Logo
Home

Chapter 169: Flames Are Red, I Am the Sun God

"A miracle of life..." The phoenix couldn't help but shoot through the great hole in the celestial realm, descending into the mortal world.

It soared on its wings in the sky, gazing at the vast expanse of the ocean.

From the ocean, shaggy black ape-men, dripping wet, slowly emerged. They carried a wild, primal aura, as if instantly transforming from embryos into human form as they left the sea – a truly spectacular sight.

Boom! A meteor streaked from the sky, crashing forcefully into the earth. It was a massive, ancient black stone tablet. On the black tablet was a diagram of the human body, covered in intricate lines, seemingly depicting a method of energy circulation, brimming with infinite principles!

"What is this?" The phoenix couldn't help but stop, its gaze shining brightly.

Ten years passed. The ape-men on the land were just beginning to babble, their bodies covered in shaggy black fur. They started communicating with each other through sounds like "hoo-hah" and "hoo-hah," sometimes serious, sometimes winking and grimacing, without even understanding what the other was saying.

By this time, marine species had become extremely prolific, gradually crawling onto land and evolving into terrestrial animals.

As the first large creatures to appear on this land, these early humans were undoubtedly the dominant beings.

They began to forge their own civilization, carving out dark caves for habitation. Like the most ancient cave dwellers, they gradually learned to use tools such as stone spears and chisels in their damp rock shelters, searching for food. However, they had not yet mastered fire and lived a primal, cave-dwelling existence, eating raw meat and drinking blood.

Yet, in less than thirty short years, they were surpassed.

The world was accelerating wildly, with every life form evolving at an astonishing pace. But the ape-men did not. Savage behemoths began to emerge, fully terrestrial, tall and mighty, some even comparable to giant trees, capable of crushing the ape-men with a single foot.

"Hoo-hah!!" "Moo-da moo-da moo-da!" The ape-men roared and shrieked, desperately raising their stone spears to fight back, but they gradually became food for the colossal beasts.

"What fascinating energy pathways," the phoenix mused from its perch on the Solar Palace, captivated daily by the divine tablet that had fallen from the sky.

Eventually, it could no longer resist descending to the mortal realm. It spent a long time communicating with the babbling black-furred ape-men, offering them protection and guiding them to begin cultivating the pathways inscribed on the tablet.

At first, they were skeptical, until the phoenix effortlessly incinerated a terrifying armored beast.

"You are truly weak," it said. "This is the flame of civilization."

A wisp of flame detached from the phoenix, igniting a nearby tree, and then the phoenix flew away majestically.

"Hoo-hah!" "Hoo-hah!" A group of cave dwellers knelt down, shouting towards the phoenix flying away in the sky, offering grateful prayers, revering it as a deity. They spoke in joyous, incomprehensible sounds, filled with elation.

"Wa-woo-woo!" "Wa-wa-ka-ka!" On that day, the cave dwellers, dressed in tree bark, danced around a massive bonfire, feasting on roasted food.

From that point, they transitioned from a cave-dwelling civilization into the era of fire-kindling tribes.

Another ten years passed.

A purple cloud perpetually shrouded the sky, protecting the entire tribe.

In their secure environment, the ape-men of the ancient tribe rapidly developed their own language and civilization, progressing by leaps and bounds.

The phoenix returned every ten years to check on their progress.

Another new decade began.

Soon, the ape-men showed varied progress in their cultivation.

They began to discover shortcuts, continuously cultivating by absorbing the aura emitted by the powerful ancient god of the purple cloud in the sky.

When they reached a joyful point in their cultivation, they would point one finger to the sky and one to the earth, constantly chanting "hoo-hah," "soo-sha," "oh-lah." Their expressions would shift between seriousness and deep thought, making them enigmatic.

Among them, three ape-men cultivated the fastest, developing super-small spaces within their bodies. Their strength increased, allowing them to leap onto trees, reaching a level similar to a Tier 2 sorcerer.

Gradually, they started beating their chests towards the sky, showcasing their power, and even successfully challenged weaker behemoths. They returned dragging the corpses of the beasts, prompting the entire tribe to erupt in cheers, tossing the victorious warriors high into the air.

On this day, they again gathered around a massive bonfire, roasting the giant beast's corpse, chanting "hoo-hah" repeatedly. They raised their hands high and swayed them, immensely happy, as if performing some strange ritual.

"Incredible, absolutely incredible..." The phoenix marveled at the greatness of this power.

The ancient ape-men of the tribe, inherently so weak, fragile, and easily destroyed, were nevertheless capable of continuous growth, as if possessing infinite potential. They could even grow to rival the phoenix, a born deity.

"Could it be that this form, the human form, is the protagonist of heaven and earth!?" The phoenix trembled all over, feeling immense envy mixed with deep fear, as it watched the ape-men in the tribe chanting "hwa-hah," "hwa-ta," beating their chests, and shouting at the sky.

