Chapter 30

"Choice Two: The host was human in his previous life, and humanity is about to be born. Countless tribulations await them. Please split off a wisp of your divine soul to become the Clan Leader of humanity and repay the karmic debt of your previous life on the host's behalf. Reward: The avatar's aptitude will rise by one grade, and an ultimate Acquired Spiritual Treasure, the Martial Dao Heavenly Stele!"

"Choice Three: Ignore humanity. Reward: All living beings in the primordial world will have their favorability toward the host reduced to negative 100."

"Please make your choice as soon as possible."

Li Peng was stunned when he heard the system prompt.

After all, he had already received a choice mission related to humanity. The previous one had yet to be completed, yet the system had now issued another mission. He found it rather difficult to understand.

"Looks like the system doesn't want to miss this major event either," Li Peng thought to himself.

After pondering for a moment, he began carefully examining the three options provided by the system.

First, the reward for the first mission was incredibly generous. With Li Peng's strength, protecting humanity for the long term and ensuring their safety would not be difficult.

However, that would turn humanity into flowers grown in a greenhouse, never enduring the tempering of wind and rain.

Humanity, having always relied on Li Peng's protection, would likely gradually lose the ability to stand on their own!

More importantly, how could humanity become the future protagonist of the primordial world without ever undergoing hardship?

By the day Li Peng left, humanity would likely face the threat of extinction!

Besides, how could the Heavenly Dao and Hongjun allow Li Peng to protect humanity forever?

From the fact that Nuwa and Laozi had not intervened to save humanity in its time of crisis in the original history, it was clear that the Heavenly Dao and Hongjun would never allow humanity to grow peacefully.

Therefore, whether for humanity's future or out of caution toward the Heavenly Dao and Hongjun's attitude, Li Peng had no choice but to abandon the first option.

Li Peng reluctantly glanced at the reward for the first option before turning his gaze to the second choice mission.

"Split off a wisp of my divine soul to become humanity's Clan Leader and care for them?

That works too. It can temper humanity and make them strive for self-reliance while also protecting them!

The best of both worlds!" Li Peng pondered.

With that in mind, he turned his attention to the system reward for Choice Two.

The Martial Dao Heavenly Stele? What was that?

Curiously, Li Peng opened the introduction for the Martial Dao Heavenly Stele.

The Martial Dao Heavenly Stele contained endless true meaning of martial dao. Anyone with destiny and comprehension could understand the true essence of martial dao from it, allowing their martial dao cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds.

After reading the introduction, Li Peng could not help feeling helpless. There was not even a trace of martial dao in the primordial world now. What use was comprehending the Martial Dao Heavenly Stele? Was he supposed to create martial dao from scratch?

Still, according to legend, martial dao was the most suitable path for humanity to cultivate. Even if it took more time, it did not matter.

"Forget it. I'll leave this thing for my avatar to comprehend," Li Peng thought.

Thus, he stopped paying attention to the reward for Choice Two and turned to Choice Three.

But when Li Peng saw the reward for Choice Three, he could not help swearing. "Negative 100 favorability from every living being in the primordial world? This is trying to make me the public enemy of the primordial world!"

After venting for a while, Li Peng directly said to the system, "I choose Choice Two!"

After making his choice, Li Peng saw Nuwa preparing to cast the Law of Creation upon the clay figures on the ground and hurriedly called out, "Wait!"

Nuwa looked at him in confusion, not knowing why Li Peng had stopped her at this moment.

Li Peng explained, "The race you are about to create will soon be born, and we cannot protect them at all times."

Li Peng said, "To care for them, I intend to leave behind an avatar and have it lead them in surviving within the primordial world."

As he spoke, he injected a drop of his essence blood and a wisp of divine soul into one of the clay figures before him.

Nuwa was deeply moved upon hearing this. She had not expected Li Peng to think so far ahead for her sake.

Moved, she also fashioned a clay figure in her own likeness and likewise sent a drop of essence blood and a wisp of divine soul into it.

Li Peng smiled faintly at the sight.

In the original course of the primordial world, after Nuwa created humanity and became a saint, Dao Ancestor Hongjun ordered her to open a dao field in the chaos. For various reasons afterward, she was never able to care for humanity again.

But things were different now—Nuwa had left behind an avatar to protect humanity. Even if she was restricted by her identity as a saint and constrained by Hongjun in the future, she would not be completely unable to help humanity.

While Li Peng was lost in thought, Nuwa had already scattered divine light of creation over the two clay figures.

In an instant, azure light flowed around the clay figures as their bodies gradually grew larger.

Before long, the two clay figures transformed into incarnations identical in appearance to Li Peng and Nuwa.

