Chen Yang smiled faintly and flicked his sleeve. Long robes appeared over everyone's bodies. "All right. From today onward, you will learn to read and study with me."
"Yes, Forefather!" the many children murmured.
Chen Yang nodded and counted them. There were a full three thousand.
Chen Yang nodded, then took out several books. With a divine ability, he transformed them into three thousand copies, which fell into everyone's hands.
"These are the Thousand Character Classic, Hundred Family Surnames, Standards for Being a Good Student and Child... I compiled all of them. The writing within was also created by simplifying Daoist script and incorporating Human Clan concepts, creating the Human Clan Script. Next, I will teach you these books. Furthermore, I will assign you new names from the Hundred Family Surnames." Chen Yang spoke slowly.
The children held the books and looked at the words within, each of them nodding.
"Take out the Thousand Character Classic and read after me."
"Heaven, earth, mysterious, yellow; universe, vastness, flood, wilderness..."
Chen Yang recited, and the children below read after him.
The many voices reached his ears, leaving Chen Yang quite satisfied.
Speaking of which, he had casually copied a few later-era texts while translating Jie Sect scriptures. Now, they could be used to teach the Human Clan literacy. Nothing could have been better.
Furthermore, the Hundred Family Surnames was also key to defining surnames for the Human Clan.
After all, the Human Clan's surnames were currently a complete mess, and many people had no surname at all. Some claimed to be descendants of the Suiren Clan, so they took "Sui" as their surname. The rest were called things like Stone, Wood...
In short, as the Human Clan grew in number, names had been given carelessly. Now things were different. Chen Yang taught them the Hundred Family Surnames and redefined their surnames.
He also taught them the Human Clan Script and spread it among the Human Clan.
In the blink of an eye, several hundred years passed.
Over those centuries, Chen Yang taught Human Clan children how to read.
The youths of old had now grown into adults one after another.
Over those centuries, they had learned the characters and elementary learning texts Chen Yang taught them until they knew them inside out. They had also learned how to write and how to use writing to make records.
Over those centuries, Chen Yang had taught them only the most basic literacy. He had also used the Human Clan Script to write down a small portion of the Three Teachings' scriptures and teach them from those.
Beyond that, Chen Yang taught them no more. Nor did he bring out later-era classics such as the Book of Changes. After all, having cultivated to Chen Yang's level, he understood clearly that passing those classics down to the Human Clan would bring them no benefit—only harm.
It could not be helped. The Human Clan's foundations were ultimately too shallow.
Chen Yang casually picked up a sheet of paper and looked at the words recorded upon it. "Perhaps the greatest meaning of the Human Clan Script lies in recording. It can record what happens each day, record the Human Clan's doubts, and record the Human Clan's gains. When countless records are passed down and become the Human Clan's foundation, the Human Clan can rely on them to solve problems step by step, ultimately growing prosperous and strong. Perhaps this is the greatest gain from creating Human Clan Script."
Sui Qing followed beside Chen Yang and said calmly, "Uncle Chen Yang... You said long ago that if the Human Clan wished to grow strong, it could only rely on its own development."
"Yes. The Human Clan's development ultimately depends on itself. I could certainly use knowledge to help the Human Clan become strong more quickly. But if it loses the effort and struggle of the process of becoming strong, then the Human Clan will be like a pavilion in the air, destined to collapse sooner or later. As Heaven moves with vigor, a gentleman must strive unceasingly to strengthen himself!" Chen Yang said seriously.
As Heaven moves with vigor, a gentleman must strive unceasingly to strengthen himself.
This was also the one sentence Chen Yang had taught everyone countless times while teaching them to read.
That single sentence contained the philosophy of an entire race. If the Human Clan wished to develop, it had to rely on itself and strive unceasingly to strengthen itself.
Furthermore, the Human Clan Script Chen Yang had passed down had already accelerated the Human Clan's development.
It could be said that the creation of writing and the appearance of brush, ink, paper, and inkstone were equivalent to giving the Human Clan a key—a key that unlocked strength and prosperity.
Time passed, and several more years went by.
Chen Yang now stood in the tribal square, looking at the crowd. "Knowledge and action must be one. I have taught you for centuries; it is time to put it into practice. From now on, follow your teacher and travel through every Human Clan tribe along the Eastern Sea Coast, spreading writing, surnames, brush, ink, paper, and inkstone."
"Yes, Forefather," the Human Clan members said.
Chen Yang nodded. Without saying anything more, he stepped forward.
Since they were spreading the Human Clan Script, they would naturally tread across the Eastern Sea Coast on Human Clan feet.
Furthermore, Chen Yang was no longer dressed in a Daoist robe. He wore only garments made from the most ordinary beast pelts. His other disciples were the same—rough and wild in appearance, yet this was the true Human Clan.
It was not that Chen Yang could not teach the Human Clan to weave more suitable clothing. Rather, he hoped that the Human Clan would use written records to develop step by step, eventually weaving long robes for themselves.
