Nuwa Appoints Me Human Emperor! Bestows Supreme Treasure!

Nuwa lowered her head, her gaze sweeping across the one hundred twenty-nine thousand six hundred humans below.

Her eyes were indifferent, devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

To a saint, these newly created lives were nothing more than tools for attaining the Dao.

The karmic ties were severed, the Great Dao was complete.

Nuwa waved her Delicate Hand, preparing to tear through the void and head Beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens to establish her own dojo.

But then—

Just as she was about to turn and leave.

Her gaze inadvertently swept across the young man standing at the very front.

Ye Xuan.

At this moment, Ye Xuan was looking up, his bizarre Double Pupils meeting the saint's gaze without the slightest hesitation.

Their eyes locked.

Nuwa's heart trembled slightly.

A nameless sensation suddenly surged within her.

It was a hint of revelation from the Heavenly Dao, and also a certain pull from the fate of the human race.

"This child..."

Nuwa halted her steps.

She looked at Ye Xuan, at the Chaos Qi swirling in his eyes, at the Innate Ancestral Qi within him—weak yet utterly pure.

A flash of inspiration struck.

Nuwa extended a jade-like finger, pointing at Ye Xuan.

Her voice was not loud, but empowered by the Heavenly Dao, it instantly echoed across the Primordial Wilderness, exploding in the ears of every living being.

"This child is the firstborn of humanity, bearing innate creation. He shall be the Human Emperor of the human race!"

Boom!

As the words fell, the Heavenly Dao trembled.

Human Emperor!

This was a Fruit Position personally conferred by a saint!

Even if humanity was still as weak as ants, with these words, the entire fate of the human race coalesced upon Ye Xuan.

Before Ye Xuan could react.

Nuwa waved her hand again.

Three streaks of light flew from her sleeve, landing gently before Ye Xuan.

The first was a clump of earth radiating nine-colored light.

"This is Nine Heavens Breathing Soil. I have a little left; I grant it to you, to protect the human race."

The second was a Jade Bottle, within which shimmered three-colored divine water.

"This is Three Lights Divine Water. It can restore flesh to bone and revive the dead. I grant it to you for self-defense."

The third was a verdant green vine, still stained with specks of mud, exuding a faint aura of black-yellow merit.

"This is the Human Creation Divine Vine, which once bore the merit of creating humanity. It has now transformed into a Postnatal Merit Supreme Treasure. It strikes gods above and demons below, specializes in harming both flesh and Primordial Spirit, and ignores all defenses."

Three treasures hovered before Ye Xuan, radiating fluctuations that would make even a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal's eyes burn with envy.

Having done all this, Nuwa did not linger.

"Humanity is newborn; you must strive to strengthen yourselves."

Leaving behind this decree, Nuwa's form dissolved into streaks of light and vanished Beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens.

The saint was gone.

But at the foot of Mount Buzhou, chaos erupted.

"Human Emperor!"

"We pay homage to the Human Emperor!"

One human was the first to react, dropping to both knees and kowtowing heavily to Ye Xuan.

Then—

Those one hundred twenty-nine thousand-plus humans, newly born and still ignorant of the world, as if moved by some bloodline resonance, knelt down in unison.

A sea of black, stretching endlessly beyond sight.

"We pay homage to the Human Emperor!"

This cry, though immature, though disorderly, gathered together and actually scattered the clouds above.

Ye Xuan stood there, holding the Nine Heavens Breathing Soil and the Three Lights Divine Water in his hands, the Human Creation Divine Vine coiled around his waist.

A wind blew past, carrying a trace of chill.

He looked at the magnificent scene before him, at those pairs of eyes filled with worship, dependence, and confusion.

Then he looked down at himself.

Apart from the treasure in his hand, he was just like these people below—bare from head to toe, not even a scrap of cloth to cover himself.

"This setup..."

Ye Xuan swallowed hard, his heart in a panic.

A Saint crowning him Human Emperor?

A merit-based supreme treasure?

It sounded amazing, like a dream start.

But...

Holy Mother Nuwa, did you forget something?

You didn't teach me how to cultivate!

I may have the title of Human Emperor and an Innate Dao Body, but I'm still a mortal!

This Primordial Wilderness is crawling with great demons. Even some random Little Whirlwind on patrol could swallow me whole!

Ye Xuan tightened his grip on the Divine Creation Vine, feeling his palms slick with sweat.

He stared at the several pairs of greedy, green beast eyes that had already lit up in the distant dense forest.

Those were Demonic Beasts, driven back by the Saint's aura but now creeping closer again after the Saint's departure.

"A hellish start..."

Ye Xuan wailed inwardly.

