Primordial Era: Becoming the Great Emperor of Humanity from the Start

Chapter 219 Self-improvement is the foundation of humanity!

Tang San Tang! No! It should be said that he is Fuxi, standing tall in front of everyone, with such a bright smile on his face.

At this moment, the radiant smile on Fuxi's face contrasted sharply with the gloomy expressions on the faces of the two Western Sages.

The moment Fuxi appeared, even the two sages of the Western Sect, no matter how foolish, knew that they had been completely tricked by Jiang Heng and Nuwa.

They originally thought Jiang Heng would be doing the work for their Western Church, but who would have thought that in the end, it would be their Western Church that would be doing the work for someone else.

Tang Sanzang is actually Fuxi? How is this any different from a cuckoo usurping the nest? He's even occupying the very foundation of their Western religion!

One can only imagine how Bodhi Patriarch and Shakyamuni felt at this moment, but unfortunately, they had no way to resolve the situation.

Whether it's Tang Sanzang or Fuxi, they have now tied all the fortune of their Western religion to themselves.

If they were to attack Fuxi, it would be tantamount to disrupting the fortune of the Western Religion, and they would inevitably suffer a backlash from the fortune of the Western Religion.

If it were merely a backlash, that would be fine; even at the risk of being injured by the backlash, the two saints of the Western Sect were not unwilling to fight to the death.

But now it's not a matter of luck backlash, but rather that if they attack Fuxi, the luck of the Western Sect will inevitably be damaged.

The death of Fuxi means the decline and destruction of the Western religion, a price that neither the Western religion nor the Dao Ancestor Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao are willing to pay.

"Indeed, a brilliant tactic! Your Majesty, you've mastered the art of substitution!" Dao Ancestor Hongjun exclaimed.

Despite their adversarial relationship, Dao Ancestor Hongjun had to admire Jiang Heng's various schemes.

Looking at the entire primordial world, among those whom Dao Ancestor Hongjun could value, Taiqing Saint could barely be considered half, and then there was Jiang Heng.

Although Dao Ancestor Hongjun was somewhat wary of the Taiqing Sage, it was not because of the Taiqing Sage's own strength and methods.

The fear of the Taiqing Sage stems from deeper reasons, but overall, the Taiqing Sage has not yet been able to command the attention of Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

Only Jiang Heng, since the Lich War, has repeatedly done things in unexpected ways. This is not the first time that Jiang Heng has deceived Dao Ancestor Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao.

As far as Dao Ancestor Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao are concerned, no living being in the primordial world can escape their control.

But Jiang Heng did this incredibly, which was naturally a major taboo for Dao Ancestor Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao.

Moreover, Jiang Heng's escape from the control of Dao Ancestor Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao is not as simple as it seems; Jiang Heng has become a major taboo for them.

During the Great Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods, it should have been the moment when the Heavenly Dao and the Dao Ancestor Hongjun secured victory and completely controlled the primordial world.

However, due to the sudden emergence of Jiang Heng and Houtu, the Heavenly Dao and Dao Ancestor Hongjun had no choice but to compromise.

Now, in the Journey to the West, it was thought that this scheme would successfully influence the entire human race with the doctrines of the Western Sect.

Who would have thought that Jiang Heng, the Human Emperor, would have such an incredible scheme, once again putting Dao Ancestor Hongjun in a passive position.

"Compared to the Dao Ancestor, he is still somewhat inferior. The Dao Ancestor is an unparalleled existence in the current primordial world!" Jiang Heng said.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun was able to become the first sage in the primordial world, and then the teacher of all sages, by aligning himself with the Dao of Heaven. His methods and wisdom were extraordinary.

Although Jiang Heng seemed to have the upper hand in the hands of Dao Ancestor Hongjun, his progress toward the perfection of the Heavenly Dao never stopped.

Once the Heavenly Dao is truly perfected, no matter how many schemes and methods Jiang Heng employs, they will be of no use whatsoever. This is what is meant by the prevailing trend.

"Dao Ancestor! Today I will take charge of Buddhism. The union of Buddhism with the human race is a foregone conclusion. I beg you, Dao Ancestor, to grant my request!" Fuxi said loudly.

At this point, there was no need for any further concealment; the purpose of Jiang Heng and the Sage Nuwa was already quite clear.

Replacing Tang Sanzang with Fuxi, thereby stealing the fortune of the entire Western religion, is a method even more thorough than the conversion of barbarians into Buddhists by the Taiqing Sage.

