Chapter 47

Though it sounded like a rebuke, he was actually covering for Chi You, hoping he would take Tai Cang away quickly before the Ancestral Witches discovered them.

"You needn't worry, brothers."

Chi You laughed heartily and pointed at Tai Cang. "This is Brother Tai Cang. He was the one who created the Bloodline Pill. This time, he also saved my younger brother Chi Yu. By order of the Ancestral Witches, I brought him here to ask for your help gathering the essence of earth."

After saying that, he introduced them to Tai Cang. "Brother Tai Cang, these three are Zhou Yi, the Rain Master, and the Wind Master. They are all top-tier Great Witches and close friends of mine. Their mouths can be sharp, so don't take offense."

Zhou Yi!

Wind Master!

Rain Master!

So it was them.

A glint flashed through Tai Cang's eyes. These three would all become Chi You's capable assistants in the future. As expected, their relationship was exceptionally close.

He immediately cupped his hands. "Greetings, Great Witch Zhou Yi!"

"Greetings, Great Witch Rain Master!"

"Greetings, Great Witch Wind Master!"

Yet Zhou Yi and the other two stared at Tai Cang with blazing eyes. They shoved Chi You aside and asked excitedly, "You're Tai Cang?"

"Did you really refine the Bloodline Pill?"

"I heard the Bloodline Pill is effective not only for Great Witches, but can even benefit top-tier Great Witches. Is that true?"

"Brother Tai Cang..."

Uh...

Facing their enthusiasm, Tai Cang felt somewhat helpless.

He naturally understood what they were thinking. The Bloodline Pill's appeal to Great Witches and top-tier Great Witches was beyond question.

But judging by this, Chi You and the others did not seem certain whether the Bloodline Pill worked on top-tier Great Witches. Clearly, the Ancestral Witches had deliberately concealed the information.

But why would the Ancestral Witches do that? No matter how many top-tier Great Witches there were, they could not compare to a single Ancestral Witch. What exactly were they planning?

"Everyone!"

Seeing that the three were about to continue questioning him, Tai Cang quickly raised a hand to stop them. "As for the Bloodline Pill, it would be better to wait for the Ancestral Witches to inform you personally."

"There is one thing I can tell you in advance: this Bloodline Pill can enhance the bloodline of every Witch Clan member below the Ancestral Witch realm."

The moment Tai Cang finished speaking, Zhou Yi and the other two changed expressions sharply. Even Chi You's face darkened.

If they had merely been curious before, Tai Cang's answer now stirred a trace of displeasure in their hearts.

The reason was simple—if everyone below the Ancestral Witches could improve their bloodline, then could top-tier Great Witches like them not also consume the Bloodline Pill to strengthen themselves?

But why had the Ancestral Witches only bestowed the pills upon ordinary Great Witches? In terms of battle merit, loyalty, and strength, should they not have been given priority?

The area fell silent, and no one spoke.

"Chi You, so you were here. I finally found you."

A voice came from behind them, breaking the silence.

Everyone turned around and saw Da Yi and Hou Yi striding over with longbows on their backs.

The two quickly approached. Seeing Chi You and the other three standing in silence, confusion flashed through their eyes.

Da Yi did not ask further. He turned to Tai Cang and said, "Brother Tai Cang, the Ancestral Witches have given the order. I have already gathered some Great Witches and sent them into action. When the clansmen heard you needed the essence of earth, they were all very willing to help. However, we lack containers to collect it, so we will need Fellow Daoist to provide them."

They had already begun?

Tai Cang frowned slightly, inwardly surprised.

Dijiang and the other Ancestral Witches had clearly told Chi You to assist him with this matter. Why had Da Yi and the others gotten ahead of them?

"No problem!"

Though he had doubts, Tai Cang did not delay. He immediately said, "I will refine the containers now. Please wait a moment, Great Witches."

With that, he took out the Three-legged Cauldron and various heavenly treasures, then began concentrating on refining vessels to store the essence of earth.

Seeing this, Da Yi and Hou Yi exchanged a glance and sighed in relief.

The two walked to Chi You's side and asked in low voices, "Chi You, what is wrong with you all? You look distracted. That isn't like you."

Only then did Chi You and the other three come back to their senses. They instinctively glanced at Tai Cang but did not mention what had happened. Instead, they asked, "Da Yi, Hou Yi, didn't the Ancestral Witches say they would discuss it before taking action? Why have you already started?"

"This..."

Da Yi was momentarily at a loss for words, his expression troubled.

