The East Sea Shore, where the divine light gradually faded.
Nuwa stood quietly, her aura restrained, yet she gave off a mysterious feeling of being one with heaven and earth.
She had become a Saint.
She had truly become a Saint.
The feeling was so wondrous. It was still the same world, the same stretch of sea, yet everything looked completely different to her now.
The laws contained in every drop of seawater, the Great Dao flowing through every wisp of breeze, even the pulsing threads of life within the newly born Human Race—all of it appeared clearly in her perception.
This was the perspective of a Saint.
Looking down upon all living things, seeing through everything.
Nuwa took a deep breath and turned to look at the figure standing with his hands behind his back.
Taiyuan still looked as languid as ever. His Moon-White Dao Robe fluttered gently in the sea breeze, his features handsome and refined, his eyes warm as jade, and a faint smile played at his lips, as if everything that had just happened had nothing to do with him.
But Nuwa knew that without this man before her, she would have failed at the final hurdle. She might even have suffered severe injuries from the backlash of her merit.
And that was not to mention the priceless Chaos Green Lotus Seed.
There was not a second one of those anywhere in the entire Primordial World, yet he had given it to her without hesitation.
"Daoist Taiyuan."
Nuwa spoke, her voice trembling slightly with gratitude and excitement she could no longer hold back.
"I will never forget your kindness."
She solemnly bowed to Taiyuan. The gesture came from the heart, free of a Saint's reserve or arrogance.
At that moment, she was not a Primordial Saint, but simply a woman expressing her gratitude to someone who had helped her.
Taiyuan hurried forward and raised a hand to stop her.
"Niangniang, you're too kind. Please, get up."
He wore a warm smile, his tone relaxed and casual. "We agreed on a deal. You become a Saint, and I become the Saint Master. We owe each other nothing."
"Besides, the seed would have just sat around in my hands. It's better that you put it to greater use."
He said it so casually, as if the Chaos Supreme Treasure that could help someone become a Saint really were just some worthless trinket.
Hearing this, Nuwa felt a complex mix of emotions well up inside her.
She had lived for a long time and seen countless cultivators fight to the death over the smallest resources. She had also seen countless so-called fellow Daoists turn ruthless the moment their interests were at stake.
Yet this man before her could speak so calmly and casually.
Did he truly not care about the seed's value, or was he deliberately acting so carefree in front of her?
Either way, it made an even deeper impression on her.
"Your generosity is admirable, Daoist. I will remember it."
Nuwa straightened up. Her deep, beautiful eyes glimmered with a complicated light—gratitude, respect, and an emotion she could not quite name.
She found that she was increasingly unable to see through this man.
He was only at the Perfected Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal level, yet he could grow something as heaven-defying as the Chaos Green Lotus.
He came from the impoverished Western Lands, yet he was wealthier than all the great Eastern powers put together.
He could have stayed out of it, yet he had been willing to risk offending East King Duke and Three Immortal Island to save her.
What kind of person was he, really?
Feeling Nuwa's heated gaze, Taiyuan was secretly delighted, though his expression remained unchanged.
One seed in exchange for a Saint's favor. What a bargain.
With Nuwa backing him as he traveled the Primordial World, who would dare lay a hand on his Western Sect?
Just then.
On the eastern horizon, a dazzling streak of light tore through the void and flew toward them at an almost frenzied speed.
The aura within it was immensely powerful. The newcomer was clearly a Peak Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal.
Zhunti instinctively tightened his grip on the Sky-Turning Shovel and watched the streak of light warily.
"Another troublemaker?"
He had just finished beating those three old geezers from Three Immortal Island, and his hands were still itching. He had been wishing for someone else to practice on.
Taiyuan merely waved a hand, signaling that he did not need to be nervous.
"Friend of ours."
The streak of light landed and transformed into a middle-aged man wearing a blue Daoist robe. He had handsome features and an elegant, scholarly air.
Fuxi.
Nuwa's elder brother, a renowned wise man of the Primordial World, and the master of He Tu Luo Shu.
Fuxi looked frantic, and his Daoist robe was somewhat disheveled. He had clearly rushed all the way here without even taking time to tidy his appearance.
"Little sister, are you all right?"
The moment Fuxi landed, he rushed to Nuwa and looked her up and down, his eyes full of worry.
He had sensed the disturbance in the East Sea while cultivating in seclusion at Phoenix Perch Mountain. Then he had felt his sister's aura fluctuate violently, and rushed over in a panic.
On the way, he had already prepared himself for the worst, even steeling himself to fight to the death.
But when he finally arrived and saw what had happened, it was completely beyond anything he could have imagined.
Not only was his sister safe, she had become a Saint?
Fuxi stood frozen, unable to make sense of it for a moment.
"Brother, I'm fine."
Nuwa smiled faintly, calm and composed after becoming a Saint. "Not only am I fine, I've also broken through."
"I can see that."
Fuxi took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "It's cause for celebration that my sister has become a Saint."
He looked around, noticing the devastation left by the battle and the newly born members of the Human Race trembling in fear. His brow furrowed slightly.
"What happened here?"
Nuwa briefly recounted what had happened.
