At the age of eighty: This marked the eightieth year since Pei Xuanjing arrived in this world. As the heroic figure who revolutionized the fate of the human race and led them towards brilliance, he received the adoration of countless individuals.
During this year, someone in the Human Alliance suggested holding a banquet to celebrate Pei Xuanjing's eightieth birthday. They planned a grand celebration not only to honor Pei Xuanjing but also to declare to all the major races that the human race's very first king, the King of Dawn, had ascended the throne.
Although Pei Xuanjing was not fond of such commotion, he completely understood that this was the good intention of the Human Alliance. Accepting their goodwill and agreeing to participate, he aimed to show other races the humans' newfound confidence and power, contrasting their prior state of oppression.
As a power that dominated one corner of the wilderness, the Human Alliance had considerable influence among many races. When word spread that their King of Dawn was celebrating his eightieth birthday, many fellow races came to congratulate him, not wanting to offend the mighty Human Alliance.
Among them was a mysterious guest from the bustling and thriving center of the wilderness where many of the world's strongest forces resided.
The Qilin Clan, one of the top ten clans in the wilderness, sent a Fifth Order being to the peripheral parts of the wilderness, a place often regarded by many as a backwater region.
The emissary sent by the Qilin Clan might not be of the Sixth Level, but the formidable bloodline of the Qilin Clan, one of the supreme races, enabled even a Fifth Order being to match the strength of many Sixth Level ones. Of course, this did not take account of Pei Xuanjing.
At first, the Fifth Order pure-blood Qilin greeted Pei Xuanjing with pride, considering himself from a higher bloodline and thus stronger. But as he witnessed the unfathomable depth of Pei Xuanjing's strength, he changed his attitude and became much more humble.
The Qilin Clan's representative had originally come to persuade the Human Alliance to join their soon-to-be-established alliance. Given that the Human Alliance, now led by two Sixth Level beings, was no longer the weakest among all the races, they were certainly worth courting and had the qualifications to join the upper echelons of power.
However, Pei Xuanjing's displayed power far exceeded their expectations. Even though he was from the supposedly weaker human race, his strength surpassed many other tribal chiefs. This caused the pure-blood Qilin to fervently desire to recruit him, unwilling to let such a powerful being side with their rivals.
When this invitation was extended, Pei Xuanjing did not immediately respond, deciding to bide his time and assess the situation.
Several days later, Pei Xuanjing agreed to the Qilin Clan's proposal and joined the Qilin-led alliance. According to their pact, the Qilin Clan would protect the Human Alliance and supply them with resources to enhance their strength. In return, if the Qilin Clan ever went to war, the Human Alliance would have to fight alongside them.
Pei Xuanjing approved this agreement.
He was aware that for the human race to continue advancing, it was not enough to act alone. The current peace in the wilderness was precarious, akin to the brief calm before a storm. While small-scale tribal conflicts might not cause much commotion, the rapid expansion of the now rising Human Alliance would inevitably draw the attention and hostility of stronger tribes, which Pei Xuanjing wanted to avoid.
So, he was looking for an opportunity, a perfect chance to rise above when chaos breaks loose in the wilderness.
When other members of the human tribes asked, Pei Xuanjing merely responded mysteriously: The wilderness is about to be thrown into chaos!
The Qilin Clan was a race almost unmatched in the wilderness, and their sudden move to form an alliance with many other races suggested larger schemes at play. It was a sign of many unforeseen things to come.
Even with limited information, Pei Xuanjing could guess a lot.
These top races of the wilderness held formidable power that allowed them to strategically plan. A decision like this surely signaled a tumultuous clash on the horizon.
Perhaps this clash was the opportune moment Pei Xuanjing had been waiting for.
At the age of eighty-five: As Pei Xuanjing initially predicted, chaos began to descend upon the wilderness.
In the subsequent years, the top tribes in the wilderness started making their moves. The Dragon Clan, Phoenix Clan, and Qilin Clan all formed alliances, soaring to become some of the most powerful forces in the wilderness.
The Dragon Clan spearheaded an alliance of scaled-beast races, with numerous water tribes as their subsidiaries, dominating all the waters in the wilderness, and wherever there was water, there was influence from the Dragon Clan Alliance.