He also hoped the Human Clan would rely on writing to emerge from ignorance and improve their current lives.
Several years later, Chen Yang led three thousand students to a new Human Clan tribe.
Upon arriving, they were received by the tribal leader. Once the leader learned Chen Yang's purpose, he did not object. Instead, he gladly accepted it.
Their life afterward consisted of teaching them to read, teaching them how to make brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and teaching them how to record the events around them.
Furthermore, based on the tribe's circumstances, he bestowed surnames upon them.
Not only that, Chen Yang also used the water of the Human Pool to purify the bloodlines of the tribe's children and improve their aptitudes.
After teaching them for several decades, Chen Yang left behind some disciples and continued onward.
They found another tribe and followed the same pattern.
After teaching for a long time, they set out once more.
They traveled from tribe to tribe. Whenever they departed, that tribe had changed as well—it possessed surnames and understood writing.
The Human Clan was transforming bit by bit!
In the blink of an eye, ten thousand years passed.
Step by step, Chen Yang traversed the entire Eastern Sea Coast. The disciples at his side changed batch after batch. Many disciples remained in ignorant tribes, teaching them writing, teaching them to make brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and teaching them to develop. Many others, after learning extensive knowledge, bade farewell to Chen Yang and sought out Human Clan tribes to pass down writing.
Furthermore, the Thousand Character Classic, Standards for Being a Good Student and Child, Hundred Family Surnames, and other works Chen Yang compiled became objects of Merit. These classics also transformed into mid-grade spirit treasures.
Wherever Chen Yang went, people called him the Human Clan's Teacher!
On this day, Chen Yang returned to the tribe, his entire body brimming with a vast aura. He looked toward the heavens. "After ten thousand years of passing down writing and continuing civilization, let Heaven and Earth bear witness."
At that moment, countless Human Clan members felt a question rise within their hearts: "Do you acknowledge the Human Clan Script?"
That question caused many Human Clan members to make their choice. All of them accepted this writing and acknowledged that it was the Human Clan Script.
Once they acknowledged it, vast Merit descended and surged toward Chen Yang.
Chen Yang looked at the vast Merit without feeling unfamiliar with it. With a flick of his sleeve, he gathered the Merit away.
Not only that, countless Human Clan members felt a stirring within their souls. They bowed in Chen Yang's direction. "We of the Human Clan pay respects to the Human Clan's Teacher. So long as the Human Clan remains, the Human Clan's Teacher shall endure."
All Human Clan members acknowledged Chen Yang's identity as the Human Clan's teacher. They thanked him for creating the Human Clan Script, thanked him for passing down brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and thanked him for teaching the Human Clan. Thus, Chen Yang gained this title.
Chen Yang could sense the faith of countless Human Clan members, as well as their vast belief. It was the Human Clan's belief. Beyond that, Chen Yang felt the blessing of immense Fortune—it was the Human Clan Fortune.
Under that Fortune, Chen Yang clearly felt that the shackles on his cultivation were about to shatter in an instant.
The Nine-Turn Profound Art broke through at once, entering the sixth turn.
For ten thousand years, Chen Yang had walked through every Human Clan tribe, using wondrous methods to make himself seem as though he bore mountains upon his back, tempering his body. Ten thousand years later, the shackles were released, and his physical body broke through in an instant.
Washed by Fortune, Chen Yang's advancement went exceptionally smoothly as well.
He entered the sixth turn and surged into the fifth level.
This breakthrough was extremely fast, yet it was entirely within reason.
However, the greatest effect of the vast Fortune's cleansing was that it allowed Chen Yang to perceive the profundity of Fortune.
Jie Sect Fortune increased, Exposition Sect Fortune increased as well, and Human Sect Fortune was no exception. Human Clan Fortune gathered around him.
The cleansing of so many Fortunes caused Chen Yang to enter enlightenment. Under the cleansing of the Three Teachings Fortune, Chen Yang felt the methods of the Three Teachings grow ever more profound. It was as though, enveloped by the Three Teachings Fortune, cultivating the Three Teachings' methods was like receiving divine aid.
Beyond that, the cleansing of Human Clan Fortune allowed Chen Yang to sense the Human Clan's will.
Furthermore, over the past ten thousand years, he had taught an unknown number of Human Clan members. He had long since formed contracts with enough Human Clan members.
With the amplification of Fortune and wisdom, at the instant his physical body broke through, he also fell into a state of enlightenment.
In that enlightenment, formations intertwined within Chen Yang's body, independently evolving the Water Element Formation and the Wood Element Formation.
In the blink of an eye, the Water Element Formation and Wood Element Formation swiftly took shape.
Water Lotus Seeds merged into his kidneys, while wood element merged into his liver... The formations were inscribed, forming the mutual generation of the Five Elements.
In the end, the Five Elements cycled and flowed into Chen Yang's Middle Dantian.
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