She told him how East King Duke had brought people from Three Immortal Island to seize her merit, how Taiyuan and the others had arrived in time to rescue her, and how Taiyuan had given her the Chaos Green Lotus Seed to help her become a Saint.
The more Fuxi listened, the more serious his expression became. By the end, he was utterly shocked.
"The Chaos Green Lotus Seed?"
He looked at Taiyuan in disbelief, his eyes full of alarm.
He had only ever read about such a thing in ancient texts. It was said to be a supreme divine treasure that had nurtured Pangu God, and that it had shattered and vanished when heaven and earth were created.
And this Western Daoist could actually produce such a heaven-defying treasure?
"Daoist Taiyuan."
Fuxi took a deep breath, straightened his disheveled robes, and then bowed deeply to Taiyuan, adopting the humblest posture.
"You saved my sister from danger and helped her become a Saint. I will always remember this tremendous kindness."
"If you ever have need of me, I will not hesitate, even if it costs me my life."
The bow came from the heart. There was not a trace of pretense in it.
Fuxi was a man who valued affection and loyalty, and his sister mattered more to him than anything.
Taiyuan had come to her rescue at a critical moment and had even given her a Chaos Lotus Seed to help her become a Saint. He would never forget such kindness.
Taiyuan hurried forward and helped Fuxi up, a warm smile on his face.
"Fellow Daoist Fuxi, you're too kind. It was a small thing."
"Besides, Empress Nuwa and my Western Sect had an agreement beforehand. Helping her become a Saint also helped me."
He spoke so casually, as if giving away the Chaos Lotus Seed had truly been a small thing.
Fuxi looked at Taiyuan's calm, carefree expression and felt a complicated mix of emotions well up inside him.
Who exactly was this Western Daoist?
He could grow the Chaos Green Lotus, inspire such a tremendous debt of gratitude from his sister, and still face it all with such composure.
This man was unfathomable.
Fuxi marked Taiyuan with that label in his mind.
Meanwhile.
News of Nuwa's ascension to Sainthood spread throughout the Primordial World as if it had grown wings.
In the East, on Mount Kunlun.
The Three Pure Ones were cultivating in seclusion at their respective sanctuaries, meditating on what they had gained from the lecture at Purple Sky Palace, when they suddenly sensed the Saintly Might coming from the East Sea.
Primordial Heavenly Lord abruptly opened his eyes, his face full of shock.
"Nuwa has become a Saint?"
He rose to his feet in disbelief and sent his divine sense toward the East Sea, sensing that familiar yet unfamiliar aura.
It was indeed Nuwa, yet not the Nuwa she had been before.
It was the aura unique to a Saint, transcendent beyond heaven and earth, indestructible through countless tribulations.
"How is that possible?"
Primordial Heavenly Lord's expression darkened, his heart filled with resentment.
He considered himself part of the Pangu Orthodox Lineage, with a profound origin, yet he was still struggling at the Peak Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal level.
Nuwa was merely a cultivator of the Dao of Creation. What right did she have to become a Saint before him?
On the Sun Star, in the Sun Palace.
Di Jun and Tai Yi exchanged a glance, both seeing deep apprehension in the other's eyes.
"Nuwa has become a Saint."
Di Jun spoke in a low voice, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest. "And they say that Western Daoist Taiyuan helped her."
"Taiyuan?"
Tai Yi frowned deeply. "Him again? What is this Western Daoist capable of, that he can help someone become a Saint?"
"I don't know."
Di Jun shook his head, a grave look flashing in his eyes. "This man is unfathomable. We'll have to be much more careful when dealing with him in the future."
At the foot of Buzhou Mountain, in Witch Clan territory.
The Twelve Ancestral Witches gathered together, sensing the Saintly Might coming from the East Sea. Their expressions were complicated.
"Nuwa has become a Saint."
Dijiang spoke in a deep, rumbling voice. "I heard that Taiyuan helped her."
"Taiyuan?"
Zhurong scratched his enormous, flaming head. "The one who invited us to dinner last time? He seems pretty rich."
"He's more than just rich."
Houtu spoke softly. Her eyes, usually filled with baleful energy, now glimmered with complicated emotions. "He was able to help Nuwa become a Saint. He must have a heaven-defying treasure in his possession."
"It was right for us to befriend him."
The whole Primordial World was abuzz with discussion.
Everyone was trying to find out how Nuwa had become a Saint and what role that Western Daoist Taiyuan had played.
All kinds of theories spread everywhere. Some said Taiyuan possessed a secret method for becoming a Saint, others said he was the reincarnation of some great power, and still others claimed that he was actually Pangu's illegitimate son.
In short, the rumors grew wilder by the day.
At the East Sea Shore.
Taiyuan felt the probing divine senses coming from all directions and smiled faintly.
Let them guess.
The more they speculated, the more renowned the Western Lands would become.
He turned to Nuwa, his playful expression gone, his face suddenly serious.
"Now that Niangniang has become a Saint, I'll leave the Human Race in your hands."
"They are your children, and they are also the foundation of my Western Sect."
"Remember, my Western Sect gets thirty percent of the fortune. That was our agreement."
Nuwa nodded solemnly, her deep, beautiful eyes full of earnestness.
"Nuwa will not break her word."
Before you continue