The story of Primordial Purple Qi

In the common account of the dividing of the saintly seats at Zixiao Palace, Hongjun preached three times, and the Three Pure Ones, Nüwa, Jieyin, Zhunti, Hongyun, Kunpeng and others all came into the hall to hear him.

At the first sermon there were only six mats before the hall. Hongyun gave up his own place to Zhunti, who had come a long way, and Jieyin took a seat as well; Kunpeng was afterwards pushed off his mat, and the six places were held by the Three Pure Ones, Nüwa, Jieyin and Zhunti.

As the third sermon drew to its close, Hongjun settled his disciples and the saintly seats before them all, and brought out several streams of Primordial Purple Qi. Six of them came in turn into the hands of Laozi, Yuanshi, Tongtian, Nüwa, Jieyin and Zhunti.

Hongjun then gave one stream to Hongyun. Hongyun took it and left Zixiao Palace; Zhenyuanzi had travelled with him, while Kunpeng and others had never forgotten the seat they lost that day.

Laozi founded the Human Sect, Yuanshi the Chan Sect and Tongtian the Jie Sect; Nüwa made humankind, and Jieyin and Zhunti built up the west. All six attained sainthood in turn through merit and through the Primordial Purple Qi.

In the most widely circulated continuation, Kunpeng and Minghe overtook Hongyun after he had gone and set upon him for the purple qi. Hongyun fought and gave ground, and at last destroyed his own body, and only a wisp of his soul escaped the field.

When the fighting was over, those who had attacked him could not find that stream of Primordial Purple Qi. It vanished from the place where Hongyun fell, and it never appeared at Zixiao Palace again.