Fuxi's Guidance, Nuwa's Gift

Nuwa shook her head:

"It is but casual talk, hardly worthy of being called guidance. There are aspects of your Dao, Daoist friend, that I have yet to touch upon. The matter of merit—simple to speak of, but exceedingly difficult to practice. Especially when one, like you, transforms merit into daily cultivation, into how one treats others, into a sense of responsibility toward all things in heaven and earth... This Dao heart is something I too must learn from."

Xuande smiled bitterly:

"Daoist friend, do not mock me. I am merely fulfilling the duties of my position, managing the affairs that fall to me."

Fuxi interjected at the right moment, his tone gentle yet carrying a hint of amusement:

"Alright, you two, stop flattering each other. This is Xuande's first visit, and he has yet to properly see my cultivation grounds."

He rose and said to Xuande:

"If you are not in a hurry to continue your journey, Daoist friend, you may follow me for a stroll. The scenery halfway up Buzhou Mountain is quite unlike what lies beyond."

Xuande had meant to say he still intended to climb higher, but the words reached his lips and he swallowed them back.

He was indeed not in a hurry.

Jieyin and Zhunti were in seclusion on Mount Sumeru, while Zhenyuanzi and Hongyun were quietly cultivating at Wuzhuang Temple. The Earth Veins of the West had already been repaired, and the Primordial Wilderness was temporarily at peace. He had no pressing appointments to keep, no tasks that demanded completion.

He was simply traveling, broadening his horizons, tempering his Dao heart.

And here, halfway up Buzhou Mountain, to encounter Nuwa and Fuxi, to hear Nuwa discourse on the Dao of Creation, to wander the mountain paths with Fuxi... this itself was a rare opportunity.

He rose and followed Fuxi out of the thatched hut.

Nuwa did not join them; she remained inside, continuing to arrange the few wildflowers.

Xuande glanced back.

She was gently inserting a pale purple blossom into a clay pot. Her movements were tender and focused, as if nothing else in heaven and earth existed but this single task before her.

Fuxi walked slowly along the bamboo path. Xuande followed half a step behind, strolling at ease.

"Is this your first time at Buzhou Mountain?" Fuxi asked.

"Yes," Xuande replied. "I achieved Form Transformation not long ago, and this is my first journey through the Primordial Wilderness. I heard that Buzhou Mountain is the divine peak that supports heaven and anchors the earth, and my heart yearned to see it, so I came."

Fuxi nodded: "Buzhou Mountain is indeed a wonder of the Primordial Wilderness. My younger sister and I have cultivated here for many years, and yet, facing this mountain daily, I still find it unfathomable. The legacy left by Pangu cannot be exhausted by any living being."

He paused, then added: "You mentioned earlier that you wished to continue climbing higher?"

Xuande did not hide it:

"That thought crossed my mind. But having reached the halfway point, I already feel the oppressive pressure heavily. To go further, I fear my strength would not suffice."

Fuxi smiled, a warm and understanding expression:

"There is no need to rush to the summit, Daoist friend. Buzhou Mountain is not meant to be conquered. Go as far as you can, see as much as you can. Do not force it."

He pointed to a protruding rock formation ahead: "That is where I usually observe the stars. If you do not mind the distance, Daoist friend, you may take a look."

Xuande followed him to that rocky outcrop.

Standing there, the view opened up before them.

Below their feet churned a sea of clouds; above their heads loomed the snow-capped peaks and chaotic gales of the higher altitudes. In the distance, where heaven and earth met, the faint outline of the Primordial Wilderness could be seen.

Fuxi stood with his hands behind his back, silent for a long time.

Xuande, too, said nothing.

The mountain wind howled fiercely, stirring the Daoist robes of both men.

But here—whether because Fuxi was using his divine power to block most of the pressure, or because this spot was inherently a node where Buzhou Mountain's oppressive force was relatively weak—Xuande felt little discomfort.

After a long while, Fuxi spoke, his voice low and calm: "This poor Daoist and my younger sister, after emerging into the world, wandered from place to place, seeking only a spot where we could peacefully cultivate the Dao. In the end, we chose this place." He looked at Xuande. "Does Daoist friend know why?"

Xuande thought for a moment. "Because Buzhou Mountain is the center of the Primordial Wilderness?"

Fuxi shook his head. "It is, and it isn't. The center has the densest Spiritual Energy and the most prominent Dao resonance—that is one reason. But more importantly, this place is closest to the heavens and farthest from the earth. It allows one to perceive the full scope of heaven and earth without being constrained by the Earth Veins. This poor Daoist deduces the changes of heaven and earth; my younger sister contemplates the secrets of creation. Both require such a transcendent, independent, undisturbed location." He paused, then added: "Daoist friend's Dao lies in the West, in the Earth Veins, in merit. That is a Dao of entering the world. My sister's and my Dao lies in this mountain, in celestial phenomena, in deduction and creation. That is a Dao of leaving the world. Entering and leaving—there is no high or low, no superior or inferior. It is merely each choosing the path that suits them."

Xuande listened silently, a glimmer of understanding stirring in his heart.

Entering the world. Leaving the world.

