Without wasting any time, Tang Chuan immediately connected to the Divine Transformation Device and immersed his consciousness deep within Cangmang Star in the Origin Universe.
The Time Force Field was still in effect, and life on Cangmang Star continued developing at a pace a million times faster.
Bolstered by a meager amount of Diluted Divine Power, Tang Chuan once again entered a semi-omnipotent state and began observing the planet.
Under Tang Chuan's design, Cangmang Star had now rapidly completed the formation of intelligent life.
Single-celled organisms, multicellular organisms, marine life, terrestrial life, mammals... humans.
In a short time, one region of the Canghuang Continent had completed a stage of evolution. Intelligent creatures had begun to take shape, forming communal tribes and developing several rudimentary tribal languages of their own.
Yet Tang Chuan did not immediately halt the Time Force Field's acceleration. Instead, he silently observed from God's Perspective.
About an hour or two later, Tang Chuan finally stopped the Time Force Field. The distorted, rapidly advancing scenes slowed down and returned to a normal pace observable by human eyes.
At this moment, many large human tribes had populations approaching ten thousand. They had established their own class systems and could build crude stone houses.
Some tribes had even developed cultural totems and learned to preserve fire, using it to drive away wild beasts, illuminate the ancient darkness, and... cook simple meals.
Nearly all of those cultural totems came from early humanity's awe of the immense power of nature.
Some were simple lightning symbols carved onto stone slabs.
Some were crude flame patterns, representing gratitude for fire's ability to drive away beasts and darkness.
Others depicted powerful ferocious beasts from the Canghuang Continent, born from humanity's instinctive reverence for strength.
That was right. The Canghuang Continent was home to many ferocious beasts. These species did not reproduce quickly, but they possessed strength far beyond Earth's animals.
Modeled after the Classic of Mountains and Seas, they came in all manner of grotesque and enormous forms, almost becoming the overlords of this ancient age.
If humans had not reproduced so quickly, if those ferocious beasts had not been so few in number, and if humans had not learned to use tools, fire, and crude walls, they would have long since been slaughtered to extinction.
Of course, that was inevitable.
After all, with a "god" like Tang Chuan present, humanity could not possibly be allowed to perish so easily.
Once early humans formed large tribes and tasted the sweetness of power, they quickly revealed their ambition to conquer.
They sought to seize resources and territory, to proclaim their sovereignty over this land.
What Tang Chuan saw now was a large tribe slaughtering and plundering a smaller one.
They controlled domesticated canine beasts, raised torches high, and wielded wooden clubs and stone weapons as they charged into a small tribe of several hundred people.
Any male they encountered was killed.
Females were killed as well. Only a few chosen by the warriors of the large tribe were spared and carried off to their tribe.
The humans of this era possessed unbelievably powerful bodies. Each of them was like an all-around athlete of later generations, with thick, sturdy bones and burly builds, nearly all standing around six feet three inches tall.
They possessed the strength of a thousand catties, along with the agility and reactions of wild beasts.
The large tribe was clearly battle-hardened. They had even formed several crude battle formations, and with their overwhelming numerical advantage, they quickly stripped the small tribe clean.
The tribal warriors returned laden with spoils. One burly warrior gripping a sharp stone weapon even had a male human impaled through the body, still bleeding and wailing, hanging from its tip.
This was the Eagle Tribe Chief. He had dared challenge the authority of their Savage Tribe and compete with them for resources. This was the price of provoking them.
The victors laughed heartily, carving their tribe's totem into the land around the Eagle Tribe to declare that they had come, that they had conquered.
Then they set fire directly to the ruined Eagle Tribe.
The flames soared into the sky, igniting the ink-black night. The Eagle Tribe Chief's miserable wails echoed across the vast wilderness, revealing an unmasked air of savagery and bloodshed.
The victors left in satisfaction, taking their captives with them.
All that remained was a heap of ruins still burning in the raging flames.
No one saw that beneath an extremely concealed beast trap covered with turf not far from the tribe, a gaze filled with hatred, fury, and venom stared like that of a hawk at the Savage Tribe as they departed with loud, wild laughter.
Tears soaked his beast-hide clothing. Hatred drove him into indescribable madness, yet before the Savage Tribe's ferocity and strength, he felt smaller than ever.
He was the Eagle Tribe's hope, the sole surviving spark carrying the tribe's final will.
He should have lived and died with the tribe, but he had been too afraid to fight. While checking the beast trap he had set during the day, the Savage Tribe launched its massive invasion. All he could do was hide beneath the turf-covered trap, tears streaming down his face, hatred making his body tremble, and watch helplessly as his people were exterminated.
Only after the Savage Tribe had gone far away, until even the faint glow of their torches could no longer be seen, did the boy named Hu'erlun dare crawl out of the beast trap.
He came to the edge of the tribe, now reduced to ruins, knelt on the ground, and stared at the totem left behind by the Savage Tribe. With trembling hands, he grabbed sand from the ground and stiffly smeared it across his face, stained with blood and tears.
The tribe is destroyed. Where should I go?
He was not as valiant as an eagle, unable to shed his blood to protect the tribe. The loss of his faith plunged the teenage Hu'erlun into profound self-blame and grief.
"If, as Witch Grandmother said, there truly is an Embodiment of Natural Power, then please forgive my cowardice and humility.
"O Embodiment of Natural Power, if you saw this, why did you remain indifferent? Every sunrise and sunset, our tribe offered you devout prayers. Every time we hunted a herd of beasts, we offered you sacrifices...
"Do you truly exist? Did you see it? The Savage Tribe has brought blood and tears to your believers!!"
Whoosh—
As those words fell, Hu'erlun suddenly saw boundless white light burst forth from above the horizon, filling the wilderness in an instant.
Hu'erlun blankly raised his head and saw, emerging from that endless white light, a towering, burly, supreme figure holding a golden armored shield and carrying a silver-glowing sword on his back... an Embodiment of Natural Power?
Hu'erlun's mind went completely blank.
Everything before him exceeded his imagination and shattered the worldview of primitive humans, much like those ancient pioneers who first witnessed lightning split the sky or flames burn all things.
With only one glance, he was overcome by deep terror and reverence.
"Small and humble mortal, was it you who called for me?"