Nearly one kalpa had passed since the Dao-Devil War ended. During this long stretch of time, the Primordial World finally welcomed a long-awaited peace. Although the baleful aura that filled heaven and earth had not completely dissipated, it had thinned considerably.
During this time, Zhou Ming had not been idle either.
He often left Pangu Hall to travel through the Primordial Wilderness, collecting the baleful aura left behind by the Longhan Era and the Dao-Demon Era calamities for the Twelve Ancestor Witches to refine, using it as "nourishment" for their growth.
With the continuous supply of energy and the circulation of the Nine Revolutions Sha Quenching Art, the Twelve Ancestor Witches' transformation into human form was greatly accelerated.
Not only were their physical bodies incredibly powerful, but more importantly, they had all successfully condensed their Primordial Spirits.
Although their Primordial Spirits were still somewhat weak compared to their physical bodies, far inferior to the Innate Great Gods born with Primordial Spirits, this was undoubtedly a tremendous breakthrough.
This meant that the Witch Clan was no longer a reckless race that only cultivated its physical body and knew nothing of the workings of heaven!
Looking at the twelve younger brothers and sisters before him, each with a powerful aura yet still carrying a trace of newborn innocence and confusion in their eyes, Zhou Ming was filled with complicated emotions.
Of course, while helping his younger brothers and sisters, Zhou Ming had never neglected his own cultivation.
With the merit gained from refining baleful aura and his constant comprehension of the Law of Strength, his cultivation steadily improved.
Finally, not long ago, he had reached the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm!
At the same time, his refinement of the Dao Origin Divine Pearl had advanced further as well. He had successfully refined thirty Innate restrictions within it.
This was already the limit attainable at the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm.
To advance further, he would have to enter the realm of the Primordial Golden Immortal.
"Peak Grand Unity... It's still not enough."
With this level of strength, he would remain no more than an ant during the future Witch-Demon Calamity and in the era when Sages emerged in force.
Hongjun was about to attain the Dao, and the opening of the lectures at Zixiao Palace was imminent.
The Witch Clan needed resources and Destiny. They needed to raise their overall strength as quickly as possible to seize a sliver of hope for survival in the approaching age of great contention!
It was time to begin making arrangements! They could not continue hiding in Pangu Hall and cultivating blindly.
"Come over here." Zhou Ming spoke in a deep voice.
The Twelve Ancestor Witches immediately gathered around him and looked at him in unison.
"Big Brother, what is it?" Zhurong asked in a deep, booming voice, being the most hot-tempered of them all.
Zhou Ming looked at them, his expression turning solemn.
"Now that the Primordial World has just settled down and the Longhan Era and Dao-Demon Era calamities have ended, this is the perfect time for our Witch Clan to emerge and accumulate strength."
"Although remaining in Pangu Hall is safe, it is like sitting at the bottom of a well and looking at the sky. It will be difficult for us to truly grow stronger."
"So, I have decided that we will split into three groups and begin making plans for our Witch Clan!"
Upon hearing that they would be leaving Pangu Hall, many of the Ancestral Witches revealed excited and eager expressions.
They were naturally active and had long been curious about the world outside the hall.
Zhou Ming raised a hand, signaling them to calm down, then continued, "Dijiang, you will lead Qiangliang, Tianwu, and Xizi on a tour of the Primordial Wilderness. Your main task is to collect all kinds of heavenly treasures and earthly treasures!"
"As long as they are magical treasures or spiritual roots, whether innate or acquired, bring back anything of value that you can get your hands on. Bring it all back to Pangu Hall!"
"Remember, our goal is to gather resources, not to fight for supremacy. If you encounter someone foolish enough to provoke you, avoid them if you can. Try your best not to clash with other forces. Run if you can't win. Safety comes first!"
"Yes, Big Brother!" Dijiang thumped his chest and grinned, looking very confident.
He was born in control of the Space Law. When it came to running away, he considered himself second to none.
Next, Zhou Ming looked at the Ancestral Witch of Time, Zhujiuyin. "Zhujiuyin, you will lead Gou Mang, Rushou, and Yanzi to the western lands."
With a thought from Zhou Ming, the Dao Origin Divine Pearl emerged from between his brows.
"This is the supreme treasure left behind by Father God, the Dao Origin Divine Pearl." He handed the Dao Origin Divine Pearl to Zhujiuyin.
"Your mission is to head west."
"The western lands were previously devastated by Luohu's self-detonation. Their spiritual veins have been destroyed, and baleful aura and resentment run rampant. Your task is to use the Dao Origin Divine Pearl to sort out the western earth veins and absorb and refine the baleful aura there. This will not only improve your cultivation but also allow you to accumulate merit for our Witch Clan."
"Rest assured, Big Brother. We understand." Zhujiuyin nodded, her expression calm.
