Spreading the Dao Among the Human Race, the Awakening of Human Dao

Lu Chen slowly closed his eyes. A shattered jade disc emanating an arcane aura appeared above his head.

"Calm your minds and contemplate. I will spread the Dao together with the two of you. If anything feels improper or obscure, speak up at once."

Lu Chen intended to use the Fleshly Secret Realm described in the perfect novels of his past life as a foundation to create a cultivation method suited to the Human Race's development.

Yet he was still in the experimental, pioneering stage and had no idea whether this method would work in the Primordial World.

Dao music drifted through the thatched cottage. Lu Chen's expression remained fairly composed, but Gu Chen and Gu Xi frowned one moment and grew discouraged the next...

Time slowly passed...

Wa Sovereign Palace within Chaos.

Nuwa sat within her Dao field. The Human Race had been created by her, and their Fortune was connected to hers. Spreading the Dao would have an enormous impact upon the Human Race. The moment it began, the Human Race's Fortune started to rise little by little, and she could clearly sense it.

After making a calculation on her fingers, she understood what had caused such changes in the Human Race's Fortune.

"Lu Chen is spreading the Dao among the Human Race! And it is a new Dao beyond the Immortal Dao?"

"He was clearly born after me. How does he know so much? Even I, a Sage, have never heard of such things."

A flicker of surprise passed through Nuwa's eyes. Immortal light rose around her, and when it dispersed, her figure had vanished from the Dao field of Wa Sovereign Palace.

"Master favors him so greatly? He even bestowed the Jade Disc of Creation upon him."

Nuwa appeared outside the thatched cottage. Seeing the shattered jade disc floating above Lu Chen's head, emitting mysterious radiance that enveloped Lu Chen, Gu Chen, and Gu Xi, a trace of envy appeared on her face.

When whole, the Jade Disc of Creation was a Chaos supreme treasure, engraved with the complete Three Thousand Great Daos. It was a supreme treasure for comprehending the Dao. Every Jade Disc of Creation in the Primordial World was in Dao Ancestor Hongjun's possession. It could be said that without the Jade Disc of Creation, Hongjun would have no idea how much longer it would have taken to comprehend the Dao of Three Corpses Severance on his own.

It could be said that even she, a Sage, greatly coveted the Jade Disc of Creation.

After all, even among Sages, there were differences in strength.

Nuwa slowly raised a hand, her slender, jade-white fingers touching Lu Chen's brow...

The number of people comprehending the Dao changed from three to four.

"I... have comprehended it!"

Gu Chen abruptly opened his eyes, brilliant golden light shining from them. He threw back his head and shouted.

"Human Dao above, I, Gu Chen of the Human Race, have received the Sacred Father's teachings and comprehended the method of Martial Dao. I have opened the first path of Martial Dao for my Human Race. May Human Dao bear witness!"

"Bzzz—"

Heaven and earth trembled. Empowered by the might of heaven and earth, Gu Chen's words spread across the Four Seas and eight wildernesses, announcing them to the entire Primordial World.

"Human Dao? Isn't there only the Heavenly Dao? What in the world is Human Dao?"

"He swore an oath to Human Dao rather than the Heavenly Dao. Could this Human Race be heretical..."

Many cultivators heard these words and looked toward the Shores of the East Sea with gloating expressions.

They waited to see the Heavenly Dao fly into a rage and bring calamity upon the Human Race.

Yet, to their miscalculation, clouds of Merit appeared in the sky. Though they did not compare to when Nuwa created the Human Race, they were still far from few. After all, spreading the Dao was of utmost importance to the Human Race.

The Merit was divided into four portions.

Lu Chen received one-tenth, Gu Xi received half a tenth, Nuwa received two-tenths, and Gu Chen alone claimed six and a half tenths!

"I am the Martial Ancestor of the Human Race!"

Though Gu Chen possessed no cultivation, he rose into the air, standing upon empty space.

"Greetings, Martial Ancestor!"

The people outside the thatched cottage all dropped to their knees and kowtowed upon seeing Gu Chen, shouting these words aloud.

"So be it!"

A vast, supreme, ancient voice resounded.

A ray of light enveloped Gu Chen. An enormous golden cloak appeared over his clothing, its back inscribed with an arcane and obscure character: Martial.

