Heaven and earth were merciless, treating all living things as straw dogs!
There had been no gods or immortals in this world, but since time immemorial, humanity had witnessed strange phenomena all around them: lightning and thunder, natural disasters and human calamities, countless deaths and injuries, and suffering everywhere. Such things were beyond human power to cause or withstand.
Thus people believed that countless deities dwelled above the nine heavens, while beneath Jiuyou lay the resting place of departed souls, the Hall of Yama.
And so tales of gods and immortals spread throughout the world. Countless people bowed in sincere devotion before the many deities born of their own imaginations, praying for blessings and pouring out their sorrows. Incense offerings flourished.
Since ancient times, all mortals had been destined to die. Yet everyone feared death and cherished life, and stories of Yama and the Netherworld only deepened their dread. From this arose the notion of eternal life.
Compared with other living creatures, humans might have been physically inferior, but their claim to be the wisest of all beings was by no means empty.
Driven by the pursuit of eternal life, generation after generation of brilliant minds devoted their entire lives to tireless study, each following in the footsteps of those before them.
To this day, true immortality had yet to be found. Still, some cultivators had gleaned a measure of the mysteries of heaven and earth. With mortal bodies, they wielded formidable power, and through wondrous treasures and magical artifacts, they could shake heaven and earth with the might of thunder.
Some highly accomplished elders were even said to have lived for over a thousand years without dying. People believed they had attained the Dao and become immortals, inspiring still more to embark on the path of cultivation.
Shenzhou Haotu