Finally, Zhou Ming's gaze fell on Zhurong, Gonggong, Xuanming, and Houtu.
These four had relatively distinct personalities. Zhurong and Gonggong in particular were natural enemies, while Xuanming and Houtu were the only two female figures among the Twelve Ancestor Witches, making them somewhat more attentive and sensitive.
"Zhurong, Gonggong, Xuanming, Houtu."
"The four of you will come with me to a certain place."
"Where are we going, Big Brother?" Zhurong asked curiously.
"We're going to... climb Buzhou Mountain!"
"Climb a mountain?" Zhurong and Gonggong exchanged a glance, utterly bewildered.
Buzhou Mountain was right outside Pangu Hall. What was there to climb?
"Of course, it isn't simply climbing a mountain." Zhou Ming explained, "Buzhou Mountain was formed from Father God's spine. His powerful will still remains upon the mountain."
"We are going there, first, to pay our respects to Father God's legacy and comprehend his mighty power. Secondly..."
He changed his tone and looked at the four of them, his expression becoming somewhat "profound."
"We are going to... communicate and build a relationship with Father God's will."
"Build a relationship?"
Xuanming blinked, looking puzzled.
Houtu was equally confused.
"That's right, build a relationship." Zhou Ming nodded and lowered his voice. "Once we reach the mountain, watch my signals and act accordingly. Especially..."
"Xuanming, Houtu, listen carefully."
"When we approach the place where Father God's will is strongest, you two will... cry!"
"What? Cry?" Xuanming froze, while Houtu's little face flushed red, leaving her at a loss.
"That's right! Cry!" Zhou Ming said decisively. "Cry as miserably as you can! Cry as though your hearts are breaking! Cry until everyone who hears you is saddened and reduced to tears!"
"Just think about how difficult things are for our Witch Clan right now. We have nothing, not even a decent magical treasure. Think about how those Innate Great Gods go out surrounded by dazzling treasure light, while we can only rely on our fists..."
"Then think about how Father God worked himself to death to create this Primordial World, even sacrificing his own life in the end. And yet we, his children, are living such miserable lives..."
The more Zhou Ming spoke, the more agitated he became, as though he was about to cry himself.
"In short, act as aggrieved as possible! Play the part as pitifully as you can! You must make Father God's will feel our 'filial devotion' and how 'difficult' things are for us!"
"As the saying goes, a child who cries gets the milk!
"Although Father God's will does not possess complete emotions, it must still have a special fondness for descendants who took form from his Essence Blood."
"The more miserably we cry, the more Father God's will will pity us. Maybe, in a moment of happiness, it will drop a few Innate Spiritual Treasures or pass down some powerful cultivation art. Wouldn't we be rich then?"
Xuanming and Houtu were both stunned.
Zhurong and Gonggong stared wide-eyed, wondering if they had heard incorrectly.
They wanted the dignified Ancestral Witches to cry? What kind of nonsense was this?
"Big Brother, are you sure you haven't made a mistake? Cry about what?" Zhurong could not help shouting.
"Exactly. Our Witch Clan bleeds but does not shed tears!" Gonggong also raised his chin and said stubbornly.
"Ahem!" Zhou Ming cleared his throat and said with a solemn expression, "This isn't ordinary crying. It's a strategy, understand? A strategy!"
"Think about it. We were formed from Father God's Essence Blood, so we're Father God's children, right?"
"Father God has fallen, and we orphans are living such miserable lives. We don't even have a decent protective treasure!"
"We'll go and complain tearfully to Father God's will, acting a little more aggrieved and pitiful. With the remnant will of Father God, perhaps it will soften and give us some good things?"
Zhou Ming did his best to explain this "wisdom" from his later life in a way they could understand.
"..."
Zhurong, Gonggong, Xuanming, and Houtu exchanged glances. What Big Brother said seemed to make some sense, yet something about it felt strange.
Going to cry miserably for benefits... Why did this operation feel so... unlike the Witch Clan?
"In any case, you can't go wrong listening to me!" Zhou Ming made the final decision. "Watch my signals then. Especially you two, Xuanming and Houtu. Build up your emotions beforehand. You must cry with genuine feeling, with tears like pear blossoms in the rain. Understand?"
Xuanming and Houtu nodded as if they understood.
Zhurong scratched his head. "Big Brother, will this... really work?"
"Whether it works or not, we'll only know after trying!" Zhou Ming said decisively. "It's better than waiting around doing nothing! Our Witch Clan has a weak foundation and got a late start. If we want to develop quickly, we have to take an unconventional path!"
"Good! Big Brother, we'll listen to you!"
"We'll cry if we have to! For the Witch Clan!"
Zhou Ming nodded in satisfaction. Good. He had gotten through to them.
Next, it would depend on whether this grand plan to "cry at the mountain" could succeed!
"All right, make your preparations and set out immediately!"