After the great calamity of the Journey to the West, the Western Sect should have gathered immeasurable fortune and truly begun its great prosperity.

Now, all of this benefits Fuxi. As Western religion flourishes, Fuxi can thus lay the foundation for his sagehood.

After the Great Tribulation of Journey to the West, when the next Great Tribulation arrives, a new sage should appear in the primordial world, and this will be Fuxi's opportunity.

This was the agreement that Jiang Heng and the Sage Nuwa reached back then, and the reason why the Sage Nuwa stood firmly on Jiang Heng's side was because of this.

At this point, neither the Western religion nor the Taoist patriarch Hongjun could stop these things.

These are the rules of the primordial world. Even the Heavenly Dao cannot change the most fundamental rules of the world unless the Heavenly Dao is truly perfected.

For Jiang Heng, helping Fuxi achieve enlightenment was not only fulfilling his promise to the sage Nuwa, but also beneficial to himself.

Back then, if it weren't for the sage Nuwa's approval, Jiang Heng wouldn't have been able to deceive Dao Ancestor Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao, thus transforming into the Earth Emperor Fuxi.

During that great calamity of the Investiture of the Gods, if the Sage Nuwa had not stood firmly on Jiang Heng's side, the final outcome would have been truly unpredictable.

If Jiang Heng could help Fuxi achieve sainthood, he would have settled his karmic ties with the saint Nuwa.

Moreover, even if the Western Religion continues to flourish after this scheme succeeds, it will be beneficial to the entire human race.

Fuxi led the Buddhist sect to join the human race, just like the dragon and phoenix clans, and from then on, their fates were intertwined.

This will not only prevent the Western religion from taking the opportunity to divide up the human race's fortune, but will also greatly increase the human race's strength and make its fortune even more prosperous.

The Western religion, which has completely merged with the human race, will only become a part of the human race and will not have a significant impact on the human race's ideology.

"Hahaha! I am the Dao Ancestor, in charge of the rules of Heaven. How could I be helpless against such a mere trick of substituting one thing for another?"

"I only need to suppress you, and when the time is right, I will have a way to extract your destiny!" Dao Ancestor Hongjun said in a deep voice.

The only solution for Dao Ancestor Hongjun at present is to temporarily suppress Fuxi and prevent him from leading Buddhism back to the human race.

At that time, all that is needed is to separate the Western Religion's fortune from Fuxi. Although the Western Religion will miss the opportunity to flourish, it will still be the Western Religion it once was.

With the methods of Dao Ancestor Hongjun, separating the Western religion's fortune from Fuxi was naturally not a difficult task.

"Suppress Fuxi? I'm afraid the Dao Ancestor won't be able to achieve his goal today!" Jiang Heng said with a slight smile.

"Human Emperor! Now that I have personally appeared, you cannot stop me!" Dao Ancestor Hongjun said in a deep voice.

A powerful aura began to gather around Dao Ancestor Hongjun, and the entire Three Realms of Heaven, Earth, and Man seemed to tremble at that moment.

This is Dao Ancestor Hongjun, not only the first saint of the primordial world, but also an unparalleled powerhouse who merged with the Dao and wielded the power of the Heavenly Dao.

Even if Jiang Heng and the others were to descend in their true forms, they would still be no match for Dao Ancestor Hongjun, let alone merely avatars here.

A hint of anticipation appeared in the eyes of the two sages of the Western Sect. The future fate of the Western Sect depended on the Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

A dazzling light flashed as the Jade Disc of Creation appeared in the hand of Dao Ancestor Hongjun, with fine purple lines condensing and shimmering with a powerful aura.

Both the sage Nuwa and the incarnation of the Tongtian Sect Leader had solemn expressions, and a hint of fear flashed across Fuxi's face.

The appearance of the Creation Jade Disc undoubtedly indicates that Dao Ancestor Hongjun is ready to make his move. In the primordial world, who can withstand Dao Ancestor Hongjun?

Only Jiang Heng looked at Dao Ancestor Hongjun without fear, his face showing no worry whatsoever, but rather a hint of eagerness.

"In the name of the sovereign of the human race, I hereby declare that from this day forward, Buddhism shall belong to the human race, become a part of our human race, and be connected with the destiny of our human race."

"I hereby bestow upon Fuxi the title of Amitabha Buddha Emperor, Lord of All Buddhas! From this day forward, the human race shall never perish, nor shall Buddhism!" Jiang Heng's resounding voice echoed.

