On the shore of the East Sea, endless blue waves stretched beneath a sky that merged seamlessly with the sea.
Far from the clamor and baleful energy of the Primordial Continent, the spiritual energy here was somewhat thin, but the place had a rare serenity and clarity. Waves beat against the reefs with a steady rhythm.
On a nameless isle, Nuwa stood barefoot on the soft, white sand in plain robes. The sea breeze tousled her hair, but could not disturb the focus and sacredness in her eyes.
Ever since returning from Mount Sumeru, she had been meditating in seclusion on the Human Creation Whip and Nine Heavens Breathing Soil Taiyuan had given her. Day and night, she had also pondered his teachings about "the human heart, emotions, and the seven feelings and six desires."
Today, the moment had arrived.
She felt it in her heart: the final obstacle on her path to sainthood, that invisible, intangible barrier, had finally developed a crack.
"Living beings..."
"What makes a living being? Not the withering and flourishing of plants, nor the might of the demons."
"They must have spirit. They must have a heart."
Nuwa murmured softly, cradling in her hands a mass of Essence of Nine Heavens Breathing Soil mixed with Three Lights Divine Water, glowing faintly with an aura of creation.
The clay seemed alive in her hands. It shifted shape with the movements of her fingers, now like a dragon, now like a phoenix, yet each time it ultimately crumbled back into dust.
Then she closed her eyes and recalled the faces from Taiyuan's dream: weak, yet brimming with life, their expressions filled with joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. She thought, too, of the perfect innate Dao body in her heart.
"They must have hands, to create all things; feet, to walk the earth; eyes, to see the sun, moon, and stars; and hearts, to feel the warmth and cold of the world."
At her will, the clay in her hands slowly took shape.
A small clay figure, no bigger than her palm, appeared there. It had delicate features, all four limbs, and a faint resemblance to Pangu God.
But the clay figure was still lifeless. It lacked a breath of life.
"Not enough."
Nuwa took a deep breath. A brilliant, pure white light filled with boundless hope shone from between her brows.
It was the origin Taiyuan had gifted her—the Pangu Wish Light.
"Go."
She tapped the figure with her fingertip, and the wisp of light shot into its brow like a meteor.
Hummm—!
The clay figure shuddered violently, as if some ancient restriction had been broken.
Its once vacant eyes instantly filled with a spark of life, a hint of innocence, and the first flicker of curiosity and attachment to the world.
"Mother."
A childish, clear voice rang out from the clay figure, brimming with infinite possibility, as if it could pierce the river of time. It echoed across the silent isle.
Rumble!
The instant the first member of the Human Race was born, the entire Great Desolation Heavenly Dao seemed to sense something and shook violently.
It was the Heavenly Dao cheering for the race destined to become the protagonists of the future!
Far above, the skies abruptly changed.
The clear sky was instantly blanketed by endless auspicious clouds. But these were no ordinary clouds—they were Merit Golden Clouds, dense to the extreme and glowing with a deep, ocher hue!
The golden clouds were so vast that they were several times larger than the merit bestowed when the Dragon-Phoenix Calamity ended. They blotted out the light of the Sun Star, turning the entire East Sea into a golden ocean. Moreover, purple qi surged eastward for thirty thousand miles, Golden Lotuses Springing from the Earth as celestial flowers rained down.
These were the signs of sainthood!
"It worked!"
Looking at the lively little figure in her palm, Nuwa's face shone with a motherly tenderness and joy she had never felt before.
She could feel the immense energy within the golden clouds—enough to make her a saint on the spot.
Daring not to delay, she took out the Human Creation Whip, now fully restored, crystal clear and entwined with Dao Runes.
"One at a time is too slow. How long would it take for this race to multiply at that rate?"
With a graceful sweep of her hand, Nuwa dipped the Human Creation Whip into the remaining mud slurry of Nine Heavens Breathing Soil, coating it in the spiritual clay.
Then she swung it forcefully through the air, tracing one graceful arc after another.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
With every swing, countless flecks of mud scattered through the air.
The flecks hit the ground, transformed at once, and grew in the wind, becoming newborn, vibrant members of the Human Race. Some were men, some women; some were strong, others frail. But every one of them had a lively gleam in their eyes.
They cheered and ran about, gathering around Nuwa and praising their creator and mother in the purest, simplest words.
A vitality unlike any before spread across the beach.
However.
At the crucial moment, just as the Merit Golden Clouds were about to gather and descend with the Sainthood Opportunity—
Four powerful auras, brimming with greed, arrogance, and unconcealed malice, rushed toward them from the depths of the East Sea like dark clouds looming over a city. Wherever they passed, the sea split in two beneath their terrifying pressure.
"Hahaha! What immense merit! What powerful fortune!"
"I never expected such a great opportunity in this remote corner of the East Sea! Heaven truly favors Purple Mansion Continent!"
East King Duke's nauseating laughter boomed like thunder, making the newly born members of the Human Race tremble in fear. They hurriedly hid behind Nuwa.
Nuwa's movements halted. Her grip tightened around the Human Creation Whip, and the loving expression on her face turned instantly cold.
She looked up.
Four streaks of light tore through the sky and descended violently over the isle, sealing it off from four directions and surrounding her and the newborn Human Race.
At their head was East King Duke, clutching a Dragon Head Cane. His face was twisted with greed, and he wore the Nine Yang Emperor Robe.
Behind him stood the Three Immortals of the Sea, led by Daoist Qingyun. Every one of them stared at the Merit Golden Clouds about to descend, greed practically spilling from their eyes.
They were like a pack of hungry wolves that had caught the scent of blood and set their sights on the plumpest prey.
"Fellow Daoist Nuwa!"
East King Duke thundered from on high, his voice dripping with false authority:
"By decree of the Head of Male Immortals!"
"You have wantonly created unknown life here, even employing a forbidden art and disrupting the order of the East Sea. This is a grave offense! Left unchecked, such a weak race will surely become a menace to the Primordial World!"
"Since this is your first offense, I will show you mercy."
"Stop at once! Hand over this newborn race and the merit bestowed by Heaven to Purple Mansion Continent for safekeeping and 'instruction.' I might spare your life—and even grant you the title of Vice Head of Female Immortals, so you can have a place in Purple Mansion Continent!"
His true intentions were finally laid bare.
Was this law enforcement?
It was plain robbery—and robbery at the most crucial moment before her ascension to sainthood, an attempt to steal the immense merit she had earned by creating humanity!
Looking at this pack of sanctimonious bandits, Nuwa's fury blazed to life. A cold glint flashed in her beautiful eyes, murderous intent surged, and the Red Embroidered Ball slowly appeared in her hand.
"East King Duke!"
Nuwa's clear voice rang across heaven and earth, carrying sacred wrath that brooked no defiance:
"You're courting death!!"
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