"Unlike the Xia, Shang, and Western Zhou dynasties, the Eastern Zhou period was characterized by the conflict between various states and the contention of a hundred schools of thought."
"The clash of humanistic ideas is enough to amaze the long river of history and illuminate the past, present, and future. Perhaps, the resurgence of humanity's fortunes will move the Three Sovereigns and lead them to achieve final perfection..."
Cao Ya shook his head inwardly. This was just a hope, and whether it would come true... it still depended on the Three Emperors themselves!
Of course, Cao Ya trusted the Three Sovereigns very much, believing that each of them individually had a high probability of becoming a saint, and the probability would increase exponentially when all three were combined.
Unfortunately, this crucial step is never simple, and how many chaotic demons have been trapped here?
The Jade Emperor, Zhen Yuanzi, the Demon Master Kunpeng, the Styx Taoist, and Zhu Jiuyin, among others, could only sigh in despair.
Weak Hunyuan and Hunyuan, though only one word apart, are worlds apart.
Within the system space, one is at the peak of the six-star level, and the other is at the initial stage of the seven-star level.
There is already a fundamental gap!
"As a Quasi-Saint at the Fifth Heaven, I must perfect the 'Cosmic Elixir Scripture' to promote the growth of my cultivation."
"If one is at the eighth or ninth level of Quasi-Saint, their overall combat strength could rival that of an ordinary weak Primordial Chaos cultivator!"
Upon returning to Jidu Star, Cao Ya devoted himself to rigorous cultivation, comprehending the laws of heaven and earth, and observing the workings of the universe.
His cultivation level was also gradually improving, and he was beginning to approach the sixth level of Quasi-Saint.
At the same time, it also focused on the situation in the Immortal Realm, especially in the Southern Continent.
As expected, during the chaotic Spring and Autumn Period, the Zhou royal family declined further, while feudal lords rose up in all directions.
Even the Supreme Celestial Venerable of the Great Crimson Heaven of the Supreme Purity has a fragment of his soul that is reincarnated and born into the human world.
The commotion was quite significant, and many immortals and gods noticed it, all of them expressing surprise.
The Moral Celestial Venerable established the Human Religion and, along with Nuwa, was one of the pillars of the human race.
But it's not worth it to separate a wisp of your soul and be reborn as a human.
Even the Supreme Lord Laozi of the Tushita Palace in the Heaven of Separation and Hatred is, after all, an incarnation of the weak Hunyuan.
No, the appearance of Laozi was not due to reincarnation, but rather the condensation of the great power of the Heavenly Venerable of Morality.
This was also a gesture of respect to Dao Ancestor Hongjun, allowing him to enter the Heavenly Court and become a powerful figure.
While overseeing the Heaven of Separation and the Palace of Tushita, he also greatly enhanced the Heavenly Court's foundation by refining elixirs.
Of course, as time passed, the Tushita Palace was not the only one in the Realm of Separation and Hatred.
"Laozi has been born." Cao Ya was startled, raised his head, walked to the outside of Jidu Star, and saw a dazzling stream of light falling from the Taiqing Great Crimson Heaven in the distance.
At this moment, even the Primordial Heavenly Venerable of the Great Luo Heaven, the Spiritual Treasure Heavenly Venerable of the Yu Yu Heaven, the Guide Daoist of the Blissful World, the Zhunti Daoist, and even the Nuwa Heavenly Nuwa, all showed a kind of astonishment.
Of those born as sacred beings, how many would willingly choose to reincarnate as beings born after death?
Scenes like those of Emperor Fuxi are ultimately rare.
The sages of Huoyun Cave, who were cultivating diligently, comprehending the laws of the Great Dao, and yearning to become saints or weak Primordial Chaos cultivators, were also awakened by the earth-shattering commotion.
"The Celestial Venerable of Morality?" Emperor Fuxi was astonished. This Celestial Venerable of Morality was an outstanding figure even in the realm of saints. There was absolutely no reason for him to descend to the mortal realm and reincarnate... even if it was just a fragment of his soul!
Shennong, the Earthly Sovereign, pondered for a moment and said, "In any case, this is a good thing."
"At least it shows the attitude of the Moral Celestial, firmly standing with the human race on the same side."
"His reincarnated body, a fragment of his soul, will surely become one of the sages of our human race."
