Ancestral Witch Houtu

"Tsk, they say the Ancestral Witches lack primordial spirits and cannot sense treasures of heaven and earth, but it seems that is not entirely true."

In an instant, Qing Huan understood the key.

Although the Ancestral Witches lacked primordial spirits, they were born with a mastery of complete laws.

They might not be able to sense the spiritual essence contained within the treasures themselves, but they could develop a clear sense for powers that shared the same origin as their own laws!

"Daoist Friend Houtu."

A playful smile appeared on Qing Huan's face.

"By blocking my path like this, could it be that you harbor the intention to kill me and seize my treasure?"

His tone carried a hint of mockery.

It was not that Qing Huan was arrogant; for Houtu alone to want to defeat and kill him was simply a pipe dream.

"Daoist Friend, you misunderstand!"

Houtu hurriedly explained, the tension between her brows becoming even more apparent.

"I only blocked your path rashly just now because of an abnormal pull from my own laws.

There is absolutely no malice intended.

My Witch Clan is willing to exchange treasures from our vault for what you need, how about that?"

The scene from ten thousand years ago, when Qing Huan manifested into his form as a Great Luo, was still vivid in her mind; kill him and seize the treasure? She truly had little confidence in winning.

"Oh?"

A flash of light appeared in Qing Huan's eyes, his interest thoroughly piqued.

The Witch Clan vault! This was truly like having a pillow handed to him just as he was getting sleepy!

Aside from one Innate Supreme Treasure, the Seven Symbols Treasure Umbrella, he possessed not a single other spiritual treasure; he was, so to speak, dirt poor...

If he could use the surplus Central Wutu Soil he had on hand to trade for a few Innate Spiritual Treasures from Houtu, it would be a massive profit no matter how one calculated it!

"Oh dear, Daoist Friend Houtu."

Qing Huan immediately put on an expression of extreme difficulty and deep reluctance.

"Do you know how precious this treasure on me is?

How could it be compared to ordinary Innate Spiritual Treasures? This item is unique in the Primordial Earth, and its weight is immense!"

Seeing Qing Huan act this way, Houtu's expression also clearly wavered.

That power of the earth-element laws emanating from Qing Huan held an attraction from the depths of her own laws, and its importance was self-evident.

She clenched her small hands, not knowing what to do for a moment.

"Fine!"

Houtu seemed to have made up her mind and gritted her teeth, saying:

"As long as you are willing to part with it, you may choose any spiritual treasure from our Witch Clan vault! How about that?"

She absolutely could not give up this opportunity.

Although the Witch Clan could not use Innate Spiritual Treasures, they had collected and seized quite a few on the Primordial Earth over the years to ensure the Witch Clan remained unthreatened.

But at this moment, for the sake of that intense attraction of the laws, she was willing to pay the price.

Qing Huan remained "strugglingly" silent for several breaths.

The expression on his face shifted, and finally, as if enduring the pain of parting with a beloved object, he gritted his teeth and said:

"...Alright! For the sake of your sincerity, Daoist Friend...

However, this is the source of my manifestation—the Central Wutu Soil!

It is exceptionally precious! I can only part with half for you, how about that?"

Qing Huan deliberately emphasized "half," appearing to be in immense pain.

"Good! It's a deal! I agree to what you have said, Daoist Friend!"

A heavy stone in Houtu's heart fell to the ground; a look of joy appeared on her face, and she nodded in agreement without hesitation.

The wind at the foot of Buzhou Mountain still carried an ancient vastness.

Qing Huan sat cross-legged on a blue stone, his aura seemingly merging with the endless Primordial mountain range beneath his feet.

"I shall wait right here for your good news, Daoist Friend."

The corners of Qing Huan's lips lifted slightly, his smile light yet revealing an unquestionable sense of detachment.

The Ancestral Land of the Witch Clan? The Pangu Temple was the core of the Twelve Ancestral Witches, gathering the strongest baleful energy and Luck in the Primordial world.

The other eleven Ancestral Witches had varying temperaments; if he were to encounter one or two as violent and stubborn as Gonggong or Zhurong, this "trading for spiritual treasures" endeavor might result in him getting into trouble instead of obtaining treasures.

