Vast Merit, Teacher of the Human Clan

Chen Yang smiled faintly and flicked his sleeve. Long robes appeared on everyone's bodies. "All right. From today onward, you will learn to read and study with me."

"Yes, Ancestor!" the many children answered softly.

Chen Yang nodded and counted them. There were exactly three thousand.

Chen Yang nodded, then took out several books. With a divine ability, he transformed them into three thousand copies and sent them into everyone's hands.

"These are the Thousand Character Classic, Hundred Family Surnames, Standards for Being a Good Student and Child... I compiled them all myself. The writing within was also created by simplifying Dao Script and incorporating Human Clan concepts, forming Human Clan Script. Next, I will teach you these books. In addition, I will assign you new names based on the Hundred Family Surnames," Chen Yang said slowly.

The many children held the books and looked at the writing within, nodding one after another.

"Take out the Thousand Character Classic and read after me."

"Heaven, earth, dark, yellow, universe, vast, primordial..."

Chen Yang recited the words, and the children below read after him.

The many voices pleased Chen Yang greatly.

Speaking of which, he had casually translated 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 more suitable.

Furthermore, the Hundred Family Surnames was also key to defining surnames for the Human Clan.

After all, Human Clan surnames were chaotic at present, and many people had no surnames at all. Some claimed to be descendants of the Suiren Clan and took "Sui" as their surname. Others were called things like Stone or Wood...

In short, as the Human Clan grew in number, names had been given carelessly. Things were different now. Chen Yang would teach them the Hundred Family Surnames and redefine their surnames.

He would also teach them 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 the Human Clan children how to read.

The youths of old had grown into adults one by one.

Over those centuries, they had thoroughly memorized the writing and Elementary Learning texts Chen Yang had taught them. They had learned how to write and how to use writing to keep records.

In truth, over those centuries, Chen Yang had only taught them the most basic literacy. He had also used Human Clan Script to write down a small portion of the Three Teachings' scriptures and teach them from those texts.

Other than that, Chen Yang taught them nothing more. Nor did he bring out later-era classics such as the Book of Changes. At Chen Yang's level of cultivation, he clearly understood that passing such texts down to the Human Clan would bring them no benefits and might instead cause harm.

There was no helping it. The Human Clan's foundation was still far too shallow.

Chen Yang casually picked up a sheet of paper and looked at the words recorded upon it. "Perhaps the greatest meaning of Human Clan Script lies in recording things. It can record what happens each day, the Human Clan's doubts, and the Human Clan's gains. When countless records are passed down and become the Human Clan's foundation, the Human Clan will be able to rely on them to solve problems step by step and ultimately grow strong. Perhaps that 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 must ultimately depend on itself. I may be able to use my knowledge to help the Human Clan grow strong more quickly. But if it loses the effort and struggle of growing strong, then the Human Clan will be like a castle in the air and will collapse sooner or later. As Heaven moves with vigor, so must the gentleman strive unceasingly to strengthen himself!" Chen Yang said earnestly.

As Heaven moves with vigor, so must the gentleman strive unceasingly to strengthen himself.

When Chen Yang taught everyone literacy, this was the one sentence he taught them countless times.

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 endlessly to improve.

Moreover, the Human Clan Script Chen Yang passed down had already accelerated the Human Clan's development.

It could be said that the creation of writing, along with the appearance of brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, had given the Human Clan a key—a key to becoming strong.

Time passed, and several more years went by.

Chen Yang now stood in the tribal square and looked at the crowd. "Knowledge and action must be united. I have taught you for several hundred years. 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, and brush, ink, paper, and inkstone."

"Yes, Ancestor," the many members of the Human Clan replied.

Chen Yang nodded. Without saying anything more, he stepped forward.

Since he was spreading Human Clan Script, he would naturally traverse the Eastern Sea Coast with the Human Clan's own feet.

Furthermore, Chen Yang was no longer wearing Daoist robes. He wore only clothing made from the most ordinary animal hides. His other disciples did the same. They looked rugged, but this was what the Human Clan truly was.

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 and eventually weave long robes for themselves.

He also hoped that the Human Clan would use writing to emerge from ignorance and improve its current way of life.

Several years later, Chen Yang led three thousand students to a new Human Clan tribe.

Upon arriving, they were received by the tribal chief. Once he learned Chen Yang's purpose, he did not object and instead gladly accepted it.

After that, they taught the tribe literacy, how to make brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and how to record the events around them.

They also bestowed surnames according to the tribe's circumstances.

Not only that, Chen Yang used the waters 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 searched for another tribe and did the same thing all over again.

After teaching for a long while, they set out once more.

They traveled from tribe to tribe. Each time they departed, that tribe had changed as well. Its people 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 how to develop. Many more disciples, after learning much knowledge, bid farewell to Chen Yang and went in search of 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. Those texts also transformed into mid-grade spirit treasures.

Wherever Chen Yang went, people called him the Teacher of the Human Clan!

On this day, Chen Yang returned to the tribe. His body overflowed with a vast aura as 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 members of the Human Clan seemed to hear a question rise within their hearts: "Do you recognize Human Clan Script?"

That question prompted many members of the Human Clan to make their choice. Every member of the Human Clan accepted this writing and acknowledged it as Human Clan Script.

Once they acknowledged it, vast merit descended and surged toward Chen Yang.

Chen Yang looked at the immense merit without feeling unfamiliar with it. With a flick of his sleeve, he gathered it all away.

Not only that, countless Human Clan members seemed to feel a stirring within their souls. They bowed toward Chen Yang's direction. "We of the Human Clan pay respects to the Human Teacher. So long as the Human Clan endures, the Human Teacher shall endure forever."

All members of the Human Clan recognized Chen Yang's status as their teacher. They thanked Chen Yang for creating Human Clan Script, for passing down brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and for teaching the Human Clan. Thus, Chen Yang gained this title.

Chen Yang could feel the faith of countless Human Clan members, as well as their vast belief. It was the Human Clan's faith. Beyond that, Chen Yang felt streams of fortune blessing him. That was Human Clan Fortune.

Under that fortune, Chen Yang clearly felt the shackles on his cultivation about to break 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 and used wondrous methods to make himself seem as though he carried mountains upon his back, tempering his physical body. After ten thousand years, the shackles dissolved, and his physical body broke through instantly.

Washed by fortune, Chen Yang's advancement was incomparably smooth.

He entered the sixth turn, reaching the fifth layer.

This breakthrough was very fast, but it was entirely within reason.

However, what truly allowed the immense fortune to wash over him was that Chen Yang came to understand the profundity of fortune.

The fortune of the Jie Sect increased him, the fortune of the Exposition Sect increased him as well, and the fortune of the Human Sect did likewise. Human Clan Fortune gathered around him.

The washing of so many fortunes caused Chen Yang to enter enlightenment. Under the washing of the Three Teachings' fortune, his understanding of the Three Teachings' methods grew increasingly profound. It was as though, beneath the shroud of the Three Teachings' fortune, cultivating their methods received divine aid.

Beyond that, the washing of Human Clan Fortune allowed Chen Yang to sense the will of the Human Clan.

Furthermore, over ten thousand years, he had taught an unknown number of Human Clan members. He had long since formed contracts with enough members of the Human Clan.

Bolstered by fortune and wisdom, at the instant his physical body broke through, he also entered a state of enlightenment.

Within that enlightenment, formations intertwined inside Chen Yang's body, automatically evolving into a Water Element Formation and a Wood Element Formation.

In the blink of an eye, it became clear that the Water Element Formation and Wood Element Formation had swiftly taken shape.

Water Lotus Seeds merged into his kidneys, while the 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.