"Not establish a clan?"
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"No, no! The Primordial World was created by Father God. Only we have the right to rule it!"
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Gonggong had a fiery temper and couldn't hold back.
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With the Ancestral Witches' defiant nature, how could they hide in Pangu Hall like cowards? Wouldn't that bring shame upon Father God?
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"Brother Xuanyuan, I'm afraid that's an exaggeration. When we siblings join forces to set up the Great Heavenly God-Demon Array and summon the Father God Phantom, even a Primordial Golden Immortal can be crushed!"
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"The Primordial World is vast, but who else could possibly be our match?"
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"So what if a Kalpa Tribulation is coming? We can still enter it!"
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Qiang Liang shook his head as well and spoke in a grave voice.
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When those two Ancestral Witches had spoken, most of the others had furrowed their brows, looking unconvinced.
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"Enough. No more arguing."
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"If Brother Xuanyuan has spoken, he must have his reasons."
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Di Jiang's brow creased slightly as he barked the order.
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As the eldest brother, he commanded great respect among his siblings. At his words, even Gonggong, the most incensed of them all, fell silent.
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After putting a stop to the Ancestral Witches' objections, Di Jiang turned to Xuanyuan with a serious expression. "Brother Xuanyuan, from what you've said, if we establish the Witch Race, we'll be targeted and drawn into a Kalpa Tribulation, like the Dragon-Han Three Clans, with no good end?"
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"Who, exactly, intends to harm us?"
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Though the Twelve Ancestral Witches had mighty origins, they had been born less than ten Eons ago. Even the strongest among them had only reached the Mid Stage Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal level.
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Even if they joined forces to use the Great Heavenly God-Demon Array, they still couldn't summon Pangu True Body—at most, they could summon a phantom of Pangu with the strength of a Primordial Golden Immortal.
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Primordial Golden Immortals were powerful, already standing at the pinnacle of all beings in the Primordial World. But Di Jiang knew that even they could fall.
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The Ancestral Dragon, Yuanfeng, and Beginning Qilin from the Dragon-Phoenix Calamity—hadn't they all been supreme powers at the Primordial Golden Immortal level?
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And what had happened in the end?
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Caught up in the Kalpa Tribulation, the sea, land, and sky clans had fought for supremacy. Which of them had met a good end?
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As the leader of the Twelve Ancestral Witches, Di Jiang was rational and clear-eyed.
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Hearing this, Zhu Jiuyin and the other Ancestral Witches grew thoughtful. The anger in Gonggong's heart faded at once, replaced by deep contemplation.
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He might have a fiery temper and act impulsively, but he wasn't stupid.
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Indeed. Even the mighty Dragon-Han Three Clans had suffered devastating losses in the end.
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The Ancestral Witches wanted to establish a clan, but they didn't want the Witch Race they founded to become sacrificial pawns in a Kalpa Tribulation like the Dragon-Han Three Clans, or victims of some scheme!
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Perhaps it really was better to keep a low profile and develop in peace.
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"We carry the Merit of Heaven's Creation, making us a hot potato. Hongjun, who emerged victorious from the Demon Dao Struggle, won't give up scheming against us if it means advancing further in the future."
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"But Hongjun is about to become a Heavenly Dao Saint. Even if we join forces, we'd be no more than moths flying into a flame. So we might as well stop playing his game and make our own plans."
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Xuanyuan spoke calmly.
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There was no need to worry about Hongjun overhearing them here in Pangu Hall.
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When he had first emerged into the world, he'd wanted to bring the other Three Pure Ones with him and avoid Hongjun's schemes.
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But later, seeing that Laozi and Yuanshi didn't consider him a brother, Xuanyuan couldn't be bothered to keep currying their favor. He'd taken Tongtian and slipped away.
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Now, by a twist of fate, he had gained a bloodline of laws and an Ancestral Witch's body, as well as the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique. He couldn't stand by and watch these simple, good-hearted siblings walk into the abyss.
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"Hongjun?!"
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"That bastard!"
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"He dares scheme against us!"
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The Ancestral Witches seethed with fury, eager to charge straight to Hongjun and hack the old schemer to death.
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"The enemy knows our plans, while we know nothing of his. Brothers, as long as we heed Brother Xuanyuan and focus on cultivating in seclusion, we can settle the score with Hongjun later, once both our true spirits and bodies reach the Primordial Golden Immortal realm."
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"Until then, we must keep a low profile and build our strength."
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Houtu's clear, melodious voice soothed the other Ancestral Witches' anger, like the great earth bearing all things.
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"Indeed. Once we reach the Primordial Golden Immortal realm and summon Father God True Body, we'll be invincible in the Primordial World! We'll do as Brother Xuanyuan says and not establish a clan." Di Jiang made the decision.
