Gathered, a Blazing Fire; Scattered, Stars Across the Sky

Time flowed on. Yuan Ming immersed himself in cultivating and integrating the Heaven-Devouring Dao Scripture, the Formless Scripture, and the Heaven-Earth-Human Forty-Nine Return-to-Truth Method, scarcely concerning himself with outside affairs.

Yet though the tree wished for stillness, the wind would not cease.

Within the Human Race, an urgent crisis could no longer be ignored.

Thanks to the relatively safe environment, ample food, and the healthy bodies and longer lifespans brought by the Four-Step Breathing Method, the Postnatal humans had multiplied far beyond expectations.

In merely a few hundred years, this paradise on the Shore of the East Sea, marked out by the Holy Mother, had already become unbearably crowded.

The once-lush hunting grounds began to shrink. Gathering areas had to be sought farther afield, and vegetation in some regions had even begun to deteriorate from overuse.

The pressure on resources hung over the tribe like invisible storm clouds.

That day, Suiren summoned all the high-ranking members with a grave expression.

Inside the stone house sat the three Human Ancestors—Ziyi, Youchao, and Yuan Mingshi—along with dozens of highly respected elders of the Primordial Humans.

Suiren swept his gaze over the crowd and spoke in a slow, weighty voice. "Brothers, elders, during my recent inspections, I discovered that our people's hunts have been steadily dwindling, while the edible fruits and roots nearby are no longer as plentiful as before."

He paused, his tone growing heavier. "At its root, the problem is that our population, especially the number of Postnatal clansmen, has nearly reached the limit of what this place can sustain. If we stubbornly remain here, we may face the exhaustion of resources and the decline of our people. I have gathered everyone today to discuss a solution."

The moment he spoke, low murmurs rose throughout the room.

In truth, many of the elders had already noticed this problem. It simply had not been laid bare so clearly before them.

An elderly man with snow-white hair and beard was the first to speak, his face clouded with worry. "Ancestor Suiren speaks rightly. However, the Primordial World is fraught with peril. Savage beasts and vicious birds are everywhere, and great demons roam unchecked."

"Although the Postnatal clansmen have achieved some results in cultivating the Four-Step Breathing Method, they are still weak when compared to the true dangers of the Primordial World. If we let them leave the protection of this holy land now, would that not be like sending sheep into a tiger's jaws?"

His words resonated with most of the elders.

They had witnessed the cruelty of the Primordial World with their own eyes and knew full well the consequences of leaving the barrier.

To ask them to agree to "send out" the Postnatal clansmen they regarded as their own children and nephews was simply too difficult to accept emotionally.

"Yes, this is far too dangerous!"

"Could we not wait a little longer, until the Postnatal clansmen have grown stronger?"

Opposition gradually rose, nearly everyone believing that the time was not yet right. They should continue holding fast here and seek another solution.

Just as the dispute reached an impasse, Yuan Ming, who had been sitting silently and listening, calmly swept his gaze across those present. Then he slowly spoke. His voice was not loud, yet it clearly overwhelmed every murmur in the room.

"This is simple. Just divide the clansmen and send them out."

The moment those words fell, the entire hall went silent.

Every gaze instantly focused on him, filled with shock and confusion.

The white-haired elder from before could not help retorting, "Ancestor Yuan Ming! You created the Four-Step Breathing Method and brought blessings to our people; we all admire you. But this concerns the survival of the entire race. How can we be so rash? With the strength the Postnatal clansmen possess now, how could they survive outside?"

Faced with the challenge, Yuan Ming did not grow angry. A faint, helpless smile merely touched his lips as he asked in return.

"Then when would be the right time?"

His gaze passed over the crowd. His tone remained calm, yet it carried an unquestionable force. "When the resources here have been exhausted, when our clansmen are sallow and emaciated, when they are even forced to exchange children for food?"

His words were like a heavy hammer striking every heart. Several elders fell into deep thought.

Yuan Ming continued, his tone resolute. "If we forever cower within this tiny barrier, relying on the Holy Mother's lingering protection, then our Human Race will never see the light of day! We will forever remain a weak race dependent upon the Sage Realm."

He rose to his feet and walked to the center of the room, raising his voice. "What I propose is not that we blindly drive all Postnatal clansmen out to die!"

