At this moment, Di Jiang was radiating an unprecedentedly powerful aura, which was clearly the pressure of a saint!
Ksitigarbha's pupils contracted slightly, and he bowed deeply, saying, "Congratulations to Ancestor Witch Dijiang on attaining sainthood. I never imagined that even the Earthly Path could lead to sainthood; truly a cause for celebration."
Di Jiang snorted coldly, "Stop with the formalities. I already know why you're here. The Netherworld has no need for the Western Teachings's interference. Get lost."
Ksitigarbha remained steadfast. "Holy Di Jiang, this humble monk truly did not come for the sake of the Western Teachings, but for the sake of all living beings in the Primordial Wilderness..."
"Bullshit!" Di Jiang roared in fury, his saintly aura surging forth, causing the entire Netherworld to howl with yin winds. "You Western Teachings are all so hypocritical! You are not welcome here. Get out of here, or I'll have to kick you out!"
Ksitigarbha's expression was solemn, yet he still refused to back down. " Amitabha, Holy Di Jiang, I, Ksitigarbha, have already sworn that I will never leave the hells until they are emptied."
"Since that's the case, don't blame me for being impolite!"
Enraged, Di Jiang raised his hand and struck out with a palm.
This palm strike contained the power of a saint; wherever the palm wind passed, countless spirits wailed in agony.
However, Ksitigarbha was not afraid at all. He put his hands together in prayer and chanted Amitabha.
Just as the attack was about to hit him, golden light flashed around him, and a phantom figure appeared above him.
" Di Jiang, I never expected you to become a saint." The illusory figure spoke slowly; it was Zhunti. "But how dare you bully the weak and attack my disciple? What is your intention?"
Di Jiang withdrew his palm and stood up, sneering, " Zhunti, you sent people to my Netherworld to steal the merits of my Witch Clan, and you even have the audacity to say it's for the sake of all living beings in the Primordial Wilderness? Bah! If you know what's good for you, get out of here, or you'll regret it!"
The Zhunti figure of Zhunti remained unmoved. " Di Jiang misunderstands. I sent Ksitigarbha here to seek cooperation with the Netherworld. By helping each other to guide the souls of the dead, both sides will accumulate merit, so why not?"
"Hahaha!" Ru Shou laughter. "What a shameless Zhunti! To convert the dead? He's clearly trying to steal some of the merits of my Witch Clan!"
Xuan Ming sneered, " The Western Teachings is indeed full of shameless scoundrels!"
Di Jiang spoke again, " Zhunti, the affairs of the Netherworld are naturally to be handled by the Witch Clan; the Western Teachings has no need to interfere. If you continue to pester us, don't blame me for being impolite."
Zhunti could say anything more, a clear, cold female voice suddenly echoed from the depths of the Netherworld: " Zhunti, isn't my elder brother clear enough? Get out of here!"
Before he finished speaking, Houtu's figure quietly appeared beside Di Jiang.
Her gaze was cold, and the power of Reincarnation flowed around her.
" Houtu..." Zhunti's expression was grim. "Our Western Teachings truly meant well..."
"Good intentions?" Houtu sneered. "Who in the Primordial Wilderness world doesn't know what your Western Teachings has done? Today you want to repeat your old tricks and meddle in the Netherworld? Dream on!"
She raised her hand and waved, and the phantom of the Six Reincarnation appeared behind her. The terrifying power directly tore apart the phantom of Zhunti: " Zhunti, remember this, if you dare to send anyone to the Underworld again, I will kill him on the spot!"
Zhunti form was far away in the Western Spiritual Mountain, turned pale and let out a muffled groan, clearly suffering some backlash.
He sighed helplessly and transmitted his thoughts to Ksitigarbha: "Disciple, return for now. Netherworld is in charge of the Houtu; it is not advisable to force our way in at this time."
Upon hearing this, Ksitigarbha, though unwilling, still bowed respectfully and turned to leave.
After Ksitigarbha left, Houtu turned to Di Jiang with a genuine smile on her face, "Brother, congratulations! You've finally become Earthly Dao Saint."
