Buzhou Mountain, formed from Pangu's Spine, the Heavenly Pillar of the Great Desolation World.
Its presence was majestic, its aura vast and ancient.
Layer upon layer of peaks rose straight beyond the clouds of the Nine Heavens Above, with chaotic gale winds faintly visible amid the swirling mist.
Ancient trees towered into the sky, their twisted branches like dragons, while old vines hung down, all containing innate spiritual essence.
Waterfalls and flowing springs cascaded from the Nine Heavens Above, roaring like thunder and scattering countless pearls of spray.
Exotic flowers and wondrous herbs filled the ground with fragrance, absorbing the essence of the sun, moon, and stars as rosy clouds and auspicious mists billowed around them.
Countless rare birds and beasts also dwelled there, some soaring above the clouds, others hiding within the forests. Some had peaceful auras, others savage ones, but none were ordinary creatures.
As Dao Xuan and his disciples walked among them, they felt as insignificant as dust.
Pangu's pressure was everywhere—heavy, ancient, and boundless, inspiring infinite reverence.
The Five Spirit Qilin walked steadily, carrying Dao Xuan upon auspicious clouds beneath its hooves.
Gourd Baby sat atop the Seven-Colored Gourd, his large eyes darting about in wonder.
Golden Peng transformed into golden wings over a zhang long, magnificent and extraordinary, circling above as a guard while his sharp golden eyes swept the surroundings.
The Six-Eared Macaque stayed close at Dao Xuan's side, his six ears twitching as he carefully listened to every sound in the mountain, not daring to relax in the slightest.
"Master, this Buzhou Mountain is incredible! I feel like even breathing has become much heavier." Gourd Baby patted his chest.
"Pangu the Great God's residual might still remains. It is naturally no ordinary place." Dao Xuan nodded, his divine sense spreading like spilled mercury as he sensed the mountain's immense Innate Spiritual Energy and Dao Rhyme.
Golden Peng also said, "The spiritual energy here is so dense, and the laws so clear. It truly is a sacred place for cultivation."
The Six-Eared Macaque said softly, "This disciple seems to be able to hear the mountain's heartbeat..."
Master and disciples followed the mountain's contours and slowly ventured deeper.
Before they realized it, they arrived at a secluded valley.
The scenery within the valley was entirely different from that outside.
Rare flowers and jade-like grasses gave off a rich fragrance, while immortal blossoms and auspicious mists shimmered with five-colored light.
A clear stream wound through the valley, its babbling waters sounding like jade pendants chiming.
The green stones beside the stream were like jade, smooth and warm.
Upon one of those streamside stones sat a female immortal.
She had:
A Phoenix Hair Bun, with a golden hairpin slanted through it and gleaming beneath the sun.
A plain cloud-patterned robe, faintly flickering with rosy light and surrounded by a thousand strands of auspicious aura.
A mountain-and-river sash around her waist, fastened with a Heaven and Earth Knot, her Dao Rhyme naturally formed.
Golden lotus shoes upon her feet, leaving fragrance with every step and untouched by dust.
A face like a silver moon, flawless and lustrous, with a dot of cinnabar upon her brow that made her appear even more sacred.
Eyes like autumn water, containing the mysteries of creation, deep and unfathomable.
Peerless in beauty and graceful in bearing, she was none other than:
The mysteries of creation lay hidden in her palm, while Heaven and Earth's Pure Qi conceived her true form.
Beneath Buzhou Mountain, she contemplated wondrous truths; a thread of spiritual radiance bore witness to Primordial Chaos.
The moment Dao Xuan saw her, his heart tightened slightly. He hurriedly dismounted from the qilin, straightened his clothes, stepped forward quickly, and bowed.
"Disciple Dao Xuan greets Martial Aunt Nuwa! May Martial Aunt's sacred life know no bounds!"
His voice was clear and filled with utmost respect.
Nuwa had been deep in thought, her lovely brows slightly furrowed as though some unsolvable puzzle weighed on her heart.
Hearing Dao Xuan's voice, she slowly raised her eyes.
Divine light flowed within them, as though they contained the birth and death of an entire world.
When she saw that it was Dao Xuan, her faintly furrowed brows relaxed, and a gentle smile appeared.
"So it is Nephew Disciple Dao Xuan. There is no need for such formality. Why are you here?"
Her voice was warm and gentle, like a spring breeze brushing over the heart.
Seeing Dao Xuan behave so respectfully and hearing him call her "Martial Aunt," Gourd Baby, Golden Peng, and the Six-Eared Macaque naturally did not dare to be negligent.
They hurriedly stepped forward as well. Gourd Baby jumped down from the gourd, Golden Peng transformed into a human youth, and together with the Six-Eared Macaque, they knelt in greeting.
