Chapter 33: The Origin of the Primal Purple Aura

Having shaken off his pursuers, Liu Junhuai found a secluded spot, summoned his silver broadsword, and soared away atop the blade. After flying for dozens of miles, he entered Myriad Phenomena Pavilion within a dense forest.

The old steward was waiting in the main hall. Without a word, Liu Junhuai grabbed Zhiqiu and headed straight into the artifact refining chamber.

Inside, as Liu Junhuai tossed heap after heap of broken magical treasures into the smelting furnace, Zhiqiu’s face lit up with glee. He patted Liu Junhuai’s shoulder repeatedly, lavishing praise upon him.

“It’s a pity we couldn’t gather any mithril this time. Perhaps we’ll have better luck in the future. Luckily, there are some fragments mixed in here—we’ll have to make do for now.”

Zhiqiu nodded, then turned to look at Liu Junhuai with a serious expression. “Master, it’s perfectly normal not to collect everything at once, but you must always be careful. Rare treasures are coveted by all; every artifact is surrounded by danger, and unscrupulous cultivators often set traps with treasures to rob and kill. Never let greed for treasures cloud your judgment or act recklessly, or you will betray the very purpose for which Myriad Phenomena Pavilion was founded.”

Liu Junhuai earnestly agreed and addressed the steward with respect. “Thank you, elder, for your sincere advice. By rights, I should call you elder.” He gestured, stopping the steward from speaking further. “I’ll remember your words well. I’ve long grown weary of the evil that dominates the cultivation world. I will train diligently and improve myself. When I reach the pinnacle one day, believe me, I’ll change this world and establish a new order.”

“Your ambition is greater than I’d imagined, and that puts my mind at ease. Before meeting you, I worried about my new master’s character, for the world is unpredictable and beyond any one person’s control. In time, you’ll understand the origins and purpose of Myriad Phenomena Pavilion. For now, just focus on your cultivation, and leave all other concerns to me,” the old steward said, his voice tinged with emotion.

“Rest assured, steward. I’ve been alone since childhood; without extra caution, I’d never have survived this long. I understand that some things can’t be forced. As long as I do my best, I’ll have a clear conscience. Maintaining equanimity is the foundation of the Dao, as it is in life,” Liu Junhuai replied.

As they spoke, a small black orb rolled out from the smelting furnace.

The old steward quickly picked it up. “This is Black Profound Iron, a low-grade refining material—perfect for helping you advance to a second-level artifact refiner. Go ahead and cultivate; I’ll watch over things here. Just leave the fragments for me.”

With a wave of his hand, Liu Junhuai let all the treasure fragments pile up like a small mountain on the ground, making the old steward beam with delight once more.

“There’s another matter I’d like you to examine,” Liu Junhuai said, producing a rusty spearhead.

The old steward took it and studied it intently. His expression grew increasingly grave, astonishment flickering in his eyes. After a moment, he exclaimed, “This is a priceless treasure! This is the tip of a weapon once wielded by a mighty figure of the ancient wastes—the legendary Godslayer Spear, a primordial artifact of the Immortal Realm. At the end of the Primal Era, the world shattered, giving rise to the Chaos Era. Six strands of primordial violet qi remained, and this spear was forged by immersing an unknown ancient stone in a wisp of that primordial qi. Sadly, the shaft is missing, reducing its power by at least thirty percent.”

Liu Junhuai’s heart was full of questions. “What is the Primal Era?”

The old steward explained, “Ordinarily, you would understand these things when your cultivation reached a certain level, but it does no harm to learn a little now. The Primal Era preceded the coming of chaos, when the world was composed entirely of endless purple qi—known as primordial violet qi. Hence, that age is called the Primal Era. Legend holds there were 3,800 strands of primordial violet qi. After Pangu split heaven and earth, chaos arose.”

“And what became of the six remaining strands of primordial violet qi?” Liu Junhuai asked.

“The six remaining strands, together with the six Heavenly Dao Thrones, evolved from six Great Dao Thrones. Each contains the laws of heaven and is a chance for sanctification. They are linked to the six Heavenly Dao Thrones and belong to the Grandmaster Hongjun. After he attained sainthood, he bestowed the six strands upon his three chief disciples and three principal followers.

These six are: the Supreme Lord of Humanity, the Primordial Heavenly Lord of Elucidation, the Lord Tongtian of Interception, Nuwa the Matriarch of Humanity, the Great Patriarch of Mahayana Buddhism, and the Lesser Patriarch of Mahayana Buddhism.”

“And what does it mean to attain sainthood?” Liu Junhuai pressed on.

