Rise of Humanity

by <unknown>

  Six thousand years later, the final flames of the path of cultivation would have extinguished to finally usher in a new era.

  “Roar— Who are you?! Why are you standing on my path!" An indignant roar rumbled like thunder.

  When the last Dao Flower disappeared into Zhong Yue’s mortal body, it was also the time when the Divine Tree of Knowledge changed the fundamental principles of the world around. As a result, the Dao Flower was no longer flawless!

  The Dao Flower was formed by the heaven and earth, and it carried the will of the world. And when the Divine Tree of Knowledge affected the rules of heaven and earth, the Dao Flower was affected as well!

  It was just the negligible blemish, but it was nevertheless a crucial element for Zhong Yue’s success, causing him to fail in cultivating the Innate Star Toad True Spirit.

  The sudden absence of the Dao Flower’s energy created instability within the newly formed Innate Star Toad True Spirit, eventually leading to its reversion back out of the innate state.

  Not only that, but the lack of the Dao Flower’s energy left a small window in the Star Toad True Spirit’s protection. Thus, the Innate Tai Yin Qi was allowed to strike it, nearly killing his Star Toad True Spirit!

  If the Star Toad True Spirit was destroyed, half of his prowess would disappear along with it, and he wouldn’t be able to recover the lost cultivation at all!

  The swimmer knew best of the water’s temperature. Zhong Yue was cultivating with the help of the Dao Flowers, he was in fact, the first to sense the sudden changes that occured in the world.

  He quickly kept the Innate Tai Yin Qi away without hesitation. Then, he looked up into the sky and saw an invisible barrier disappearing away into the void.

  “What is that… a barrier?" He cast out the divine third eye to look again with the Fuxi divine eyes, and he saw it.

  There were the fake stars and planets duplicated in front of the real ones, but none of this was visible from the Ancestral Star. There were also tree branches and leaves that extended all over the space.

  “This…" Zhong Yue’s heart pounded in terror, he mumbled, “How large, these leaves are… this is a layer of a… membrane? Is this the end for the Ancestral Star, the thing that moon god spoke of? It’s finally here… Xin Huo, can you find anything?”

  Xin Huo glanced around through Zhong Yue’s divine eyes. Moments later, he shook his head and said, “I’ve got nothing. You are still too weak, I can only see what you can. The stronger you are, the more I can see. These leaves and tree branches, it’s no doubt they are from a tree. By the looks of it, whatever this tree is, it is surely strong enough to stop all cultivation, but what is this membrane about?”

  The innate moon god once told him that the Ancestral Star would be robbed of the path of cultivation, but she never elaborated on how that would happen.

  “To seal our connection to the laws of heaven... just how strong must one be to be able to do this?" Zhong Yue’s face darkened. If cultivation in the Ancestral Star were to disappear, all the races, even the ancient celestials and demons would end up the same— Qi Practitioners will cease to exist!

  But the rate of change from the divine tree was slow, it would take many years for it to happen. Right now, the living beings on the Ancestral Star could still cultivate, and even ascend into deityhood.

  There would be no obvious change within the near future, but the worst outcome is inevitable as long as the divine tree remained.

  “Humans are weak in nature, it is only because of cultivation are we able to stand a chance against the other races. If our path to cultivation was severed, we would never be able to protect ourselves against the other races!”

  The celestial race and demon race had high intelligence and strong bodies, they had a long history and firm foundations; while the insect race had the strong mortal bodies with a terrifying rate of reproduction and ability to adapt. They were only less intelligent than the celestials and demons.

  In stark contrast, the human race was the weakest, in each and every aspect!

  The end of cultivations would greatly impact the humans, more than any other races!

  “Brat Yue, the Ancestral Star’s fundamental principles are impaired, this place is not suitable for cultivation anymore." Xin Huo said decisively, “You need to leave this place already, either to the Kun Lun Realm, or activate the Heavenly Monarch Imperial Road in the Celestial Fire Star to go to the Zi Wei Galaxy. Forcibly cultivating in a flawed environment like this will leave flaws in your foundation!”

  Zhong Yue nodded softly, he had the same thought a long time ago as well. He was already reaching to the limit of what he could achieve on the Ancestral Star.

