Fate Misaligned, Hongjun Intervenes, the Three Pure Ones Discuss Hongyun

Under Red Cloud Ancestor's warm invitation, Taiqing Laozi was the first to take a gourd.

The gourd was purple-gold in color, later known as the Purple-Gold Red Gourd.

Raise the Purple-Gold Red Gourd and call someone's name. If they answered, they would immediately be drawn into the gourd. Before long, they would melt into a puddle of liquid, dying without even a burial place.

Next, Red Cloud Ancestor asked Yuanshi to step forward and pick the second gourd.

This time, no matter what, the Three Pure Ones refused. They declared that if Red Cloud Hermit did not take one, then they, the Three Pure Ones, would be too ashamed to take any.

With no other choice, Red Cloud Ancestor could only pick the second gourd.

This gourd was purplish-red, later known as the Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Gourd.

Once this gourd was unleashed, red sand filled the sky, forming the Innate Nine-Nine Returning Origin Grand Formation. Its power was extraordinary.

Amid everyone's courteous yielding, Yuqing Yuanshi became the third to pick a gourd from the vine.

This gourd was purplish-white, later known as the Immortal-Slaying Gourd.

In the original history, Taiyi had obtained it and refined it into the Immortal-Slaying Gourd, within which was contained an Immortal-Slaying Flying Knife, incomparably fierce and vicious.

Later, he gave it to his tenth nephew, Daoist Lu Ya. It shone brilliantly during the Investiture of the Gods Calamity, earning a fearsome reputation.

The flying knife was hidden within the gourd and flew from its sheath upon the recitation of an incantation, sharp beyond compare. It could immobilize an opponent's physical body and primordial spirit; below the level of a Saint, none could escape it. It was utterly tyrannical.

When killing an enemy, the gourd would release it, along with a human head bearing facial features and wings. Once the treasure wielder said, "Please, treasure, turn around," it could take a person's head.

Now, due to the convergence of fate, Taiyi had not left his palace, allowing Yuanshi to obtain this gourd instead.

The fourth to pick a gourd was Nüwa.

With a gentle sweep of Nüwa's delicate hand, a purple-green gourd fell into her grasp.

This gourd was later named the Demon Summoning Gourd, because after Nüwa became a Saint, she refined it into the Demon Summoning Banner, capable of controlling all demonkind beneath heaven.

Once the Demon Summoning Banner moved, all members of the demon race had to answer its summons.

The fifth to pick a gourd was Daoist Tongtian.

That gourd was purple-yellow, later also called the Water-Fire Gourd.

This was because it contained two Water-Fire Kirins born naturally within the gourd.

The sixth to pick a gourd was Queen Mother of the West.

This gourd was purple-green and could nurture all treasures beneath heaven, raising them to another level. Thus, it was also called the Treasure Nurturing Gourd, or the Treasure Raising Gourd.

The final gourd was purple-black, later known as the Chaos Gourd. Within the gourd, a realm of chaos could form on its own, transforming Acquired Spiritual Treasures into Innate Spiritual Treasures.

But before Fuxi could step forward, the purple-black gourd detached itself from the stem and vanished into the void.

Fuxi froze.

Then his face filled with helpless frustration.

Nüwa hurried forward to comfort her brother.

"Brother, treasures have their own affinities. Perhaps you are incompatible with this item, which is why you could not summon it."

"Brother, there is no need to be saddened. Better things will come in the future."

Red Cloud Hermit, Queen Mother of the West, and the others also stepped forward to offer words of comfort.

At the same time.

Chaotic Purple Cloud Palace.

Hongjun Daozu, seated upon a Great Dao Mat, suddenly had a purple-black gourd appear in his hand.

It was precisely the seventh purple-black Chaos Gourd borne by the Primordial Gourd Vine.

"This item should not appear upon the Primordial Continent."

With a casual wave of his hand, Hongjun Daozu sealed the purple-black Chaos Gourd deep within the Purple Cloud Palace, forbidding it from appearing in the world.