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"Big Brother, even so, the Great Witches and Lesser Witches have already been born. They're different from us. Without fighting or gaining opportunities and resources, they'll find it hard to grow stronger."
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"I have an idea. Why not have top Great Witches like Kuafu and Da Yi lead the other Great Witches and Lesser Witches who have been born into the Primordial World to develop there?"
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Time's divine radiance flickered in Zhu Jiuyin's eyes. He was still somewhat reluctant, but despite that, he trusted his brothers, who bore the bloodline of the Ancestral Witches and Pangu Primordial Spirit, more.
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Nothing was greater than Father God, and their siblings came next.
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He believed Xuanyuan wouldn't deceive them.
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"Brother Xuanyuan, what do you think?" Di Jiang was also hesitant. After a moment's thought, he asked Xuanyuan.
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"As long as the Ancestral Witches stay out of the Kalpa Tribulation, it doesn't matter what the Great Witches and Lesser Witches do." Xuanyuan nodded.
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Put simply, as long as the Ancestral Witches survived and the Blood Pool in Pangu Hall remained, even if every other Great Witch and Lesser Witch died, it wouldn't affect their foundation.
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Besides, Kuafu, Da Yi, and the other Great Witches had been among the first to be born. Their origins were extraordinary, and they'd reached the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm soon after emerging. They were no weaker than some of the great powers in the Primordial World.
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If the Ancestral Witches didn't establish a clan, who would face the Demon Race during the Witch-Demon Tribulation? Whoever fought the Demon Race, the Great Witches and Lesser Witches could always help out.
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In this Kalpa Tribulation, the Great Witches and Lesser Witches could stay out of the fray, fish in troubled waters, and reap the benefits.
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If even one of them could be tempered into a Primordial Golden Immortal, then even if every other Great Witch and Lesser Witch died, it would still be a huge net gain.
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Didn't Hongjun like being the hidden hand, manipulating events from behind the scenes?
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Then they'd use the Primordial World as a chessboard and all living beings as pieces—and see who came out on top!
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"Besides, the Great Witches and Lesser Witches can travel across the Primordial World, clear the turbid qi from its ley lines, and accumulate merit. The Western Land, shattered as it is, would be the perfect place to start." Xuanyuan continued.
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The Ancestral Witches had to control the Human Path, but they couldn't ignore the Earth Path either. They could make a quiet move now and let it gradually bear fruit in the future.
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Among the five kinds of creatures—scaled, feathered, furred, shelled, and insectile—there were the Five Immortals: Heaven, Earth, Human, Spirit, and Ghost.
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Heavenly, Earth, and Human Immortals had two meanings. They were not only well-known stages of immortal cultivation, but also categories of immortals, Buddhas, gods, and sages.
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Heavenly Immortals were immortals of the heavens, supreme beings who transcended the Three Realms and roamed the nine heavens. They had to prove the Dao through merit or laws, entrust their Primordial Spirits to the Heavenly Dao, or create a world of their own. Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao Saints belonged to this category.
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Earth Immortals were mighty beings who occupied a region's spiritual ley line, lived as long as Heaven, and controlled its local laws, such as Zhen Yuanzi and the Four Sea Dragon Kings.
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Human Immortals were mortals who cultivated into immortals, such as Yang Jian and Nezha.
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Divine Immortals were appointed by Heaven and Earth, such as the Jade Emperor and the Twenty-Eight Mansions.
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Ghost Immortals were souls who became immortals after death, such as the Ten Kings of Hell and Black and White Impermanence.
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Originally, the Primordial World had been dominated by the Heavenly Dao alone, but that didn't mean the Earth Path and Human Path didn't exist.
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The Human Path had the Six Paths of Reincarnation as its prototype, while the Earth Path had the Earth Immortal lineage under Zhen Yuanzi as its prototype.
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Clearing the ley lines of the Primordial World was the foundation on which the Earth Immortal lineage established its Dao.
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By planting the seeds with the Great Witches and Lesser Witches now, they could claim some of the benefits when the time was right and the Earth Path emerged.
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Having said all this, Xuanyuan felt he'd left nothing out. He rose to leave Pangu Hall with Tongtian.
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Just then, Di Jiang called the two of them back and headed deeper into Pangu Hall.
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"Wait a moment, brothers. Two treasures were born alongside us in Pangu Hall."
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"My siblings and I have decided to cultivate in seclusion here, and only Sister Houtu has trained an Indestructible Will. We have no use for these two treasures."
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Before long, he returned with the two treasures.
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They were a bow and twelve arrows.
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