NOVEL WEB Chapter 47: Achieving Primordial Origin
At the new headquarters of humanity near the East Sea, Wutian walked through the rows of students practicing their horse stance. They were located in the training ground that he had constructed.
After witnessing the temple at the center of the training ground, Youchao had commented, "If I hadn't constructed the first shelter, the merit would have gone to you.” There was no envy in his words, only admiration. Even if Wutian took his place as the third human ancestor, Youchao would have no bitterness because it would mean greater prosperity for humanity.
At this time, negative emotions such as envy, greed, or other desires had not appeared in humanity. They all had to work together to survive in this hazardous world. When did they have the time to scheme and betray one another?
"How can that be? If you hadn't constructed the first building, I would have never been able to think of this," Wutian had said.
As the holy ground of humanity and where all the most remarkable talents gathered, all of them cultivated the martial arts created by Wutian. They could all be considered half-disciples of his. When he was done inspecting his students, Wutian returned to the temple at the center. In the main hall, a statue of Nuwa stood at the center. Three figures were kneeling before the statue: Suiren, Zhengyi, and Youchao.
When Wutian entered, they stood up and greeted Wutian with a smile. "It's been a burden. We became immortals by merits and don't understand martial arts well, so we can only rely on you, Fourth Brother."
"What are you saying? As the Martial Ancestor of humanity, this is my duty." Wutian sighed. "Although I managed to create martial arts and extend their lifespan, I still haven't created a method for them to reach immortality."
Suiren also sighed. "Aside from those of us who made significant contributions and became merit immortals, only Fourth Brother managed to become immortal by your own strength and improvement. The rest have slowly died after all these years, and the lifespan of each succeeding generation has decreased."
Youchao walked forward, clad in furs, and slapped Wutian's shoulders. "We can only improve by gaining merit. We still have to rely on Fourth Brother."
"But we can't just rely on Fourth Brother," Zhengyi said. "Thanks to Fourth Brother's words, I managed to gain inspiration, and I can improve the clothes making process. It isn't just me, didn't Eldest Brother and Third Brother get inspiration?"
At this, Suiren and Youchao laughed.
After talking for a bit, Wutian also kneeled in front of Nuwa's statue and offered incense in her honor. After standing up, he stared at the statue's face, or rather, where it would have been. Despite being only a statue carved by humans, the face was hidden behind mist upon completion.
"Fourth Brother, should we build a statue for your master too?" Suiren asked tentatively. "If she hadn't accepted you as a disciple, our race would have never gained martial arts."
Wutian considered it for a moment but eventually shook his head. "No need. Mother Nuwa created us. That's why we enshrined her. Master has given me grace but did not directly benefit the human race. I cannot ask you to enshrine a statue of her just because of me."
Suiren, Zhengyi, and Youchao nodded, accepting Wutian's words. Honestly, they weren't willing to enshrine her either, but they still considered Wutian's feelings. They improved humanity’s survival rate, but Wutian was directly responsible for increasing their strength, and strength equaled status.
"Eldest Brother, Second Sister, and Third Brother, I'm going to visit the settlements of humanity. I'll try to impart some martial arts for those who had forgotten," Wutian said.
"What about the ones here?" Youchao asked.
"There's no need. There's already a master just shy of an Earth Immortal in power, he can instruct them," Wutian said. "Honestly, I've reached a bottleneck in my cultivation. I'm hoping this journey can help me break through."
Suiren, Zhengyi, and Youchao nodded. Despite Wutian being only in the Profound Immortal Realm, his strength had already surpassed theirs. Not only because of his superior strength, but he had more battle experience too.
Wutian left the headquarters of humanity without alerting anyone except the ancestors of humanity. No one noticed his departure. He first traveled west, where they had migrated from.
During his journey, he took on the guise of an old master using the auxiliary ability of the Nine Revolution Arcane Art. While in his guise, he imparted his martial arts to whatever human settlement he encountered during his journey.
While teaching a young child with martial potential, Wutian felt a stare on his back. He felt no ill intent, but even if a snake stared at a frog with no malice, the frog would still feel uncomfortable.