Houtu did not force the issue and nodded her head lightly:

"Very well! Rest assured here, Daoist Friend; I shall return to the Witch Clan vault now, where many spiritual treasures and spiritual roots will be available for you to choose from."

Before the words had even faded, Houtu flickered and merged into the earth, vanishing in an instant.

Watching the direction where Houtu had disappeared, a trace of imperceptible lament flashed through the eyes of Qing Huan.

The Witch and Demon Races possessed Luck as vast as a rainbow, dominating the heavens and earth, yet they were ultimately nothing more than passersby on the chessboard of the world.

The root cause was nothing more than excessive slaughter; they plundered the origin of the world to strengthen themselves, yet were stingy when it came to nourishing the Universe of the Primordial.

Heavenly Dao is impartial; how could it tolerate such prolonged exploitation?

Even the later Western Sect knew how to put on a facade of hypocrisy, preaching illusory Great Dharma to bewilder the masses, and thus could secure a share of Merit and Luck.

The Witch and Demon Races knew only how to vie for hegemony, failing to understand enlightenment or restraint, and were destined to be liquidated by Heavenly Dao and exit the stage in sorrow.

?Deep within Buzhou Mountain, Pangu Temple.?

The atmosphere was dark and solemn, permeated with the pressure of Pangu.

Houtu returned, her steps hurried as she passed straight through the magnificent hall toward the treasury in the depths.

"Hm? Little sister returned today and headed straight for the treasury? That is a rare occurrence."

In a corner of the temple, the figure of the Time Ancestral Witch Zhu Jiuyin emerged from a patch of distorted light, his pupils appearing to contain the flowing river of time.

Di Jiang, sitting cross-legged on the main seat, opened his eyes, spatial ripples appearing around him.

"Haha, our little sister is the one among the Ancestral Witches least affected by the turbid qi and baleful aura of the world; her heart is the most pure.

Perhaps her cultivation has reached a critical juncture and she requires some external spiritual treasures to assist her; it is nothing strange."

The leader of the Witch Clan wore a smug smile, believing he had insight into everything.

As the eldest brother, his understanding of his younger siblings was second to none.

"Forget it, they are useless items anyway. I shall go and contemplate the true meaning of time; this path is vast, and even exhausting my entire life, I could hardly grasp a ten-thousandth of it."

Zhu Jiuyin nodded thoughtfully, then vanished back into the ripples of time.

Deep within Pangu Hall, the gates of the Witch Clan treasury stood wide open.

What met Houtu's eyes were mountains of various artifacts, their treasure light mixed with baleful qi; the blades, spears, swords, and halberds were mostly formed from the fragments of Primordial Demon Gods, exuding a fierce and oppressive aura.

There were also various strange spiritual roots and ores containing the essence of the earth, yet because the Witch Clan did not cultivate their primordial spirits, most of them remained covered in dust.

Houtu's delicate brows furrowed; she was focused on comprehending the Earth Law and had no interest in these weapons of slaughter, nor did she know exactly what Qing Huan required.

"Forget it, rather than hesitating here, I might as well take more so he can choose for himself."

With her mind made up, she waved her slender hand, and nearly half of the dim spiritual treasures and roots in the treasury rose into the air, flowing into a seemingly ordinary gray cloth bag at her waist—the Myriad Things Bag, which contained a universe and could hold mountains and rivers.

This bag did not require a primordial spirit to operate; only Magic Power was needed.

Just as she finished gathering them and turned to leave, the deep, resonant voice of Di Jiang came from behind her, carrying a hint of inquiry:

"Little sister? Why have you taken an interest in these 'useless scraps' today? And why are you in such a hurry?"

Di Jiang's towering figure blocked the entrance to the treasury, space rippling slightly as he invisibly sealed the path.

"Brother, please understand. While I was cultivating at the tribe at the foot of Buzhou Mountain, I sensed an origin aura that perfectly resonates with my Earth Law.

The source is none other than the Daoist Qing Huan, who took form there ten thousand years ago and once triggered eighty-one bolts of Yin-Yang Tribulation Lightning!"

Houtu felt a surge of urgency in her heart and spoke frankly, specifically mentioning Qing Huan.

"Daoist Qing Huan?"