The atmosphere inside the Pangu Hall was already a little relaxed, but Houtu's arrangements gave Ancestral Witch a little more confidence.
However, her next words caused the palace to fall into silence again.
"Next, we need help from Creation Cauldron from Daoist Xuande."
Houtu turned around and looked at Xuande with his golden eyes, with solemnity and trust in his eyes.
Xuande heard this, his expression did not change, but he nodded slightly. "Fellow Daoist, there is no need to be polite, I will definitely help you with all my strength."
He and Houtu have known each other for many years. From the beginning when she went to West to ask Primordial Spirit for advice, then Blood Sea fought side by side against Minghe, and then when Underworld was established, she entrusted him with the position of Great Emperor Fengdu.
Along the way, the friendship between the two people can no longer be summed up simply by the word "fellow Daoist". When Houtu opens his mouth, Xuande will never refuse.
It's just that he vaguely guessed what Houtu was going to do.
Creation Cauldron is Innate Supreme Treasure, which was obtained by Xuande while hunting for treasure from Three Immortal Islands.
The root of Creation Cauldron Great Dao is "Return to Origin"
Everything in the cauldron can be traced back to its original form, and all acquired atmosphere, shape, and rules can be stripped away, leaving only the purest Origin Essence.
This is the power of inferring creation. Xuande used it to deduce the art of refining weapons and alchemy many times after taking charge of this cauldron, but he never thought that one day it would be used on Sage.
Houtu looked around at the brothers, his voice was so calm that it was almost ruthless:
"This little sister's clone is made from a drop of Origin Essence's essence and blood from the original body of Sage.
Although it is the cultivation of Late Quasi-Sage, its foundation is ultimately formed by the essence and blood of Sage.
If the power of Creation Cauldron's Return to Origin is used to refine the little girl's clone into the purest Ancestral Witch Blood Essence, this drop of blood essence can be handed over to a Greater Witch for absorption."
"At that time..." She paused and scanned the faces of the eleven brothers one by one, "That Greater Witch can use this to break through the shackles and become the twelfth Ancestral Witch.
When twelve Ancestral Witch are gathered together, Twelve Dutian Divine Fiends Formation can still operate completely.
I, Witch Clan, still have enough power to compete with the Demon Clan Great Array of the Stars."
As soon as these words came out, Pangu Hall instantly exploded.
"What?!" Gonggong stood up abruptly, with shock and resistance written all over his rough face, "Little sister, you want to refine your own clone into blood essence? How can this be done!"
Zhurong also stood up, his red beard standing on end, and his voice made the hall buzz:
"No! Absolutely not! Little sister, your body has been trapped in Underworld. You finally separated into a clone and came back to reunite with us. Now you want to refine the clone too? I, Zhurong, was the first to refuse to agree to this!"
Xuanming Although he didn't speak, his dark eyes were filled with frost, and the cold aura emanating from his body almost caused the temperature in the palace to drop sharply.
She stared at Houtu, pursed her thin lips tightly, and clenched her knuckled hands into fists in her sleeves.
Goumang's gentle face showed a rare solemnity, and he shook his head gently:
"Little sister, you have done enough for the Witch Clan. First, Underworld transformed into reincarnation, and then you hid your essence and blood in the depths of the Six Paths.
Now I have to give up my own clone... As an elder brother, I can only watch my little sister sacrifice herself again and again. How can I cope with this?"
Rushou was silent, the golden-white edge between his palms trembling slightly.
Tianwu and Xizi looked at each other, their faces as deep as water.
The muscles on Shebishi's always cold face twitched, but in the end he did not speak. Qiangliang clenched his fists and cracked his knuckles.
Even Zhujiuyin, who had always been the calmest, frowned, and a trace of pain flashed in his eyes that contained River of Time.
Dijiang never spoke. He sat at the top of the table and looked deeply at Houtu with his dark golden eyes, as if he wanted to carve this little girl's appearance into his bones.
Houtu had long expected that his brothers would react like this.
She smiled slightly, and there was no bitterness in that smile, only calmness and calmness:
"Brothers, I have just said that although the body is trapped in Underworld, as long as Earthly Dao can grow to keep pace with Heavenly Dao, I can truly return to Primordial Wilderness.
This is just a clone. My little sister's body is safe and sound, so what does it matter if she refines it?"
"But..." Gonggong opened his mouth, but found that he could not find any reason to refute.
Houtu is right. For Houtu who has become a saint, a Quasi-Saint level clone is indeed not indispensable.
As long as the main body is still there, the clone will be discarded. But... that is his little sister after all.
The blood of Houtu flows in that clone, and it carries the will of Houtu. The demeanor and tone when speaking are exactly the same as the original body of Houtu.
How could he bear to watch his little sister throw this body into the cauldron for refining?
"If this clone stays in Primordial Wilderness, my little sister can fight alongside the brothers with her cultivation level of Late Quasi-Sage, although she can also contribute."
Houtu's voice was neither fast nor slow, as if he was stating something that had nothing to do with him.
"But brothers, you may wish to think carefully about the combat power of a Late Quasi-Sage. Compared with a complete Twelve Dutian Divine Fiends Formation, which one is more important?"
The hall suddenly became quiet.
Ancestral Witch people don't understand this truth.
