In the Primordial World, the Witch tribe's Chi You had grown into adulthood, and Chi You's father passed the leadership of the Witch tribe to him!
Under Chi You's leadership, the Witch tribe rapidly grew stronger and gradually began to venture out of the southwest's one hundred thousand mountains!
Among the Human tribe's You Chao clan, the clan leader You Chao, inspired by observing birds building nests for shelter, felt that the human race should also have its own place to live. Currently, humans lived exposed to the elements or in damp caves, frequently attacked by wild beasts or injured by insects.
The leader of the You Chao clan then led his tribesmen to learn from the birds, building nests as dwellings. However, this was manageable on clear days, but they couldn't withstand fierce winds and torrential rains. Thus, You Chao devised another method.
You Chao returned to the ground and used stones and mud to construct a dwelling, naming it "house." Houses could not only ward off poisonous insects and ferocious beasts but also resist harsh weather and provide warmth, significantly reducing the chances of humans falling ill or suffering harm.
You Chao also established a new term, "home," defining it as a dwelling occupied by a couple or their children, thus forming a "home." After the concept of "home" became popular within the You Chao clan, other tribes eagerly followed suit. By the time humans across the land had established their own small homes, a virtuous aura of merit gathered above You Chao's settlement.
The voice of the Heavenly Dao resounded throughout the land: "The Human tribe's You Chao invented houses, which have brought great fortune to human reproduction and benefited the operation of the world. Heavenly Dao merit is hereby bestowed!"
As the voice faded, golden light of merit shone brilliantly above You Chao, and countless Heavenly Dao merits poured into him. The first house ever built by You Chao also transformed into a sacred artifact of Human merit!
After absorbing these merits, Taishang suddenly appeared at the You Chao clan's settlement. Upon seeing Taishang's arrival, You Chao quickly bowed. Taishang nodded, looked at You Chao, and said, "Now that your house has transformed into a sacred artifact of Human merit, are you willing to go to Huoyun Cave to cultivate?"
You Chao was overjoyed and immediately replied, "I am willing! I am willing!" Taishang nodded and sent You Chao to Huoyun Cave. Taishang intended to build Huoyun Cave into a sacred land for the human race, not only allowing the Three Sovereigns of humanity to cultivate there but also anyone who possessed great merit, destiny, and made significant contributions to humanity. This would increase the human race's high-level combat power to a level that could awe all races. He, along with two others and Nuwa, could not protect them forever; the future of the human race depended on themselves.
While Taishang taught Xuanyuan the art of warfare and strategy, he also kept a close watch on the development of the human race. Shen Nong's methods of herbal medicine quickly spread among the human race. In addition to herbal remedies, Shen Nong also developed acupuncture and massage techniques as auxiliary treatments. Shen Nong contributed a total of 365 types of medicinal herbs to humanity, establishing a relatively complete foundation for human medicine. Simultaneously, Shen Nong discovered five types of plant seeds that humans could use, collectively referring to them as the Five Grains. Shen Nong's tribe no longer suffered from hunger, and people discovered that dried Five Grains could be stored for a long time, allowing them to be eaten throughout the year.
Shen Nong observed that his tribesmen used their hands and simple tools to plant the Five Grains he discovered. Having planted them himself and experimented, he understood the difficulty involved. Therefore, after much contemplation, Shen Nong invented two farming tools for the human race: the wooden hoe (lěi) and the wooden plow (si)! The tribesmen found it considerably easier to work with these two farming implements invented by Shen Nong. This news soon spread to other tribes, and they also eagerly sought to learn from the Shen Nong tribe. The methods of medicine and Five Grains cultivation soon flourished among the various human tribes, and the human race transitioned from the era of hunting and gathering into an era of agriculture.
Shen Nong also noticed that harvested Five Grains stored on the ground were prone to dampness and spoilage. After much deliberation and finding no solution, he one day discovered that soil, after being burned by fire, became hard. Thus, Shen Nong conducted further research and invented pottery! While firing pottery, Shen Nong recalled that he lacked suitable vessels for boiling medicinal decoctions. He then imaginatively forged a small cauldron to boil medicinal soups, naming it the Shen Nong Cauldron!
When the inventions of Shen Nong spread throughout the human race, a vast expanse of virtuous aura of merit gathered above Shen Nong's settlement, forming a sea of merit. At the same time, the voice of the Heavenly Dao resonated throughout the Primordial World: "The Human tribe's Shen Nong has rendered great merit to humanity. Heavenly Dao merit is hereby bestowed!" With the pronouncement, countless merits flowed towards Shen Nong. Some went towards the farming tools Shen Nong invented, while others poured into the Shen Nong Ruler and the Shen Nong Cauldron! The wooden hoe (lěi) and the wooden plow (si) transformed into spiritual treasures of merit. The Shen Nong Ruler itself was already a spiritual treasure and had contributed greatly to human medicine; the Heavenly Dao also bestowed significant merit upon it, transforming it into a sacred artifact of Human merit! The Shen Nong Cauldron, imbued with the merit of Shen Nong's creation of pottery and medicine, also transformed into a sacred artifact of Human merit!
In the mountains where Hong Yun resided, at the moment merit was bestowed upon Shen Nong's settlement, a large amount of virtuous aura of merit also gathered above Hong Yun. Shen Nong's inventions in medicine and the Five Grains had involved Hong Yun's contribution, so the Heavenly Dao naturally would not overlook him. Countless merits flowed towards Hong Yun. Observing the sky filled with virtuous aura of merit, Hong Yun felt ecstatic. This was not merely merit; it was his opportunity to become a saint! Once he absorbed this merit, he, Hong Yun, would also be a revered saint! After the virtuous aura of merit had fully gathered, countless merits poured towards Hong Yun. Hong Yun, seeing the merits, prepared himself; this was his chance to achieve sainthood, and he could not be careless. All the merits surged into Hong Yun's body, and a circle of golden virtuous light emanated from him. Simultaneously, his body emitted a stunning aura, the aura of a saint that everyone yearned for. Sensing this aura, all beings in the Primordial World knew that after today, another saint would join their ranks. Zhen Yuanzi, upon sensing Hong Yun's aura, immediately arrived by his side. Looking at Hong Yun radiating saintly might, Zhen Yuanzi's lips curved into a gentle smile. His good brother would now be a saint, just like himself. Although Zhen Yuanzi was happy, he had not forgotten the scene of Tai Hao achieving sainthood. Zhen Yuanzi cautiously scanned the surroundings, fearing that Jie Yin and Zhun Ti might suddenly appear from anywhere.