Houtu

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Houtu (后土)
Alias(es)	Ancestor Witch of Earth
Species/Race	Ancestor Witch; Witch Clan
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Witch Clan; later connected to the Six Paths of Reincarnation Realm
Occupation/Role	Ancestor Witch; mender of the heavens; founder through embodiment of the Six Paths of Reincarnation Realm
Status	Alive; her original body became the Six Paths of Reincarnation Realm, while her consciousness and Pangu Essence Blood formed a new body 108 109
First Appearance	Chapter 55 55

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Golden Immortal of the Origin, peak	64	As one of the Twelve Ancestor Witches born from Pangu’s Essence Blood, Houtu is identified as a peak Golden Immortal of the Origin. 64
Cultivation strengthened through heaven-mending merit	85	Mending the heavens ends her long stagnation and advances her cultivation, though no new realm is specified. 85
Embodiment of the Six Paths of Reincarnation Realm	108	Her body becomes the realm itself, which possesses Saint-level power; Houtu’s consciousness is protected rather than erased. 108
Declines Merit Sainthood	109	She severs her connection to the accumulated merit rather than become a Heavenly Dao Saint controlled by the Heavenly Dao. 109

Background / History

Houtu is one of the Twelve Ancestor Witches transformed from Pangu’s Essence Blood. Unlike the other eleven, who are characterized as warlike and bloodthirsty, she is gentle, tranquil, and devoted to the pursuit of the Great Dao. She attends Hongjun’s lecture at Purple Cloud Palace while the other Ancestor Witches refuse to go. 55 64

After the Treasure Distribution Cliff incident, Houtu is intrigued by Li Xuan—then using the identity Chen Haonan—when he takes the enormous Treasure Distribution Rock after receiving no treasure. Believing that he had comprehended the Great Way of Becoming a Saint more deeply than others, she follows him and humbly asks for his guidance. 63

Houtu invites Li Xuan to her quiet Fenwei Mountain, where he teaches her the four paths of becoming a Saint. He concludes that Merit is her most suitable path, though she initially struggles to find a means of acquiring it. Their teacher-student relationship gradually becomes one of affection, trust, and mutual care. 64 65 66 67

After spending a thousand years studying the Dao together, Houtu accepts Li Xuan’s revelation that Chen Haonan is his Incarnation Outside the Body and learns his true names, Li Xuan and Long Aotian. She later becomes his wife and is welcomed as “Mother” by his children and disciples. 73 74 75

Houtu enters seclusion at Peacock Ridge to comprehend the Six Paths of Reincarnation. When Gonggong shatters Buzhou Mountain and tears open the sky, she instead gains merit by refining Five-Colored Divine Stones with the Qiankun Diagram and mending the heavens. 77 83 84 85

Although naturally reluctant to fight, Houtu answers the summons of the other Ancestor Witches when the Witch Clan prepares for war against the Heavenly Court. After seeing the destruction of Hou Yi’s tribe through Zhu Jiuyin’s Time Law, she accepts that the conflict has become a blood feud. 89 90 91

Houtu survives the war against the Heavenly Court, but the self-destruction of the other Ancestor Witches leaves her consumed by grief and guilt. Seeing the wandering souls of the dead Witch Clan eventually leads her to resolve to establish the Six Paths of Reincarnation. 103 105 107

With Li Xuan’s help, Houtu transforms her body into the Six Paths of Reincarnation Realm. The Chaos Bell preserves her consciousness, while Pangu Essence Blood allows her to reconstruct a new body. She refuses the Saint position that her vast merit could grant, choosing independence from the Heavenly Dao and loyalty to Li Xuan over Sainthood. 108 109

Appearance

Houtu is portrayed as a serene, exceptionally beautiful woman whose shy manner contrasts with her standing as an Ancestor Witch. 63 66

• Long hair reaching her waist. 66
• Usually wears a pale yellow dress. 66
• Has a delicate, calm countenance and often blushes when flustered by Li Xuan. 63 65
• Her gentle appearance conceals the immense physical and spiritual power of a peak Ancestor Witch. 64

Personality

Houtu is humble about her own aptitude, repeatedly believing herself unable to understand the Great Dao despite being an immensely powerful innate being. Her determination to learn nevertheless drives her to seek Li Xuan’s instruction directly. 63 65 66

She prefers peace and solitude, choosing Fenwei Mountain because she does not wish to displace other beings from more prosperous blessed lands. Her gentle disposition sets her apart from the rest of the Ancestor Witches. 64 89

Her compassion is fundamental to her decisions. She mends the heavens because she cannot bear the suffering of living beings, joins the war to protect her clan, and later creates the Six Paths of Reincarnation so the dead may find peace. 84 89 107 108

Though quiet and hesitant in ordinary conversation, Houtu becomes resolute when faced with suffering or responsibility. She refuses to become a Saint when she learns that doing so would bind her to the Heavenly Dao and endanger Li Xuan. 91 108 109

Abilities & Skills

Great Dao of Earth

Houtu possesses the innate Great Dao of Earth as the Ancestor Witch of Earth.

