Primordial Era: Starting by overwhelming the Sages, Hongjun was stunned!

Kong Xuan finished speaking.

The world around Fire Cloud Cave fell silent for a moment, and then an unprecedented tremor erupted!

It was not an earthquake, but a raging storm that stirred the hearts of every human sage.

The Hetu and Luoshu in Fuxi's hands shone brightly, and the star trails deduced on them suddenly froze, revealing a chaotic yet magnificent future scene.

Nine radiant suns hang above the long river of humanity, illuminating the primordial world, and all spirits pay homage!

"Nine sages stand side by side... humanity will forever prosper..."

Fuxi murmured to himself, and even someone as wise as him could not hide the excitement and shock in his eyes at this moment.

Shennong took a deep breath, and the medicinal fragrance around him transformed into a tangible azure halo, nourishing the world that trembled slightly with excitement.

He looked at Kong Xuan, his voice gentle yet carrying an unprecedented firmness:

"If we can receive your protection, senior, we... are willing to go!"

The Yellow Emperor took a step forward, and his imperial might erupted. The nine dragons in his Kongtong Seal roared in unison, their resonance echoing through the heavens with the long river of humanity.

"For the sake of the eternal foundation of humankind, even if I am shattered to pieces and my soul returns to heaven and earth, Xuanyuan... will have no regrets!"

"We have no regrets!"

Shaohao, Zhuanxu, Diku, Yao, and Shun—the five emperors—responded in unison, their voices resounding throughout the universe.

Behind them, countless phantom images of sages and heroes from past dynasties bowed simultaneously. Though silent, their tangible conviction and resolve were heavier than any oath.

They were trapped in the Fire Cloud Cave for hundreds of millions of years, witnessing the rise and fall of humanity in the struggle between immortals and gods, and watching the flame of civilization flicker during the great calamity.

Countless times, they tried to break free of their shackles and fight for a chance of survival for humankind.

But the way of Heaven is like a prison, and the majesty of the saints is like an abyss.

They couldn't get out, and they didn't dare to go out.

Once exposed, it may lead to complete suppression by the Heavenly Dao, and the human race will never have a chance to rise again.

Now, the shackles have been broken, the selfish desires of Heaven have been suppressed, and there is even a being like Kong Xuan, who transcends everything, personally promising to protect us...

This is an unprecedented opportunity for humanity!

Even if there are risks, even if it's against the heavens, so what?

For the sake of humanity, I would die a hundred times without regret!

Kong Xuan looked at the group of ancient human sages before him, and at the resolute fire burning in their eyes, and nodded slightly.

What he wanted was this spirit.

The sages of humanity are incomparable to ordinary immortals.

One must have the heart to sacrifice oneself to uphold justice, the will to shoulder the responsibilities of all people, and even more so... the courage to create something extraordinary!

If you don't even dare to take this small risk, how can you be worthy of governing humanity and standing alongside the Way of Heaven and the Way of Earth?

"In that case, let's prepare."

Kong Xuan's voice was calm, yet carried an air of absolute indifference:

"Three days later, the altar in Chaoge will be completed, and Emperor Xin will ignite the flame of humanity..."

"That will be the day you... attain enlightenment!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he waved his sleeve.

hum!

Outside the Fire Cloud Cave, in the void, nine portals suddenly split open!

The portal was entirely of a chaotic color, with the primordial light of the five elements flowing along its edges. At the other end... it was clearly connected to the hundred-zhang altar in the sky above Chaoge, which was under construction day and night and was already taking shape!

"This is the gate I created from the origin of the Five Elements Great Dao."

Kong Xuan said calmly:

"Three days later, when Emperor Xin ignites the fire and the river of humanity resonates with it, this gate will open by itself."

"You step out of the gate, borrow the light of the torch, and draw upon the power of the long river, to simultaneously strive for sainthood."

"At that time, I will use the immense power of the Primordial Chaos to suppress all backlash and isolate the Heavenly Dao from interference."

Whether you can become a saint... depends on your own destiny and the recognition of the river of humanity.

The eight men, including Fuxi, exchanged glances and bowed in unison.

"I will obey the instructions of my predecessors!"

Kong Xuan said no more, his figure slowly fading away and disappearing into the world of Fire Cloud Cave.

He came here to return the Kongtong Seal and finalize the "Nine Saints in One Day" arrangement.

Now that everything is settled, it is time to depart.

He has more important things to do next.

......

South of Chaoge City, on the banks of the Qi River.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

A magnificent altar has risen from the ground.

The altar is nine zhang high and has three levels, representing the numbers of Heaven, Earth, and Man.

The lower layer is based on bluestone, engraved with ancient scenes of our ancestors drilling wood to make fire, making nets to catch fish, and slash-and-burn agriculture. It is rugged and simple, and every engraving seems to flow with the sweat and blood of civilization.

The middle layer is made of white jade, smooth as a mirror, and covered with inscriptions that record the great achievements of the Three Sovereigns and the Five Emperors in establishing order.