Wutian looked up to see an old man with long white hair and a beard wearing white Daoist robes. Although the face was a bit different, he could still see that the Daoist had around seventy to eighty percent similarities to Laozi.
He approached him and bowed. "Junior greets Uncle-Master."
Taishang Laojun waved his hand. "No need. I'm just here to look around. Ignore me."
Although he said that, how can Wutian really ignore Taishang Laojun?
After this, Wutian followed behind Taishang Laojun as he observed humanity. Sometimes, he acted like a follower. Other times, he acted like a teaching assistant or a servant, supporting Taishang Laojun.
Wutian's actions pleased Taishang Laojun, and he didn't mind giving Tongtian's disciples a few pointers. Although he didn't step into the Golden Immortal Realm, Wutian's accumulation increased. Now, all he needed was a chance or epiphany.
Taishang Laojun's and Wutian's journey eventually led them back to near the East Sea, at Shouyang Mountain. Unlike before, Laozi ascended Shouyang Mountain and sat at the peak for thousands of years.
During this time, the essence of heaven and earth gathered on Shouyang Mountain. As a result, the surrounding humans gathered to cultivate. Wutian used his authority as the Martial Ancestor to seal off the mountain to prevent anyone from disturbing Taishang Laojun's cultivation.
Still, more and more humans gathered as if sensing something.
As the years passed, brilliant light of black and gold suddenly radiated from the peak of Shouyang Mountain, and Taishang Laojun's voice spread throughout the Great Desolation.
"I am Taishang Laojun, the Heavenly Venerable of Virtuous Way! In three thousand years, I will achieve sainthood. During this time, I will preach the way to all those who have fate!"
After saying those words, Taishang Laojun immediately began to preach. As he spoke, the essence of heaven and earth around Shouyang Mountain rose in density. With each passing year, the song of the Way of Inaction permeated the surrounding land.
Although a few major powers wondered why Grand Purity Laozi addressed himself as Taishang Laojun, they didn't care and quickly made their way to Shouyang Mountain to listen. When they arrived, they saw a mass of humans listening.
The major powers attempted to blast them away to get a better spot, but the moment they took action, an invisible force expelled them a hundred thousand li away. After making an example of them, the newcomers did not dare make a ruckus and calmed down to listen.
Wutian remained on Shouyang Mountain, guarding Taishang Laojun. As such, he was the closest person to the budding Saint and thus benefited the most. The barrier separating him from achieving the Golden Immortal Realm shattered, and Wutian could become a Golden Immortal at any moment. Still, it was his other gains from listening to Taishang Laojun's sermon that made him most happy.
He had finally created the Earth Immortal Realm for his martial arts.
During his sermon, Taishang Laojun also modified the Grand Purity Scripture into a simpler method that Later Heaven lifeforms like humans could cultivate to become Earth Immortals.
Tongtian based her method on formations, and Taishang Laojun based his method on alchemy. So, instead of creating a formation within the body after the Foundation Establishment Realm, practitioners of the Grand Purity Scripture would form a golden core within their body.
When the three thousand years ended, Taishang Laojun stopped speaking, much to Wutian and everyone else's dismay. Endless clouds of merit appeared and descended onto him, which he absorbed.
"Today, I establish the Human Way and anchor its luck with the Taiji Diagram! The Way of Humanity is to strive for self-improvement!"
Then, immense coercion descended. Numerous phenomena like when Nuwa and Yuanshi became Saints occurred again. It didn't reach the same level as Yuanshi, but it equaled Nuwa's coercion when she was consecrated.
The Great Desolation welcomed its fourth Saint of Heaven.
In Wa Outer Palace, Nuwa's expression turned unsightly. When Taishang Laojun established the Human Way, he also took a portion of humanity's luck that belonged to her. Her eyes pierced through the chaotic boundary and into the Great Desolation.
Nuwa furrowed her brows when she saw Taishang Laojun. She pinched her fingers, trying to calculate the secrets of heaven but was blocked by Yuanshi. Nuwa frowned and discovered that she could not pass through Yuanshi's interference at all.
"Just what are you hiding?"
