"Dragons were designed from their inception with the strongest of demons as their goal."
"After the fusion of countless advantages from fierce beasts and demon races, the dragon bloodline grew ever more formidable, and all demon races willingly submitted to the dragon's leadership."
"For this was their last hope, and the savior they had forged with their own hands!"
The old Dragon King recounted these memories etched into his bloodline, a hint of mockery in his eyes.
"Dragons were perfect war machines, and perfect demons."
"Under the dragon's leadership, the demon race gained the strongest trump card to contend with the fierce beasts."
"A true war of the wilds erupted in that era, more ancient than myth."
"The fierce beasts were strong, divinely born, their vital energy as deep as the sea. Each fierce beast was a walking natural disaster."
"But dragons were stronger!"
"Adamantine scales! Sharp claws! Intelligence! Everything about dragons was designed for peak strength, something far beyond what naturally born fierce beasts could match!"
"And dragons, also born of the demon race, acknowledged their demonic identity. They willingly led the demon race to resist those wild, frenzied fierce beasts!"
"Blood dyed the earth red, and dragon roars mingled with beastly bellows throughout the wilderness."
"When the last fierce beast fell at the feet of the demon race, the era truly belonging to demons arrived."
At this point, the old Dragon King paused his narration and looked at Qin Shang.
He knew that only Qin Shang truly understood that period of history.
Qin Shang, watching Chen Luo lost in thought, also sat cross-legged in mid-air and began to recount the end of the ancient, wild era:
"The demise of the fierce beasts marked the end of the wild era."
"The demon race spread across the entire land. The blood-soaked wilds receded, and the era of the intelligent demon race dawned."
"The dragons, who had shed blood for the demon race, naturally became the true kings of the demons."
"Later, for the sake of dragon propagation, dragons voluntarily reduced the fierce beast components within their bloodline. This lowered their power but made reproduction possible."
"Under the leadership of the dragon race, the demon race ushered in a true golden age."
"Dragons resided in the highest echelons, ruling the entire land like gods. The ape race, as meritorious officials who first established the Demon Court's lineage, was responsible for the governance of demons across the land."
"But after the external threat disappeared, history was merely a cycle."
"When the fierce beasts, the oppressors, were overthrown, new class disparities arose within the demon race."
"Vital energy and the inherent strength of one's bloodline became the measure of status and hierarchy."
"The strong remained strong, and the weak remained weak."
"The strong lived for tens of thousands of years, enjoying all the world's splendor, while the weak were the silent price paid in their wake."
"If this continued, the upper-class demons, who mastered bloodline manipulation techniques and superior vital energy, might have created an unchanging era, much like the fierce beasts."
"But the world changed."
"When the demon race reached its peak development, the entire world suddenly expanded countless times overnight!"
Chen Luo's eyes flashed at this.
This world had ascended to a higher plane!
"It was from that time that a completely new power appeared in the world."
"It was everywhere, nourishing all living beings, and those with aptitude could even actively absorb it."
"The pioneers named it 'spiritual energy'!"
"Compared to vital energy and high-grade bloodlines, which could be monopolized, this ubiquitous power was more convenient, and aptitude for spiritual energy did not seem to be directly linked to pure bloodline."
"However, the true beneficiaries of this change were not initially the weak, as the strong controlled too many resources and had too many means to seize new benefits."
"The weak remained silent, becoming the price for the strong's enjoyment and struggles. But new divisions emerged among the upper echelons of the demon race."
"The ape race, which managed political affairs and mastered techniques, was no longer content to be mere stewards. They desired the dragons' position!"
"In this process, the ape race continuously modified their bloodlines, and gradually, a new ape race was born, one without fur or tails, more suited for spiritual energy cultivation."
"They were the first humans of this world!"
Although Chen Luo already knew the origin of humanity in this world, he couldn't help but twitch his lips upon hearing this.
The ways in which humans were born in different worlds were truly peculiar.
Some were casually molded by supreme beings, others were nurtured by advanced civilizations, and some evolved from apes like these.
"Once humans had their own name, they began to reject all other races, denouncing them all as demons."
"A new struggle for dominance began."
"Of course, the initial humans, even after embarking on the new path of spiritual energy, were still no match for the dragons, who had self-amputated a part of themselves."
"But the reason humans chose this path was that they had calculated everything from the start."
"As time progressed, the demons, specialized in physical vital energy, were increasingly weakened in the increasingly dense spiritual energy environment."
"Meanwhile, humans, who had actively embraced spiritual energy, gradually showed signs of dominating the land."
"The demons, knowing they were outmatched by destiny, led by the true dragons, retreated overseas, and this land gained new masters."
"The humans, remembering their shared camaraderie in fighting the fierce beasts, let these fleeing demons go."
Hearing this, the old Dragon King secretly shook his head.
In reality, it was simply that the humans were not confident they could defeat the fleeing demons at that time.
After all, the demons had been defeated by destiny, not by the nascent spiritual energy civilization.
"History is but a cycle of repetitions. When the concept of 'demon' as an external enemy faded, the greatly expanded world, however, accommodated humans of the same origin."
"Humans cultivating spiritual energy and humans cultivating vital energy began a new round of contention over resources and status."
"But vital energy in this era was, after all, a relic of the past. Despite the accumulation of countless years, it gradually fell into decline in its struggle against the path of spiritual energy, which was augmented by heaven and earth."
"And after a duel with the supreme experts of the vital energy school at that time, a being named Yuan Shi became the first Immortal."
"From then on, this land was renamed 'Yuan Shi', and humanity truly entered the spiritual energy era."
"I was born within the sect founded by Ancestor Yuan Shi."
Qin Shang's gaze turned somewhat vacant, as if he were seeing that glorious era of spiritual energy civilization again.
"Immortals have endless lifespans. As long as they overcome a tribulation of ascension, they can enjoy eternal peace in that era and never enter the cycle of reincarnation!"
"At the peak of the spiritual energy civilization, there were 129,600 ascenders to immortality. How prosperous and flourishing were the paths of the world!"
"Yuan Shi, as the first and strongest Immortal, naturally became the ruler of all Immortals!"
"However, spiritual energy is not entirely a gift from heaven; it is also a test."
"The cultivation of spiritual energy affects the mind. Those who achieve supreme detachment become Immortals, while those who indulge in extreme emotions and desires become demons."
"In that era, where there were no calamities after ascension, the opposition between Immortals and demons gradually arose..."