Primordial World

Biodata

Background / History

Early order and reincarnation

Before the establishment of the Six Paths of Samsara, death in the Primordial World had no cycle of reincarnation: lingering souls and wandering ghosts gradually faded through tribulations, while living beings were said to return to the Heavenly Dao after death. Houtu’s question—whether reincarnation existed—received no response from the world’s laws or order. 63

Jiang Chen later established the Human Dao, while Houtu created the Earth Path and the Six Paths of Samsara. These newly born paths came to coexist with the Heavenly Dao under the greater Dao, rather than remaining subordinate to it. 89 115

Witch-Demon Calamity

During the Witch-Demon Calamity, Jiang Chen’s sword created the Human Race’s Forbidden Zone, separating it from the rest of the Primordial World behind the Heavenly Chasm Great Abyss. The barrier endured for nearly a thousand years; non-Sages who attempted to cross it were ground to dust by its Chaos. 47

The Demon Court’s Primordial River Luo Great Array nearly remade the entire world into a killing formation. It used its mountains, rivers, oceans, skies, flora, fauna, and the Four Extremes as array patterns, producing rapid cycles of erosion, growth, death, and rebirth. Its activation shifted mountains, reversed rivers, and caused mass death across the world. 105

Jiang Chen countered the formation with the Primordial World Banner and the Heaven and Earth Weaving Array, using the world itself as a chessboard and its mountains and rivers as formation patterns. The conflict shattered the Thirty-three Heavens, tore apart the Primordial World, and allowed Chaos to surge inward. 108 110 113

Reconstruction

After the calamity, Hongjun and Jiang Chen agreed to divide the shattered Primordial World into four lands. Nuwa used the North Sea Black Tortoise’s limbs as pillars supporting the sky and mended the heavens with colorful stones refined using the Qiankun Creation Cauldron and Primordial Violet Fire. 116

Once the sky was repaired, the Heavenly River, sea of stars, and world-spanning floods gradually receded. The fourfold world entered a new era, with the Human Race rising toward its destined role as the world’s protagonist. 117 121

Era of the Three Daos

The Human Dao and Earth Path remain incomplete compared with the established Heavenly Dao. Jiang Chen considers strengthening the Human Race and the Underworld essential to allowing these two newer Daos to stand against the Heavenly Dao’s dominance. 127 166

Karma accumulates throughout the Primordial World over time and ultimately produces Great Tribulations. These calamities can involve the Saint lineages, Heavenly Court, Underworld, Sea of Blood, Earth Immortal Realm, overseas immortal islands, and beings in Chaos. 119 139 173

Structure and Locations

Natural Laws and Cosmology

• Heavenly Dao — The Heavenly Dao was born within the Primordial World and is inseparable from it, but it does not represent the entirety of the world. 129
• Human Dao and Earth Path — These two Daos emerged within the Primordial World and coexist with the Heavenly Dao, though both remain comparatively nascent. 115 166
• Reincarnation — The Six Paths of Samsara replaced the former fate of souls fading after death, creating an organized cycle of rebirth and an Underworld requiring vast numbers of Yin Messengers. 63 122 172
• Karmic tribulations — When karma becomes sufficiently entangled, the Primordial World enters a Great Tribulation that settles karmic debts among beings beneath the Saints. 119 139
• World verification — Jiang Chen’s creation of written characters required validation by the Primordial World. Each completed character carried Dao meaning and caused corresponding natural anomalies, including fire across the sky, rain, and rapid plant growth. 130
• Formation foundation — Major formations can draw directly upon the world’s terrain, rivers, living beings, and natural order, making control of the Primordial World’s features decisive in large-scale war. 105 108

Cosmic Relationships

• Heavenly Dao — The oldest and most complete of the Three Daos; it governs the world’s broader trends and is associated with recurring Great Tribulations. 115 166
• Human Dao — Established by Jiang Chen and rooted in the Human Race’s growth, inheritance, and rise within the Primordial World. 130 132
• Earth Path — Established through Houtu and centered on the Six Paths of Samsara and the Underworld’s management of departed souls. 122 127
• Human Race — Identified by Hongjun as the destined protagonist of the coming era following the Witch-Demon Calamity. 121
• Heavenly Court — A post-calamity institution intended to govern immortals and share authority over the Primordial World. 119 121
• Underworld — A counterpart to the Heavenly Court that manages samsara and departed souls; its early promise drew disciples and attention away from the newly rebuilt Heavenly Court. 122 124 133

Notable Quotes

“I ask the world, is there reincarnation!” — Houtu’s unanswered question before the formation of the Six Paths of Samsara. 63