"Greetings, Empress Nuwa, Martial Grand-Aunt!"
Nuwa's gaze swept across the three of them and paused briefly on Gourd Baby. A trace of surprise flashed through her eyes before she understood.
"Rise." She raised her fair hand lightly, and a gentle force lifted them all.
Only then did Dao Xuan rise. He replied respectfully, "This disciple has been traveling through the Great Desolation, comprehending the Great Dao. Upon reaching Buzhou Mountain, I admired Pangu's legacy and came specifically to pay my respects. I did not expect to encounter Martial Aunt here. This is truly this disciple's good fortune."
Nuwa nodded slightly, her gaze returning to the murmuring stream. The faint sorrow between her brows quietly resurfaced.
Dao Xuan observed her expression and asked carefully, "This disciple sees that Martial Aunt seems deep in thought. Have you encountered an unsolvable difficulty in cultivation? If this disciple can offer even the slightest assistance, please enlighten me."
At his words, Nuwa let out a soft sigh, one that seemed to contain a trace of Heaven and Earth's helplessness.
"Nephew Disciple, your Wisdom Eye is sharp. In recent days, I have indeed felt a bottleneck in my cultivation. My comprehension of the Dao of Creation has already reached great depths, yet when I wish to take another step forward and attain the Primordial Chaos Dao Fruit, I always feel as though a layer of mist separates me from it, impossible to see through."
She extended her delicate jade hand and lightly pointed at the empty ground beside the stream.
Buzz!
A point of clear light bloomed from her fingertip and rapidly spread outward.
In an instant, the soil within the reach of that clear light churned, and vegetation grew wildly!
Countless exotic flowers and wondrous herbs sprang into being from nothing, competing in splendor as they radiated vigorous life.
Several nimble little deer, gentle white rabbits, and colorful butterflies also frolicked among the flowers and grasses, lifelike in every detail.
It was the supreme manifestation of the Law of Creation!
Yet Nuwa pointed with her jade finger once more.
Those flowers, grasses, and living creatures that had just been born vanished in an instant like dream bubbles, returning to nothingness.
Only empty ground remained.
"To create all things and grant them life is not difficult for me." Nuwa withdrew her hand, her tone carrying a trace of confusion and heaviness. "Yet when I look upon the Great Desolation World, the Witch and Demon Races fight without end. Their baleful aura grows daily, slaughter fills the land, karma tangles, and karmic burden runs deep."
"Though such living beings possess divine abilities, they have lost the true essence of creation. They know only how to fight and contend. I fear this is not a blessing for Heaven and Earth in the long term. My Great Dao is one of creation and life, not one that fuels slaughter. This contradiction has clouded my Dao heart and obscured the road ahead."
Dao Xuan listened quietly, thoughts racing through his mind.
The answer to Martial Aunt Nuwa's confusion had long existed in his memories of his previous life.
Hearing Nuwa speak it aloud now, he felt even more deeply her compassion and her blessings upon all living beings.
After pondering for a moment, a flash of inspiration struck his mind, and a thought emerged with perfect clarity.
Dao Xuan bowed to Nuwa again, his tone carrying a hint of guidance.
"Martial Aunt is compassionate and blesses all living beings. This disciple deeply admires you. The Witch and Demon Races were born with innate baleful natures. Their conflict is both their nature and the working of calamity. Since Martial Aunt feels that their slaughter is too excessive and goes against the intent of creation..."
Dao Xuan paused. His eyes were clear, and his voice carried an unusual rhythm.
"Why not... seek another path and use the power of creation to create another race?"
"This race should possess balanced dispositions and kind hearts, conforming to the natural way of Heaven and Earth. Perhaps it could bring a stream of clarity to the Great Desolation and help Martial Aunt verify the ultimate truth of creation?"
"Create another race?"
Nuwa's delicate body suddenly trembled!
It was as though a thunderclap from Heaven and Earth Creation had exploded deep within her primordial spirit!
The mist that had troubled her for so long was instantly torn apart by that thunderclap!
An unprecedented, dazzling spiritual radiance, like the rising dawn, suddenly illuminated her Dao path!
"Create another race... conform to Heaven and Earth's natural way... verify the ultimate truth of creation..."
Nuwa murmured to herself. The light in her eyes grew ever brighter, and the sorrow that had troubled her was swept away, replaced by boundless excitement and enlightenment!
"Excellent! Truly excellent! Nephew Disciple Dao Xuan, your words are like Anointing with Ghee, striking directly at the barrier of my Dao!"
Nuwa's joy showed plainly on her face, and her gaze toward Dao Xuan was filled with praise.
She hesitated no longer and immediately put the idea into action.