“Strictly speaking, there’s little benefit in you knowing this yet,” the steward mused, “but since fate has granted you so many opportunities, perhaps it’s heaven’s will that your path is broad. I’ll tell you now. There are three ways to attain sainthood: First, one can break through the Heavenly Dao to prove the Primal Dao—this grants the greatest power, as in the case of Pangu. Second, by severing the Three Corpses and achieving their union, one can also prove the Primal Dao—this power is somewhat less, as with Grandmaster Hongjun. Third, by performing immense deeds of merit, one can forcibly be raised to sainthood, but must avoid grave sins lest they offset the merit and cause a fall from grace—these saints are the weakest, such as the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, and the Western Sages.”

“What about the Heavenly Dao? What does the ancient saying ‘three thousand paths of the Great Dao’ mean?”

“The ‘three thousand Great Daos and eight hundred side paths’ we spoke of refer to the 3,800 strands of primordial violet qi. It’s just a way of speaking—the world is full of daos, and all lead to the Heavenly Dao. Three thousand is just a broad number; any method that allows one to attain the Dao is a Dao in itself. The more Daos one comprehends, the closer one comes to understanding the Heavenly Dao.”

“What are the Three Corpses? And what are the three thousand Daos?”

“The Three Corpses are, in Daoist teaching, three worms that dwell in the human body. The body has upper, middle, and lower elixir fields, each inhabited by a spirit. The Three Corpses are also called the Three Poisons: the upper corpse craves beauty, the middle craves flavor, the lower craves lust; or, they are said to be the sources of ignorance, greed, and anger.

As for the three thousand Daos, there are many: the Grand Destiny Art, the Grand Causality Art, the Grand Five Elements Art, the Grand Heart Demon Art, the Grand Slaughter Art, the Grand Devouring Art, the Grand Protection Art, the Grand Summoning Art, the Grand Puppet Art, the Grand Severing Art, and so on. I’ll explain them to you in detail another time.”

Liu Junhuai listened, utterly fascinated. He thought to himself how fortunate he was to have such an ancient being by his side—the help in both cultivation and knowledge was immeasurable.

“Frankly, steward, hearing your explanations leaves me feeling rather hopeless—so small and insignificant. I’m not even worth mentioning before those who have attained the Grand Dao, let alone in front of Golden Core or Nascent Soul cultivators. I’m like a child just learning to walk,” Liu Junhuai said, somewhat crestfallen.

“Do you know why I hesitated to tell you all this? I feared you’d feel exactly as you do now. But don’t belittle yourself. The thread of the Dao of Time you’ve grasped is none other than the Grand Time Art. Granted, you’ve only touched the surface—a mere wisp of the surface, but even that is beyond what most immortals could ever comprehend.

That’s why I said fate has favored you and your opportunities are vast. Your starting point is extremely high—so high I can scarcely imagine it. That’s why I willingly serve you as my master. You are destined for greatness. Remember my words. That is why I believe you can change the world and create a new order, as you just said.”

Liu Junhuai’s heart surged with emotion—not because of the talk of fate’s favor, but because of the origin of the time-mark he had comprehended, and because he now had a companion like the old steward by his side. Yes, companion—not servant—for the help he provided was too great and timely.

“Steward, are you saying this spearhead is a weapon from when Pangu split heaven and earth?” Liu Junhuai recalled the spearhead.

The steward nodded. “Indeed, this spearhead comes from the end of the Primal Era, the very time when Pangu split heaven and earth. Because it contains a wisp of primordial violet qi and a wisp of chaotic qi, refining it will be extremely challenging and dangerous. But if you succeed, it will become a divine weapon—a rare treasure even in the Immortal Realm.”

After a moment’s thought, the steward said, “You won’t be refining artifacts today. Go to Chiyan Valley and attempt to refine the spearhead. Prepare thoroughly beforehand. Remember, do not force it. If the spearhead resists, withdraw immediately. Never forget this!”

Liu Junhuai nodded in agreement, knowing the steward’s cultivation was sealed and he could not enter the cave in Chiyan Valley with him—otherwise, the steward would certainly have accompanied him.

Inside the cave at Chiyan Valley, Liu Junhuai arranged two supporting formations, took out gold essence stone and extreme cold crystal, sat cross-legged, and entered a state of meditation, operating his cultivation technique and achieving selflessness.

After several hours of cultivation, his true essence was abundant; the golden spiritual force in his sea of consciousness had condensed into several clusters, and his divine sense had become yet more refined and dense.

With everything ready, he took out the Godslayer Spearhead for careful examination.

Beneath its rusted exterior, the spearhead was covered in countless layers of intricate restrictions, dazzling in their complexity.

From the gaps between the layers seeped an ancient, chilling aura.

Within that chilling aura seemed to swirl countless tiny vortices, each exuding a mottled, chaotic energy. Any attempt to probe them with spiritual sense would be drawn inexorably into that frigid abyss.