The Phoenix Clan led an alliance of avian races, ruling a massive territory, all birds under the sky respected the Phoenix as emperor.
The Qilin Clan's alliance absorbed many different races that lived on the land. Surprisingly, the Human Alliance quietly ascended from the edge of the wilderness and joined the Qilin Clan's alliance, becoming one of their forces.
In addition to these three major alliances, there were smaller coalitions like the White Tiger Clan and the Golden Lion Clan among others.
As these alliances continued to form, a previously harmonious wilderness started showing signs of disruption. Although an earth-shattering war hadn't begun, friction and conflicts increased, with frequent skirmishes between various alliances, resulting in powerful beings falling in battle.
Meanwhile, rather than exploiting the situation, Pei Xuanjing exercised exceptional restraint. Leveraging his vast influence, he repressed any desires within the Human Alliance to take advantage of the instability, and quietly analyzed the unfolding situation instead, awaiting the next change.
He was lucid in his understanding that, should the current situation continue, a fierce war would sooner or later engulf the entire wilderness, altering its landscape and leading to the rise and fall of many races on the battlefield of blood and fire.
And indeed, what piqued Pei Xuanjing's curiosity was, why would these tribes, who were already at the apex of the wilderness's hierarchy, want to form alliances? What were their objectives and what were they trying to seize?
At the age of ninety-five: Despite his ten years of exploration, Pei Xuanjing couldn't unravel the mysteries buried in his heart, he still wasn't sure what the top-tier races were fighting for.
Pei Xuanjing understood that although the Human Alliance had joined the Qilin Clan's coalition, their status within this alliance wasn't high, so the Qilin Clan guarded many critical secrets from them.
Therefore, to truly understand the hidden truth, the Human Alliance had to get involved proactively, striving to enhance their status and strength.
So, during his ninety-fifth year, when the major alliances in the wasteland started having intense frictions, Pei Xuanjing finally made a move. He started pushing the Human Alliance forward, expanding their influence.
Over the years, friction between the various races in the wasteland escalated, with battles flaring up daily. However, the region where the Human Alliance resided remained relatively peaceful.
After all, seeing as the Human Alliance, the most potent force in the territory, hadn't instigated any wars, other races would be foolish to provoke them.
Over the years, the human race had seized the rare period of peace to develop and grow. Although no sixth-tier powerhouses had emerged, dozens of fifth-tier powerhouses and hundreds of fourth-tier powerhouses had made their appearance. The Human Alliance's power grew increasingly potent, enough to deter the numerous other races.
As soon as Pei Xuanjing made his decision, the whole Human Alliance leapt into action to select their target.
If initially, the Human Alliance only wanted to break the lowly status of the human race, allowing more of them to survive without being oppressed, they should have been satisfied now, living peacefully within the barren world.
However, ambition grows with strength. As the Human Alliance grew more powerful, they wouldn't simply settle for the status quo, especially when they possessed enough power to ascend further. They would inevitably opt to climb higher.
The Human Alliance's movement broke the decades-long peace, shocking the surrounding races.
Other races naturally tightened their defenses against the sudden rise of the Human Alliance, particularly those on the border shared with the Human Alliance. They were on high alert, suspecting that the humans might take advantage of the tense situation to stir up wars and annex their territory.
They hadn't expected that the audacious Human Alliance, presented with such a rare opportunity, didn't take action but maintained stability, even receding their forces.
After a decade or so of peace, they assumed the Human Alliance had abandoned their ambitions of expansion. Therefore, their vigilance subsided, their attention shifted to the struggles among the various powerful races at the center of the wasteland.
However, they could never have anticipated that the long dormant Human Alliance would suddenly wage war. Their approach was decisive, and their attack a shocking surprise.
The Human Alliance's mobilization shook the entire wasteland because they unexpectedly launched attacks against several races simultaneously.
A clear, no-nonsense attack and the swift annihilation of several powerful races left the world dumbstruck.
Even the Qilin Clan, which the Human Alliance had joined, was shocked by their actions. They had previously urged the Human Alliance to stir some chaos, but Pei Xuanjing had tactfully refused, citing the Human Alliance's lack of strength.
However, the Human Alliance's thunderous actions, the brutal destruction of several races, was beyond the Qilin Clan's understanding. Sure, they wanted the Human Alliance to stir up some trouble, but they hadn't expected them to be this ruthless, wiping out several races.
