Profound Gate

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Profound Gate (玄门; Xuanmen)
Alias(es)	Profound Gate lineage; Heavenly Dao lineage
Affiliation	Heavenly Dao; formerly led by Dao Ancestor Hongjun
Status	Active, but weakened by defections, loss of fortune, and repeated defeats
First Appearance	3

Background / History

The Profound Gate is the orthodoxy led by Dao Ancestor Hongjun and supported by the Heavenly Dao. Its core strength originally lay in its Heavenly Dao Sages and the broad influence of the Three Teachings, whose accumulated fortune was considered far deeper than that of the Witch Clan. 36 69

Its apparent unity concealed Hongjun’s control over its sages. Chen Xuan revealed that Heavenly Dao Sages had entrusted strands of their Innate Undying True Spirits to the Heavenly Dao, leaving their lifelines under the control of the Heavenly Dao and Hongjun. He further exposed flaws in the Three Corpses Severance Sagehood Method and described Primordial Purple Qi as a means of restricting the sages’ freedom and future advancement. 72 73

These revelations fractured the lineage. Tongtian broke with the Profound Gate and later abolished his Sage position to escape its control; Nuwa subsequently did the same, retaining the Qiankun Cauldron and her Primordial Purple Qi in defiance of Hongjun. 75 89

Organization

• Dao Ancestor Hongjun — Leader of the Profound Gate and spokesperson for the Heavenly Dao. He directs its sages, manages its fortune, and repeatedly attempts to restore its influence against the Witch Clan. 72 102 109
• Heavenly Dao — The Profound Gate’s principal backer. It empowered Hongjun, held portions of the Underworld Path’s origin, and proposed the fortune wager against the Witch Clan. 65 69
• Taiqing, Yuanshi, Jieyin, and Zhunti — The remaining prominent Profound Gate sages after Tongtian and Nuwa departed. They fought the Witch Clan at the Sea of Blood and were later imprisoned in the Netherworld. 89 100
• Three Teachings — The Profound Gate’s major teaching lineages, whose disciples and accumulated fortune form a major part of its influence. 69 120 122
  • Human Religion — Represented by Taiqing and his disciple Xuandu. 116 122
  • Chan Sect — Associated with Yuanshi, the Twelve Golden Immortals, and efforts to claim the Human Sovereigns as disciples. 109 122
  • Western lineage — Associated with Jieyin, Zhunti, Medicine Buddha, Ksitigarbha, and Maitreya. 122

Major Arcs

Conflict with the Witch Clan

During the Witch-Demon Calamity, the Profound Gate’s sages intervened against Houtu and the Witch Clan. Hongjun relied on the Heavenly Dao’s support to pressure the Witch Clan and weaken the Dutian God-Demon Array. 62 65

The Heavenly Dao then established a Great Dao–witnessed wager: the Witch Clan and the Profound Gate would compete for fortune, with ten percent of the Underworld Path’s origin as the stake. Defeat would force the Witch Clan to withdraw from the Primordial World’s stage. 69 70

Internal Fracture

Chen Xuan publicly challenged the legitimacy of the Profound Gate’s sainthood system, exposing Hongjun’s alleged manipulation of Nuwa and the other sages. The disclosures undermined trust between Hongjun and his disciples, while Tongtian openly attacked Hongjun with the Four Swords of Immortal Slaying. 70 72

Tongtian ultimately severed his Sage Dao Fruit, while Nuwa later followed suit and declared herself a Hun Yuan Sage rather than a Sage of the Profound Gate. Their departures reduced the lineage’s sage roster and damaged its standing in the fortune wager. 75 89

Battle for the Netherworld

When Chen Xuan attempted to establish the Six Paths of Reincarnation at the Sea of Blood, Taiqing, Yuanshi, Jieyin, and Zhunti descended to stop him, sealing the surrounding space with divine law chains. 89

The attempt failed after Tongtian and Minghe supported the Witch Clan. The Reincarnation Purple Lotus completed the Six Paths, the Netherworld was established, and six ancestral witches became Reincarnation Sages whose strength surpassed ordinary Heavenly Dao Sages. 92 95 97

The four Profound Gate sages were captured and sentenced to the Eighteen Levels of Hell, where their sage powers were sealed and their punishment was broadcast across the Primordial World. 100 101

Hongjun’s Compromise

To secure the release of his disciples, Hongjun negotiated with Chen Xuan. The Profound Gate ceded thirty percent of its fortune, recognized the Six Paths of Reincarnation and the Witch Clan’s Netherworld, and returned a portion of stolen origin through a crystallized Underworld Path source. 103 104

Hongjun attempted to conceal a Heavenly Dao karmic thread within the transferred fortune, but Chen Xuan detected and consumed it with the power of reincarnation. The resulting transfer strengthened the Witch Clan and Netherworld while further diminishing the Profound Gate’s position. 105

Struggle for Human Clan Fortune

After its Netherworld defeat, the Profound Gate sought to recover fortune through the Human Clan’s sovereigns. Hongjun dispatched Yuanshi to claim Fuxi as a disciple, but Chen Xuan intervened and asserted that Fuxi’s path belonged to humanity rather than the Profound Gate. 109 111 112

Its efforts met continued resistance. Xuandu was rejected by the Lie Mountain Tribe when he attempted to accept Shennong as a disciple, largely because of the Profound Gate’s reputation and Taiqing’s counterfeit Golden Elixir scandal. 116

The four sages also failed to gain Xuanyuan’s allegiance; Xuanyuan rejected them and chose Tongtian as his master. 119

Relationships

• Dao Ancestor Hongjun — Founder and leader; controls the lineage’s sages through the Heavenly Dao and directs its attempts to reclaim fortune. 72 109
• Heavenly Dao — Patron and source of the Profound Gate’s authority; backed Hongjun in the conflict with the Witch Clan and sponsored the fortune wager. 65 69
• Witch Clan — Primary rival in the Great Dao Gamble and the contest for Primordial World fortune. 69 103
• Chen Xuan / Houtu — Principal adversary; exposed the Profound Gate’s internal schemes, established the Netherworld, and forced Hongjun into concessions. 70 72 103
• Tongtian — Former member who defected, renounced his Sage position, and fought the Profound Gate in support of the Witch Clan. 75 92 93
• Nuwa — Former Sage who renounced her Profound Gate position and openly accused Hongjun of having turned her into a Heavenly Dao puppet. 89
• Human Clan — A major source of contested fortune; its tribes increasingly distrust the Profound Gate’s attempts to claim the Human Sovereigns. 110 116 119

Notable Facts

• The Profound Gate originally possessed six sages, but Tongtian and Nuwa left its ranks. 69 75 89
• Its sages’ Innate Undying True Spirits were held within the Heavenly Dao, limiting their independence from Hongjun. 72
• Its prestige declined sharply after the four sages were publicly displayed suffering in the Netherworld’s Eighteen Levels of Hell. 101 102
• Thirty percent of its fortune was transferred into the Witch Clan and Netherworld destiny systems after Hongjun’s negotiation with Chen Xuan. 103 105