Empress Nuwa extended a finger, and a drop of blood like crimson jade emerged, giving off an intoxicating fragrance. The plants in the valley grew wildly beneath its scent.
With a flick of her finger, Nuwa sent the blood drop drifting toward the Qiankun Cauldron. It entered the cauldron and merged with the Breathing Soil and Three Lights Divine Water.
Fuxi's eyes widened, and he cried out instinctively, "Sister, that is your essence blood!" He said anxiously, "If you use your essence blood to enlighten them, they will be considered your children. Their fate will be linked to yours from now on. If they..."
"It is of no concern. I will secure a glorious future for them." Empress Nuwa replied calmly, her beautiful eyes fixed on the Qiankun Cauldron. A moment later, the cauldron blazed with light, and seven-colored divine radiance burst forth.
Nuwa revealed a radiant smile. It was done.
The flames within the Qiankun Cauldron dispersed, leaving a mass of yellow mud floating within.
Nuwa reached in and seized a lump of mud, gently kneading it in her hands. Shortly afterward, a tiny figure appeared in her palm. She tossed it onto the ground, where it immediately grew larger. The mud turned flesh-colored, and intelligence shone in its eyes. It was a woman, born with the cultivation of a Heavenly Immortal and already possessed of spiritual awareness.
The woman fell to her knees and cried excitedly, "Greetings, Mother Goddess."
Looking at her, Nuwa said happily, "You are the first human I created. I grant you the name Nuling."
Nuling said gratefully, "Thank you, Mother Goddess."
Nuwa reached into the Qiankun Cauldron again. Soon after, she kneaded out a man and set him on the ground. He immediately came to life, knelt, and said excitedly, "Greetings, Mother Goddess."
Watching from the side, Bai Jin quietly breathed a sigh of relief. After kneading so many animals, Empress Nuwa's skill at shaping mud had finally improved. Though they were not particularly exquisite or beautiful, at least they were no longer grotesquely misshapen. They were acceptable.
Empress Nuwa continued kneading little figures. After a long while, she had made only a little over a hundred people. At this rate, who knew how long it would take to form a race?
Empress Nuwa stopped, growing somewhat impatient. She swept her gaze across the valley and pointed at the ground. The rocks and earth silently sank, forming a huge pit. The Qiankun Cauldron tilted, pouring its mud into the pit, and she added more Three Lights Divine Water to dilute it.
A vine appeared in Nuwa's hand. She placed it into the mud pool and stirred it, then casually flicked it. Diluted mud splashed outward, transforming into mud people the instant it landed on the ground.
The mud people immediately came to life, kneeling and kowtowing as they cried, "Greetings, Mother Goddess."
Delight filled Nuwa's eyes. It actually worked. She immediately began swinging the vine again.
Bai Jin's expression turned strange as he watched from the side, and he felt helpless. The pitiful Human Race truly could not escape its grotesque appearance. The humans created by the vine were vastly different from those shaped by hand. More precisely, they resembled Yuanmou Man with sparse hair.
Seeing Bai Jin's unusual expression, Fuxi explained from the side, "This vine is the Innate Spiritual Root, the Gourd Vine. The gourds were divided among many great experts of the primordial world, while my sister kept the Gourd Vine."
Bai Jin said, "Don't you think these humans flung out by the vine are a little ugly?"
Fuxi smiled calmly and said, "Little martial nephew, flesh and appearance are merely external forms. There is no need to care too much. Their essence is the same.
"Moreover, my sister just infused them with her essence blood, so the Human Race possesses the ability to evolve continuously. How far they will evolve in the future depends on their own fortune."
More and more humans appeared in the valley until their numbers reached ten thousand. The valley became bustling and lively.
Empress Nuwa slowly lowered the Gourd Vine in her hand and looked up at the sky. "I, Nuwa, have comprehended the Dao of Creation and created a new race. It shall be known as the Human Race."
Buzz—purple clouds filled the skies of the primordial world, while five-colored rosy light rose from the four cardinal directions. A Merit Golden Cloud circled Buzhou Mountain, and vast saintly majesty swept across the entire primordial world. Countless minor demons and monsters knelt in terror.
The Merit Golden Cloud descended. Eight-tenths entered Nuwa's body, half a tenth fell into the vine, and the vine transformed within the merit into a whip. Another half-tenth fell into the mud pool on the ground, which shone with profound yellow light. The remaining tenth entered Bai Jin's body.
The instant the merit entered his body, Bai Jin fell into a trance. Countless Great Dao principles that he had once been unable to understand surged into his mind at once. He immediately sat cross-legged and entered a state of enlightenment.
At Mount Kunlun, Taishang, Yuanshi, and Tongtian all cupped their hands in salute and said, "Greetings, Saint Nuwa!"
In the west, Jieyin and Zhunti cupped their hands and bowed. "Greetings, Saint Nuwa!"
At the Demon Court, Eastern Emperor Taiyi, Dijun, and countless members of the Demon Race all cupped their hands and bowed. "Greetings, Saint Nuwa!"
Among the Wu Clan, the Twelve Ancestral Witches and countless Wu Clan members all bent at the waist in salute. "Greetings, Saint Nuwa."
At that moment, every being in the primordial world that possessed spiritual awareness, regardless of good or evil or race, bowed from afar toward Buzhou Mountain and praised in unison, "Greetings, Saint Nuwa!"
Nuwa slowly rose from the valley, her vast voice spreading throughout the primordial world. "I shall establish a Dao field within the Chaos and expound the Great Dao of a saint. All those fated may come and observe."
Countless living beings said gratefully, "Thank you, Saint Nuwa!"
Those lacking sufficient strength were filled with regret, while the powerful were overjoyed. The Great Dao of a saint! Any insight gained would be an immense fortune.
Empress Nuwa lowered her head and looked at the thousands of humans kneeling in the valley. "Brother, I must trouble you and Bai Jin to look after them for the time being."
Fuxi cupped his hands in salute and answered respectfully, "Yes!"
Nuwa was now a saint who acted on behalf of Heaven. Even though Fuxi was her elder brother, he did not dare show disrespect.
Surrounded by rosy light, Nuwa rose gracefully and flew beyond the heavens.
The humans kneeling in the valley cried out reluctantly, "Farewell, Holy Mother!" Their voices shook the clouds.
As Nuwa flew into the air, a clear bird cry rang out. A blue luan and a Colorful Phoenix pulled a magnificent carriage in from the west, their wings spread wide in breathtaking splendor.
Empress Nuwa looked at them and smiled faintly. "You two have the destiny of master and disciples with me. Become my attendants."
The blue luan and Colorful Phoenix nodded excitedly.
Nuwa floated onto the carriage, and the blue luan and Colorful Phoenix pulled it straight up through the Thirty-three Heavens and into the Chaos.
Within the valley, all the humans looked hopefully toward Fuxi on the mountainside and Bai Jin, who sat in meditation as he comprehended the Dao.
With a wave of Fuxi's hand, he and Bai Jin vanished instantly, as though they had already departed.
The Human Race immediately erupted in uproar. The Holy Mother had left, and now even they had gone. What were the newly born humans supposed to do?
Nuling flew into the air and shouted sternly, "Silence!"
All the humans immediately fell quiet and looked up at Nuling.
Nuling said proudly, "The Holy Mother has departed. From now on, I am your Clan Leader."
A man shouted, "Why?"
"Because I was the first person created by the Holy Mother, and because Empress Nuwa is a woman, our Human Race should honor women above all else."
Before you continue