Kunpeng Creates Script, the Human Culture Codex

"Hmph, isn't it just creating characters? Among the myriad races of the Primordial World, which race lacks its own writing? What is there to be so proud of?" Gonggong, the Water Ancestral Witch, crossed his arms over his chest and let out a muffled snort like mountains roaring and seas crashing.

He had always been arrogant and had never accepted Eastern King Lord, the nominal leader of the male immortals. At this moment, his face was even more full of disdain.

"Fellow Daoist Gonggong, that is where you are mistaken." Eastern King Lord smiled faintly, his bearing graceful and composed. "If it were merely the script of one race, it would naturally not be worth mentioning. But what Fellow Daoist Kunpeng intends to create is a script common to all races of the Primordial World. Unifying writing can erase the barriers of language, resolve tribal disputes, and complete the order of Heaven and Earth's enlightenment. This is an unparalleled merit that benefits all living beings!"

The entire hall abruptly fell silent at these words.

Everyone was first stunned, then, as though by prior agreement, turned their gazes toward Lingxiao.

Setting the Twelve Time Markers, establishing the three marriages of Heaven, Earth, and Man, guiding the sorting of the Earth Veins—of all these great matters that benefited living beings, which had not first come from Lingxiao's plans?

Now, this merit of unifying writing presumably could not be separated from the guidance of this Sun Star Sovereign either.

Lingxiao sat upright upon his cushion, his expression calm. Only the faint upward curl of his lips acknowledged everyone's speculation.

"Excellent." Dao Ancestor Hongjun stroked his beard and smiled, his gaze brimming with approval.

With a slight calculation, he understood the benefits that unified writing would bring to the Primordial World.

"When Yin and Yang first divided, there arose the qi of Three Origins, Five Virtues, and Eight Assemblies, forming the Flying-Heaven Book, later compiled into the Eight-Dragon Cloud Script Luminous Chapter. Naturally soaring mystic qi condensed from emptiness into characters, each one square zhang in size. They began within the heavens and brought all things into being."

"This Heavenly Book Cloud Script shall lend you a hand."

As his words fell, Dao Ancestor Hongjun gave a light wave of his hand and produced an object: a mysterious yellow scroll three zhang, six chi, and five cun long, and one zhang, two chi wide, corresponding to the three hundred and sixty-five degrees of the cosmos and the twelve months.

It had been woven from Heavenly Silkworm Ice Silk nurtured within Chaos. Neither water nor fire could harm it, and no law could damage it. It felt warm and smooth as jade beneath the hand, while a faint pressure of the Heavenly Dao emanated from it.

At either end was a spindle of Kunlun Sacred Wood, each one chi and three cun long, carved with the forms of the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, dragons, phoenixes, and qilins.

Once unfurled, its surface resembled a miniature world of the Primordial World, covered in golden Heavenly Dao cloud script that flickered in and out of sight. None but a Sage could fully recognize them.

...It was none other than the Heaven Book Investiture List, one of the Three Books of Heaven, Earth, and Man!

Dao Ancestor Hongjun lightly shook the Investiture List. In the next instant, one cloud-script character after another shot forth and entered Kunpeng's brow.

...It turned out that the Heavenly Book Cloud Script was the oldest writing between Heaven and Earth, condensed from Chaos primal qi and the manifestation of Great Dao laws. A single character could contain a thousand meanings. Writing them required corresponding celestial phenomena, time, and space; they themselves possessed divine-power might. They were further divided into scripts of thirty-six heavens, each at a different level. The higher the heaven, the harder its script was to discern and the greater its power.

Speaking of which, this Heavenly Book Cloud Script could also explain all laws of Heaven and Earth and carry the different cultivation methods of all races.

Yet its level was too lofty. It was suited only to Innate Sacred Beings, not to the myriad living beings.

...Only a Heavenly Dao Sage like Dao Ancestor Hongjun could comprehend the scripts of all thirty-six heavens.

Still, using it as a reference would bring Kunpeng inspiration and benefits far greater than the Dragon-Phoenix Script and Qilin Tablet.

"Brother Dao, this matter benefits all beings of the Primordial World!"

Hong Yun tugged at Zhen Yuanzi's sleeve, his face full of earnestness.

Though he and Kunpeng had old grievances from yielding his seat, his nature was kind. Seeing this matter benefit the myriad living beings, he had long since cast their private feud beyond the clouds.

"You..." Zhen Yuanzi frowned slightly. He looked at the expectant Hong Yun, then at Kunpeng comprehending the Dao in midair. At last, he let out a soft sigh and raised his hand, sacrificing the Earth Book.

"Whoosh!"

The earth-yellow scroll slowly unfurled, and countless runes of mountains, rivers, and Earth Veins flew out, merging into the character-runes surrounding Kunpeng.

