Human history flowed on, with scenes of emergence into the world, the pain of great calamities, the courage to battle the Demon Emperor, and, more importantly, the path of independence, autonomy, and self-strengthening that the Three Sovereigns had led humanity along.
The image flashed past, illuminating all Heaven and Earth.
The Two Sages of the West watched this scene and sighed. "Xuandu is about to slay a corpse!"
All Saints sensed it and shared the feeling.
As the imperial tutor of the Three Sovereigns, Xuandu had reached the critical moment of Slaying the Three Corpses now that the Three Sovereigns had attained perfection.
As they watched Xuandu's evil corpse incarnation—Great Emperor Fengdu—appear, the expressions of the Saints became exceedingly vivid.
The Grand Pure lineage now possessed an invincible supreme Saint, a Quasi-Saint at the peak bearing the status of imperial tutor to the Three Sovereigns, and the Three Sovereigns Saint. Its foundation was terrifying.
At this moment, the blade of corpse slaying descended upon the Spirit Coffin Palace Lantern. Great Emperor Fengdu leaped forth, wearing an imperial crown and a black emperor's robe, his eyes blazing with divine light.
With a single glance, he seemed capable of seeing straight into the Netherworld and revealing the entire life of the departed.
As Great Emperor Fengdu appeared, an aura of grand momentum gathered between Heaven and Earth, descending from beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens.
Above the human race, the voice of the Heavenly Dao resounded, gathering immense momentum.
Before Great Emperor Fengdu, a tome suddenly appeared—the Human Scroll, Book of Life and Death—along with a Reincarnation Brush.
This scene sent countless great powers attending the ceremony into an uproar.
Xuandu had broken through his shackles and gained a majestic might that no one dared disregard.
The book and brush in his hands appeared ordinary, yet they concealed unfathomable mysterious power.
This was the wonder of the Human Scroll and the Reincarnation Brush.
Zhen Yuanzi had established himself in the Earth Immortal Mansion through the Earth Scroll. Now that Xuandu had obtained the Human Scroll, he had become Great Emperor Fengdu, master of reincarnation.
Thus, he could establish the Underworld amid the Six Paths Reincarnation and become its new ruler.
Great Emperor Fengdu's imposing aura made all living beings unable to harbor even the slightest disrespect.
Even the Saints above the void could not ignore Xuandu's presence. His momentum had already surpassed that of many established giants.
Xuandu's second corpse, Great Emperor Fengdu, was enough to stand alongside Zhen Yuanzi, the Ancestor of Earth Immortals.
Even without counting his other identities, Xuandu was enough to look down upon the entire primordial world.
Xuandu was no longer that second-generation disciple who required protection. He had truly grown into a powerhouse capable of standing alone and become Taishang's capable assistant.
Under such circumstances, the other Saints could not help but feel complicated emotions and thoughts regarding Xuandu's background and the speed of his growth.
They understood that Xuandu was born human, and that his achievements today must have been propelled by extraordinary power behind the scenes.
The most important factor was not his personal effort. The core key lay with his mentor.
People only saw Xuandu's achievements, yet overlooked the power of Taishang behind them.
By comparison, the Saints realized the gap between themselves and Li Er.
Even five Saints joining forces could not defeat Li Er alone.
Though their great sects had many disciples, they could not find a talent like Xuandu.
As Saints, being compared with Taishang was truly both sorrowful and ironic.
Upon humanity's abdication platform, no one dared look down on Xuanyuan for acknowledging Xuandu as his master. Xuandu had proven himself through strength and proclaimed that the Grand Pure lineage's grand trend had formed.
Xuandu turned to Great Emperor Fengdu and told him that the promised time to establish the Underworld had arrived.
Great Emperor Fengdu swore an oath and used the Human Scroll and Reincarnation Brush to establish the Underworld. Once the Underworld had been fully established, Xuandu sighed that the latter two of the Heaven, Earth, and Human Books had entered the world.
The Heavenly Scroll was about to arrive! The renowned Investiture of the Gods List was precisely its key item, and it would also bring forth the god-investiture killing calamity.
Li Er had already departed. His task was complete.
After becoming the Human Emperor, he bid farewell to the other Saints and returned to the Eight Sceneries Palace in the Xuandu Purple Mansion.
The construction of the Underworld stirred enormous waves throughout the primordial world.
The disciples of the Grand Pure lineage were constantly having their understanding overturned. The four words "grand trend formed" had already left a deep impression in everyone's mind.
The living beings of the primordial world finally understood why the Supreme Saint had accepted only one disciple. Even so, his power was already enough to shake the entire primordial world.
If he established another sect, how could the other Saints possibly endure it? One man could contend against numerous Saints, and one disciple could establish a sect! Furthermore, the Three Sovereigns Saint had all joined the Grand Pure lineage, while primordial giants had also entered his sect one after another.