The entire realm of Heaven, Earth, and Man trembled once more, and countless humans knelt on the ground, bowing their heads in the direction of Jiang Heng.

A brilliant Buddhist light shot up from Fuxi's body, condensing into ninety-nine beams of light that hovered behind him.

At the same time, the essence of the thirty ancient Buddha relics within Fuxi's body completely merged with him.

The power contained in the thirty ancient Buddha relics is actually negligible, but the essence within these relics represents the highest mysteries of Western Buddhism.

After the essence of the thirty ancient Buddha relics was integrated into Jiang Heng's body, Fuxi completely mastered the essence of Western Buddhism, which is now known as Buddhism.

In this way, Fuxi completely took control of Buddhism and became the ancestor of all Buddhas, without any further obstacles.

This is why Jiang Heng asked the two saints of the Western Sect for thirty ancient Buddha relics and helped Tang Sanzang refine them.

The fortune of the Western religion was completely concentrated in Fuxi and integrated into the fortune of the human race, causing the human race's fortune to rise again.

The rules of the primordial world began to operate, and from this moment on, Buddhism, with Fuxi as its leader, completely integrated into the human race.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun's expression was ashen. On the Jade Disc of Creation, purple light flickered with an eerie luster, but he did not make a move from beginning to end.

Humanity is the protagonist of the world today. The primordial world has endowed humanity with the power of the Way, which even the Heavenly Way cannot completely strip away.

Just now, although Jiang Heng was only an avatar, he once again concentrated the power of humanity into himself.

Jiang Heng, the embodiment of humanity, was equal to Hongjun, the Dao Ancestor who ruled the Heavenly Dao, and there was no difference in their status.

Even if Dao Ancestor Hongjun had intervened just now, it would have been of no use other than damaging the fortune of the Western Sect.

Daozu knew Jiang Heng's intention: to have Fuxi lead Buddhism into the human race, thus creating a fait accompli.

Just like the dragon and phoenix clans, after they were incorporated into the human race, their fates became intertwined with those of the human race, and they were no longer separated.

At this moment, even the Dao Ancestor Hongjun could not attack Fuxi, because that would inevitably result in a backlash from the human destiny.

While wielding the Heavenly Dao made Dao Ancestor Hongjun incredibly powerful, it also imposed certain constraints on him.

The primordial world has its own complete set of rules, and the Heavenly Dao exists precisely to ensure that these rules can function properly.

This is why both the Heavenly Dao and Dao Ancestor Hongjun are precisely the beings that cannot violate the rules of the primordial world.

In an instant, the faces of the two Western Saints were filled with anxiety, and their gazes involuntarily focused on Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

Now is a critical moment for the survival of the Western Religion, and Fuxi, who has gathered all the fortune of the Western Religion, has returned to the human race.

In the future, no matter how many disciples the Western Sect has left, without its fortune, the Western Sect will exist in name only.

The two saintly incarnations of the Western religion were eager to fight Jiang Heng to the death, but they also knew that they were powerless to change anything.

The only hope lies with Dao Ancestor Hongjun. Only if Dao Ancestor Hongjun intervenes can the tide be turned.

Under the expectant gazes of the two Western saints, the purple light shimmering on the Creation Jade Disc in the hand of Dao Ancestor Hongjun became even more dazzling.

"Even though you have done all this, the outcome will not change. This time you have crossed the bottom line of the Heavenly Way, and I will no longer tolerate evil."

"Not only will the Western Church return to the right track, but even the Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan will be separated from the human race!" Dao Ancestor Hongjun said in a deep voice.

In that instant, Dao Ancestor Hongjun was indeed unable to stop Jiang Heng, but that does not mean that Dao Ancestor Hongjun was truly unable to make a move.

Even after the matter had become a fait accompli, Dao Ancestor Hongjun was still able to suppress Fuxi with his immense power.

At that time, it will not be difficult to separate the Western religion's fortune from Fuxi after a period of time.

Moreover, in this great calamity of the Journey to the West, what Dao Ancestor Hongjun sought was not merely the eastward transmission of Buddhism.

The presence of the Golden-Winged Roc and the Blackwater River Crocodile reveals that the Western Religion had long been eyeing the Dragon and Phoenix races.

Behind the Western religion stands none other than the Dao Ancestor Hongjun, whose purpose is naturally to weaken the power of the entire human race.

