The Nascent System

After the rain, the sky cleared, and the clouds dispersed.

Within the Dragon Elephant Tribe, the young elephantfolk had already begun cultivating.

Long Shanying emerged from a stone house, leaning on his cane as he watched the scene before him, his eyes filled with gratification.

"The divine-devil body-tempering method excavates the potential of one's bloodline and physical body. What it needs most is resources."

"These children are still young."

"But they need not become mining slaves like we once did, digging Divine Iron veins. Their potential has not yet been squeezed dry."

"Lie, from now on, lead the hunting party into the Misty Cloud Mountains to hunt Fierce Beasts and wild beasts."

"That will both temper your combat skills and benefit your cultivation, while also saving up some cultivation sustenance for these little ones."

Longshan Lie nodded heavily.

The cultivation methods of the Dragon Elephant Tribe differed somewhat from those of other races.

They were a battle race. Only in extreme combat could they stimulate their bloodline and awaken the Dragon Elephant Tribe's divine abilities.

The Misty Cloud Mountains were a branch of the Myriad Spirit Mountain Range, bordering the Wei River, and many ancient surviving species dwelled within.

After a round of cleansing by the Wei River Water Mansion, some of the high-level Fierce Beasts and savage beasts there had become food.

Though a few fish had escaped the net, they generally lived deep within the mountains.

With Longshan Lie's strength, there would not be much danger as long as he did not venture too deeply into the mountains.

Long Shanying was in high spirits and was about to give further instructions.

Just then, his eyes suddenly narrowed.

He looked toward the horizon.

Then said in a low voice:

"It seems that a divine official from the Wei River Water Mansion has arrived."

"Hurry and come with me to welcome him."

Longshan Lie's expression turned solemn at those words. He had learned of the Wei River Water Mansion's might only yesterday.

Before long, everyone in the Dragon Elephant Tribe, young and old alike, stood waiting before the tribe's stone houses.

A moment later, watery mist swirled in the sky, and pale blue spiritual light flickered.

Several figures appeared before Long Shanying and the others.

The leader was a youth clad in a pale blue divine robe, upon which the surging Wei River seemed to flow. He held a jade tray bearing a Golden Book and Jade Scroll.

Behind him stood shrimp soldiers and crab generals carrying sabers, spears, swords, and halberds.

"This old man greets the honored envoy on behalf of the tribe."

Long Shanying sensed the surging aura around the robed youth. He had clearly broken through the Grotto-Heaven Realm and entered the Dao from mortality.

Though he had only just broken through, that was enough to draw attention.

After all, though cultivators could preserve their appearances, the traces of time upon them were difficult to erase.

This divine official had clearly experienced little of time.

"No need for such formalities."

"We have come under orders from the Water Mansion to register your tribe."

"Strictly speaking, only after being entered into the Golden Book and Jade Scroll will your tribe truly count as belonging to the Wei River."

The divine official smiled gently, clearly possessing an excellent temperament.

"May I ask the honored envoy's name?"

"If you know Lord Jiuzhen, please convey our tribe's greetings to him."

Seeing his attitude, Long Shanying asked tentatively.

The divine official's smile deepened.

Sure enough, the Dragon Elephant Tribe was connected to Lord Jiuzhen.

"Clan Chief Longshan, I dare not accept the title of honored envoy."

"My name is Gui Changshou. If Clan Chief Longshan does not mind, you may simply call me Fellow Daoist."

"As for Hall Master Jiuzhen, he is busy with official duties. I am merely a lowly divine official, so it is difficult for me to see the Hall Master often."

"But if I do see him, I will certainly convey your sentiments."

Gui?

The Water Mansion's chief steward seemed to be called Guizhenzi.

Long Shanying and Longshan Lie exchanged a glance, their eyelids twitching.

"Hahaha, then this old man thanks you, Fellow Daoist."

"The tribe has prepared spiritual fruits and fine dishes. Please do not disdain them."

