Jiang Haofeng nodded slightly. As expected of a leader among the ancient human race, Suiren, also an Innate Human, outperformed the others in every respect.
Moreover, of the three ancestors, Suiren was the most steady and the most suitable to serve as their leader. Although Jiang Haofeng had only been back for a short while, he could already see that the entire human race vaguely regarded Suiren as its head. Even Da Chao and Zhisheng subtly deferred to Suiren.
It seemed that the first human clan elder could be none other than Suiren.
As for Huaxu, she had once declared herself the ruler of humanity and managed the human race on Empress Nuwa's behalf, but no one had acknowledged that for a long time. In the end, strength was the foundation. Taiyi Immortals and Great Luo Immortals simply could not compete.
"That's right. Above mortals are the five immortal realms: True, Mystic, Golden, Grand Unity, and Grand Luo."
"True Immortals cast off the false and preserve the true, condensing immortal bodies, forging immortal foundations, and refining immortal souls. Mystic Immortals comprehend laws. Golden Immortals temper indestructible golden essences and transcend the limits of lifespan. Grand Unity Immortals condense the Five Qi in the Chest, while Grand Luo Immortals gather the Three Flowers Above the Crown!"
"Above Grand Luo Golden Immortals are Primordial Origin Golden Immortals, also known as Quasi-Saints. Once one reaches the Grand Luo Golden Immortal realm and fully comprehends the laws, one begins to study and comprehend the Great Dao, setting foot upon the path. That is a Primordial Origin Golden Immortal!"
"In the Primordial World, Primordial Origin Golden Immortals are also called Great Divine Powers. They are the foremost great experts of the Primordial World."
"Afterward, one uses Innate Spirit Treasures to sever the Three Corpses—the corpses of goodness, evil, and self—and reaches the peak of the Quasi-Saint realm, the strongest beneath Saints."
Seeing the shock on the faces of the surrounding Innate Humans, Jiang Haofeng did not hesitate. He threw out his final trump card.
"Above Quasi-Saints are Saints, also known as Primordial Grand Unity Limitless Golden Immortals. They transcend heaven and earth, comprehend past and future, command the Great Dao, possess boundless divine abilities and limitless mana, remain untouched by countless karmic ties, endure for hundreds of millions of years without decay, and survive Immeasurable Tribulations without perishing!"
The Innate Humans around him could not help widening their eyes. Saints were so powerful!
"Are there Saints outside?"
"Is Holy Mother a Saint?"
The two voices rang out at once. Suiren and Huaxu exchanged a glance, then both turned to Jiang Haofeng, awaiting his answer.
"Yes. The Two Saints of the World: Dao Ancestor Ancestor Hongjun and Heavenly Dao Saint Empress Nuwa!"
Under their expectant gazes, Jiang Haofeng nodded and cupped his hands toward the sky in respect.
Huaxu's face immediately blossomed into a radiant smile. As expected of Holy Mother—her strength was truly formidable.
The surrounding humans also revealed delighted expressions. A Saint! The strongest of all beings! Empress Nuwa was a Saint, and for a moment, every one of them felt honored by association.
Jiang Haofeng secretly shook his head. Honor? It was indeed an honor, for she was a Saint. But the problem was that Nuwa would not step forward to protect humanity. Ten epochs—there would be a first time, and also a last time.
Just as Jiang Haofeng was about to speak, Huaxu asked eagerly from the side, "Haofeng, which is stronger, Holy Mother or Ancestor Hongjun?"
Jiang Haofeng shuddered at once. Girl, you've really got nerve.
Jiang Haofeng immediately cupped his hands toward the sky and bowed. "My clanswoman has spoken improperly and does not know the Dao Ancestor's holy virtue. I beg the Dao Ancestor not to take offense!"
Everyone around them was startled and at a loss. Suiren also rose and bowed along with Jiang Haofeng, after which all the humans hurriedly bowed toward the sky.
Jiang Haofeng had never been a Saint, so he was not entirely sure how powerful they were. But for Saints, surveying the entire Primordial World was surely the most basic ability. Forget Saints—even if one merely mentioned the name of a Quasi-Saint, that person would sense it.
If Jiang Haofeng had been alone, the Myriad Manifestations Heavenly Book might have concealed the heavenly secrets well enough for him to muddle through. But while he was among the human race, whom the two Saints closely watched, every movement here would surely be known to them.
If Saints could not even do that, they would not deserve to be called Saints.
At the same time, in Wa Huang Heaven, Nuwa let out a soft laugh as she looked at Huaxu with amusement. This Huaxu was rather adorable.
"The human race has only just been born and does not understand the workings of heaven. Master, please do not blame them!"
"It is nothing."
Within the chaos, a vast and majestic voice echoed through Wa Huang Heaven. It seemed to contain the Three Thousand Great Daos and was incomparably profound.
"Thank you, Master!"
After a pause, Nuwa spoke again. Her voice passed through endless chaos and entered Purple Cloud Palace with perfect precision.