After taking form, the two respectfully bowed to Li Peng and Nuwa respectively. "Greetings, original body."

Li Peng and Nuwa looked at their avatars, but their faces could not help flushing slightly—both avatars were completely naked, making the scene awkward for a moment.

Li Peng immediately waved his hand, and each avatar gained a daoist robe.

Only after seeing that their avatars were covered did the two finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Afterward, Nuwa continued shaping clay figures. Seeing this, Li Peng frowned slightly, took out the seven-colored Gourd Vine, and said, "Use this."

Nuwa accepted the Gourd Vine, looking puzzled.

Li Peng explained with a smile, "This seven-colored Gourd Vine contains the Law of Creation. If you use it to create humans, it will be much faster than shaping them one by one."

Nuwa happily thanked him. "Thank you, Big Brother Li."

She accepted the seven-colored Gourd Vine but did not act immediately. Instead, she first took out the Nine Heavens Breathing Soil and Three Lights Divine Water, mixing them together in the air.

Before long, the Nine Heavens Breathing Soil and Three Lights Divine Water completely fused into one.

Nuwa nodded in satisfaction, forced two drops of essence blood from her body, and merged them into the Nine Heavens Breathing Soil and Three Lights Divine Water. Turning to Li Peng, her cheeks slightly flushed as she said, "Big Brother Li, add two drops of your essence blood as well. From now on, this race will be our shared children."

Li Peng was slightly startled, then smiled and forced out two drops of essence blood, merging them into the mixture of Nine Heavens Breathing Soil and Three Lights Divine Water. Seeing this, Nuwa no longer hesitated. She took out the seven-colored Gourd Vine and dipped it into the mixture. The vine was instantly coated in mud, and with a swing of Nuwa's arm, several thousand clay figures fell to the ground, transforming amid radiance into eight-foot-tall Innate Dao Bodies.

The newborn beings looked around blankly before respectfully bowing to Li Peng and Nuwa. "Greetings, Saint Mother! Greetings, Saint Father!" The two nodded and accepted their salute. Nuwa swung the Gourd Vine several hundred times in succession, stopping only once the materials had been exhausted. Looking at the race she had created, her heart was filled with accomplishment.

Li Peng reminded her, "This race has not yet been named." Nuwa suddenly realized and immediately swore an oath to the heavens. "Heavenly Dao above, today I, Nuwa, create a new race named humanity. May the Heavenly Dao bear witness! Humanity, arise!"

Her voice spread through the four seas and eight wastelands. Whether secluded great powers or Di Jun and Eastern Emperor Tai Yi of the Heavenly Court, all heard it. At the same time, a system prompt sounded in Li Peng's mind. "Congratulations to the host and Nuwa for jointly creating humanity and becoming humanity's Saint Father. Choice Three completed. Reward: Two million years of cultivation, and the Yin-Yang Law will each increase by ten percent!" Vast cultivation flooded into his body and was instantly absorbed in full by the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique.

The instant Li Peng completely absorbed this cultivation, countless insights into the Yin-Yang Law surged into his sea of consciousness.

In that instant, Li Peng entered a state of enlightenment.

The barrier he had pondered over for years without being able to break shattered with a bang at that moment.

His comprehension of the Yin-Yang Law began to rise rapidly.

Ninety-one percent, ninety-two percent, ninety-three percent... all the way to ninety-nine percent.

Just as he was about to achieve complete comprehension of the Yin-Yang Law, the Primordial Violet Qi within his body suddenly rushed toward his primordial spirit, attempting to merge with it and help him become a Heavenly Dao Saint.

However, the moment the Primordial Violet Qi touched his primordial spirit, system prompts rang out in rapid succession:

"Detected a world origin with autonomous consciousness invading the host's soul!"

"Determined that this world origin is a malicious program!"

"Activating antivirus program—1%... 2%... 32%... Please wait."

"Antivirus program activated. Clearing—1%... 2%... 32%... Please wait."

"Notice: Antivirus complete. Program shutting down automatically."

Li Peng stared at the system's smooth operation in shock. Only now did he suddenly understand why Dao Ancestor Hongjun had been so generous in bestowing the Primordial Violet Qi—he had long prepared a backup plan!

"Hongjun, you truly hid a scheme within the Primordial Violet Qi. Whether I fell at the hands of primordial great powers or attained the Saint Position, I would pose no threat to him!"

"Fortunately, the system protected me. Otherwise, I would surely have become a puppet in Hongjun's hands, at his mercy."

At this moment, he noticed that aside from a drop of Pangu's Essence Blood, his system inventory had unexpectedly gained an item marked "Pure World Origin (Primordial Violet Qi)."

