Jiang Haofeng's eyes widened in an instant as he stared at the woman before him in disbelief. Zhisheng Clan, also known as Ziyi Clan, was one of Humanity's Three Ancestors, one of Humanity's ancient progenitors, and honored as the Wisdom Emperor.
Of the three thousand Innate Humans before him, only Xuandu, Suiren, Youchao, and Zhisheng would truly be remembered for ages. The rest would be passed down through clan surnames. Who would have thought that Zhisheng Clan would happen to be paired with him?
"W-what's wrong?" Zhisheng asked helplessly when she saw Jiang Haofeng's reaction.
"Nothing. It's a very nice name."
"Really? I think so too."
A sweet smile appeared on Zhisheng's face as she spoke in delight.
"Haofeng, let's go play!"
"There are fruits over there. They're bright red and delicious. Hurry and eat them, or someone else will take them."
Jiang Haofeng hesitated for a moment, then nodded and followed Zhisheng toward the nearby forest, though he was already making plans for what came next.
Humanity had been born. Next would come the establishment of the Four Sects: the Grand Pure Sage would establish the Humanity Teaching, the Grand Clarity Sage would establish the Chan Teaching, the Grand Purity Sage would establish the Jie Teaching, while Zhunti and Jieyin would establish the Western Teaching.
After that, Houtu would transform into Pingxin, the Six Paths of Samsara would be established, and Houtu would no longer be part of the Witch Clan.
Then came the Witch-Demon Calamity, when countless powerhouses would battle. The Quasi-Saints of both races would nearly perish entirely, while Grand Luo Golden Immortals would fall like rain.
Those were the matters that the great powers of the Primordial World were concerned with. Newly born Humanity had no right to participate in them. There were only two matters related to Humanity.
The first was the Grand Pure Sage establishing the Humanity Teaching, enlightening Humanity and accepting Xuandu as his disciple.
The second was the Demon Clan using Humanity as blood food. Later, they discovered that Humanity's innate Dao bodies contained profound mysteries and could pierce the Witch Clan's physiques. Thus, they slaughtered Humanity in great numbers to forge the Witch Slaying Sword. The Witch Clan adopted the same method and forged the Demon Slaying Sword.
One was a blessing, the other a calamity.
Especially the latter. When the two races slaughtered Humanity, Humanity had no ability to resist whatsoever. Ninety-nine percent of the Human Clan would be massacred. They would even be raised in captivity and slaughtered batch after batch, for who knew how many years!
That was the darkest period in the history of Humanity in the entire Primordial World.
Jiang Haofeng sighed inwardly. Humanity's road ahead was difficult.
Jiang Haofeng could do nothing about the Witch and Demon Clans slaughtering Humanity. The great trend of heaven and earth supported it. Unless Humanity produced a Sage, Humanity's fate could not be changed.
Being weaker than others was a fatal flaw. All Jiang Haofeng could think of was preserving Humanity's strength as much as possible and settling accounts during the next calamity.
Although the Witch and Demon Clans' slaughter of Humanity was the darkest period in Humanity's history, it did not shake Humanity's foundations. It was merely a trial, and Humanity still endured.
But Investiture of the Gods was different. That would cut off Humanity's future. Once the Investiture of the Gods ended, Humanity would never again have the chance to stand upon the true stage of the Primordial World.
His focus still had to remain on Investiture of the Gods!
Time passed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, two days had gone by.
Jiang Haofeng sat cross-legged atop a bluestone, mysterious light rippling around him and making him appear extraordinarily profound.
Over the past two days, Jiang Haofeng had explored the entire area around Humanity. A golden barrier covered a radius of one hundred thousand kilometers, isolating the inside from the outside. It was likely a protective measure left behind by Nuwa.
During that time, Jiang Haofeng had also met quite a few Innate Humans, such as Xuandu, the second Innate Human created by Nuwa, as well as Suiren and Da Chao, the other two among Humanity's Three Ancestors.
He had also met Innate Humans such as Zhu Xiang, Haoying, Sulu, Lilain, Getian, Yinkang, Zunlu, Dating, Wuhuai, Jinti, Jitong, Zhongqi, Yanghou, Susha, and others.
