Primordial Era: I am a treasure trove, full of magical treasures.

Nuwa held the Qiankun Cauldron, feeling the cosmic power within it that could refine all things, yet her beautiful face showed little relief. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, her beautiful eyes sweeping over the terrifying celestial abyss before her, still ravaged by chaotic energy and its edges constantly collapsing and expanding. She then looked down at the shattered, desolate land below, filled with the cries of despair. Her voice carried a hint of solemnity and urgency: "Refine stones to mend the heavens. However… to refine enough five-colored divine stones to mend this chasm, the required essence of the five elements is immense. Now, amidst this great calamity, with the primordial world shattered and spiritual veins severed, where can we find so much essence of the five elements in such a hasty manner?"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the saints, who had just regained some composure after the Four Pillars stabilized the heavens, also darkened slightly. Indeed, mending the heavens was no easy task. The Qiankun Cauldron could refine stones, but "even a skilled cook cannot cook without rice." The essence of the Five Elements, the condensation of the origins of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, was already difficult to obtain even a single strand. To mend this colossal hole spanning heaven and earth, the required amount would likely be enormous, perhaps requiring the depletion of half of the Five Elements' spiritual veins in the primordial world! But now, after this great calamity, less than one-tenth of the primordial world's spiritual veins remained. Where could they possibly find them?

Jieyin and Zhunti exchanged a glance, both seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes. The West was already barren, and after the conflict between the demonic and spiritual paths and Rahu's self-destruction, its spiritual veins were even more depleted. Even with a few Five Elements spiritual items, it was far from enough to sustain such a drain. Although the Three Pure Ones possessed the Kunlun ancestral vein and the Three Immortal Islands, and had a wealth of resources, it was still beyond their capabilities to gather such a massive amount in such a hurry, and it would inevitably damage the foundation of their own Daoist temples.

Just as the sages were in a dilemma, and Nuwa's brows furrowed more and more deeply—

"Sister, don't worry. I happen to have some of the essence of the five elements in stock."

That calm, clear voice rang out again, carrying a perfectly timed, almost imperceptible, relaxed smile. The gazes of all the saints instantly focused on Xuanbao.

Xuanbao stood in the void, his green robe fluttering slightly. Facing the surprised, inquisitive, and incredulous gazes cast upon him by the saints and Nuwa, his face still wore that smile that mixed respect with a hint of his usual languor. He said nothing more, but simply raised his right hand once more!

In an instant, with Xuanbao's palm as the origin, the void behind him seemed to transform into a portal connecting to another vast world! Endless innate five elements essence, like a bursting dam, poured out from that portal with a roar!

The "Innate Fire Essence" is crimson red, like the molten lava of the sun, and exudes an aura that burns away all things!

The "Primordial Ren Water Essence" is as blue as ancient ice, yet contains endless vitality!

The "Innate Wood Essence" is lush and verdant, seemingly capable of evolving into an endless world of plants!

The "Innate Geng Metal Essence" is white gold in color, incomparably sharp, and seems capable of cleaving the sky!

The "Essence of Primordial Earth" is as heavy as the earth, bearing everything!

Xuanbao was well-prepared. The origin of these innate five elements essences was too simple for him. Don't forget that Xuanbao also has innate five elements incarnations, as well as the innate five elements pearl, which is now a top-grade innate spiritual treasure. Refining innate five elements essences would be too easy for him.

"hiss--!"

This time, even the Three Pure Ones, who were already used to Xuanbao's "astonishing actions," couldn't help but gasp! Laozi's usually calm face showed a rare look of astonishment, Yuanshi's hand stroking his beard froze in mid-air, and Tongtian's eyes widened, his mouth agape. They simply couldn't understand—Xuanbao had robbed an entire world?

