Chapter 1: Primordial Dawn: Shepherd of the Human Race
At the foot of Mount Buzhou, the goddess Nuwa shaped clay figures and breathed life into them, thus creating the human race. Her boundless merit from this act elevated her to sainthood, and she established the Nuwa Palace within primordial chaos.
With her blessing, three thousand innate humans migrated to Mount Shouyang, which soon became the ancestral land of humanity. There, the human race multiplied and flourished.
At this time, deep within the largest cave of Mount Shouyang, a tall figure stirred. Slowly, he opened his eyes. A trace of confusion flickered across his face.
"I... transmigrated? And this is the prehistoric era? I've become the first innate human created by Saint Nuwa—and the patriarch of the human race?!"
The man — Xuantian — gradually absorbed the information flooding his mind. His expression turned uncertain.
In his previous life, he had been an avid reader of myths and legends, especially stories about the Great Desolation. He knew of the three ancient ancestors of humanity: Suiren, Youchao, and Ziyi. They had brought fire, shelter, and clothing to humankind—each leaving behind a legacy that would be praised for generations.
But even with all his knowledge, he had never heard of a "human patriarch." He was certain he wasn't one of those three.
And he remembered well the fate of humanity during the terrifying "Lich-Witch Tribulation" — a dark, blood-soaked era. The saints turned a blind eye, and the human race was mercilessly exploited. Their souls were harvested, their bodies tortured and refined into the Witch-Slaying Sword. Massacres swept the land, and the very heavens remained silent. Humanity stood on the brink of extinction.
Among all the myriad races of the prehistoric world, humans were the weakest of the weak—mere ants beneath the feet of immortals.
When Nuwa had created humanity, she left behind some saintly protection. But that divine power was fading fast. Now, the surrounding demon clans were growing restless, barely holding back their hunger. If not for the lingering fear of the saint's wrath, they would have already descended upon the humans and torn them apart.
As the first human born in this era, Xuantian was naturally the strongest among his kin—his cultivation had already reached the Perfected - True Immortal Realm.
But that meant little.
The human race had no cultivation techniques. Even the strongest innate humans were barely at the Celestial Immortal level. Xuantian's strength, while remarkable, was insignificant in this era of monsters. During the Lich-Witch Tribulation, True Immortals were common; Profound Immortals were as plentiful as weeds. Even Taiyi Golden Immortals — once revered — could be crushed beneath a falling brick.
The demon tribes watching the humans now were already home to many powerful Golden Immortal Realm demons.
"This…"
Xuantian's expression turned grim. At this rate, the saint's residual blessing would dissipate entirely in less than a hundred years. After that, humanity would face a true calamity—and he himself might not survive.
"Let me try cultivating first."
Sitting cross-legged, Xuantian attempted to absorb spiritual energy from the heavens and earth. But very quickly, he frowned.
Though strong, he lacked any cultivation technique. Like a beast drinking rainwater, he could only absorb energy crudely. At this pace, breaking through to the Profound Immortal Realm might take ten thousand years—or even an entire Primordial Era. By then, humanity would likely already be wiped out.
A wave of helplessness crept into his heart.
But just then...
[Ding! Primordial Harmony System activated. Host identity confirmed: Bound to the human race.]
A series of ethereal notifications echoed in his mind like divine music. Xuantian's eyes widened in disbelief.
In his past life, he had read countless system novels and recognized this trope immediately. He quickly calmed his excitement and asked,
"System, what are your functions?"
[This system binds the host to the human race. The host gains shared cultivation, movement techniques, fortune, and comprehension from all humans in existence.]
[As the human population expands and reaches new thresholds, the system will grant additional rewards.]
[Primordial Harmony System successfully bound. Would you like to initiate reconciliation with the human race? Yes, or No?]
The answer was shockingly simple—and utterly profound.
A system that could aggregate the strength, luck, and cultivation of an entire race. It sounded insane.
On their own, individual humans were weak. But as the saying goes, quantity breeds quality.
If the power of every human could be funneled into one being, the transformation would be unimaginable.
Not to mention, as the human race grew in numbers, the strength of that reconciliation would increase exponentially. And the system would issue bonus rewards along the way.
This was not just powerful, it was limitless!
"Then what am I waiting for?"
"Bound!" Xuantian declared.
With a single command, a profound sensation erupted within him. A mysterious energy surged from deep in his soul, forming luminous threads that extended across Mount Shouyang, linking him to every human being.
These crystal threads shimmered and trembled.
Suddenly, tens of thousands of streams of energy burst forth, surging along the threads and pouring into Xuantian like a tidal wave.
BOOM!
His stalled cultivation soared in an instant—
Perfect True Immortal RealmEarly Profound Immortal Realm!Mid-stage Profound Immortal Realm!Perfect Profound Immortal Realm!
"Profound Immortal Perfection... I've reached it!"
Xuantian opened his eyes, a radiant gleam fading in their depths. In a flash, he had skipped an entire major realm—now just a step away from the Golden Immortal Realm. This growth came despite the human race still being in its infancy.
But this transformation wasn't just in cultivation.
The roots and destiny of the human race flowed into him, causing his bloodline and essence to evolve.
In the prehistoric world, one's roots were of utmost importance.
The Three Pure Ones, for instance, were born from Pangu's primordial spirit — natural-born saints with Dao treasures and immense cultivation from the moment of birth. They became core figures among the Six Great Saints.
In contrast, Zhunti and Jieyin, though later Saints, were born in the Barren West. Their path to enlightenment was long and arduous. Only by vowing heavenly oaths and earning vast merit did they rise.
This seemingly small difference in origin marked a massive gap in destiny.
The prehistoric cosmos was initially populated by Innate Beings, Innate Saints, and the Chaotic Gods and Demons. It wasn't until Nuwa created humans that the Acquired Race was born, establishing a division between Innate and acquired beings.
Previously, Xuantian had been an Innate Primordial Human, with great potential.
Now, after merging with the essence of the human race, his primordial spirit surged, reaching the level of an Innate Divine Being.
Though still at the elementary level, compared to his past self, he had undergone a complete metamorphosis.
And this was just the beginning.
(End of Chapter)