Nevertheless, the Qilin Clan couldn't blame Pei Xuanjing since it was they who had urged them into taking action. Now that Pei Xuanjing had done what they'd asked, albeit to an extreme, they couldn't criticize him.
After all, what would the other races in the alliance think if the Qilin Clan begrudged Pei Xuanjing for this action?
Pei Xuanjing's plan succeeded. His war effort had caused enormous upheaval, mostly shouldered by the Qilin Clan, who, after all, were considered the leaders of the Human Alliance.
However, the impact of Pei Xuanjing and the Human Alliance's actions was undeniable.
Although the races in the wasteland had their disagreements, they always managed to keep these disputes within certain boundaries, apparently restraining the conflicts from escalating.
But after Pei Xuanjing's Human Alliance wiped out a number of races, other alliances were shocked. They were surprised at Pei Xuanjing's decisive actions and suspected the Qilin Clan's hand behind it, assuming the Qilin Clan was ready for war.
As a result, tensions escalated amongst the alliances. Given the Human Alliance's example, nobody dared to hold back, fearing any restraint would expose their weaknesses and potentially lead to their races' annihilation.
At the age of ninety-six: the fighting among alliances flamed into full-blown warfare since nobody wanted to face extinction.
This was what Pei Xuanjing had been hoping for. Under the banner of the Qilin Clan, he began ordering the Human Alliance to launch assaults on the vassal races of other alliances, allowing the Human Alliance to expand its power.
By one hundred and fifteen: war raged across the wasteland, with alliances of races constantly clashing. Countless races were either wiped out or rose to power amid the fighting.
Amid countless conflicts, humans were becoming the center of attention. The Human Alliance annexed numerous territories and resources from various races, seizing the opportunity to boost their power. They became a formidable race within the wasteland, even if they weren't quite a top-tier race yet, they were undoubtedly among the first-rate ones.
Over those twenty years, the human race witnessed the emergence of two more sixth-tier powerhouses, which significantly strengthened them and earned self-preservation rights in this chaotic wasteland.
The King of Dawn, Pei Xuanjing, killed a middle-stage sixth-tier powerhouse, which undoubtedly made it clear: the rise of the human race was unstoppable.
One hundred and thirty-seven years old: After decades of constant conflict and warfare, the entire wilderness was engulfed in flames of war. All races were embroiled in this overwhelming war, with no kind able to avoid it. Irrespective of whether the race was powerful or weak, they were all actively or passively fighting in the chaotic world, striving for survival and struggling for any chance of survival.
The rise of the human race was a cause of shock amongst countless races. Against the backdrop of a relentless series of wars, the advantage of the large population of the human race finally came to the fore. Even though the constant warfare resulted in numerous deaths, it also allowed the humans to acquire more resources due to their continued success in plundering. This allowed them to nurture more fighters and elevate their status in the wilderness.
Although Pei Xi, the leader of the human tribe, was only a beginner at the Sixth Level, his reputation soared after he continually killed a number of mid-Sixth Level fighters. This earned him the respect of numerous powerful beings and he was honored as Emperor Xi by all tribes.
The reverence for Emperor Xi was not just for his formidable strength but also for the path and law he established.
He studied clouds in the sky, rain, snow, lightning, wind, fog, and beasts on the ground. Based on the principles of Yin and Yang changes in Heaven and Earth, he created the Eight Trigrams. This simplistic yet deep system was used to explain everything in the wilderness, which was greatly respected by all tribes.
More importantly, Pei Xuanjing discovered that while all tribes in this world have their own cultural heritage, there existed a barrier amongst them that prevented real communication.
So he introduced the script of the Daming World into this world as the inherited script of the human race, and strongly promoted it to all tribes in the wilderness.
However, the script Pei Xuanjing promoted was not the mature script of Daming World, but the initial and ancient pictographs. This type of script, simple and clear, was much easier for the human race to learn.
Pei Xuanjing's bold move was greatly admired by all races. Even many races in conflict with Pei Xuanjing's Qilin Clan respected his action as saintly and wise.
In this year, the status of the human race had also risen to the forefront of the all tribes in the wilderness. Although they were still not on par with those naturally powerful races, they were no longer looked down upon by any race.