With a wave of her fair hand, the moist soil beside the stream rose on its own and settled into her palm.
She then drew clear stream water and combined it with the soil.
Nuwa's jade fingers moved swiftly like those of the most skillful artisan as she began to mold it.
Thinking of those gentle creatures, she shaped the soil in her hands into lifelike little deer, white rabbits, birds, and more.
The power of the Law of Creation poured into them without end.
Soon, a clay deer was complete.
Nuwa gently breathed a breath containing the origin of creation onto it.
The clay color faded from the little deer, transforming into real fur. Its eyes became lively, and it truly came alive!
It gave a soft cry, curiously looked around, then... spread its hooves and dashed into the nearby forest, vanishing from sight.
Nuwa: "..."
She molded another white rabbit and likewise bestowed life upon it.
The rabbit hopped twice, its ruby-like eyes looking at Nuwa before it swiftly burrowed into the grass as well.
Then came birds, fish...
Without exception, after coming alive, they followed their instincts. Whether flying, running, or swimming, they quickly left Nuwa's side and returned to nature.
The valley became much livelier, but the "new race" Nuwa had hoped for was nowhere to be seen.
She watched those creatures run away, and her lovely brows furrowed once more.
"Why... do they possess life, yet lack intelligence? They have no sense of race either. They are merely ordinary living creatures..."
Dao Xuan saw everything clearly and understood.
Ordinary earth and ordinary water, even with Nuwa's divine creation abilities, could only produce ordinary creatures. They could not bear the spirit of a true "intelligent race."
The time had come.
Dao Xuan stepped forward and said loudly, "Martial Aunt, ordinary earth and water may be unable to bear your supreme creation and grant them true intelligence and spiritual roots."
As he spoke, he turned over his palm.
Two clusters of divine light appeared within it.
One was soil flickering with nine-colored rosy light, incomparably heavy as though it contained the origin of the earth—Nine Heavens Breathing Soil!
The other was divine water flowing with the three-colored radiance of the sun, moon, and stars, crystal-clear and translucent, giving off endless life force and Purification Power—Three Lights Divine Water!
"This disciple obtained these two items by chance while traveling through the Great Desolation. Perhaps they may lend Martial Aunt a helping hand."
The instant Nuwa saw the two objects, an unprecedented radiance burst from her beautiful eyes!
"Nine Heavens Breathing Soil! Three Lights Divine Water!"
Her voice was filled with delight.
"These are innate divine treasures, containing the origin of the earth and the essence of the sun, moon, and stars. They are precisely the foundation for creating supreme living beings! Nephew Disciple, you truly are my lucky star!"
Without hesitation, Nuwa accepted the Nine Heavens Breathing Soil and Three Lights Divine Water.
With a thought, she merged the Breathing Soil and divine water together.
At once, a mass of divine creation clay appeared in Nuwa's hand, glowing with nine-colored rosy light, containing three-colored stars, with dao rhymes flowing within it and life force so immense it reached its peak!
Nuwa was greatly invigorated and began molding once again.
This time, what she envisioned was no longer ordinary birds and beasts.
Using herself as the model and combining it with the form of Dao Xuan's Innate Dao Body, she began to shape it.
Her jade fingers danced, dao rhymes flowing.
Very soon, a small clay figure appeared in her palm.
The figure's proportions were balanced and its features distinct. Though it had yet to be colored, it already faintly revealed a spiritual nature.
Nuwa breathed another mouthful of Innate Qi, containing both the origin of her creation and her comprehension of the Great Dao, into the little figure!
Buzz!
The divine creation clay shone brilliantly!
The soil on the clay figure rapidly faded away, transforming into delicate skin, black hair, and clear eyes.
He or she slowly opened their eyes, their gaze pure and filled with the curiosity and innocence of a newborn child.
He or she moved their limbs, experiencing this new body and new world.
Then, their gaze fell upon the female immortal before them—the sacred and solemn being who had granted them life and radiated maternal splendor.
A sense of attachment and reverence born from the depths of life's origin arose naturally within them.
The little figure clumsily knelt, pressed their head to the ground, and called out from the bottom of their heart in a childish yet clear voice:
"Mother... Holy Mother!"
That cry was like the first sound of Heaven and Earth Creation, instantly striking Nuwa's heart!
She clearly felt an incomprehensibly vast, utterly pure, boundless tide of Merit and Fortune, containing newborn life and hope, frantically gathering in the Nine Heavens Above!
And at the cry of "Holy Mother," the solid bottleneck barring her Primordial Chaos breakthrough actually began to loosen violently!
"It worked! It truly worked!"
Nuwa was ecstatic, so excited that she could hardly contain herself!
Looking at the small, fragile, yet spiritual living being before her who called her "Holy Mother," an unprecedented sense of fulfillment and responsibility surged into her heart.
