The Witch Clan Emerges, Hongjun Attains the Dao

Deep within Pangu Hall, Zhou Ming emerged from his secluded cultivation site.

Dijiang, Zhujiuyin, Zhurong, Gonggong... the Twelve Ancestor Witches sensed Zhou Ming's aura as he exited seclusion and hurried over one after another.

"Big brother! You're out!" Zhurong's booming voice rang out first, brimming with undisguised excitement.

"Congratulations on your great advancement in cultivation, big brother!" Dijiang's face also carried a smile.

The other Ancestor Witches stepped forward in turn, their eyes filled with admiration and joy.

Zhou Ming's strength was the Witch Clan's strength.

After the brief elation, Dijiang scratched his head and spoke somewhat sheepishly: "Elder brother, aside from congratulating you on your cultivation breakthrough, we also have something to discuss with you."

"Oh? What is it?" Zhou Ming asked.

Dijiang glanced at the other Ancestor Witches, then said: "It's about the reproduction of the Witch Clan."

He paused, then continued: "In recent years, while traveling outside, we've seen more and more living beings in the Primordial Wilderness, with various races beginning to emerge. Our Witch Clan... Father God created us, and including big brother, there are only thirteen of us."

"The Blood Pool in Pangu Hall was formed from Father God's Essence Blood, containing boundless vitality." Dijiang went on. "We discussed it and want to use the power of the Blood Pool to create our Witch Clan kin!"

"Yeah, big brother!" Zhurong added in a rumbling voice. "Relying on just the thirteen of us is far too few! We need to create more kin to expand the Witch Clan's influence!"

"Create kin?" Zhou Ming had anticipated this. He looked at the twelve pairs of expectant eyes and nodded slightly.

"It's possible. However, I have one condition."

"Big brother, please speak!"

"After creating the kin, the twelve of you must go into seclusion with me inside Pangu Hall to comprehend Father God's legacy. Until Hongjun attains the Dao, no one is to leave!"

"Huh? Seclusion again?" Zhurong immediately looked reluctant.

"Big brother, why is that?" Houtu also asked in confusion. "We're about to create kin—this is precisely when they need our guidance."

"That's exactly why we must go into seclusion." Zhou Ming's tone was resolute, leaving no room for doubt.

"The waters of the Primordial Wilderness run deeper than you imagine. An unprecedented upheaval is approaching. Before that, we must raise our strength as much as possible!"

"Don't worry about the newborn kin. I'll leave an Avatar to look after them."

"But you must focus all your energy on cultivation and awaken the Father God's legacy imprint deep within your bloodlines as soon as possible!"

"Only when we are strong enough can we truly protect the Witch Clan!"

Though still somewhat puzzled, the Twelve Ancestor Witches trusted Zhou Ming and nodded in unison: "Yes! We will follow big brother's orders!"

Afterward, Zhou Ming and the Twelve Ancestor Witches arrived at the Blood Pool deep within Pangu Hall.

The Blood Pool churned, exuding a dense aura of life.

The twelve Ancestor Witches simultaneously forced out their own Essence Blood, merging it into the Blood Pool.

However, Zhou Ming stood by the pool's edge, completely motionless.

He watched everything quietly, not offering his own Essence Blood like the other Ancestor Witches, because Zhou Ming did not intend to create the Witch Clan with his own blood.

Zhou Ming manipulated the Dao Origin Divine Pearl, striking the improved Nine Revolutions Sha Quenching Art into each of the Blood Cocoons gestating within.

At the same time, the Dao Origin Divine Pearl hovered above the Blood Pool, casting a soft, clear light to assist the cocoons' development.

One by one, the Blood Cocoons rose and sank in the pool, emitting auras of varying strength.

Time passed.

When the first batch of Witches emerged from their Blood Cocoons in Transformation, Zhou Ming immediately probed them with his Divine Thought.

These newborn Witches all possessed extremely formidable physical bodies.

But, without exception, none had given birth to a Primordial Spirit.

"Sigh... so it really doesn't work?" Zhou Ming lamented inwardly. Even with the improved technique, he still couldn't enable the Witch Clan to develop a Primordial Spirit.