  Now, he could finish traveling across the whole Ancestral Star in just less than three days, and he could stride across the ocean in two hours time. The Ancestral Star that seemed to be huge in the past now appeared to be incredibly small.

  A dragon would never be able to grow in a small pool of water.

  “But, if I leave just like that, what will happen to humanity?" Zhong Yue mumbled softly, he raised his head up and said, “Our survival is contingent upon our ability to cultivate. With that gone, then in the future, our people will not stand a chance to live well in this cruel world… Xin Huo, I will leave with you, but before that, I need to do that one thing I have been wanting to do a long time ago.”

  “What thing?" Xin Huo asked curiously.

  Zhong Yue inhaled deeply and sighed, his voice suddenly turned colder than ice as he said, “A blood ritual, one like what the evil existence had done to us Fuxi. With the blood of the celestials, demons and insects, I will execute a ritual to seal all of them… just like how the Fuxi were sealed into humans!”

  Chapter 580: Come, Let Us Hunt For The Gods |

  Xin Huo was stunned for a second, and abruptly hopped up into mid-air in exuberantly. Sealing away the powers of all of the races’ bloodlines?

  This was just like killing away the natural abilities of the races and place them down onto the same start as the humans!

  The power of the bloodlines were the sole reason why the other races were stronger than the humans. Some were born with immense strength, some were strong in psyche, and some were proficient in controlling the natural elements.

  Yet, the humans were born without any natural abilities; in fact, they were the weakest in every aspects!

  However, if the power in the other races’ bloodlines were sealed away as well, they would fall to the same level as the human race, born without any natural abilities!

  And when cultivation ceased to exist in the future, the world’s hierarchy of races would be restarted all over again!

  “Brat Yue, do you know the cost of such a ritual?" The little flame asked.

  Xin Huo was also a marvelous being. Any other people would be shocked by Zhong Yue’s wild ambition, and regard him as the embodiment of the greatest evil.

  But all Xin Huo had in mind was not the fact that Zhong Yue had such an evil plan, but how they would find the offerings to carry out the ritual!

  “If I only seal away the Ancestral Star and Celestial Wood Star, I suppose I won’t need too many offerings?" Zhong Yue asked, “Patriarch Nature’s mortal body, the City of Nature, is that sufficient to seal the power of the races?”

  “Far from enough!" Xin Huo shook his head, “Patriarch Nature is strong, but he isn’t a Creator. His mortal body alone is not enough, you need more!”

  Zhong Yue’s eyes throbbed and he said, “In addition to Xiao Mang grand ancestor, Lord Kun, Lord Demon and the gods of Ancestral Star?”

  Xin Huo ran the estimations in his mind and answered a few moments later, “Barely, but it’s practically useless as it’ll take three or even four thousand years for the effects to kick in. Also, your prowess now is not strong enough to host the sealing ritual. Furthermore, do you even know how to carry out a sealing ritual?”

  “About that, I will entrust the mighty Xin Huo to teach me." Zhong Yue stiffened
up his face and said.

  “I know a couple few of the sealing rituals, I can teach you." Xin Huo said in hesitation, “But you are too weak, the ritual might even take your life along with the other offerings.”

  Zhong Yue winked his eyes while smiling, “I will stop the ritual as soon as I feel myself unable to sustain it anymore. Furthermore, it’s not easy to capture the gods like Lord Demon, Lord Kun. By the time I finish it, I will either have already become a god or nearly one. That time, I might just be able to host the sealing ritual without fear already.”

  “True that, but you can’t try it now. You still haven’t cultivated the Innate Star Toad True Spirit, you are still too weak for the gods.”

  After that, Xin Huo imparted a sealing ritual to Zhong Yue, it was called the Great Ritual of Sealing Abdication. It used the power of heaven and earth to carry out the sealing ritual.

  Xin Huo said solemnly, “One more thing, other than the risk to yourself, the sealing ritual will take a great toll on your life. Your lifespan will be greatly reduced, it is a curse, a punishment for altering the natural laws of heaven.”

