Chapter 36

Upon reaching the open space at the end of the cave, everyone was filled with amazement.

Seeing their expressions, Li Wu said solemnly, "You are all outstanding talents of the human race. The responsibility of protecting the human race and resisting foreign races will surely fall upon your shoulders in the future."

"Rest assured, Clan Leader! We will cultivate diligently and fight for the human race!"

"Rest assured, Clan Leader! We will cultivate diligently and fight for the human race!"

"Rest assured, Clan Leader! We will cultivate diligently and fight for the human race!"

Fortunately, formations and restrictions isolated this place, preventing the sound from spreading outside.

Li Wu raised a hand to quiet everyone, then began answering their questions about martial cultivation.

He did not speak of the realms beyond the Martial Intent Realm—those were still too far off for them. It was more practical to answer their current doubts.

Time quietly passed amid Li Wu's explanations.

At this time, Laozi, who was traveling among the human race, suddenly sensed an unusual movement from the Primordial Violet Qi within his primordial spirit.

Laozi gained an insight and realized that his opportunity to Achieve Dao lay with the human race, so he continued traveling among them.

A hundred years passed in the blink of an eye.

During those hundred years, Laozi continuously observed the human race and discovered that martial cultivation was vastly different from immortal cultivation.

Immortal cultivation placed the greatest importance on aptitude, comprehension, and resources, while martial cultivation emphasized temperament and resources, with aptitude ranking only third.

Thus, on the path of immortal cultivation, without natural talent, even forced cultivation would ultimately amount to little.

Martial cultivation, however, was different. So long as one possessed determination and perseverance and was willing to work hard and train desperately, one would certainly achieve something.

What surprised Laozi most was that the human race clearly possessed a complete martial inheritance, yet there was no trace whatsoever of immortal cultivation methods. This left him deeply puzzled.

As he thought of this, the Primordial Violet Qi in Laozi's mind suddenly pulsed violently, and a realization rose within his heart.

He finally began to understand where his chance to become a saint lay.

"So my opportunity is to impart immortal cultivation methods to the human race?" Laozi muttered to himself.

Thus, Laozi began creating an immortal cultivation method tailored specifically for the human race.

Five hundred years passed, and he finally created a ** suitable for human cultivation.

Laozi arrived at the tribe **, casually sat upon a large boulder, and spoke:

"I am Laozi, the Supreme Pure One of the Three Pure Ones. I have traveled among the human race for nearly a hundred years and have seen that you possess no immortal inheritance. Today, I shall impart the Golden Core Great Dao. All those with affinity may come and hear my Dao."

Though his voice was soft, it spread across every human settlement, distant yet clear, heard by all.

As his words fell, Li Peng, who was in secluded cultivation on Three Immortal Island to stabilize his cultivation, suddenly heard the system's notification sound:

"Detected that Laozi is about to preach to the human race and wishes to establish a teaching through the human race to become a saint. Please make a choice—"

"Option One: Allow Laozi to preach, permit him to establish a teaching and become a saint, and let him take away the human race's destiny.

Reward: One million years of cultivation, one random Low-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, and a 20% decrease in the human race's favorability."

"Option Two: As the Saint Father of the human race, Laozi intends to seize destiny without discussion. Please teach Laozi a lesson, drive him away, and cut off the spread of immortal cultivation.

Reward: Ten million years of cultivation, the method of three-foot fusion."

"Option Three: Teach Laozi a lesson and drive him away, then find one of your own to replace Laozi in establishing the Human Teachings and becoming a saint.

Reward: Ten million years of cultivation, and a ten percent increase in comprehension of the Yin-Yang Great Dao laws."

"Please make your choice as soon as possible!"

Upon hearing the choices, Li Peng murmured, "Laozi actually wants to establish the Human Teachings among the human race?

Heh, with me, Li Peng, here in this life, you can forget about succeeding!"

His reaction was so intense because, in the original course of events, Laozi had indeed established a teaching through the human race and become a saint.

Laozi claimed he wanted to enlighten the human race, but what had he actually done?

After using the human race to become a saint, he ignored them completely. Not only did he fail to lend a hand when the human race was in danger, but when the demon race slaughtered humans to refine the Witch-Slaying Sword and took their flesh, blood, and souls, he did not even speak to stop them.

Though he spoke of enlightening the human race, he accepted only Xuan Du as a disciple. Under Laozi's teaching, Xuan Du had long forgotten his identity as a human and had never done anything for the human race.

This showed that Laozi's so-called enlightenment of the human race was merely perfunctory and completely insincere.

However, because Laozi had founded the Human Teachings and obtained the Kongtong Seal, he occupied thirty percent of the human race's destiny and was naturally placed in an invincible position.