He had never thought of his own path that way. His choice to stay in the West and participate in repairing the Earth Veins, working alongside Jieyin and Zhunti... had initially been born of rational calculation: karma, merit, power, self-preservation. But over tens of thousands of years, as he walked every inch of the Western land, as he personally infused Merit Golden Light into those shattered Spiritual Veins, as he fought side by side with Jieyin, Zhunti, Zhenyuanzi, and Hongyun, sharing hardships and joys... that calculation had long been replaced by a simpler, truer emotion. He had begun to care about that land. He had begun to care about the creatures gradually reviving on that land. He had begun to care about those Daoist friends who repaired the Earth Veins alongside him—not as pieces on a board, not as allies, but as... fellow travelers, as friends.

Perhaps this was his Dao.

Not leaving the world, not avoiding the world, not transcending all things. But walking his own path within this vast Primordial Wilderness of red dust and tangled karma. To bear something, to guard something, to accomplish something. Not seeking to stand atop the highest peak and look down upon all beings. Only seeking a clear conscience and a bright Dao heart.

He suddenly recalled that when repairing the Earth Veins, Hongyun had once laughed and called him "a man who gets things done." At the time, he had taken it only as praise. Now, he realized it might have been the most accurate summary of his Dao. He was simply a man who got things done. Not a wise man who deduced heaven and earth, not a sage who comprehended creation. Just an ordinary cultivator willing to keep his feet on the ground, to repair, to build, to protect, bit by bit. That was enough.

"Many thanks, Daoist friend Fuxi." Xuande suddenly spoke, his tone solemn. "Xuande has greatly benefited from your words today."

Fuxi glanced at him. He did not ask "For what?" nor did he say "No need to thank me." He simply smiled faintly and nodded.

The two stood on the rock for a while longer, then turned and walked back to the thatched hut. Nuwa was still fiddling with those flowers. Seeing them return, she looked up and asked softly: "Finished looking?"

"Finished," said Fuxi.

Nuwa asked no further. She simply pushed the vase of arranged flowers toward the center of the low table and said to Xuande:

"If you don't mind, Daoist friend, you may take a branch back with you.

This flower is called 'Morning Glory.' It only grows halfway up Buzhou Mountain, and its bloom is extremely brief—it withers just two hours after opening.

But if you warm it with your magic power, it can last a little longer."

Xuande looked at the vase of pale purple flowers. Their shape was simple, their color faint, yet they were the gentlest hue he had seen on Buzhou Mountain today.

He took one branch and tucked it into his sleeve.

"Thank you, Daoist friend."

Nuwa nodded, saying nothing more.

Xuande knew it was time to take his leave.

He rose and bowed solemnly to Nuwa and Fuxi:

"Today, I intruded upon you uninvited. I am deeply grateful that you two Daoist friends did not spurn me, but received me with tea and refreshments, and guided me on the Great Dao. Xuande is truly indebted.

If either of you should ever travel to the West, please be sure to visit Mount Sumeru, and allow this humble Daoist to fulfill the duties of a host."

Fuxi returned the bow: "Daoist friend, you speak too gravely.

Meeting you today is also a matter of fate. Please go on your way; if you have leisure in the future, you may come walk this mountain again."

Nuwa also rose to see him off, speaking softly:

"Your Dao, Daoist friend, lies in bearing. My Dao lies in creation.

Bearing and creation are but two sides of the same whole. That you can walk this path is already no small feat. May your Dao heart remain steadfast, and may you walk steadily and far."

Xuande thanked them once more.

He turned, left the thatched cottage, followed the white jade path, passed through the grove of emerald bamboo, and stepped across the restriction gate that still stood open.

Behind him, the restriction's light swirled and quietly closed, vanishing once more into the vast, rugged cliffs of Buzhou Mountain.

Xuande stood outside the gate, still for a moment.

He lowered his head to look at the Morning Glory in his sleeve. Its pale purple petals, nourished by his magic power, remained as fresh as before.

He raised his head again, gazing up at the summit of Buzhou Mountain, which vanished into the chaos above.

Suddenly, he no longer wished to climb higher.

Not because he feared the pressure, nor because he was exhausted.

But because he felt that here, at this moment, was enough.

He had met the people he wished to see, heard the Dao he wished to hear, and gained unexpected fate and insight.

This was where he was meant to stop today.

Xuande turned and slowly descended the mountain along the path he had come.

Behind him, Buzhou Mountain still stood towering, silently propping up the dome of the Primordial Wilderness.

Within the Innate Restriction hidden in the Dao rhythm halfway up the mountain.

The brother and sister continued their daily life of quiet cultivation—brewing tea, arranging flowers, deducing heaven and earth, and contemplating creation.

Perhaps a long time from now, they would meet again.

Perhaps by then, the Primordial Wilderness would have undergone great changes, and none of them would be as they were today.

But for now, in this peaceful era just after the Dragon-Han Tribulation had ended, when heaven and earth were still recovering and resting.

They were all merely cultivators on Buzhou Mountain.

That was enough.

Xuande's flying light cut across the sky, slowly receding toward the West, toward Mount Sumeru.

He had been traveling for quite some time.

It was time to go home.