Su Yu tucked the Lingxiao Jade into his sea of consciousness and strode out of the cave. It was the middle of the afternoon; the valley was bathed in bright sunlight, and a gentle breeze wafted the fragrance of flowers and grass. The tribespeople were busy, some washing game by the stream, others hanging wild fruits to dry on the open ground—a scene of industry and peace.
Scanning the area, Su Yu quickly spotted Suiren, Youchao, and Zhiyi. Suiren was crouched on the ground, fiddling with some dry branches with a furrowed brow, as if grappling with a difficult problem. Youchao was looking up at the tall trees in the valley, lost in thought. Zhiyi sat to one side, holding several animal skins and attempting to sew them together with vines.
Su Yu walked over and asked with a smile, "Hey, what are you three tinkering with?"
Suiren looked up, a troubled expression on his face. "Brother Yu, I’ve been trying to figure out how to make fire. If we could, we could eat cooked food, stay warm, and scare away wild beasts. But I’ve tried so many ways, and nothing works."
Youchao chimed in, "Exactly, Brother Yu. There are so many beasts in this valley, and sleeping on the flat ground makes me uneasy at night. I wanted to see if we could build nests in the trees—it would be safer and more comfortable—but I’ve been racking my brain and have no idea where to start."
Zhiyi shook the animal skins in her hand helplessly. "Brother Yu, these skins are too stiff; they’re uncomfortable to wear. I want to soften them and sew them into proper clothes, but the vines keep snapping. I’m about to go mad."
Su Yu laughed heartily after hearing them out. "You three certainly have some big ideas! As it happens, I was just about to talk to you about these things."
He crouched down, took the branches from Suiren’s hands, and said, "Suiren, do you know why it’s so hard to make fire? It’s because you haven’t mastered the method. Come, let me show you." Su Yu found a dry piece of wood, placed one end of a thin branch against it, and began to rub the branch back and forth rapidly with his hands.
"See? You have to rub it with force like this—fast speed and steady pressure. It’s just like fighting a beast; you must put your whole heart into it and not give up halfway." Su Yu explained as he demonstrated.
Before long, green smoke rose from the wooden board, followed by a flicker of flame. Suiren’s eyes went wide with surprise. "Whoa, Brother Yu, you’re incredible! You just made fire like that?"
Su Yu nodded with a smile. "That’s right. This is called drilling wood for fire. From now on, practice this method, and you’ll surely master it."
Excited, Suiren took the branches and the board, eager to try it himself. At first, his movements were clumsy, and he struggled for a while, but under Su Yu’s patient guidance, he soon mastered the technique and successfully ignited a flame.
"Haha! I did it! I did it!" Suiren danced with joy. The surrounding tribespeople, hearing the cheers, gathered around. Seeing the blazing fire, they were all amazed, their eyes filled with curiosity and excitement.
Su Yu then turned to Youchao and pointed at the trees. "Youchao, your idea of building nests in the trees is excellent. Look, we can select a sturdy tree with thick foliage, then use vines to lash branches together to create a frame. Just like building a house, we need a solid structure."
Su Yu climbed the tree himself, selected some suitable branches, cut them down with the stone knife he carried, and demonstrated how to weave them together with vines. "Remember, the vines must be tied tightly, or the nest won’t be secure. Also, the size should be based on the number of people, to ensure everyone has a place to stay."
Youchao watched intently, nodding from time to time and asking questions. Su Yu answered each one patiently, and the two worked happily in the tree. Other tribespeople came over to help, passing up branches and vines. After some effort, a simple tree nest was completed.
Youchao excitedly climbed into the nest, tested it, and said happily, "Brother Yu, this is so comfortable! Now we don’t have to worry about beasts attacking us at night anymore."
Su Yu smiled and said, "This is only the beginning. Later, we can keep improving them to make them even more comfortable and secure."
Having settled the problems for Suiren and Youchao, Su Yu went to Zhiyi. She looked at him with pleading eyes. "Brother Yu, please help me figure out these clothes."