In the original history of the primordial world, Laozi had been able to establish the Human Teachings so easily because the human race lacked inheritances at the time. Once the immortal path he taught appeared, the human race regarded it as a lifeline and quickly accepted it, allowing the Human Teachings to be established smoothly.

But what about now?

The human race already had Clan Leader Li Wu, as well as its own writing and martial inheritance. Immortal cultivation no longer held the same overwhelming appeal it had in the original history of the primordial world.

Moreover, the human race possessed the merit spiritual treasure Martial Dao Heavenly Stele, the destiny spiritual treasure Golden Book of Character Creation, and the destiny supreme treasure Kongtong Seal. The three treasures jointly ** the human race's destiny. It was now almost impossible for Laozi to seize the human race's destiny so easily.

After letting his thoughts wander for a while, Li Peng turned his attention to the choice task.

He first considered Option Two: doing nothing and allowing things to develop as they pleased.

If that were truly the case, then what would be the point of Li Peng having transmigrated here?

Thus, he immediately discarded that option.

Next was Option Two: driving Laozi out of the human race, though the system would thereafter cut off the spread of immortal cultivation among humans.

Li Peng found this difficult to accept.

Although the human race's martial path had been created by his avatar, and he ought to favor martial cultivation, if the human race could not cultivate the immortal path, those with talent for immortal cultivation would be buried.

More importantly, if the human race lacked internal competition, how could it develop rapidly?

Thinking of this, Li Peng felt that even allowing Laozi to establish the Human Teachings and become a saint might not be entirely unacceptable. Though some of the human race's destiny would be lost, there were still benefits to be gained.

With no other choice, he could only keep the first option on his list of alternatives.

Although the system's rewards clearly showed that it did not want him to choose the first option, Li Peng had no choice but to retain it for the sake of the human race's future.

He sighed and continued looking at the third option: drive Laozi away, then...

"What? It can actually be done like this?" Li Peng exclaimed.

Without hesitation, Li Peng chose the third option.

He directly abandoned the first option.

After all, this would both enlighten all living beings and prevent the human race's destiny from flowing away. More importantly, it would add a saint-level combatant to Li Peng's side. It truly accomplished several things at once.

As for whether another person could successfully establish the Human Teachings, Li Peng had no doubts—if the system said it could be done, then it certainly could.

Kong Xuan, Fuxi, Changxi, and Xihe instantly appeared in his mind.

After some thought, Li Peng ultimately chose Fuxi.

Kong Xuan's cultivation was still too shallow. He had merely reached the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm and had yet to break through to the Quasi-Saint realm.

Changxi and Xihe were much the same. They were currently only at the Quasi-Saint Early Stage, and their comprehension of the yin and yang laws had not even reached thirty percent.

With such strength, even with the aid of Primordial Violet Qi and the merit of establishing a teaching, they might not necessarily become saints.

Fuxi, however, was different. He had already reached the Quasi-Saint Late Stage, comprehended the Law of Fate to the seventh level, and had even severed his Good Corpse and Evil Corpse.

In Li Peng's view, while Fuxi was not among the very strongest, with the help of Primordial Violet Qi and the merit of the Human Teachings, becoming a saint on the spot should not be a problem.

With that thought, Li Peng no longer hesitated and set off for the place where Fuxi and Nuwa were cultivating in seclusion.

He explained the matter and its benefits in detail, leaving both Nuwa and Fuxi shocked.

They had not expected Li Peng to willingly hand over such an opportunity to become a saint.

Nuwa was moved and believed that Li Peng was most likely doing this for her sake.

In truth, Li Peng was indeed doing it largely for Nuwa's sake. Otherwise, he would not have handed such an opportunity to outsiders.

Fuxi, however, still hesitated. "Why not give this opportunity to Changxi or Xihe instead?"

He did not wish to contend with those two for the chance to become a saint.

Hearing this, Li Peng's opinion of Fuxi rose further—someone who could remain unmoved before an opportunity to become a saint would surely be someone worthy of entrusting things to in the future.

He smiled faintly. "Xihe and Changxi are still too weak. Even if they became saints, they would only be the weakest among saints, and they might even fail. You need not decline on their behalf. I already have plans for their future paths."

Only then did Fuxi reluctantly agree to accept it.

Seeing Fuxi agree, Li Peng took out a strand of Primordial Violet Qi purified by the system's antivirus program and sent it into Fuxi's body. He then opened a Space Channel and brought Fuxi and Nuwa toward the human settlements.

Before long, the three arrived outside the human settlements. The moment they landed, they heard Laozi's preaching echoing from afar.

