Formulating a Plan

Somewhere in the Primordial World, in an unknown deep valley, Fierce Beasts were densely packed and Chaos Qi diffused. If the living beings who entered lacked special talents or great divine powers, coming here meant there was no return.

Of course, for the living beings of the Primordial World, none dared to come here, as even the Chaos Qi diffused here was absolute poison to them.

To say there was no life here would not be entirely absolute; a group of existences abhorred by the Primordial World and heaven—Fierce Beasts—survived here.

As for the absolute king of Fierce Beasts, Shen Ni was cultivating right here. As the fleshly incarnations of the malice and filth of the Chaos Demon Gods, Fierce Beasts only needed to devour the Primordial World to make breakthroughs in their strength.

If a being of great divine power could come into this valley, they would discover that the Primordial World and heaven here had already been enveloped by Chaos Qi, and in due time everything here would be pulled into the chaos and become nothingness.

This was Shen Ni's opportunity to advance further in his breakthrough to the Zenith Heaven realm. As Shen Ni pushed the Primordial World into the chaos bit by bit, his realm advanced a step further. Just as Shen Ni was about to succeed, however...

Shen Ni suddenly sensed something in his heart. Pfft! He spat out a mouthful of vital essence, his aura withering accordingly, and his soon-to-be-successful plan fell through completely.

That mouthful of vital essence he spat out, after breaking free from Shen Ni's control, transformed into a thick mass of Chaos Qi. In just a few breaths of time, that mass of Chaos Qi transformed into spiritual Qi of heaven and earth and returned to the Primordial World.

In just this brief moment, the progress of Shen Ni dragging the Primordial World into chaos was instantly reclaimed by the Primordial World and heaven. Consequently, Shen Ni's realm, which was already at the Great Circle of the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, kept dropping.

Late Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal Great Circle.

Late Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal.

Mid Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal Great Circle.

Mid Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal.

Just as his realm was about to drop back to the early Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal stage, Shen Ni barely managed to stabilize the realm that was about to fall.

"What is going on?" Shen Ni wore a gloomy expression. Just moments ago, when he was blocking the power of the Primordial World and heaven to devour it, a sudden extra force had appeared. Originally, the only thing struggling against Shen Ni was the will of the Primordial World and heaven, but just then, an unfamiliar will not weaker than the will of the Primordial World and heaven had emerged.

In an instant, it shattered Shen Ni's plan into pieces.

In the dark and hazy void, Shen Ni sensed that it was because someone had destroyed that avatar of his.

Unfortunately, because of the Human Dao Jade Disc, Shen Ni was completely unable to make any divinations.

Meanwhile, just as Shen Ni was still angry here, on the other side, a group of cultivators was also discussing this matter.

Among the crowd, an old Daoist was surrounded in the middle, and he was forming certain Dharma seals with his hands, seemingly divining something.

Abruptly, the old Daoist opened his eyes with a puzzled look, muttering something in his mouth.

Seeing that the old Daoist had finished his divination, someone at the side impatiently stepped forward to ask, "Hongjun, what happened? Shen Ni's momentum suddenly weakened so much."

That's right, the person being questioned was none other than the late-famed Patriarch Hongjun. Hongjun frowned in displeasure, but seeing that everyone in front of him was looking at him with burning gazes,

Hongjun had no choice but to shake his head and reply, "I do not know. I can only discern that a force no weaker than the will of the Primordial World and heaven obstructed Shen Ni from devouring the Primordial World, and caused Shen Ni's strength to plummet."

"Could it be Pangu?" Someone offered a suggestion.

As soon as this person brought it up, he was refuted by another: "Absolutely impossible. Pangu has already undergone Dao transformation, and his body has become the Primordial World; otherwise, he would not have given birth to us and Innate Deity and Demons like Shen Ni."

"This words make sense." Everyone nodded one after another.

Just as these Innate Deity and Demons were still discussing, Hongjun, who had just spoken, did not continue talking, but instead stood to the side and watched them argue.

Then let us turn our gaze to Cheng Jue's side.

Just after Cheng Jue destroyed Shen Ni's avatar, a massive amount of merit descended from the heavens. This time, the amount of merit was a full one-fifth of the amount Cheng Jue had before creating the Human Dao Jade Disc.

When the merit descended, Cheng Jue understood the reason for this merit. It turned out that after Cheng Jue used the Human Dao Jade Disc to destroy Shen Ni's avatar, the power of the Human Dao traced the source back to severely injure Shen Ni's true body, preventing Shen Ni from devouring the Primordial World and heaven.

