The vastness, coldness, and weight of Buzhou Mountain beyond were completely shut out here.
In their place was a tranquil, peaceful atmosphere, even touched with a hint of warmth.
He followed the white jade path inward.
As expected, lush bamboo grew in thick stands on either side. It was no ordinary variety: the stalks were translucent as jade, and a faint blue-green Spiritual Light flowed through the leaves and branches.
A breeze stirred the leaves with a soft rustle. Their clear notes reached his ears, easing his mind.
Deep within the bamboo grove, a simple thatched pavilion was just visible. It contained a stone table and stools, and an unfinished game of chess lay on the table.
At the end of the path stood an equally plain thatched cottage.
Two figures stood before it.
The one in front wore a moon-white Daoist robe. She was slender and graceful, her face exquisitely beautiful, and a soft, gentle halo surrounded her.
The halo was unlike the warmth and weight of Merit Golden Light. Instead, it was closer to the Origin Essence of heaven and earth, the vitality of all things... Creation Qi.
Her eyes were clear as autumn waters. When she looked at Xuande, they held a gentle curiosity and goodwill.
This was Nuwa.
The one half a step behind her was tall and lean, dressed in a dark blue-green Daoist robe. His handsome face was calm, his brows carrying the steadiness and understanding that came from years of experience.
His aura resembled Nuwa's, but held more of an ancient, profound quality, faintly resonating with the Dao Rhyme of Buzhou Mountain itself.
This was Fuxi.
Xuande stepped forward and bowed respectfully once more.
"This humble Daoist is Xuande. Greetings, Fellow Daoist Nuwa. Greetings, Fellow Daoist Fuxi."
Nuwa smiled and returned his bow. "Fellow Daoist Xuande, there's no need to stand on ceremony. Please."
Fuxi also nodded in return. His gaze lingered on Xuande for a moment before he said warmly,
"Your aura is pure, and merit follows you. Are you cultivating... the Golden Lotus Dao?"
Xuande was slightly surprised.
Though Fuxi hadn't gotten it exactly right, he had come very close.
Xuande nodded. "Fellow Daoist Fuxi has a keen eye.
"My true form is an Innate Golden Lotus. After taking human form, I made merit and Purity the foundation of my cultivation."
"No wonder," Fuxi said thoughtfully.
"The pressure on Buzhou Mountain is immense. An ordinary Great Luo would be exhausted by the time they reached the halfway point.
"You've made it here with ease. Aside from your deep cultivation, it must also be due to the solidity of your true form and the protection of your merit."
Xuande replied, "You flatter me, Fellow Daoist. I'm only managing to hold on. I was looking for a place to rest when I happened upon your dwelling."
Nuwa said softly, "Since you're passing through and fate has brought us together, why not rest here for a while? The place is humble, but we do have tea."
As she spoke, she turned and headed into the cottage. Fuxi stepped aside and gestured for Xuande to enter.
Xuande hesitated briefly, then followed them inside.
The cottage was furnished simply.
There was a wooden bed and a low table. A few bamboo scrolls lay carelessly to one side, and several unknown wildflowers stood in a clay pot in the corner. Their pale-purple petals gave off an elegant, delicate fragrance.
Nuwa sat beside the low table and raised her slender hand. From nowhere, she produced a similarly simple tea set and began heating water.
Fuxi invited Xuande to sit opposite them, then took a seat to one side.
The aroma of tea soon filled the cottage.
It was nothing like the potent Ginseng Fruit tea Xuande had drunk at Wuzhuang Temple. Instead, it had a clear, distant fragrance, so faint it was almost "nothing."
Once he tasted it, he could barely sense any Spiritual Energy. Yet his whole mind settled, as though he had drawn closer to the natural world.
"This tea is made from wild leaves on Buzhou Mountain. My brother and I make it in our spare time," Nuwa said softly. "It can't compare to the precious Ginseng Fruit tea from Wuzhuang Temple, but it's good for calming the mind."
Xuande's thoughts stirred once again.
He hadn't mentioned knowing Zhenyuanzi, yet Nuwa had guessed it at once.
Either she had acquaintances in the West,
or she had discerned the faint traces of Wutu Aura left in his magic power from his many years working alongside Zhenyuanzi.
Whichever it was, it was enough to show that this gentle, unassuming cultivator was far more perceptive and insightful than she appeared.
"There's no need to be surprised, Fellow Daoist."
Nuwa seemed to read his thoughts and smiled faintly.
"Besides the merit and Purity surrounding you, your aura also carries faint traces of Wutu Dao Rhyme and the harmonizing breath of the Four Symbols.
"Among the beings in the Primordial Wilderness, those most skilled in these are Fellow Daoists Zhenyuanzi and Hong Yun. You must know them."
Xuande nodded and answered frankly,
"Fellow Daoist Nuwa has a keen eye.
