83: Chapter 83 Towards Symbiosis

The four hundredth year.

The first session of the Five Races Council was held at the Council Building in the Deep Blue Sea Abyss.

The topic was trade rules.

The Mushroom People requested a unified price standard for all commodities to avoid malicious price hikes and undercutting.

The Shadow Demons requested the opening of more trade routes to reduce transportation costs.

The Ice Crystals requested the establishment of a trade arbitration mechanism to resolve disputes.

The Naga requested the demarcation of clear maritime boundaries to avoid fishing conflicts.

The humans requested the establishment of an aid fund to help the weakest races through difficult times.

The debate lasted for a full three months. There was arguing, table-slamming, glass-shattering, and they even almost came to blows. But in the end, they reached an agreement.

The "Five Races Trade Agreement" was officially signed.

The agreement stipulated price ceilings and floors for all major commodities, maintenance responsibilities for trade routes, procedures for dispute arbitration, maritime boundaries, and the scale and distribution methods of the aid fund.

This was the first inter-racial law of the Netherworld World.

The five hundredth year.

The Five Races Council began to handle more complex issues.

The Mycelium Deep Forest of the Mushroom People was expanding, encroaching on the edge of the Shadow Demon Abyss. The Shadow Demons protested, the Mushroom People defended themselves, and both sides argued incessantly at the council.

Ultimately, the council's ruling was: using the underground Yin Qi river as the boundary, the Mushroom People must not expand past the river, and the Shadow Demons must not mine past the river. Both sides accepted.

The Ice Crystals and the Naga faced off again at the edge of the Frozen Sea because the Ice Crystal fishing fleet had crossed the neutral zone. The Naga Council demanded compensation from the Ice Crystals, which they refused.

The council's ruling was: the Ice Crystals would compensate the Naga for thirty percent of the lost catch, and the Naga would open a small new fishing ground as compensation. Both sides reluctantly accepted.

The Shadow Demons and humans developed differences in religious beliefs. The Shadow Demons felt the humans were too fanatical, and that their prayers affected the Shadow Demons' cultivation. The humans felt the Shadow Demons weren't pious enough and lacked reverence for the existence of the Netherworld.

This issue, the council could not resolve.

Because it was a matter of faith.

Chen Ming stood up and said one sentence:

“Faith is free. No one can force others to believe in something, and no one can criticize the beliefs of others.”

“The law of the Netherworld is justice.”

“Not uniformity.”

The Shadow Demon elders fell silent.

The issue was shelved just like that.

The six hundredth year.

The Five Races Council began to handle deeper issues.

Population mobility. More and more Shadow Demons and Mushroom People began to migrate and live in human cities. They brought new technologies and new concepts, but also new conflicts.

Cultural fusion. Young Mushroom People began to learn the cultivation methods of the Shadow Demons, young Shadow Demons began to believe in the human church, and young Ice Crystals began to learn the ocean technology of the Naga. New cultures were being born, and the old order was disintegrating.

Inter-racial marriage. Though rare, it did happen. A Shadow Demon and a human fell in love and wanted to marry, but they didn't know which race's laws they should follow.

These issues, the council could not solve.

Because they were too new.

So new that no one had any experience.

Chen Ming stood up and said one sentence:

“Let time provide the answer.”

“A thousand years ago, we were still struggling in the ruins.”

“Five hundred years ago, we were still killing each other.”

“Now, we sit together discussing marriage and faith.”

“This in itself is progress.”

The council fell silent.

The Mushroom People elder nodded. The Shadow Demon elder also nodded. The Ice Crystal elder, the Naga councilor—everyone nodded.

They reached a consensus:

Not to rush to solve all problems.

Let time, evolution, and the choices of generation after generation determine the answers.

The seven hundredth year.

The human population grew to four million.

The Netherworld Church developed a complete organizational structure.

Chen Ming was still the High Priest, but he established twelve dioceses, each with a bishop responsible for proselytizing and pastoring. Below the dioceses were parishes, and below the parishes were prayer points. The entire system was like a giant net covering all human settlements.

The church's doctrine was also evolving.

The core doctrine remained unchanged: the Netherworld is the home of the dead, good and evil are rewarded or punished, and life and death cycle through reincarnation.

But differences began to appear in specific interpretations.

Some insisted on fundamentalism, believing everything should be strictly carried out according to the teachings of the Black and White Impermanence without any change.

Some advocated for reform, believing they should adapt to the new era and to exchanges with other races, and not be stuck in their ways.

The two factions argued incessantly within the church, but they never split.

Because Chen Ming was still there.

He was like a lighthouse, guiding the direction of humanity.

His attitude was: Faith is alive. The laws of the Netherworld are unchanging, but human understanding can change. As long as the core remains the same, the form can be flexible.

This moderate attitude allowed the church to maintain unity.

It also allowed humans to maintain a unique position among the five great races.

The eight hundredth year.

The Power Of Faith of humanity began to undergo a qualitative change.

The collective prayer of four million people every day gathered into a Power Of Faith that no longer just drifted toward the Underworld Space. It began to affect the Living World itself.

That Power Of Faith permeated the air, merged into the Yin Qi, and seeped into the soil.

The mushrooms of the Mushroom People grew faster under the nourishment of Power Of Faith, the Shadow Demons' cultivation was more effective with the boost of Power Of Faith, the Ice Crystals' Extreme Cold Domain became more stable under the influence of Power Of Faith, and the Naga's oceans became clearer under the purification of Power Of Faith.