  “Curse?" Zhong Yue was shocked, he asked, “Then, that evil existence who cursed us Fuxi Celestial Race, will he be subjected to the same punishment?”

  Xin Huo thought about it, “But he is an innate god, lifespan means nothing to him. But if I am not wrong, another greater form of punishment will fall upon him. However, I can only verify that when I see him.”

  Zhong Yue nodded and let the matter rest. He began to comprehend the Great Ritual of Sealing Abdication, but it took a long time for him to briefly understand it.

  The Great Ritual of Sealing Abdication had a strict requirement on its location. It needed to be done in a place that could is in touch with the earth while also reaching the sky, which meant he would have to choose a high mountain.

  Furthermore, it required the blood of the host to start the ritual.

  Clearly knowing that the sealing ritual was infeasible at this moment, Zhong Yue ignored it and looked up into the sky.

  Above him, in the Pure Yang lightning zone, a Pure Yang Leize was slowly coming into shape.

  Since I am here already, why don’t I give it a try? Zhong Yue thought about it and strode into the Pure Yang Leize.

  At the instant he laid foot in the Pure Yang Leize lightning loch, a hole was immediately created on his mortal body as a flash of Pure Yang lightning bore right through him. Zhong Yue’s face changed drastically and he receded back out from it, and the Pure Yang Leize lightning loch dispersed as well.

  This Pure Yang Leize lightning loch is far too terrifying. It’s impossible for me to even pull through the first level. Without the Innate Star Toad True Spirit, without the second state of extremities in the True Spirit level, I can never do it at all! Not to mention that there are eighty-one levels of Pure Yang Lightning Tribulations. I suppose I might not be able to do it even in the Imminent Deity level…

  Suddenly, a thought flashed across his mind, But I have one thing that the others don’t, the Fuxi Yuan Shen!

  His heart throbbed heavily; unlike the other Qi Practitioners, he three Yuan Shen, the Golden Crow, Star Toad, and Fuxi!

  The other Qi Practitioners had their Yuan Shen lead by the spirits and assisted by the soul. However, Zhong Yue’s Fuxi Yuan Shen was the opposite, he had the soul as the lead and the spirit to assist!

  And it was only because his soul was stronger than the spirit, he was able to cultivate the sun spirit and moon spirit into his eyes!

  If he could cultivate his soul into the Innate True Spirit and advance into the state of extremity of the True Spirit level, he would be able to finish the eighty-one Pure Yang Leize Lightning Tribulations!

  “Shame, the advancement of the Innate Star Toad True Spirit failed because of the divine tree. Else, I would been trying to cultivate the Innate True Soul already. Fortunately, my Star Toad True Spirit is just half a step away from turning into the Innate True Spirit, I just need some time more to cultivate it!”

  With a change of thought, two surges of blood essence flowed out in front of him and turned into Long Yue and Mister Bo Xun.

  The three nodded at one another and the other two bolted away with Zhong Yue still standing on the spot.

  Long Yue and Bo Xun’s prowess were much greater than when they came. But even so, the differences in prowess between them and Zhong Yue grew further than before.

  After all, the two of them were just Zhong Yue’s incarnations. They didn’t have real spirits, their spirits were just part of Zhong Yue’s spirits.

  Right now, the two of them only totaled up to less than twenty-percent of Zhong Yue’s peak prowess.

  However, that was more than enough for them to rise above the mediocrities. In the eyes of the world, Long Yue and Bo Xun were rare talents, powerful True Spirit cultivators that could even defeat weaker Imminent Deity magnates!

  Zhong Yue turned and returned to Swords Gate. From afar, it was evident that the Swords Gate Mountain was a few thousand feet lower than usual, and he thought, So it seems like the Great Ritual of Sealing Abdication can’t be hosted in the Swords Gate Mountain anymore. The power of heaven and earth might accidentally ravage the saint mountain. I need to find another mountain that is no less inferior than Swords Gate Mountain. I don’t want Senior Martial Sister Jun chasing after my life if anything happens to the Swords Gate Mountain again.

