Gathering at Wuzhuang Temple

The three descended from the clouds and landed halfway up Buzhou Mountain.

Xuande remembered the Innate Restriction hidden within the mountain's Dao rhythm.

He stepped forward a few paces and gently touched the restriction with his divine sense.

A moment later, the restriction shimmered with a faint clear glow, and a doorway silently opened.

Nuwa and Fuxi emerged side by side. Smiles appeared on both their faces when they saw Xuande and the others.

"Daoist friend Xuande!" Nuwa said softly, her voice as clear and gentle as ever.

"Daoist friends Jieyin and Zhunti, you have come from afar. Forgive us for failing to welcome you properly."

Fuxi also cupped his hands. "Please come in, Daoist friends."

Xuande returned the salute with a smile. "We have come uninvited. I hope the two of you will not take offense."

Nuwa shook her head. "What are you saying, daoist friend? When we last met at Zixiao Palace, I said that you would always be welcome to visit Buzhou Mountain. Now that you have come, my brother and I are delighted beyond measure."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, they followed Nuwa and Fuxi into the restriction.

It was still the same white jade path, the same emerald bamboo grove, and the same simple thatched cottage.

A gentle breeze swept through, making the bamboo leaves rustle and calming their hearts and minds.

Nuwa invited the three into the cottage to sit, then boiled water and brewed tea.

It was still Buzhou Mountain wild tea, refined and lingering, entirely different from Wuzhuang Temple's Ginseng Fruit tea.

Zhunti took a sip and praised it. "Excellent tea! Buzhou Mountain tea truly lives up to its reputation!"

Nuwa smiled faintly. "You flatter it, daoist friend Zhunti. It is merely coarse tea, nothing compared to daoist friend Zhenyuanzi's Ginseng Fruit tea."

Jieyin said slowly, "Each has its own merits. Ginseng Fruit tea brims with Spiritual Energy, while this tea clears the heart and settles the mind. Both are rare treasures."

Fuxi smiled. "Daoist friend Jieyin speaks true. Tea has no superiority or inferiority; what suits one's taste is precious."

They drank tea and chatted idly, the atmosphere harmonious.

Seeing that the time was right, Xuande said, "Daoist friends Nuwa and Fuxi, we have come this time not only to visit you, but also to invite you to join us in something."

Nuwa looked at him. "Please speak, daoist friend."

Xuande said, "There are still several hundred years before the Dao Ancestor's Second Sermon. The three of us intend to first travel to Wuzhuang Temple and meet with Daoist friends Zhenyuanzi and Hongyun, then head together for Zixiao Palace. As we were passing Buzhou Mountain, we thought to invite you two to travel with us. We could look after one another on the road, and more people would make for a livelier journey. What do you think?"

Nuwa and Fuxi exchanged a glance.

Fuxi smiled. "Daoist friend Xuande, that is precisely what I had in mind. My sister and I have also been discussing when to depart these past few days. To be able to travel with all of you daoist friends would be more than we could ask for."

Nuwa nodded as well. "I benefited greatly from the last sermon. To travel with all of you this time and look after one another would indeed be a good thing."

Zhunti said happily, "Wonderful! Then shall we set off at once?"

Nuwa shook her head and said softly, "We still need to make a few preparations. Why not rest here for a few days, Daoist friends? Once my brother and I are ready, we can travel together to Wuzhuang Temple."

Xuande nodded. "That would be excellent."

Over the following days, Xuande and the other two stayed at Nuwa and Fuxi's cultivation grounds.

Each day, they drank tea, chatted, discussed the Dao, and exchanged insights. Their days were leisurely yet fulfilling.

Nuwa's Dao of Creation greatly interested Jieyin and Zhunti.

Her concept of "giving form to the formless and life to the lifeless" had much that could be mutually verified with the West's Dao of Nirvana and wondrous applications.

Zhunti, in particular, kept pestering Nuwa with questions. Nuwa did not grow impatient and answered each one in turn.

