The Primordial World

In the end, Shennong's name spread throughout the human race. Fuxi brought him from the Jiang Clan Tribe to the capital and raised him as his successor.

Several years later, under Fuxi's guidance, Shennong had acquired every quality required of the Co-Lord of Humanity.

Fuxi decided to abdicate, and Li Er sensed that the time was ripe.

Within the Xuandu Purple Mansion, a bull's bellow resounded like the vast music of heaven. Atop Mount Daluo, Li Er held the Kongtong Seal, emanating a powerful aura of Imperial Dao.

His expression remained calm.

As they sensed the surging Imperial Dao aura, a subtle change flickered through everyone's eyes.

"The time is ripe."

The great saints, along with many others besides Li Er—such as Nuwa, Yuanshi, Tongtian, Jieyin, and Zhunti—emerged from their places of cultivation.

They understood that Fuxi's great achievement had reached completion and that the abdication ceremony would be held atop Mount Tai.

To them, this was a perfect opportunity to display their presence.

They might not have cared much for other ceremonies.

However, the human race was the protagonist of heaven and earth. Building a good relationship with them was essential if they wished to spread their teachings among humanity in the future.

Atop Mount Tai, the abdication ceremony officially began.

In the void, Five-Colored Golden Phoenixes circled overhead as auspicious radiance filled the air.

Nuwa arrived first. Soon after, Yuanshi flew in from the direction of Kunlun Mountain aboard the Nine Dragon Incense Carriage, while Tongtian followed closely behind, descending atop a qilin ox.

The successive arrival of the three saints filled the human race with excitement, and they paid their respects to the saints.

They knew full well that the importance of this abdication ceremony had drawn so many saints here.

For the human race, this was an unprecedented honor.

The saints told the humans to rise. They had come only to observe the ceremony.

However, Brahma Sound suddenly drifted in from the west, accompanied by falling golden flowers, drawing everyone's attention.

Compared to the exotic beast mounts of Nuwa, Yuanshi, and Tongtian, the western side's display was not especially grand, yet their arrival undoubtedly added more splendor to the abdication ceremony.

Amid this intense atmosphere, the humans wore entranced, yearning expressions. Then, a cold snort suddenly came from the east, interrupting the spread of the western Brahma Sound.

The affected humans awoke from their trance, looking around in confusion.

At that moment, the figures of Zhunti and Jieyin appeared in the void. Then, a man and a bull stepped out from the void.

The green bull walked through empty space, each step seeming to leave behind Dao patterns.

Li Er sat upon the green bull's back. His words carried the true meaning of Daoism as he warned Zhunti not to act rashly.

When the other saints heard Li Er's words, all revealed meaningful smiles.

Though the two sides appeared harmonious on the surface, their strength was evenly matched, and each was looking for chances to trip up the other.

If the opportunity arose, neither Yuanshi, Tongtian, nor Nuwa would show the Two Sages of the West any courtesy.

Regarding the Brahma Sound from earlier, if Nuwa possessed Li Er's strength, she too would have rebuked Zhunti without hesitation.

Zhunti and Jieyin had grievances they could not voice. Ever since they had been turned away from the Eight Sceneries Palace, they had known that the Western Sect would face great difficulty spreading among the human race.

They had planned to seize the initiative during today's abdication ceremony and convert some humans first.

However, Li Er's appearance completely disrupted their plans.

Zhunti helplessly retreated and promised not to offend again.

In response, Li Er displayed his authority. A small seal carrying an incomparably terrifying aura appeared in his hand—the Kongtong Seal.

Li Er no longer paid Zhunti any mind. He turned his gaze toward Fuxi atop Mount Tai and told him that the abdication ceremony could begin.

Fuxi and the Shennong Clan obeyed and began the abdication ritual.

After the ritual ended, Li Er wielded the Kongtong Seal's power in the void, announcing Fuxi's achievement and granting him the position of Co-Lord of Humanity and the revered rank of one of the Three Sovereigns.

Following his decree, indescribable Human Race Destiny appeared above Mount Tai, stirring heaven and earth.

At last, a curtain of destiny light surged forth beneath the Kongtong Seal, marking the completion of the abdication ceremony.

At that moment, the seat of the Kongtong Seal emitted a hazy, mysterious aura, making it impossible to discern its true appearance.

