Chapter 75: Negotiating Fate

Let us speak now of Di Jun, the Emperor of the Ninth Heaven. What pride he bore, esteeming himself a man of grand designs and peerless talent, hoping to rule the vast primordial land by his own hand.

Yet for all his ambition, this foray into the world brought Di Jun only repeated setbacks. First, the ancestral cult of the Wu tribe was established, seizing the righteous cause of the world and leaving the Ninth Heaven bereft of legitimacy. Then, upon receiving the inheritance of the Celestial Demons, he conceived the idea to rename his dominion as the Demon Court, nearly casting away the orthodox claim.

Now, the Purple Cloud Palace was choosing disciples. Di Jun had made his choice, yet he knew the truth of his own house: Nuwa and Houtu acted with resolute conviction, each possessing their own designs from the start. But Di Jun and the Eastern Emperor? They merely followed the example, imitating without true understanding.

To found an ancestral cult and prevent the establishment of the Demon Court—these acts alone attested to the wisdom of Houtu and the others. Realizing the Dao Ancestor would never allow him to achieve the Dao, and trusting that Nuwa and Houtu would not act unwisely, Di Jun, though ignorant of the full truth, still chose as they did.

Yet, even so, Di Jun and the Eastern Emperor could not quite comprehend the depth of Nuwa and Houtu's resolve.

When Di Jun spoke thus, the Twelve Ancestral Witches and Fuxi and Nuwa exchanged glances. Standing before the gates of Purple Cloud Palace, none dared to speak freely. After some thought, Houtu replied, "Fellow Daoist Di Jun, simply fulfill your duties as the ruler of the Heavenly Court, cause no calamity, and you will remain unassailable. Should merit suffice to achieve the Dao, you and the Eastern Emperor, blessed by the great merit and fortune of the Ninth Heaven, shall surely attain it in time!"

Di Jun, ever shrewd, saw the expressions on their faces and understood most of their meaning. There was no need to say more.

"Ah!" he sighed, long and low.

Once so full of grand ambition and cunning, in this moment Di Jun was forced to recognize his own inadequacy.

How dark this world was! The primordial realm was veiled in impenetrable shadows!

He had received the Celestial Demon inheritance and wished only to found a court in gratitude—was that so wrong?

For even such a simple act, there were mighty beings behind the scenes, fanning the flames, laying upon him the heavy burden of forsaking the heavenly orthodoxy. In this world, a single misstep would bring utter destruction.

Such was the primordial world!

“So dark is this world!” Di Jun once prided himself on his depth and brilliance, but now he saw clearly: there were many cunning minds in this world, and his own skills paled in comparison.

Once, he had yearned to match wits and power with all the world's great talents, to stand as their equal. Yet now, those dreams were mere ashes.

Had it not been for the Wu tribe, both he and the Heavenly Court would have been betrayed many times over—and he would have been the one counting the ill-gotten gains.

“Fellow Daoists!” Di Jun, having learned his lesson, addressed them with grave courtesy: “Rest assured, from this moment on, I will remain steadfast in the Heavenly Court, assisting in maintaining the primordial world, seeking nothing more. If, in the days to come, Nuwa and Houtu achieve the Dao, the Eastern Emperor and I shall come to seek your guidance!”

Nuwa and Houtu replied in kind, “Should you attain the Dao first, we would be honored to visit you as well.”

With that, Di Jun and the Eastern Emperor, taking Xi He and Chang Xi with them, hurried back to the Ninth Heaven, there to seclude themselves from the world.

Fuxi, Nuwa, and the Twelve Ancestral Witches returned together to Buzhou Mountain.

Kunpeng, reflecting in secret, realized that both Nuwa and Houtu were on the verge of achieving the Dao; it would not be long before they succeeded. Such a rare opportunity could not be missed.

Kunpeng spoke, “As you both are soon to attain the Dao and great fortune, I too aspire to enlightenment. Might I accompany you and observe, if you would permit it?”

With the eleven Ancestral Witches beside Houtu and Fuxi guarding Nuwa, they feared not that Kunpeng would vie for the chance. Remembering old ties, they reluctantly agreed.

They arrived at Buzhou Mountain and entered the Wu tribe’s Chaos Secret Realm.

Within, they beheld a gourd vine—not particularly large, yet radiating boundless life and shrouded in endless chaotic aura—manifesting before them.

The innate gourd vine had once borne seven fruits. Zu Wu Jumang, seeking to dissolve the lingering curse within himself through merit, had taken the seventh green-skinned gourd. In its place, he grafted an ancient vine of life. To the eye, it seemed as if a single gourd vine had sent out a fresh, verdant branch, both wreathed in divine brilliance and surpassing wonder.

Nuwa stepped forward and produced the Nine Heavens Breathing Soil, a mere palm-sized clump of yellow clay. Yet, when she merged it into the soil at the vine’s roots, the divine earth expanded at a visible rate.

The gourd vine's absorption of the chaotic aura instantly doubled. The six remaining gourds began to mature before their eyes, and the grafted vine of life, too, surged in strength.

Nuwa smiled. “The Nine Heavens Breathing Soil is bound to me by fate; I cannot abandon it lightly. Today, I lend it to aid the Wu tribe and myself, nurturing the innate gourd vine. Once the fruits have matured, I must reclaim this treasure.”

Before the other Ancestral Witches could respond, Houtu nodded. “It is only right.”

The Twelve Ancestral Witches, each harboring great ambition, voiced no objection.

Nuwa then took out the Three Lights Divine Water, using it to nourish and refine the gourd vine, so that its treasures would become even more spiritually potent and powerful.

Ordinarily, for an innate spiritual root to bear supreme innate treasures, seventy-five thousand great cycles would be required for true maturity. The vine had only matured for fifty-eight thousand cycles—seventeen thousand yet remained.

Yet, with the blessing of the true Nine Heavens Breathing Soil and the Three Lights Divine Water, within just five thousand more cycles, at the thirteen-thousandth cycle of the Great Calamity, the Chaos Secret Realm on Buzhou Mountain radiated a seven-colored divine light. The gourd vine, ancient and matchless, had finally reached full maturity.

Nuwa, having nourished the vine with the Breathing Soil and awakened its spirit with the divine water, felt a sudden insight. Through the art of Creation—her Heaven-Mending Technique—she brushed the threshold of the Dao of Life. The Heaven-Mending Technique advanced greatly, and on its foundation, she began to create the embryonic form of a new path: the Art of Creation and Transformation.

This art could shape all things and bestow spirit upon them, much like the Three Lights Divine Water enlivened innate spiritual roots, yet Nuwa’s power surpassed even that.

However, Nuwa shook her head in secret. “Though I have advanced, reaching perfection as a Hunyuan Divine Demon and founding my own great art, what use is it to grant spirit to all things? It is not yet a supreme divine power.”

She pondered, somewhat disappointed.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck her—like a divine light splitting the heavens and earth.

“So that is the answer!”

Enlightened, a divine radiance burst from her, soaring to the heavens and resonating with all the forces of the primordial world. The power of humanity gathered, all the myriad paths converged, and a mark of Heaven’s Will evolved, merging into Nuwa. Heaven and earth seemed to lend their strength to help her advance yet further.

For Nuwa to achieve the Dao, she needed the power of humanity. For the Dao of Humanity to flourish, it required the strength of her sanctification. The two streams united—heaven and man in harmony!

Though she had not yet achieved the Dao, the phenomenon shook the boundless lands and secret realms of the primordial world.