Xuandu nodded to show that he understood.
Dating and Zunlu, standing nearby, said, "Don't worry, we know what matters."
"You three will cultivate the Mystic Art with me," Jiang Haofeng hurriedly added.
Among the humans, only these three precious ones had yet to use merit. They absolutely could not be wasted.
As for the remaining forty-three Grand Unity Golden Immortals, Jiang Haofeng had a slight headache. They would not be easy to divide. Some of the forty-three had to remain behind to protect the clan.
This also meant that those people would lose the chance to cultivate the Mystic Art, and their cultivation would inevitably fall far behind the others in the future.
Just as Jiang Haofeng was worrying over it, Haoying immediately spoke from within the crowd. "Everyone, I have many descendants who need my protection. I will not cultivate the Mystic Art."
Jiang Haofeng sighed inwardly. Another human willing to dedicate himself. Perhaps, in the era without him, the human race had survived precisely through the sacrifice and devotion of people like them.
"I give it up too!" Yinkang stepped forward.
"So do I!" Yanghou, who had been born at the same time as Yinkang, spoke right after him.
One by one, the Innate Humans stepped forward. Before long, all forty-three Grand Unity Golden Immortals had given up cultivating the Mystic Art and volunteered to protect their clansmen.
Jiang Haofeng looked at the scene before him in shock, his heart filled with mixed emotions. When later generations looked upon the prehistoric world, they knew only the Three Ancestors, Three Sovereigns, and Five Emperors. Only now did he realize that every one of the fifty Innate Humans was a hero!
And not only the fifty Innate Humans present—those two thousand nine hundred and fifty Innate Humans who had yet to arrive were likely heroes just as willing to dedicate themselves to the clan!
For a time, silence filled the Ancestral Nest. The hearts of all the Innate Humans surged, and an indescribable spirit emerged within them, like a seed planted in their hearts.
After a long while, Jiang Haofeng took a deep breath, suppressed his excitement, and said, "You are all good people. I am proud of you!"
"For the development of the clan, we must divide into two groups. Whether one cultivates the Mystic Art to strengthen humanity or protects the clansmen, both are contributions to humanity."
"How about this? Let us draw lots to decide. Whatever the result, we shall leave it to Heaven!"
"What is drawing lots?" Da Chao asked curiously.
Jiang Haofeng slapped his forehead. With a flip of his hand, he took out a piece of Innate Spirit Wood. Mana rippled from his hand, and moments later, a wooden cylinder and forty-three wooden lots appeared.
"There are forty-three lots inside. Twenty-one are blank, while the other twenty-two have a notch carved into them. Each of you will draw one. Those who draw blank lots will remain in the clan to cultivate the Mystic Art and divine abilities. Those who draw marked lots will follow Suiren and the others in protecting the clan."
"Good idea!" Suiren's eyes immediately lit up as he praised him.
As soon as he finished speaking, a pillar of merit light descended from the void. Half fell upon the lot cylinder and wooden lots in Jiang Haofeng's hand, while the other half entered his body.
As the merit fused into them, the lot cylinder in Jiang Haofeng's hand underwent a tremendous transformation. Dense merit light gleamed from it, and a powerful aura spread outward.
"Merit!"
Zhisheng's delighted voice rang out as she stared brightly at the lot cylinder in Jiang Haofeng's hand.
"It is just too little—only one percent of what the three of us received."
Jiang Haofeng smiled. "Having some is already good enough. This is an unexpected delight."
Da Chao had invented houses, giving everyone a place to live. Suiren had invented fire, and Zhisheng had invented clothing. These three things had supported the ancient human race; not one of them could be lacking.
This lot cylinder was not some necessity. It made little difference whether it existed or not. How could it receive so much merit? Did they really think merit was so easy to obtain?
Suddenly, Jiang Haofeng remembered something. He raised his hand and took out another piece of Innate Spirit Wood. This piece was far superior to the previous one. It was the finest spirit wood Jiang Haofeng had obtained during his five Yuan of travels through the prehistoric world. Its quality was infinitely close to that of a Heaven-and-Earth Spirit Root, enough to forge a Supreme Grade Acquired Spirit Treasure.
Mana surged from Jiang Haofeng's hand. Moments later, an exquisite lot cylinder appeared in his palm. It was dark red throughout, carrying an elegant and archaic air. Inside stood nine wooden lots.