"I previously worked with Fellow Daoists Zhenyuanzi and Hong Yun, as well as Fellow Daoists Jieyin and Zhunti.
"We spent over ten thousand years repairing the Earth Veins of the West. It's only natural that their auras would linger on me."
"Repairing the Earth Veins of the West?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Fuxi's eyes, then gave way to admiration. "I've heard of this as well.
"Ever since the Dao-Devil War, the West's Earth Veins have been severely damaged. Its living beings have dwindled, and recovery has seemed all but impossible.
"Your willingness to undertake such a good deed with the others has earned boundless merit."
Nuwa nodded gently. Her gaze softened with genuine warmth as she looked at Xuande.
"No wonder the merit surrounding you is so pure.
"My brother and I can only admire such a great act of kindness."
Xuande said, "You're both too kind.
"This wasn't my work alone. It was only possible because Fellow Daoists Jieyin, Zhunti, Zhenyuanzi, and Hong Yun all worked together. I did little more than what I could."
"You're too modest, Fellow Daoist," Fuxi said with a smile.
"To accomplish such meritorious deeds, one must have great aspirations. You said earlier that your true form is an Innate Golden Lotus?"
Xuande nodded. "That's right."
Fuxi fell silent for a moment, as if choosing his words, then spoke slowly.
"I know little about the Golden Lotus Dao.
"But at the beginning of the Creation of Heaven and Earth, the Chaos Green Lotus broke apart, and its seeds scattered across the Primordial Wilderness, giving rise to many lotus-type spiritual roots.
"Among them, the highest-ranked was the Twenty-Four Petal Creation Green Lotus, formed from the only seed to fully mature.
"Most of the other seeds never ripened, and each produced a twelve-petal lotus."
He looked at Xuande, his gaze gentle yet profound.
"Your Innate Golden Lotus must be one of those.
"And the fact that you've cultivated your twelve-petal Golden Lotus to its present state of complete, unblemished perfection through the Way of Merit shows the depth of your foundations and the strength of your Dao heart."
Xuande was deeply shaken.
Fuxi had nearly laid bare his true form's origins and potential.
He considered this for a moment. He neither denied nor fully confirmed it, merely saying, "Fellow Daoist Fuxi, your knowledge is vast. I'm impressed."
Fuxi waved a hand. "I've merely spent my spare time reflecting on the principles of heaven and earth. I know only a little.
"Your Dao lies in merit, in bearing, in Purity and ease.
"It differs quite a bit from the Dao my sister and I cultivate, but there are points we can use to shed light on one another's paths."
Nuwa added,
"My brother has always enjoyed reasoning out the principles behind the changes in heaven and earth and all things.
"I, on the other hand, favor the Dao of creating living beings. The Purity of your merit lies between life and fulfillment, and at times it coincides with my own thoughts."
Her words stirred something in Xuande.
Though he had long known that Nuwa would one day attain sainthood through the Creation Dao, he had never imagined he might have the chance to discuss it with her.
Now that Nuwa had brought it up herself, he wasn't about to let the opportunity pass.
"Fellow Daoist Nuwa's Creation Dao..."
He hesitated briefly, then asked, "Forgive my boldness, Fellow Daoist, but what is creation?"
Nuwa looked at him. Her eyes were clear and far-reaching, as though they could see straight through his thoughts.
She didn't answer at once. Instead, she gently lifted her teacup and took a sip, then spoke slowly.
"'Creation' is neither making nor bringing forth.
"Heaven and earth bring forth all things; that is 'birth.' A cultivator refines a magical artifact; that is 'formation.'
"But 'creation' is neither. Creation is... giving form to the formless and life to the lifeless.
"It is taking a principle that did not previously exist in heaven and earth and making it real."
She paused, gazing at the patch of green bamboo outside the window, and spoke softly.
"Take this bamboo, for example.
"It grows between heaven and earth, nourished by sunlight and rain, drawing Spiritual Energy and nutrients until it takes its present form.
"That is 'birth.' But if one day I could use my own Dao to give it a spark of 'spirit'—
"to make it, from a mindless plant, into a living being capable of perception, thought, and cultivation—
"that would be 'creation.'"
Xuande remained silent for a long time.
He understood.
Nuwa wasn't talking about creating or bestowing. She was talking about... awakening.
Opening a door to possibilities that had once been closed.
Kindling a light to awaken potential that had once been dormant.
This wasn't something that could be achieved with any kind of magic power or divine ability.
It was the deepest understanding of the nature of life and the finest touch upon the laws of heaven and earth.
It was the supreme Dao.
He suddenly understood why, in the legends of later generations, Nuwa attained sainthood by kneading earth to create humanity.
That wasn't the pinnacle of her merit. It was the fullest, most perfect manifestation of her Dao—the Creation Dao.
"Thank you for your guidance, Fellow Daoist."
Xuande bowed solemnly. "I've gained a great deal from your words."