Houtu could fully recover from the shock, Qing Huan continued to escalate the situation, his voice filled with seduction:
"As for the other Ancestral Witch such as Gonggong, Zhurong, and Xuan Ming, they are blessed by the boundless Luck of the entire Netherworld and nourished by the vast Merit of maintaining the Six Paths of Reincarnation of Reincarnation. When the opportunity comes in the future, they can obtain the Saint Position again by relying on their own accumulation... It is not entirely impossible!"
Houtu Daoist Houtu, you... think carefully! Is this a bright path ahead, or... a dead end leading to Destruction?
After listening to Qing Huan's meticulous analysis, penetrating to the core of the matter, and then throwing out incredibly tempting words, Houtu fell completely silent. Her dignified and holy face showed a constantly shifting expression.
Shock, struggle, doubt, resentment, and deep concern for the future of her people—all these emotions intertwined and clashed in her eyes.
She couldn't help but recall the first war Witch and Demon that had not long ago, a war so devastating that it eclipsed the heavens and earth and brought tears to the eyes of all living beings.
Buzhou Mountain, the roars of the Ancestral Witch and the shrieks of the Demon Saint mingled together. Their enormous true forms shattered, and the scalding blood of the Ancestral Witch and the essence of the Demon Saint poured down like a torrential rain, staining the earth with a shocking color.
Her elder brother, Di Jiang, the Ancestral Witch of Space Speed, had half of his body shattered by the Chaos Bell while trying to save her; her elder brother, Ru Shou, the Gold Ancestral Witch of Geng Metal Qi shattered into countless pieces, and was ultimately dragged into the abyss of Destruction by the self-destruction of several Demon Saints... The fall of her two elder brothers is an eternal pain in her heart.
On the demon race's side, they also paid a heavy price with the fall of four top Demon Saint: Ji Meng, Ying Zhao, Fei Dan, and Fei Lian.
The sight of mountains of corpses and seas of the Blood Sea, a scene of universal grief, still haunts me to this day.
If the war continues... which brother will be next? And how many more sons of the Witch Clan will die?
The pride of the Witch Clan, the dignity of the Pangu lineage, the unwavering determination of his brothers to fight against heaven and earth... how could all of this be easily relinquished?
Getting her to admit that the Witch Clan couldn't win on their own and to retreat voluntarily is harder than getting her to reincarnate again!
However, the scene Qing Huan depicted was so alluring.
The Witch Clan possesses a primordial spirit, freeing them from the torment of malevolent energy. They may even produce one or more Sage live as long as heaven and earth, creating a true and eternal paradise for the Witch Clan in the Underworld... This is almost a perfect solution to all the fundamental predicaments of the Witch Clan.
My mind is in turmoil, my thoughts are a jumbled mess.
On one side lies the pride and tradition that Kalpa, a path of revenge forged in blood and fire;
On the other side lies a path of retreat, fraught with uncertainty, requiring the abandonment of glory, yet potentially leading to the continuation and advancement of the race.
For a long, long time.
The only sounds in the Palace of Reincarnation were the faint hum of the laws at work and an eternal, deathly silence.
Finally, Houtu raised her head.
The struggle and confusion in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by the unwavering determination, fortitude, and... a hint of resolve inherent in the bloodline of the Ancestral Witch. She slowly, but with unwavering resolve, shook her head.
"Fellow Daoist's words are insightful, clearly distinguishing the advantages and disadvantages, and even... that promise is very tempting to me."
Houtu's voice returned to calm, yet carried an unyielding resolve.
"However, our Witch Clan was born on the Primordial Earth and grew up at the foot of Buzhou Mountain. Our bloodline originates from the Father God Pangu."
Our existence is for the purpose of conquest, to protect this world created by our Father God, and to prove that the Witch Clan is the sole ruler of this world!
"If we retreat without a fight and hide in the netherworld, even if we gain immortality and Saint Position, are we still the Witch Clan? How are we any different from a spineless dead soul?"
Her gaze sharpened, as if piercing through the netherworld, revealing the Buzhou Mountain between heaven and earth, and her brothers who were eager to fight the demon race to the death.
"The future is still unknown! The trajectory of Heavenly Dao is not immutable! I believe that by gathering the power of the Twelve Ancestral Witches... no, the eleven Ancestral Witch, and condensing the true form of the Father God, we may be able to fight for Thread of Life, win the position of Protagonist of Heaven and Earth for the Witch Clan, and prove the glory and power of our clan!"
I appreciate your kindness, fellow Daoist. But this Netherworld Path... is not the choice of my Witch Clan!
Looking at the unwavering, burning flame of battle intent in Houtu's eyes, Qing Huan knew that words alone would no longer be enough to persuade this Ancestral Witch with her strong heart and iron will.
Her will to fight against heaven, against earth, and against fate was already etched into the deepest part of her soul.
She sighed inwardly, a complex emotion passing through her mind. There was regret for Houtu and the Witch Clan's obsession with "glory" that led to their ultimate tragedy, helplessness in the face of the inevitable forces of Heavenly Dao and the entanglement of Karma, and perhaps even a slight sense of disappointment at her inability to reverse the situation.
Without saying another word, he simply took a deep look at Houtu the image of this resolute and Sage Ancestral Witch was imprinted in his heart.
"Since you have made up your mind, I will not say any more."
Qing Huan's voice returned to its previous calm.
"However, I hope that you will not forget what I said today. If things become impossible, the Netherworld will always leave Thread of Life for the Witch Clan."
As soon as he finished speaking, Qing Huan's figure began to blur, like a reflection in water, slowly dissipating into the dense Yin Energy and light of laws within the Palace of Reincarnation, leaving no trace, as if he had never been there.
Only Houtu remained, standing alone in this vast, silent, magnificent hall that bore witness to the cycle of reincarnation for all beings, gazing in the direction where Qing Huan had vanished, silent for a long time. Deep within her compassionate yet resolute eyes, a faint, extremely faint shadow lingered, ultimately difficult to dispel completely.
Qing Huan's words, like a seed, have already been planted in her heart, waiting for the future storms to determine whether they will take root and sprout.
Standing at the edge of the ravaged battlefield at the foot of Blood Mountain in the far west, Qing Huan's gaze pierced through layers of void, looking towards the Underworld hidden deep within the Nine Nether Lands, and he let out a soft sigh.
He truly hadn't expected that Houtu, the Ancestral Witch Houtu, would have such a steadfast will.
They tried to persuade Houtu by citing the power of the demon race, the future structure of the world, and even a sliver of divine secrets, hoping to gain the support of the Witch Clan or at least some sway in their stance. However, Houtu, inheriting the Pangu's Legacy and guarding the earth's veins, remained unmoved as her Dao heart was closely tied to the honor and disgrace of the Witch Clan.
That stubbornness, originating from the depths of one's blood, is like the Buzhou Mountain, unyielding and unbending.
"Very well, we have different paths, so we cannot work together."
The last trace of hesitation in Qing Huan's eyes vanished, replaced by a resolute, icy resolve.
"Since the Witch Clan is unwilling to go with the flow, then we have no choice but to break through them by force, and utterly shatter this rock that is preventing the Demon Clan from ruling the Primordial Wilderness!"
Going to war was not Qing Huan's first choice, but given the current situation, there was no room for maneuver.
The Witch-Demon Calamity seemed to intensify further because of his decision.