They felt that being born in the same era as the Supreme Saint was both fortunate and sorrowful.
The four Saints watched the flourishing momentum of the Grand Pure lineage, their hearts surging with emotion.
Although Yuanshi, Tongtian, Jieyin, and Zhunti each had numerous disciples under their three sects, they found it difficult to compete with it. They felt both helpless and unwilling.
Thus, the imperial tutors of the Five Emperors, upon whom they had placed great hopes, became their only hope of reversing the situation.
They hoped that a Quasi-Saint who had successfully slain a corpse would emerge from among their disciples and bolster the momentum of their Daoist Lineage.
However, Guangchengzi, as the first imperial tutor of the Five Emperors, had only attained the Grand Unity Dao Fruit despite his perfect merit and conduct, disappointing the four Saints.
The meritorious deeds of the Five Emperors era carried far less weight than those of the Three Sovereigns era.
As an imperial tutor, Guangchengzi could receive only limited merit.
Moreover, his cultivation was merely at the Taiyi Golden Immortal stage. To slay a corpse and ascend to the heavens in one step seemed hopeless.
Xuandu had been able to slay a corpse because he had integrated the merit of being imperial tutor to the Three Sovereigns and gained profound insight into humanity's three great stages.
By comparison, how could Guangchengzi, as imperial tutor to the Five Emperors, possibly slay a corpse? Even so, Guangchengzi remained the outstanding figure among the second-generation disciples of the Chan Sect and Interception Sect to first attain Grand Unity, preserving Yuanshi's dignity and slightly easing his mood.
He was fortunate to have seized the position of first imperial tutor of the Five Emperors from Li Er. Had Tongtian secured it first, the momentum of the Interception Sect would have surpassed that of the Chan Sect.
However, while Yuanshi was in good spirits, Randeng's mood had sunk into the depths.
As the Chan Sect's vice sect leader, being surpassed by Guangchengzi had utterly disgraced him.
The crucial point was that the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chan Sect were all exceptionally proud. With Guangchengzi attaining Grand Unity, Randeng's position as vice sect leader had become precarious.
The hatred of having his treasure taken, the crisis threatening his role as vice sect leader, and the hopelessness of slaying a corpse nearly threw Randeng's state of mind off balance.
Humanity's Five Emperors continued to develop. After Guangchengzi became Zhuanxu's imperial tutor, Daoist Duobao, the senior brother of the Interception Sect, became the second imperial tutor—Di Ku's imperial tutor.
Like Guangchengzi, Daoist Duobao assisted Di Ku in creating a true golden age during Di Ku's era.
Beyond that, Daoist Duobao did not differ much from Guangchengzi, and he likewise ultimately attained Grand Unity Golden Immortal.
The imperial tutors of two among the Five Emperors had been decided. Everyone had originally assumed that the third emperor's tutor would fall into the hands of Jieyin and Zhunti.
Yet, to everyone's surprise, Emperor Yao's imperial tutor was actually Zhen Yuanzi, the Ancestor of Earth Immortals.
Though this arrangement was unexpected, Zhen Yuanzi, as the Ancestor of Earth Immortals and a Daoist giant, was more than qualified to serve as imperial tutor to one of the Five Emperors.
Moreover, the power to determine the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors rested with the Supreme Saint, and no one dared defy his arrangements.
Under Zhen Yuanzi's guidance, Emperor Yao further perfected humanity's institutions and calendar, invented brewing, and created Go.
All these events accorded with Daoism's refined elegance, involving figures such as Zhen Yuanzi, Emperor Yao, Emperor Shun, and Da Yu.
Zhen Yuanzi was renowned for Daoism's leisurely, unrestrained, tranquil elegance.
Emperor Yao and his master Zhen Yuanzi were hailed as exemplary emperors through the ages and teachers of the people for ten thousand generations.
After Emperor Yao, Emperor Shun became the Co-Lord of Humanity.
However, the choice of imperial tutor was unexpected. It was not the Two Sages of the West, but West Queen Mother and East Emperor Jun.
Everyone speculated about the reason behind this, especially East Emperor Jun's identity. Only after deducing it did they discover that he was the reincarnated form of East King Duke.
This also meant that the three of the Five Emperors—Yao, Shun, and Yu—were all Daoist inheritors of Li Er's Grand Pure lineage.
Zhen Yuanzi, West Queen Mother, and East Emperor Jun were all under Taishang.
The inheritance layout of their lineage was gradually being unveiled.
Li Er seemed to understand the development of this situation completely.
This shift in circumstances was highly unusual, "nine four seven."
It seemed to touch the nerves of countless great powers.
