Volume One: The Lich Cataclysm Chapter 228: The Golden Core Path, The Supreme Ascendant Sect

Across the vast expanse of the Primordial World, Tai Shang wandered continuously. He sought to deepen his comprehension of his own Great Dao, knowing that his path to sagehood was imminent, yet the catalyst for this transformation remained elusive, waiting to be found.

Along his journey, Tai Shang witnessed the brutal nature of the Monster Race, a realm of raw savagery and endless slaughter. He observed it all with cold indifference, never once intending to intervene.

"Alas, the Monster Race lacks refinement," he mused. "Continuing on this path, they will only slide into oblivion. But what is that to me? My Dao does not lie here." With a shake of his head, he departed.

Next, he arrived among the tribes of the Sorcerer Race, finding them to be straightforward and simple-minded, driven by singular impulses. Though they seemed marginally better than the monsters, the difference was negligible.

"The Sorcerers are honest and passionate about battle, which is curious, yet they lack any desire for conquest. Still, they are unrefined, and while they possess potential, they are not the answer to my quest! Alas!"

What puzzled Tai Shang most were the Ancestral Sorcerers. From the emergence of their race to the present, as the conflict between Sorcerers and Monsters raged, all of them—save for the later-ascended Hou Yi—remained in seclusion, appearing utterly indifferent to the fate of their own kin. To Tai Shang, it felt like a game of cat and mouse, where one teased the other without the intent to deliver a final, fatal blow.

"Enough. What concern is this of mine? It is best to focus on my own affairs." With that thought, he left the Sorcerer lands.

Eventually, Tai Shang reached the shores of the Eastern Sea, where he beheld the human race, created by Nuwa. The ten epochs decreed by Nuwa had passed, and the humans had grown in number, though they had only just begun to emerge from their primitive, savage state. Vulnerable and weak, they were frequently preyed upon by nearby monsters. Had it not been for the leadership of the Three Ancestors, the human race would have struggled to survive at all. Facing these incursions, humans began to resist, but even the weakest monster was far beyond their current capabilities. Consequently, the twelve human leaders emerged from seclusion, leading their people in a desperate defense that forced the race to migrate repeatedly.

Tai Shang observed all of this, contemplating the human spirit—their resilience, their benevolence, and their diligence. Through these observations, he began to understand.

"It seems my Dao lies with this human race," he whispered, a sudden spark of enlightenment illuminating his heart.

Meanwhile, the Monster Race discovered that consuming human blood and flesh yielded strange, potent benefits. "Who would have thought? These humans are a godsend to our race! Could they be the food created by our Saint for the benefit of the monsters?" With this realization, the monsters became increasingly predatory and wanton.

Tai Shang remained with the humans, living among them in the guise of an old man. From the moment he arrived, a young man had followed him—perhaps drawn by Tai Shang’s aura, or perhaps seeking help. Over time, they grew familiar. One day, the youth knelt before him. As Tai Shang moved to help him up, the young man refused to budge.

"Why do this? Tell me what troubles you, old man," Tai Shang asked.

The youth looked up with desperate intensity. "I beg you, Immortal, save our people! I will do anything to repay your kindness!" He recounted the horrors of the monster raids and how the humans were being hunted as food. Upon hearing this, a tremor stirred in Tai Shang’s primordial spirit; he knew his moment of destiny had arrived. However, his path was the Great Dao of Taiji, which advocated for tranquility and non-action.

"It is not that I will not save you," Tai Shang replied, "but the path of the human race must ultimately be walked by the humans themselves."

The youth grew frantic. "I beg for your mercy, Immortal! Your great kindness will never be forgotten!"

"Very well," Tai Shang sighed, yielding to the youth’s persistence. "Since you have pleaded so earnestly, I shall assist your people."

He reached out and touched the youth’s forehead, imparting knowledge directly into his spirit. "As you have grown, each generation has become weaker than the last, your physical essence fading. The current cultivation methods of the Primordial World are ill-suited for you."

Tai Shang was correct; where humans once possessed the natural constitution to reach the level of Celestial Immortals through simple training, such feats were now a distant memory. Tai Shang then turned his gaze to the Heavenly Dao and proclaimed:

"The Heavenly Dao above, I am Tai Qing, one of the Three Pure Ones of Kunlun. I have wandered among the humans for ten thousand years, witnessing their rise and fall. Perceiving that their physical constitution differs from other beings and that they lack a method of cultivation, I now establish a path for them: the Great Dao of the Golden Elixir!"

"The Golden Elixir involves refining essence into energy, energy into spirit, spirit into void, and the void into the Dao, allowing the three to harmonize into a perfect, unified whole, ultimately reaching the level of a Celestial Immortal! May the Heavenly Dao bear witness!"

As he spoke, a phantom of the Heavenly Dao Wheel appeared above him. Tai Shang elucidated the principles of his Golden Elixir Dao. As he preached, countless humans gathered to listen. Each one gained something; those who had already stepped onto the path of immortality found their foundations solidified, while those who had not found their bodies strengthened and their affinity with the spiritual energy of the world greatly enhanced. By the time Tai Shang finished, many had reached the realm of Golden Immortals, and countless others had begun their cultivation journey.

Tai Shang felt a profound sense of fulfillment. "My Dao is accomplished!"

"The Heavenly Dao above, I, Tai Qing Laozi, perceiving that the human race lacks moral instruction, hereby establish a sect: the Human Sect! Let the Supreme Treasure, the Taiji Diagram, and the Heaven and Earth Xuanhuang Linglong Pagoda suppress the fortunes of this sect! The Human Sect is established!"

As his voice faded, his aura and fortune surged with immense power.