Dijiang gazed at the blood pool before him, his thoughts elsewhere. The gift they were offering Randeng was a drop of blood essence from each of the Twelve Ancestral Witches, which they would use to condense a new strand of Witch Clan bloodline in the pool.
It was also an experiment: could they use the blood pool to create a new member of the Witch Clan?
He raised a hand and gave a light wave. Twelve drops of blood essence, each a different color and condensed with different laws, appeared in his palm. He gritted his teeth, then sent them flying into the pool.
Randeng watched from the side, utterly puzzled.
What is Dijiang up to? Could my gift have something to do with this blood pool?
He stared at the pool, recalling how the Witch Clan had used the blood pool in Pangu Hall to create new members.
Could I be the first person they're trying this on?
Randeng had no idea how much Ancestral Witch blood essence it normally took to create a member of the Witch Clan, but he knew it certainly wasn't just twelve drops.
The twelve drops of blood essence, each infused with different laws, circled above the pool before merging into a single, multicolored drop that fell into the water.
A moment later, the pool erupted with a tremendous pressure. The blood churned and boiled, as if a mighty shaman were about to be born.
At last, after the blood pool purified the mass formed from the Twelve Ancestral Witches' blood essence, it washed away the different bloodline inheritances and the power of the laws, leaving behind a clump of pure blood essence containing Pangu's Bloodline.
"Hahaha! It worked!"
Dijiang burst into laughter. The Twelve Ancestral Witches had already considered using their blood essence to create new members of the Witch Clan. The key question was whether the blood pool could wash away the power of the laws in the blood essence.
The blood pool had managed to strip away the bloodline power and laws from a mass made with the blood essence of all twelve of them. Using the blood essence of just one Ancestral Witch to create a new member of the Witch Clan would surely be no problem.
Dijiang pushed the clump of pure blood essence containing Pangu's Bloodline toward Randeng.
"Friend Randeng, to be honest, this is our first attempt at refining blood essence in the pool. This clump contains none of our individual bloodline power or the power of our laws. Taking it on its own can strengthen your body. We've also prepared the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts, a cultivation method that only our Witch Clan can practice."
After Randeng accepted the blood essence, Dijiang took a glowing bone fragment from the space beside him.
Randeng took it and pressed it to his Primordial Spirit. The fragment contained the Witch Clan's inheritance technique, the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts, a cultivation method focused on awakening the power of one's bloodline and tempering the body.
The Twelve Ancestral Witches were so powerful not only because their bloodlines naturally let them control the power of laws, but also because their bodies were extraordinarily strong.
Randeng's eyes lit up. This was worth far more than any spiritual treasure or spiritual root. A technique that could take one to the Primordial Golden Immortal level through body cultivation alone was a rare treasure to every Innate Divine Saint.
Only then did Randeng understand. In the future, the Witch Clan would be so powerful because they cultivated both body and law: they unearthed the power of laws in their bloodlines and practiced the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts. Though they had no Primordial Spirits and could not break through to Hunyuan Grand Unity, they stood at the very peak of the Primordial Golden Immortal realm.
Just imagine twelve hulking men who had cultivated to the pinnacle of the Primordial Golden Immortal realm, each commanding the absolute power of laws and possessing an invincible body. Together, they could form the Dutian Divine Fiends formation and summon the Pangu True Body.
No wonder the Dao Ancestor had to step in and mediate. Otherwise, at the start of the Witch-Demon War, the Twelve Ancestral Witches could have wiped out the Demon Court entirely.
"Friend Randeng, this blood essence contains the pure bloodline of Father God Pangu. You have the protection of Father God Pangu's Fortune, so absorbing it will pose no problem. Then, if you switch to cultivating our Witch Clan's Eight-Nine Arcane Arts, your strength is sure to rise further."
Dijiang explained everything openly. The Innate Spiritual Root Randeng had provided had spared many Witch Clan warriors from injury or death, and the clan owed him a great debt. If Randeng hadn't already established his own power in the West, Dijiang would have liked to bring him over by force and make him the Witch Clan's high priest.
"Thank you all for your generous gifts. In truth, I gave your clan the spiritual root because Friend Houtu helped me find a top-grade Innate Spiritual Root and a primordial treasure. You owe me nothing."
Randeng answered honestly. Houtu had helped him find the Enlightenment Tea Tree and the Treasure Dropping Golden Coin. In return, he had given her the Innate Spiritual Root Laimu and a method for raising demonic beasts.
"Friend Randeng, you're mistaken. That's not how value is measured. The Enlightenment Tea Tree and the Treasure Dropping Golden Coin are no use to our clan, but the spiritual root and your method for raising demonic beasts have been a tremendous help."
Zhujiuyin spoke up beside them. He admired Randeng greatly, especially since there were hardly any clever people in the Witch Clan.
Randeng very much wanted the mass of blood formed from the Twelve Ancestral Witches' essence.
Though his foresight had given him a temporary cultivation advantage over most Innate Divine Saints, the others would catch up in time.
As Hongjun's first disciple, he could not let his teacher down. More importantly, only absolute strength would allow him to protect the West during the Witch-Demon War while securing the greatest possible benefits.
What he sought was not merely to become a Heavenly Dao Sage, but to become a true Hunyuan Grand Unity. He had to prepare for every possibility.
"Since this is a kind offer from all of you, I'll accept it. Please protect me while I cultivate."
Randeng cupped his hands toward the Twelve Ancestral Witches around him, then sat cross-legged on the floor of Pangu Hall and began refining the blood essence.
There was no safer place in the Primordial World than Pangu Hall, and the Twelve Ancestral Witches would guard him together.
The Witch Clan, for its part, wanted to see how much their blood essence could do for Randeng.
Randeng first studied the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts, which he had only just received.
"Above, unite with Heaven's Way; below, align with the roots of the earth.
The body is one with the cosmos, deathless and eternal.
When the Eight-Nine are perfected, no tribulation can wear them down.
With the arcane arts, attain the Dao; become the true self, free and at ease."
The Eight-Nine Arcane Arts were a cultivation method passed down to the Witch Clan by Great God Pangu, so they were naturally profound. It was said that the Three Pure Ones possessed the Eight-Nine Origin Arts.
Randeng followed the incantation of the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts, linking his body to Heaven and Earth and turning it into a furnace. He used yin and yang as the bond, Heaven and Earth as the foundation, and refined the blood essence.
As soon as the blood essence entered Randeng's body, it unleashed astonishing energy, rampaging through him with violent force.
Only when the strand of Pangu's Fortune in his Spiritual Platform took effect did the violent Pangu Bloodline calm down, as if it had found its kin.
Under the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts, it slowly merged into Randeng's limbs and bones.
"Eldest Brother, what level do you think Friend Randeng's body will reach after he refines this blood essence?"
Houtu quietly sent a voice transmission to Dijiang. This was the first time the Witch Clan had passed on Pangu's Bloodline to someone else.
"Early Taiyi Golden Immortal, I'd say. He's merging the blood essence of all twelve of us, so surely he'll reach at least the Golden Immortal level."
Dijiang replied through a voice transmission. Condensing the blood essence had consumed a full third of the Pangu Blood Pool's power. With Pangu's Fortune protecting Randeng, it stood to reason that his body would reach the Early Taiyi Golden Immortal level.
"Early Taiyi Golden Immortal? That's not bad at all."
When the Twelve Ancestral Witches had first emerged, their bodies had averaged the Late Taiyi Golden Immortal level. Randeng was using his Grand Unity Golden Immortal cultivation to nourish and strengthen his body, so reaching the Taiyi Golden Immortal level would already be quite impressive.