Li Er drew upon Human Race Destiny. As he spoke, the law seemed to follow his words, crashing heavily down above the seal's seat.

Immediately afterward, Fuxi's figure and aura silently appeared upon the Kongtong Seal.

The Kongtong Seal's seat displayed a model for the human race, inscribing his name and representing the great momentum of Imperial Dao: Fuxi, the Three Sovereigns Saint known to all the world.

When Nuwa saw this, the excitement in her heart was beyond words.

She had finally seen her brother Fuxi once again. This time, however, he was no longer the Fuxi who needed her protection.

From this day onward, Fuxi would become one of the human race's Three Sovereigns Saints, his status as exalted as that of a supreme saint.

Sure enough, an aura of merit descended from heaven and earth, sweeping over Fuxi's body.

In an instant, Fuxi's cultivation soared from the Mysterious Immortal realm to the limit of the Quasi-Saint realm.

As they watched Fuxi's achievement, every saint besides Li Er was stunned beyond measure.

None of them had expected Fuxi to advance so rapidly, directly reaching the limit of the Quasi-Saint realm.

Even stranger, Fuxi had not slain any corpses. From beginning to end, there had only ever been one of him.

Li Er knew that Fuxi had not entered the Quasi-Saint realm through the method of Slaying the Three Corpses. Rather, the creation before them had been forged by merging all the merit of creation, the primordial spirit of Fuxi of the Demon Race, and the newly born main body of the human race.

Thus, Fuxi was now both the Xi Huang of the Demon Race and a human emperor, as well as a Three Sovereigns Saint. It seemed contradictory, yet it was not at all out of place upon Fuxi.

This change atop Mount Tai signified the surging of Human Race Destiny and the descent of Imperial Dao.

Nourished by the aura of merit, Fuxi awakened. A complex emotion showed in his eyes as he said, "I am Fuxi."

Seeing this from above the void, Nuwa was filled with countless emotions.

She knew that after such a long period of effort and sacrifice, Fuxi had finally attained the supreme position within the human race.

From then on, he would no longer be tainted by karma or troubled by calamities. So long as the human race prospered between heaven and earth, Fuxi could enjoy the blessings of Human Race Destiny.

The Fuxi Zither, Fuxi's accompanying spiritual treasure, naturally returned to its master's side when his merit reached completion.

Fuxi smiled faintly and put it away.

At that moment, Shennong of the human race and Fuxi's former subordinates looked at Fuxi, an urge to worship rising in their hearts.

They could sense that after the abdication, the Fuxi before them had transcended the status of Co-Lord of Humanity and become a lofty saint of the human race.

Sweeping his gaze across Nuwa and the human race, Fuxi noticed Xuandu.

Xuandu had not refined the aura of merit and had instead chosen to preserve it.

That was because Xuandu's identity was not merely Fuxi's imperial tutor. He was also the sole imperial tutor of all Three Sovereigns of the human race.

Thus, Xuandu planned to wait until the merits of the Three Sovereigns' imperial tutor had gathered completely, then use that merit to fulfill his great aspiration.

Faced with all this, Xuandu displayed an unprecedented steadiness.

He was grateful for Fuxi's support and addressed him as "Fuxi," expressing his deep respect.

Xuandu was connected to Fuxi by fate, and he was determined to give his all.

Xuandu changed how he addressed him, no longer calling Fuxi his teacher and retaining only the bond of protecting his Dao from the past.

Fuxi's words surprised all the saints, and even Nuwa found them unexpected.

Fuxi had experienced the brink of life and death. There had to be a deeper meaning behind his actions.

Neither Xuandu nor anyone else could understand his decision.

Yet after Fuxi attained sainthood, the aura of merit and Human Race Destiny in the void gradually dispersed.

Li Er instructed Fuxi to go to Huoyun Palace for secluded cultivation and maintain Human Race Destiny.

Li Er placed no restrictions upon him. Fuxi thanked Li Er for his generosity, instructed Shennong to govern the human race well, and then departed.

Nuwa felt grateful for Li Er's magnanimous gesture.

She knew well the prestige held by a Three Sovereigns Saint among the human race. If Li Er had ambitions, he would surely have been wary of Fuxi's influence over their destiny.

With a single word, he could have determined all, establishing countless rules to restrain Fuxi.

Yet Li Er did not care about such things at all, making Nuwa admire the breadth of his character even more.

