At that very moment, something unexpected happened!
In the darkness, it seemed as if some invisible shackles were loosening.
All Dragon Clan, from the Ancestor Dragon and the Candle Dragon to the most ordinary dragon sons and grandsons, clearly felt that the terrifying karma that had been tightly binding their souls and bloodlines since the Dragon-Phoenix Calamity, making it difficult for them to make any progress in their cultivation and causing them to suffer day and night, had actually... dissipated by nearly 10% in an instant!
Although the remaining karma was still as vast as a mountain, this sudden relief was like a long-awaited rain after a drought, bringing an unprecedented sense of ease to all the Dragon Clan!
Even some Dragon Clan had been stuck at a bottleneck for many years showed signs of their cultivation level loosening!
"This... this is?!"
The Ancestor Dragon suddenly raised its head, its dragon eyes bursting with unbelievable ecstasy and excitement.
Looking at Hao Tian on the Emperor's Seat, there was no longer any doubt in his eyes, only boundless awe and gratitude!
The Sage's words were indeed true! Simply by formally submitting and obtaining legitimate status in Heavenly Court, thus gaining the approval of the Heavenly Dao, one can directly eliminate karmic burdens! This path is the right one!
Hao Tian and Yao Chi also sensed the subtle change that occurred when the Dragon Clan's Luck and the Heavenly Court's Fortune began to connect, as well as the obvious weakening of the karma on the Dragon Clan.
They exchanged a glance and both saw the surprise in each other's eyes.
It seems that taking in the Dragon Clan is indeed in accordance with the workings of Heavenly Dao, and is beneficial to both sides!
"Your Majesty, I, Candle Dragon, thank you for your great favor! The Dragon Clan will certainly exert all its strength to serve Your Majesty and protect the Heavenly Court!"
At this moment, the Dragon Clan's hearts were completely pure, without any impurities.
Just as the Dragon Clan returned to heaven and their karma began to dissipate, bringing some relief to Hao Tian Yao Chi, another momentous event concerning the fate of the Protagonist of Heaven and Earth was unfolding on the Primordial Earth, in the human settlements.
Fuxi has been the Co-Lord of the Human Race for many years. He calculated the Innate Eight Trigrams to help the human race avoid misfortune and seek good fortune; he made ropes into nets to teach people fishing and hunting; he domesticated livestock to improve people's livelihoods; and he established marriage customs to ensure order and morality.
His Merit accumulated one by one, and the Luck of the human race prospered day by day. However, the final and most crucial step required to become the Human Emperor was still not taken.
Following the Daoist teachings passed down by his teacher, the Grand Master Xuan Du (who came to teach him on the orders of Taishang Laojun), he continuously deduced and even tasted hundreds of herbs to write the "Shennong Materia Medica," relieving Merit suffering of humankind from diseases. Although his merits were diminished, he still felt that he was missing the final step and could not gain the recognition of the Kongtong Seal, the most precious treasure of humankind, and ascend to the true throne of the Human Emperor.
On this day, Fuxi stood by the Wei River, gazing at the Innate Eight Trigrams Diagram, which he had obtained from Xuan Du and which contained the ultimate principles of heaven and earth, and pondered deeply.
The Eight Trigrams encompass everything, yet they still seem insufficient to fully explain the infinite mysteries of this Primordial Wilderness world and the changes in human affairs.
Watching the river flow ceaselessly, day and night;
Witnessing the cycle of the four seasons, the cycle of life and death; sensing the alternation of yin and yang, the balance of strength and gentleness... flashes of inspiration constantly appear in my mind.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he used the Innate Eight Trigrams as a basis, combining them in pairs to deduce changes.
"Qian represents Heaven, Kun represents Earth, Zhen represents Thunder, Xun represents Wind, Kan represents Water, Li represents Fire, Gen represents Mountain, and Dui represents Lake... Heaven and Earth are positioned, mountains and lakes communicate, thunder and wind interact, and water and fire do not clash..."
Using yarrow stalks as counting rods, they were drawn on the ground, and traces imbued with the essence of Daoism appeared.
From the eight trigrams, sixteen hexagrams, thirty-two hexagrams, and finally, a total of sixty-four hexagrams were derived!
Each hexagram corresponds to a law governing the changes in nature and human affairs, which is more detailed and closer to the workings of human nature than the Innate Eight Trigrams Heaven!
