Primordial Era: From the Creation Lotus to the First Disciple of the Three Pure Ones

Chapter 114 The Ancestor of Humanity Seeks an Audience with Qinglian

Within the cave, Qinglian's divine senses, like a fine spider web, quietly covered the thousands of human tribes along the coast of the East Sea.

He clearly "saw" that the methods of martial arts cultivation, like a gentle stream, were being carefully and rigorously selected and passed down by the clan leaders he had personally mentored, and were gradually spreading and taking root among the selected clan members who were of excellent character and aptitude.

Every morning, as the first rays of dawn pierce the thin mist over the East China Sea, one can see many strong men with their upper bodies bare.

In the open spaces of the tribe, on the beach, or on the edge of the mountains, they set up their stances, either slowly rehearsing movements that contain wonderful techniques of exerting force, or swiftly striking solid wooden stakes or even mountain rocks.

The buzzing sound of qi and blood circulating was subtle yet clearly audible, and the whistling sound of fists and feet cutting through the wind grew increasingly fierce, beginning to intertwine with the eternal sound of the ocean waves and the sound of the wind in the forest, gradually becoming a new and powerful rhythm on this fertile land.

The refinement of the three realms of ordinary strength (manifest strength, hidden strength, and transformative strength) yields remarkable results.

Human hunters became more valiant, their stone spears were more accurate and ruthless, and they could run and chase their prey faster and with greater stamina.

The gatherers are more agile, able to climb taller trees to pick the fruit and more keenly spot underground tubers;

Even in the friction and conflict between tribes caused by resources, the improvement of individual strength actually reduced unnecessary casualties. Instead, hunting grounds and gathering areas were divided more by sparring matches between warriors recognized by both sides. Primitive order was quietly conceived in the budding power system.

Those clan leaders who were among the first to receive the teachings, being of innate human descent and possessing the best natural talent and comprehension, had already faintly touched the threshold of Dan Jin (internal energy cultivation), their Qi and blood gradually converging. A nascent form was subtly condensing in their dantian (energy center).

Every move he made contained immense power; splitting stone tablets and shattering rocks was commonplace. His lifespan was also extended, the light of wisdom in his eyes shone brighter, and he became more adept at handling tribal affairs.

Seeing that the foundation of martial arts had been initially established and that the human race had begun to grasp and trust this power originating from themselves, Qinglian quietly reappeared, still in that secluded valley, to continue until the "Martial Domain Realm" (equivalent to a Profound Immortal).

He passed on the more profound methods to those core clan leaders.

He repeatedly emphasized, speaking earnestly: "This path emphasizes foundation and character, like building a platform and laying earth. You must not be greedy and reckless. If the foundation is not stable, the tall building will collapse in an instant."

We must be even more wary of the arrogance and infighting that come with the expansion of power. A martial artist's fist should be aimed at powerful enemies and dangerous obstacles, not at fellow countrymen.

The clan leaders received even deeper teachings, and felt as if a vast and boundless world of power had unfolded before them, as if they had found a priceless treasure.

Their gratitude and reverence for Qinglian had reached their peak, and they all swore an oath by blood that they would carefully pass on the tradition, protect their clan with martial arts, and never use martial arts to bully the weak. If they broke this oath, may heaven and earth forsake them.

However, just as the human race was flourishing with the rise of martial arts and all things were thriving, subtle and profound changes were quietly taking place in the vast primordial world.

Although the aura of the Great Calamity has not yet fully erupted, it is already surging like an undercurrent in the veins of heaven and earth, affecting the subtle rhythm of the operation of the Heavenly Dao.

The first thing to be affected was the climate on the coast of the East China Sea, which began to turn cold at an illogical and almost bizarre speed.

At first, the bleakness of late autumn was more pronounced than usual, and the sea breeze carried a chill that seeped into the bones, making people shiver. But soon, the situation took a sharp turn for the worse.

The sky seemed to be shrouded by a boundless, leaden-gray curtain, and sunlight became rare and a luxury. Even when it did peek out, it was pale and weak, devoid of warmth.

The biting wind, like an invisible yet incredibly sharp ice blade, howls ceaselessly day and night across the plains, forests, and winding coastlines, emitting a mournful wail.

A thicker and thicker layer of translucent ice began to form on the surface of the stream. Many plants were frozen instantly before they could even wither, remaining in their pre-withered state. Some plants that were originally cold-resistant also drooped and their vitality was forcibly suppressed.

For the three thousand innate humans, those with acquired Dao bodies from the first Yuanhui, and martial artists who have already entered the realms of Ming Jin, An Jin, or even Hua Jin, this severe cold, far exceeding that of previous years, while bringing great discomfort, can still be endured thanks to their extraordinary physical strength and ever-growing vitality.

Especially martial artists with internal strength and neutral strength, when they circulate their qi and blood, their whole body becomes like a furnace, steaming with heat. They can walk on snow without leaving a trace, drink water through ice, and even practice tirelessly in the cold wind to hone their will and body.

But the human race today is no longer just a small elite group like them.

After hundreds of years of reproduction and growth, how vast is the number of the new generation of humans?

Those infants who are still crying for milk and whose bodies are not yet fully developed, those women and children whose vitality has been depleted by childbirth and labor, and those elderly people whose physical functions have naturally declined over the years.

And the largest group of ordinary clansmen, who had not yet begun to cultivate martial arts or whose aptitude was mediocre, appeared extremely vulnerable in the face of this sudden and unimaginable cold, like a candle flickering in a gale.

The cold, like an invisible yet efficient grim reaper, silently traverses the various tribes, precisely reaping lives.

Every day, people are found frozen to death, huddled in cold corners, their bodies stiff.

The cries of mourning spread through the tribes, grief and panic replaced the former vigor, and the momentum of rapid development was abruptly choked by the great force of nature, with feelings of helplessness spreading like a plague.

The martial artists were extremely anxious. They tried to use their abundant blood and energy to ignite a huge bonfire, or to use their violent punches to shatter rocks and create shelter from the wind.

Strangely, no matter how big the fire they lit, the flames seemed somewhat "weak," flickering restlessly, and dim, as if suppressed by an invisible, extreme cold originating from heaven and earth itself. They could not burn for long, and the heat they emitted was greatly reduced, making it difficult to protect a large area of ​​their people.

The howling wind seemed capable of directly dissipating heat and freezing flames. This was no ordinary cold; it clearly contained an indescribable, celestial-level law that suppressed life force and the blazing sun!

Several clan leaders with the highest cultivation levels gathered together, their brows furrowed like deep trenches. They had tried all the known methods, even joining forces to stimulate their qi and blood in an attempt to warm a region, but the results were still minimal, limited in scope and difficult to sustain.

As the lives of their people continued to fade away, and the tribe faced the most severe survival test since its birth, they all turned their attention to that seemingly ordinary, yet profoundly powerful, serene rocky mountain by the sea.

"Go and seek an audience with Daoist Qinglian!" the eldest clan leader said in a deep voice, his voice slightly hoarse from anxiety and cold.

"The Holy Mother entrusted the Holy Master to look after us. Now our people are suffering an unprecedented calamity. The Holy Master will surely issue a decree to guide us to a way out!"

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