"In the future, will these beings also surpass me?"

"The Creator God is in human form, and these creatures are also in human form! Though seemingly so weak, because they possess the life-form of the Creator God, they seem to align with some rule of heaven and earth... and thus can have infinite possibilities!"

It suddenly recalled the suffering it had endured in another world, realizing that it might be about to repeat itself in this one. It would still be surpassed by these weak beings, then hunted down and left to struggle in the mud.

"No! It's different now! Completely different."

From high above, it gazed down at the primitive ape-men tribe, recalling the memories of its ancestors through generations. Its voice gradually turned cold, "Instead of waiting to be surpassed, I will first surpass myself. I will become a god, the first deity in this heaven and earth."

It had never harbored ambitions for power, only desiring a life of immense freedom and happiness, but that was never permitted.

"To have freedom, I must first possess power that transcends all else. If I can transform into such a human-like being, I will be beloved by the world... favored by the Creator God."

The phoenix spread its wings and flew, radiating intense flames as it overlooked the entire land.

It had always been without ambition, but for the first time, it had a life goal: to become a god.

She was ignited by the same desire as Medusa, wishing to pursue the ultimate path, to seek truth!

But unlike Medusa, she didn't seek power for power's sake, but for the sake of living freely.

"I want to pursue the path of freedom; I want the freedom to roam unburdened through heaven and earth. I am not a seeker of truth in the sorcerer's world, but a seeker of the Tao! I seek the Tao for freedom, for a vast and brilliant freedom!"

Another decade passed.

The gods of the sky gradually awakened to wisdom; clouds, wind, sun, and moon slowly gained intelligence. They began communicating with the ape-men of the tribes, uttering sounds like "yi-ya" and "ya-yo," jointly fostering the blossoming of wisdom.

At the same time, these ancient gods of heaven and earth mostly hovered over one of the human tribes on the ground. They favored these creatures, bestowing blessings upon these weak beings.

Moreover, some humans with exceptional aptitude exhibited terrifyingly fast cultivation speeds.

This was because their cultivation involved absorbing the life force of heaven and earth, drawing in the aura emitted by all things.

The phoenix, along with various powerful ancient gods of heaven and earth, actively surrounded the tribe, allowing the ape-men to absorb the potent energy auras radiating from their bodies for cultivation.

Ten more years went by.

Several ape-men with insufficient aptitude were eliminated, leaving only one woman, who was appointed as the tribe's leader.

This sole survivor was instructed to seek an audience with the phoenix.

Inside a black house made of stone, a roaring fireplace radiated waves of heat. A massive divine firebird sat within the flames.

A slender female ape-human was slowly kneeling on the ground, her gaze filled with profound reverence. "Hoo-hah, hwa-tah..." she uttered. Her words likely conveyed worship, admiration, and supreme glory.

"Oh, humans are truly the darlings of heaven and earth," the phoenix's voice chirped crisply. It clearly sensed the woman's power; her Sea of Consciousness now held a considerable space, having reached a realm equivalent to a Tier 4 sorcerer.

The phoenix sighed, looking at the leader of the ape-men tribe. "Do you know how much I envy your bodies?" it lamented.

The human tribal leader trembled, seemingly not understanding. She continued to utter sounds like "hoo-hah," looking utterly reverent.

"For many years, I've been wondering..." the phoenix whispered, "since humans are the beloved protagonists of heaven and earth, can we, other races, transform into human form, into the optimal body to live within this world, only revealing our true form when necessary? Today, let me try it out."

Whoosh! The phoenix surged forward fiercely, pouring into her Sea of Consciousness and instantly shattering her consciousness into oblivion. A phoenix slowly coiled itself within her Sea of Consciousness. "At Tier 4, there's only a small five-meter space, but by coiling up, I can stay here. I have now become a nascent spirit, this ape-human's... nascent spirit within her Sea of Consciousness."

Whoosh. The ape-human woman, whose body was covered in fur, stood up.

Bathed in sacred flames, the abundant fur on her body rapidly receded, revealing a perfect, beautiful form. Her skin was crystal clear and delicate, her figure curvaceous, and her legs straight and long, as if she were the most beautiful woman in the world.

Meanwhile, within her Sea of Consciousness, a phoenix slowly rested, coiled.

"The body transforms into a nascent spirit, the intention becomes the physical form; a Dao Fruit resides in the ethereal heavens. This is the art of transformation into a deity." The peerless woman gently waved her hand, and the animal skin cloak from a nearby chair draped over her. She strode out, declaring, "In the future, my phoenix true form will achieve godhood within the Sea of Consciousness space. My phoenix deity's true body will be the Dao Fruit, residing in the ethereal heavens, while this physical body walks among mortals. This form of achieving godhood is far, far better than Aermine being trapped in another dimension, forbidden from descending. From this moment forth, no living being in this world shall know my true form. My flames are crimson; I am the Yang God!"

Back to novel Shepherding Humanity
COMMENT