Long Shanying laughed heartily and immediately put an arm around Gui Changshou, leading him toward the stone house.

Gui Changshou was helpless. He was merely a newcomer—how could he be a match for an old fox like Long Shanying?

After only a few exchanges, he was already calling Long Shanying brother.

"Brother Dao, this copy of the Golden Book and Jade Scroll must be enshrined."

"You must pray to it daily and not slack off in the slightest."

After entering the Dragon Elephant Tribe into the Golden Book and Jade Scroll, Gui Changshou explained several Water Mansion taboos to them.

Only then did he instruct them:

"Besides the Golden Book and Jade Scroll,"

"Since your tribe seeks the Water Mansion's protection, you must also fulfill the corresponding obligations."

Long Shanying asked carefully:

"May I ask what obligations our Dragon Elephant Tribe must fulfill?"

Gui Changshou said seriously:

"The first is loyalty to the Water Mansion's Divine Lord. Should the Divine Lord issue a decree, the Wei River tribes must not disobey, regardless of life or death."

"Can you uphold this?"

After speaking, Gui Changshou stared fixedly at Long Shanying's face. His eyes were utterly indifferent, with none of his earlier warmth or goodwill.

Long Shanying's face twitched, and his heart tightened.

But he had seen the world before. He steadied himself, rose, and kowtowed toward the Wei River.

"Once we enter the Wei River, we become the Divine Lord's subjects."

"If our lord commands, we can only obey. We would not dare show the slightest defiance."

Hearing this, Gui Changshou's expression softened, and he smiled again.

"Brother Dao, do not harbor any thoughts about it."

"The Divine Lord is benevolent. He would never send you to your deaths for nothing."

Long Shanying repeatedly said he would not dare.

"The second condition is that each Water Mansion vassal tribe must recommend one warrior from its tribe every ten years to participate in the Water Mansion's Dao soldier selection."

"As for the third condition, every tribe must submit a certain amount of cultivation resources to the Water Mansion every ten years. It may be mineral deposits, spiritual herbs, wild beasts, Daoist Scriptures, or other supplies beneficial to cultivation."

Long Shanying nodded silently and asked:

"Is there a fixed standard for the cultivation resources we must submit?"

"Of course."

Gui Changshou nodded.

"Though your Dragon Elephant Tribe has few members, your combat strength is formidable. Lord Jiuzhen has rated you as a Seventh-grade Tribe."

"These are the resources a Seventh-grade Tribe must submit."

Gui Changshou took out a jade slip and handed it to Long Shanying.

Long Shanying accepted the jade slip and swept it with his divine sense. His expression immediately froze.

Gui Changshou raised a brow, his tone unfathomable.

"What? Does Clan Chief Longshan find it unreasonable?"

Who would have thought that Long Shanying's old tears would stream down his face? He cried and laughed at Gui Changshou.

"This old man could not control his emotions for a moment. Please do not take offense, Fellow Daoist."

"When our Dragon Elephant Tribe was in the Golden Brilliance Imperial Dynasty, the resources we had to offer were more than a hundred times what we must submit now."

"The Divine Lord is truly benevolent!"

Long Shanying broke down.

What miserable days had they lived through before?

Now that the Divine Lord had come, there was Azure Sky.

The total cultivation resources a Seventh-grade Tribe needed to submit, as recorded in that jade slip, were not even one percent of what they had needed to pay while serving as beasts of burden in the Golden Brilliance Imperial Dynasty.

Being a beast of burden was the same anywhere.

But serving the Wei River Water Lord as beasts of burden was clearly much easier.

Having learned the truth, Gui Changshou could not help but shed a tear of bitterness for the Dragon Elephant Tribe.

He comforted him:

"Our Wei River is prosperous."

"The Divine Lord is compassionate."

He simply does not care for the assets of you poor ghosts.

