Feng Xi had never imagined that one day he would be interviewed and even make the headlines of the Witch Clan's internal news feed.
Faced with the sudden arrival of the interviewers, who asked how he felt about receiving a commendation from the Ancestral Witch for his outstanding performance... After freezing for just 0.01 seconds, the instinct engraved deep in his soul instantly calmed him down, and eloquent words poured from his mouth.
"First, I would like to thank Ancestral Witch Houtu, the provider of that competitive game, and the countless workers behind the scenes..."
"Without them, I would not have the honor I have today..."
After a long bout of blathering, Feng Xi gave an impromptu speech that left the interviewer speechless with exasperation.
The interviewer wanted to leave, but couldn't... Feng Xi held on tightly to him, seemingly determined not to let him go until he had finished listening to everything Feng Xi had to say.
Finally, after enduring countless waves of "thanks," the interviewer had long awaited his salvation—and the great Ancestral Witch rescued him from the depths of misery.
"Feng Xi, quick!" He forcibly changed the subject. "Ancestral Witch Houtu is going to present you with your commendation... Why aren't you going already?"
Only then did Feng Xi reluctantly shut his mouth. Alongside his nine teammates, who wore cheerful smiles while silently cursing him, he walked shoulder to shoulder with them, heads held high and chests puffed out, onto the awards platform. There, they received Houtu's rewards and praise for their outstanding performance in rapidly standing out in Zone 1404 and displaying such strong competitiveness.
The material rewards were extremely generous—they were resources capable of smoothly advancing them all the way to the Golden Immortal realm!
One had to understand that the entire Immortal Dao had only four realms.
True Immortal, Golden Immortal, Grand Unity, and Great Luo.
Although the Witch Clan certainly did not lack cultivation resources—a Great Luo expert could derive heaven and earth within the chaos, so what kind of natural treasure could they not obtain?
But what about labor costs?
Thus, obtaining resources within the Witch Clan required exchanging Contribution Points for them.
Now, they were being directly gifted cultivation resources sufficient to reach the Golden Immortal realm. This saved them countless hours of busy travel and allowed these ten prominent figures to gain a small lead over others, greatly enhancing their competitiveness in the future and giving them a greater hope of transcending.
For a moment, Feng Xi felt that these resources were almost too hot to handle—though he knew that, to the Ancestral Witch, they were actually of no importance at all.
As if she had seen through his confusion, Ancestral Witch Houtu's expression became stern, turning solemn and sacred.
She spoke slowly, as though explaining it to him, yet also as though addressing the countless Witch Clan spectators seated below the awards platform. "You are outstanding."
"So this is what you deserve."
"Besides, commending you is also meant to tell countless members of the Witch Clan—"
"Our conflict with the Demon Clan is not merely a brawl between hooligans or a mass gang fight!"
"It is not something that can be settled simply by comparing muscle strength and recklessly charging into battle."
"This is war!"
"A war that encompasses the entire vast Primordial World and stretches across immeasurable timelines!"
"As warriors carefully selected from among the rest, every member of the Witch Clan should possess outstanding insight and wisdom, decisive judgment and decision-making... Excellent individual combat quality is what the Witch Clan will pursue in the wars to come!"
The Primordial World enveloped All Heavens and All Realms. Those astronomical spans of time and space provided both the Witch Clan and the Demon Clan with sufficient strategic depth.
There were also the Grand Unity Supremes. With Eternal Freedom throughout Endless Space-time, they possessed both the qualification and the ability to undo moves, making that depth increase by an unknown amount.
The magnitude of this depth determined the resilience of defensive systems, the striking power of offensive systems, and the execution of more far-sighted plans... This destined the confrontation between the Witch Clan and the Demon Clan to be an all-encompassing, three-dimensional, ultimate war!
Once any conflict rose to the level of war, it absolutely could not be taken lightly.
All the more so when it was on such a terrifying scale.
It was a test of an organization and its power structure, as well as a test of the abilities of its basic members.
Unless one was a cultivator who had attained the Great Luo Dao, wielding the authority of the Primordial World to launch attacks and acting as a super moderator.
Otherwise, even a Grand Unity expert might not be able to play as great a role on the battlefield as a qualified Witch Clan warrior who met the Ancestral Witch's standards.
Ancestral Witch Houtu's words were like the morning bell and evening drum, shaking the hearts of countless members of the Witch Clan.
They were swept along and made to stand at a higher vantage point, looking down upon the overall situation and observing the confrontation between the two peak powers... Even the faintly revealed corner of it made them tremble with excitement and gain entirely new insights.
It was easy to imagine that after today, more and more Witch Clan warriors would examine their life plans, considering how to develop themselves more comprehensively and perfect themselves.
After all, with these ten people from Feng Xi placed before them as guiding markers, the embodiment of the Ancestral Witch's will, and the lure of tangible benefits... So many factors would influence people and lead them of their own accord onto the path the Ancestral Witch hoped for.
So the ten of us... are we just pawns the Ancestral Witch is using to play some grand game?
Are we the timber used to establish trust, or the horse bones bought at great expense?
Thoughts spun through Feng Xi's mind as he muttered and grumbled inwardly.
However, before he could delve any deeper, Ancestral Witch Houtu, having finished her speech and elicited applause from countless members of the Witch Clan, swept her gaze over the ten of them. "You guided the Witch Clan's overall situation, actively responded to our Ancestral Witches' call, and deeply embodied our spirit... Your contributions are immense."
"However, considering fairness, it would be inappropriate to give you too many material rewards."
"For this reason, I will give you additional compensation."
"A combat special training session!"
"To give you a chance to understand the level of the peak figures in the Primordial universe and light a lamp to guide your path."
"How does that sound?"
"Are you happy?"
At that moment, Ancestral Witch Houtu's expression was incomparably gentle and elegant.
But in the eyes of Feng Xi and the other nine...
Why... do we feel an absolutely terrifying malice spreading?!
They really wanted to refuse.
But when they saw the envious, jealous, and resentful gazes of the countless members of the Witch Clan below, then looked at Ancestral Witch Houtu's incomparably kindly expression... Feng Xi's words turned several times at the tip of his tongue, yet he could not force out a single one.
"Since none of you are saying anything, I'll take that as agreement." Houtu smiled in satisfaction. "There is no time to waste. We'll begin now."
She casually waved her hand, and space-time shifted.
The surroundings changed, and they appeared in a vast universe.
With dark clouds hanging over his heart, Feng Xi swallowed dryly and forced himself to ask, "Lord Houtu..."
"May I ask one thing—"
"Who exactly is coming to give us our special training?"
The ominous premonition made it impossible for him to remain silent any longer.
This was also the shared question of the other nine.
"Of course, I am." Houtu smiled brightly. "Don't worry. I will suppress my realm and cultivation level, keeping them at the same level as yours."
"To optimize the effects of the special training and let you truly recognize the level of the Primordial World's peak existences... Besides, it just so happens that the avatars of nine Ancestral Witches are very interested in the awards ceremony just now."
"So... ten against ten! A fair battle!"
Before you continue