Primordial Era: The Three Senior Brothers of the Taiqing Clan

Just as Jieyin and Zhunti were about to turn and leave, Chen Qing curled the corners of his lips and muttered in a voice just loud enough for everyone present to hear, "This is too shabby. It's supposed to be a mid-grade innate spiritual treasure, but it's not even as good as the little trinkets I casually gave to my junior brothers."

These words, though spoken lightly, are sharp and incisive.

He stumbled slightly as he connected the pins, and Zhunti froze, almost unable to resist turning around and fighting back.

But after glancing at the magnificent Xuanhuang Pagoda above Laozi's head and then at the gleaming Qingping Sword in Tongtian's hand, he ultimately gritted his teeth, swallowed his anger, and left without looking back.

The Three Pure Ones were not surprised by this. They were well aware of Chen Qing's skill in refining artifacts. He was only a Great Luo Golden Immortal now, yet he could already refine low-grade innate spiritual treasures. Given time, as his cultivation advanced further, he would be able to easily refine not only mid-grade treasures but also high-grade ones. There was no one else like him in the entire prehistoric world with such skill.

"Let's go," Lao Tzu said calmly, putting away the pagoda and taking the lead.

Tongtian and Yuanshi did not accompany them, and each returned to Kunlun Mountain. Chen Qing followed behind Laozi, continuing towards the human settlement.

The master and disciple walked at a leisurely pace. Laozi seemed to intentionally slow down, stopping at each human settlement to observe and even exchange a few words with the humans, inquiring about their situation. Chen Qing didn't urge them on, simply following quietly behind, occasionally lending a hand to help the humans resolve minor troubles.

Another century has passed since that departure.

For a century, the primordial world appeared calm on the surface, but beneath the surface, undercurrents surged. The Wu and Yao races, bound by the Dao Ancestor's prohibition, dared not wage large-scale war, but small-scale skirmishes never ceased. Today you kill a few of my people, tomorrow I slaughter your entire tribe; the hatred deepened, waiting only for the three thousand years to pass before erupting like a volcano.

Meanwhile, those powerful figures lurking in the shadows each harbored their own thoughts. Some observed, some plotted, some sharpened their knives, and some remained secluded.

Chen Qing and his apprentice remained uninvolved, thus enjoying a peaceful time.

On this day, the two finally stepped into the ancestral land of the human race.

Looking into the distance, the once desolate seaside is now crisscrossed with fields, and wisps of smoke rise from chimneys. Thatched cottages and huts stand in rows, children chase and play in the fields, and old people sit under trees chatting idly. Though simple, it is full of life.

Compared to before, the human race has grown considerably stronger. The original three thousand people have now multiplied to billions, spreading across the coast of the East Sea and continuously expanding into the inland wilderness.

Chen Qing even witnessed tribes where humans and shamans lived together in some remote areas—human women married shaman men, and their children possessed both the shamans' robust physique and the humans' intelligence and spirituality. The fusion of the two bloodlines was quietly taking place.

Suiren, Youchao, and Ziyi led the first group of humans out to greet them early in the morning.

"Immortal Master!" Suirenshi cried, tears welling in his eyes, and knelt down with a thud. "You've finally returned!"

The Youchao and Ziyi clans followed closely behind, and the first group of humans knelt down in unison, creating a spectacular scene. These first humans, created using the Three Lights Divine Water and the Nine Heavens Breath Soil, possessed constitutions far exceeding those of ordinary people and had extremely long lifespans, still living to this day.

Chen Qing quickly stepped forward and helped them up one by one, saying with a smile, "Get up, get up. I just came out for a walk with my master, not specifically to see you."

Even so, Suirenshi and the others refused to believe it. They held Chen Qing's hand, asking him all sorts of questions, and then prepared a banquet to welcome him, making quite a fuss for a while.

Lao Tzu watched quietly from the side, without disturbing them. He seemed to see something in these humans that he couldn't quite define—a quality distinct from that of the Lich and Demon races. Resilient, simple, and full of hope, they grew tenaciously like wild grass.

After sending away the three enthusiastic ancestors of the human race, Laozi chose a quiet place on the small mountain where Chen Qing had lived, built a thatched hut, and secluded himself there.

