After the ceremony honoring him as the Fourth Human Ancestor ended, that vast tide of Human Race Fortune began flowing into Yuan Ming in warm, threadlike streams.
He could clearly sense that his connection to the land beneath his feet and to the countless members of his race had become even closer and clearer.
Yet just as he was immersed in the profound sensation of being blessed by fortune, an indescribable feeling of being watched—as though it came from the very source of heaven and earth—descended without warning.
That gaze was not sharp, yet it was boundless, carrying a faint hint of scrutiny and curiosity. It pierced through the protective barrier Nuwa had personally laid down and silently settled upon him.
Yuan Ming's heart tightened, and the hairs on his body rose.
Someone capable of peering into the core of the Human Race Holy Land so easily without alerting anyone could only have one identity.
"Was it Sage Nuwa... or Dao Ancestor Hongjun, who rested high above the Ninth Heaven?"
His thoughts raced as he swiftly analyzed the situation.
The Dao Ancestor had merged with the Heavenly Dao and controlled the greater currents of the Primordial World. Everything within his sight was part of heaven and earth's grand chessboard. Why would he deliberately pay attention to a "little fellow" who had only just entered the True Immortal Realm?
It made no sense.
Then there was only one answer—
Sage Nuwa, the Holy Mother who had created humanity and whose fate was inseparably tied to Human Race Fortune!
Only she would care so deeply about changes within the Human Race, especially the birth of a new Human Ancestor.
With that thought, Yuan Ming did not hesitate in the slightest.
He immediately restrained every subtle fluctuation brought about by gaining fortune, his expression becoming incomparably solemn and devout.
He turned toward the ancient, sacred Holy Mother Temple and respectfully bowed three times before the stone statue of Sage Nuwa within.
No words were needed, for his actions were the best declaration: Yuan Ming was grateful for the Holy Mother's grace of creation, and he would surely do everything in his power to protect the Human Race!
He did not know whether the Sage's attention was mere concern or carried some deeper meaning.
But no matter what, absolute respect and humility before a Sage could never be wrong.
That strand of attention lingered on him for a moment, as though confirming something, then silently withdrew just as it had arrived, as if it had never appeared at all.
The pressure vanished, but Yuan Ming's heart churned with waves.
The Sage's gaze was like a basin of cold water, thoroughly waking him from the slight complacency he had felt after becoming a Human Ancestor.
The waters of the Primordial World ran far deeper than he had imagined.
Perhaps every move he made had long since fallen into the eyes of certain beings.
Strength! In the end, I still need sufficient strength!
Becoming a Human Ancestor and enjoying fortune had merely given him a higher starting point and a layer of protection. If he himself was not strong enough, everything would be an illusion.
Fortunately, he had [Great Dao Comprehension].
During his subsequent cultivation, he did not become constrained by the Sage's attention. Instead, he devoted himself even more fully to cultivating the Heaven-Devouring Dao Scripture.
With [Great Dao Comprehension], cultivation held virtually no bottlenecks for him.
The seemingly domineering and perilous circulation route of the Heaven-Devouring Dao Scripture felt as gentle as a stream in his perception.
The spiritual energy of heaven and earth, the essence of the sun and moon, and even the subtle Dao resonance permeating the air were all efficiently absorbed and refined by his mana vortex, which carried a trace of Devouring properties.
His cultivation advanced at a pace that left the members of his race dumbfounded.
One day, while cultivating, Yuan Ming felt a sudden clarity in his soul. The mana within his body surged like a rushing river and violently broke through an invisible barrier.
The True Immortal Realm was achieved!
The entire process happened as naturally as water flowing into a channel, without the slightest disturbance.
There were no falling heavenly flowers, nor was there any lightning tribulation.
As he knew, below the Golden Immortal Realm, one might bear the name of immortal, but one was not yet a "complete immortal." The Heavenly Dao would not send down tribulations as a test.
The true threshold of the immortal path began only at the Golden Immortal Realm!
The instant he stabilized his True Immortal Realm cultivation—
"Ding! Detected that the host's cultivation has broken through to the True Immortal Realm. Reward: one Entry draw opportunity!"
The system prompt sounded right on cue.
Filled with anticipation, Yuan Ming began another draw.
The screen of light swirled, and seven-colored radiance emerged once more. Though it was not as supreme as a nine-colored Entry, it still exuded a majestic aura far surpassing ordinary gold and purple Entries.
At last, the light settled, and a dazzling seven-colored Entry appeared:
[Eastern Lord's Heavenly Patrol] (Seven-Colored)
Entry effect: You possess the nascent divine status and authority of the ancient sun god, "Dongjun."
You may channel and command the essence of the great sun and Solar True Fire. You possess extremely high affinity and control over the Great Daos of the Sun Dao, flames, light, and celestial hunting.
Note: This Entry has a potential conflict with the current authority holder of the Primordial World's Sun Star. Please use it cautiously and avoid exposing it too early.
"Dongjun..." Yuan Ming mulled over the name.
This was different from the innate origins of Di Jun and Taiyi, rulers of the Heavenly Court, who had been born as "spirits of the great sun."
[Eastern Lord's Heavenly Patrol] represented something more like the deification of the very concept of the "sun"—recognition on the level of laws and rules, rather than a direct attempt to seize control of the Sun Star.
Its potential was beyond doubt. If it could develop smoothly, perhaps he might truly command the authority of the sun in the future and become a genuine god of the great sun!
However, immense opportunity came with extreme danger.
The current Sun Star was the nest of Demon Emperor Di Jun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi, the core source of their power.
Any attempt to lay claim to the sun's authority would inevitably be regarded by those two Demon Clan emperors as an unforgivable provocation!
Yuan Ming looked at the seven-colored Entry within his sea of consciousness, radiating scorching heat, light, and majesty. His expression was complicated.
"A good thing, but right now... it's a hot potato."
He took a deep breath and deeply concealed the light of [Eastern Lord's Heavenly Patrol], like a dormant volcano.
I still have to keep a low profile! He reaffirmed his core strategy.
The greater the power he possessed, the more he needed to know how to conceal it.
Before he possessed enough strength to protect himself—or even contend against them—the power of [Eastern Lord's Heavenly Patrol] absolutely could not be used lightly, especially in broad daylight!
He raised his head to the sky, his gaze seeming to pierce through the clouds and see that blazing great sun hanging high above, firmly controlled by the Demon Clan.
One day...
After entering the True Immortal Realm and gaining [Human Ancestor's Fortune], Yuan Ming could clearly feel the leap in the level of his life.
Yet a new sense of "emptiness" came with it.
It was like a burly man blessed with immense strength but ignorant of any fighting techniques. He possessed cultivation, yet could not transform it into true combat power.
In the perilous Primordial World, lacking powerful divine abilities and spells for protection was no different from a child carrying gold through a crowded market.
"The Heaven-Devouring Dao Scripture is a foundational cultivation method, meant to raise my cultivation realm. But methods to defend the Dao and the ability to kill are equally indispensable."
He once again sank his consciousness into his sea of consciousness, where the seemingly plain yet profoundly insightful Dao De Jing appeared once more.
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