Emperor Xuanyuan nodded and said, "The most urgent task is the fusion of the three of us."
"I never want to experience being blocked at the gate by Hunyuan again!"
Anger flashed in Emperor Xuanyuan's eyes. His Primordial Chaos Intimidation blocked his path. This was an utter disgrace!
The Heavenly Emperor Xuanyuan and the Earthly Emperor Shennong were both serious and neither wanted to block the gate for Hunyuan.
The situation in Jambudvipa has developed to this point, and there is nothing that can be done about it.
Hunyuan has sealed off Huoyun Cave, making it impossible for them to leave. So how can they possibly intervene in the Four Continents?
The Three Emperors would never want such a humiliating scene to repeat itself!
With the Fire Cloud Cave so fragile, how can we even talk about the "great prosperity of the human race"? It will only make us a laughing stock!
So the three emperors continued to sit facing each other deep within the misty, chaotic cave, experiencing each other's true spirits and seeking that perfect fusion.
Meanwhile, the divided soul of the Celestial Venerable of Morality has descended to the mortal realm and entered the cycle of reincarnation.
Inside the Netherworld, Houtu Pingxin Niangniang (Empress Houtu) slightly moved her eyebrows but did not stop them.
She pioneered the path of reincarnation in the primordial world, and her control over this aspect surpasses even that of the Dao Ancestor and the Demon Ancestor.
"The Celestial Venerable of Morality has increased his investment in the human race." Zhu Jiuyin stroked his chin.
"Who can know what he's thinking?" Houtu shook her head.
"Hey, that makes sense. The Celestial Venerable of Morality, in the Heavenly Court, didn't he establish the Heaven of Separation from Hatred and create the Tushita Palace? And there's also an incarnation of the 'Supreme Lord Laozi' at the weak Hunyuan realm sitting in charge. Now, he has another body, and I wouldn't be surprised if he goes to the Fire Cloud Cave in the future." Zhu Jiuyin smiled.
As he spoke, Zhu Jiuyin's gaze turned toward the Eastern Continent of the Earthly Immortal Realm, where the Fire Cloud Cave was located.
"Fire Cloud Cave lacks a sage."
Although Zhu Jiuyin was slightly inferior to the Three Sovereigns in terms of strength, they were no different in front of Hunyuan.
Houtu smiled. She knew that Zhu Jiuyin had doubts about her side's friendly relations with the human race.
However, compared to the major powers, the internal strife among humans, though intense, was generally more to Houtu's liking, making her willing to invest and show goodwill.
The Wu tribe to which they belonged had long since declined, and the few remaining members were struggling to reproduce, making it impossible for them to achieve dominance.
As for the demon race... the great calamity between the Lich and the demons resulted in mutual destruction and deep-seated hatred. How could this ever be resolved?
In the past, there were also many conflicts among the dragon, phoenix, and qilin groups.
The Heavenly Court is nominally subordinate to the Underworld. If the Jade Emperor truly wants to control the Underworld, it is wishful thinking. Even if the Dao Ancestor were to personally come, Houtu would resist and rely on the geographical advantages of the Netherworld to fight against him.
The Human Sect, the Chan Sect, the Jie Sect, Buddhism, and the Demonic Sect, among others, each have their own Hunyuan, and Houtu is too lazy to curry favor with them.
In comparison, the human race, which currently lacks a hybrid race, is the best choice.
Of course, when the human race was first born, it was very weak, while the witch race was powerful. The two sides could not have any conflict at all, and the lack of past grudges and entanglements was also a key factor.
Furthermore, after the decline of the Wu tribe, many ordinary and inconspicuous ethnic groups also avoided the disaster and integrated into the human race. Due to their diluted bloodline, integration with other races was not particularly difficult.
Over countless millennia, they have become an integral part of the human race, making them indistinguishable from one another.
From this perspective, Houtu's stance would be closer to that of the human race.
"Many heroes of the human race have gone to the Fire Cloud Cave, but only a few have stayed in the Four Continents."
“It is quite normal for figures such as the Five Emperors, General Zhenwu, Jidu Star Lord, and Qingyuan Miaodao True Lord to break through to the weak Hunyuan realm one day.”
"In the end, the human race has not developed for long enough. In another hundred million years, perhaps we can surpass our witch race at its peak, as well as our mortal enemy, the demon court!"