Once the dragon and phoenix races separate from the human race, the human race's fortune will inevitably be damaged, and the overall fortune of humanity will weaken as a result.

"Hahaha! Dao Ancestor, your purpose is nothing more than to influence my human race with the doctrines of the Western religion, so that my human race will believe in the afterlife and suffer the pain of this life."

"But what you don't know is that some things are already deeply rooted in the hearts of my human race, and cannot be changed by the mere doctrines of the Western religion!" Jiang Heng said in a deep voice.

Jiang Heng was actually aware that the eastward transmission of Buddhism was actually intended to weaken the lineage of the Three Pure Ones, but he did not say it outright.

On the surface, it is Dao Ancestor Hongjun who constantly schemes against the human race, trying to weaken the power of humanity so that the Heavenly Dao can gain the upper hand.

"I, the Emperor, will tell you right now that the only way our human race has come this far since its birth is through continuous self-improvement!"

After countless years of contemplation, I, the Emperor, have created the "I Ching" based on the spirit of humanity. Today, I will pass it on to the human race in the Three Realms!

As heaven's movement is ever vigorous, so should a gentleman constantly strive for self-improvement; as earth's condition is receptive, so should a gentleman cultivate virtue and bear all things with magnanimity.

A mighty voice resounded throughout the Three Realms, and Jiang Heng's voice clearly reached the ears of every human being.

At this moment, what Jiang Heng was describing was not some supreme skill or some unparalleled supernatural power.

This is merely an idea, an idea that has long been rooted in the hearts of humanity, yet has not been summarized or generalized.

The Book of Changes is the best interpretation of this thought, which embodies the indomitable will of humankind.

It was because of their indomitable spirit that Suirenshi invented fire by drilling wood! It was because of their indomitable spirit that Youchaoshi built houses!

It was because of their indomitable spirit that the Ziyi clan wove cloth and created clothing! It was because of their indomitable spirit that the Cangwen clan created writing.

It was precisely because of this indomitable spirit that Jiang Heng was able to emerge from nowhere, become the embodiment of humanity, and bear the power of humanity throughout the entire primordial world.

In Jiang Heng's view, the human race today does not need to believe in countless gods and Buddhas, nor does it need to revere the Heavenly Dao and the Dao Ancestor Hongjun.

The indomitable spirit of humanity means that humanity only needs to believe in one thing: "self," which is the spirit of continuous self-improvement.

This idea is deeply rooted in the human race, and even the doctrines of Western religions and the Way of Heaven cannot influence it in the slightest.

Now, Jiang Heng is fully igniting this idea, making all of humanity understand that self-improvement is the foundation of humanity.

As the Book of Changes resounded in the ears of all humankind, countless humans throughout the Three Realms listened with excitement and thirst for the voice of the Great Dao.

At this moment, the will of humanity was incredibly united, the fortune of humanity was incredibly high, and the entire human race exuded an unstoppable momentum.

At this moment, Dao Ancestor Hongjun remained silent. Even though the purple light flashing on the Creation Jade Disc was so powerful, he did not make a move from beginning to end.

It's not that I don't want to take action! If I could, Dao Ancestor Hongjun would love to kill the Human Emperor in front of me completely.

However, at this moment, Dao Ancestor Hongjun could clearly feel that the power of humanity was rising in an incredible way.

During the Investiture of the Gods, it was the alliance between the human and earthly paths that made Dao Ancestor Hongjun extremely wary, which led him to choose to compromise.

I thought that the Journey to the West tribulation had ended and the Heavenly Dao was about to reach its perfection, and that the power was already far greater than during the Investiture of the Gods tribulation.

Even if we cannot completely overwhelm humanity and the earth, it would be a natural thing to gain enough advantage.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun never expected that Jiang Heng would do something so incredible at this moment.

The rise of human power and the increasing cohesion of human will have made Dao Ancestor Hongjun extremely wary.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun hesitated. He knew that even if he made a move now, he would never gain the slightest advantage over Jiang Heng.

Moreover, Dao Ancestor Hongjun had to consider whether all of this was a trap set by the Human Emperor Jiang Heng.

After all, since he appeared at the Western Paradise, Jiang Heng had been too composed, and had not shown the slightest surprise from beginning to end.

This all demonstrates that Emperor Jiang Heng was actually well-prepared, and even his appearance was probably within Jiang Heng's expectations.