The Earth Book carried the Earth Law, perfectly completing the solid, steady aspect of writing.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Zhen Yuanzi! Thank you, Fellow Daoist Hong Yun!" Kunpeng opened his eyes, his mind clear, and shouted his thanks.

The hatred of obstructing one's Dao was irreconcilable, yet the grace of aiding one's Dao was greater than heaven. The bitter consequence caused by Hong Yun yielding his seat out of kindness had, today, been erased once more by that same kindness.

With the Heavenly Book Cloud Script as bones, the Earth Book Mountain Sigils as flesh, the Dragon-Phoenix Script and Qilin Tablet as soul, and the essence of all races' writing fused into them, a wholly new system of writing formally took shape in merely three years.

This script was divided into three levels:

Forty-nine source characters, corresponding to the ultimate number in "the Heavenly Dao has fifty; man derives forty-nine," with every character containing the profundities of the Heavenly Dao.

Three thousand fundamental characters, corresponding to the number of the Three Thousand Great Daos, capable of carrying every cultivation method in the world.

One hundred twenty-nine thousand six hundred common characters, corresponding to the number of a Yuanhui, encompassing all the daily needs of living beings.

Each character held multiple meanings and changed according to its context. From mortal creatures below to Heavenly Dao Sages above, all could use it.

"This script shall be called 'Human Script'!" Kunpeng threw back his head and roared toward the heavens, his voice shaking the Violet Firmament. "Humankind stands between Heaven and Earth, uniting the Three Realms of the Primordial World, completing its order, and enlightening all living beings!"

"Buzz!"

The moment his words fell, the Mysterious Yellow Merit Cloud Sea abruptly gathered above Violet Firmament Palace, even three parts vaster than when Zhen Yuanzi had first begun sorting the Earth Veins.

For a time, heavenly flowers rained down while golden lotuses surged from the earth.

Within the Primordial Starry Sky, Wenqu Star suddenly erupted with hundreds of millions of beams of pure white starlight. They pierced through endless Chaos and descended straight into Violet Firmament Palace, all of them enveloping Kunpeng.

Endless literary fortune qi fell from above, intertwining with Merit Golden Light.

Countless golden character-runes spun and gathered in the air, eventually condensing into a scroll of pure lustrous white. The four ancient characters, "Human Culture Codex," gleamed brilliantly upon its cover, containing supreme Dao intent capable of enlightening all living beings.

This was a Postcelestial Merit Supreme Treasure, forged by the Heavenly Dao in response through Merit, literary fortune, and laws!

Above, it could carry a Sage's Great Dao; below, it could pass on the skills of all living beings. Holding it could suppress the literary fortune of an entire region, warding off all evil and preventing inner demons from arising.

And at that very moment, an astonishing change occurred to Kunpeng.

As the Wenqu starlight entered his body, his status abruptly transformed—he was no longer merely an Innate Sacred Being of the North Nether Sea, but had become the Literary Star Lord who governed the literary fortune of the world. He seized the immense fortune of Wenqu Star's lineage, thoroughly making up for his deficiencies of shallow fortune and possessing nothing of value.

Light and shadow flowed around him. Beyond his original two forms, the North Nether Giant Kun and the Nine-Heavens Great Peng, he unexpectedly gained a third form: the Literary Star Lord, clad in a moon-white star robe and holding the Human Culture Codex.

His brows and eyes were gentle, literary qi curling around his body. He was utterly unlike his former gloomy appearance.

Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown appeared above his head. Upon his original eighth-grade Great Firmament Dao Flower, the phantom of a ninth grade slowly emerged, Dao intent flowing through it, vibrant with life.

...Just as Xihe and Changxi had received merit from establishing the Heavenly Marriage, Heavenly Dao Merit had helped his Dao Flower advance once more, allowing him to touch the threshold of the Ninth-Grade Dao Flower.

His cultivation also broke through naturally into the Late-Stage Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal Realm. The North Nether Palace forged from his accompanying North Nether Immortal Stone absorbed the fortune of Wenqu and the power of Merit as well, formally transforming from an Upper-Grade Acquired Spiritual Treasure into an Upper-Grade Acquired Merit Spirit Treasure.

...Kunpeng's foundation had been flawed, and his fortune had continually drained away, which was why everything had gone against him. Now, however, part of that deficiency had been remedied.

"Kunpeng's Dao path has become even broader." Lingxiao fell into thought.

The original Kunpeng, constrained by his flawed foundation, could only sever out the Good Corpse Giant Kun and the Evil Corpse Great Peng. Now that he possessed the status and form of the Literary Star Lord, he could use it to sever his third corpse.

Combined with his status as the Cultural Ancestor of the Primordial World, when the Primordial World advanced in rank in the future, he might well become a Sage of Human Dao!