In addition to Pei Xuanjing's wisdom and strength, his position within the Qilin Clan alliance also rose rapidly. After achieving several impressive victories through his planning and strategizing, he was considered a trusted aide by the Qilin Clan and heavily relied upon. It was at this time he discovered the true purpose of the formation of these alliances: longevity.
Everything stemmed from the desire for immortality.
The wilderness world seemed to have existed for many years, but how many years it indeed existed was unbeknownst to anyone, including the oldest and most powerful races.
But all races knew one thing for sure; nobody could attain longevity in this wilderness world. Regardless of the race or the strength of the ultimate fighter, no one had ever achieved immortality before.
Even the Nirvana Method of the Phoenix Clan who claimed to be immortal, and whether the Phoenix who survived the Nirvana Flame was still the original Phoenix, were matters that many other races viewed with skepticism.
But decades ago, a highly confidential message began circulating among powerful races. This confidential message concerned a method for achieving immortality.
According to this information, the wilderness world has bred a Heavenly Mandate. The race that secures this Heavenly Mandate could produce truly immortal beings.
Holding an immortal being was highly desirable for many races, only then their tribes can perpetually remain strong, standing tall in the wilderness world.
Being recognized as a powerful being, particularly one with significant strength, could anyone really accept their life wilting away without fighting it?
The existence of this Heavenly Mandate served as a fuse, many powerful races started forming alliances in an attempt to obtain the Heavenly Mandate and achieve immortality in the wilderness world, thereby becoming an eternal tribe.
However, although the Heavenly Mandate was rumored to exist, no one knew exactly how it would manifest. So, despite alliances having been established, precaution was maintained with no one wanting to act prematurely and give others an advantage.
Unexpectedly, Pei Xuanjing's initial action served as the catalyst for countless tribal alliances to begin warring. Alliances could no longer afford any delay, they each began to act out to the fullest of their abilities.
After decades of war, the Dragon Clan, Phoenix Clan, and Qilin Clan had emerged as the three most powerful alliances in the wilderness world. Almost all races submitted to them. Other powerful races had formed alliances that either got destroyed or absorbed by them, with no room left to exist independently.
At that time, only these three alliances existed in the entire wilderness. Their words represented the will of the wilderness, with no race daring to defy them.
One hundred and forty-five years old: After practicing in this world for over a hundred years, Pei Xuanjing has yet to break through to the mid-Sixth Level, equivalent to the Eightfold Realm of Spirit. It was only at this point that he truly understood the difficulty of ascending in the Nine Realms of Spirit, which seemed to touch the sky with each step.
But Pei Xuanjing didn't hurry. He continued his daily routine of refining his internal Golden Core and exploring the Taoist Skills of this world. Although his Skill Realm hadn't improved, it didn't mean Pei Xuanjing's battle strength hadn't changed at all.
In these past hundred years, Pei Xuanjing consolidated his life's learning and continuously concluded and sorted it out, eager to create a path and law unique to himself. He had also mastered the seventh technique in swordsmanship. His use of the Talisman Method was unpredictable.
Most notably, his spiritual consciousness and the Divine Ability of External Incarnation had greatly improved. With Pei Xuanjing's current spiritual consciousness, he could immediately materialize anywhere within the territory of the Human Alliance. This incarnation also possessed the strength to suppress the beginner level fighters of the Sixth Level.
This was precisely why Pei Xuanjing, the Emperor Xi of the human race, was feared by many races. After all, no one knew when a sudden appearance of a Sixth Level strongman would occur during a clash with humans.
One hundred and fifty years old: When Pei Xuanjing had been in this world for a hundred and fifty years, the previously quiet three-tribe alliance began to stir again, with the intentionally constrained friction amongst them once again increasing.
Based on the information Pei Xuanjing received from the Qilin Clan, he confirmed one thing: the rumored Heavenly Mandate was about to emerge, and it would depend on which race would get this real Heavenly Mandate in the end.
The leader of the Qilin Clan, Mo Qilin, immediately decided to mobilize troops to defeat the Dragon and Phoenix Clans, paving the way for obtaining the Heavenly Mandate in the future.
He immediately commanded the human tribes to be prepared to take action when the time was right.