The Two Lineages of the Human Race

Taiyin and Taiyang-which was weaker, and which was stronger?

For the human race, the ancient era was a cruel age, but also an age filled with hope.

Across those long ages, measured in millions of years, the Myriad Races stood side by side and emperors rose in succession. No race could maintain truly eternal splendor. The tides of great eras rose and fell; there were glorious years, and there were periods of decline.

Yet in this era, every human cultivator held the name of the imperial star Ziwei firmly in their heart. It was the sacred land of the human race, where the traditions of the two great Human Emperors had taken root side by side. Like the backbone of the entire human race, they held up half the sky.

The two great churches of Lunar Essence and Solar Essence were precisely such existences.

They stood on Divine Continent and Reed Continent respectively, on Ziwei Ancient Star, spreading scriptures far and wide and guiding cultivation. They served as guides along the path of cultivation for the entire human race.

Because of the many conflicts between the philosophies of Lunar Essence and Solar Essence, the two traditions had maintained a clearly defined rivalry for years. The young prodigies still growing within their ranks yearned at every moment to surpass the other side and prove the might of their own tradition.

At heart, however, both traditions understood their own and each other's standing within the human race. Even as rivals, they watched over and aided one another. Whenever upheaval struck Ziwei Ancient Star, the two traditions would stand shoulder to shoulder in tacit understanding and weather every hardship together.

Solar Essence bore the surname Yao, and Lunar Essence the surname Si. Both were pillars of the human race.

Over the past few days, a decree had emerged from the deepest reaches of the Lunar Essence Divine Church. Like a drop of water falling into boiling oil, it sent all of Ziwei Ancient Star into an uproar.

"In ten days, a supreme sovereign of the human race will expound the scriptures!"

The decree was brief, only nine characters long, yet it struck like thunder out of a clear sky. Almost every tradition on Ziwei Ancient Star, including the Sun God Sect, sprang into action.

"Fellow Daoist Si, are you saying that the supreme sovereign who emerged from the Primordial Ancient Mine a year ago is human, and that he intends to expound the scriptures here?"

On the very day the decree was issued, an old woman clad in golden robes strode over from the direction of Divine Continent, her entire body blazing like the scorching sun. She entered a palace suspended in midair and sought out the Lunar Essence Quasi-Emperor. Dispensing with courtesies, she put the question to him directly as soon as they met.

Without question, she too was a Quasi-Emperor-level expert, standing on the first heaven of the Quasi-Emperor realm. She had inherited the bloodline of the Solar Essence Saint Emperor and cultivated the purest laws of Solar Essence. She was like a great sun hanging in the sky, her heavenly might dazzling to behold.

"Fairy Yao, you must have seen it. Yesterday, the Bitter Sea surged to the heavens and shrouded all of Ziwei Ancient Star. That was Senior Yuangeng living out his second life and cultivating within our church."

The Lunar Essence Quasi-Emperor stroked his beard and smiled, looking thoroughly pleased with himself. He was clearly quite familiar with the old Solar Essence Quasi-Emperor before him. Entirely untroubled by her thunder-and-tempest might, he remained perfectly composed.

His name was Si Qi, and he and the old woman before him had risen to prominence in the same era. Seven thousand years ago, one had been the foremost divine maiden of the Sun God Sect, and the other the supreme divine son of the Lunar Essence Divine Church. Both had been hailed as their respective traditions' most astonishing talents in tens of thousands of years.

"Incredible. I was worried before, afraid that ancient supreme sovereign of Lunar Essence might harm you. To think he was actually an ancient forebear of our human race."

Seeing Si Qi's expression, the old woman's wrinkled face also blossomed into a faint smile. The blazing golden sunlight surrounding her became warm and gentle in that instant, without the slightest trace of aggression remaining.

"Fate-its wonders defy words!"

At this, Si Qi's smile deepened. He gestured for the old woman to look into the distance. On the stone platform where the Human Emperor had once cultivated in silence, a young man sat leisurely cross-legged. At first glance, his aura seemed that of an ordinary mortal without any cultivation, but only someone in the Quasi-Emperor realm could glimpse its boundless depths.