"Master, that Haofeng... who is he?"
"The Great Dao has fifty; heaven's evolution has forty-nine, while one escapes."
Nuwa's gaze flickered. After a long while, she nodded. "Thank you, Master, for dispelling my confusion. This disciple understands."
At the same time, within Purple Cloud Palace, Hongjun looked down at Haofeng. "Strange. I cannot deduce his origins. Where did the Myriad Manifestations Heavenly Book find this True Spirit? How strange."
"Never mind. The Heavenly Dao has issued no warning. Let us watch for now."
With that, Ancestor Hongjun closed his eyes. Dense Dao aura arose around him, and an indifferent, imposing presence burst forth from his body.
At the same time, in the Primordial World's lands, within the Ancestral Nest beneath Central Phoenix Mountain of the human race, nothing unusual occurred in the sky after everyone had finished bowing. Jiang Haofeng quietly let out a breath of relief.
The group then sat cross-legged on the ground. Jiang Haofeng said to Huaxu, "Empress Nuwa is the Dao Ancestor's disciple and one of the Six Saints of the Heavenly Dao personally chosen by him."
The Innate Humans nodded in half-understanding. So Holy Mother had a master too.
"The Six Saints of the Heavenly Dao?"
Da Chao looked curiously at Jiang Haofeng.
"The Six Saints of the Heavenly Dao are the Dao Ancestor's six disciples: three personal disciples, one outer disciple, and two nominal disciples. The Dao Ancestor bestowed Hongmeng Purple Qi upon the six of them, making it the foundation of their path to the Dao."
"The personal disciples are Daoist Taiqing, Daoist Yuqing, and Daoist Shangqing. The outer disciple is Humanity's Holy Mother, Empress Nuwa. The nominal disciples are Western Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti."
"Among the Six Saints of the Heavenly Dao, only Empress Nuwa has currently taken her place."
After a pause, Jiang Haofeng added, "The Dao Ancestor is the leader of the Mystical Sect. His six great disciples are all second-generation disciples of the Mystical Sect. We are the race created by Empress Nuwa, so we too belong to the Mystical Sect. We three thousand Innate Humans should be third-generation disciples of the Mystical Sect. If we encounter the Three Pure Ones in the future, we must address them as Senior Uncle-Master. If we meet Daoist Jieyin or Daoist Zhunti, we must address them as Junior Uncle-Master!"
"Alright!"
Hearing Jiang Haofeng's words, the Innate Humans quickly nodded in agreement. Brother Haofeng knew so much; what he said had to be right.
Jiang Haofeng nodded in satisfaction. The Primordial World was not merely about fighting and killing—it was about connections and social customs. To survive in the Primordial World, one looked at one's roots and spoke of karma. The human race's status as third-generation disciples of the Mystical Sect had been slapped right onto their faces; it was just that no one among humanity had known to use it before.
Jiang Haofeng would not stand on ceremony. There was no reason not to use it. Nuwa had created him, so there was no problem with calling the Three Pure Ones Senior Uncle-Master.
Having finished explaining the Six Saints of the Heavenly Dao, Jiang Haofeng looked at the stunned crowd and spoke again.
"Holy Mother is very strong, unquestionably one of the foremost experts in the world. But Holy Mother's strength does not mean that our human race is strong. In the current Primordial World, the Witch and Demon Tribes are the protagonists of heaven and earth, favored by providence. Their strength far surpasses that of humanity."
"The Witch Clan has the Twelve Ancestral Witches. Every one of them is an Innate deity born from Great God Pangu's blood essence. Their physical bodies are peerlessly powerful, unmatched throughout the Primordial World. All twelve are among the Three Thousand Zixiao Guests, supreme experts from the same generation as Holy Mother."
"Although their cultivation is not as formidable as Holy Mother's, they are still Quasi-Saint great experts. They sit at Buzhou Mountain, command all Witch Clan members, rule the land, and are the current masters of the Primordial World's earth!"
"Under the Twelve Ancestral Witches are several hundred great witches, every one of whom is a Great Luo Immortal. They pick stars and grasp moons, roaming the Primordial World in unrivaled splendor!"
"Below the great witches are tens of thousands of Battle Witches. Every one of them is a Taiyi Immortal, scattered across the Primordial World's lands and commanding Witch Clan tribes one after another."
"Below the Battle Witches are Golden Immortal Lesser Witches, Mystic Immortal Witch Soldiers, and True Immortal Witch Troopers—too numerous to count."
As his words fell, everyone widened their eyes and stared at Haofeng in disbelief.
They were even more shocked than when they had learned that Holy Mother was a Saint. After all, they had no concept of what a Saint was or how powerful one might be, so hearing of Saints had not shaken them as deeply.
They did not know how strong Saints were, but they understood perfectly well the strength of Taiyi Immortals and Great Luo Immortals.
Tens of thousands of Taiyi Immortals and several hundred Great Luo Immortals—how terrifying was that?
