Three Pure Ones

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Three Pure Ones (三清)
Alias(es)	Claimants to the Pangu Orthodox title
Origin	Incarnations of Pangu's Primordial Spirit 87
Affiliation	Xuanmen; direct disciples of Dao Ancestor Hongjun 179
Members	Taishang Laojun, Yuanshi Tianzun, and Tongtian Jiaozhu
Occupation/Role	Leading Primordial-era cultivators and contenders for the inheritance, treasures, and status associated with Pangu
First Appearance	Chapter 70 70

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Peak Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal	89	All three are stated to be at this realm; they initially hold a cultivation advantage over the Late Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal Ancestor Witches.
Golden Immortal of the Origin	134	They break through after Hongjun's sermon at Purple Cloud Palace.
Sage	230	By the confrontation at Doushuai Palace, they are among the seven Sages defeated by Xiao Ran.

Background / History

The Three Pure Ones survived the Dragon-Han Calamity and regarded themselves as capable of remaining untouched by later tribulations. Yuanshi Tianzun dismissed other factions as beneath them, while Taishang Laojun agreed that their increased strength would keep them safe; Tongtian Jiaozhu ultimately accepted their judgment 70.

They publicly asserted that, as incarnations of Pangu's Primordial Spirit, they were the sole orthodox descendants of Pangu. This brought them into direct conflict with Xiao Ran and the Witch Race, whose newly acquired Primordial Spirits undermined the Three Pure Ones' traditional basis for the claim 87 88.

At Purple Cloud Palace, Xiao Ran challenged their claim through battle and defeated all three alone with physical strength, despite Yuanshi attacking first with the Nine Dragon Staff. The defeat became a major source of humiliation and a lasting grudge against the Witch Race 89 130.

Following Hongjun's sermon, the Three Pure Ones attained the Golden Immortal of the Origin realm. Hongjun later accepted them as direct disciples, bestowed Primordial Violet Qi upon each of them, and gave them individual Innate Supreme Treasures—opportunities that restored their confidence in eventually overcoming the Witch Race 134 179.

Personality

The Three Pure Ones are united by pride in their Pangu origin, concern for their collective reputation, and a persistent desire to recover face after their defeats. They repeatedly treat cultivation level and strength as grounds for authority, whether claiming the seven innate gourds, the World Tree Tongtian Jianmu, or access to the Treasure Distribution Cliff 98 146 183.

Their temperaments differ markedly:

• Yuanshi Tianzun is the most openly arrogant and confrontational. He provokes the Witch Race over Pangu orthodoxy, threatens nonparticipants at Treasure Distribution Cliff, and repeatedly presses others into conflicts that the group is not prepared to win 88 137 183.
• Taishang Laojun is more restrained and pragmatic. He attempts to curb Yuanshi's impulsiveness after their first defeat and recognizes the need to preserve opportunities such as Hongjun's sermon 90.
• Tongtian Jiaozhu often follows the group despite reservations. His extracted bloodline carries a nascent sword intent, reflecting a path described as preferring to break rather than bend 216.

Abilities & Skills

Pangu Primordial Spirit Origin

Their shared origin as incarnations of Pangu's Primordial Spirit is the foundation of their claim to be Pangu Orthodox 87.

• It gives their bloodlines exceptional resistance; Tongtian's soul and bloodline prove harder for Xiao Ran to extract than those of other captured cultivators 216.
• Their origin becomes politically contested once the Witch Race gains Primordial Spirits of its own 88.
• Xiao Ran's own Pangu Primordial Spirit ultimately overwhelms Tongtian's resistance during the extraction 216.

Joint Combat

The Three Pure Ones routinely act as a coordinated force, presenting themselves as a single power when contesting treasures or confronting the Witch Race.

• They jointly claimed all seven colored gourds and challenged any dissenter to fight them 98.
• They formed the core of alliances against the Witch Race at Fangzhang Island and Treasure Distribution Cliff 137 193.
• Even when armed with Innate Supreme Treasures and Primordial Violet Qi, their simultaneous attack on Xiao Ran was defeated by a single punch 188.

One Qi Transforms Three Pure Ones

Taishang Laojun can release three streams of pure energy that transform into three Daoists identical to the Three Pure Ones 230.