The sorrow on the faces of the two Western Saints froze instantly, transforming into utter shock and... a hint of barely concealed horror and jealousy. Jieyin's prayer beads snapped in his hand, several cleavage beads shattering, and Zhunti exclaimed in disbelief, "This... how is this possible?! Such a vast amount, such pure innate five elements... even draining several top-tier ancestral veins wouldn't be enough to obtain! Where did he get it from?!"

Nuwa, the goddess, also stared wide-eyed at the five primordial rivers stretching across the void, almost illuminating the dim sky with vibrant colors. She felt the pure, unadulterated essence of the Five Elements within them, comparable to the very beginning of creation, and was momentarily speechless. As the ruler of creation, she was most sensitive to the origin of the Five Elements and knew the value of this massive amount of Five Elements essence before her—it was far beyond what could be described as "some stock"; it was practically a tailor-made, immeasurable Heavenly Dao-level resource prepared specifically for mending the heavens!

Houtu, residing in the Netherworld, felt it most directly. She clearly "saw" that the Five Elements Earth Veins, which Xuanbao had meticulously arranged and stabilized using supreme methods, were now trembling slightly, releasing wisps of primordial energy that flowed into the five torrents. Clearly, Xuanbao had directly mobilized a portion of the Five Elements primordial reserves of this top-tier Great Thousand World, the Netherworld! And judging by the ease with which he did so, this was probably... far beyond the entirety of the Netherworld's resources. Had he already prepared such a contingency plan for mending the heavens?

"Brother Xuanbao...you..." Nuwa looked at Xuanbao, her eyes filled with complex emotions, including shock, gratitude, and a hint of understanding.

"This must be because Brother Xuanbao foresaw this calamity in the prehistoric world long ago, and thus made preparations in advance..."

Facing the astonished gazes of the saints, Xuanbao merely smiled slightly, as if he had done nothing of great importance: "By chance, I traveled extensively in my early years and obtained some opportunities, accumulating this little bit of the essence of the Five Elements. Now it comes in handy to help you mend the heavens, comfort all the spirits of the primordial world, and is also their best destiny. Sister, please."

Xuanbao waved his hand gently, and the five vast rivers of the Five Elements Origin, like gentle dragons, circled in the void before rushing towards the ancient Qiankun Cauldron in front of Goddess Nuwa!

Nuwa took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in her heart. The composure and decisiveness of a sage returned to her beautiful face. Without further hesitation, she gently raised her hand and tossed the Qiankun Cauldron into the air. The cauldron instantly expanded, transforming into a colossal cauldron ten thousand feet tall, its mouth shrouded in chaotic energy, seemingly capable of swallowing the entire heavens.

"Thank you for your help, Brother Xuanbao, and thank you for your protection, fellow Daoists." Nuwa nodded slightly to Xuanbao and the other saints, then her expression turned solemn, and she poured her vast holy power and the Dao of Creation into the Qiankun Cauldron without reservation.

"Universe Cauldron, open! Refine the essence of the Five Elements!"

"boom--!"

The Qiankun Cauldron trembled violently, and the images of the celestial stars, primordial mountains and rivers, and the creation of chaos engraved on its body seemed to come alive, projecting boundless Daoist charm and transforming into a huge, slowly rotating chaotic vortex that swallowed up all five primordial rivers of the Five Elements that were rushing towards it!

Within the cauldron, a thunderous roar and Daoist chants, seemingly the very creation of the world, resounded. The five colors of light—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—flowed, collided, and fused wildly within the cauldron, forcibly blended, refined, and sublimated by the supreme power of the Qiankun Cauldron—capable of refining all things—and by Nuwa's principles of creation. The temperature on the cauldron's walls soared that even the surrounding void began to melt and return to chaos, only to be stabilized by the power of the sage.

