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

Chapter 115 The Three Ancestors of the Human Race Emerge

With immense reverence and last hope, the core clan leaders braved the biting wind that could cut through their skin and painstakingly arrived once again outside the Azure Lotus Cave, where they knelt respectfully on the cold ground.

She recounted the terrifying plight facing her people, her voice choked with emotion, pleading with the Holy Master to have mercy, to use his great power to dispel the terrible cold, and to save her people from the brink of annihilation.

Inside the cave, Qinglian sat quietly, her Daoist aura creating a world entirely different from the chill outside.

He had long since seen through everything in the outside world, and even more clearly than the clan leaders, he could sense the unusual trajectory of the Heavenly Dao and the faintly intertwined pulse of the calamity energy within that chill.

This is not merely a change in celestial phenomena; it seems to carry a dual meaning: the initial appearance of the primordial calamity and the Heavenly Dao's test of this nascent human race—cold and ruthless.

If he were to take action, he could naturally dispel the chill within a radius of thousands of miles with his supernatural powers, and even reverse the local climate, restoring a warm spring.

However, in doing so, humanity will never learn how to rely on its own wisdom and strength to cope with the great forces of nature. Over-reliance on external protection will ultimately make its fate as fragile as a rootless duckweed.

The task entrusted by the Goddess Nuwa was to "care for" and "preserve the vitality of life," guiding them towards self-reliance, rather than "raising" or "taking over" them. Directly interfering with the trials under the operation of the Heavenly Way would also incur unnecessary and enormous karmic consequences.

In the blink of an eye, Qinglian understood and made a decision.

His voice was calm and steady, like warm jade, clearly reaching the ears of the several clan leaders outside the cave, whose bodies and minds were chilled. However, he did not give a direct answer or use supernatural powers, but rather conveyed an enlightening meaning, like lighting a guiding lamp in the fog: "Heaven and earth alternate between cold and heat, and yin and yang cycle. This is the natural order of heaven and earth, and also the order of growth and storage of all things."

Humans gravitate towards warmth and avoid the cold, seeking shelter in cracks and gaps; this is a survival instinct.

"Fire is the light of civilization. It can dispel darkness, melt away the cold, turn raw food into cooked food, and strengthen people's vitality."

"Observe the heavens and earth closely. Wherever wood and stone collide violently, or where hard metal and stone clash fiercely, scorching sparks often appear. Though these sparks may be as small as beans, if carefully nurtured, they can gather into a torch and spread like wildfire, warming a region."

"Birds and beasts are born with wings, fur, and leather armor to protect themselves from the cold; this is their natural endowment."

However, nature also produces hemp, kudzu, and other similar plants. Their bark is tough, and their fibers can be twisted and spun into thread, woven into strands, and applied to the body, layer upon layer, generating warmth that is no less than that of fur.

"The sky is our blanket and the earth our mat, which is certainly a vast and natural world, but the wind, rain, cold, and heat are also the merciless side of nature."

Following the principle of birds and beasts building nests, they built their shelters on mountainsides, using earth and wood as screens and supports. This shelter provided a warm and peaceful place to temporarily escape the harsh winds and frost.

His words were concise, yet they seemed to contain some profound Daoist wisdom that pointed directly to the origin, imprinting themselves on the minds of the clan leaders like seeds.

It wasn't a specific, step-by-step operational method, but rather it pointed out several clear and feasible directions, instantly igniting the sparks of wisdom that had been frozen by anxiety.

The clan leaders stood there, stunned at first, then their eyes flashed with a brilliant light!

They repeatedly pondered and savored every word Qinglian said, and their previous confusion and despair were gradually replaced by intense thinking and the excitement of sudden enlightenment!

They looked at each other and saw in each other's eyes the ecstasy of sudden enlightenment and the urge to try it out!

"Thank you for your guidance, Holy Master!"

Instead of pleading for direct supernatural help, they bowed deeply with utmost respect and sincerity, as if they had received a supreme treasure. They immediately rose, disregarding etiquette, and hurriedly returned to their respective tribes against the cold wind.

They quickly gathered the most intelligent, skillful, and observant members of the clan and began to explore, try, fail, and try again in the direction indicated by the blue lotus!

Making fire by friction sounds simple, but it's incredibly difficult, a true test of patience, skill, and observation. What kind of wood is drier and more flammable? What kind of wood should be used as the drill board? What angle, speed, and pressure?

Suirenshi (a title bestowed upon him by later generations) led several equally persistent members of his clan, working tirelessly day and night, enduring countless failures. Their hands were worn raw and bloody from the rough wooden sticks, blisters popping and bursting repeatedly, almost to the point of giving up.

Finally, during a rapid drilling operation where all efforts were exerted and speed and force were perfectly synchronized, a faint but undeniably real wisp of smoke was seen rising.

Then a tiny orange spark suddenly landed on the pre-prepared, extremely dry tinder. With careful blowing, it ignited into a small, yet steadily burning, incredibly realistic flame!

"We succeeded! Fire! We created this fire ourselves! Not by the heavens, not by the earth, but by ourselves!"

Suirenshi was so excited that tears welled up in his eyes, and he almost jumped up. He carefully used dry branches to start a larger fire, as if he were protecting a newborn baby.

He keenly observed that the flames obtained by this method, although still suppressed by the inexplicable chill of heaven and earth and not burning as vigorously as usual, were more "natural," more stable, and more enduring than those forcibly ignited by martial artists using their qi and blood!

He immediately ordered people to carefully preserve this precious fire, set up special guards to watch over it, and began to widely teach the method of making fire by friction, so that the flame of hope could spread to various tribes.

Another female clan leader, Ziyi (whom later generations respectfully called her), who was good at observing nature and had a delicate and clever mind, led the women to carefully study the tough plant bark and try to peel off the fibers inside.

They imitated the way birds and animals cover themselves with feathers, trying to twist fibers into strong hemp threads, and then clumsily but patiently weaving them into simple but warm clothing. They also used polished bone needles to sew tanned animal hides into even warmer fur coats. Although rough, they were of great significance.

The third clan leader, Youchao (a title bestowed upon him by later generations), carefully observed how birds carried twigs to build nests and how wild animals dug burrows for warmth.

He led the strong laborers of the tribe to cut down trees, dig up soil and stones, and build beams and pillars against the mountain walls or using natural caves, covering them with branches, leaves and soil.

They built the initial, extremely simple shacks and semi-subterranean earthen and stone houses. Although they were low and dark, they effectively resisted the biting cold wind and provided a relatively warm place to stay.

When the first spark of fire, obtained by the wisdom and sweat of the human race, was successfully replicated and burned steadily in various tribes, the flickering flames illuminated the faces of the tribesmen who gathered around, which had turned from despair to hope.

When Ziyi draped the first rough hemp garment she had woven herself over a child who was shivering from the cold and whose lips were turning purple, the child responded with a genuine and warm smile after his body warmed up.

When the first simple hut built by the Youchao clan to effectively withstand wind and snow was filled with the sound of their clansmen sleeping soundly in the cold night, the heavens above, the primordial land of the Heavenly Dao, trembled violently!