Phoenix Nest Mountain.
Nuwa sat upright on the Cloud Bed, a deep, unshakable worry clouding her brow.
After returning from Zixiao Palace with the Hongmeng Purple Qi bestowed upon her, she had pondered it day and night, trying to uncover its mysteries and attain that supreme Sage Dao.
"Alas..."
A soft sigh, filled with profound helplessness, echoed through the empty palace.
Not long ago, her elder brother Fuxi had sent her a message.
He had mentioned that he and the Demon Emperor Di Jun had joined forces to deduce the Great Formation of the Stars, and that their progress was quite smooth.
This news had undoubtedly added to Nuwa's pressure.
The Demon Clan was growing powerful, and her elder brother was now among them. Though he claimed to be assisting them, who could say what the future held?
If she continued to make no breakthrough in the Sage Dao, then if some great upheaval befell the Primordial Wilderness in the future, how could she truly control her own fate?
"The Three Pure Ones... They were transformed from Pangu's Primordial Spirit, with profound foundations and extraordinary comprehension."
"They must have gained something from pondering the Hongmeng Purple Qi, right?"
"I'll go to Kunlun Mountain and ask them. Perhaps they can give me some inspiration."
A thought surfaced in Nuwa's mind.
Having made up her mind, Nuwa no longer hesitated. A flash of radiance surrounded her, and she left Phoenix Nest Mountain, heading straight toward Kunlun Mountain.
Kunlun Mountain, the Three Pure Ones' dojo.
Taiqing, Yuanshi, and Tongtian sat facing one another in meditation. Auspicious clouds churned above each of their heads, yet they carried an obscure quality.
The atmosphere in the mountain differed from usual, weighed down by an additional sense of gloom.
Suddenly, Taiqing opened his eyes.
"We have a guest."
Yuanshi and Tongtian sensed it as well. They opened their eyes at the same time and looked beyond the mountain.
A graceful figure approached from afar and lightly descended before the palace gates. It was Nuwa.
"So it's Junior Sister Nuwa. We failed to welcome you from afar. Please forgive us." Taiqing gave a slight nod, his voice calm.
Yuanshi nodded slightly. "Junior Sister is a rare visitor."
Tongtian was much more forthright. He laughed heartily. "Why aren't you cultivating in seclusion at Phoenix Nest Mountain, Junior Sister? What brings you to my Kunlun Mountain today?"
Nuwa bowed to the Three Pure Ones. "Greetings, Senior Brothers."
Taiqing extended a hand in invitation. "Please, Junior Sister."
The three welcomed Nuwa into the palace, where a young acolyte served her clear tea.
Nuwa held the teacup and pondered briefly, organizing her thoughts before finally speaking.
"Three Senior Brothers, I have taken the liberty of coming here today because I truly have something to ask of you. Or rather, I wish to seek your guidance."
Taiqing remained as calm as ever. "Speak freely, Junior Sister. We are fellow disciples; there is no need to be so polite."
"Three Senior Brothers, I came here because of the Hongmeng Purple Qi."
A hint of distress appeared on her face.
"After Teacher bestowed this treasure upon me in Zixiao Palace, I returned to Phoenix Nest Mountain and pondered it day and night, never daring to slacken in the slightest."
"Yet... to this day, I have made no progress whatsoever."
"The Hongmeng Purple Qi is unfathomably profound. No matter how I deduce it, I cannot glimpse its mysteries, much less refine it."
"I am truly perplexed, which is why I came to seek your guidance. How exactly should one ponder the Hongmeng Purple Qi?"
"Is there any method by which you could point me in the right direction?"
After speaking, Nuwa looked at the three of them with a trace of expectation.
In her view, the Three Pure Ones were the Pangu Orthodox Sect and possessed the merit of creating the world. Their progress in comprehending the Hongmeng Purple Qi should naturally be much smoother than hers.
The Three Pure Ones exchanged glances upon hearing this, their expressions somewhat subtle.
Taiqing gave a light cough and slowly began to speak.
"To be honest with you, Junior Sister..."