After all, the Divine Lord intended to reopen the Marketplace. Once that happened, cultivation resources would come pouring in.

"Serve well, and there will be benefits for you as well!"

At the mention of benefits, Long Shanying's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly asked:

"What do you mean, Fellow Daoist...?"

Gui Changshou said proudly:

"Our Wei River Water Mansion is an existence that carries the orthodox mandate of Heaven and Earth. We are unlike those demonic imperial dynasties that freely exploit living beings."

"The Divine Lord has long issued a decree."

"According to a tribe's grade, the benefits it can receive from the Wei River Water Mansion each year differ as well."

"Take your Dragon Elephant Tribe, Brother Dao. You are a Seventh-grade Tribe."

"Each year, you may receive three bottles of high-grade Pure Spirit Pills, one Postnatal Artifact, and one Dao Listening Quota. Every ten years, you also have one chance to exchange for a Water Mansion Daoist Scripture and Cultivation Method."

Gui Changshou smiled.

"Some divine-devil inheritances can lead directly to the Heavenly Human Realm."

"Not to mention the various spells and divine abilities contained within."

Long Shanying's breathing caught at those words.

Spiritual pills and artifacts were merely external things. It was naturally best to have them, but even without them, they would not feel much regret.

But Daoist Scriptures, cultivation methods, and divine-devil inheritances were different.

In the Ancient Era, the gods and devils of the heavens were born sacred. Why would they create cultivation methods for Postnatal Beings?

Only during the era of the Human Emperor, when various Dao lineages spread their teachings throughout the heavens, were Daoist Scriptures passed down.

After the Dragon-Han Tribulation, at the beginning of the New Era, the Primordial World still retained much of its Archaic Vestige. Numerous Dao lineages exchanged Divine Path Methods with one another, and divine-devil Daoists even traveled everywhere, sometimes giving a lecture on the Dao atop some nameless mountain when the mood struck them.

But as Dao lineages developed and competed for resources, many Great Divine Ability Users gradually began to hoard their knowledge.

Even now, though some Great Divine Ability Users still did not begrudge teaching the masses, what they taught was no longer a complete and systematic path of cultivation.

"Though our Dragon Elephant Tribe's ancestors were once prosperous,"

"By now, our ancestral inheritances have all been washed away by time and rain."

"A Heavenly Human divine-devil inheritance... this old man truly longs for it."

Given the current spiritual essence of the Primordial World, he might perhaps attain the Grotto-Heaven Realm after tens of thousands of years through gradual effort.

But a divine-devil inheritance directly pointed out the path of cultivation and could spare him many detours.

"More importantly, with a Heavenly Human divine-devil inheritance in hand, the descendants of my Dragon Elephant Tribe can stand upon the shoulders of senior cultivators and explore a more distant path of cultivation."

"And this is merely the treatment for a Seventh-grade Tribe."

"What kind of treatment would Sixth-grade, Fifth-grade, or even First-grade Tribes receive?"

Long Shanying drew a deep breath and asked respectfully:

"Fellow Daoist, may I ask what conditions must be met to advance a tribe's grade?"

Gui Changshou smiled.

"It is quite simple."

"First, the living beings within the tribe must attain a certain cultivation grade or possess the corresponding combat strength."

"Second, you need Military Merit."

"The first two involve cultivation and combat. The third is the easiest: simply submit a certain amount of resources."

"Once you fulfill these three conditions, you may apply to the Internal Affairs Hall to advance your tribe's grade."

Seeing that Long Shanying was tempted, Gui Changshou sighed inwardly.

"Subdue them with majestic power."

"Entice them with the benefits of cultivation."

"Would the Wei River tribes dare not give their lives for the Divine Lord?"

Advancing tribal grades and obtaining divine-devil inheritances—which of these did not require vast quantities of resources?

Yet by obtaining the vassal tribes' resources this way, how could they possibly harbor thoughts of resistance?

This was an open and aboveboard scheme.