  His pondered deeply, and his eyes suddenly brightened up, To the East Barren, I can host the ritual in the Xiao Kong Saint City! Furthermore, although Shi Buyi been tamed, he never stopped trying to free himself. He has been cultivating hard lately, trying to breakthrough and ascend into deityhood. He is powerful, I may need him to help me in capturing the gods!

  Immediately, he changed his course toward the East Barren. After some time later, he reached his destination and landed quietly in a dark corner inside of the saint city.

  Immediately, Shi Buyi sensed Zhong Yue’s arrival and his face changed drastically. He quickly took Zhong Yue into his manor, in fear that the others would notice.

  Ever since the insect magnate controlled by Zhong Yue infected his Yuan Shen, Zhong Yue never asked for anything, or even look for him at all. In all these years, he was also cultivating with all his might so as to ascend into deityhood and get rid of the insect magnate parasitizing on his Yuan Shen.

  Thus, Shi Buyi grew nervous, fearing that Zhong Yue would notice his unwillingness to give in and kill him on the spot.

  “Big lion, there is no need to worry so much.” Zhong Yue smiled.

  The insect magnate was in his control, he knew everything Shi Buyi was up to and thus, he had not even the slightest worry of the lion escaping his control!

  Shi Buyi calmed himself down and faked a cough, he said, “Zhong Yue, you…”

  “Call me master." Zhong Yue squinted his eyes and smiled.

  Shi Buyi’s face turned red, he inhaled deeply and suppressed his anger, “Master Zhong, what brings you here?”

  “You, of course." Zhong Yue said casually, “Good news for you, I have killed Mother Da Zhen about a year ago, and I saw great improvements in my cultivation as well. But seeing that you are still lingering in the Imminent Deity level, I decided to help you break through.”

  Shi Buyi’s heart throbbed in fear, he exclaimed out of shock, “You’ve killed a god? You killed Mother Da Zhen? How is that even possible?”

  Zhong Yue laughed, “How is that not possible? It is nothing at all.”

  Shi Buyi’s heart thumped nervously, if Zhong Yue killed Mother Da Zhen, doesn’t that mean Zhong Yue’s strength was beyond his?

  Then, even if he cultivated the Pure Yang Yuan Shen and ascended into deityhood, he still wouldn’t be able to free himself from Zhong Yue’s control!

  So… am I going to be a mount for the rest of my days? Shi Buyi was lost for words, and his mind went blank. Suddenly, he thought of the latter half part of what Zhong Yue said and he quickly asked, “Master Zhong, w
hat kind of help do you mean?”

  Zhong Yue patted on Shi Buyi’s head like petting a lion cub, he said in a serious tone, “I am planning to help you in your ascension into the deityhood, to become a god.”

  Shi Buyi was stunned, he stammered, “Help me to… to become the… god? But how…”

  “You see, closed door training on your own is a much more ineffective way of breaking through, especially to the level of deity. Now, you have reached to the limit of what you can gain from cultivation, what you truly need now is battle!”

  Zhong Yue squinted his eyes and smiled, “You need to fight with formidable opponents, to dance between life and death so that the pressure can push your beyond your limits. Do you really think the deityhood can be achieved by just cultivating?”

  Shi Buyi nodded incessantly, he felt enlightened while Zhong Yue continued, “So, follow me and I will bring you to kill a few gods to help you in this crucial moment of your life. Don’t thank me, if you weren’t my mount, I wouldn’t even deign look at you at all. Come, let us hunt for gods!”

  Chapter 581: The【Skills of Diction】 |

  However, Shi Buyi somewhat sensed the bad intentions behind Zhong Yue’s warm words. Shi Buyi knew what kind of man Zhong Yue was, this young human would never be so kind to other races, especially monsters.

  He saw no legitimate reason for Zhong Yue to help him, and furthermore, why would one have to kill gods to become one?

  It sounded easy to kill a god, but which god was ever an easy target? Shi Buyi reckoned that he would most probably end up killed instead.

  He said he wanted me to kill the gods to help me break through, but I think he just wants to take revenge on the gods for sending him to the insect race. But… are we really capable of killing the gods?

  Shi Buyi grew nervous, although he regarded himself as more talented than the gods, he was still not a god yet; even with Zhong Yue, it might still be no different to suicide to stir trouble with the gods.