Each of the nine wooden lots bore notches, from one notch to nine.
"This is a fortune-lot cylinder. It can be used to divine the fortune and misfortune of one's destiny. When using it, respectfully offer prayers to Heaven and Earth, think of the matter you wish to ask about, then draw a lot from the cylinder."
"If it bears nine notches, it is the highest lot, indicating extreme certainty. You will surely succeed in this matter and gain great benefits. Eight notches make it an upper-middle lot... Five notches make it a neutral lot, indicating neither benefit nor harm... One notch makes it the lowest lot, indicating immense danger!"
"This item is effective when used with sincere faith!"
As his words fell, dense merit power descended, more than twenty times the amount from before. Half of it landed upon the lot cylinder, while the remaining half fused into Jiang Haofeng's body.
Suddenly, a strand of Mysterious Yellow Qi descended from the sky and fused into the lot cylinder.
As merit and Mysterious Yellow Qi fused into the cylinder, merit light shone from its surface. Four Innate Dao Patterns emerged upon it. The script was exceedingly intricate and seemed to contain endless profundity, impossible to see clearly.
Yet even though they could not make out the words, the moment their gaze fell upon them, they instantly understood their meaning—sincere faith brings spiritual response!
At the same time, two Innate Dao Patterns appeared on each of the nine wooden lots within the cylinder. They read: "highest," "upper-middle," "upper-lower," "middle-upper," "neutral," "middle-lower," "lower-upper," "lower-middle," and "lowest."
Within the Purple Cloud Palace, Ancestor Hongjun opened his eyes. "Oh? It actually completed a trace of the Dao of Destiny."
Within Wa Huang Palace, Nuwa's eyes widened as she stared at that final strand of Mysterious Yellow Qi in surprise. "Great Dao Merit!"
Human Ancestral Land.
"So much merit!" Zhisheng cried out in delight once more.
The surrounding Innate Humans also stared at Jiang Haofeng in shock. Deep in their eyes were traces of profound envy and happiness. Everyone present knew how precious merit was. Ever since Suiren, Da Chao, and Zhisheng had received merit, many had tried to obtain it, but none had succeeded.
Yet as soon as Haofeng arrived, he had drawn down merit twice. He was incredible!
Even more impressive than Suiren and the others.
Jiang Haofeng was equally delighted. What an unexpected gain! He had merely wanted to divide everyone into groups, yet he had earned merit—and twice in a row at that.
He had no idea who had invented drawing lots and seeking fortunes in later generations, but sorry, he would take this merit first.
"Haofeng, can this lot cylinder of yours divine fortune and misfortune?"
Da Chao stared at the second lot cylinder in Jiang Haofeng's hand and asked in a certain tone.
"That's right!"
"The Heavenly Secret Nine Lot is the first lot cylinder in the prehistoric world used for divination. It is a Postnatal Merit Supreme Treasure that can divine fortune and misfortune. It can be used three times a day. It contains the laws of the Heavenly Dao, has Heaven's approval, and is unaffected by Calamity Qi!"
"Other than Saints and Innate Supreme Treasures, nothing else in the prehistoric world can evade the divination of the Heavenly Secret Nine Lot."
Jiang Haofeng looked at the lot cylinder in his hand with delight. Being unaffected by Calamity Qi was simply too useful.
If it only had the ability to divine fortune and misfortune, it would truly be a useless trinket. In the prehistoric world, so long as the heavenly secrets were clear, anyone with some cultivation could perform a calculation.
Not to mention those Great Divine Powers. With a pinch of their fingers, they could understand every major and minor matter in the prehistoric world.
But if it was unaffected by Calamity Qi, its use would become immense. During a calamity, even Saints could not completely unravel the heavenly secrets. When that time came, the Heavenly Secret Nine Lot would be incredibly useful.
Even though drawing lots could not divine the heavenly secrets and could only divine one person's fortune and misfortune regarding a specific matter, limiting its range greatly, that was already enough.
This treasure of his could definitely rank among the finest in the prehistoric world!
The Heavenly Secret Nine Lot's immunity to Calamity Qi was definitely related to that final strand of Mysterious Yellow Qi. What kind of treasure was that?
"Calamity Qi?" Da Chao looked at Jiang Haofeng curiously. It was another thing he had never heard of.