"Then... have you asked Supreme Sovereign Yuangeng to help you recover the Human Emperor Seal? If your reserves aren't enough, I'll make a trip to the North Sea Eye right now and ask for some fruit from the ancestral Fusang root, or other reserves. Perhaps those would do as well."

Naturally, the old woman had also perceived how extraordinary Yuangeng was. Gazing at that terrifying man, she could not suppress the restrained joy welling up within her, and spoke in a low voice.

Taiyin and Taiyang, the two lineages, shared one breath and branches from the same root. Those were no idle words. For years, the two churches had fought incessantly in public, while behind the scenes they had long since forged all manner of deep cooperation. Their interests and their ties were bound together.

The Emperor Weapons were a prime example.

Because the Solar Essence Saint Emperor's stone tower had long stood guard over Tang Valley in the North Sea, even the Sun God Sect's Quasi-Emperor had difficulty requesting its aid. Thus, when foreign enemies descended, the two churches usually pooled their reserves to activate the Human Emperor Seal and meet them in battle.

This had its advantages: it helped awaken the Human Emperor Seal and made fighting their enemies more efficient.

It was precisely this trust that had allowed the two great traditions to walk shoulder to shoulder to this day.

The problem now troubling both churches was that the Human Emperor Seal had been lost in a divine war tens of thousands of years ago!

This meant the two great churches ordinarily had no access to an Extreme Dao Weapon. Their highest level of combat strength was lacking, leaving both Quasi-Emperors uneasy and feeling insecure.

"Supreme Sovereign Yuangeng has already agreed."

Si Qi smiled. The promise of an Extreme Dao supreme sovereign put his heart at ease. Once they recovered the Human Emperor Seal, many of the problems facing the two great traditions of Taiyin and Taiyang would yield like bamboo splitting beneath a blade.

"That truly is a delightful surprise. His Majesty the Human Emperor passed away so many years ago, yet his blessings endure!"

The Solar Essence Quasi-Emperor nodded and went straight to the statue of the Human Emperor in the hall to bow deeply. This old woman, who had lived for more than seven thousand years, understood that the supreme sovereign named Yuangeng was not showing consideration for juniors like them. He was willing to help because he regarded the Lunar Essence Human Emperor as a fellow traveler on the Dao.

"I hope the little ones of the younger generation show some promise and seize this opportunity. If our Ziwei can produce another Dao Prover, he will establish even deeper reserves for our human race."

Hearing this, Si Qi stepped over to the railing of the great hall and looked down from on high. In the distance, streaks of light were flying in from the horizon. They were cultivators arriving from every corner of Ziwei, their Dao light reaching into the heavens.

"Look, Fellow Daoist Si, our foremost divine son of this generation has arrived. His mastery of the Sun True Scripture has reached the realm of perfection. Not only has he already achieved Severing the Dao, he has also learned three forms of the Solar Essence Forbidden Arts. With me personally overseeing his studies, he can burn the heavens and boil the seas. He will surely surpass your generation's disciples."

With their serious business concluded, the old woman of the Sun God Sect finally relaxed considerably. She pointed out a brilliant streak of golden light among the crowd, within which stood a handsome young man of striking bearing, and challenged Si Qi. After all, the two churches had competed for years, and comparisons between their younger generations had never ceased.

"Hah, the great divine maiden of our Lunar Essence Divine Church is no slouch either..."

The two great Quasi-Emperors had been united in spirit just moments before, but now they began arguing over whose juniors were stronger. They had known each other for more than seven thousand years and had long since grown accustomed to this pattern, sharing an exceptional tacit understanding.

Nor were all the cultivators arriving from outside disciples of the Sun God Sect. Many belonged to traditions relegated to the second rank beneath the majesty of the Extreme Dao, such as the Human King Hall, Guanghan Palace, the Nine Suns Scarlet Fire Dao, and the Ziwei Divine Dynasty. Some had been founded by accomplished disciples of Taiyin and Taiyang who had left to establish their own traditions; others were human traditions from elsewhere that had come across the starry skies to take root on Ziwei.

No matter how much their descendants might someday forget their original purpose, for now, all of them acknowledged their identity as human cultivators. They were willing to follow beside the two great churches and strive for the dignity and honor of the human race.