Primordial Era: I am a treasure trove, full of magical treasures.

The Earthly Sovereign Shennong achieved perfect merit, and the ancestor of writing Cangjie created characters and attained enlightenment—two major events occurred in succession, only a few days apart. The fortune of the entire human race soared into the sky like a flaming fire, illuminating the entire prehistoric world!

The news shook the entire world!

Those ancient races, those powerful forces that have been passed down for countless eons, all turned their attention to the race they once regarded as ants—the human race.

Tens of thousands of years ago, the human race was a small and insignificant race on the primordial land. They had no innate supernatural powers, no strong physique, and no long lifespan, and could only struggle to survive in the cracks between various races.

Back then, any random monster could slaughter an entire human tribe; any passing immortal could cause fear and unease among human tribes.

However, in just tens of thousands of years, everything changed.

Currently, the human race boasts three peak Quasi-Saints, and the number of lower-level cultivators below them is countless, amounting to a massive quantity.

In a mere ten thousand years, a human race has produced three peak Quasi-Saints!

What does this mean?

Looking across the primordial world, those ancient races that have inherited their lineage for countless eons, such as the Dragon Clan, Phoenix Clan, and Qilin Clan, only have a handful of Quasi-Saints holding sway over them. Yet the Human Clan, a race they considered ants ten thousand years ago, now boasts three peak Quasi-Saints!

What's even more terrifying is that everyone knows that behind the human race stand Nuwa, the Three Pure Ones, and that one from the Heavenly Court!

Moreover, the human race still has one last human emperor who has not yet returned to the throne!

After all, no one in the prehistoric world is a fool. There's already a Heavenly Emperor and an Earthly Emperor, so there must be a Human Emperor as well.

In an instant, the attitudes of the major powers in the prehistoric world underwent a subtle change.

Those forces that had once looked down on or even bullied the human race were now panicking. They dispatched envoys with generous gifts to various human tribes, hoping to resolve past grievances and establish friendly relations.

Neutral forces that had previously kept their distance from humanity are now actively trying to curry favor, hoping to board the rapidly rising ship of humanity.

Meanwhile, those forces that had already established friendly relations with the human race were all smiles, secretly congratulating themselves on their foresight.

The rise of the human race stirred up a diplomatic storm throughout the entire prehistoric world.

However, not everyone was happy to see the rise of the human race.

……

Deep within the sacred mountain, in that secret chamber sealed by layers of restrictions, the atmosphere was as oppressive as frost.

The twelfth-grade world-destroying black lotus floated in mid-air, slowly rotating and emitting a deep, dark light. Rahu sat cross-legged on the black lotus, his eyes slightly closed and his face expressionless, but the faint demonic power around him caused the entire secret chamber to distort slightly.

Jieyin and Zhunti sat on either side, their faces equally somber.

Before the three, a mirror of light, formed from magical power, floated. Reflected in the mirror was the golden light of merit that soared into the sky from the shore of the East Sea, and the awe-inspiring sight of Cangjie standing in the void, surrounded by three thousand characters.

"Humans...it's humans again..."

Zhunti's voice was low and hoarse, filled with suppressed resentment. His withered fingers gripped the Seven Treasures Tree tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, as if he wanted to crush this innate spiritual treasure.

"The Heavenly Emperor Xuancang, the Earthly Emperor Shennong, and now Cangjie, who created characters... In just ten thousand years, the human race has produced three peak Quasi-Saints! If this continues, the human race's fortune will surely reach unprecedented heights, and at that time..."

He didn't continue, but the meaning was already clear.

Jieyin closed his eyes and remained silent, slowly moving the prayer beads in his hand. However, the beads spun faster than usual, revealing his inner turmoil.

After a long silence, he slowly opened his eyes, his voice hoarse: "The rise of the human race is an unstoppable trend. What's even more terrifying is that behind the human race stand the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Houtu, and that brat Heavenly Emperor..."

He paused, his eyes filled with bitterness: "What...what do we have to fight with?"

"What do you have to fight for?" Rahu suddenly spoke, his voice cold and mocking. "With your cowardly appearance before the battle even begins, you certainly won't win anything."

Jieyin and Zhunti's expressions changed, but they dared not refute.

Luo Hou slowly opened his eyes, a dangerous glint flashing in his dark, abyss-like pupils: "The rise of humanity is indeed a foregone conclusion. But have you considered—it is precisely because of the rise of humanity that we have even more opportunities to exploit?"

Jieyin was taken aback: "Senior means..."

