Houtu

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Houtu (后土)
Alias(es)	Ancestral Witch Houtu; Empress Pingxin 7 264
Species/Race	Ancestral Witch; later the embodiment of Reincarnation 8 263
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Witch Clan; later the Netherworld and Six Paths of Reincarnation 17 287
Occupation/Role	Earth Ancestral Witch; ruler of the Netherworld; presider over the Six Paths of Reincarnation 185 287
Status	Transformed her Ancestral Witch body into the Six Paths of Reincarnation; remains Houtu rather than being wholly assimilated by Netherworld authority 263 287
First Appearance	Chapter 7

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Earth Ancestral Witch	7, 8	Possesses an innate affinity with Earth Law and can sense same-origin law power, despite initially lacking a Primordial Spirit.
Primordial Spirit cultivation	82	Heaven-splitting Merit cleanses the turbid qi around her True Spirit; the Central Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner protects the nascent Primordial Spirit during its formation.
Reincarnation / Empress Pingxin	263, 264	Sacrifices her Ancestral Witch True Body to establish the Six Paths of Reincarnation, becoming the will and authority of Reincarnation.

Background

Houtu is one of the Twelve Ancestral Witches and is notably concerned with the Witch Clan's structural weaknesses. Unlike cultivators with Primordial Spirits, the Witches initially cannot properly refine spiritual treasures, divine Heavenly Secrets, or fully benefit from listening to the Dao. She is stated to be less tainted by Sha Qi than her siblings, making her the chosen representative to investigate Dao Ancestor Hongjun's teachings and seek a solution for the clan. 17 18

Her Earth Law resonated with the earth-element power carried by Qing Huan's Seven Symbols Treasure Umbrella. Their first encounter began as a misunderstanding, but Houtu chose negotiation over conflict and offered access to the Witch Clan vault in exchange for Qing Huan's Central Wutu Soil. 7 8

Appearance

Houtu is depicted as a graceful but imposing woman whose presence carries the weight and inclusiveness of the earth. After becoming the ruler of the Netherworld, she retains the grounded vitality of an Ancestral Witch beneath her sacred Reincarnation authority. 190 287

• Often appears barefoot, stepping directly from Earth Veins or Netherworld tides. 190
• Wears a skirt marked with living mountain-and-river patterns and symbols of Ancestral Witch authority. 190
• Later appears in simple linen robes within the Palace of Reincarnation. 287
• Her aura is heavy, all-encompassing, and closely connected to the Netherworld and Earth Law. 187 287

Personality

Houtu is straightforward, calm, and deeply responsible toward the Witch Clan. She is willing to travel alone into Chaos and attend Hongjun's sermon despite her siblings' objections, because she believes the clan must find a path beyond its lack of Primordial Spirits. 17 18

Though she possesses the forceful instincts of an Ancestral Witch, she is not ruled by greed or bloodlust. At Wuzhuang Temple, she suppresses her desire for the Ginseng Fruit Tree rather than exploit Qing Huan after his battle, explicitly recognizing that doing so would be dishonorable. 190

Her defining trait is compassion. Her realization that the dead have no destination after death leads her to place the suffering of all beings above her own life and even above her ties to the Witch Clan. 262 263

Abilities & Skills

Earth Law

As the Earth Ancestral Witch, Houtu has an innate connection to the land, Earth Veins, and earth-element law power. Her authority can interfere with other cultivators' control over terrain-based formations and defenses. 8 185

• Senses earth-aligned law power even before developing a Primordial Spirit. 7 8
• Repairs battle-damaged Earth Veins merely by stepping through the void. 190
• Can disrupt an opponent's command of Earth Veins through Bearing Heaven and Carrying Earth · Earth Vein Chaos. 185
• Uses her Earth Law to weaken Zhenyuanzi's control over the Earth Book and its defensive formations. 184 185

Ancestral Witch True Body

Houtu possesses the powerful physical constitution characteristic of the Ancestral Witches. Even when trapped by Zhenyuanzi's Earth Book technique, she remains composed and continues to counterattack. 185

• Fights directly through overwhelming physical strength and combat instinct. 185
• Endures the crushing force, divine spears, and mountain-prison effects of Earth Book · Mountain Sea Town Prison. 185
• Her True Body ultimately serves as the foundation sacrificed to establish the Six Paths of Reincarnation. 263

Primordial Spirit

Houtu's Primordial Spirit is a major anomaly among the Ancestral Witches. It forms after Heaven-splitting Merit purifies the turbid influence around her True Spirit, allowing her to cultivate and manipulate spiritual treasures with far greater precision. 82 184

• Uses the Spiritual Light of her Primordial Spirit for precise calculation and control in combat. 184
• Gains the ability to manipulate laws of Heaven and Earth in ways Zhenyuanzi believed impossible for an Ancestral Witch. 184 185
• Protects her nascent Primordial Spirit with the Central Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner. 82