Elsewhere, within the Six Paths Reincarnation of the Blood Sea, Houtu gazed toward Mount Tai, her eyes filled with emotion.

She then took out Chiyou's primordial spirit, which she had nurtured for a long time, and asked whether he was prepared to fight for the final position of Human Emperor.

Chiyou said that he would fight. She would then have him and that Human Emperor of the human race be born at the same time, grow through battle, and decide life and death after each developed their respective momentum, gathering the destiny of humans and witches.

However, Chiyou believed that this alone was not enough. He spoke of seizing every moment, intending to rapidly strengthen himself rather than wait for a hundred years.

Houtu was surprised by this.

Vaguely, she seemed to sense something, and complicated emotions rose in her heart.

Sure enough, boundless battle intent suddenly erupted from Chiyou's primordial spirit.

He said resolutely:

"During the hundred years of competing for the position of Human Emperor, merely gathering the momentum of humans and witches can no longer satisfy my resolve."

"I intend to fight for the position of Human Emperor, and I must win."

"Only if the Witch Clan achieves victory can it regain its vitality and obtain an opportunity for change."

After Chiyou's words fell, Houtu sank into a long silence.

After a long while, she asked:

"The human race has Xuandu, and behind him stands the invincible supreme saint Taishang. How could you possibly defeat him?"

"Will you waste this opportunity because of that?"

Faced with Houtu's questioning, Chiyou shook his head firmly.

He admitted:

"Precisely because the human race has drawn the attention of the gods, I must win this battle.

Only then will the saints truly take the Witch Clan seriously."

Houtu fell even deeper into silence.

After a long time, she finally asked again, "Are you confident?"

Chiyou answered frankly, "No."

He understood Xuandu's strength very well, and he held even greater awe for the powerful figure who had Taishang standing behind him.

Yet deep in his heart, he still held fast to his resolve and pride. He feared nothing in this contest concerning the Witch Clan.

The struggle for the Human Emperor's position was not merely a battle between him and the human race. It was also a confrontation between the Witch Clan and Xuandu. Though the difficulty and uncertainty were immense, Chiyou's resolve remained unshakable. Even if the road ahead was perilous, he would still press forward bravely.

After hearing Chiyou's unwavering resolve, Empress Houtu was deeply shaken. She then sighed softly and decided to support his choice.

With a wave of her hand, she sent forth a beam of reincarnation light that wrapped around Chiyou's primordial spirit and sent him into the Six Paths Reincarnation. In the blink of an eye, Chiyou completed his reincarnation. Far away in the Eight Sceneries Palace, Li Er sensed it, learned of everything that had transpired, and responded.

After confirming Chiyou's reincarnated identity as a human, Li Er continued refining the Chaos Bell. He seemed utterly unconcerned about the candidate in the struggle for the Human Emperor's position, even if it was a former ancestral witch.

His response to Empress Pingxin within the Six Paths Reincarnation allowed her to relax, confirming that the transaction had been completed.

Li Er knew the outcome of the struggle for the Human Emperor's position, yet he was not shaken by it, because he understood that the general trend was unstoppable and that the candidates for the Three Sovereigns Saints concerned the development of the entire human race.

Although the Witch Clan insisted on participating in the struggle for the Human Emperor, the result had already been decided.

Li Er did not stop Houtu, because he understood the Witch Clan's unyielding spirit.

What mattered most at present was still refining the Chaos Bell. Nothing else could distract him too greatly.

Before Li Er, the Taiji Diagram and the Chaos Bell floated silently.

Suddenly, a bold thought flashed through his mind. If I can obtain Yuanshi's Pangu Banner, can I use the Qiankun Cauldron in my hands to return the three to their origins, merge them into one, and restore the Chaos Supreme Treasure Pangu Axe to its original form?

Supreme treasures represented the ultimate and most exalted existences.

The three great Innate Supreme Treasures—the Taiji Diagram, Pangu Banner, and Chaos Bell—were the peak of all Innate Spiritual Treasures and possessed the strongest power between heaven and earth.

These three supreme treasures had all been divided from the Chaos Supreme Treasure Pangu Axe.

Unlike other Chaos Supreme Treasures that shattered because they could not adapt to the Primordial World, such as the Creation Green Lotus, which broke into countless fragments, the fragments of the Chaos Bead became numerous innate spiritual pearls throughout the Primordial World.