"It is troublesome to explain. Ten thousand eight hundred years make one cycle. Twelve cycles make one Yuan, or one hundred twenty-nine thousand six hundred years, what people commonly call one Yuan. Five hundred thousand Yuan make one calamity."
"At the end of a calamity, Heaven and Earth send down a great tribulation. Calamity Qi is the key to such calamities. It can cloud the mind and obscure the heavenly secrets."
Jiang Haofeng explained casually, then flipped his hand and put away the Heavenly Secret Nine Lot before taking out the first lot cylinder he had made.
The remaining forty-three people stepped forward one after another and drew wooden lots from it.
From beginning to end, no one mentioned Jiang Haofeng's merit. With the amount of merit he currently possessed, while he could not become a Grand Luo Golden Immortal, he could still reach Late Grand Unity or even the peak, becoming the fourth strongest human. But Jiang Haofeng had already cultivated the Witch Clan's Mystic Art. Even if he broke through, he could not appear openly to protect humanity.
Moments later, the forty-three Grand Unity Golden Immortals had finished drawing lots and were divided into two groups according to their results.
Huaxu, Zhuxiang, Haoying, Getian, Wuhuai, Jinti, Jitong, Zhongqi, Yanghou, Susha, Goujiang, Qiaoming, Zhuoguang, Huangshen, Liling, Dawei, Ranxiang, Gaiying, Yunyang, Taiyi, and Kongsang—twenty-one Innate Humans—would cultivate the Mystic Art with Jiang Haofeng.
Sulu, Lilain, Yinkang, Lieshan, Chenfang, Yongcheng, Donghu, Qitong, Jiyi, Huangqin, Baihuang, Xiling, Zhuyong, Huangxiong, Yueshang, Fangfeng, Gweikui, Fanglei, Tongyu, Jingkang, Xuanpin, and Jinyun—twenty-two Innate Humans—would follow Suiren, Da Chao, and Zhisheng in protecting humanity.
Including the seven who had not taken part in the drawing, each side had twenty-five people, exactly half.
"Then it is settled. From this day onward, the twenty-five of you will live in seclusion at Central Phoenix Mountain, cultivate the Mystic Art, and become the foundation of humanity. The twenty-five of us will protect the clansmen outside." Suiren looked at the divided Innate Humans and spoke with satisfaction.
Jiang Haofeng nodded as well. "Later, we will select another one thousand four hundred and seventy-five from the remaining two thousand nine hundred and fifty Innate Humans, making one thousand five hundred Innate Humans in total. Then, from the humans born in later generations, we will select those with exceptional talent to enter Central Phoenix Mountain for cultivation. They are not to leave unless humanity faces a great calamity."
"Over the next two days, I will move all humans from the ancestral land outside. From now on, only our three thousand Innate Humans, along with the humans selected to cultivate the Mystic Art, may enter the ancestral land. No one else may step into it!" Suiren said decisively.
"Good!"
A sharp glint flashed through Jiang Haofeng's eyes as he spoke again. "From now on, the humans who remain at Central Phoenix Mountain in the ancestral land will be the Human Hidden Lineage, while those living throughout the prehistoric world will be the Human Manifest Lineage. The Visible and Hidden Veins are both humanity's orthodox lineages. The two lineages will support each other, ensuring that humanity's inheritance never ends and flows on for ages!"
"Good!"
"Our inheritance will never end and flow on for ages!" Suiren's eyes lit up as he declared forcefully.
"Our inheritance will never end and flow on for ages!"
All fifty Innate Humans spoke at once, their voices resolute.
After a pause, Jiang Haofeng looked at the surrounding Innate Humans and proposed the system he had planned for a long time. "By the way, everyone, I believe that gathering together to discuss humanity's future is of great benefit to our development. I want to preserve this kind of meeting and call it the Human Clan Assembly."
"Whenever humanity encounters a major matter in the future, we will convene an assembly, gather the clan elders, and discuss a solution together. What do you think?"
The surrounding Innate Humans' eyes immediately lit up. This way, even if they were not humanity's leaders, they could still participate in major human affairs.
Suiren immediately nodded in agreement. "This is a good method. Everyone can discuss matters together and develop humanity together."
"Yes, I agree with Haofeng's idea!" Da Chao added.
Then Zhisheng and the other Innate Humans also voiced their agreement.
"Then it is settled." A trace of joy appeared on Jiang Haofeng's face.
Before you continue