Chen Qing knew that his master had gained some enlightenment and it was inconvenient to disturb him. So he set up another residence at the foot of the mountain, where he would wander around during the day, either helping the human race solve some problems or meditating by the sea. At night, he would sit cross-legged and cultivate to consolidate his cultivation.

Life was simple yet fulfilling.

However, far away in the Heavenly Court, a conspiracy against the human race is quietly brewing.

In the Sun Palace, Di Jun and Tai Yi were discussing military affairs. The truce between the Lich Kings was more than halfway over, and they had to prepare for the upcoming decisive battle.

"The physical bodies of the Witch Clan are really too difficult to deal with." Taiyi frowned, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. "The attacks of ordinary lesser demons are like tickling them. At the level of Great Witches, it takes high-grade innate spiritual treasures, otherwise it is impossible to break through their defenses."

Di Jun's face was gloomy, and he remained silent. The Wu Clan's defenses had tormented the Demon Clan for countless years, and they still hadn't found a solution.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the hall.

The demon saint Qin Yuan strode in, followed by a trembling little demon. Qin Yuan's face was beaming with joy, his voice trembling: "Your Majesty the Heavenly Emperor, Your Majesty the Eastern Emperor—Great joy! A truly momentous occasion!"

Di Jun raised an eyebrow. Qin Yuan was always composed; for him to lose his composure like this, it must be something extraordinary.

"What is it?" Di Jun asked in a deep voice.

Qin Yuan took a deep breath to calm himself, then pointed to the little demon behind him: "This is my scout, named Tu Tu. While on patrol, he accidentally discovered the newly born humans and killed a few. He intended to roast them and eat them, but who knew—"

He paused, his eyes shining with an alarming light: "Who knew that after eating human flesh, his cultivation level would actually increase by a huge margin!"

Di Jun and Tai Yi exchanged a glance, a hint of surprise flashing in their eyes.

The little demon Tutu hurriedly knelt down, stammering, "It's...it's true! I was originally only at the early stage of Celestial Immortal, but after eating the flesh of three humans, I broke through to the mid-stage of Celestial Immortal! And...and..."

"And what?" Taiichi pressed.

"Moreover, I used the souls of those humans to haphazardly forge a magic weapon and tested it out—it actually managed to injure the physical body of a witch!" Tu Tu became more and more excited as she spoke. "I found a lone witch warrior and used that magic weapon to strike him, directly cutting a gash in his body! Blood flowed freely, and it was difficult to heal."

Upon hearing this, Di Jun suddenly stood up.

Could it harm the physical body of a Wu clan member? He understood the significance of this matter better than anyone else.

The demon race and the witch race have been at war for countless years, with the demon's greatest weakness being its inability to break through the witch race's defenses. Attacks from ordinary lesser demons are like tickles to the witch race; even a demon saint at the Great Luo Golden Immortal level would need to unleash a full-force attack with an innate spiritual treasure to harm a witch of equal cultivation. And now, a lesser celestial demon, using a haphazardly crafted magic weapon, has actually managed to injure a witch?

What does this mean? It means that the human soul is inherently able to restrain the physical body of the witch!

"Have you verified this?" Di Jun suppressed his elation and asked in a deep voice.

Qin Yuan nodded solemnly: "At first I didn't believe it either, so I went and verified it myself. Human flesh and blood are of little use to me now, but they are indeed a great tonic for the little demons under my command. And human souls, after being refined into magic weapons, can indeed break through the physical bodies of the witch race. I have personally tested this."

He paused, then added, "Moreover, magical artifacts crafted from human souls are more effective against the lower cultivation levels of the witch race. Further testing is needed to deal with Great Witches and Ancestral Witches."

Di Jun and Tai Yi looked at each other again and saw the same thing in each other's eyes—hope.

If we can massacre humans on a large scale, use their flesh and blood to enhance the cultivation of lesser demons, and use their souls to refine magical artifacts that can restrain the witch race, then once the three-thousand-year truce period is over, the demon race will be fully confident in wiping out the witch race in one fell swoop!

At that time, I will be the only one who reigns supreme in heaven and on earth!

"Pass on my orders." Di Jun sat back on his throne, his voice calm and cold. "From this day forward, secretly capture humans without making a sound. Conduct small-scale tests first, and only proceed with large-scale operations after confirming everything is working correctly."

"Yes!" Qin Yuan accepted the order and hurriedly left with the little demon.