Xuanbao, along with the Three Pure Ones and the Two Sages of the West, needed no words; they instantly unleashed their supernatural powers. Xuanbao's thoughts connected with the Four Pillars of Destiny, causing the Dao patterns on the pillars to shine brightly. The protective net supporting the heavens became even more stable, firmly resisting the downward pressure of the sky and creating the most stable environment for Nuwa to refine the stone. The Yin-Yang Dao rhythm of Laozi's Taiji Diagram flowed, stabilizing the earth, water, fire, and wind around the cauldron, preventing the aftershocks of the stone refining from further damaging the fragile world. The Primordial Pangu Banner's chaotic sword energy transformed into the most precise "carving knife," assisting Nuwa in sorting and refining the fusion of the five elements within the cauldron. The Four Swords of Tongtian and Zhuxian pinned down the four directions, their sword energy chilling, deterring all external demons and chaotic turbulence that might interfere with the stone refining. The guiding and annihilating Buddha light and the seven-colored treasure light of Zhunti continuously brushed against the violent energy and impurities overflowing from the cauldron's mouth, purifying and soothing them.

With the combined efforts of all the sages, their cooperation was seamless. Under Nuwa's control, the Qiankun Cauldron was like the most precise furnace of creation, gradually removing impurities from the massive amount of innate five elements, harmonizing their properties, and fusing and forging them according to the perfect proportions required to mend the heavens.

Time flowed by amidst the tense refining of the stones. In the primordial world, apart from the ever-growing Daoist chants and five-colored light emanating from the cauldron, and the low roars of the chaotic airflow outside the Heavenly Cave, an eerie silence descended. All surviving beings, regardless of their cultivation level or location, involuntarily gazed towards the original site of Mount Buzhou, towards the colossal cauldron spewing five-colored light, towards the towering figures of sages beside it, and… that seemingly insignificant figure in green robes who had provided the key to mending the heavens. Hope, like a spark, was rekindled in the ashes of despair.

One day, two days... forty-nine days later.

"Buzz—!"

The Qiankun Cauldron emitted a clear and melodious sound, like the primordial sound of the Great Dao, and its lid suddenly opened!

In an instant, a five-colored divine light, indescribable in any language, pure to the extreme, dazzling to the extreme, and containing boundless creative vitality and the Dao of mending the heavens, shot up from the mouth of the cauldron, illuminating the dark primordial world with brilliance! That light was more dazzling than the sun and moon, more vast than the stars, carrying the supreme meaning of soothing all wounds and repairing all imperfections.

Inside the cauldron, the surging Five Elements River was gone, replaced by a cauldron full of slowly flowing "Five-Colored Stone Molten Liquid," like a liquid rainbow or the melting of billions of stars! The molten liquid flowed quietly, and within it seemed that countless miniature stars were being born and dying, mountains and rivers were evolving, and all living things were praying, emanating a supreme Daoist charm that was perfect, complete, and enough to fill all the imperfections of heaven and earth!

It's done! The five-colored divine stones have been successfully refined! Moreover, judging from their quality, Daoist aura, and quantity, they far exceed expectations and are flawless!

Nuwa's face was slightly pale, clearly indicating great exhaustion, but her eyes shone with joy and relief. She looked at the saints, then at Xuanbao, and nodded emphatically.

Nuwa didn't delay any longer, and with her delicate hand, she guided the vast molten five-colored stone inside the cauldron.

"rise!"

As if the Milky Way had reversed and the celestial river had flowed backwards! Countless molten five-colored stones rose from the Qiankun Cauldron, transforming into a breathtakingly magnificent torrent that stretched across the heavens and earth. Under the precise guidance of Nuwa's creative power, it flowed like the most skillful weaver or the greatest painter towards the enormous, chaotic breach in the sky.

"go!"

The molten liquid touched the chaotic and broken laws at the edge of the celestial cave, but was not eroded. Instead, it burst forth with even more dazzling five-colored divine light! Wherever the divine light reached, the chaotic spacetime was forcibly smoothed out, the violent chaotic air currents were neutralized and transformed by the power of creation, and the broken laws of heaven and earth were attracted, continued, and repaired by the perfect five elements Dao rhyme contained in the molten liquid! The molten liquid seemed to have a life of its own, automatically spreading and expanding, closely merging with the broken edge of the sky, emitting a "sizzling" sound, like flesh and blood growing, quickly mending the cracks and filling the voids.

