Nuwa, Fuxi

He looked up. Mount Buzhou still stood in silent majesty between heaven and earth.

Above the mountainside, it vanished into a sea of clouds; further up still, nothing but chaos, impossible to see clearly.

Gazing at that towering silhouette that pierced the vault of heaven, a thought suddenly rose in his heart.

He wanted to go up and see for himself.

Not necessarily to reach the summit, nor to seek some opportunity.

He simply wanted to walk this divine mountain with his own body, to measure it with his own feet.

To bear it with his own flesh, to feel it with his own Dao heart.

Once the thought arose, it could no longer be suppressed.

Xuande rose, wrapped his body in dharma power, and began to climb Mount Buzhou.

At first, it was still easy.

The pressure at the foot of the mountain was strong, but with his cultivation at the late stage of Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, he could easily withstand it by focusing his dharma power.

He followed the mountain's contours upward, his steps steady, occasionally pausing to study the patterns on the rocks along the way.

Those naturally formed Dao marks were ancient and profound; even at his current realm, he could not fully comprehend them.

He did not force it. After a few glances, he continued upward.

The higher he climbed, the heavier the pressure became.

That power did not come from any specific entity, nor did it feel like a rejection of intruders.

It was simply the mountain's own aura—integral, omnipresent.

The closer he drew to the mountain body, the more clearly he could sense it.

Xuande strengthened his protective dharma power further. His steps remained steady, but his pace had clearly slowed.

The scenery along the way also changed.

At the foot of the mountain, the vegetation was still lush—hardy old pines and gnarled cypresses with vigorous branches.

Higher up, the trees gradually thinned, replaced by vast expanses of bare rock walls and snow that never melted year-round.

Occasionally, he spotted a few spirit herbs rooted in the crevices of the rock, their leaves covered in a thin layer of ice crystals that refracted cold light under the sun.

Xuande paused beside one such spirit herb.

The herb was no more than three inches tall, its leaves slender as swords, a pale purple throughout, with a ring of fine ice beads condensed along the leaf edges.

Under the fierce pressure of Mount Buzhou, it still stood tall, showing no sign of withering.

Xuande crouched down and gently probed it with his divine sense. He could feel an extremely tenacious, pure life force within the herb—faint, yet resilient.

He looked at it for a long time, then raised his hand.

A wisp of extremely faint golden light gathered at his fingertip, gentle as water, and slowly seeped into the rock crevice where the spirit herb was rooted.

The Merit Golden Light did not touch the leaves directly. Instead, it permeated the surrounding soil and stone, forming a layer of barely perceptible warmth that enveloped the herb.

From now on, if wind, frost, or snow assailed this place, it would have a little more shelter than elsewhere.

He withdrew his hand, rose, and moved on.

He continued upward.

The pressure grew stronger and stronger. Xuande's steps became heavier, and the flow of his protective dharma power grew denser.

He did not force speed. He simply followed his own rhythm, climbing step by step.

Just then, he sensed an unusual aura.

It was not pressure, nor danger.

It was an Innate Restriction.

It lay hidden in the rock wall not far ahead.

Xuande stopped and focused his senses.

The restriction was laid with extraordinary skill, concealed within the natural Dao resonance of Mount Buzhou.

If he had not happened to walk this exact path and extended his divine sense to scout ahead, he would almost certainly have missed it.

Xuande's heart stirred.

An Innate Restriction, ancient and complete in its aura.

Could it be an Innate Spiritual Root?

Or perhaps an Innate Spiritual Treasure that had slumbered here since the dawn of heaven and earth?

When he had undergone Form Transformation in the West, his own Merit Golden Lotus had been protected by an Innate Restriction.

Now, sensing a restriction with a similar aura, he could not help but feel a trace of curiosity.

Since he had walked this path and happened to discover it, perhaps it was a matter of fate.

He stepped closer and probed again with his divine sense.

Inside the restriction, all was chaotic, and he could not perceive exactly what it was.

But the tangible presence of "something within" was unmistakable.