"At that time, if a similar crisis occurs again, the human race alone will have a chance to overcome it."
Houtu was very optimistic about the future of the human race. Although they were born weak, they were almost born with innate Dao bodies, which were very suitable for cultivation. There would definitely be no shortage of experts who would rise to prominence.
After pondering for a moment, Zhu Jiuyin had to admit that Houtu's words made a lot of sense.
"Forget it, I don't want to think about it too much. The most important thing is to think about how to revive Dijiang and the others." Zhu Jiuyin muttered. Of the twelve Ancestral Witches, only he and Houtu remained. Dijiang and the others had all perished.
Those who were weak at the Primordial Chaos Realm died completely in the Holy War. How easy would it be to revive them? If the Primordial Heavenly Dao had no master and no constraints, Houtu could have done it with her abilities.
The problem is, how could Hongjun, having merged with the Dao, allow such a disruption of the Heavenly Dao's order to occur?
The discovery of someone from the annals of time has a tremendous impact on the natural order.
Not to mention that the size of the weak Hunyuan is already enormous, second only to the Hunyuan Saint!
If such a scenario occurs too often, the final calamity of the primordial world will be brewing.
Therefore, not only Hongjun Daoren, but all the Hunyuan realms adopted a prohibitive attitude.
To revive an old friend, one must study the laws of time, space, reincarnation, and life and death, and nurture him for millions of years according to his relics or remains, so as not to violate the rules of Heaven.
"If you become a saint, the hope will be much greater," Houtu whispered.
Her expertise lies only in reincarnation and life and death; she is not proficient in the principles of time, space, and cause and effect.
In contrast, Zhu Jiuyin, despite being a weak Hunyuan, possesses an exceptionally profound mastery of time manipulation.
Unfortunately, as a weak Hunyuan cultivator, he was far inferior to a Saint Realm cultivator and lacked many techniques.
"This last step is too difficult to take," Zhu Jiuyin said with a bitter smile.
"No rush, we have plenty of time and we should be patient," Houtu reassured her.
She established the Underworld, becoming the leader of the Netherworld. As a Primordial Saint, she held sway over her home turf, fearless of anyone who dared to challenge her. With the assistance of figures like Zhu Jiuyin, she was even more awe-inspiring! She had a solid foundation!
Even if it cannot be achieved within hundreds of millions of years, it is still worth waiting for. She and Zhu Jiuyin have already attained immortality.
Beyond the celestial realm, deep within the vast sea of stars, on the northern planet Ketu.
"The reincarnation of the Celestial Venerable of Morality, Laozi, should be born in Luoyi, the Immortal Realm and Southern Continent." Cao Ya muttered to himself. After Laozi, the Hundred Schools of Thought will rise in an explosive manner!
"However, the Celestial Venerable of Morality has quite a few bodies."
"I created the Great Crimson Heaven of Supreme Purity above the Heavenly Realm, and I also possess the technique of One Qi Transforming into Three Pure Ones."
"And in the other Heaven of Separation and Hatred, there is the 'Supreme Lord Laozi'."
"Now, within the Earthly Immortal Realm, there is another 'Laozi'... Not to mention the Saint Realm, even if he reaches the level of 'Taishang Laojun' and is a weak Hunyuan, with the cultivation of the Moral Celestial Venerable, it is still a sure thing."
Cao Ya thought to himself, the Primordial Saint Realm corresponds to the seven-star level. The Moral Celestial Venerable of the Great Universe of the Primordial Era, even if not the high level of the seven-star level, is certainly of medium level.
Similar to him are Yuanshi Tianzun, Lingbao Tianzun, Jieyin Daoren, Tathagata Buddha, Nuwa, etc., while Zhunti Daoren, Donghuang Taiyi, and Chaos Demon Rabbit are slightly inferior.
"Alas, of the three thousand chaotic demons before the creation of the world, more than half died, and more than two thousand perished."
"But a couple hundred of them survived, and among them, there were double digits who were at the Saint Realm!"
"Of course, there are many more weak Mixed Origin cultivators, and the rest are all... I'm afraid there are hundreds!"
"The great god Pangu created the universe with overwhelming power, far surpassing even the Primordial Chaos realm. Even a Quasi-Saint at the peak would perish. His remains and the laws of the Dao merged into the heavens and earth, evolving into myriad paths."
