Chapter 8

In the vast expanse of the primordial world, where mountains and great marshes were everywhere, a dispute was taking place on one of these mountains, known as Suishan.

"Leader..." A few elders were gathered around a young man, speaking to him incessantly. The young man appeared to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, but from the way the people around him treated him, it was clear that he held a distinguished position.

Feng Ye frowned and cut off their words directly, "I've already passed on the leadership. What are you all doing here? If you have any matters, go to Xiang. After all, he is my disciple and the current leader of the tribe! It's embarrassing for him if you keep coming to me. Go, go! Don't disturb my cultivation!" With that, Feng Ye waved his sleeve, and a strong wind swept everyone down the mountain.

Xiang, the current leader, watched as the people were sent down the mountain. He sighed and led them away. It was awkward; even though the leadership had been passed to him, the people still revered the former leader more. Xiang silently resolved to work harder and be a good leader.

Feng Ye watched as the people left and let out a long breath. He had been the leader for sixty years, and he had greatly developed the tribe, repaying the kindness of his upbringing. Now it was time for him to cultivate. After all, in the future he knew, a great calamity would soon come.

Feng Ye was a穿越者 (穿越者 means "time traveler" or "transmigrator" in this context), a Chinese person from the 21st century who had come to this world over a hundred years ago. At first, Feng Ye really struggled. After all, being transported to a primitive era with no water, no electricity, and no internet was tough for any modern person. The only fortunate thing was that there was fire, which could be made by drilling wood, allowing him to eat cooked food.

But upon further inquiry, he learned that the fire was invented by the first leader of the Sui tribe. Yes, Sui, also known as Suihuang, the one who invented fire by drilling wood. When the elders of the tribe mentioned this, Feng Ye had a bad feeling.

Then he heard more: "What? Our human race was created by a deity named Nüwa? So we call her Holy Mother? And Holy Mother has a brother named Fuxi?" Ten thousand grass mud horses ran through Feng Ye's mind. If he couldn't react to this, he might as well bash his head against a tofu block and die.

The Mythical Era! Mortals were like ants! If Nüwa had created humans, then she would surely patch the sky later, right? Before the sky was patched, there were all kinds of dangers. As a northerner, Feng Ye felt immense pressure. His swimming skills were terrible; he hadn't even mastered the breaststroke. If a great flood came, he would drown. Moreover, there were no rivers near the Sui tribe for him to practice. In the primitive era, there were also many powerful aquatic creatures that could easily make him their meal.

As he listened to the elders, Feng Ye became numb. He heard that there was a Heavenly Emperor, Di Jun, who ruled the heavens, and on earth, there was a witch clan that rivaled him. Okay, Nüwa, Di Jun, and the witch clan were all here. What came next? The Twelve Ancestors of the Witches? Or the Three Pure Ones and the Grandmaster Hongjun?

It was the primordial world! Oh God, this world is too dangerous, I want to go home! Feng Ye roared inwardly.

But then he thought, since there were deities and immortals, could he achieve immortality in this world? Compared to being transported to a degenerate era where people fought over a single spirit stone or a cultivation manual, the primordial era was much better. At least, all kinds of rare treasures, spirit herbs, and spirit stones were as common as cabbages on the road. In this era, cultivation was extremely convenient. As long as you found a good master, you could become an immortal or a deity, and you would have a pile of magical treasures.

The Three Pure Ones! Countless predecessors had told us that the easiest way to survive in the primordial world was to become a disciple of the Three Pure Ones.

What? You say Hongjun? Yes, Hongjun is the big boss. But now that Nüwa has created humans, where is Hongjun? In the Zixiao Palace, beyond the thirty-three heavens? Do you think he would pay attention to you at this time? Can a mere mortal go to the Zixiao Palace? And who knows if this first sage, who merged with the Dao, can see that you are a time traveler? So the Three Pure Ones are better, as they are the orthodox disciples of the sages.

According to the strategies of countless predecessors, they left us many choices: If you want to cultivate and seek the Dao, and aspire to a life of seclusion as a pure immortal, then become a disciple of Taishang. If you have deep roots and want a master who will protect you, then become a disciple of Yushang. If you are bored and want to play against the heavens, then become a disciple of Shangqing.

Why? Do you know about the Investiture of the Gods? If the primordial world is here, can the Investiture of the Gods be far behind? Do you know about the conflict between the Chongtian and Jie teachings? The Jie teaching lost very badly! Only a few hundred scattered immortals remained, which is very dangerous.

