Flood: I, the Nine Turns of the Golden Pillar, all want to eat me!
Chapter 21 - The Purple Heavenly Bushel, Nuwa's Words

Chapter 21: The Purple Heavenly Bushel, Nuwa’s Words

At this moment, Xuan Qing could tell that the Three Qing clearly understood something—or rather, they understood the meaning behind the futon before them. Yet despite their awareness, they hesitated. It was only because Haotian conveyed Hongjun’s words that they were finally compelled to sit.

This left Xuan Qing puzzled. Why were they so reluctant? Could it be that Laozi and the others did not wish to attain sainthood?

He could not understand it. There were simply too many hidden truths. His strength was weak, and his presence here in the Purple Heavenly Palace was only thanks to his deference to Laozi. Certain questions, Xuan Qing dared not ask.

So he sat down quietly. Little Haotian and Little Yaochi, upon seeing him, wanted to run over and play—after all, they had not seen each other in a long time. But the situation had changed. All they could do was exchange glances and wait.

Not long after, many destiny-bound beings arrived at the Purple Heavenly Palace.

Several of them Xuan Qing recognized. There was Taiyi, whom he had met earlier while gathering gourd vines, as well as Fu Xi and Nuwa.

Many of the great gods of the Innate Heaven had come. They were all surprised to see Laozi already present.

“Fellow Daoist Taiqing… you arrived so quickly,” Nuwa said, walking toward Laozi without hesitation.

“Fellow Daoist Nuwa, and Fellow Daoist Fuxi—you are just as swift,” Laozi replied with a light flick of his beard. After regarding them for a moment, as though recalling something, he suggested, “Fellow Daoist Nuwa, it is a long journey. Why not sit and rest a while?”

He gestured to a futon. Nuwa did not overthink it and sat down casually. Fuxi glanced over the remaining futons and began chatting with the First Heavenly Father.

At that moment, Nuwa’s gaze landed on Xuan Qing.

Can’t see me… can’t see me… Xuan Qing silently muttered, trying his best to shrink behind Laozi. He always felt that Nuwa had a way of prying into him that made him uneasy.

With a warm smile, Nuwa called out, “Little Xuan Qing, you are here too! Come, hug sister.”

“No, please do not!” Xuan Qing immediately refused, not wanting to be tossed around again. His past encounters had already taught him that Nuwa was far from the gentle and elegant sister figure he had imagined from his past life. She was mischievous—and cunning.

“Little Xuan Qing, you cannot hide.” With a casual swipe of her hand, Nuwa effortlessly pulled him out from behind Laozi.

Feeling wronged, Xuan Qing called out, “Master…”

Laozi flicked his beard and responded mildly, “No harm, no harm.”

Xuan Qing could only look helplessly at Nuwa. She, on the other hand, seemed entirely at ease, cradling him in her arms as she examined him with curious intensity—like she wanted to eat him.

Panicked, Xuan Qing protested, “Do not eat me! I am poisonous! Very, very poisonous!”

“Hehehe… Little Xuan Qing, you are truly adorable. Do not worry, sister will not eat you.” Nuwa laughed lightly, her gaze still probing. “But to form a body from a dan pill—this is a remarkable act of creation. The Dao of Creation inherently involves giving life. It is no simple feat to form a being from something born of the postnatal world. I did not expect Fellow Daoist Taiqing to accomplish such a thing by accident. How could I, one who walks the Dao of Creation, not feel ashamed?”

Her words startled Xuan Qing. So that was why she kept scrutinizing him. It turned out that his existence—born from Laozi’s alchemy—was seen as an act of creation, something Nuwa had not yet achieved despite walking the very Dao dedicated to it. Her curiosity now made sense.

After tossing Xuan Qing around for a while, Nuwa finally nodded in satisfaction. “Not bad, not bad… This creation is flawless. Even your cultivation is progressing beautifully. Your medicinal essence grows purer by the day. Even I… I can hardly resist taking a bite.”

“Please do not…” Xuan Qing panicked again, trying to squirm away.

“Heehee…” Nuwa laughed in amusement, then glanced at Laozi. “Fellow Daoist Taiqing, why not allow me to take Xuan Qing as my disciple? My Great Dao of Creation would suit his dan pill incarnation perfectly.”

“It is an honor that you favor him, Fellow Daoist Nuwa. But this disciple of mine shall inherit my Dao,” Laozi said with a gentle smile as he stroked his beard.

Xuan Qing almost wanted to cry. Why do you even like me this much, Nuwa? Can I not change bodies instead?

Nuwa ignored his silent pleas, treating him like a rag doll, flipping and playing with him at will. When Xuan Qing finally stopped resisting, Nuwa tried to peer deeper, wanting to observe his body.

She gently probed with her divine sense, and Xuan Qing instinctively resisted. He did not want his secrets exposed.

Unfortunately, Nuwa merely smiled. “Oh? What a surprise. This little one hides a Spiritual Treasure of Creation.”

Xuan Qing was stunned. She had discovered the Pool of Creation inside him! He quickly worried about whether Zi Yun had also been found out.

But then, Zi Yun’s voice echoed in his mind, Do not worry. Even Hongjun could not detect me, let alone Nuwa.

Only then did Xuan Qing feel reassured.

Nuwa continued, “Little Xuan Qing, your treasure is quite remarkable. It must have been formed from a fragment of the Chaotic Green Lotus.”

“The Pool of Creation… from the Chaotic Green Lotus?” Xuan Qing was astonished.

“In the Floodwaste, most innate spiritual treasures are fragments of Chaotic Spiritual Treasures. That is why every such treasure can be traced back to its origin. Among them, Creation Spiritual Treasures are typically born from fragments belonging to the Devil God of Creation.

“But only a few are born from the Chaotic Green Lotus. Between the two, the latter is far more precious. Spiritual treasures from the Chaotic Green Lotus are more potent, which makes yours exceptionally rare.”

Nuwa’s casual explanation granted Xuan Qing a deeper understanding of his origins.

It turned out the Pool of Creation gifted by Hongjun was of extremely high quality, and its origin extraordinary. According to Nuwa, innate spiritual treasures in the Floodwaste were divided into four grades—supreme, high, mid, and low. Yet even among those of the same grade, those originating from the Chaotic Green Lotus held far greater power.

In short, spiritual treasures linked to Pangu and the primordial beginnings were far superior to ordinary ones.