Di Jiang also smiled broadly, "Thanks to the Primordial Chaos Purple Qi bestowed by my little sister, otherwise how could I have attained sainthood?"
The other Ancestral Witch gathered around, all filled with envy.
Tian Wu asked eagerly, "Little sister, are there any other Primordial Chaos Purple Qi? I also want to become a saint; it's so prestigious!"
Ju Mang nodded repeatedly. "Yes, little sister, look at Zhunti. The moment he saw our elder brother become a saint, he immediately cowered. If Twelve Ancestral Witches become saints, who would dare to covet the Netherworld?"
Houtu chuckled and explained, "The underground passage isn't that strong yet; currently, it only has this one strand of Primordial Chaos Purple Qi. But as long as you maintain the Netherworld well and accumulate more merit, the underground passage will become stronger and naturally give birth to more Primordial Chaos Purple Qi."
Her gaze swept over her brothers, and she continued, "It is a great opportunity, but also a heavy responsibility, for our Witch Clan to be able to govern the Netherworld. As long as we do our best, merit will naturally come."
Xuan Ming seemed to understand. "What you mean, little sister, is that by doing our job well and maintaining order in the Netherworld, we are strengthening the tunnel?"
"That's right." Houtu nodded. "With the Six Reincarnation perfected, the dead can find peace, resentment dissipates, and the order of heaven and earth is restored. These are the foundations of the Earthly Dao."
"The stronger the foundation, the more powerful the underground passage, and the more holy positions it can support."
Di Jiang also spoke up, "Little sister is right. Our Witch Clan is not as blessed as the Three Pure Ones, nor as eloquent as the Western Teachings. But we have our own principles and responsibilities. To protect the Netherworld is to protect this world created by our Father God."
Upon hearing this, the Ancestral Witch all nodded, their fighting spirit rekindled in their eyes.
Qiangliang patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, big brother and little sister, we will definitely manage the Netherworld perfectly!"
Shebishi also said, "That's right, let those bald monks from the Western Teachings see that our Witch Clan can also make the Netherworld develop well!"
Tian Wu laughed and said, "When the underground tunnels are powerful enough, and we all become saints, let's see who dares to underestimate our Witch Clan!"
The Ancestral Witch laughed heartily, creating a lively atmosphere.
Houtu was rarely happy. She said softly, "In that case, brothers, please return to your posts. The Six Reincarnation have only recently been perfected, and there are still many areas that need to be stabilized."
"Alright, let's go!" The Ancestral Witch were full of energy, and they all transformed into streams of light, returning to various parts of the Netherworld.
After everyone left, Houtu and Di Jiang stood side by side.
"Brother, how do you feel after becoming a saint?" Houtu asked softly.
Di Jiang pondered for a moment, then replied, "It feels... very strange. It's as if I'm connected to the entire Netherworld, and every move I make can draw upon the power of the earth."
He turned to look at Houtu: "Little sister, all these years, you have single-handedly supported the Netherworld. You have worked hard."
Houtu smiled slightly, "For the future of the Witch Clan, any hardship is worthwhile."
Di Jiang suddenly sighed, "Yes, if it weren't for Dao Venerable Lin Tian, I think the Witch Clan would have ceased to exist long ago."
"Yes, but although Dao Venerable, we still need to rely on ourselves most of the time."
"Good!"
Di Jiang nodded; the Witch Clan would never admit defeat.
On the Western Spiritual Mountain, Zhunti and Jieyin sat facing each other, their expressions solemn.
"I never expected the Witch Clan to produce another saint," Jieyin sighed. "It seems the path to the Netherworld is now blocked."
A glint of light flashed in Zhunti's eyes. "Senior brother, don't be discouraged. The Netherworld is of great importance and cannot be controlled by the Witch Clan forever. Since Ksitigarbha has already made his grand vow, he has already forged Karma bond with the Netherworld. When the time is right, we may well have our chance."
Jieyin nodded slightly. "I hope so. However, the Witch Clan is currently very powerful, so we need to plan this carefully."
The two sages exchanged a glance and remained silent.