Time passed swiftly. 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, paying almost no attention to 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 their relatively safe environment, abundant food, and the healthy bodies and longer lifespans brought by the Four-Step Breathing Method, the Postnatal Human Race reproduced far faster than expected.
In merely a few centuries, this paradise on the Shore of the East Sea, designated by the Holy Mother, had already become unbearably crowded.
The once-rich hunting grounds began to shrink. Gathering areas lay increasingly farther away, and vegetation in some places had begun to deteriorate from overuse.
The pressure on resources, like invisible storm clouds, began to loom over the tribe.
That day, Suiren summoned all the senior figures with a grave expression.
Inside the stone house sat the three Human Progenitors—Ziyi, Youchao, and Yuan Mingshi—along with dozens of highly respected elders of the Primordial Humans.
Suiren swept his gaze over the room before speaking in a slow, weighty voice. "Brothers, elders. During recent inspections, I discovered that our people's hunting yields have dwindled, and the nearby edible fruits and roots are no longer as plentiful as before."
He paused, his tone growing heavier. "At the root of it, our population—especially the number of Postnatal clansmen—has nearly reached the limit this land can sustain. If we remain here, we risk exhausting our resources and bringing decline upon our race. I have gathered everyone today to discuss a solution."
The moment he spoke, hushed discussion broke out throughout the room.
In truth, many elders had already noticed the problem. It simply had not been laid out so plainly before them.
A white-haired elder was the first to speak, worry written across his face. "Progenitor Suiren speaks rightly. However, the Primordial World is filled with danger. Ferocious beasts and birds roam everywhere, while great demons run rampant."
"Though the Postnatal clansmen have made progress in the Four-Step Breathing Method, they remain weak in the face of the true dangers of the Primordial World. Sending them beyond the protection of this sacred land now would be no different from throwing sheep into a tiger's jaws!"
His words resonated with most of the elders.
They had witnessed the cruelty of the Primordial World firsthand and understood the consequences of leaving the barrier.
Asking them to agree to "send out" the Postnatal clansmen they regarded as their own children was emotionally difficult to accept.
"Yes, it is far too dangerous!"
"Could we not wait until the Postnatal clansmen have grown stronger?"
Opposition gradually rose, nearly unanimous in believing that the time was not right. They should remain here and seek another solution.
Just as the argument reached an impasse, Yuan Ming, who had been sitting quietly and listening, calmly swept his gaze across everyone present. He slowly spoke, his voice not loud, yet clearly overpowering all discussion.
"It is simple. Divide the clansmen and send them out."
The hall fell silent.
All eyes instantly focused on him, filled with shock and confusion.
The white-haired elder from before could not help retorting, "Progenitor Yuan Ming! You created the Four-Step Breathing Method and bestowed its blessings upon our people. We all admire you. But this matter concerns the survival of our entire race. How can you be so rash? With their current strength, how can the Postnatal clansmen survive outside?"
Faced with the challenge, Yuan Ming did not grow angry. A faint, somewhat helpless smile merely appeared at the corner of his lips as he asked in return,
"Then when will it be appropriate?"
His gaze passed over the crowd. His tone remained mild, yet carried an undeniable force. "When the resources here have been exhausted? When our people are gaunt with hunger and forced to exchange children for food?"
His words struck everyone's hearts like a heavy hammer. Several elders fell into thought.
Yuan Ming continued, his voice resolute. "If we forever cower inside this small barrier and rely upon the Holy Mother's lingering protection, the Human Race will never have a day of rising! We will forever remain a weak race dependent on Sages."
He rose to his feet and walked to the center of the room, raising his voice. "What I propose is not blindly driving all Postnatal clansmen out to die!"
He pointed at every Primordial Human elder present. "Rather, you! We Primordial Humans should personally lead a portion of the Postnatal clansmen, divide into several paths, and scatter across the Primordial World like seeds, each group opening its own path to survival!"
"The Shore of the East Sea will forever be our root, our sacred 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 world!"
"This is the true path to survival! This is the path the Holy Mother hoped we would walk when she gave us life!"
He turned his gaze toward Ziyi and Youchao. "What do you two think, elder brother and elder sister?"
Ziyi looked at the crude garments on her body, made from animal hides and leaves, then looked outside at the vigorous yet bewildered younger generation. She slowly nodded.
"What Brother Yuan Ming says... makes sense. Constant protection will never allow them to grow. With us leading them, the risks can be controlled. This is indeed the best solution for now."
Youchao also voiced his agreement in a deep, rumbling voice. "That is right! We of the Human Race should possess the courage to pioneer! We cannot remain trapped here generation after generation."
The stances of the two Human Progenitors instantly reversed the situation.
Suiren looked at Yuan Ming, the admiration in his eyes deepening.
His fourth brother usually kept a low profile, yet whenever a crucial moment arrived, he always proposed a strategy that struck straight at the heart of the matter and shattered the deadlock.
He drew a deep breath. His towering body radiated an air of decisiveness as he made the final decision.
"Good! We shall follow Yuan Ming's plan!"
He looked toward the elders who had opposed it earlier, his tone gentler but firm. "I know you cherish the younger generation, but precisely because you cherish them, you must seek a future full of hope for them!"
"This matter is of great importance. I will leave the specific arrangements to you elders. Discuss them carefully and present me with a detailed plan as soon as possible. How to divide the groups, who will lead them, where they will go, and what they must carry—all of it must be thoroughly considered!"
"Yes, Progenitor Suiren!" the elders answered in unison. Though worry remained, the direction had been decided.
When the meeting ended, the curtain rose on the first planned, large-scale migration of the Human Race into the Primordial World.
And Yuan Ming, who had proposed the plan, gained even greater weight in the elders' hearts.
Watching the elders begin their animated discussions, Yuan Ming silently recited in his heart,
Apart, we are stars filling the sky; together, we are a blazing fire. The Human Race's prairie-fire momentum begins with this division of families.
After days and nights of unceasing deliberation by the Elders' Council, they finally settled on a strategy of "five paths advancing together to pioneer the Primordial World."
The three Human Progenitors and the two most respected Primordial Human elders would each lead one million Postnatal Humans in different directions, setting out upon unknown journeys.
Yuan Ming volunteered to take the most difficult route, one that was also most likely to contain opportunity: the west.
The Shore of the East Sea lay in the far east of the Primordial World, bordering the vast East Sea.
Traveling west meant crossing untold distances, passing countless treacherous mountains and rivers and territories of great demons. The future was uncertain, and the dangers unfathomable.
Yet precisely because of this, if they could establish themselves successfully, their gains would be the greatest.
Before departure, Suiren tightly gripped Yuan Ming's hand and said in a deep voice, "Fourth Brother, the western journey is long. It is said that after the Dragon-Phoenix Tribulation, the earth veins there were damaged, leaving the land relatively barren. But it may also be far from the core sphere of influence of the eastern demon clans."
"Rest assured, Elder Brother. Yuan Ming will not fail your trust. I will carve out a new land for the Human Race in the Western Lands."
After bidding farewell to his people, Yuan Ming stood before the army of one million. He did not reveal his True Immortal cultivation and still presented himself as being in the Heavenly Immortal Realm.
He looked back once at the sacred land shrouded in hazy radiance, then resolutely turned around and called out.
"Set out!"
The migration of a million people was no easy undertaking.
The procession stretched for hundreds of li. Old and young supported one another as they slowly headed west, carrying their reluctance to leave their homeland and their confusion about the future.
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