Primordial Era: The Three Senior Brothers of the Taiqing Clan

The frail old man before me was the chief of this tribe.

To prevent people from other tribes from coming here and getting infected with the curse, he guarded the entrance to the tribe day and night, and desperately drove away any outsiders who approached.

He noticed the Lieshan clan as soon as they entered the tribe and rushed over to stop them.

After learning the whole story, Lieshan and the others fell silent.

They had encountered similar situations along the way, but this was the first time they had encountered one as serious as this.

As the supreme ruler, the Lieshan clan could not help but be mindful of potential dangers even in times of peace—if this curse-like thing were to spread, who knows how many more people the human race would die!

Lieshan immediately decided to set up camp not far from this tribe.

Every day, he and his tribesmen observed the changes in the patients' conditions, recorded the development of symptoms, and searched around the tribe for a cure.

But how could such a "curse" be so easily resolved? After many days, not only did the patients in the tribe die one after another, but even the people accompanying Lieshan began to show the same symptoms.

First, red spots appeared on my hands, then I felt feverish all over and weak in my limbs, and then my skin began to ulcerate... Everything was exactly as the old man had described.

For a moment, everyone was plunged into deep despair.

Is there really no solution? Lieshan sat on a large rock, his brow furrowed, gazing at the hazy sky in the distance, his heart filled with bitterness.

He suddenly thought of a question: Humans can experience various symptoms, so why don't wild beasts?

This tribe also kept many wild animals, which lived with the tribe members for a long time, yet they did not show any adverse symptoms. This discovery greatly puzzled Lieshan.

So, in the days that followed, he shifted his focus to the wild animals.

One day, he saw a listless wild beast sniffing around in the grass, as if searching for something.

Lieshan's heart stirred, and he quietly followed. He saw the wild beast find several unknown plants deep in the grass and swallow them in a few bites.

After eating, the previously listless beast's spirits improved significantly, and its steps became lighter.

After the wild beast left, Lieshan curiously went over to examine it. There, he saw a half-eaten plant, its roots and stems thick and its leaves fleshy, emitting a faint fragrance.

He picked up the half-plant and examined it closely, but there was nothing special about it. The leaves were ordinary green leaves, and the stem was a common green stem, no different from the countless wild grasses he had seen.

Lieshan hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth, threw the half plant into his mouth, chewed it up, and swallowed it.

Time passed by, second by second.

At first, I didn't feel anything, but gradually, a warm current rose from my abdomen and slowly flowed to my limbs and bones.

The body, which had been weak and exhausted due to the curse, began to recover under the nourishment of this warm current—the red spots on the hands slowly faded, and the strength gradually returned.

Lieshan was overjoyed, knowing he had found the antidote!

He quickly searched carefully in the surrounding grass and found many more of the same plants.

He uprooted it, brought it back to the camp, boiled it into a soup, and distributed it to everyone.

With the help of this plant, all those afflicted by the curse gradually recovered.

Those patients who were seriously ill and on the verge of death recovered their lives in just a few days after drinking the herbal decoction.

This plant was recorded as "Bupleurum" in later pharmacopoeias and medical books—not particularly precious, but with remarkable effects.

Nourished by the abundant spiritual energy of the primordial wilderness, Bupleurum's efficacy far surpassed that of later generations. It was precisely because of this that this single plant was able to cure everyone's stubborn ailments in such a short time.

The tribespeople were relieved, overjoyed to have survived such a calamity. However, the Lieshan clan fell into deeper contemplation.

Human tribes were scattered across the vast wilderness, and many of them died unnatural deaths due to various diseases, poisonous insects, miasma, or accidental ingestion.

If we could find a corresponding plant to treat every disease, wouldn't that greatly reduce the death toll among our people?

Once this thought took root, it could never be erased from Lieshan's mind.

In the days that followed, while continuing to travel to various tribes, inspect the people's conditions, and implement new policies, he also began a new and unprecedented task—tasting hundreds of herbs.

Wherever he went, he would visit the local mountains and fields, collect various unfamiliar plants and fruits, taste them personally, and identify their properties and effects.

Sweet, bitter, sour, spicy, astringent... he savors every flavor. Some plants are non-toxic and can be eaten or used as medicine; others are poisonous, causing mild symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea, or even death.

Lieshan was poisoned more than once. Sometimes his whole body was swollen and red, sometimes he suffered from severe abdominal pain, and sometimes he fainted and became unconscious.

His fellow tribesmen repeatedly advised him against such a risk, but he insisted on his own opinion: "If I don't know, then humanity won't know. If I try it, then future generations won't need to try it again."

He meticulously recorded the form, taste, effects, and toxicity of each herb, engraving them on animal hides and compiling them into a book called "Compendium of Materia Medica".

This is the first pharmacological work in human history. Although it is simple and crude, it bears the weight of countless times that the Lieshan clan risked their lives to test poisons on themselves.