Xuanbao and the other saints cooperated fully. Xuanbao manipulated the four pillars supporting the sky, while the Three Pure Ones used their supreme Daoist wisdom to tidy up and stabilize the primordial world. The two Western Saints used their Buddhist light and precious energy to continuously purify and repair any residual calamity and resentment that might have remained during the repair process.

This was an unprecedented undertaking, a monumental act of mending the heavens, carried out by all the sages with resources of the highest order. Every second consumed unimaginable mental energy.

Finally, after another eighty-one days of meticulous repairs—

"Freeze!"

Nuwa gave a clear shout and clapped her hands. The vast power of creation and the principles of mending the heavens transformed into thousands of runes, which were imprinted on the five-colored divine stone that had covered the entire Heavenly Cave but had not yet completely solidified.

"Buzz—!!!"

The entire newly formed "sky dome," radiating a warm, five-colored divine light, trembled violently! Immediately afterwards, countless Dao patterns emerged from within, spreading and intertwining, rapidly connecting and resonating with the surrounding intact primordial laws of the sky dome, ultimately merging completely into one, indistinguishable from one another! The five-colored divine light slowly receded, transforming from dazzling brilliance into a deep, weighty, and stable black hue, with faint starlight flowing within, its Daoist essence naturally formed. Only at the edges remained a faint, rainbow-like halo, indicating that what was once a broken wound had now been perfectly repaired.

God, it's fixed!

At the very moment the new heaven was mended—

"Boom—!!!"

The entire primordial world trembled violently! This time, it was no longer a lament of collapse, but a joyful resonance, a stirring of new life!

Above the nine heavens, the celestial bodies, previously chaotic and dimmed by the collapse of the great calamity and the grand formation, seemed to be straightened by an unseen hand, slowly resuming their mysterious trajectories and casting down a cool and stable starlight. The collapsing sky ceased its descent, firmly supported by the Four Pillars and the newly formed celestial canopy. The raging chaotic energy was completely blocked out, and the pure and impure energies of heaven and earth began to slowly separate, each returning to its proper place. The shattered network of laws, centered on the Heaven-Mending Site, began to self-repair and spread, slowly but resolutely.

The primordial land, though still scarred and devastated, had lost the sense of "sinking" and "tearing" that threatened to utterly disintegrate. A low, soothing pulse emanated from the depths of the earth's veins, and the remaining spiritual energy began to slowly circulate. The gale subsided, the torrential rain ceased, the intense heat receded, and a chill returned... The chaotic celestial phenomena began to return to a rough balance.

More importantly, the overwhelming, dense aura of calamity, resentment, and death that permeated the heavens and earth seemed to have lost its source and support, and began to slowly dissipate and settle. Although it was still thick, it no longer grew wildly. A faint trace of "order" and "vitality" reappeared in the world.

All the survivors, no matter where they were or how badly they were injured, clearly felt at that moment that the suffocating, overwhelming, and earth-shattering ultimate terror that had been weighing on their hearts... had vanished. In its place was a kind of exhaustion from surviving a catastrophe, and... a renewed desire for life.

However, the merit of mending the sky is witnessed by both heaven and earth, and the Great Dao is moved by it; how could it go unrewarded?

Just as the new heavens were mended and the world returned to stability—above the nine heavens, auspicious clouds surged, and purple qi traveled thirty thousand miles eastward! Infinite and pure Xuanhuang merit qi descended from the void, transforming into several thick and unparalleled golden pillars of merit that connected heaven and earth, carrying the praise of the Great Dao and resonating with heaven and earth, and descended with a thunderous roar!