The moment the final hexagram was completed, Fuxi was enveloped in a surge of Daoist energy, his pure aura soaring straight into the Yunxiao!
In the sky, boundless Xuanhuang Merit Qi suddenly gathered, its scale far exceeding any he had ever obtained before!
The immense Merit descended like a golden waterfall, with 70% falling into Fuxi's body, 20% flying towards the Eight Sceneries Palace of Shouyang Mountain (Laozi's merit in Human Teachings), and 10% falling onto the Grand Master Xuan Du was protecting the Dharma not far away.
Fuxi received this immense Merit, and his aura surged wildly, instantly breaking through the shackles of the Daluo Golden Immortal and stepping into a profound realm!
His body was filled with the aura of imperial power, exuding immense pressure, but he was still a step away from the indestructible and unified realm of a Sage.
What they achieved was the position of Sub-Saint! The human race's Sub-Saint held a revered position and possessed boundless Magic Power, but they were not true Heavenly Dao Sage.
Just as Fuxi was feeling his immense power, yet also a little disappointed that he had not yet achieved complete perfection, celestial music suddenly filled the sky, a strange fragrance filled the air, and auspicious omens abounded.
In the void, the figure of Qing Huan appeared. He had a smile on his face and held a seal that exuded a vast humanistic aura and had nine dragons coiled around it—it was the Innate Human Race's supreme treasure, the Kongtong Seal!
Qing Huan's gaze swept over the imposing Fuxi below, and the countless kneeling, excited humans, and he proclaimed in a loud voice:
"Fuxi, you developed the Eight Trigrams, established human relations, promoted marriage, raised livestock, tasted hundreds of herbs, and benefited all living beings. Your Merit!"
Now, in the name of the Holy Ancestor of the Human Race, and bearing the supreme treasure of the Human Race, the Kongtong Seal, I hereby confer upon you the title of -- Human Emperor! You shall enjoy the Luck of the Human Race and govern the Universe! This is my decree!
As soon as he finished speaking, Qing Huan held the Kongtong Seal in his hand up to Fuxi!
A dazzling, purer, and more vast aura of human imperial Heavenly Dao Merit merits from before erupted from the Kongtong Seal, like a golden divine dragon, and instantly entered Fuxi's body!
"Boom!"
Fuxi's aura surged once more, completely shattering the barrier between a Sub-Saint and a true Human Emperor! A hazy crown appeared above his head, and he wore a phantom imperial robe Long Huan. His imperial aura solidified into a tangible substance, closely connected to the entire river of human Luck!
A truly supreme and awe-inspiring imperial majesty swept across the Primordial Wilderness world!
At this moment, the Primordial Wilderness trembled, and all spirits responded! The first true emperor of the human race was born!
Meanwhile, the Grand Master Xuan Du, who had assisted Fuxi in guiding humanity and had also gained one-tenth of the Merit from deducing the sixty-four hexagrams, was also experiencing a surge in his aura, breaking through to the Late-Quasi-Saint realm in one fell swoop!
He bowed respectfully to the Qing Huan Sage in the sky and to Fuxi, who became the Human Emperor, his heart filled with countless emotions.
Qing Huan looked down at Fuxi, whose imperial power was overwhelming, and nodded slightly.
The era of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors officially began from this point.
With the Dragon Clan departing from heaven and the Human Emperor being born, the course of events in this Primordial Wilderness world could not be changed.
His gaze seemed to pierce through the endless void, looking towards the Purple Cloud Palace Beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens, and the slowly unfolding Great Trend of Investiture of the Gods...
Just as the Dragon Clan race's karma diminished and the Heavenly Court's Fortune began to flourish, the human race's Luck in the Primordial Earth also burst forth like the rising sun. Fuxi received the seal of Kongtong Seal and was officially appointed as the Human Emperor, his vast imperial power sweeping across the eight wastelands, heralding the arrival of a new era for the human race.
After Qing Huan Daoist finished proclaiming the decree, his figure slowly dissipated into the void, returning to his original form.
Fuxi, who had become the Human Emperor, felt the immense power surging within him, closely connected to the long river of human Luck, and the countless flashes of wisdom about the propagation and development of civilization that emerged in his mind, he took a deep breath, suppressed the turmoil in his heart, and his gaze became increasingly profound and wise.
He knew that this was not the end, but the beginning of leading humanity to a more glorious future.