Empress Wa Takes a Disciple

This action not only bolstered Lady Nuwa's path but also tangibly enhanced her strength.

Upon realizing this, it became clear why Lady Nuwa had set aside the consolidation of her Saintly fruit to manifest and witness this event. The benefits were simply too immense; she could not afford to stay away.

"Your actions today align perfectly with my Great Dao, and since you practice the Yin-Yang Creation Scripture that I passed down, it is clear that you and I are truly fated."

"In that case, would you be willing to come to Splendid Heaven and the Wa Imperial Palace to cultivate under my guidance?"

After a moment of thought, Lady Nuwa asked. Jiang Yuan had brought her such significant benefits that she, as his elder, could not leave it unacknowledged. However, ordinary treasures were insufficient to match Jiang Yuan's contribution.

Thus, after careful deliberation, Lady Nuwa decided to take Jiang Yuan as her disciple. In this way, she could settle this karmic debt.

In the Primordial World, the bond between master and disciple was the most intimate of all, far surpassing the ties between parents and children.

Once the master-disciple relationship was confirmed, the master was not only responsible for arranging the disciple's future but also for providing all the resources required for their cultivation until they completed their training.

Given this nature, no matter how great the favor, taking someone as a disciple was considered a full repayment.

"I am honored by the Holy Mother's regard. I would naturally be willing to go to the Wa Imperial Palace to cultivate under you, but the Human Race is currently in ruins and requires development in every aspect. I truly cannot leave them behind."

Jiang Yuan felt helpless. He was certainly happy to join Lady Nuwa's sect, but he was not keen on moving to the Wa Imperial Palace.

Was the Wa Imperial Palace not good? It was located within Splendid Heaven, the Great Thousand World that Lady Nuwa had just opened in the chaos beyond the heavens. It possessed endless resources and was a top-tier sanctuary for cultivation in the Primordial World.

For anyone else, the opportunity to cultivate there would be a dream come true. But Jiang Yuan could not go, for no matter how magnificent the Wa Imperial Palace was, it was a place isolated from the world.

As someone who walked the path of "devouring," he could not leave the Primordial World.

Once he went to the Wa Imperial Palace, where would he find enough living beings to consume? If he wanted to condense more God and Devil incarnations, he would be forced to rely solely on bitter, stagnant cultivation.

Yet, the reason "bitter cultivation" was called bitter was precisely because it was so arduous that few could persist.

Jiang Yuan admitted that he could endure hardship, but being able to endure it did not mean he desired it. He was no masochist; when there was a better way to cultivate, why choose the path of suffering?

Beyond that, the Human Race truly could not function without him at this moment.

His grand design had only just begun, and a series of subsequent plans awaited his refinement. If he were to suddenly abandon his post and run off to the Wa Imperial Palace to enjoy comfort, the Human Race would surely collapse on the spot.

Even setting aside cultivation and the affairs of the Human Race, there were the acts of Merit he intended to perform next.

Establishing a currency, perfecting the measurement system, and crafting the Earth Emperor's Book and the Human Emperor's Brush—all of these required him to remain in the Primordial World to be completed.

Too many responsibilities weighed upon Jiang Yuan, waiting for his attention. Therefore, he truly could not leave the Primordial World to follow Lady Nuwa to the Wa Imperial Palace.

His future lay within the Primordial World, not in the isolated Wa Imperial Palace. Only by staying could he grow and eventually hope to reach the Hunyuan Realm.

If he were to go to the Wa Imperial Palace, he would likely avoid danger in the future, but his potential would be locked, leaving him with no hope of reaching the Hunyuan Realm, stopping at most at the Quasi-Saint Realm.

This was not Jiang Yuan's idle speculation, but a judgment based on the performance of the Saints' disciples in later generations. Their reputations grew ever larger, yet their combat records were increasingly pathetic, showing no signs of those destined for the Dao.

"You..."

Hearing this, Lady Nuwa could not help but laugh. She was about to say that with his meager cultivation, how could the Human Race possibly be unable to function without him? But the words died on her lips.

Because she took a look at the current state of the Human Race and realized that they truly could not do without Jiang Yuan.

At some point, he had become the center of the Human Race. If he were gone, they might not be beaten back to their original state, but they would certainly fall into chaos for a long time.

"It seems I underestimated you. The Human Race truly cannot do without you right now."

"However, this is no matter. You staying with the Human Race is no different from going to the Wa Imperial Palace. I am currently in seclusion, and by the time I emerge, at least a million years will have passed."

"During this time, even if you went to the Wa Imperial Palace, you would not receive my guidance. In that case, it is better to remain with the Human Race and verify your own path."

Lady Nuwa was not angry at Jiang Yuan's refusal; instead, she spoke with understanding.

She had not understood the situation before, thinking that Jiang Yuan would have a better future at the Wa Imperial Palace. But now that she understood, she saw that it was better for him to stay.

Since that was the case, she would not force him. To do so would contradict her original intent.

"Thank you for your understanding, My Lady!"

Seeing that Lady Nuwa was not angry, Jiang Yuan bowed once more.

"Why call me 'My Lady'? From now on, you should address me as Master."

Lady Nuwa was merely agreeing not to force him to the Wa Imperial Palace; she had not said she would not take him as a disciple.

Whether he went to the Wa Imperial Palace was unimportant; what mattered was that she would take him as a disciple to settle the karmic debt. Of course, she was also very satisfied with Jiang Yuan's innate talent.

Not only did he cultivate the path of creation like her, but the scripture he practiced was the very one she had created. More importantly, he was her own creation.

With these three factors combined, he was already qualified to be her disciple, not to mention that Jiang Yuan had also provided her with inspiration.

He was a heaven-sent disciple, and Lady Nuwa found it hard to refuse. She only regretted that she needed to remain in seclusion to consolidate her Saintly fruit and could not manifest her true self, making this initiation ceremony somewhat informal and flawed.

"Disciple greets Master."

Hearing this, Jiang Yuan was filled with immense joy. He quickly performed the rites of a disciple and addressed her as Master.

To him, this was a stroke of incredible fortune. Who could have imagined that simply cultivating a new species would earn him the favor of Lady Nuwa and lead to him becoming her true disciple?

If this were to spread, it would surely be the envy of the world.

"Since you have taken me as your master, it is only right that I bestow a Daoist name upon you. From now on, you shall be known as Di Yuan."

Waving her hand to lift Jiang Yuan up, Lady Nuwa spoke.

Di Yuan—Jiang Yuan's new name—sounded simple, merely adding the character "Di" (Emperor) to his original name, but it contained Lady Nuwa's grand expectations for him.

Adding "Di" before a name implied a coronation, something only a hegemon of heaven and earth could bear. In the current Primordial World, only two others bore such a name.

One was Di Jun, the Lord of the Demon Race and the Heavenly Emperor of the Heavenly Court. The other was Di Jiang, the Lord of the Wu Clan and the Emperor of the Earth.

"This name carries great fortune and can nurture the destiny of a supreme being. Others might be crushed by it, but with your vast Merit and the added blessing of the Human Race's destiny, not only will you remain unaffected, but it will also make your future path smoother."

Lady Nuwa would not choose such a name lightly. It was a true name, one that involved destiny and could even influence the future, requiring the utmost caution. Thus, after deep consideration, she had given Jiang Yuan a name that could lead him to become a hegemon of heaven and earth.