"However, as time passed, the world gradually changed. The Sacred Spirits were the first beings to rule the entire universe. They were naturally powerful, and apart from themselves, they had virtually no natural enemies. In the era when they reigned as kings, the vast universe knelt before them in submission."
Cang spoke at length with great eloquence, and the numerous Ninth-Order Human Race cultivators listened intently.
Though each of them was a Supreme of the Human Race who had lived for untold tens of thousands of years and stood at the very pinnacle of humanity, compared to Cang, they were still mere juniors.
They were well aware of this, and so from the moment they arrived, they had treated Cang with the deference due to an elder.
These secrets of the Ancient and Archaic eras were things they had never learned. No one had ever told them. The rare records that existed in ancient texts were but brief fragments, far from comprehensive.
Everyone realized that today, they might finally learn things from this old relic's mouth that they had never known before.
"The Sacred Spirits were proud beyond measure. Most of them had the attitude of 'Heaven is first, and I am second.' Who among them would consider themselves inferior to another? With no external threats to unite them, internal wars erupted. The Sacred Spirits fought amongst themselves—to them, every other Sacred Spirit was an enemy."
"This war quickly swept across the Three Thousand Worlds. Flames of conflict burned without cease, heavens and earth shattered, and countless beings were annihilated. The Sacred Spirits themselves suffered devastating casualties. The Ancient War of the Sacred Spirits was virtually an apocalypse. During that period, the living conditions of the Three Thousand Worlds were more hostile than even at the dawn of creation. Countless worlds were destroyed, and entire races were extinguished."
"It was not until more than a hundred thousand years later, when most Sacred Spirit clans had perished, that the surviving Sacred Spirits could barely maintain the continuation of their bloodlines. The era of Sacred Spirit dominion finally came to an end!"
"The Archaic Era arrived!"
"When the Sacred Spirits waged their great wars, they had created many servants and offspring. When the Sacred Spirits declined, these servants and offspring—created for the purpose of warfare—thrived in their place. Their individual strength may not have matched that of the Sacred Spirits, but they reproduced far more quickly. If they grew to their full potential, they were not necessarily inferior to some of the Sacred Spirits."
"Those servants and offspring were the Monster Race! The Archaic Era was the age when the Monster Race ruled the universe. All manner of powerful demon beasts—whether in number or in variety—far surpassed the Sacred Spirits."
"While the Sacred Spirits lay dormant, the Monster Race became the masters of the world, waging wars against one another and slaughtering or plundering other races at will. That too was an era of profound darkness."
As Cang spoke, with just a few words and phrases, two magnificent tapestries—the Ancient and Archaic eras—gradually formed in the minds of all present.
The Ninth-Order cultivators were so absorbed they entered a trance-like state. Yang Kai, clutching a wine jar without even bothering to pour, stood beside Cang and listened with full attention.
No one had expected that the Ancient and Archaic eras had been such worlds.
A world ruled by Sacred Spirits and the Monster Race.
"Senior, what about our Human Race? When did the Human Race come into being, and who created us?" one of the Old Ancestors asked.
The Monster Race had been created by the Sacred Spirits—so what about the Human Race? Who had created them? This was something everyone was curious about.
"The Human Race…" Cang smiled upon hearing the question. "The Human Race was not created by anyone. When heaven and earth were first born, the Human Race was born with them. The existence of humanity spans all eras—the Ancient era of Sacred Spirit supremacy, the Archaic era of Monster Race dominion—both bore traces of human activity. In those times, humans existed in the form of tribes. However, humans were naturally frail. Sacred Spirits possessed immense power from birth, and demon beasts were born with powerful bodies—what did humans have? Swaddling infants who knew only to cry and wail. In those two chaotic eras, humanity could accomplish little. All they could do was be slaughtered."
"Until the Recent Era!" Cang's expression turned solemn. "A great power, moved by the hardships of human survival, used ten individuals to spread cultivation throughout the world. It was only then that humans could begin to cultivate, gradually growing stronger, and slowly becoming able to contend with the Monster Race. Though humans were naturally frail, compared to the Sacred Spirits and the Monster Race, they possessed one great advantage—rapid reproduction. A vast population base was the fundamental reason humanity grew powerful so quickly. Their weak bodies could not conceal the resilience of their character. Through countless years of struggle against the Monster Race, humanity prevailed. By the end of the Recent Era, humanity had gradually come to rule this vast heaven and earth. In every great domain, in every world, there were traces of human existence."
"A great power…" One of the Old Ancestors' expressions grew grave. "Senior, what is this 'great power' you speak of?"
Cang replied in an unhurried tone: "Perhaps the Heavenly Dao?"
He did not give a direct answer, and no one could tell whether it was because he was unwilling to say or because he truly did not know.
The Old Ancestor who had asked did not press further. Another Old Ancestor spoke up: "This great power used ten individuals to spread cultivation throughout the world—Senior, could you be one of those ten?"
The reason for this speculation was that Cang had lived for far too long. His intimate knowledge of the Ancient, Archaic, and Recent eras could only be explained by having personally witnessed them.
Moreover, when Cang had previously discussed the restrictions of this place, he had mentioned that they had been laid by him together with nine other old friends.
That made exactly ten!
Cang gave a slight smile and said: "You could say that."
All the Ninth-Order cultivators rose with deep respect. Previously, they had all been sitting cross-legged in the void, but now, in unison, they stood and bowed deeply to Cang.
One Old Ancestor raised his wine goblet high and declared: "A toast to the Martial Progenitor!"