"The taller the tree, the more the wind will blow." Luo Hou's lips curled into a cold smile. "The more prosperous the human race becomes, the more eyes will be watching them. Do those ancient races, those great powers that have inherited their lineage for countless eons, really want to watch a race that was an ant ten thousand years ago climb up on their heads?"

He stood up, walked to the mirror with his hands behind his back, and his gaze fell on the figure bathed in the golden light of merit: "Moreover... of the three emperors of the human race, only two have returned to their positions. The last emperor has not yet been born."

Jieyin and Zhunti exchanged a glance, both seeing a glimmer of light in each other's eyes.

"Senior, are you saying... there is still a chance to seize the throne of the Human Emperor?" Zhunti asked eagerly.

Luo Hou turned around, his eyes filled with an all-encompassing confidence. "The Human Emperor is the ruler of humanity, the core of human destiny. Whoever becomes the Human Emperor will control human destiny and thus influence the entire course of humanity!"

He paused, his voice carrying a seductive allure: "If your Western Sect can obtain the throne of the Human Emperor, you can leverage the destiny of the human race to reverse your decline in one fell swoop! At that time, the Western Sect will no longer be a small force confined to a corner, but will be able to contend with the Heavenly Court!"

Both Jieyin and Zhunti's breathing became rapid.

They were well aware of the importance of the Human Emperor's throne. However, the Human Emperor's ascension to the throne involved the fate of humanity, and even sages could not directly interfere. Otherwise, they would inevitably suffer a backlash from the Heavenly Dao, with unimaginable consequences.

"Senior," Jieyin suppressed his excitement and said in a deep voice, "the throne of the Human Emperor is no small matter. The Way of Heaven is constant, and the Way of Humanity is orderly. If we were to intervene directly, I'm afraid..."

"Who said we were going to intervene directly?" Luo Hou scoffed, interrupting him. "If you can't act directly, can't you at least do it because of the human race and your desire to seize the throne of the Human Emperor?"

"Support a human?" Zhunti was taken aback.

Jieyin and Zhunti exchanged a glance, their eyes flashing with complex emotions.

This plan seems feasible.

The return of the Human Emperor to the throne is essentially an internal matter for the human race. As long as they don't intervene directly, but instead support a human to seize the throne themselves, Heaven likely has no reason to punish them. And if successful, the Western Sect can use the Human Emperor's position to share in the human race's fortune and reverse its decline in one fell swoop!

"Senior's plan is indeed brilliant." Jieyin pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded. "However... do you have any suggestions regarding the selection of personnel?"

Instead of answering directly, Luo Hou asked, "How much do you know about human tribes?"

Jieyin and Zhunti exchanged a glance and both shook their heads.

Their Western religion has always focused on missionary work and helping people, and they don't know much about the specific situation of human tribes.

"Then let's find out first," Luo Hou said calmly. "The position of Human Emperor is of paramount importance. The chosen person must have sufficient potential, sufficient ambition, and sufficient... malleability."

Jieyin and Zhunti had a sudden realization and instantly understood Rahu's meaning.

To become the Emperor, one must at least possess extraordinary talent and be exceptionally strong.

"I understand." Jieyin nodded. "I will send people to investigate the situation of the various human tribes and find suitable candidates."

"No rush," Luo Hou waved his hand. "This matter requires careful consideration. The Human Emperor's return to the throne will take time. We have ample time to find the most suitable pawn."

His gaze shifted to the fading golden light of merit in the mirror, a cold smile playing on his lips: "Xuanbao, you little brat... do you think you can rest easy just because humanity is thriving?"

"Heh...naive."

……

In the following years, the Western Religion remained outwardly low-key, even more so than before. The chanting on Mount Ling seemed to have weakened, as if the Western Religion had truly been suppressed by the Heavenly Court to the point of being unable to raise its head.

However, beneath this apparent calm, an undercurrent is quietly brewing.

Jieyin and Zhunti dispatched a large number of their trusted disciples, disguised as wandering monks, traveling merchants, and independent practitioners, to infiltrate various human tribes. They did not preach or perform miracles; they simply observed, recorded, and analyzed in silence.

Every piece of intelligence was recorded in detail and sent back to Mount Ling regularly for review by Jieyin and Zhunti.

Over the years, the intelligence they collected piled up like mountains. From the population size, strength, and personality of the leaders of the major human tribes, to the relationships, conflicts, and grudges between the tribes, they had everything under control.

Ultimately, their attention was focused on a tribe called "Jiuli".

The Jiuli tribe resided amidst the towering mountains of the southwestern wilderness. The terrain there was treacherous, shrouded in miasma and teeming with poisonous insects, making for an extremely harsh living environment. But precisely because of this, the people of the Jiuli tribe were more ferocious, more resilient, and more warlike than those of other tribes.