• The technique is regarded as a powerful secret art associated with Taishang Laojun's later standing among the Sages 216.
• Xiao Ran dismisses the manifested figures as insufficient against him 230.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Taiji Diagram — bestowed upon Taishang Laojun by Hongjun 179.
• Pangu Banner — bestowed upon Yuanshi Tianzun by Hongjun 179.
• Myriad Heavens Auspicious Cloud — bestowed upon Yuanshi Tianzun as a defensive treasure 179 188.
• Four Swords of Zhu Xian — bestowed upon Tongtian Jiaozhu together with their Sword Formation Diagram 179.
  • Xiao Ran later restored the Four Swords to their origin, the God Slaying Spear 223 224.
• Nine Dragon Staff — Yuanshi Tianzun's Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, used against Xiao Ran during their first direct clash 89.

Relationships

• Dao Ancestor Hongjun — teacher and patron; accepts the Three Pure Ones as direct disciples, grants them Primordial Violet Qi, and distributes their Supreme Treasures 179.
• Xiao Ran — principal adversary; defeats the three of them alone on multiple occasions and repeatedly overturns their attempts to establish dominance 89 188 230.
• Witch Race — rivals in the dispute over Pangu orthodoxy and competitors for major Primordial treasures 88 193.
• Jieyin and Zhunti — situational allies against the Witch Race, though the Three Pure Ones view their opportunism with contempt 146 172.
• Azure Dragon Ancestor and Chaos Four Fiends — the Three Pure Ones seek their aid against the Witch Race, only to be deceived into surrendering treasures and later abandoned during battle 170 172 190 191.
• East King Duke — recurrent ally of convenience in campaigns for Penglai and Treasure Distribution Cliff; his greed helps draw the Three Pure Ones back into conflict with the Witch Race 137 193.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Pangu Orthodoxy Dispute

At Purple Cloud Palace, the Three Pure Ones declare themselves Pangu's unquestionable orthodox descendants and denigrate the Witch Race. Xiao Ran answers their claim with a challenge, defeats them, and warns that he will punish any future assertion that the Three Pure Ones alone are Pangu Orthodox 87 89 90.

Competition for Primordial Treasures

They aggressively claim rare opportunities, including the seven colored gourds and the World Tree Tongtian Jianmu. Their strategy is consistently interrupted by Xiao Ran and the Witch Race, who claim the greater share of these opportunities 98 146 150.

Hongjun's Disciples

Hongjun's acceptance of the Three Pure Ones gives them Primordial Violet Qi and powerful treasures, convincing them that Sagehood and eventual revenge against the Witch Race are within reach 179. Their renewed confidence proves misplaced when Xiao Ran defeats all three at Treasure Distribution Cliff despite their new equipment 188 189.

Treasure Distribution Cliff Conflict

The Three Pure Ones help form the formation-breaking coalition and threaten to kill cultivators who do not contribute. After the Witch Race seizes control of the cliff, they join East King Duke's alliance to challenge it, hoping for aid from Hongjun or the Chaos beings 183 193.

Xiao Ran secretly plunders the best treasures while the Three Pure Ones and their allies hold back the Witch Race. After days of searching, the Three Pure Ones collectively find only two Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures, while the Witch Race has already taken most of the cliff's valuable contents 194 208.

Penglai Trap and Later Division

The Three Pure Ones are lured toward Penglai through Xiao Ran's scheme and leave humiliated after Xiao Ran confiscates their side's magical treasures 211 212. Xiao Ran later extracts the bloodlines and souls of Tongtian, Yuanshi, and Taishang; Tongtian's sword intent and Yuanshi's jade-ruyi-shaped Dao are revealed in the process 216.

At Doushuai Palace, Xiao Ran defeats the Seven Sages and takes Tongtian away. Ancestor Yang Mei subsequently frees Tongtian from confinement, after which Tongtian leaves the Primordial Era rather than return to Doushuai Palace 230 231.

Notable Quotes

“We Three Pure Ones are incarnations of the Pangu Primordial Spirit!” 87

“We are the indisputable orthodox descendants of Pangu!” 87

“In the Primordial World, everything is decided by strength!” 146