As the voice faded, the many great powers secretly observing could not help but turn their gazes toward him, their eyes filled with shock.

Nuwa stared intently at Lu Chen and transmitted her voice. "How did you know of Human Dao?"

Even she had only learned of the Three Daos after becoming a Sage, gaining some guesses about what the Heavenly Dao had been plotting.

"There are Three Daos within the Primordial World: Heaven, Earth, and Human. At present, only the Heavenly Dao has awakened. The Earthly Dao and Human Dao are still slumbering in hiding. This is an opportunity to awaken Human Dao."

Lu Chen did not conceal anything from Nuwa and spoke all the thoughts in his heart.

"As for how I came to know it, does that matter?"

Originally, he had only wanted to pass down cultivation methods so that the Human Race would possess the strength to protect themselves against danger. As for opening the first path of Martial Dao, he had not even fully understood the Dao he cultivated himself, much less been able to help Gu Chen. The fact that Martial Dao had been established was largely due to Nuwa's efforts.

"Of course, I was also gambling. The Human Race is currently far too insignificant, whether in numbers or territory. Even if we made an oath, Human Dao might not necessarily respond."

"It seems you won your gamble. But have you considered what comes next?"

Nuwa looked at Lu Chen with a complicated expression. The awakening of Human Dao was a good thing for the Human Race, but not necessarily for Lu Chen.

For the Heavenly Dao had always plotted to seize the authority of the Human and Earthly Daos. The Human Race had only just been born, and the Heavenly Dao had not yet begun its schemes, yet Human Dao had been awakened early because of Lu Chen's actions.

With its plans falling through, would the Heavenly Dao place this karmic debt upon Lu Chen?

"The Primordial World needs balance. If the Heavenly Dao alone grows dominant, that would be the greatest calamity."

Lu Chen spoke calmly.

According to the established course, Laozi's establishment of the Golden Core Dao had prevented the Human Race's potential from being fully unleashed. Later, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors were trapped within Fire Cloud Cave, Human Dao declined, and Houtu was plotted against, losing her body as an Ancestral Witch and being confined within the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

The Heavenly Dao monopolized the great momentum of the Primordial World. Whether Great Tribulations arose or not was decided by a single word from the Heavenly Dao.

Take the Investiture Catastrophe, for instance. Its cause was absurdly that Dao Ancestor Hongjun's little gatekeeper attendant had been bullied. The attendant sought out Hongjun and wept before him, after which Hongjun bestowed a sheet of the Investiture List, and the Investiture Catastrophe began.

In the end, the Primordial World was battered into fragments and split apart in all directions.

If Lu Chen had not been Tongtian's disciple, he would not concern himself with these matters. The Great Tribulation involved only the disciples of the Four Religions. As long as he kept his head down and did not emerge, he could still live freely in the future. But he was not merely Tongtian's disciple—he was also his chief eldest disciple. Once the Great Tribulation began, their Jie Sect would be the first to bear the brunt.

All of this was merely his speculation, but with Human Dao awakened, the Human Race's Fortune upon him would become a talisman that could save his life in the future. As long as the Human Race did not decline, he would be able to cultivate the Dao in peace.

A teasing look appeared on Nuwa's face. "Master bestowed the Jade Disc of Creation upon you. I do not know what calculations lie behind it, but tell me—do you think Master might regret giving you the Jade Disc of Creation?"

"Probably not."

Lu Chen rubbed his nose, lacking confidence as he spoke.

Hongjun's Dao Integration was not truly for the sake of benefiting the Primordial World as its representative. In the future, he would surely contend with the Heavenly Dao for authority. What Lu Chen was doing now should align with Hongjun's intentions, shouldn't it? After all, it also curbed the expansion of the Heavenly Dao's authority from the shadows.

Within Zixiao Palace.

Hongjun slowly opened his eyes. A complicated emotion flashed through them—anger, regret...

"An anomaly must be cut away!"

"Of the fifty of the Great Dao, one escapes. Since all things in the world exist, they must have their reason for existing."

"Heh heh..."

Hongjun muttered to himself, yet his tone shifted from cold and indifferent to gentle and ethereal...