What? You say that after the Investiture of the Gods, the Buddhist teachings flourished? The safest choice is the Buddhist teachings? Okay, in the strategies for the primordial world, the least chosen path is to become a disciple of the Western Teachings. Why? Not only are the strategies for the Western Teachings unclear, but the Buddhist precepts can also trap you. Most importantly, in any strategy, whether Western or Eastern, it is emphasized: the West is extremely barren, please consider carefully!

So, which master will our protagonist choose? I can only tragically tell you that Feng Ye will not become a disciple of any sage.

What? You say the protagonist is being arrogant? Okay, first, you need to understand Feng Ye's current location and identity before considering other things. He is in the human Sui tribe, the former leader of the Sui tribe.

How far is the Sui tribe from Kunlun Mountain? Not too far, just a three-thousand-mile journey, which a celestial immortal can complete in a day. But Feng Ye is still a mortal! He still needs to eat and has the needs of a mortal. He is far from the realm of immortals who do not eat, drink the wind, and sleep under the sky.

As for the Western Teachings, who knows where their ancestral temple is, even if it is said to be on Mount Sumeru. But if he can't even reach Kunlun Mountain, how can he reach Mount Sumeru? The distance between the East and the West is too great. Feng Ye privately thinks that the reason many predecessors did not become disciples of the Western Teachings is because the journey is too long. It's better to try his luck at Kunlun Mountain than to go through the trouble of joining the Western Teachings.

Moreover, this is just the distance. On the way, there are all kinds of primordial beasts you can't defeat, like saber-toothed tigers and two-headed lions, which are very common in the primordial world. Venomous snakes and insects are also everywhere, and you might die from a single bite. Even if you luckily avoid these beasts and insects and reach another human tribe, the customs and habits are very different from those of the Sui tribe. If you encounter a cannibalistic tribe, you will end up as a dish in their stomachs and then be excreted.

What master to follow! What immortality to seek! Do you think you are Xuantu, who can travel thousands of miles without being eaten by a wild beast? If you encounter a demonic cultivator, they might skin you, break your bones, and extract your soul to refine demonic artifacts. Your body parts are excellent materials for refining demonic artifacts, and it would be hard to reincarnate. Feng Ye is a person who values his life. Although he doesn't have the mindset of being the protagonist in this vast world, he still aspires to become an immortal or a deity and naturally won't easily entrust his life to fate.

Even if he successfully finds a divine Daoist temple, they might not accept him. A single phrase like "You and I have no affinity" would be tragic. As a human, Feng Ye is now a human, and even though humans in the primordial era are stronger and live longer, can they compare to primordial beasts and innate deities? Would a great being look at him?

So, in the following time, Feng Ye stayed in the Sui tribe, helping the tribe develop to gain merit.

Merit, in the primordial world, is very important. It might even allow him to become a golden immortal of merit in the future. Even if he doesn't achieve immortality in this life, deep merit will make the cycle of rebirth easier, and he might encounter a chance for immortality in the next life.

For a tribe, being a leader is the best way to gain merit. Even without great achievements, as long as you can protect the tribe's safety, that is merit. With Feng Ye's intelligence, dealing with a group of people in the primitive era is quite simple. Even the few elders with some abilities would not interfere too much with Feng Ye's contributions to the human race, so he controlled the tribe in just a few years.

Because the Heavenly Dao is unpredictable, Feng Ye, now just a mortal, doesn't know where the mysterious primordial Heavenly Dao's limits are, and he dares not interfere too much with the historical process for fear of inviting the Heavenly Dao's backlash. Life is precious, and Feng Ye values it greatly.

But not interfering with the Heavenly Dao's process and not inventing things like writing and gunpowder doesn't mean Feng Ye does nothing. Protecting the lives of the tribe, improving the tribe's survival level, and protecting the tribe from being eaten or harmed by beasts, all these things accumulate a lot of merit.

In this era, being a leader doesn't mean power. Being a leader is a heavy responsibility. In an era where people can barely eat, the power you pursue can only ensure that you eat first and have a full meal. In the primitive tribe, the most important thing is the offspring, as they represent the continuation of the race. Next are the strong men and women, and the elderly, who can no longer work, are usually last, except for a few elders.

Accustomed to the various dishes of the 21st century, the food in this primitive era doesn't suit Feng Ye's taste. Even if it's not the primitive era, just the food in the Tang, Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties would be a challenge for many people.

In the 21st century, with advanced technology, food is far less precious and rare than in ancient times. When Yang Guifei ate lychees delivered by express, lychees were a common fruit in the 21st century. Salt, which is not very precious now, was strictly managed in ancient times. Even at certain times in ancient history, rice and flour were luxuries, and people could only eat them during festivals.

In this primitive era, rice and flour were even more like clouds, and vegetables were almost non-existent. In an era without the five grains and six domestic animals, those once-common foods were luxuries.