Fuxi often spoke with Xuande alone.

He was very interested in Xuande's Dao of Merit, especially the part concerning the harmony between merit and heaven and earth.

The two would sit upon that rocky outcrop where they watched the stars, speaking for half a day at a time.

"Daoist friend Xuande." One day, Fuxi suddenly asked.

"You took that Six-eared Macaque as your disciple. Do you know what consequences this may bring?"

Xuande was slightly taken aback, then said, "How did daoist friend Fuxi learn of this?"

Fuxi smiled. "I am skilled in deduction. Though I cannot know all matters beneath heaven, I can still sense certain major events. That Six-eared Macaque sought a master everywhere before finally going to the West and being accepted by you. Though this matter may seem small, it is entangled with karma."

Xuande fell silent for a moment. "I know there will be consequences. But I believe that monkey's heart in seeking the Dao is steadfast, and his path should not be cut off completely. The Great Dao has fifty, Heaven's evolution has forty-nine, and one escapes. Perhaps his 'one' lies upon Mount Sumeru."

Fuxi looked at him, his gaze deep and gentle.

"Daoist friend, you are compassionate," he said slowly. "But remember that while compassion is good, it must have limits. Since that monkey has entered your sect, he has become your karma. If he goes astray in the future, you will have to bear the consequences."

Xuande nodded. "I understand."

Fuxi said no more, merely giving Xuande's shoulder a light pat.

Several days later, Nuwa and Fuxi finished their preparations, closed the restriction around their cultivation grounds, and left Buzhou Mountain with Xuande and the other two.

The five raised their Escape Light and continued eastward.

Along the way, Zhunti and Hongyun had similar temperaments. Though Hongyun was not present, Zhunti remained as enthusiastic as ever and chatted nonstop throughout the journey.

Nuwa listened quietly, occasionally letting out a soft laugh.

Jieyin remained a man of few words, but his expression was far gentler than before.

Fuxi traveled alongside Xuande. They exchanged a few words now and then, but more often than not, they silently admired the scenery along the way.

After flying for roughly another hundred years, that familiar sacred mountain finally appeared ahead.

Longevity Mountain, Wuzhuang Temple.

The mountain gate was as ancient and unadorned as ever, as was the couplet.

"Immortal's Mansion of Eternal Life, Daoist House of Longevity Equal to Heaven."

It gleamed faintly beneath the sunlight.

Before they could knock, the mountain gate opened on its own.

Two figures came forth to greet them. They were Zhenyuanzi and Hongyun.

"Daoist friends Jieyin! Zhunti! Xuande!"

Hongyun called out from afar, his face covered in smiles. "You have finally arrived! Daoist brother Zhenyuanzi and I have been waiting for so long!"

Zhenyuanzi approached with a smile, about to speak when he suddenly noticed the two figures behind Xuande and the others. He paused in slight surprise.

Nuwa. Fuxi.

Naturally, he knew of these two.

The brother and sister who lived in seclusion on Buzhou Mountain possessed profound origins and deep cultivation. Among the great powers of the Primordial Wilderness, they stood among the very best.

He simply had not expected Xuande to invite them as well.

"These two are...?"

Zhenyuanzi looked toward Xuande, a trace of delight in his eyes.

Xuande hurriedly introduced them. "This is daoist friend Nuwa, and this is daoist friend Fuxi. Their cultivation grounds are on Buzhou Mountain. As I passed Buzhou Mountain, I invited them to come along. I thought more people would make for a livelier gathering, and we could better look after one another on the road."

He then turned to Nuwa and Fuxi. "These two are daoist friend Zhenyuanzi and daoist friend Hongyun."

Nuwa inclined her head slightly, her gaze clear and gentle. "I have long heard that daoist friend Zhenyuanzi commands the Earth Scroll, regulates the Earth Veins of the Primordial Wilderness, and possesses boundless merit. It is a pleasure to meet you today."

