Lantern had already told the Witch Clan where to find the Innate Undying Spiritual Light. When they chose to retrieve it was their own business.
Lantern was very satisfied with what he had gained from this trip to the Witch Clan: Pangu Bloodline, the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts, and a body as strong as a peak Taiyi Golden Immortal's. Although his cultivation level hadn't changed, his combat strength had increased by at least half.
As for whether he would cause the Witch Clan's strength to grow prematurely and bring the Witch-Demon conflict forward, that was something their teacher in Purplecloud Palace ought to consider.
"I came here intending to thank you, fellow Daoist, but instead I've ended up owing you another favor. On behalf of the Witch Clan, I promise that whatever you ask of us in the future, we'll do everything we can to help."
Dijiang beat his wings and came before Lantern, making the promise solemnly.
"Indeed, fellow Daoist Lantern. Now that you have Pangu Bloodline, why not join the Witch Clan and become the Thirteenth Ancestor Witch?"
Xuanming's voice was cool as she directly invited Lantern to join the Witch Clan, even promising him the position of an Ancestor Witch.
The position of an Ancestor Witch was more than just a title. Having one more Ancestor Witch meant each of them would have to share a portion of their Pangu's Fortune. Within the Witch Clan, an Ancestor Witch stood above all the other witches.
"Exactly. We all approve of fellow Daoist Lantern joining our Witch Clan as an Ancestor Witch."
Gou Mang chimed in. A body as strong as a peak Taiyi Golden Immortal's and the cultivation of a mid-stage Grand Unity Golden Immortal—such a figure would be an outstanding asset to any faction.
Lantern shook his head gently, a smile at the corner of his mouth.
"Thank you all for thinking so highly of me. But the West has yet to fully recover, and I have no plans to join another faction."
He understood why the Witch Clan wanted to recruit him. The Demon Clan was expanding rapidly, and they feared he might join them and become a threat.
"Fellow Daoist, what do you think of the Demon Clan?"
While Lantern was still there, Dijiang raised another question. Inwardly, he couldn't help but covet Lantern's talents. They had only just met, yet this fellow Daoist had already brought the Witch Clan so many surprises.
"Gathering the myriad clans of the Primordial World under one banner is just following the old path of the Dragon and Phoenix Clans. But there's no one like the Demon Ancestor in the Primordial World now, so whether it will succeed remains to be seen."
Lantern actually approved of Di Jun and Tai Yi's efforts to unite the myriad clans of the Primordial World and establish the Heavenly Court. It was the general trend. The Primordial World after the Investiture of the Gods calamity had, more or less, been governed along the same lines. But standing in their way was the Witch Clan, whose strength at its peak far surpassed that of the Dragon and Phoenix Clans in their day.
Dijiang's eyes lit up. "So you don't think the Demon Clan will succeed?"
As the Witch Clan's de facto leader, Dijiang understood that the Demon Clan was the greatest obstacle to their unification of the Primordial World.
For now, only Di Jun and Tai Yi were powerful among the demons, but they had countless clansmen and an enormous population.
The Witch Clan was the opposite. Its strongest fighters were beyond the Demon Clan's reach, but it had too few people. Even if it unified the Primordial World in the end, it wouldn't have enough clansmen to govern it.
"I'll be blunt, fellow Daoist Dijiang. The Demon Clan is waiting to see whether top-tier fighters will emerge from its vast population. Your Witch Clan is waiting to see when it can produce clansmen on a large scale. Both sides need to wait for the right moment, and neither can achieve its aim overnight."
Lantern had hit the two clans' sore spots right on the mark. In the original course of events, the Demon Clan won over Fuxi, Nuwa, and Kunpeng, and gained the Twelve Demon Marshals. Although the Witch Clan's population grew, the Demon Clan still held the advantage in ordinary battles. Who could have guessed that the Witch Clan would eventually produce the Dutian Divine Fiends Formation and try to flip the whole table?
As soon as Lantern finished speaking, silence fell over Pangu Hall. Before he arrived, most of the Ancestor Witches had favored going to war. After all, the only members of the Demon Clan they considered worthy opponents were Di Jun and Tai Yi, and they thought they could crush the clan whenever they pleased.
"Why don't we just go deal with those two feathered birds on the Sun Star right now?"
Flames surged skyward from Zhurong as his voice turned vicious.
"Tai Yi wields the Chaos Bell. You may all be Grand Unity Golden Immortals, and the Twelve Ancestral Witches could defeat him easily, but killing him would be another matter."
Lantern poured cold water on Zhurong's suggestion once more. For one thing, only Dijiang, Zhujiuyin, and Houtu among the Ancestor Witches had reached the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm. Besides, Di Jun and Tai Yi had Innate Supreme Treasures in their hands. Even if they were outmatched, they could still escape.
"Does that mean the only thing our Witch Clan can do now is wait for someone to reach the Primordial Golden Immortal realm and obtain the Innate Undying Spiritual Light?"
Dijiang sounded frustrated. They considered themselves Pangu Orthodox, yet now they had to watch the Demon Clan take the lead in governing the Primordial World. It was unbearable.
Lantern shook his head. The Innate Divine Saints of this era still had to focus on cultivation and comprehending the laws. Unlike during the Investiture of the Gods calamity, this wasn't a time when Saints spent their days scheming against one another.
"Fellow Daoist, why not follow Di Jun and Tai Yi's example and win over the other clans of the Primordial World?"
The Witch Clan had instinctively treated the myriad clans of the Primordial World as food. But its population was small, and it had the subsidiary roots of the Innate Spiritual Root Laimu as a food source. The Witch Clan and the other clans weren't yet at odds to any great extent, so it could just as easily bring a number of them under its command.
That, however, would bring the two clans into conflict ahead of time. For Lantern and the West, this could wear down both sides early, delay the Witch-Demon War, and give the West ample time to develop.
The Twelve Ancestral Witches in Pangu Hall exchanged glances. Each could see a hint of delight in the others' eyes—even Houtu. She opposed going to war directly with the Demon Clan, but she was willing to compete with them by winning over clans and building up their strength.
"Fellow Daoist, you really are a blessing to our Witch Clan. Are you sure you won't stay and become an Ancestor Witch?"
Dijiang looked Lantern up and down, his eyes full of admiration. Then he turned to look at the Ancestor Witches in Pangu Hall—apart from Houtu and Xuanming, they were all huge, but none of them seemed particularly bright. He couldn't help shaking his head and sighing.
How wonderful it would be if fellow Daoist Lantern had been born into the Witch Clan!
"Thank you for the offer, fellow Daoist, but the West is waiting for me to return."
Lantern shook his head. The Witch Clan and the Demon Clan would be at the center of the next calamity. Anyone drawn into it would bear an unknowable burden of Karma.
Still, although he didn't want to join the Witch Clan, this was a rare chance to meet all Twelve Ancestral Witches at once. He didn't want to pass up the opportunity to experience the various laws.
So Lantern suggested they take the opportunity to exchange insights.
The Twelve Ancestral Witches and Lantern each released the power of their laws inside Pangu Hall.
Only then did Lantern realize that the Witch Clan cultivated the laws in a way very different from ordinary Innate Divine Saints.
The Pangu Bloodline within an Ancestor Witch helped him comprehend the corresponding laws. It was like a weakened Primordial Violet Qi, stripped of the Saint Position.
Lantern's eyes lit up. Since that was the case, could he use the Pangu Bloodline he had just obtained to speed up his comprehension of the laws?