Seeing the power of humanity growing stronger and stronger, Dao Ancestor Hongjun had to wonder if Jiang Heng was doing this on purpose, just waiting for him to make a move.

After all, the Heavenly Dao is not yet truly perfect and there are still flaws to be found. Jiang Heng couldn't possibly be unaware that this was an excellent opportunity.

No one knows if Jiang Heng has any hidden tricks up his sleeve. Perhaps Jiang Heng is just waiting for him to make the first move.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun did not want to gamble! Nor could he gamble! After all, for Dao Ancestor Hongjun, when the Heavenly Dao reached its perfection, everything would be settled.

At that time, no matter what kind of humanity or morality you speak of, you will all be suppressed in the face of the overwhelming power of Heaven's will.

That's why Dao Ancestor Hongjun would fight Jiang Heng to the death at this moment. It would undoubtedly be handing the opportunity to Jiang Heng for nothing.

After letting out a cold snort, Dao Ancestor Hongjun gave Jiang Heng one last deep look before his figure vanished from the Western Heavenly Spirit Mountain in an instant.

Jiang Heng smiled without saying a word. Dao Ancestor Hongjun did not want to make a move at this time, and Jiang Heng did not want to fight to the death with the Heavenly Dao at this time either.

The reason is simple: if Jiang Heng were to fight against the Heavenly Dao and Dao Ancestor Hongjun at this moment, his chances of winning would be less than 10%.

The most likely outcome is that humanity and the earthly path will be suppressed, and after the heavenly path achieves a Pyrrhic victory, the most that will be left is endless years of recuperation.

What Jiang Heng needs to do is completely overturn the Heavenly Dao, not just severely damage it. If he cannot completely overturn the Heavenly Dao, everything will become meaningless.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun's voluntary withdrawal was entirely within Jiang Heng's expectations. Jiang Heng didn't want to gamble, and Dao Ancestor Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao were even less willing to gamble.

When Dao Ancestor Hongjun disappeared, the incarnations of Fuxi, Nuwa, and Tongtian Jiaozhu instantly felt relieved and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

They were genuinely afraid that Dao Ancestor Hongjun might act recklessly, and even if they were saints, they might not be safe.

Meanwhile, the two saints of the Western Sect were completely dumbfounded, staring in disbelief at the place where Dao Ancestor Hongjun had disappeared.

Bodhi Patriarch and Shakyamuni stared blankly, never expecting that Dao Ancestor Hongjun would retreat without a fight.

Dao Ancestor Hongjun left with ease, but what about the Western Sect? Is the Western Sect doomed to perish today?

In particular, Bodhi Patriarch, whose true form is the Sage Zhunti, still owes the Heavenly Dao immeasurable merits, and is hoping that the Western religion can flourish after the Great Tribulation of Journey to the West.

Once the Western religion flourishes, it will not be difficult to accumulate immeasurable merit, and the Sage Zhunti will be able to repay the merit he owes.

At that time, Sage Zhunti will have truly secured his position as a saint, and may even have the hope of advancing further.

Now, the Western religion has indeed flourished. After being incorporated into the human race and connected with the human race's destiny, the Western religion has flourished even more than the Sage Zhunti had predicted.

However, the rise of Western religion had absolutely nothing to do with the two saints of Western religion.

The Western religion has completely disappeared today; all that remains is Buddhism among the human race. The two saints have instantly fallen into a state of utter isolation.

Originally, the two saints of the Western Sect placed their hopes on Dao Ancestor Hongjun, thinking that with Dao Ancestor Hongjun's intervention, they would surely be able to turn the tide.

But the Dao Ancestor Hongjun left so decisively, leaving the two saints of the Western Sect heartbroken! At this moment, they looked utterly hopeless.

"After Buddhism returned to the human race, Mount Ling in the Western Paradise has become our human territory. Why aren't you two leaving? Do you perhaps wish to stay as guests?" Jiang Heng said.

"You? Human Emperor, you've gone too far!" Patriarch Bodhi said angrily.

If looks could kill, Jiang Heng would have been killed countless times by the enraged Bodhi Patriarch by now.

Unfortunately, apart from their impotent rage, neither Bodhi Patriarch nor Shakyamuni can do anything now.

"I'm in a good mood today, so you'd better get out of here quickly! Otherwise, I'll personally escort you away!" Jiang Heng said.

Bodhi Patriarch and Shakyamuni exchanged a glance, then turned and left helplessly.

(End of this chapter)