Hou Yi stepped forward and explained, "Brothers, you may not know this, but the Ancestral Witches have inferred that Tai Cang needs a vast quantity of earth essence. We can take this opportunity to ask him to refine another batch of Bloodline Pills for our clan. The Ancestral Witches have already begun investigating the person behind this. Once the matter is resolved, they will have Tai Cang take action. Then our clan can cultivate even more top-tier Great Witches."

So that was it!

Tai Cang kept his head lowered as he refined the vessels, sneering inwardly.

He finally understood why the Ancestral Witches had suddenly become so enthusiastic—they wanted him to continue refining Bloodline Pills.

Even more ironically, they did not seem to care that he had saved Chi Yu, as if the life or death of a top-tier Great Witch was insignificant.

"Heh, even the Witch Clan is this cold-blooded internally."

"Now that the Bloodline Pill has appeared, the Twelve Ancestral Witches do not even value the lives of the Great Witches under their command."

At this thought, a trace of contempt flashed through Tai Cang's eyes.

He truly could not agree with such an act of neglecting the root in pursuit of the branches.

The Witch Clan had been able to dominate the primordial world not only because of their powerful bloodlines, but also because of their clansmen's unity. Yet the Ancestral Witches now disregarded even the lives of top-tier Great Witches. It was clear that the appearance of the Bloodline Pill had already shaken the Witch Clan's internal stability. If the Witch Clan truly unified the primordial world, these cracks would inevitably widen further. To consolidate their power, the Ancestral Witches would likely become even more unscrupulous.

So that was it! Chi You and the others came to a realization, but coldness surfaced on their faces. They knew full well that even if the Ancestral Witches had Bloodline Pills refined, they would only use them to cultivate ordinary Great Witches. They would never benefit top-tier Great Witches like themselves.

Tai Cang gave a soft shout, and the Three-legged Cauldron burst with dazzling light. A row of vessels flew out and arranged themselves neatly on the ground. Tai Cang rose to his feet and said to Da Yi, "These vessels are enough to hold all the essence of earth we need."

Da Yi put away the vessels and ordered, "Chi You, Wind Master, Rain Master, and Zhou Yi, come with me to gather the essence of earth. Hou Yi, take Tai Cang to rest."

Chi You and the others accepted the order and left. Though dissatisfied, they did not dare disobey the Ancestral Witches' command. After they departed, Hou Yi was about to lead the way when Tai Cang stopped him. "Great Witch Hou Yi, could you find twenty ordinary Great Witches to spar with me? After refining the Ancestral Witch essence blood, my physical body has reached the level of a Great Witch. I want to test my limits."

"You want to use your physical body to fight the Great Witches of our clan?" Hou Yi's face was full of astonishment. The Witch Clan specialized in cultivating their physical bodies. Even if Tai Cang's body had improved, defeating a Great Witch still seemed like wishful thinking to him.

"My mind is made up." Tai Cang's gaze was firm. He was confident that, with the Heaven and Earth Manifestation divine ability, he had the strength to fight a Great Witch. Seeing how insistent Tai Cang was, Hou Yi could only agree. "Since you insist, then come with me."

Tai Cang was overjoyed upon hearing this, knowing his plan had succeeded.

With that in mind, Tai Cang immediately hurried after him.

Thanks to Hou Yi's status as a top-tier Great Witch, he enjoyed tremendous prestige within the Witch Clan. Before long, twenty Great Witches had gathered together.

"Everyone!"

Hou Yi got straight to the point. "I have summoned you here today for a sparring match." He pointed at Tai Cang as he introduced him. "This is Fellow Daoist Tai Cang of Cang Gate. He wishes to spar with the Great Witches of our clan. Do any of you dare accept his challenge?"

Hou Yi did not mention that they would only compare physical bodies. In his view, if they competed solely in physical strength, Tai Cang would certainly lose; but if other methods were allowed, perhaps he would still have a chance.

"What?"

"Fight a cultivator?"

The Great Witches were all stunned and began sizing up Tai Cang. Seeing that he was merely at perfected Grand Unity Golden Immortal cultivation and had not even reached the Great Luo realm, they could not help showing puzzled expressions.

"I remember now!"

Suddenly, one Great Witch cried out, "He's the one who refined the Bloodline Pills!"

"He refined the Bloodline Pills?"

This news instantly threw the gathered Great Witches into an uproar. To Great Witches, Bloodline Pills were priceless treasures. After consuming one, there was a ninety percent chance of advancing to a top-tier Great Witch. Faced with the creator of these pills, their attitudes immediately changed.

