From the very beginning of the Eternal World's formation, many powerful beings had already been sealed by the Heavenly Dao, forbidden from directly interfering. They could only act through avatars or reincarnations—hardly a strategy that yielded instant results. What's more, in this era, the powerful figures of the previous epoch all adhered to a tacit agreement: they would not interfere with worldly affairs unless events reached a critical juncture, like the earlier war among the dragon, phoenix, and qilin clans, where the battle had escalated into a contest for dominion over Heaven and Earth. Only in such defining moments would the full heritage of a race be unleashed, deciding everything in one fateful move.
Every major race's Ancestral Court operated in much the same way as the Human Ancestral Court—housing spatial secret realms and safeguarding vast quantities of seeds and bloodlines. If a clan outside the Ancestral Court were to be wiped out, it wouldn't mean true extinction. The race could still deploy clansmen stored in the Ancestral Court to continue the bloodline and rebuild.
However, this also signaled one thing: their race had already lost the struggle for dominance. In the war of fate, they had fallen behind, and turning the tide would become almost impossible.
This was the true significance of the Ancestral Courts.
As long as an Ancestral Court existed, a race could not be truly eradicated. It was the foundational guarantee for the continued legacy of the myriad races of Heaven.
There was also an unspoken rule in Heaven and Earth: in this era, while conflict was permitted, no one was allowed to strike at the Ancestral Courts unless absolutely necessary. So long as the Ancestral Court did not directly interfere in the battle for fate and destiny, it was off-limits. Violating this rule would provoke the wrath of all races, united in retaliation.
That would be a sin against the heavens, a crime that invited universal condemnation.
Struggles were permitted—but only within the bounds of this bottom line.
It was like letting children fight among themselves. No matter how rough it got, things would remain controllable. But if the "adults"—the Ancestral Courts—stepped in, it would escalate beyond control. And no one wanted to see that happen.
"It doesn't matter," Yi Tianxing said firmly, "As long as the Ancestral Courts of the major races don't intervene fully, why should we humans fear any enemy? From the start of the Myriad Worlds' fusion, we were hunted like livestock, reduced to blood sacrifices. Yet even in those darkest days, humanity did not perish. That alone means the myriad races will never be able to exclude us from the ranks of the strong."
There was conviction and confidence in his voice.
Now, the Great Yi stood alone at the summit, commanding trillions of people, with expansion well underway. Even though it had risen from nothing, with no ancestral heritage to draw from, as soon as it secured a few—or even dozens—of realms, a new foundation would naturally be formed.
War and conquest—unceasing attack after attack—this was the path of expansion.
"Indeed. Throughout history, the human race has produced no shortage of peerless heroes. You, Yi Tianxing, are one. Ying Zheng was another. So was King Zhou. Our human race is in no way inferior to any other powerful race under the heavens. The stage is set. Now it's up to you to perform."
Xuanyuan laughed heartily.
The Ancestral Court might appear passive, but in truth, it had a detailed understanding of every major human force's development. They were constantly watching. Though they would not intervene directly, they remained vigilant against other races' ancient powers suddenly launching fatal attacks in anger.
The Ancestral Court was a protector of the path for the human race. While it would not easily act, it was by no means inactive—it simply engaged on a different level, one beyond the comprehension of ordinary beings.
Yi Tianxing understood this well. And he also knew that as long as the Ancestral Court refrained from direct involvement, he could operate more freely. The expansion of the Great Yi could now proceed even faster. Trillions of people needed to be resettled and deployed.
"May I ask," Yi Tianxing's eyes gleamed with curiosity, "can the talented youths within the Ancestral Court who are not yet top-tier powerhouses leave to join other human factions?"
The Ancestral Court didn't just house ancient powers—it also nurtured numerous brilliant young talents who cultivated in seclusion.
"They may do as they wish," Fuxi replied calmly. "But once they leave, their Ancestral Court status is void. From that moment on, they are like any other person of the outer world. If they fall, the Ancestral Court will not intervene. That is one of the unspoken rules."
In other words, Ancestral Court cultivators could indeed leave, but once they did, they forfeited its protection. Outside, no one cared whether they were from the Ancestral Court or not. Death meant death—no special treatment.
"I understand," Yi Tianxing nodded.
"Since little friend has come all this way, our Ancestral Court mustn't send you away empty-handed. Just now, the Heavenly Emperor gifted you the Heavenly Fate Aperture, which conceals your destiny from prying eyes and allows you to comprehend the mysteries of the Innate Eight Trigrams. From now on, anyone trying to scheme against you will find it much more difficult."