• Can use the Great Dao of Earth to suppress opponents in battle. 102
• Her full combat strength is stated to be no weaker than Xuan Ming after her years of Dao comprehension and the merit gained from mending the heavens. 102
• Her earth-based nature is central to her role in completing the five-element Five-Colored Divine Stones. 84

Merit Cultivation

Li Xuan identifies Merit as Houtu’s most suitable path toward becoming a Saint.

• Learns methods of acquiring merit, including establishing a sect, making great vows, and creating new life. 65 66
• Gains major merit for mending the heavens, ending a long period of stagnant cultivation. 85
• Gains immense merit from creating the Six Paths of Reincarnation Realm but refuses to use it to attain Sainthood. 108 109

Heaven Mending

Houtu refines the Five-Colored Divine Stones and uses their energy to repair the hole in the sky.

• Collects stones representing water, fire, wood, metal, and earth with Li Xuan’s guidance. 84
• Refines more than ten thousand batches of stones using the Qiankun Diagram and her Five Flavors True Fire. 84
• Continues refining despite severe spiritual exhaustion, aided by Li Xuan’s Nine Revolutions Golden Pills. 84
• Successfully repairs the heavens and receives merit for the act. 85

Embodiment of the Six Paths of Reincarnation

Houtu transforms her original body into the Six Paths of Reincarnation Realm to shelter and reincarnate wandering souls.

• Declares her vow to establish the Heavenly Dao, Human Dao, Beast Path, Hungry Ghost Path, Hell Path, and incomplete Asura Path. 108
• Her original body becomes the foundation of the realm. 108 109
• Her consciousness is preserved within the Chaos Bell and protected by Pangu Essence Blood. 108
• The resulting merit does not return to her reconstructed body, preventing her from automatically becoming a Heavenly Dao Saint. 109

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Book of Man / Human Book — Used in battle against Xihe and in the construction of the Six Paths of Reincarnation Realm. 63 102 108
• Qiankun Diagram — Used as a refining vessel for the Five-Colored Divine Stones. 84
• Chaos Bell — Protects Houtu’s consciousness during her transformation and ultimately becomes the suppressing treasure of the Six Paths of Reincarnation Realm. 108 109
• Immortal-Severing Sword — Helps block the karmic backlash involved in her transformation. 109
• Pangu Essence Blood — Merges with her preserved consciousness to create her new body after embodiment. 108 109

Relationships

• Li Xuan / Chen Haonan / Long Aotian — Husband, mentor, and closest companion. He teaches her the paths to Sainthood, supports her heaven-mending effort, accompanies her to the Witch-Demon war, and devises a way to preserve her during her transformation. 63 65 73 84 89 108 109
• The Eleven Other Ancestor Witches — Her fellow progenitors and kin within the Witch Clan. Houtu usually keeps her distance from them because of their violent natures, but she answers their summons when the clan faces annihilation. 55 89 90
• Xuan Ming — The Ancestor Witch Houtu knows best among her kin; Xuan Ming warmly welcomes her return to the Witch Clan alliance. 90
• Nuwa — An acquaintance Houtu calls “Sister.” Nuwa arrives while Houtu is preparing to mend the heavens but leaves after recognizing that Houtu has already found a method. 84 85
• Xihe — A former acquaintance who becomes Houtu’s opponent during the war against the Heavenly Court. Their battle turns lethal after Xihe chooses to fight for Di Jun and the Heavenly Court. 102
• Kong Xuan and Golden Peng — Li Xuan’s children, who address Houtu as Mother after Li Xuan introduces her as his wife. 75

Notable Quotes

“I hereby inform Heaven and Earth, I, Houtu, having experienced the great calamity of the Witch and Demon tribes, which caused the suffering of the Primordial Beings and the proliferation of wronged souls, feel deep remorse. Henceforth, I, Houtu, am willing to transform into the Six Paths of Reincarnation realm...” 108

“What is a Saint position anyway?” 109