Jiang Haofeng had at least become familiar with the fifty earliest-created Innate Humans. As for the remaining two thousand nine hundred and fifty Innate Humans, he had formed an impression of many of them as well.
Two days in the Primordial World were equivalent to two years in later times. Humanity was gradually beginning to show signs of development. Many Innate Humans had become pregnant, though none had yet given birth.
It could be expected that Humanity would soon welcome a new generation.
Once the Acquired Humans became more numerous, Humanity would enter the tribal era.
Jiang Haofeng slowly rose to his feet. It was time to leave. Nothing would happen on Humanity's side for quite some time. It was time to venture into the Primordial World.
The Myriad Manifestations Heavenly Book was a supreme treasure condensed from the Great Dao of Wisdom and excelled at learning. There was little worth learning among Humanity at present. If he wanted to learn true skills, he had to witness the real experts of the Primordial World.
"Haofeng!"
A call rang out. A streak of golden light flashed, and Zhisheng appeared before him, holding more than a dozen fiery red fruits.
These were the fruits Zhisheng had brought him to eat two days ago. According to Jiang Haofeng's guess, they should be the legendary Vermillion Fruits, and Innate Vermillion Fruits at that. Yet in the current Primordial World, they were merely somewhat better spirit fruit trees.
This tree was neither the first Vermillion Fruit tree in heaven and earth nor a spiritual root of heaven and earth.
"Here, have some fruit."
Jiang Haofeng smiled and picked up two Vermillion Fruits. Looking at the rolling mountains before him, he slowly said, "I'm going out to seek my fortune!"
Zhisheng froze. "You're leaving the Holy Mother's protected land?"
"Yes!"
Jiang Haofeng nodded.
"It's dangerous outside." Zhisheng hesitated for a moment before speaking seriously.
"I know. That's precisely why I have to go. I want to forge a path for myself. If I stay here forever, then I'll only ever be able to remain beneath someone else's wings!"
Zhisheng looked at Jiang Haofeng in confusion, clearly not understanding what he meant.
Jiang Haofeng looked at Zhisheng and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. I have ways to protect myself."
With that, Jiang Haofeng willed it, and mysterious light flashed. He instantly transformed into a large boulder. Zhisheng was startled and carefully examined the stone before her. Though she knew this boulder was Haofeng's transformation, she could not find the slightest anomaly. It was as though there truly was only a stone before her.
A moment later, Jiang Haofeng transformed back, and all his aura returned.
This was what Jiang Haofeng had gained from using the Myriad Manifestations Heavenly Book over the past two days. Though there were no Great Divine Powers for him to learn from, the sun hung in the heavens, while mountains, rivers, plants, and trees covered the earth. The myriad manifestations of the world could all be imitated.
With the Innate Supreme Treasure that was the Myriad Manifestations Heavenly Book, Jiang Haofeng's transformation technique was countless times stronger than Sun Wukong's transformation technique in later ages. Jiang Haofeng had tested it beside Huaxu, the strongest person in the clan. Even a Grand Unity Golden Immortal could not detect anything unusual.
When Jiang Haofeng transformed into a stone, he became a real stone. With a supreme treasure like the Myriad Manifestations Heavenly Book, no one could discover him without some heaven-defying means.
That was Jiang Haofeng's confidence in venturing out.
"So amazing!" Zhisheng's eyes lit up as she stared at Jiang Haofeng in shock.
Jiang Haofeng smiled. "I'm leaving. Don't casually leave the Holy Mother's protected land. It's dangerous outside."
"Alright!" Zhisheng slowly nodded.
Jiang Haofeng said no more. His figure flashed, turning into a streak of light that shot into the sky. Like an eagle spreading its wings, he was more than fifty percent faster than an ordinary Golden Immortal in flight!
A flash of golden light streaked past. A golden curtain that stretched from heaven to earth appeared before him. Jiang Haofeng did not hesitate and passed directly through it, stepping onto the land of the Primordial World.