It was the instinctive reaction of the Heavenly Dao that had prompted Hongjun Daozu to act and destroy it.

But Hongjun Daozu was not truly the Heavenly Dao's lackey. Thus, though he acted, he did not completely obey the Heavenly Dao's command. He merely sealed it away, preventing it from appearing upon the Primordial Continent.

After the Three Pure Ones and the others had picked all the gourds, the Primordial Gourd Vine had exhausted its origin and immediately withered, turning into a vine.

When Nüwa saw this, a thought stirred in her heart. She stepped forward and picked up the vine.

Though the Three Pure Ones and the others saw Nüwa's actions, none of them paid any attention.

It was merely a withered vine, nothing remarkable.

Though it had been transformed from the gourd vine, a Primordial Spiritual Root, its origin had already been lost and its spiritual essence extinguished. It had no great use. If Nüwa wanted to take it, then she could take it.

All of them were Innate Great Powers. None would open their mouths over such a trifle.

They could not afford to lose face like that.

Seeing that no one objected, Nüwa simply went all the way and took away the clump of Nine Heavens Breath Soil at the vine's roots as well.

Seeing this, Fuxi said with some embarrassment, "Well... my younger sister has always been thrifty and cannot bear to see things go to waste. Please forgive her, fellow Daoists."

"No matter. It is simply her true nature."

The Three Pure Ones and the others did not dare offend these two Innate deities of Buzhou Mountain. They waved their hands and smiled indifferently.

If one could forge a good karmic bond, no one wished to make an enemy of another.

Besides, they were all fellow disciples under Hongjun Daozu. They would see one another often.

After dividing up the Primordial Gourd Vine, everyone exchanged a few pleasantries before each returning home, preparing to digest the gains they had received from listening to the teachings at Purple Cloud Palace.

After they departed, the Primordial Powerhouses who arrived later could only stare at the empty pit and sigh in regret.

"Still, we arrived one step too late!"

Kunpeng Ancestor looked at the treasure ground where he had gained nothing, his expression darkening. After brooding for a while, he transformed into the Nine Heavens Great Peng and returned to the North Sea.

After the Three Pure Ones returned together to Kunlun Mountain, they began discussing the matter.

Among the Three Pure Ones, Shangqing Tongtian had the boldest temperament. Broad-minded and frank, he wore his feelings openly and said whatever was on his mind. He was a man of clear loves and hates.

Because he had received a gourd from Red Cloud Hermit on Buzhou Mountain, he could not help but praise him. "Eldest Brother, Second Brother, I never expected that although Red Cloud Hermit is somewhat foolishly kind, he is also broad-minded. He treats others well everywhere and forms good karmic bonds throughout the Primordial Wilderness. No wonder he possesses such blessed fortune."

Upon hearing this, Yuqing Yuanshi could not help but nod in praise. "Red Cloud Hermit is an interesting fellow. We can befriend him."

Hearing his two brothers, Taiqing Laozi hurriedly said, "You two must not!"

Seeing Tongtian and Yuanshi both look over with faces full of confusion, Laozi explained, "Although Red Cloud Hermit is pure-hearted and kind to others, this is the Primordial Wilderness, where strength reigns supreme."

"Earlier, when Red Cloud Hermit gave up his seat, he had thoroughly offended Kunpeng of the North Sea and the Dao Ancestor. He has already set foot on the path to death."

"There is no need to say more. Kunpeng of the North Sea will surely find some pretext to knock Red Cloud Hermit into the dust and avenge this grudge."

Tongtian was most intolerant of evil and most clear in his loves and hates. Hearing Eldest Brother Laozi's words, he anxiously said, "What are you saying, Eldest Brother?"

"Are we to become people who know kindness yet refuse to repay it? Do not forget—the gourds in our hands have not even warmed up yet!"

Though Yuanshi was also utterly confused, he was not as impatient as Tongtian. He merely looked steadily at Laozi.

He knew that Eldest Brother Laozi would give them a reasonable explanation.

Eldest Brother Laozi had never disappointed them.