"What the Empress said is absolutely right. This time, my journey to the Eternal Realm is twofold—one is to visit Kunlun, and the other is to make a pilgrimage to the Ancestral Court of the Human Race and pay homage to the sages of humanity. However, the Ancestral Court lies far, far away. With the current cultivation of this incarnation of mine, I fear reaching it won't be something achievable in a short time. Moreover, this incarnation won't last long enough to make the journey—it may well dissipate before I even arrive," Yi Tianxing said with a slight frown.
The Ancestral Court of the Human Race—any human, without exception, would long to go there. But often, the things one most desires are the ones most out of reach.
"No matter. I'll take you there myself. I was planning to make a trip to the Ancestral Court anyway."
Nuwa smiled as she spoke, then turned to look at the Queen Mother of the West and said, "Daoist sister Jinmu, Nuwa will be taking a slight liberty—I'll escort the Saint King to the Ancestral Court of the Human Race. Would you be willing to grant passage?"
"Hmph! His legs are on his own body. If he wishes to leave, who can stop him?"
The Queen Mother of the West snorted coldly, gave a wave of her hand, and turned back toward the Jade Pond.
Her expression was less than pleasant.
After all, Nuwa wielded the Red Silk Ball, the divine artifact of marriage and fate. Her previous union with Yi Tianxing was, on the surface, a mere pretense—a convenient arrangement that would naturally dissolve after the matter was settled, and no one would bring it up again. Even those great powers who saw through the facade would not expose it.
But Nuwa… Nuwa had made the false real, solidifying the union with a single declaration—right before all the mighty figures of the myriad races across the heavens. True or not, it had to become true.
She was the one who held the Red Silk Ball. When she spoke, the world responded. Since they had previously called themselves Dao companions and had not resisted, their fates and destinies were now fully intertwined under the power of the Red Silk Ball. Their destinies were bound, their fortunes fused. Whether it had been real or not, now it was.
This move… was a brilliant trap.
It left her with nowhere to vent her fury.
Donghuang Taiyi might not care about saving face, but the Queen Mother of the West did. If she publicly refuted it, she would only make things worse, a blow to her dignity that could never be recovered.
Thus, both Nuwa and Yi Tianxing now found themselves on her blacklist. She was left with a headache, privately stewing over how to proceed. She had genuinely fallen into a trap—and there was no easy way out.
Shua!
Nuwa didn't mind at all. A divine radiance enveloped her and Yi Tianxing, and in the next moment, they pierced through the void and disappeared into the distance.
Within that divine glow, Yi Tianxing let out a bitter smile and said, "Your Majesty, you've landed me in quite the predicament this time."
He was troubled. With Nuwa turning fiction into reality, all his careful planning had been thrown into chaos. What was he supposed to do now? Even he didn't know.
He had never dared hope for a goddess like the Queen Mother of the West.
"Daoist sister Xiwangmu is one of the few innate divine maidens in the world. I've simply pulled a red string between the two of you—acted as a matchmaker. And now, not only are you ungrateful, you're blaming me for it? Tsk. It seems being a matchmaker really is a thankless job these days. Can't please either side."
Nuwa chuckled and glanced at Yi Tianxing.
"Yi thanks Your Majesty."
Yi Tianxing could only offer a wry smile and express his thanks.
"Don't act all modest after taking such a prize. Xiwangmu sits atop West Kunlun, presides over all female immortals under heaven, commands countless heavenly treasures and cultivation resources. She also possesses a Primordial Spirit Lineage of all beings. If you truly marry her, and the Great Yi ascends to the level of an Immortal Court, the path will be smooth and unhindered. With her status, the benefits she can bring to the Great Yi are immeasurable. Haotian once sought her hand, and so did Donghuang Taiyi. The gains are beyond calculation. The only question is whether you have what it takes to seal the deal."
Nuwa's tone was gentle, yet her words carried great weight.
Naturally, she wasn't doing this for nothing. As the Holy Mother of the Human Race, at least for the Eastern human lineage, she was a bearer of the race's destiny. No matter how the human race evolved or changed, she would always hold at least one-tenth of their total destiny. This portion could not be taken from her—it was her divine entitlement as Holy Mother. The stronger the human race became, the more benefits she received. With greater fortune, cultivation and enlightenment became vastly easier, and a strong enough destiny could even push her toward the next realm.
Yi Tianxing's Great Yi Dynasty had risen at an astounding pace—ever expanding, claiming more and more territory. Its population had exploded. Currently spanning the five major realms and home to over sixty trillion citizens, it was flourishing like never before. Others might not sense it, but as the Holy Mother, Nuwa could feel the swelling tides of human fortune—and much of it came from the Great Yi.