He pointed toward all the Primordial Human elders present. "Rather, you! We Primordial Humans should personally lead portions of the Postnatal clansmen, divide into several routes, and scatter across the Primordial World like seeds, each opening a path to survival!"

"The Shore of the East Sea will forever be our root, our holy land, the source of our spirit and inheritance!"

"But the Human Race cannot have only this one root!"

"We must spread our branches and leaves outward, endure wind and rain, and take root in a broader heaven and earth!"

"This is the true path to survival! This is the path the Holy Mother hoped we would walk when she granted us life!"

His gaze turned to Ziyi and Youchao. "What do you two elder siblings think?"

Ziyi looked at the crude clothing made from animal hides and leaves on her body, then gazed outside at those energetic yet bewildered younger generations. Slowly, she nodded.

"What Brother Yuan Ming says... makes sense. Constant protection will only make growth impossible. If we lead them ourselves, the risks can be controlled. This truly is the best method for now."

Youchao also voiced his agreement in a deep, rumbling tone. "That is right! We humans must possess the courage to forge ahead! We cannot remain trapped here generation after generation."

The stance of the two Human Ancestors instantly turned the situation around.

Suiren looked at Yuan Ming, the admiration in his eyes deepening.

This fourth brother of his usually kept a low profile, yet at every critical moment, he could always offer a strategy that struck straight at the heart of the matter and cut through the fog.

He drew a deep breath. His towering body radiated decisive authority as he made the final call.

"Good! We shall proceed according to Yuan Ming's plan!"

He looked toward the elders who had opposed the idea earlier, his tone gentler but firm. "I know that you all cherish the younger generation, but it is precisely because you cherish them that you must seek for them a future filled with hope!"

"This matter is of immense importance. I will trouble you elders to carefully discuss the specific arrangements and present me with a detailed plan as soon as possible. How the groups are to be divided, who will lead them, where they will go, and what they must carry—all of it must be considered thoroughly!"

"Yes, Ancestor Suiren!" the elders answered in unison. Though worries still lingered, the direction had been set.

As the meeting dispersed, the curtain rose on the first planned, large-scale migration of the Human Race into the Primordial World.

And Yuan Ming, who had proposed this course of action, carried even greater weight in the hearts of the elders.

Watching the elders' backs as they began discussing matters heatedly, Yuan Ming silently recited in his heart.

Scattered, they are stars across the sky; gathered, they are a blazing fire. The Human Race's prairie-blazing momentum will begin with this division of the clans.

After days and nights of unceasing deliberation by the Elders' Council, they finally settled upon the strategy of "five paths advancing together to open up the Primordial World."

The three Human Ancestors and the two most prestigious Primordial Human elders would each lead one million Postnatal humans, choosing different directions as they embarked upon unknown journeys.

Yuan Ming volunteered for the west, the most arduous direction and the one most likely to contain opportunities.

The Shore of the East Sea lay in the far east of the Primordial World, bordering the vast East Sea.

Traveling west meant crossing an unknown number of miles, passing through countless treacherous mountains, evil waters, and territories of great demons. The future was uncertain, and the dangers unfathomable.

Yet precisely because of this, if they could successfully gain a foothold there, the rewards would be the greatest.

Before departure, Suiren tightly gripped Yuan Ming's hand and said in a deep voice, "Fourth Brother, the western road is long. It is said that after the Dragon-Phoenix Tribulation, the earth veins there were damaged, making the land relatively barren. Yet it may also lie far from the core sphere of influence of the eastern Demon Race."

"Rest assured, Elder Brother. Yuan Ming will not fail your trust. I will open up a new heaven and earth for our Human Race in the Western Lands."

After bidding farewell to the clansmen, Yuan Ming stood before the army of one million. He did not reveal his True Immortal cultivation, continuing instead to present himself as being in the Heavenly Immortal Realm.

He turned back for one final look at the holy land shrouded in hazy radiance. Then he resolutely turned around and called out.

"Set out!"

The migration of one million people was no easy matter.

The procession stretched for hundreds of li. Supporting the elderly and carrying the young, they slowly traveled westward, bearing reluctance to leave their homeland and uncertainty toward the future.