"Should we stop Laozi's preaching immediately?" Nuwa asked.

"No need. We will act after his attempt to establish a teaching fails," Li Peng replied with a smile.

"How could his attempt to establish a teaching fail?" Nuwa and Fuxi asked in unison.

"The human race's destiny is entirely gathered upon me, my avatar, and Sister Nuwa. Without our consent, how could Laozi possibly establish a teaching successfully?" Li Peng explained calmly.

"Big Brother Li, you mean..." Nuwa's eyes flickered.

"Precisely. We will brand Laozi as one who steals destiny, drive him out of the human race with full justification, and then have Fuxi establish a teaching and become a saint." Li Peng revealed a sly smile.

Upon hearing this, Fuxi and Nuwa simultaneously cast sympathetic looks toward Laozi's direction and silently mourned this Daoist master for a moment.

Laozi continued preaching, yet most of the humans who had already entered the proper path of martial cultivation quietly left. They found that the Dao Laozi taught was vastly different from the martial path they cultivated, and even listening from beginning to end would offer no benefit to their martial progress.

Only those humans with mediocre martial aptitude and shallow cultivation remained. Within the Dao methods Laozi described, they found another path toward becoming stronger.

Time passed swiftly, and forty-nine years went by in an instant. Laozi finally stopped preaching, rose to his feet, presented the Heaven and Earth Golden Yellow Exquisite Pagoda, threw out the Innate Supreme Treasure Taiji Diagram, and proclaimed loudly, "Heavenly Dao above, I am Laozi, the Supreme Pure One of the Three Pure Ones. Having gained insight into the Heavenly Dao, I now establish the Human Teachings to enlighten the human race. With the Taiji Diagram as the treasure suppressing the teaching, I shall ** the destiny of the Human Teachings. Human Teachings, arise!"

After his words fell, not the slightest phenomenon appeared in the heavens, and the surrounding humans all looked confused. Within a hidden layer of space, Li Peng, Nuwa, and Fuxi exchanged smiles.

Laozi could hardly believe it and shouted again, "Heavenly Dao above, I am Laozi, the Supreme Pure One of the Three Pure Ones. Having gained insight into the Heavenly Dao..."

Two hundred and twenty

Laozi wished to establish the Human Teachings to enlighten the human race, using the Taiji Diagram to ** destiny.

Yet the sky remained completely unchanged.

Seeing this, Li Peng smiled. "It is time for us to appear."

He then stepped out of the layer of space, his face dark as water, and shouted at Laozi, "Laozi! You wish to establish a teaching among the human race. Are you trying to seize the destiny of my human race?"

As he roared, vast pressure descended directly upon Laozi.

Laozi immediately felt as though he were carrying hundreds of millions of divine mountains, making movement extremely difficult.

Li Peng's aura spread outward, and countless great experts of the primordial world turned their attention toward the human race.

Only then did Laozi remember that two saints stood behind the human race.

Looking up, he saw that Nuwa had also come with Li Peng.

As for Fuxi, Laozi ignored him.

Seeing the unfriendly gazes of the two saints, Laozi panicked.

With his current cultivation, he would struggle to resist even one saint, let alone two arriving together.

"Fellow Daoist Li Peng, Fellow Daoist Nuwa, this poor Daoist did not intend such a thing. The Heavenly Secrets merely revealed that I have an affinity with the human race and should become the leader of the Human Teachings," Laozi hurriedly explained.

"Heh! Without gaining our permission, you sought to preach and establish a teaching among the race we created? After being discovered, you even try to shift responsibility onto the Heavenly Dao? I never expected you, Laozi, to be so **!" Nuwa rebuked angrily.

The great experts observing through their divine senses finally understood the situation and all looked down upon Laozi's actions.

Zero seven

Laozi anxiously said, "Fellow Daoist Nuwa, you misunderstand. It truly was revealed by the Heavenly Secrets!"

"Fine. Since you say it was destined by the Heavenly Secrets, then establishing the Human Teachings can only be done by you?" Li Peng asked with a teasing smile.

"Precisely!" Laozi nodded firmly.

"Then fine. Fuxi, you try establishing the Human Teachings." Li Peng calmly turned back to Fuxi.

Laozi sneered inwardly, thinking that the Human Teachings could not simply be established at will. If it were so easy, why would he have failed just now?

Upon hearing this, Fuxi stepped forward without hesitation and declared to the heavens:

"Heavenly Dao above, I, Fuxi, have gained insight into the Heavenly Dao and now establish the Human Teachings to enlighten the human race, using the twelve-petaled Pure World White Lotus to ** destiny!"

"Human Teachings, arise!"