The other races began to realize that human faith was not just their own business.

Human faith made the entire Living World better.

The Mushroom People Council took the initiative to lower the prices of spore products to reduce the burden on humans.

The Shadow Demon Abyss announced a fifty percent reduction in human debt.

The Ice Crystal race provided Extreme Cold Shields for human cities for free to defend against natural disasters.

The Naga Council passed a resolution to provide a batch of free deep-sea resources to humans every year.

In return, humans strengthened their prayers. The number of people praying daily increased from four million to four and a half million, and the Power Of Faith became even richer.

The relationship between the five races began to move from pure transaction toward symbiosis.

The nine hundredth year.

The balance of the five great races finally formed.

The Mushroom People were the producers. They provided food, medicine, and building materials. They were the foundation of the entire Living World. Without the Mushroom People, the other races could not survive. The Mushroom People knew this, but they did not abuse this advantage.

The Shadow Demons were the merchants and energy providers. They provided yin energy crystal, Space Folding technology, and transportation services. They were the link between the five races and the promoters of trade.

The Ice Crystals were the warriors and guardians. They provided extreme cold weapons, defensive shields, and combat training. They were the first line of defense for the Living World.

The Naga were the builders and legislators. They built the most complex cities, formulated the most complete laws, and managed the largest society.

Humans were the believers and priests. They provided Power Of Faith, spiritual sustenance, and moral guidance. They were the soul of the entire Netherworld World.

Five races, five roles.

Each was indispensable.

The nine hundred and ninety-ninth year.

The Five Races Council held its 237th plenary session in the Deep Blue Sea Abyss.

The topic this time was celebration.

Celebrating five hundred years of peaceful coexistence among the five races.

Celebrating six hundred years since the establishment of the Five Races Council.

Celebrating that the Living World had never broken out into a large-scale war.

Celebrating that the civilization of the Netherworld World had finally matured.

Chen Ming stood up and delivered his final speech.

His eyes were pure gold, his aura was at the peak of the fourth rank, and his body was aged, but his spirit remained young.

He looked at those representatives, representatives from different races, different cultures, and different faiths, sitting together discussing their common future.

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

“Nine hundred and ninety-nine years ago, I knelt before the Ghost Gate Pass, praying for the acceptance of the Netherworld.”

“The Black and White Impermanence accepted me.”

“The Ghost King accepted me.”

“The Creator accepted me.”

“From that day on, I knew that this land would not abandon anyone willing to survive.”

“Nine hundred and ninety-nine years have passed.”

“We have survived.”

“Not by luck, not by pity.”

“By ourselves.”

“By the diligence of the Mushroom People, the wisdom of the Shadow Demons, the courage of the Ice Crystals, the order of the Naga, and the faith of humanity.”

“By learning how to live together on this land with people who are different from us.”

He took a deep breath, his pure gold eyes sweeping over everyone.

“Today is the last day of the first millennium.”

“Tomorrow is a new millennium.”

“Even if I am no longer here afterward.”

“You will still be here.”

“The Netherworld will still be here.”

“The Creator is still watching us.”

“Let us continue to walk forward.”

“Together.”

Thunderous applause erupted in the Council Building.

At that moment, the entire Living World resonated.

Five powers, five wills, and five races perfectly fused together at this moment.

That fused power soared into the sky, piercing through the barrier between the Living World and the Underworld, and flooded into the Underworld Space.

The last day of the first millennium.

The time flow adjustment was about to end.

Su Bai stood at the world core, overlooking the entire Living World.

Four and a half million units.

The Mushroom People grew from one hundred thousand to five hundred thousand.

The Shadow Demons grew from one hundred and twenty thousand to eight hundred thousand.

The Ice Crystals grew from twenty-three thousand to one hundred and fifty thousand.

The Naga grew from two hundred thousand to one and a half million.

The humans grew from three million to four and a half million.

The daily Power Of Faith output grew from 3,860 points to 8,000 points.

Su Bai looked at that number, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.

[Deduction Complete]

[Living World · Millennium Evolution Summary]

[Five Great Races Status: Balanced]

[Mushroom People Civilization: Population 500,000, Civilization Level: Peak of Feudal Era, established stable trade networks with Shadow Demons and Naga]

[Shadow Demon Civilization: Population 800,000, Civilization Level: Mid-Feudal Era, established energy cooperation with Mushroom People and Ice Crystals]

[Ice Crystal Civilization: Population 150,000, Civilization Level: Late Slave Era, established military alliance with Naga and humans]

[Naga Civilization: Population 1,500,000, Civilization Level: Peak of Feudal Era, established a complete legal system and council system]

[Human Civilization: Population 4,500,000, Civilization Level: Mid-Feudal Era, established the Netherworld Church]

[Five Races Council: Established for 600 years, held 237 sessions, resolved 1,427 disputes, passed 89 bills]

[Five Races Relationship: Symbiotic. Mushroom People provide basic supplies, Shadow Demons provide energy and transport, Ice Crystals provide military defense, Naga provide law and order, humans provide faith and spiritual guidance. Five races, five roles, each indispensable.]

[Current Daily Power Of Faith Total Output: 8,000 points]

Su Bai looked in detail at the amount of Power Of Faith generated by each race, his mouth curling up slightly.

Humans, as expected of humans.

Four and a half million people contributed seventy percent of the Power Of Faith.

This was exactly what he wanted.