At the very start, long before the mortal world could come into being, there existed only Heaven (天, Tiān) and Hell (地狱, Dìyù). The great cosmic Dao (道), the eternal power that reigns over everything, flowed perfectly between them, invisible but omnipresent. Within this original space, it was upon the sacred Mount Kunlun (昆仑山, Kūnlún Shān), the axis of the world, where the Three Pure Ones (三清, Sānqīng) sit in judicial council, governing the destiny of all spirits.
This was the Yellow River (黄河, Huáng Hé), that separated heaven from earth in Chinese mythology, and the Milky Way (银河, Yínhé) separated the immortal world (不朽, Bùxiǔ) from the mortal world. The legend of Hu Rong and the Heavenly King unfolded in such an untouchable, floral place.
The cosmic scheme was based on Taoist ideals of balance and harmony-all gods and goddesses were made to maintain cosmic balance. The Heavenly King 天帝, Tiāndì was the highest ruler, while Hu Rong, God of Purity, was an incarnation of chaste spirit, as is the plum blossom,梅花, Méihuā that blooms when the winter is most harsh,
In the deep winters, a tree of plum stands, but its pale blossoms fall and wither. Just like I did.