While everyone had their attention drawn to Shouyang Mountain due to Taishang Laojun's consecration, Tongtian and Yuanshi felt another pressure. It didn't resemble a Saint's coercion and instead reflected the might of infinity.
Tongtian turned her gaze towards Grand Purity Hall. "The moment Eldest Brother's Corpse became a Saint, he achieved the Primordial Origin Realm?"
The pressure of a Golden Immortal of Primordial Origin disappeared much sooner than a Saint's coercion. If the birth of a Saint resembled a national holiday, then the birth of a Golden Immortal of Primordial Origin was like an individual's birthday.
Thanks to the pressure that had emanated from Laozi, the Saint's coercion was repelled from Kunlun Mountain, and Tongtian didn't need to bow. She left Supreme Purity Hall and entered Three Purity Hall, where Laozi and Yuanshi joined her.
"Congratulations to Eldest Brother for achieving Primordial Origin and sainthood," Tongtian said, followed by Yuanshi's salutations.
"It's nothing, I had not expected to achieve the Primordial Origin the moment my Corpse achieved sainthood," Laozi said. Seeing Tongtian's question look, he continued. "The moment you achieve sainthood, all three thousand laws that form the foundation of the Great Desolation will appear before you. You grasp one and instantly understand the complete law."
Yuanshi nodded. "I took the Law of Chaos."
"And I took the Law of Infinity," Laozi said. "Since Second Brother and I took the Law of Chaos and Infinity, no one else can achieve sainthood or the Primordial Origin with these laws in the Great Desolation anymore."
"So it's like that," Tongtian muttered.
"Has Third Sister decided what law to master yet?" Yuanshi asked, much to Tongtian's confusion. "Your chance to achieve sainthood has arrived."
Hearing this, Tongtian felt the Grandmist Violet Qi with Lingbao tremble with excitement as if its moment had come. When Taishang Laojun's consecration ended, she seemed to have understood something.
Yuanshi didn't wait and directly addressed the world. His words echoed throughout the Great Desolation. "I, Jade Purity Yuanshi, the Heavenly Venerable of Primordial Beginning, establish the Enlightenment Sect and use the Pangu Banner to anchor the sect's luck! I seek to enlighten those who seek the Great Dao, clarify the truth, explain the myriad miracles, and illuminate the past and future. All living beings shall know good and evil, distinguish good and bad, seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, and seek the path of detachment!"
Karmic Merit descended onto Yuanshi again, and the signs of him achieving sainthood arrived again. His actions didn't just surprise the major powers of the Great Desolation but also Tongtian and Laozi.
You could actually become consecrated twice?!
In addition to the consecration, Yuanshi clearly felt a portion of the luck of Great Desolation split off and settled onto him. Instantly, his comprehension furthered and his cultivation advanced. Not just him, with the creation of the Enlightenment Sect, the Twelve Golden Immortals felt the three thousand laws become clear and their cultivation speed rise. Although they couldn’t take advantage of it now, it would greatly increase their speed once they entered the Great Firmament Realm.
When Yuanshi finished his second consecration, he looked at Tongtian. "Third Sister, what are you waiting for?"
With Tongtian's Obsession Corpse, the Grandmist Violet Qi increased the frequency of its vibration as if nudging him to quickly form a sect too. But Lingbao gritted his teeth and kept his mouth shut, unwilling to utter a word.
Back in Kunlun Mountain, Tongtian also forced herself not to speak. An invisible force kept pushing her to form a sect, but she fought against it. Her body trembled and veins bulged on her forehead.
Finally, the Grandmist Violet Qi in Lingbao slowly stopped vibrating, and the invisible force coercing her receded. However, Tongtian also felt a sense of loss, as if something that once belonged to her had been taken away.
"Third Sister," Yuanshi said with a frown.
"You don't need to say anymore, I don't want to become a Saint of Heaven by establishing a sect," Tongtian said. Then her eyes became sharp, and a sword-like aura converged around her. "I have my own path! The things I don't want to do, no one can force me to!"
Within the core space of the Great Desolation, unreachable by time or space, Hongjun frowned. He opened his eyes, pierced through the boundary of the Realm of Heaven, and looked at Tongtian.
"A variable has appeared."