Quote Originally Posted by Lyth View Post
'New life' could mean many things in a society where mentioning death without euphemism is met with raised eyebrows. I don't recall seeing that second clause come up as part of the in-game text, though, unless you'd like to provide a quote for that part.
The English script is slightly vague, since the translators opted the frame the lines around the life of the planet itself rather than actual creatures, but the Japanese script goes:

ヒュトロダエウス : そこで、さらにまた半数がゾディアークに命を捧げ……星を清め、木々や小さな命たちを芽吹かせたのさ。

Thus did a further half of the remaining people offer up their lives to Zodiark, that he might cleanse the planet and seed new life on it.

ヒュトロダエウス : そうして、再び命が巡りだしたとき……人類は、いかにしてこの星を護り続けるかを再考した。

Time would pass, and eventually life would flourish again. They reconsidered the best way for humanity to continue their guardianship of this star once that time came.

ヒュトロダエウス : 十四人委員会の出した結論は、こうだ。

The Council of Fourteen presented this conclusion.

世界を育み、それが再び十分に満ち足りたときに、いくらかの生命をゾディアークに捧げる……。

That when the time was ripe, and the world bountiful with life, they would sacrifice a portion of it to Zodiark...

ヒュトロダエウス : それによって、ゾディアークの中に力として取り込まれた同胞たちを、地上に復活させ……皆でまた、世界を管理する。

Such that he might revive those whose aether he had consumed for power, and everyone would once again oversee the world together.

ヒュトロダエウス : ……だが、それを良しとしない人々がいた。

But there were those who did not agree.

彼らは、ゾディアークに命を捧げるのをやめ、新しい世界を、生まれ来る命たちに任せるべきだと言うんだ。

They believed that it was time for the sacrifices to come to an end, and for them to hand the new world over to the new lives living upon it.
This draws a fairly clear distinction between the new life, which the Ancients want to cultivate and sacrifice and the followers of Hydaelyn wish to hand the world over to, and themselves. Unless you specifically meant the 'pre-existing creatures' part - it is vague if we're talking about just new members of older species which are now flourishing, or new ones outright.