The hundred-year period passed in the blink of an eye.
At the foot of Buzhou Mountain, dark, densely packed figures gathered across the vast plains.
The Witch Clan warriors formed enormous square formations according to their respective tribes.
They were tall and powerfully muscled, with law runes naturally engraved into their skin. Fiendish energy swirled around them, yet they were restrained by an invisible discipline.
A blazing light burned in the eyes of every Witch Clan member as they gazed toward the summit of Buzhou Mountain and the ancient Pangu Hall.
There was no clamor or restlessness.
Only an aura as weighty as a mountain, and reverence that came from the depths of their bloodlines.
"Boom—"
"Boom—"
"Boom—"
Dull drumbeats, like the pounding of a heart, came from the direction of Pangu Hall and spread throughout the entire Primordial Wilderness.
Twelve figures radiating terrifying law fluctuations emerged from Pangu Hall and hovered in midair.
Dijiang, Zhujiuyin, Houtu, Zhurong, Gonggong...
The Twelve Ancestral Witches!
Below them, billions of Witch Clan warriors dropped to one knee, pounded their chests with their right hands, and let out a thunderous roar: "We welcome the Ancestral Witches!"
The rolling waves of sound shot straight into the heavens, even shaking the innate fiendish energy around Buzhou Mountain.
The Twelve Ancestral Witches stood solemnly in the twelve directions.
Then, a figure slowly walked out of Pangu Hall.
His body was not as towering as the Ancestral Witches', and his aura was restrained and peaceful. Yet the moment he appeared, all the Ancestral Witches bowed slightly, while the Witch Clan warriors below lowered their heads even further.
Wu Ming!
Wu Ming stood before the Twelve Ancestral Witches. His calm gaze swept across the boundless clansmen below before he raised his head toward the vast sky.
He took a deep breath, and his voice clearly spread to the four corners of the Primordial Wilderness.
"Great Dao above!"
"Father God Pangu above!"
"Heavenly Dao above!"
With these three cries, strange fluctuations appeared throughout the heavens and earth of the Primordial Wilderness.
In the unseen depths, it seemed that an supreme will had cast its gaze down.
Wu Ming's voice continued, carrying an unquestionable resolve:
"Today, I, Wu Ming of the Witch Clan, together with the Twelve Ancestral Witches, in the name of Pangu's descendants, bring the billions of our Witch Clan warriors here to swear an oath!"
"Our Witch Clan was born in the Primordial Wilderness and grew in the Primordial Wilderness. We were formed from Father God Pangu's Essence Blood!"
"Seeing the slaughter in the Primordial Wilderness grow ever more intense, fiendish energy spread, the order of heaven and earth became unstable, and living beings suffered, this violated Father God's original intention in creating the world and bringing Creation to the Primordial Wilderness."
"Our Witch Clan is willing to use Pangu's body to bear the fiendish energy of heaven and earth, refine it within ourselves, and return peace and tranquility to the Primordial Wilderness!"
"Our Witch Clan is willing to use the laws we control to regulate the Primordial Earth Veins, harmonize the Five Elements, stabilize heaven and earth, and help all things grow in orderly fashion!"
"Our Witch Clan is willing to protect the world opened by Father God Pangu!"
"This oath is witnessed by the Great Dao, by Father God, and by the Heavenly Dao!"
"Witch Clan—establish!"
The final two words exploded like thunder, containing the collective will and determination of the entire Witch Clan!
"Rumble!!!"
The instant the oath was spoken, the entire Primordial World shook violently!
Above the Nine Heavens, the Sound of the Great Dao resounded with profound and unfathomable might, as if expressing its approval.
At the summit of Buzhou Mountain, a vague and imposing phantom flashed into existence and vanished in an instant. It was the manifestation of the remnant will of Father God Pangu, carrying gratification and expectation.
In the depths of the firmament, the Heavenly Dao revolved. Boundless Mysterious Yellow Merit Qi gathered and transformed into an incomparably thick golden pillar of light that descended from the heavens!
Golden Light of Merit!
As the golden light poured down, most of it surged into Wu Ming and the bodies of the Twelve Ancestral Witches. The Twelve Ancestral Witches in particular bathed in the Golden Light of Merit, their laws surging around them. Their understanding and control of the laws rose another level, bringing them one step closer to the Hunyuan Realm.
The remaining merit was evenly distributed among all the Witch Clan warriors below who had participated in the oath.
Every member of the Witch Clan felt their destiny surge, and their connection with this world grow even closer. Many of the bottlenecks that had hindered their cultivation suddenly became clear.