Day after day, year after year, Lieshan's footsteps traversed every inch of the land inhabited by humans, his figure appearing on every mountain ridge, every stream, and every wilderness.

His fame spread throughout the human race along with his footsteps, and people no longer called him merely "the sovereign," but more respectfully called him "Shennong"—because he taught people how to use medicine and how to fight against diseases.

The quality of life for humans has reached a new level. No longer fearing disease, no longer helpless, humans have truly begun to take control of their own destiny.

Meanwhile, on Penglai Island.

Chen Qing sat cross-legged in the main hall in the center of the island, his eyes closed in deep thought.

He recently had an extremely crazy idea that he needed to think about carefully. If it succeeded, his future would be incredibly bright.

The idea is to unify the 840 million microparticles in the body into one.

Since creating the microscopic world, Chen Qing has always followed a unique path. While others cultivate their primordial spirit and physical body, he cultivates the Dao of the World, and there are 840 million of them.

Each microscopic world operates independently, without interfering with others, and together they provide him with a continuous source of magical power.

The advantage of this path is that its magical power is incredibly abundant, but the disadvantage is that it disperses energy and resources, resulting in relatively slow development in each world.

Now, facing threats from beyond the realm, increasing his strength is of paramount importance. If he continues to develop the 840 million worlds step by step, who knows when he will break through.

But what if we combine them into one?

A complete universe is far more powerful than the current 840 million fragmented world prototypes.

At this level, the fundamental principles of power are "Tao" and "Li". The larger the world, the more perfect the laws of Tao, and the stronger the power.

If he could merge the 840 million microscopic worlds to form a true Great Thousand World, when this world reaches its peak, with the Three Thousand Great Dao Laws constantly colliding, merging, and evolving within it, his strength would experience an explosive growth. Breaking through to the Primordial Chaos realm would not be out of reach.

Right now, what he desperately needs is strength. After all, there's a covetous alien world watching the prehistoric world, and no one knows when the next conflict will arrive.

Chen Qing took a deep breath, opened his eyes, and his gaze was firm.

"Now that we've made up our minds, let's begin."

He first left the main hall, entrusted the affairs of the island to the attendants, and then sent a message to his master, Laozi. Afterward, he returned to the hall, closed the doors, and set up layers of restrictions inside, sealing the entire hall completely.

He sat cross-legged on the futon and focused his mind on his body.

Upon internal observation, 840 million microscopic worlds, like countless stars, were scattered throughout every corner of his body. They were already quite large, with mountains and rivers taking shape and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth abundant, all being prototypes of the Great Thousand Worlds. Moreover, they were closely connected with Chen Qing's divine consciousness and were all part of his body.

Chen Qing knew all too well that merging worlds was no easy task. Forcibly merging 840 million worlds would inevitably lead to violent conflicts if not handled carefully. At best, the world would collapse; at worst, he himself would suffer a backlash.

He needs a safe and reliable solution.

After pondering for a long time, Chen Qing suddenly recalled his experience of merging the three immortal islands. At that time, he used his magic to slowly bring the three islands closer together, making them one. Now, merging the world is based on the same principle—only the scale is countless times larger, and the difficulty is countless times greater.

He decided to use the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation as the framework for the fusion.

The Myriad Immortals Formation can gather the power of 840 million incarnations into one body, and similarly, it can gather the origins of 840 million worlds into one furnace.

He only needs to follow the principles of the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation, treating each microscopic world as a node, and connecting them one by one using the power of the world as a link.

This is a massive undertaking.

Chen Qing carefully mobilized the power of the world, slowly bringing the two adjacent particle worlds closer together. The moment the two worlds made contact, a violent repulsive reaction occurred—like the like poles of two magnets facing each other, they repelled each other and emitted a buzzing vibration.

Chen Qing gritted his teeth, increased his magical output, and forcibly pressed the two worlds together.

"boom--"

A muffled thud echoed within his body, and the two worlds finally merged.

The new world is nearly twice the size of the original, with a more expansive天地 (heaven and earth), a richer spiritual energy, and a more profound origin. The laws governing this world have grown considerably stronger.

Chen Qing wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, feeling more confident.

feasible.

Although the process is arduous, and each integration is accompanied by enormous costs and risks, the path is open. As long as we persevere, the 840 million worlds will eventually merge into one.

He didn't rush things, but took it one step at a time.

One world, ten worlds, a hundred worlds, a thousand worlds, ten thousand worlds...

Chen Qing was completely immersed in the fusion process, forgetting about time and everything else.

His mind was like that of a diligent craftsman, meticulously sculpting the world within him.

Each integration deepened his understanding of the ways of the world. Each success made his aura more composed and powerful.

On Penglai Island, the sun rises and sets, spring comes and autumn goes.