Fuxi developed the Eight Trigrams, Shennong tasted hundreds of herbs, Xuanyuan fought Chiyou, Shaohao ruled the heavens, Zhuanxu severed the connection between heaven and earth, Emperor Ku displayed his virtue, and Yao and Shun abdicated...

Each scene is a brilliant chapter in the history of human civilization.

The upper layer is constructed with yellow clay to form the core of the altar. The center of the altar is concave and circular, empty inside, yet it exudes an invisible suction force.

Banners fluttered in the wind around the altar.

Wen Zhong personally led 100,000 elite imperial guards to completely surround the area within a ten-mile radius.

Shang Rong, Bi Qian, and other important civil and military officials, all dressed in court attire, stood solemnly beneath the altar with dignified expressions.

Further away, within the city of Chaoge, millions of people spontaneously gathered, crowding together and craning their necks to look on.

There was no commotion, no disturbance.

Only a heavy expectation, a throbbing sensation from the depths of one's blood, spread silently.

Di Xin stood atop the altar.

He was dressed in a dark royal robe, wearing a flat crown, and with the Xuanyuan Sword hanging at his waist, which had just been returned by a streak of earth-yellow light that had broken through the air!

The sword, ancient in style and engraved with the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, grass and trees, trembled slightly at this moment, resonating with the emperor's status and radiating a magnificent imperial aura.

In his hand, he held a large, earthen-yellow seal with nine dragons coiled around it—the Kongtong Seal!

The seal was heavy, yet it was connected to him by blood, as if it were meant to belong to him.

Above the Kongtong Seal, a cluster of... faint yet tenacious golden flames floated.

The flame was only the size of a bean, yet it exuded a warm, steadfast, and ever-renewing aura.

That was something he had forged over those three days, using his own imperial blood as a catalyst, the fate of the Shang Dynasty as fuel, and the unwavering faith of the millions of people of Chaoge who prayed day and night...

A seed of humanity!

"The time has come..."

Di Xin raised his head and looked up at the sky.

At noon, the sun was at its zenith.

Sunlight streamed down, gilding the entire altar with a dazzling golden edge.

He took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over the thousands of subjects below, over the land he had once lost his way in, and now vowed to protect.

Then, without further hesitation.

"I, Di Xin, am the thirty-first emperor of the Shang Dynasty!"

"Today, on the banks of the Qi River, we build an altar to offer sacrifices to Heaven, not for blessings, nor for immortality..."

Di Xin's voice suddenly rose in pitch, booming like thunder, echoing throughout Chaoge and reaching all directions:

"All for... to ignite the flame of humanity and attain sainthood!"

"To lay the foundation for eternal peace for the human race!"

The words fell.

He held up the Kongtong Seal with both hands and slowly pressed the cluster of golden flames into the depression of the Xuanhuang soil at the core of the altar!

"Buzz!!!"

The moment the flame touched the yellow earth, the altar trembled violently!

A nine-zhang-high platform radiates boundless brilliance!

In the bluestone layer, the phantoms of ancient ancestors appear: sparks from drilling wood, bone spears for fishing, stone plows for farming... all turn into specks of golden light, merging into the flames!

On the white jade layer, inscriptions praising the achievements of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors shine brightly, the Eight Trigrams of Fuxi rotate, the fragrance of herbs from Shennong abounds, and the Xuanyuan Sword rings out with a clang...

The will of sages throughout history transcends time and space, and comes to bless us!

The yellowish-brown soil layer suddenly boiled, as if the entire earth was responding!

And that cluster of golden flames, no bigger than a bean...

A sudden surge!

"boom!!!"

A golden pillar of fire shot into the sky from the core of the altar!

At first, it was only the size of a bowl, but in an instant it expanded to hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands of feet!

A pillar of fire pierced through the clouds, reaching straight to the heavens!

The flames were not scorching, but warm and bright, within which the faint phantoms of billions of humans rose and fell, a scroll of civilization unfolded, and the chanting of passing on the torch echoed!

Even more terrifying is...

The moment the pillar of fire rose, deep within the primordial land, the newly awakened river of humanity resonated with a thunderous roar!

"roar!!!"

The illusory dragon's roar resounded through the soul of every living being!

A pale golden phantom of the Humanity River manifested from nothingness, stretching across the sky, merging and merging with the golden pillar of fire!

The countless illusory figures of humans floating in the river all opened their eyes at this moment, looking towards Chaoge and towards Emperor Xin!

Endless human fortune, the will of all living beings, and the flame of civilization... surged forth along the long river, wildly pouring into the golden pillar of fire and into Di Xin's body!

"Ugh!!!"

Di Xin roared to the sky, his pores opening wide as a massive amount of human essence poured in, almost bursting him out!

The Human Emperor's status spun and transformed wildly, striving towards a higher and more sacred level...

The threshold to sainthood...is so close!

However, at this very moment...

A sudden change has occurred!