Even counting Zhisheng, who had not cultivated through merit, humanity only had three Great Luo Immortals and a few dozen Taiyi Immortals. Did that not mean the Witch Clan could crush the human race with a single slap?
Seeing their shock, Jiang Haofeng pressed on while the iron was hot.
"The Witch Clan has the Twelve Ancestral Witches, several hundred great witches, and a hundred thousand Battle Witches. The Demon Tribe is no weaker. The demon race has a Demon Emperor and a Demon Sovereign seated in the Heavenly Court, as well as Demon Master Kunpeng, the Ten Great Demon Sages, and Three Hundred and Sixty-five Demon Gods!"
"The Demon Emperor, Demon Sovereign, and Demon Master are all Quasi-Saints. In particular, Demon Emperor Donghuang Taiyi wields the Innate Supreme Treasure Eastern Emperor Bell. His combat power is boundless, and he alone can match several Ancestral Witches!"
"Although the Ten Great Demon Sages are not Quasi-Saints, each possesses the potential to become one. They are invincible among Grand Luo Golden Immortals and stand on the same level as the Witch Clan's foremost great witches."
"The Three Hundred and Sixty-five Demon Gods are all Grand Luo Golden Immortals. And that was merely the number appointed when the Demon Court had first been established. After countless epochs, the number of demon gods in the Heavenly Court had long exceeded three hundred and sixty-five."
"The number of Great Demon Kings at the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm even surpasses that of the Witch Clan. The demon hosts dwell in the Heavenly Court, command the Thirty-three Heavens, govern hundreds of millions of stars, oversee the immeasurable demon race beneath heaven, and exert their might in every direction!"
The Innate Humans unconsciously raised their heads, as though they could see through the roof into the boundless heavens, see the vast and desolate Demon Court, and see the demon race's countless experts.
After a long while, Suiren finally lowered his head and sighed softly. "Only today do I understand that beyond heaven is another heaven, and beyond people are greater people. The Primordial World has countless experts. Brother Haofeng is right—our human race is still far too weak!"
As his words fell, the atmosphere in the nest-house immediately became heavy.
"Correct. Compared to the Primordial World, our human race is indeed weak—and far weaker than any of you imagine."
The Innate Humans looked at Jiang Haofeng with downcast spirits. Jiang Haofeng glanced at them and spoke again without hesitation.
"It is not merely a matter of strength, but also of foundation. The Witch and Demon Tribes have divine abilities, cultivation methods, inheritances, and spirit treasures. Our human race has nothing."
"The Witch Clan has the Nine Revolutions Profound Art. Cultivated to perfection, it can prove the Dao of a Primordial Grand Unity Limitless Golden Immortal. They possess indomitable battle intent that fights heaven and earth, powerful divine ability inheritances such as Heaven and Earth Manifestation, Star Chasing Moon Catching, and Star Picking Moon Grasping, as well as treasures like the Ancestral Witch Hall, Jade-Breaking Hook, Heavenly Separation Fire God Whip, Ganqi, Inch Staff, Heavenly Chime, Earth Radiance, Xuanming Bone Arrow, and more."
"Furthermore, the Witch Clan's innate physical bodies are formidable. They possess Witch Clan treasure bodies, fear neither Earth, Water, Wind, and Fire nor divine abilities and Magic Treasures. Once they fight, that indomitable battle intent that fights heaven and earth descends upon them, turning them into nothing but killing machines!"
"The demon race has countless supreme treasures, including the Eastern Emperor Bell, River Diagram and Luo Book, Emerald Light Two Principles Lamp, Sea-Overturning Sky-Splitting Saber, Di Jun's Vermilion Bow, Shan Hai Divine Sword, Immortal-Slaying Flying Knife, Seven Arrows Book of Nail Heads, and more."
"Moreover, the demons all possess innate divine abilities to protect themselves. The True Sun Fire and Golden Crow Rainbow Transformation Technique of the Demon Emperor and Demon Sovereign, Demon Master Kunpeng's Kunpeng True Form, and the like are all supreme divine abilities of unfathomable profundity."
As his words ended, the Innate Humans lowered their heads even further, and the atmosphere grew heavier still.
"Are divine abilities and techniques truly that powerful?"
Xuandu, standing behind the others, had an unreadable look in his eyes.
The other humans also turned toward Haofeng. After all, this was the first time they had heard of divine abilities.
"Of course they are powerful. In magical combat in the Primordial World, first comes cultivation, second Magic Treasures, and third divine abilities. With a powerful divine ability, one can absolutely defeat the strong while weak!"
After a pause, a smile appeared on Jiang Haofeng's face. "My brothers and sisters may not truly understand how formidable divine abilities are just from my words. As it happens, I learned a few divine abilities of the Witch Clan and demon race while traveling through the Primordial World. Why not let me demonstrate them for you?"
"Brother Xuandu, how about the two of us have a spar?"
"Alright!"
Before you continue