Xuanyuan smiled. "As for me, I don't have much to offer, but I do have this direction chariot. It should be of some use to you."
With a wave of his hand, a small mechanical chariot appeared on the table.
It resembled a miniature war chariot, within which stood a bronze-crafted puppet whose arm perpetually pointed southward. But this navigation function was only the most basic of its abilities.
"A fine treasure, Xuanyuan. You're quite generous," Fuxi chuckled. "This artifact is a rare treasure born of Heaven and Earth. Beyond pointing south, it can also scan for lifeforms within its sensing range and even lock onto targets for tracking. Whether in battle or other operations, it's a powerful tool."
Xuanyuan smiled again and added a set of construction blueprints to accompany the chariot.
"If you're going to offer someone a gift, do it properly," he laughed.
"Well now, I can't be left behind either." Shennong grinned. "I don't have anything special, but I do have some spiritual grains and herbs that I've cultivated over the years."
"Many thanks, Earthly Emperor," Yi Tianxing responded excitedly. "As for spiritual grains and herbs, I don't want the finished products—just the seeds. The more, the better. Great Yi will take whatever you're willing to offer."
Compared to rare artifacts, what he truly desired was an abundance of seeds. These would become the true cornerstone of the Great Yi's long-term development. Other treasures would eventually be depleted, but with proper cultivation, herbs and grains could be passed down forever.
They could be used to refine pills, brew potions, and increase cultivation. This was the foundation of any powerful force.
Now wasn't the time for pride. Yi Tianxing directly and shamelessly asked Shennong to give him all the seeds he possessed. If he could obtain them in bulk, the benefits would be enormous.
"You're really not picky, are you?" Shennong laughed and scolded half-jokingly, but his eyes betrayed approval. As the ruler of a Destiny Dynasty, having the humility to lower oneself for the good of the nation was a mark of wisdom.
Besides, since the Ancestral Court couldn't intervene directly, providing material support was fair game.
"So be it. Here are seeds for 13,000 types of spiritual herbs, and 100 varieties of spiritual grain. Among them, the most valuable is one known as the Five-Colored Five-Eared Grain—a rare innate spiritual grain."
Shennong smiled as he explained.
"The first stalk of this Five-Colored Five-Eared Grain was a superior-grade Innate Spiritual Root. The seeds it produced gave rise to mid-grade innate roots—three thousand stalks in total. Beyond that, the next generation is only lower-grade innate roots—at most thirty thousand stalks. Any further, and it loses its innate nature."
Its coloring would also degrade by grade:
Immortal-grade: four colors
Heaven-grade: three colors
Earth-grade: two colors
Profound-grade: single color
Five-Colored Five-Eared Grain – Innate Spiritual Root
A miraculous grain born of Heaven and Earth, imbued with the power of the Five Elements (represented by the five colors) and five unique flavors (represented by the five ears). Its effects are vast and wondrous. It can strengthen the body, forge Dao bodies, and its taste is beyond description.
Even a single grain can extend one's lifespan by ten years. And this effect has no limit—with continued consumption, one could attain immortality. As an Innate Spiritual Root, it is considered Divine-grade.
As for lower grades:
Mid-grade Innate Root: lifespan gain of five years per grain
Low-grade Innate Root: one year per grain
Immortal-grade: half a year
Heaven-grade: one month
Earth-grade: one day
Profound-grade: one hour
So long as one had the means to acquire it, even eating one Earth-grade grain a day could ensure immortality.
This was the true wonder of the Five-Colored Five-Eared Grain—a peerless treasure of the immortal realm.
Only Shennong possessed it.
"Many thanks for your generosity, Earthly Emperor. Yi Tianxing offers his deepest gratitude on behalf of the trillions of people of the Great Yi." He took the storage pouch filled with seeds and bowed deeply to Shennong.
With this massive cache of herb and grain seeds, the Great Yi's foundation would expand tremendously. Countless new pills would be developed, and with each additional species, dozens—perhaps hundreds—of unique elixirs could emerge.
"Whatever the Ancestral Court can offer—we will." Fuxi smiled.
Though they could not interfere in worldly affairs, they could still offer material and resource support.
"I have one more shameless request," Yi Tianxing suddenly said.
"Speak freely," Fuxi replied.
"I wonder... does the Ancestral Court have a collection of scriptures and texts? I would like to make a copy of them. It would greatly enrich the heritage of the Great Yi."
He knew the Ancestral Court surely held an immense trove of knowledge.
"The Ancestral Court indeed has a scripture repository," Shennong responded. "Ordinary texts may be copied freely. However, scriptures that involve cultivation methods and inheritances are not granted lightly. Those require contribution points in exchange."