"Since Fellow Daoist Tai Cang wishes to spar, I will be the first to test your skills!" A Great Witch strode forward, turbid energy surging around him. "Fellow Daoist, please make the first move."

Tai Cang secretly sighed in relief. Fortunately, he had refined the Bloodline Pills back then. Otherwise, these Great Witches likely would not have agreed so readily to spar, let alone help him complete his task.

He activated the Grand Clarity Bright Jade Body, and his form swelled to over three meters tall. The surging power of his blood and qi was no weaker than that of any Great Witch.

"This..."

The Great Witches were dumbfounded. A cultivator had actually tempered his physical body to such a realm. It was simply unbelievable.

"Unbelievable!"

Hou Yi could not hide his shock either. He had thought Tai Cang's claim that he could rival a Great Witch was an exaggeration, but it was true—and he seemed even stronger by a degree.

"Take this!"

Before the others could recover, Tai Cang stomped the ground and charged at his opponent. Since this was a physical spar, he had no intention of using any other methods.

"Good!"

The Great Witch suppressed his surprise and rushed forward to meet him. The two figures collided in an instant, producing a dull, thunderous impact.

Fists and feet collided as their attacks poured down like a torrential storm. Neither yielded an inch, and their head-on clash sent muffled booms echoing through the air.

In only a short time, Tai Cang and the Great Witch had exchanged over a hundred moves. Bruises had appeared on both their bodies, but neither was seriously injured.

"Again!"

The Great Witch's battle intent surged. Innate turbid energy churned around him as he attacked Tai Cang with all his strength.

"Just what I wanted!"

Tai Cang showed no fear and met him with a punch. The two were evenly matched, and the battle grew increasingly fierce. The watching Great Witches were boiling with excitement as they shouted, "Brother Tai Cang is mighty!"

"Go, Brother Gong Xin!"

Members of the Witch Clan from the tribe rushed over at the sound. Though they did not know Tai Cang, they were won over by the bearing of a strong warrior and cheered loudly.

"Fall!"

Tai Cang suddenly invoked the law of space and drove a heavy punch into the Great Witch's chest.

Gong Xin was sent flying backward. His chest was a mangled, bloody mess as he crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up turbid energy that filled the sky.

"Roar—"

Amid an earth-shaking roar, Gong Xin sprang to his feet. As his blood and qi surged, he revealed his true Great Witch form. A giant tens of thousands of zhang tall rose from the ground, his enormous fist wrapped in turbid energy as it crashed down.

"Brother Tai Cang, dodge!"

Hou Yi shouted a warning. "Gong Xin, stop!"

The true Great Witch form was their strongest killing move, increasing their power hundreds of times over. This strike could cause a great disaster.

"The true Great Witch form?"

Tai Cang remained unhurried. Forming a hand seal, he smiled lightly. "Perfect timing to test the improved Heaven and Earth Manifestation."

Before his words had faded, his body abruptly expanded, and a dharma form tens of thousands of zhang tall rose majestically. Under everyone's stunned gazes, the iron fists of the two giants collided.

Boom!

Amid a world-shaking explosion, shockwaves ravaged the surroundings. Hou Yi's expression changed sharply, and he instantly revealed a true form one hundred thousand zhang tall to shield the clansmen. He shouted sternly, "Those below the Great Witch realm, retreat at once!"

The Witch Clan members hurriedly retreated, but blazing battle intent burned in their eyes as they stared at the battlefield and murmured, "So this is the power of a Great Witch..."

"One day, I too will reach this realm!"

"The true Great Witch form truly lives up to its reputation. Such power is utterly captivating."

Tai Cang was completely unaware of this.

At that moment, he was wholly focused on fighting Gong Xin. The Heaven and Earth Manifestation improved by Tongtian could now rival the true Great Witch form, but it consumed an enormous amount of mana.

Seeing his opponent grow fiercer with every exchange, Tai Cang gritted his teeth inwardly. It seems I have no choice but to go all out.

He gave a low shout. His left hand controlled space, while his right manipulated time. The power of two laws erupted simultaneously.

Imprison!

With that soft shout, silver-white chains of space and time instantly wrapped around Gong Xin's enormous body, leaving him unable to move.

Seizing this fleeting opportunity, Tai Cang's fist, wrapped in violent spatial law power, smashed heavily into Gong Xin's chest.

"Ah—"