From this day onward, the Witch Clan was no longer merely Pangu's descendants. They had also become a great clan formally acknowledged by the Primordial World, bearing the responsibility of regulating fiendish energy, stabilizing the earth veins, and protecting the Primordial Wilderness!
Zixiao Palace.
Hongjun, seated atop the high platform, suddenly opened his eyes.
Obvious surprise flashed through those ancient-well-like eyes.
He formed hand seals to divine the Heavenly Secrets. Though everything was shrouded in chaos, he could sense an enormous force of merit descending upon the Witch Clan.
"The Witch Clan has established itself? And made such a grand vow?"
"Clear the fiendish energy, regulate the earth veins, protect the Primordial Wilderness..."
Hongjun's brows furrowed slightly.
This seemed to be a deviation from the script of the Witch-Demon struggle dictated by the Heavenly Dao, in which the fiendish energy of the Tribulation drove the evolution of the Primordial Wilderness.
"Another variable... Wu Ming?"
He performed another deduction, but still could not see through Wu Ming's origins.
"Forget it. So long as it does not affect the greater trend, a minor variable is harmless."
Hongjun closed his eyes. Zixiao Palace once again fell silent, but the revolving Heavenly Dao seemed to have gained another trace of uncertainty.
Throughout the Primordial Wilderness.
Countless mighty figures were startled by the astonishing phenomena at Buzhou Mountain and the vast Golden Light of Merit.
Kunlun Mountain, the Three Pure Ones' Hall.
Yuanshi looked toward Buzhou Mountain. "What is the Witch Clan trying to do? How could they attract such immense merit?"
Taiqing said calmly, "They have inherited Pangu's legacy, answered the needs of heaven and earth, and merely acted in accordance with the current tide."
Tongtian's fighting spirit surged. "The Witch Clan... interesting."
Phoenix Nest Mountain.
Nuwa slightly furrowed her delicate brows and looked at Fuxi beside her. "Brother, the Witch Clan's actions..."
The Eight Trigrams revolved in Fuxi's hand. After a moment, he shook his head. "The Heavenly Secrets are obscured by merit. I cannot see clearly."
Mount Sumeru in the West.
Jieyin wore a bitter expression. "Junior Brother, the Witch Clan's destiny has soared. When will our West finally prosper?"
Zhunti's eyes flashed with brilliance. "Senior Brother, do not worry. Although the Witch Clan has gained merit through this, they have also taken on immense Karma. How could the fiendish energy of the Primordial Wilderness be so easy to cleanse? A tribulation will inevitably come in the future! We only need to wait patiently for the right moment."
Within the Sea of Blood, Ancestor Minghe sensed that vast force of merit, greed and wariness appearing in his eyes.
At Wuzhuang Temple, Zhen Yuanzi gently stroked the Earth Book and looked toward Buzhou Mountain. "The Witch Clan's actions can be considered to accord with Heaven's Will. It is just that... the Primordial Wilderness will likely become even more chaotic."
Beside him, Hong Yun was filled with worry. "Such a tremendous disturbance will likely attract no small number of prying eyes."
Sun Star.
Di Jun and Taiyi stood side by side, gazing toward the not-yet-dispersed clouds of merit above Buzhou Mountain, their expressions gloomy.
Taiyi clenched his fist as the Chaos Bell hummed beside him. "Elder Brother! The Witch Clan established itself first and gained such merit and destiny. We cannot wait any longer!"
Ambition and ruthlessness flickered in Di Jun's eyes. "Indeed! The Witch Clan established itself in the name of protecting the Primordial Wilderness, so our Demon Clan will establish itself in the name of ruling over all living beings and establishing order in heaven and earth!"
He looked at Taiyi. "Keep the matter of establishing the Heavenly Court secret for now."
"The immediate priority is to go to Phoenix Nest Mountain and persuade Nuwa and Fuxi to join us!"
"We will grant Empress Nuwa and Emperor Xi their titles, gather the top combat strength and destiny of the Demon Clan, and then establish the clan. We must completely overshadow the Witch Clan!"
Taiyi nodded, his fighting spirit surging. "Good! I will make the preparations now. We must make that Nuwa and Fuxi understand that joining our Demon Clan is the only wise choice!"
At the foot of Buzhou Mountain, the Witch Clan warriors slowly rose after bathing in merit, their auras even more weighty.
Wu Ming watched everything and nodded.
Wu Ming turned around to face the Twelve Ancestral Witches and the billions of Witch Clan warriors.
"Pass down my order."
"From this day onward, our Witch Clan warriors shall leave Buzhou Mountain, refine the fiendish energy, and regulate the earth veins!"