The leader of the Jiuli tribe was named Chi You.

Chi You was born with superhuman strength and extraordinary courage. At the young age of one hundred, he had already cultivated to the level of Taiyi Golden Immortal.

……

Deep within the sacred mountain, in a secret chamber.

Rahu sat cross-legged on the twelfth-petaled black lotus of destruction, his fingertips lightly tapping the edge of the lotus platform, producing a dull and rhythmic sound. Jieyin and Zhunti sat on either side, their eyes fixed on the mirror in front of them—reflecting the view of the towering mountains in the southwest of the primordial world.

"The Jiuli tribe... Chi You..." Luo Hou murmured, chewing on the two names, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. "Interesting, truly interesting."

Jieyin clasped his hands together and said in a deep voice, "Senior, the Jiuli tribe is indeed different from others. They are not pure humans, but rather a hybrid of human and shaman blood."

"A human-witch hybrid?" A glint of light flashed in Rahu's eyes. "Tell me more."

Jieyin nodded and recounted the information he had gathered:

"In the great war between the witches and demons, the witches were defeated, and most of their elites perished on the battlefield. The remaining witches scattered throughout the prehistoric world. Some of them wandered to the southwestern wilderness, where they lived and intermarried with the local human tribes. Over time, this gave birth to the hybrid descendants of humans and witches."

"These hybrid descendants possess the advantages of both humans and witches. They have the wisdom and learning ability of humans, and have inherited the powerful physique and innate supernatural abilities of witches. Although their bloodline is impure, making their cultivation path more difficult than that of pure-blooded witches, once they break through the bottleneck, they are often stronger than cultivators of the same level."

"The Jiuli tribe is the most powerful among these mixed-blood descendants of witches and sorcerers."

Zhunti continued, "Chi You, the leader of the Jiuli tribe, was an outstanding figure among them. He was born with superhuman strength and was exceptionally brave. At the young age of one hundred, he had already cultivated to the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm. He led the Jiuli tribe to establish a foothold in the treacherous southwest region, annexing dozens of surrounding small tribes and building a valiant and skilled army."

"More importantly..." Jieyin paused, a complex look flashing in his eyes, "The customs of the Jiuli tribe are more like those of the Wu tribe. They believe in the supremacy of the strong; whoever has the biggest fist is the leader. They don't cultivate virtue, they don't talk about benevolence and righteousness, they only worship strength. To put it nicely, they are straightforward and bold; to put it bluntly, they are naive."

After listening, Rahu remained silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed.

The laughter carried an indescribable joy and satisfaction, as if they had found a priceless treasure.

"Good! Good! Good!" Luo Hou said "good" three times in a row, his eyes flashing with a dangerous light. "A half-human, half-shaman, naturally strong physique, excellent aptitude, and innate supernatural abilities... What's even better is that he believes in the supremacy of the strong..."

Luo Hou stood up, walked to the mirror with his hands behind his back, and gazed at the imposing figure standing atop the mountain peak: "This is the most suitable candidate!"

Jieyin and Zhunti exchanged a glance, both of them feeling a sudden stirring in their hearts.

"What do you mean, senior?" Zhunti asked tentatively.

"Support Chi You and vie for the throne of the Human Emperor?" Jieyin's voice trembled slightly, a tremor that was a mixture of excitement and nervousness.

"Indeed." Luo Hou nodded slowly. "Chi You is ambitious and powerful. More importantly, he is not a pure human, but he possesses half-human blood. It's not impossible for him to become the Human Emperor!"

"Once Chi You becomes the Human Emperor, the fate of humanity will fall into our control. At that time, the Western Sect can use the fate of humanity to reverse its decline in one fell swoop! And that little brat Heavenly Emperor can only watch helplessly!"

Jieyin and Zhunti were deeply moved, and felt as if a sudden enlightenment had dawned upon them.

However, Jieyin was a mature and prudent man. He suppressed his excitement and said in a deep voice, "Senior's plan is indeed brilliant. But there is one thing that I must consider."

"explain."

"Chi You, though a man of great talent and virtue, possesses a temperament... too rough and straightforward, which may make him difficult to control." Jieyin carefully chose his words. "If he becomes uncontrollable in the future and turns against us..."

Upon hearing this, Rahu was not angry at all; instead, he laughed.

That smile carried a sense of confidence and composure, as if he were in complete control.

"Don't worry," Rahu said calmly, "Since I dare to use him, I naturally have a way to control him."

……