The instant he passed beyond the light curtain, Jiang Haofeng activated the Myriad Manifestations Heavenly Book within his mind, concealing his heavenly secrets.
At the same time, above the chaos, in Wa Huang Palace, Nuwa slowly opened her eyes. Someone had left the protected land.
She immediately began calculating.
Nuwa frowned. She actually could not calculate anything. At once, her Sage divine sense swept across the Primordial World, yet she still found nothing.
"An Innate Supreme Treasure!"
There were only two possibilities for something that could conceal heavenly secrets and prevent a Sage from making deductions. Either a Sage had acted, or an Innate Supreme Treasure transformed from a Chaos Spirit Treasure was concealing the heavenly secrets.
Was it the Three Pure Ones, Eastern Emperor Taiyi, or some other Innate Supreme Treasure passed down from the chaos that had yet to be discovered?
Interesting. The Great Dao had fifty, heaven evolved forty-nine, and one escaped.
Haofeng, I'll remember you.
After activating the Myriad Manifestations Heavenly Book to conceal the heavenly secrets, Jiang Haofeng willed it and changed his appearance. Looking at his reflection in the water, he was far less handsome than in his original form, yet the face filled him with an extraordinary sense of familiarity.
A trace of nostalgia appeared on Jiang Haofeng's face. This was what he had looked like in his previous life.
As he traveled through the Primordial World, Jiang Haofeng had no intention of using his original appearance. Over the past two days, he had already planned his next moves.
His existence was better suited to being a hidden powerhouse than standing at the forefront. The Primordial World was unlike other places. Sages suppressed heaven and earth, so he could only scheme in secret and absolutely could not act recklessly.
If he directly appeared and changed Humanity, becoming praised by countless humans and the faith of all Humanity, then his fate would certainly be the same as the Three Ancestors, Three Sovereigns, and Five Emperors: entering Fire Cloud Cave to suppress Humanity's Destiny.
If he wanted to remain among Humanity and in the Primordial World, he could not stand in the spotlight.
If he wanted to hide behind the scenes, he needed to prepare several identities. His appearance from his previous life would be Jiang Haofeng's first disguise.
If not for his concern about forming karma, Jiang Haofeng would definitely have traveled through the Primordial World wearing the appearance of another human.
Alas, he had still seen too few things. Only by seeing more could he truly unleash the power of the Myriad Manifestations Heavenly Book and truly achieve the myriad manifestations of all creation.
Having concealed his heavenly secrets and changed his form, Jiang Haofeng immediately used the movement technique he had created by observing an eagle spread its wings, transforming into a streak of golden light and speeding away.
He flew continuously for several days, equivalent to a full century in later times, without encountering a single living being. Yet although there were few living beings, there were many spiritual materials. He picked more than a dozen types of innate spirit fruits, gathered nearly a hundred innate spirit herbs, and obtained one Innate Spirit Wood and two pieces of innate spirit iron.
Any one of these things would be a rare treasure in later ages. Yet in the current Primordial World, they were everywhere. Even cultivators who encountered them would not deliberately collect them.
Only truly precious treasures would draw cultivators' interest.
"Demon Clan brat, take a punch from your grandpa!"
A loud shout reached Jiang Haofeng's ears as he flew. His spirits instantly rose. After flying for so long, he had finally encountered living beings.
From the voice, it seemed that members of the Witch and Demon Clans had run into each other.
Jiang Haofeng activated the Myriad Manifestations Heavenly Book to conceal his aura and quietly made his way toward the battlefield.
On the vast earth, a hundred-zhang giant battled an enormous lion. The giant wore beast hides, his eyes sharp, and his blood vitality churned around him like a furnace. Endless blood vitality rose and gathered above his head into a pillar of essence and smoke. Even from ten thousand miles away, Jiang Haofeng could still feel its scorching heat.
The lion was covered in purple fur, with endless Demonic Energy surging forth. Purple demon flames rippled around the lion demon, and streams of fireballs occasionally crashed down.
Both the demon and the witch were Golden Immortals. In terms of cultivation, each was above Jiang Haofeng, though not by much.
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