Randeng cupped his hands toward Houtu and asked, "Fellow Daoist, what brings you here? Isn't the Witch Clan south of Buzhou Mountain?"
According to the Earth Book, Wuyi Mountain lay southeast of Buzhou Mountain, a considerable distance away.
Houtu sensed the Law of Earth on Randeng and also felt a trace of Father God Pangu's fortune about him, which made her feel closer to him.
"Our clan's numbers have grown over the past epoch, so we decided to expand outward. My Earth tribe headed southeast. I followed the Earth Veins here."
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Houtu explained that the real reason was the Demon Clan's recent, massive expansion. They had occupied lands where the Witch Clan used to hunt, and clashes between the two clans had become frequent. After discussion, the Ancestor Witches had decided to develop in other directions while greatly increasing their clan's population.
"Have you found anything in these mountains, fellow Daoist?"
Randeng asked Houtu. He had just searched the area with his Spiritual Sense and found no trace of a protective formation.
"Do you mean there's a spiritual root or treasure in these mountains?"
Houtu was somewhat surprised. Randeng had only just arrived, so how had he discovered that the Earth Veins here held an opportunity?
Randeng nodded and didn't hide anything. The Witch Clan had no Primordial Spirits and couldn't use spiritual treasures. Though they could eat the fruits of Innate Spiritual Roots, the Enlightenment Tea Tree in these mountains was meant to help Innate Divine Saints comprehend the laws, so it would be of little use to the Witches.
Randeng had already decided that if Houtu could find the Innate Enlightenment Tea Tree and the Treasure Dropping Golden Coin, he would trade something else with her.
Though he cultivated the Law of Earth, his supernatural abilities and cultivation were surely inferior to Houtu's.
Houtu closed her eyes. The Dao rhythm of the Law of Earth spread around her, and yellow-black light rose to envelop her completely, as if she were about to merge with the earth beneath her feet.
If Houtu had been in this state earlier, Randeng might not have detected her at all.
A moment later, Houtu opened her eyes.
"Found it, fellow Daoist. It's at the mountain peak."
"At the peak? But I scanned it with my Spiritual Sense just now and didn't find anything unusual."
Randeng had already examined the peak. Apart from a few exotic flowers and strange stones, there was nothing else.
But Houtu was, after all, the Earth Ancestral Witch. Randeng trusted her mastery of the Earth Veins, so he went with her to the peak.
When they arrived, Houtu pressed both hands against the earth beneath her feet. The Law of Earth surged, and an endless tide of baleful earth energy roiled up from the mountain's Earth Veins.
At last, Randeng sensed that the spiritual energy of the mountain was flowing deep underground.
No wonder he hadn't found the Innate Spiritual Root. It was hidden in the Earth Veins of Wuyi Mountain.
Houtu took Randeng by the hand, and the two sank naturally into the earth.
Randeng found the experience novel. It was different from using his own magic power to burrow through the Earth Veins. He felt no pressure from the surrounding earth and could move freely, as if he were underwater. Was this the Earth Ancestral Witch's innate supernatural ability?
They hadn't descended far when they encountered a barrier: the innate formation that protected Innate Spiritual Treasures and spiritual roots.
Randeng raised the hand Houtu wasn't holding and summoned the Primordial Chaos Heaven Measuring Ruler, striking the formation's restrictions with a heavy blow.
He had broken quite a few great formations and had gained some experience in dismantling their restrictions. The Primordial Chaos Heaven Measuring Ruler was also a top-tier offensive spiritual treasure.
Before long, the formation was blasted open.
The two entered one after the other. Beside an Earth Vein Node stood a gnarled tea tree about three zhang tall. Its leaves were crystal clear and fragrant. Just smelling them cleared the mind and quickened thought.
Randeng reached out and touched it. A sudden feeling stirred in him, and he realized this was the Enlightenment Tea Tree, one of the top Innate Spiritual Roots in the Primordial World. It produced three thousand leaves every thirty thousand years. Brewing and drinking the leaves could condense the Primordial Spirit and hasten one's comprehension of the laws.
Houtu stepped forward and tried to sense its effects too, but then shook her head. The Witch Clan had no Primordial Spirits. Of the Twelve Ancestral Witches, only Houtu, the last to be born and least affected by baleful energy, had any chance of forming one.
Just as the two were experiencing the effects of the Innate Enlightenment Tea Tree, a flash of golden light flickered inside the Earth Vein Node.
A golden coin shot out of the node on its own and set off through layer upon layer of earth, trying to escape to the surface.
Randeng's eyes lit up. He knew this had to be the Treasure Dropping Golden Coin.
He hurriedly formed a hand seal and activated the Primordial Chaos Heaven Measuring Ruler. The words "Measuring Heaven" on the ruler blazed with light, sealing the entire underground space.
Unexpectedly, the golden coin shone brightly, and a mysterious force began to affect the Primordial Chaos Heaven Measuring Ruler in turn.
The ruler nearly slipped out of Randeng's control. But the Treasure Dropping Golden Coin had no one directing it, and after some effort, Randeng steadied the ruler.
He flashed forward, and the moment the Treasure Dropping Golden Coin was pinned in place, he covered it with his large hand and used his Spiritual Sense to imprint his Primordial Spirit mark on it.
Having gained a top-grade Innate Spiritual Root and a strange treasure one after the other, Randeng was in high spirits.
Randeng returned to Houtu and cupped his hands to her.
"Fellow Daoist, you discovered this innate formation. Which of the treasures would you like?"
Houtu shook her head. The Witch Clan had no Primordial Spirits and couldn't use spiritual treasures. The spiritual root also strengthened the Primordial Spirit, so it was just as useless to her.
Randeng cupped his hands toward Houtu.
"Then what do you lack, fellow Daoist Houtu? I'll see whether I can trade you one of my spiritual treasures or something else."
Houtu thought for a moment, then said, "I have some questions about the Witch Clan. Would you be willing to answer them, fellow Daoist? If you can, you may have both these treasures as a gift."
Houtu had never wanted the treasures here in the first place. Randeng had sensed that a treasure was hidden here, while she had come to open up new hunting grounds for the Witch Clan.
"What is it? Please ask freely, fellow Daoist."
Randeng hadn't expected Houtu to be so generous. The Witch Clan might not be able to use spiritual treasures, but they could still keep them. Who knew if they might one day arm their enemies?
"I know this question may be difficult to answer, but even some advice from you would help."
Houtu paused, then continued, "Father God Pangu created our Witch Clan, yet gave me no Primordial Spirit. Innate Divine Saints comprehend the laws, while we need only keep drawing out the power of our bloodline. Is it truly so that we may stand above other beings and rule the Primordial World?"
Randeng was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected Houtu to be troubled by this. Didn't the Witches usually pride themselves on being Pangu Orthodox?
What he didn't know was that Houtu opposed the Witch Clan's vast expansion and their confrontation with the Demon Clan. She had argued with the other Ancestor Witches over it, then left on her own to look for new hunting grounds.
"Fellow Daoist, each of the Twelve Ancestral Witches commands a different law by nature. Have you ever considered that Great God Pangu may have given each of you a different responsibility to shoulder?"
Randeng gently guided her, sharing his understanding.
"Take you, fellow Daoist. You can control the Earth Veins by nature. Wouldn't using that ability to regulate the Earth Veins of the Primordial World earn great merit? Perhaps it might even allow you to form a Primordial Spirit."
As Randeng continued to explain, Houtu's eyes grew brighter and brighter.
"Would you be willing to come with me to the Witch Clan and persuade my brothers?"
Houtu's sudden question startled Randeng.