He raised his hand, condensing spiritual power at his fingertip, preparing to attempt a gentle method to break the restriction and see what lay inside.

"Daoist friend, please stop."

A clear, gentle female voice, like the striking of jade, slowly emerged from within the restriction.

"This place is the cultivation ground of us two siblings, not the restriction of an Innate Spiritual Treasure or spiritual root. Daoist friend, I fear you have misunderstood."

Xuande's hand hung in midair, and he was momentarily stunned.

He did not immediately withdraw his hand, nor did he speak.

He was simply thinking—this voice, this Dao resonance, the sibling pair who had opened a cultivation ground halfway up Buzhou Mountain...

A name, or rather two names, surfaced in his heart almost simultaneously.

Nuwa. Fuxi.

Xuande suppressed the surging emotions within him, slowly withdrew his hand, and let it fall to his side.

He took a step back, straightened his Dao robe, and solemnly bowed toward the Innate Restriction.

"I am Xuande, a cultivator from the West.

I did not realize this place was the cultivation ground of you two Daoist friends.

I mistook it for an ownerless restriction and nearly committed an offense. For my discourtesy, I beg your forgiveness, Daoist friends."

His voice was calm and sincere, without a trace of arrogance or deliberate humility.

He simply spoke the truth and admitted his mistake openly.

Within the restriction, there was a moment of silence.

Then, the female voice spoke again, its tone gentler than before:

"So it is Daoist friend Xuande. Your aura is pure, and merit faintly appears—clearly you are no evil cultivator.

You did not forcibly break the restriction just now, only approached to investigate. That is hardly an offense. There is no need for such formality, Daoist friend."

Another voice, deep and resonant, a man's, also came from within the restriction, warm and steady:

"Daoist friend, to have reached this place, your cultivation must be extraordinary. The pressure of Buzhou Mountain is immense, and halfway up is no longer reachable for ordinary Daluo.

Since you have come this far, and your aura is clear, it shows your Dao heart is firm. Since it is a misunderstanding, let it be resolved. Daoist friend, please rise."

Xuande straightened up, thinking to himself:

These two are indeed Nuwa and Fuxi.

Though he had long known of these great powers in the Primordial Wilderness, he had never expected to meet them here, at this time.

And... he looked up at the Innate Restriction hidden within the rock face, a wave of emotion stirring within him.

He had originally only wanted to walk through Buzhou Mountain and take a look.

He had never thought of meeting anyone here.

Yet, unexpectedly, halfway up the mountain, he had knocked on the door of a future saint.

As he pondered, the Innate Restriction suddenly rippled with a faint, clear light.

The radiance was like water, gently spreading from the center of the restriction outward. After a moment, a portal silently opened.

It was not a true door, but an entrance voluntarily opened by the restriction.

Within the entrance lay a path paved with white jade, winding into the depths.

On either side of the path, faintly visible, were verdant bamboo groves and shallow streams, Spiritual Energy dense and Dao resonance flowing—a stark contrast to the vast, cold harshness of Buzhou Mountain outside.

"Daoist friend Xuande." The female voice came again, carrying a hint of a smile.

"Since the misunderstanding is resolved, and meeting here is rare, it must be fate.

If you do not mind, Daoist friend, please come in and speak with us. My brother and I judge that you are no ill-intentioned guest."

The male voice also said:

"Indeed. This place is remote, and few Daoist friends ever come here.

Meeting today is also a matter of fate. Daoist friend Xuande, please."

Xuande gazed at the open portal of the restriction, several thoughts racing through his mind.

He did not hesitate long—the invitation had come suddenly, yet it was sincere.

Given Nuwa and Fuxi's origins and cultivation, if they bore him ill will, they would have no need to invite him inside.

Moreover, he truly was just passing through, it truly was a misunderstanding, and he truly... was somewhat curious about these two legendary great powers.

He cupped his hands again: "In that case, I shall impose upon you two Daoist friends."

With that, he lifted his foot and stepped through the portal.

The moment he crossed into the restriction, Xuande clearly felt that inside and outside were two different worlds.