She returned to the Grotto-Heaven world and stood within the canopy of the World Tree.

An Auspicious Cloud rose above her head, and within the Auspicious Cloud, a jade disc drifted up and down.

Cheng Jue summoned it out, her slender jade fingers stroking the jade disc. This was her enlightenment spirit treasure; the Human Dao only needed civilization to thrive for it to grow stronger, and she, Cheng Jue, was going to become the unprecedented first Human Dao Saint.

Thinking of this, Cheng Jue called out to Xiao Yi, "Xiao Yi, what is the population of the intelligent races in the Grotto-Heaven world?"

Xiao Yi's figure materialized in midair, replying, "Master, according to Xiao Yi's query, the population of the Elf race is currently ninety-eight million five hundred and thirty thousand, and the populations of the other races total thirty-seven million."

"Just over a hundred million." Hearing this, Cheng Jue couldn't help frowning slightly, and she immediately asked, "Xiao Yi, how large is the Grotto-Heaven world currently?"

Without hesitation, Xiao Yi said, "Master, the Grotto-Heaven world currently has five hundred and ten million square kilometers." (This is the surface area of the Earth in reality.)

Having just finished answering the question, Xiao Yi also noticed that her master seemed a bit unhappy. Thinking carefully, Xiao Yi realized it had changed to this state right after she answered about the population.

A flash of inspiration struck Xiao Yi, and she said to her master Cheng Jue, "Master, why don't I have the Elves hurry up and make little babies? That way our Grotto-Heaven world will quickly become lively."

Good grief, Cheng Jue speechlessly glanced at Xiao Yi. She actually brought up a suggestion like this—did artificial idiots from her past life really get passed down to the present?

Hearing such an unreliable suggestion from Xiao Yi, Cheng Jue decisively chased Xiao Yi away.

Looking at the Human Dao Jade Disc before her, Cheng Jue fell into deep thought. Aside from a sufficient population, the growth of the Human Dao also required sufficient creativity. If she followed normal gestation and reproduction, she reckoned that even by the era of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, she wouldn't be able to become a Saint.

"Sufficient population, rich creativity." Cheng Jue fell into contemplation. "Aren't these just players?"

With her train of thought opened up, Cheng Jue immediately gained subsequent inspiration. The Grotto-Heaven world could serve as the game world, the Houtian spirit treasure World Tree supercomputer could serve as the server, the Human Dao Jade Disc could serve as identity verification, and as for the bodies for players to log into, acting as the World Tree and Tree of Life herself was completely fine.

Do not assume that after comprehending the Human Dao, Cheng Jue could no longer use the abilities of other Dao; the Human Dao encompassed the Dao she had previously comprehended within it.

Since she had already made up her mind, Cheng Jue summoned the three gods within the world: Venti, Zhongli, and the Raiden Sisters.

Right, let me mention here that the Electro Archon was a pair of sisters: the elder sister Raiden Makoto, and the younger sister Raiden Ei. Usually, the elder sister Raiden Makoto was responsible for plotting and planning, while the younger sister Raiden Ei was responsible for fighting and killing, which was why outsiders always thought there was only one Electro Archon, Raiden Ei.

The three gods looked at Cheng Jue with puzzled expressions. They trusted the life Cheng Jue herself had created completely, and listened as she explained her plan to them one by one.

The first to speak was the somewhat jumpy Venti. "My lord, what arrangements do you have for us to do? Please just command us."

Beside him, Zhongli and the Raiden sisters also nodded in agreement.

Without beating around the bush, Cheng Jue said to the three gods, "Next, I plan to let you build nations according to your own wills."

"Our own nations?" The youngest Raiden sisters were eager to try.

"What about the arrangements for the other four traveling through the Primordial World?" asked Zhongli, whose personality was the most steady.

Cheng Jue explained, "As for the other four, once they return, you will notify them."

"Then there is no problem." After saying this, Zhongli led Venti and the Raiden sisters away.

Seeing the three gods go off to complete the tasks she had arranged, Cheng Jue began her own plan.

First was the issue of time. Using her permissions over the Grotto-Heaven Pearl, Cheng Jue collected sunlight and moonlight to shine upon the Grotto-Heaven world in different batches. In this way, one day in the Grotto-Heaven world was divided by Cheng Jue into two years, just like in her past life.

Since she wanted to create a game, there had to be players. As for the candidates for the players, thinking of this, Cheng Jue focused her gaze on those two purple-gold World Tree fruits.

No, it should be said those two worlds linked by the fruits.