Nuwa Calls for Backup

Within Kunlun Mountain, a hundred years slipped by.

Nuwa and the Three Pure Ones sat facing one another, each wearing a different expression.

The Hongmeng Purple Qi remained as it had from the start, suspended within each of their Primordial Spirits, utterly motionless—profound and impossible to decipher.

Nuwa spoke first, her voice carrying an indescribable weariness. "A hundred years have passed. Can this Hongmeng Purple Qi truly be comprehended?"

Laozi opened his eyes. Even ripples had arisen in those ancient-well-still pupils.

He shook his head. "I have no clue."

Primordial Lord snorted coldly, the aura around him somewhat unstable. "How could the item bestowed by our teacher be false? It is merely that our fate is too shallow, and we have yet to glimpse even one ten-thousandth of its mysteries!"

Yet despite his words, the irritation in his voice was impossible to conceal.

Tongtian also wore a frustrated expression and scratched his head.

"What exactly is this thing?"

"It's right there. You can sense that it's extraordinary, yet you simply can't touch it or reach it! It's maddening!"

Laozi slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, his brow tightly furrowed.

"The Dao we cultivate seems to have no direct connection to this Hongmeng Purple Qi."

"It is more like a key, yet we do not know which door it is meant to unlock."

Watching the appearances of her three senior brothers, the doubts in Nuwa's heart grew ever heavier.

"Could it be... that this Hongmeng Purple Qi truly cannot be comprehended through our own efforts?"

She bit her lower lip. A thought that had circled in her heart for a long time finally came out.

"Three senior brothers, your junior sister has an idea. I do not know whether I should speak it."

Laozi said, "Speak freely, junior sister."

Primordial Lord and Tongtian also looked toward her.

"Beneath our teacher, aside from the four of us, there are also the two Daoist Friends from the West, Jieyin and Zhunti. They too received Hongmeng Purple Qi and are our teacher's registered disciples."

Nuwa paused, observing the reactions of the Three Pure Ones.

"I was thinking, since even the four of us have achieved nothing working together, why not..."

"Invite those two to join us in comprehending it?"

"Perhaps this Hongmeng Purple Qi requires the combined strength of all six of us before we can find that single thread of hope!"

As her words fell, Taiqing Daoist's brow creased almost imperceptibly, but he did not speak at once.

Primordial Lord's face, however, darkened immediately, his eyes filled with undisguised disdain.

"Junior sister! Do not spout nonsense!" His voice suddenly rose, edged with anger.

"Hmph! Those two from the West merely cried to heaven and wailed to earth in Purple Cloud Palace, fighting and scrambling, playing the miserable victim and throwing tantrums, before they luckily gained our teacher's pity and were bestowed Saint Positions!"

"How are such actions any different from those of scoundrels? They have utterly disgraced us Guests of Purple Cloud Palace!"

"You expect me to comprehend the Great Dao alongside such shameless wretches? It is simply the greatest humiliation! I disdain keeping company with them!"

The more Primordial Lord spoke, the more agitated he became, his chest rising and falling. Clearly, he held considerable grievances against those two.

Tongtian also frowned tightly and curled his lip. "Those two really are... not fit to grace the stage. Crying and sniveling—what sort of conduct is that?"

Though his reaction was not as intense as Primordial Lord's, he was clearly unwilling as well.

Seeing this, Nuwa sighed inwardly.

How could she not know that her three senior brothers, Primordial Lord in particular, had always looked down on the two from the West?

She sighed and dropped a piece of thunderous news.

"Three senior brothers, do you know the Demon Race's recent situation?"

Laozi looked at her. "The Demon Race has been unified by Di Jun and Taiyi, their Fortune flourishing at its peak. Naturally, we know of this."

"It is more than that." Nuwa's expression turned grave. "As far as I know, Di Jun and my Elder Brother are working together to deduce an unparalleled great array, called the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array."

"This array draws upon the power of the stars throughout the heavens. Once deployed, its might will be boundless, enough to destroy heaven and earth."

"Three senior brothers, think about it. The Demon Race was already immensely powerful. If they gain such a slaughtering array as well, to what extent will their strength expand?"

"The Primordial Wilderness is likely to descend into complete chaos!"

"By then, if we have yet to Prove the Dao and become Saints, beneath this monstrous Great Calamity, even protecting ourselves may become no more than a vain hope!"

Nuwa's words were like a thunderclap from clear skies, blasting the Three Pure Ones' expressions into drastic change.

Laozi's half-closed eyes flew open, a gleam flashing through them before vanishing.

"Junior Sister Nuwa, is this true?"

His voice was no longer calm, now carrying a trace of urgency.

The disdain on Primordial Lord's face vanished completely, replaced by deep apprehension and shock.