"Child, rise." Nuwa's voice was gentle as she personally helped the little figure to their feet.
She carefully examined this first "human," finding herself more satisfied the longer she looked.
An Innate Dao Body, secretly conforming to the Heavenly Dao. Though without divine abilities, it was born with intelligence!
This was exactly the race she had envisioned, one that could conform to Heaven and Earth's natural way and bring a clear stream to the world!
"This race shall be called 'human'!" Inspiration struck Nuwa, and she named the race.
"The human race greets Holy Mother!" The first little human bowed respectfully once again.
Nuwa's heart overflowed with joy, and she did not dare delay this Heaven-sent opportunity.
She immediately continued molding.
The second, the third, the fourth...
One clay human after another was swiftly formed and granted life.
Soon, three thousand newborn humans stood beside the stream.
Like the first little person, they had only just awakened to intelligence—pure and innocent, filled with filial affection for Nuwa. Together, they knelt down.
"Greetings, Holy Mother!"
Their voices gathered. Though not grand, they carried the strength of new life.
Yet after creating three thousand humans endowed with intelligence in succession, even Nuwa, a Quasi-Saint with nearly inexhaustible mana, felt immense mental exhaustion.
The consumption of her origin of creation was enormous.
Fine beads of sweat had appeared on her forehead, and her breath had become slightly disordered.
The speed at which she shaped them had visibly slowed.
Dao Xuan saw it all clearly from the side.
He knew that when Nuwa created humanity, their number should be one hundred twenty-nine thousand six hundred, matching the number of one yuan.
Only three thousand had been created so far—far from enough.
And Nuwa's current condition clearly showed that she was nearing her limit.
The opportunity had arrived once more.
With a thought from Dao Xuan, an object appeared in his hand.
It was the gourd vine he had obtained from the gourd vine on Buzhou Mountain, incomparably tough and containing spirituality within!
"Martial Aunt, shaping them by hand is exhausting. Why not use this vine to dip up the divine mud and scatter it?"
Dao Xuan handed the gourd vine over.
Nuwa was already feeling drained. When she saw the gourd vine, her eyes immediately lit up!
This vine was tough and contained the vitality of innate Yi Wood. Its nature matched that of the divine mud of creation, making it the perfect tool for creating life!
"Wonderful! Nephew, you have thought this through thoroughly!"
Nuwa took the gourd vine and immersed it in the mass of divine mud of creation, where nine-colored radiance and three-colored brilliance swirled.
The divine mud coated the vine.
Nuwa took a deep breath, raised the gourd vine, gathered the power of creation into it, and fiercely swung it toward the open ground beside the stream!
Splash!
Countless droplets of mud, gleaming with nine-colored rosy light and three-colored starlight, flew from the vine like a rain of stars across the sky!
The droplets struck the ground!
The laws of creation roared!
Each droplet, the instant it landed, absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, rapidly expanding and taking shape!
They transformed into innate humans just like those before, their intelligence newly awakened!
Men and women, young and old—though newly born, their forms differed—instantly filled the vast open ground!
Nuwa's spirits soared!
This method saved both time and effort. Its efficiency was more than a hundred times greater!
She hesitated no longer. Her jade-like arms danced as she dipped the gourd vine into the mud and swung it again and again!
Like the greatest painter, splashing the colors of life across the canvas of heaven and earth!
Splash! Splash! Splash!
Every swing of the gourd vine brought forth a rain of mud that filled the sky.
Every rain of mud gave birth to thousands upon thousands of humans!
Like bamboo shoots after spring rain, they quickly rose to their feet. Filled with the curiosity of new life and boundless reverence for their creator, they all knelt toward Nuwa.
"Greetings, Holy Mother!"
"Greetings, Holy Mother!"
The waves of voices rose higher and higher, converging into a vast aura of newborn life that shot straight into the heavens!
Nuwa swung faster and faster, delight filling her heart as the sensation of the Primordial Chaos bottleneck loosening grew ever stronger!
Dao Xuan, Gourd Baby, Golden Peng, Six-Eared, and the Five Spirit Qilin all held their breath as they watched the greatest miracle of creation since Heaven and Earth Creation!
At last!
When Nuwa swung the gourd vine one final time, scattering the last droplets of mud.
The entire mass of divine mud of creation was used up exactly.
The broad open ground beside the stream was densely and neatly filled with newborn humans!
Neither more nor less—exactly one hundred twenty-nine thousand six hundred people!
The number of one yuan had been fulfilled to perfection!
An indescribable Mysterious Yellow Merit Qi, so vast that it could move even a Saint, descended with a thunderous crash like the Milky Way pouring down from the Ninth Heaven!
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