Fuxi also cupped his hands. "Daoist friends Zhenyuanzi and Hongyun, I have long admired your names."

Zhenyuanzi hurriedly returned the salute with a smile. "Daoist friends Nuwa and Fuxi, you are too courteous! I had long heard that you cultivated quietly on Buzhou Mountain. For daoist friend Xuande to invite you here today is truly an unexpected delight! Please, come in quickly!"

Hongyun was even more enthusiastic. He stepped forward, his smile brilliant. "Daoist friends Nuwa and Fuxi! I heard daoist friend Xuande speak of you! He said you lived in seclusion halfway up Buzhou Mountain, brewed tea for him, and discussed the Dao with him! I have wanted to meet you both for a long time! Now that I finally have, you truly possess extraordinary bearing!"

Nuwa was amused by his forthright enthusiasm and smiled faintly. She said softly,

"Daoist friend Hongyun, you flatter us. My brother and I merely live idly amid the mountains. We cannot compare to you two daoist friends, who maintain cultivation grounds at Wuzhuang Temple and forge so many good connections."

Hongyun waved his hand. "Oh, what maintaining cultivation grounds? I simply enjoy liveliness! Come, come, please enter! Daoist brother Zhenyuanzi's Ginseng Fruit is wonderful stuff. You must try it!"

Laughing and chatting, everyone entered Wuzhuang Temple together.

The Ginseng Fruit Tree still stood in the center of the courtyard, its lush branches and leaves spreading like a canopy, every leaf as translucent as green jade.

Sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves, casting mottled patches of light and shadow across the ground.

Infant-like fruits hung from the tree, white and tender, releasing an enticing fragrance.

Nuwa raised her head to look at the Innate Spiritual Root, a flicker of admiration passing through her eyes. "So this is the Ginseng Fruit Tree? Its spiritual charm is indeed extraordinary."

Zhenyuanzi smiled. "You flatter it, daoist friend Nuwa. It cannot compare to the two of you cultivating on Buzhou Mountain, facing Pangu's legacy every day."

Fuxi shook his head. "Though Pangu's legacy is good, it is too imposing. It cannot compare to the purity and ease of Wuzhuang Temple."

Laughing and chatting, they took their seats beneath the Ginseng Fruit Tree.

Qingfeng and Mingyue quickly brought out tea. The tea was emerald green, with curling steam rising from it.

Immediately afterward, several jade plates were brought out. Each held several Ginseng Fruits, lying upon the plates like sleeping infants.

Hongyun looked at everyone, then suddenly smiled.

"Today is the most complete gathering we have ever had! Daoist friends Jieyin, Zhunti, and Xuande; Daoist friends Nuwa and Fuxi; plus daoist brother Zhenyuanzi and me—seven people in all! Once we go to Zixiao Palace, we will have one another to rely on!"

Zhunti nodded. "Exactly! Among the seven of us, some sat on cushions and some did not. But whether one sat on a cushion or not, we are all fellow seekers of the Dao!"

Jieyin said slowly, "The words 'fellow seekers' are the most precious."

Nuwa said softly, "To know all of you Daoist friends is my good fortune."

Fuxi nodded as well, his gentle gaze sweeping over everyone present.

As Xuande watched this scene, an indescribable feeling rose within him.

Nuwa, Fuxi, Zhenyuanzi, Hongyun, Jieyin, and Zhunti—these six were the fellow seekers closest to him in this Primordial World.

They had different origins and cultivated different Great Daos, yet through various fateful encounters, they had gathered together and become Daoist friends he could trust and rely upon.

This was the law of fate.

"Fellow Daoist friends." He raised his teacup, a smile in his eyes. "A toast to all of you. May our journey to Zixiao Palace go smoothly, and may each of us gain something."

Everyone raised their cups in turn.

"Agreed."

Within Wuzhuang Temple, beneath the Ginseng Fruit Tree, the seven drank together. Tea fragrance drifted through the air, accompanied by bursts of laughter.