Su Yu picked up an animal skin, felt it, and said, "Zhiyi, this skin is stiff because you haven’t processed it correctly. We need to soak it in water first. Once it’s soft, we rub it repeatedly with stones to remove the grease. That will make the skin much softer."
Su Yu demonstrated, and Zhiyi learned carefully. After the skin was processed, Su Yu picked up a vine and said, "As for sewing, vines snap too easily. We can use animal sinew instead. It’s tougher, and the clothes will be stronger."
Under Su Yu’s guidance, Zhiyi quickly mastered the techniques of clothing production. She used the animal sinew to sew the treated skins into a simple garment. After putting it on and spinning around, she said happily, "Brother Yu, look! This fits perfectly! Thank you!"
The tribespeople cheered as they saw Suiren successfully make fire, Youchao complete the tree nest, and Zhiyi craft wearable clothing. The entire valley was immersed in an atmosphere of joy.
However, just then, the sky suddenly darkened, and a mysterious, powerful energy filled the air. Su Yu looked up to see golden runes appearing across the firmament, intertwining and emitting a dazzling light.
"This... what is happening?" The tribespeople looked terrified and huddled behind Su Yu.
Su Yu felt a stirring in his heart, faintly guessing the cause. He comforted them, "Don't be afraid. The Heavenly Dao must be recognizing our inventions and is bestowing Merit upon us."
Sure enough, a moment later, three golden pillars of light descended from the sky, enveloping Suiren, Youchao, and Zhiyi. The three felt a warm, powerful energy surge into their bodies; their spiritual energy churned wildly, and their cultivation levels soared.
"Ah, I’ve broken through!" Suiren shouted first. A powerful aura erupted from him as he jumped from the Earth Immortal stage directly to the Golden Immortal stage.
Soon after, Youchao and Zhiyi also broke through, reaching the Golden Immortal level. However, Su Yu keenly noticed that although their levels had risen, their auras were somewhat unstable—clearly, because they had broken through using Merit, they possessed the level but lacked the corresponding combat strength.
"Don't just be happy; you must take the time to cultivate and stabilize your foundations, or this hard-won progress will be wasted," Su Yu warned loudly.
The three hurriedly nodded, sat cross-legged, and began to circulate their spiritual energy to stabilize their cultivation.
At the same time, another beam of golden light flew toward Su Yu. He felt a vast, gentle, and powerful force of Merit merge into his body, causing his very soul to tremble.
"Good heavens, that’s a lot of Merit!" Su Yu was secretly delighted. He channeled his cultivation technique, gathering the power of Merit. Slowly, a golden wheel emerged behind his head, inscribed with mysterious runes and radiating a sacred aura.
"This is the Golden Wheel of Merit! I never expected to manifest such a treasure." Su Yu looked at the wheel behind his head, filled with a sense of accomplishment.
The tribespeople were left speechless by the sight of the wheel. The bright-eyed little boy ran over, pointed at it, and asked, "Big Brother, your wheel is so beautiful! Is it very powerful?"
Su Yu laughed and ruffled his hair. "Indeed. This Golden Wheel of Merit can not only protect me but also enhance my strength. From now on, with this, our Human Race won’t have to fear those with malicious intent."
By now, Suiren, Youchao, and Zhiyi had stabilized their cultivation and stood up. Feeling the powerful strength within them, they were full of gratitude toward Su Yu.
Suiren walked over, knelt on one knee, and said, "Brother Yu, if not for your guidance, I would never have achieved this. I will keep this kindness in my heart forever."
Youchao and Zhiyi followed suit, kneeling and saying in unison, "Brother Yu, thank you for your teachings!"
Su Yu quickly helped them up. "We are all one family; why say such things? If our Human Race wants to stand tall in this Primordial World, we must be united and work hard together. Your achievements today are the result of your own efforts. Let’s keep working hard to make our Human Race even stronger!"
Everyone nodded, their eyes gleaming with determination.