But on the surface, he straightened his back and put on a dignified expression.

Since he'd been thrust into this position, he had to play the part.

Who else did the human race have now... but him as their backbone?

The Saintly Purple Qi drifted eastward, and that crushing pressure that could flatten the ages gradually faded.

But at the foot of Mount Buzhou, a faint Saintly Resonance still lingered.

It was an invisible barrier, like a massive bubble, enveloping these one hundred twenty-nine thousand six hundred newborn humans.

Those Demonic Beasts that had been stirring restlessly now prowled outside that invisible line.

Greed nearly overflowed from their eyes—a craving for the Innate Dao Body.

But the fear of the Saint, etched deep in their souls, only let them release low growls, not daring to cross the line.

"Safe for now."

Ye Xuan let out a breath, his hand loosening its grip on the Human Creation Divine Vine.

He turned to look at the bewildered crowd before him.

Most of them still held their kneeling posture, their eyes clear but ignorant, like blank slates.

A wind blew, and many shivered from the cold, instinctively huddling together for warmth.

As the Human Emperor, as the backbone of this group, he had to do something.

"Everyone, rise."

Ye Xuan spoke, his voice amplified by the Innate Dao Rhyme, ringing clearly across the entire scene.

"Though Holy Mother Nuwa has departed, she left behind her Saintly Might to protect us. Those Demonic Beasts can't get in for now."

"We cannot sit and wait for death, nor can we run wild. Take this valley as our boundary—no one is to step beyond the Saintly Resonance's range."

"We will survive here until we gain the power to protect ourselves."

His words were short and forceful.

Though the humans were simple, they had a natural obedience to the "Human Emperor's" command.

"As the Human Emperor decrees!"

A thunderous roar of voices rose once more.

But the days that followed were far from easy.

Night fell.

Darkness enveloped the valley.

There was no light, only the glimmer of green beast eyes in the distance.

Fear spread through the crowd.

"Cold... so cold..."

"Scared... it's dark..."

Low sobs rose and fell one after another.

Ye Xuan sat on a large bluestone, watching this scene with his brows tightly knit.

Although the Innate Human Race had a robust physique that kept them from freezing to death, this primitive state of survival was far too harsh.

"It seems I must first solve the problem of survival," Ye Xuan said, turning to look at a burly man beside him.

This man was the first to kneel before him, and also the strongest in physique among this group of humans.

"You, come here." Ye Xuan beckoned with a wave.

The man hurried over and knelt respectfully: "Human Emperor."

"It's dark now. Are you afraid?" Ye Xuan asked.

The man nodded honestly: "I am. Can't see, my heart feels uneasy."

Ye Xuan pointed to a dead tree in the distance that had been struck by lightning, where a charred mark still lingered.

"Thunder can birth fire. Fire can dispel darkness and also bring warmth."

"Since there is no thunder in the sky, why not ask the wood on this ground?"

The man was startled, a flicker of confusion in his eyes: "Ask the wood?"

"There is fire within wood, hidden but unmanifested." Ye Xuan casually picked up two dry branches and made a rubbing motion. "Motion generates heat, and extreme heat births fire."

"Go give it a try."

Though the man didn't understand the principle, he trusted the Human Emperor.

He found a thick dead log and a sharp, hard wooden stick, then, imitating Ye Xuan, began to drill frantically.

"Huff—huff—"

His strength was immense, and wood chips flew everywhere.

The surrounding tribesmen gathered around, watching curiously.

After who knows how long, a wisp of green smoke rose.

"It's smoking!" someone exclaimed.

The man worked even harder, veins bulging on his arms.

"Pop!"

A spark landed on dry leaves, instantly igniting a small, orange flame.

Light.

In this pitch-black night, that tiny flame blazed like the sun itself.

It dispelled the darkness and brought warmth.

"Fire! It's fire!"

The man shouted in excitement, lifting the burning branch and running through the valley.

Wherever he passed, the tribesmen cheered and leaped, their fear largely dispelled.

Boom!

Just then, above the nine heavens, the wind and clouds shifted violently.

A dark-yellow cloud of merit and virtue appeared out of thin air. The amount of merit, though not as great as Nuwa's creation of humanity, was enough to make even a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal envious.

The merit split in two.

Eighty percent entered the man's body, while twenty percent flew toward Ye Xuan.

"I am Suiren Shi! Today, I bring fire to the human race, lighting the path ahead!"

The man, struck by divine inspiration, raised his torch high and roared to the heavens.

As the merit entered his body, his cultivation instantly skyrocketed, leaping from a mortal straight to a Heavenly Immortal, finally stabilizing at the True Immortal realm.

The first Ancestor of the human race, Suiren Shi, had taken his place!