How could she not take Yi Tianxing seriously?
The stronger the human race became, the greater her benefits, and the more vital her position. Naturally, she hoped to see humanity grow even stronger. She also hoped the Great Yi would continue to rise—whether as a Sacred Court, an Immortal Court, or even one day as a Heavenly Court, becoming the true cornerstone of the human race. If that day came, most of the race's fortune would flow from the Great Yi.
Investing now was simple foresight.
Yi Tianxing, of course, could guess all this. But even if he knew, he wouldn't say it out loud. This was a win-win situation. Nuwa's position among the human race was supremely honorable—befriending such a being was a massive advantage. One day, should he face the Nine Heavens Dao Venerables again, Nuwa might step in to help. Even a little interference on her part would be of tremendous value.
This journey to the Ancestral Court was part of that same long-term calculation.
The depth of the Ancestral Court of the Human Race was far beyond what most could imagine. Should it fully reveal its might, even saints would hesitate to provoke it—perhaps even fear it.
"May I ask, Your Majesty, where exactly is the Ancestral Court of the Human Race? Who resides there?"
Yi Tianxing took a deep breath and asked.
"It lies within the Fiery Cloud Cavern. Though called a 'cavern,' it is in truth a vast blessed land, a small world of its own. A domain completely under human control, its scale rivals any great world. The spiritual energy there is incomparably rich, and under the care of the sages of old, it now contains nine innate spirit veins—making it a supreme holy land for cultivation."
Nuwa replied with a smile.
She clearly knew the Ancestral Court inside and out.
The Fiery Cloud Cavern was one of the top blessed lands—one of the ancient cave-heavens filled with divine essence. Even in the Age of Desolation, it had been the hidden refuge of the Three Emperors and Five Sovereigns after their enlightenment. Now, as the site of the Ancestral Court, its status was beyond measure. The power hidden within was unimaginable.
"Nine innate spirit veins…"
Yi Tianxing's eyes gleamed with amazement, and inwardly, he was shocked.
Although the Great Yi now possessed twelve innate spirit veins, they were all relatively young, still growing. Compared to truly matured ones, there was no comparison. One could imagine how formidable a world like the Fiery Cloud Cavern would be with nine fully matured spirit veins. The sheer spiritual energy would be beyond comprehension.
"Within the Ancestral Court dwell the Three Emperors and Five Sovereigns, the Three Progenitors of Humanity, the sages of the Hundred Schools, and many of humanity's top experts. Some human tribes still continue to live and thrive within the Fiery Cloud Cavern, preserving their heritage. If calamity ever befalls the human race outside, these tribes will emerge—spreading the fire of civilization and rekindling the human flame."
Nuwa explained slowly.
Yi Tianxing was inwardly shaken.
The Three Progenitors were Youchao, Suiren, and Ziyi. They were the first ancestors of humanity.
Youchao built shelters so humans could live safely, avoiding the elements and improving survival.
Suiren discovered fire through friction, kindling civilization and ending the days of raw flesh and blood.
Ziyi wove hemp into cloth, allowing humans to wear proper clothing, learn modesty, and develop culture.
These three were the origin of civilization for the human race—without them, there would have been no glory, no splendor.
The Three Emperors were:
Heavenly Emperors Fuxi – creator of the Eight Trigrams, master of Heaven's principles.
Earthly Emperors Shennong – tasted all herbs and established agriculture to feed the growing population.
Human Emperors Cangjie – creator of written characters, laying the foundation for long-term cultural inheritance.
He was also known as the Supreme Emperors (Taihuang).
The Five Sovereigns were:
Yellow Sovereigns Xuanyuan
Black Sovereigns Zhuanxu
Blue Sovereigns Di Ku
White Sovereigns Yao
Red Sovereigns Shun
Also present was King Yu, who forged the legendary Nine Cauldrons, stabilizing the Nine Provinces—he too resided within the Ancestral Court.
Add to that the sages of the Hundred Schools of Thought—the sheer depth of the Ancestral Court was unfathomable. If ever unleashed, few among the myriad races could rival it.
This was the reason the other races had been suppressing humanity throughout this era—they feared a resurgence. During the last era, the human race had grown so strong that it suffocated the other races.
And yet, this wasn't even the full picture. The human race also had many branch lineages, which had over time produced many powerful figures. These too had returned to the Ancestral Court. That's why, even though the myriad races oppressed humanity, they dared not go too far. They kept their suppression within certain limits.
But the resilience of humanity defied expectations. Despite being suppressed, they still built one Dynastic Destiny after another, protecting their people. Especially the Great Yi, which now dominated the Five Realms and reigned supreme.