"After returning from Zixiao Palace, the three of us brothers also pondered the Hongmeng Purple Qi day and night, just as you have."
He paused, a bitter smile appearing on his face. "But the result... was exactly the same as yours."
"No progress whatsoever."
"What?" Nuwa blurted it out, and even the hand holding her teacup trembled slightly.
She could hardly believe her ears.
"Three Senior Brothers... You... you haven't made any progress either?"
Taiqing nodded, a trace of helplessness in his voice. "That is indeed the case."
"Not only have we pondered it individually, the three of us have also joined forces several times to deduce it. We compared our individual insights, hoping to uncover the key."
"Yet it was still all in vain."
"That Hongmeng Purple Qi is like a duckweed without roots, leaving no trace to follow, as though it were completely incompatible with the Dao we cultivate."
Yuanshi let out a cold snort, clear displeasure in his voice. "Hmph! Teacher bestowed this item upon us and said it was the foundation for becoming a Saint, yet it is so obscure and difficult to understand. It is truly baffling!"
He had clearly been troubled by this matter for a long time, and a simmering anger had built up in his heart.
Tongtian sighed. "We have even begun to wonder whether our method of comprehension is wrong, or whether we are missing some crucial opportunity."
"If Junior Sister had not come today, then after a while, the three of us brothers would have left Kunlun Mountain to travel throughout the Primordial Wilderness. Perhaps we might find some opportunity and make a breakthrough."
Nuwa was completely stunned.
This result had gone entirely beyond her expectations.
She had originally thought that her aptitude was simply dull, which was why she had been unable to comprehend the Hongmeng Purple Qi.
She had never imagined that even the Three Pure Ones, with their extraordinary origins, would face the same predicament!
For a time, Nuwa's heart was filled with conflicting emotions.
There was shock, disbelief, and even a trace of... inexplicable balance?
But if even the Three Pure Ones were helpless, would the Hongmeng Purple Qi not become nothing more than a reflection of flowers in a mirror or the moon in water?
Could the Sage Dao truly be so impossibly distant?
Silence reigned for a long while.
Nuwa spoke again. "Three Senior Brothers... Since each of us has pondered it individually, yet gained nothing..."
"Even the three of you failed to uncover its mysteries after joining forces."
"Then..."
Nuwa drew a deep breath, as though she had made some kind of decision.
"Why don't the four of us join forces and give it a try?"
"The four of us?"
The Three Pure Ones were all taken aback.
Taiqing's brows shifted slightly.
A thoughtful look flashed through Yuanshi's eyes.
Tongtian's eyes lit up. "You mean the four of us should comprehend the Hongmeng Purple Qi together?"
Nuwa nodded firmly. "Exactly!"
"One person's plans may be limited, but two people's are broader. All four of us have won the Dao Ancestor's favor and bear great Fortune. Perhaps by gathering the wisdom of all four, we can create a different spark and find that sliver of hope!"
Taiqing pondered for a moment before slowly nodding. "What Junior Sister says is not without reason."
"Perhaps joining forces really will make a difference."
Yuanshi also said, "It is worth a try. Adding one more person means adding one more possibility."
Tongtian was even more decisive. "Good! Let's do it!"
"We have nothing better to do anyway. We might as well try to bring a dead horse back to life!"
"I'd like to see just how difficult this Hongmeng Purple Qi really is!"
The Three Pure Ones exchanged glances, each seeing a trace of interest in the others' eyes.
They had indeed been tormented terribly by the Hongmeng Purple Qi.
Nuwa's suggestion had undoubtedly given them a new direction.
"Very well." Taiqing made the final decision.
"Since that is the case, the four of us shall join forces to comprehend this Hongmeng Purple Qi."
A hint of joy appeared on Nuwa's face, and the gloom in her heart dissipated somewhat.
"Thank you, Senior Brothers."
"You're too polite, Junior Sister. If we truly gain something, it will be a shared opportunity for all of us." Taiqing waved his hand.
Afterward, the four of them said nothing more.
They each sat down cross-legged, composed their minds, and began jointly pondering the Hongmeng Purple Qi.