Though he was arrogant, he also understood the terror of the power of the stars throughout the heavens.

Nuwa nodded solemnly. "It is absolutely true. Elder Brother sent word before, mentioning this matter. The progress has been quite smooth."

"Otherwise, I would not be in such a hurry to disturb the three senior brothers and discuss comprehending the Hongmeng Purple Qi together."

Laozi fell silent for a long while before finally speaking. "Junior Sister's concerns are not without reason."

He looked at Primordial Lord Tianzun and Tongtian. "The greater picture comes first."

Just four words, yet they made his stance clear.

Primordial Lord Tianzun's chest rose and fell once. In the end, he merely gave a heavy snort through his nose.

"Fine! For the sake of the Great Dao, I'll grit my teeth and accept it!"

"But let me make this clear first: if those two dare play any more tricks, don't blame me for showing no mercy!"

Tongtian sighed as well. "Fine, fine. An extra pair of hands is always good. Even if those two aren't exactly welcome company."

Seeing the Three Pure Ones relent, Nuwa felt somewhat reassured.

"Then we should not delay. Let us depart at once for Mount Sumeru in the west."

Grand Pure One Laozi nodded. "Good."

The four figures wasted no time, leaving Kunlun Mountain at once and flying westward.

Mount Sumeru.

Unlike the blessed immortal mountains of the east, this place still carried traces of ruin and desolation. Yet compared to before, its Spiritual Qi had grown far denser; clearly, Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti had put in no small amount of effort over the years.

Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti sat facing one another in withered meditation, both wearing deeply troubled expressions.

"Senior Brother, just what is this Hongmeng Purple Qi?" Daoist Zhunti sighed. "Our teacher bestowed it upon us, not so we could simply stare at it, right?"

Daoist Jieyin's expression was even more bitter. "Junior Brother, do not be impatient. This is the foundation of sainthood, profound and unfathomable. We are dull of aptitude and unable to comprehend it—that is only natural."

Though he spoke thus, the anxiety in his heart was no less than Daoist Zhunti's.

The west was barren. They had finally obtained such a heaven-sent opportunity; if they failed to seize it, they would have nowhere to weep.

Just then, both men opened their eyes at the same time and looked beyond the mountain.

"Guests have arrived—and... they do not come with good intentions," Daoist Zhunti muttered.

Before long, four figures appeared outside Mount Sumeru's Dao Field.

They were the Three Pure Ones and Nuwa.

Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti hurriedly rose to welcome them.

"Oh, what rare guests, what rare guests! I did not know that the Three Pure Ones, Daoist Friends, and Daoist Friend Nuwa would grace us with your presence. Forgive us for failing to welcome you from afar!" Daoist Zhunti rushed to speak first, brimming with enthusiasm.

Daoist Jieyin also bowed with clasped hands. "Greetings, Daoist Friends."

Laozi gave a slight nod. "We have disturbed you two Daoist Friends."

Primordial Lord Tianzun merely nodded coldly, too lazy to say another word.

Tongtian, however, cupped his fists. "Daoist Friend Jieyin, Daoist Friend Zhunti."

Nuwa stepped forward and succinctly explained the matter from beginning to end, including how the four of them had jointly comprehended it for a hundred years without results, as well as their speculation that all six might need to gather in order to comprehend the Hongmeng Purple Qi.

Naturally, she did not mention the Demon Race's Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array. That was meant to keep the Three Pure Ones in check; there was no need for the two from the west to know too much about it.

After hearing this, Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti's eyes immediately lit up.

The two brothers had also failed to find even the slightest clue while comprehending it alone, and they had been worrying themselves sick.

Now, these four great figures—Nuwa and the Three Pure Ones—had actually come to their door on their own initiative and proposed comprehending it together. This was simply a pie falling from the sky!

Daoist Zhunti rubbed his hands excitedly. "Is what Senior Sister Nuwa says true? You... you truly are willing to bring us two brothers along to comprehend the Hongmeng Purple Qi?"

It was as though he feared they might change their minds.

Daoist Jieyin also looked at Nuwa and the Three Pure Ones with eager anticipation, and some of the sorrow on his face faded.

"If we can comprehend it together with the four Daoist Friends, it would be an honor for us brothers. We naturally accept with great pleasure—we could not ask for more!"

Nuwa nodded. "Then all is well."

Though Primordial Lord Tianzun still wore a stern expression, he did not raise any further objection.

Tongtian cracked his knuckles. "Good! Six people! Let's see whether we can finally get to the bottom of this Hongmeng Purple Qi!"

Laozi spoke. "Since that is the case, we should not delay."

"Let us remain here and comprehend the Hongmeng Purple Qi together."

"Let us see whether the combined strength of six people can bring about a breakthrough."