"In fact, according to ancient legends, many weak Primordial Chaos beings, and even Sages, were slain by the Great God Pangu, who wielded the Heaven-Opening Axe!"
"The weakest of the Chaos Gods of yesteryear were at the peak of Quasi-Saint, while the slightly stronger ones were at the Weak Primordial Chaos level. There were also a number of true Saints."
“Life forms born from the vast chaos are far more extraordinary than so-called innate deities.”
“It would be strange if such a scenario didn’t exist.”
Cao Ya sighed, "The stronger the Chaos God is, the more terrifying the Pangu God becomes!"
The current Hongjun, Luohou, Yangmei, and other great gods all tried to intervene back then, but failed to achieve their goals.
The Three Pure Ones and the Twelve Ancestral Witches, who among them were not powerful figures who dominated the primordial world?
"When the great god Pangu created the world, his original intention was not to evolve the universe, but to seek a breakthrough."
"In the end, he failed to attain enlightenment, but the universe was born. He then transformed into all things and developed the great world."
All living beings today should be grateful to the great god Pangu, who can be considered the original creator.
"Unfortunately, most of the surviving Chaos Gods harbored designs against the human race."
Cao Ya was well aware that the Chaos Gods' actions were actually aimed at Dao Ancestor Hongjun. However, with the development of the times, the current universe was enlightened by the Heavenly Dao, and the human race was thriving. In order to weaken Dao Ancestor, they naturally had to suppress the human race.
He was also puzzled as to why the Dao Ancestor paid no attention, as if he hadn't noticed anything.
However, since he had taken control of the primordial Heavenly Dao, Hongjun should not have been completely unaware.
So, was it intentional to ignore it? Or, their minds have already reached a point of near-divine understanding, and they won't interfere in wars within their own realm as long as they don't affect the survival of the greater world?
Regardless of the reason, Cao Ya felt a great sense of urgency. Under the threat of a group of chaotic demons, the human race's situation was extremely precarious.
Even if there is a group that becomes friendly with the human race, it will only be one-tenth of the number that is hostile.
Of course, there are also dozens of neutral beings who generally live in the chaotic void and rarely set foot in the Three Realms.
"Buzz." Cao Ya cultivated diligently, comprehending the laws of the universe, embracing all paths, twisting and shattering them all, thus boosting the "Giant Source of Attraction" centered on himself. The gravity surged, capable of pulling apart the rules of the void!
During this period, Cao Ya's cultivation also broke through, reaching the sixth level of Quasi-Saint.
On the land, with the rise of the State of Zheng under the leadership of Duke Zhuang of Zheng, the prestige of the Zhou royal family was challenged.
Afterwards, Zheng was unable to develop steadily due to its location in a strategically important area, lacked natural defenses, and the rulers who succeeded to the throne after two or three generations became incompetent, naturally leading to a rapid decline.
Before the Zhou royal family could rejoice, the State of Qi seized the opportunity to rise to power, uniting the feudal lords nine times and bringing order to the world!
Duke Huan of Qi was even more terrifying than Duke Zhuang of Zheng, and all the feudal lords were in awe of him!
Under the leadership of Duke Huan of Qi, the allied forces of the feudal lords also fought against the demons in the north, saving a large number of people who had been captured and allowing them to return to their homeland.
However, the risks of human destiny cannot be avoided. In order to avoid losing himself, Duke Huan of Qi had to abdicate. The successor was neither capable nor talented, and the decline of the State of Qi was inevitable.
The state of Jin, having succeeded in replacing Yi in Quwo, began to expand outwards, as did the state of Chu in the south.
The prelude to the struggle for hegemony between Jin and Chu has gradually begun.
The demons from all directions, having been attacked by the two overlords, and the humans who had become food for them, were rescued by the states of Jin and Chu and joined them.
In this way, the two first-class powers not only expanded their territories and achieved military prowess, but also saw a surge in population and a significant increase in national strength, thus dominating the world.
Even with the successive abdication of two generations of hegemons, it could not change the fact that the Jin and Chu states were powerful and dominated the world!
"The State of Jin? The State of Chu?"
Beyond the heavens, Cao Ya was also paying attention to the development of the Earthly Immortal Realm. Upon learning the news, he couldn't help but smile.
"Although there have been many changes, extraordinary interventions, and the time frame has been extended, the overall trend has not changed much."
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