The arrangement of the Five Emperors' imperial tutors, merely combined with the tacit approval of the various Daoist lineages and the Two Sages of the West, had drawn widespread attention from the living beings of the primordial world. Great powers felt awe and sighed that this was "Taishang's Grand Trend."
No matter how the primordial great powers speculated, Li Er remained unmoved.
At this time, the development of humanity's Five Emperors had reached the final emperor—Da Yu.
The reason East Emperor Jun became Da Yu's imperial tutor was that his status was most suited to Da Yu.
With East Emperor Jun's assistance, Da Yu successfully subdued the floods. Because of this merit, he received Emperor Shun's abdication and inherited the position of Co-Lord of Humanity.
Afterward, East Emperor Jun modeled himself after Taishang's supreme treasure, the Qiankun Cauldron, and assisted Da Yu in casting the Nine Cauldrons. Through them, they gathered Human Race Destiny and brought it to its peak.
The Nine Cauldrons were named after the Nine Provinces. When the cauldrons were completed, merit descended from Heaven.
After Da Yu's merit reached perfection, he abdicated. Li Er held the Kongtong Seal, gathered humanity's grand momentum, and inscribed the names of the Five Emperors, allowing humanity's Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors to form a true grand trend.
After completing all this, Li Er allowed the Kongtong Seal to vanish into the void.
The Saints understood that this was a sign that the Kongtong Seal had completely become humanity's supreme treasure.
From this moment on, though Li Er appeared to have lost the seal, it was actually still placed within the Human Sacred Temple. With a single thought, he could still depose or enthrone a Human Emperor.
It was worth noting that...
Both the Chan Sect and the Interception Sect had hoped to rise to the heavens in one step by becoming imperial tutors to the Five Emperors, seeking to slay a corpse and attain the realm of Quasi-Saint.
Yet neither had succeeded.
The unexpected exception was East Emperor Jun.
Although he had undergone reincarnation and cultivation anew, and his current cultivation was still shallow at merely the realm of Grand Unity Golden Immortal, as Da Yu's imperial position stabilized, he successfully used this merit to break through, slay a corpse, and attain Quasi-Saint.
Among the imperial tutors of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, he was the only one who had relied on imperial tutor merit to attain Quasi-Saint.
This was his fortune.
Humanity's Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors had all assumed their positions, bringing powerful fighting strength to humanity.
Meanwhile, the Grand Pure lineage displayed its powerful status by occupying six imperial tutor positions among the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, utterly disgracing the other Saints.
One disciple surpassed an entire sect!
They had once hoped to catch up to the Grand Pure lineage, but reality was that the distance between them only grew wider.
Though Quasi-Saints were like ants in their eyes, this concerned the struggle of Daoist Lineages, and the pressure upon them invisibly increased.
The Chan Sect, Interception Sect, and Western Sect therefore sent their disciples into the world to cultivate, while also spreading their teachings among humanity.
Because of the Daoist Lineages of the Five Emperors and Li Er's failure to establish a sect, they intended to seize the initiative and arrange matters among humanity in preparation for the coming struggle of calamities.
Humanity was the Protagonist of Heaven and Earth, and future struggles between Daoist Lineages would also begin with humanity.
The second-generation disciples of the three sects were already able to stand on their own. They entered the world to cultivate and arrange matters among humanity, intending to find suitable disciples of the third generation.
As the three sects began entering the world, humanity transitioned from the era of abdication to the dynastic era in which families ruled.
Emperor Yu abdicated the position of Co-Lord to Boyi rather than to his son, Si Qi. This differed from the previous Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.
Emperor Yu chose to avoid suspicion, displaying powerful decisiveness.
This also marked the end of the era of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors and a new stage in humanity's development.
Afterward, Qi ascended the throne, broke the abdication system, and implemented hereditary succession.
After Boyi took charge of the position of Co-Lord of Humanity, Qi established the Great Xia Dynasty and became the King of Xia.
However, humanity's development and the changes in the Great Xia Dynasty did not draw the attention of the three sects after the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.
They focused more on seeking potential excellent disciples among humanity as third-generation inheritors.
The Heavenly Court had declined after the Witch-Demon Calamity, and countless demon kings had left their nests.
Although Haotian and Yaochi, as Hongjun's attendants, were capable, they still needed to work hard to govern the Heavenly Court after taking it over.
The Heavenly Court of today differed from ancient times. It now overflowed with immortal charm, with immortal music lingering in the air.
Yet, in the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, when Haotian and Yaochi faced the few immortal officials present, they would still recall the hardships of when they first took over, when they did not even have usable heavenly soldiers or generals.
Although they had recruited some independent cultivators using the Peach Tree, the Heavenly Court still appeared empty.
Thus, their gazes turned toward the Saints' sacred grounds as they considered how to recruit more manpower.
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