A brand-new plan formed in his heart: let Nuwa merge with this purified Primordial Violet Qi and attain the Dao to become a saint.

If it succeeded, perhaps Nuwa could break free from the control of the Heavenly Dao and Hongjun?

This thought made excitement shine in Li Peng's eyes.

As his thoughts churned, the Yin-Yang Law, enhanced by the system, finally broke through to complete perfection.

The instant the final trace of enlightenment emerged, Li Peng felt his cultivation, physical body, and soul begin to ascend and transform simultaneously.

The instant the transformation was complete, the pressure unique to a Hunyuan Tai Luo Golden Immortal swept forth.

The vast aura spread like a tide, and hundreds of millions of living beings in the primordial world fell to the ground and trembled beneath this pressure. Even Grand Unity Golden Immortals, without supreme treasures to protect them, were ** down so forcefully that they could barely rise.

"Another Hunyuan-level aura has appeared. Could it be that person from last time showing up again?"

"No! This aura is far weaker than the last one!"

"Could another Hunyuan-level existence have entered the primordial world?"

"Hmph! I want to see who dares stir up trouble in the primordial world!" Dao Ancestor Hongjun's eyes flashed coldly as he muttered.

After speaking, he raised his hand once more and began deducing.

A moment later, Dao Ancestor Hongjun sighed helplessly. "It is still a chaotic blur. I cannot deduce anything... Could this person be an accomplice of that person from last time?"

As he spoke, a grave expression appeared on his face.

In the end, Dao Ancestor Hongjun let out a long sigh. "Sigh... I only hope they bear no ill intentions toward the primordial world."

"Otherwise, things will become troublesome... It seems I must continue my seclusion and improve my cultivation."

With that, he closed his eyes and returned to meditation.

"This aura... is actually Hunyuan-level. Could someone have attained the Dao before us?" Tongtian said in disbelief.

Laozi and Yuanshi's expressions immediately turned extremely ugly upon hearing this. They had never expected someone to enter the Hunyuan realm ahead of them!

After some time, the two gradually regained their composure.

"Who could have attained the Dao? Zhunti, Jieyin, or Nuwa?" Yuanshi sighed.

Laozi shook his head. "I do not think it is any of the three. Do not forget that Li Peng and Kunpeng also possess Primordial Violet Qi."

"Then who does Big Brother think attained the Dao?" Tongtian pressed.

"I think Fellow Daoist Li Peng is the most likely. After all, he has always been the strongest among us," Laozi said solemnly.

Suddenly, a thought struck Yuanshi, and he said, "It is also possible that it was none of those who listened to the Dao at Violet Heaven Palace."

"What do you mean?" Laozi and Tongtian asked in unison.

"Do not forget that a Hunyuan-level aura appeared last time as well!" Yuanshi reminded them.

Laozi and Tongtian immediately understood what he meant.

"Sigh... It seems the waters of the primordial world run deeper than we imagined. We can only cultivate diligently and attain the Dao as soon as possible," Laozi sighed.

After speaking, he closed his eyes once more and entered cultivation.

Tongtian and Yuanshi both nodded in agreement and also closed their eyes to continue cultivating.

At the same time, Zhunti and Jieyin of Western Spirit Mountain, Di Jun and Eastern Emperor Tai Yi of the Heavenly Court, the Twelve Ancestor Witches in Ancestor Witch Hall, and other innate great powers all began discussing the matter.

Li Peng restrained his aura. Before he could carefully experience the changes brought by this breakthrough, he saw vast golden merit clouds gathering above Nuwa's head.

The dark yellow Golden Merit Clouds gathered in increasing numbers, covering the sky for tens of thousands of zhang around them.

Li Peng did not dare delay and immediately said to Nuwa, "Take out your Primordial Violet Qi and give it to me."

Although Nuwa did not understand his intention, she still trusted him and took the Primordial Violet Qi from her primordial spirit, handing it to Li Peng.

After receiving it, Li Peng did not hesitate to take the purified Primordial Violet Qi from his own primordial spirit and hand it to Nuwa.

Seeing that Li Peng had merely exchanged the two strands of Primordial Violet Qi and done nothing else, Nuwa could not help asking, "Big Brother Li, what are you..."

Before she could finish, Li Peng interrupted, "First merge this Primordial Violet Qi into your primordial spirit. I will explain everything else after we return to Three Immortal Island."

Nuwa no longer hesitated upon hearing this. She accepted the Primordial Violet Qi and merged it into her primordial spirit.

At that very moment, the Golden Merit Clouds gathered in the sky came crashing down.