"Well, the gap in innate foundation is ultimately hard to bridge."

That the Twelve Ancestor Witches could birth a Primordial Spirit was already a miracle blessed by Father God's will—he couldn't ask for more.

Having confirmed that the newborn Witches could not develop a Primordial Spirit, Zhou Ming completely abandoned that line of thought.

He began executing the next step of his plan.

Splitting his Primordial Spirit!

He sat cross-legged, his Primordial Spirit leaving his body and hovering above his head, radiating the powerful fluctuations of a Golden Immortal of the Origin.

"Sever!"

Zhou Ming shouted in a low voice, his face instantly turning pale as his Primordial Spirit trembled violently.

He forcibly cleaved off two small portions of his own Primordial Spirit!

An indescribable, excruciating pain instantly engulfed his consciousness, as if trying to tear his soul to shreds.

But he gritted his teeth and endured it.

Moments later, his Primordial Spirit had successfully split into two smaller parts.

One portion, roughly a tenth of his Primordial Spirit's power, he used great Magic Power to fuse with a drop of his own Essence Blood, beginning to shape an Avatar!

The other portion, even smaller, was nurtured by him using a secret technique, set aside for future use.

Soon, a figure with eight or nine parts resemblance to Zhou Ming's face, yet with a gentler and more restrained temperament, appeared within the great hall.

This avatar's aura was stable at the Early Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal stage!

That was more than enough.

"Fellow Daoist, from today onward, you are me, acting in my stead to walk the Primordial Wilderness and manage the affairs of the Witch Clan," Zhou Ming said to the avatar.

The avatar gave a slight bow: "Fellow Daoist, rest assured. You and I are one. The matters of the Witch Clan and the travels through the Primordial Wilderness are all entrusted to me."

"Go then. Act with discretion, forge good ties, and especially... that one at Wuzhuang Temple." Zhou Ming waved his hand.

The avatar nodded, turned, and left Pangu Hall to begin fulfilling his duties.

Meanwhile, Zhou Ming's true body, accompanied by the Twelve Ancestor Witches, once again entered the deepest part of Pangu Hall. The heavy hall doors slowly closed, sealing off the inside from the outside, and a long seclusion began.

Their foremost task was to comprehend the supreme inheritance from Great God Pangu, buried deep within their bloodline!

Time passed unmeasured in the Primordial Wilderness.

Zhou Ming's avatar walked the lands of the Primordial Wilderness under the name "Wu Ming," handling Witch Clan affairs with a low profile while observing the situation of the Primordial Wilderness and forging ties with various powers.

His temperament was steady, his actions thorough, and he did manage to make some friends.

For instance, Zhen Yuanzi, the Earth Immortal Ancestor of Wuzhuang Temple, and the well-known good-natured Daoist Hongyun who often accompanied him.

The avatar discussed the Dao and savored tea with them, their relationship quite harmonious.

Zhou Ming's true body and the Twelve Ancestor Witches, however, were completely immersed in comprehending the Pangu inheritance, their cultivation steadily advancing.

One day.

The Heavenly Dao rumbled, showering down golden blossoms. Above the nine heavens, radiant light shone in ten thousand colors, and auspicious clouds stretched in a thousand hues. At the edge of the sky, a faintly discernible figure stood, behind them a vast purple aura rolling for ninety thousand miles.

Then, a majestic voice resounded through every corner of the Primordial Wilderness, reaching into the hearts of every living being:

"Reclining high above the nine-layered clouds, on a cattail mat I have realized the true Dao."

"Beyond Heaven and Earth, before the Yellow and Dark, I shall be the Lord of Teachings."

"I am Hongjun. I have now Attained Sainthood!"

"In three thousand years, I shall preach the Dao at Zixiao Palace, imparting the Great Dao."

"Those with affinity may all come to hear the Dao!"

As the voice faded, the celestial phenomena slowly dissipated.

But the pressure of Attaining Sainthood, the proclamation of becoming a Saint, struck like thunder, exploding in the hearts of all great powers in the Primordial Wilderness!