Reincarnation Authority

After her sacrifice, Houtu becomes the central authority of the Netherworld and the Six Paths of Reincarnation. Her existence gives departed souls a destination and completes the cycle of life and death in the Primordial Era. 263 264

• Establishes a Pure Land for the afterlife and the Six Paths of Reincarnation System. 263
• Draws in billions of wandering souls from across the Primordial Era. 264
• Presides over the orderly operation of the Netherworld, including the Ghost Gate Pass, Yellow Springs Road, River of Forgetfulness, Ten Halls of Yama, and Judges' Halls. 287
• Retains her own identity and compassion despite becoming inseparable from Netherworld authority. 287

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Central Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner — A top-tier earth-element defensive Innate Spiritual Treasure that chose Houtu at the Treasure Distribution Cliff; it resonates intimately with her Earth Law and later protects her forming Primordial Spirit. 74 82
• Hongmeng Measuring Heaven Ruler — A powerful ruler used in her pursuit of Zhenyuanzi and in the Witch-Demon War. 184 217
• Earth Book — Seized from Zhenyuanzi after his death. 187

Relationships

• Qing Huan — Her first true friend after her early encounters with him. He helps guide the Witch Clan toward cultivating Primordial Spirits, travels with her to Purple Heaven Palace, and later discusses the Witch Clan's future with her in the Netherworld. 17 25 28 287
• Di Jiang — Elder brother and a leading figure among the Twelve Ancestral Witches. He initially questions her dealings with Qing Huan but ultimately accepts her decision to seek a solution for the clan. 8 17
• Gou Mang — Fellow Ancestral Witch who develops a Primordial Spirit alongside Houtu and later fights beside her against Qing Huan. 82 217 218
• The Twelve Ancestral Witches — Her siblings and clan. Houtu repeatedly seeks solutions for their Primordial Spirit deficiency, food crisis, and eventual survival. 17 157 158
• Zhenyuanzi — Enemy whom Houtu pursues after sensing his use of Earth Vein power; she kills him and takes the Earth Book. 184 187
• Old Ancestor Minghe — Houtu's transformation into Reincarnation inspires Minghe to find his Dao as master of the Asura Path. 263 264
• Pangu — Pangu's Will responds to her vow, sending a Primordial Spirit Imprint that joins the Great Dao's blessing during the creation of the Six Paths. 263

Story Role / Major Arcs

Quest for the Witch Clan's Path Forward

Houtu identifies the Witch Clan's lack of Primordial Spirits as a long-term existential danger. She attends Hongjun's sermon alone, seeking a solution despite the clan's inability to properly comprehend the Dao. Her contact with Qing Huan eventually leads to the method through which she and Gou Mang begin cultivating Primordial Spirits. 17 18 25 71 82

Destined Treasure

At the Treasure Distribution Cliff, the Central Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner bypasses Minghe and chooses Houtu. The banner's earth-element nature makes it uniquely suited to her and becomes essential in safeguarding her nascent Primordial Spirit. 74 82

Zhenyuanzi's Death

Guided by Heavenly Secrets and alerted by activity near the Netherworld Sea of Blood, Houtu finds the severely injured Zhenyuanzi. She uses the Hongmeng Measuring Heaven Ruler and Earth Law to destabilize his Earth Vein defenses, ultimately killing him and claiming the Earth Book. 184 185 187

Witch-Demon War

During the Witch-Demon War, Houtu fights alongside Gou Mang against Qing Huan. She deploys the Central Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner and the Hongmeng Measuring Heaven Ruler, but Qing Huan breaks their defensive barrier and severely wounds her with the Yin-Yang Rotation: Great Grinding Disc. 217 218

Following the conflict, Dao Ancestor Hongjun decrees that the Witches must govern the earth and protect its Earth Veins, while the Demons rule the heavens. 220

Creation of the Six Paths

At the Sea of Blood, Houtu realizes that the dead of the Primordial Era have nowhere to go. Driven by compassion and responsibility, she vows to become Reincarnation, sacrifices her True Body, and establishes the Six Paths as the destination for all departed souls. 262 263

Ruler of the Netherworld

As Empress Pingxin, Houtu governs the completed Netherworld while remaining personally invested in the Witch Clan's fate. She considers Qing Huan's proposal to relocate the Witch Clan into the Underworld and fill its many divine offices, but initially struggles to abandon the clan's claim to the position of Protagonist of Heaven and Earth. 287 288 289

After Buzhou Mountain collapses and the Witch Clan suffers catastrophic losses, Houtu faces a second choice: surrender the clan's protagonist status in exchange for preservation and protection. 298