The "auxiliary-type fraud-faking treasure" atop the mountain tirelessly transforms chaotic energy, providing the entire island with a continuous source of innate spiritual energy.

The island's spiritual roots and herbs are growing wildly under the nourishment of spiritual energy, some already bearing abundant fruit. Spiritual beasts frolic in the forest and stroll along the beach, peaceful and carefree.

Xuanming would occasionally come back to check, and sensing the steady and rhythmic fluctuations within the hall, he would quietly leave without disturbing it.

She knew Chen Qing was doing something big. She couldn't help him, but at least she could watch the house for him.

After an unknown amount of time—perhaps a few years, perhaps decades—Chen Qing finally stopped.

He exhaled a long breath and slowly opened his eyes. His eyes shone with a sharp light, as if countless stars were being born and dying within them.

Nearly half of the 840 million microscopic worlds within the body have already merged.

The remaining worlds require more magical power and more precise control; they cannot be rushed. He decided to consolidate the existing achievements first before planning for the future.

At this moment, his cultivation had firmly stepped into the threshold of the Primordial Chaos stage. Even with the least comprehension of the 3000 laws, he had made new breakthroughs during the process of world fusion.

More importantly, his understanding of the ways of the world has reached an unprecedented depth—this is not just an increase in power, but a fundamental leap.

Chen Qing stood up, stretched his stiff body, and pushed open the palace door.

The sunlight warmed my face. The sea breeze, carrying a salty, damp scent, refreshed me.

"You've emerged from seclusion?" Xuanming's voice came from the side. She was sitting on the veranda, holding a spiritual fruit in her hands, slowly munching on it.

Chen Qing nodded: "Yes. You're here. How long have I been in seclusion?"

"About thirty years," Xuanming said casually. "Not too long. Your junior brothers and sisters came to look for you several times, but they all went back when they saw you were in seclusion."

Chen Qing's heart stirred, and after calculating with his fingers, he realized that thirty years had indeed passed.

Thirty years is neither a long nor a short time. For ordinary people, it is half a lifetime; for cultivators, it is but a fleeting moment.

"How is things going with the Lieshan clan?" Chen Qing asked. He knew that many things must have happened to the human race during his seclusion.

Xuanxiang thought for a moment and said, "That Lieshan clan member did do something great. He tasted hundreds of herbs and wrote the 'Compendium of Materia Medica,' saving many lives. Now, the human race calls him 'Shennong.' As for the rest, I don't know much about him. You can look it up yourself later."

Chen Qing nodded, secretly praising the Lieshan clan in his heart. Among the Three Sovereigns, the Heavenly Sovereign Fuxi developed the Eight Trigrams, the Earthly Sovereign Shennong tasted hundreds of herbs, and the Human Sovereign Xuanyuan fought against Chiyou, each with his own merits. Now, Shennong's reputation has spread throughout the human race, and he must be close to achieving the perfection of his merits.

As he was thinking, he suddenly sensed a communication talisman flying from afar. Chen Qing caught it and scanned it with his divine sense; it was a message from Laozi.

"Qing'er, come to Shouyang Mountain quickly."

Chen Qing's heart skipped a beat. His master must have something important to discuss with him at this time. He quickly gave Xuanming a few instructions, then transformed into a streak of light and flew towards Shouyang Mountain.

On Shouyang Mountain, in the Bajing Palace.

The Three Pure Ones reunited once again.

Chen Qing entered the main hall and saw that the Three Pure Ones looked solemn. His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly bowed and said, "Disciple Chen Qing greets Master and the two Martial Uncles."

Lao Tzu nodded, gesturing for him to sit down.

"Qing'er, while you were in seclusion for thirty years, the people from beyond the realm made new moves," Laozi said bluntly.

Chen Qing frowned: "They're here again?"

"They didn't come directly," Yuanshi continued, "but they sent people to operate throughout the prehistoric world, secretly building up their influence. Although those two bald monks in the West didn't agree to go with them, their relationship remains ambiguous. There are also some rogue cultivators who have already been bribed by them."

Tongtian snorted coldly: "Those opportunistic scoundrels will be dealt with sooner or later."

Chen Qing pondered for a moment and said, "This disciple believes that those rogue cultivators are not a concern. The key question is, what is their purpose in winning them over? Are they preparing for the next invasion, or do they have other motives?"

Lao Tzu nodded: "That's what I'm worried about too. The enemy is in the dark while we are in the light, making it impossible to defend against them. That's why I want you to investigate."

"It is my duty as a disciple," Chen Qing replied without hesitation.

The three Qings exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with satisfaction.

Chen Qing bid farewell to the Three Pure Ones and left Shouyang Mountain. He did not immediately investigate the affairs of the people from beyond the realm, but instead turned towards the human tribes—he wanted to see the Lieshan clan and how this Earthly Emperor was doing now.

If all goes well, the day when the Lieshan clan achieves its perfect merit is not far off.