emerged, leading a group of powerful individuals.
"Hmph! I knew you humans wouldn't listen. Kill!"
These individuals surged towards the humans, unleashing waves of energy. Many of them conjured powerful magical artifacts and attacked the human experts who had previously acted, slashing them into countless pieces.
The surrounding humans immediately halted their advance. Seeing these foreign races charging towards them, they roared in anger, "These foreign races intend to kill us all! Let's fight back together!"
"We'll fight to the death!"
"They won't let us in and want to kill us. Let's drive them away together!"