Twelve Dutian Divine Fiends Formation is Witch Clan's strongest trump card. It requires the cooperation of twelve Ancestral Witchs to lay it out. Once the formation is formed, it can condense Pangu True Body, which is powerful enough to defeat Great Array of the Stars.
Although the clone of Houtu is strong, it is not the pure Ancestral Witch. If Witch Clan loses one of Ancestral Witch, this formation will never be able to operate completely. Then Witch Clan will lose one of its biggest reliance when facing Demon Clan Heavenly Court.
If Houtu turns the clone into essence and blood, and allows a top Greater Witch to refine and break through, Witch Clan can still gather twelve Ancestral Witch.
This combat power is far beyond what a Late Quasi-Sage can match.
Everyone understands the rationale, but emotionally, no one wants to accept it.
"My little sister wants to ask you something." Zhujiuyin finally spoke, his voice low and steady, but with a hint of unnoticeable worry, "Will refining this clone have an impact on your body?"
As soon as this statement came out, the eyes of the other Ancestral Witch all fell on Houtu. This is the most critical question.
Houtu shook his head and said firmly, "Second brother, don't worry.
This clone is formed from a drop of Origin Essence's essence and blood, and its relationship with the main body is like a river to the sea.
Refining the clone is nothing more than returning the drop of essence and blood from the clone form to the pure Ancestral Witch Blood Essence state. The main body may feel uncomfortable for a while, but it will never damage the foundation.
That drop of essence and blood originally originated from the little sister's body and has the same origin as the little sister. After being Creation Cauldron Return to Origin, the Sage will contained in it will be refined, leaving only the purest Origin Essence power.
At that time, it will no longer be the little sister's clone, but a drop of Ancestral Witch Blood Essence that can be absorbed by Greater Witch."
Zhujiuyin was silent for a moment and nodded slowly. He is in charge of Way of Time, and his perception of cause and effect Origin Essence is more acute than other Ancestral Witch. What Houtu said is true, and it will indeed not endanger the main body.
But even so, he still felt his chest was congested.
Xuande had been standing aside silently, and then finally spoke, "Everyone, fellow Daoist Houtu's move is to obtain the greatest protection for the Witch Clan at the minimum price.
The Return to Origin power of Creation Cauldron can indeed refine the clone of fellow Daoist Houtu into a drop of pure Ancestral Witch Blood Essence, and will not cause any substantial damage to the body of fellow daoist Houtu.
I can guarantee it with my life."
He didn't say many words of comfort.
Xuande knew very well that Houtu did this because she had already seen the tragic future.
She knew that she had to pave the way for the Witch Clan in the most pragmatic way, instead of indulging in the warmth of reuniting with her brothers.
She is a Sage, and she is also a Ancestral Witch who is willing to devote everything to her people.
Houtu took a deep look at Xuande, with an unexplainable meaning hidden in his eyes.
There was gratitude, apology, and more things she never said.
She turned around and faced her eleven brothers, her voice became solemn and decisive:
"Brothers, please don't feel sorry for my little sister. My little sister's body is not suffering in Underworld, but is managing the foundation of Earthly Dao.
And if this clone can be turned into a drop of essence and blood to give birth to a new Ancestral Witch for the Witch Clan, that would be its best destination.
My little sister's will will always be with the Witch Clan, whether in the form of a clone or a drop of blood."
Dijiang finally stood up.
His huge body cast a shadow in the hall like a mountain, and his dark golden eyes were filled with unspeakable emotions.
He slowly walked up to Houtu and looked down at the youngest sister.
"Are you really okay?" he asked, his voice hoarse.
"No." Houtu looked up at his elder brother, his eyes clear and firm, "When has my little sister ever deceived my elder brother?"
Dijiang stared at her for a long time, as if confirming something.
Then he stretched out his hand, and that huge palm that could tear apart space gently pressed on the top of Houtu's head, just like he did countless Kalpas ago when he first picked up this little girl who was just born from the Blood Sea.
"Okay." His voice was deep, as if he had exhausted all his strength, "Brother, I'm with you."
Houtu's eyes turned red, but she did not cry. She took a deep breath, turned around and walked to Xuande.
"Fellow Daoist, please."
Xuande was silent for a moment, then raised his hand.
A simple black-yellow small cauldron emerged from his palm.
Creation Cauldron is not big, just about the size of a palm. The tripod is engraved with Dao Mark at the time of Heaven and Earth’s Opening. Those lines are not static, but are slowly flowing, like the never-ending breathing of nature itself.
There is a faint glow of Chaos color at the mouth of the tripod, which is Innate Dao Qi formed by the power of Return to Origin.
Xuande With a thought in his mind, Creation Cauldron rose up in the wind, and in the blink of an eye it turned into a giant cauldron as tall as one person, and landed steadily in the center of the hall.
The Dao Mark on the tripod then lit up, and an invisible wave spread. Everyone in the hall felt that everything around them was being pulled by some kind of force, as if even time and space were slightly distorted at the tripod's mouth.
This is the power of Creation Cauldron. Even if it has not yet been activated, the Daoist charm of Return to Origin is enough to make everyone present feel its extraordinary power.
Xuande formed a seal with his hands, and Merit Golden Light all over his body lit up. The shadow of Twelve-Petal Merit Golden Lotus slowly bloomed under his feet. Wherever the golden light shone, Dao Mark on Creation Cauldron became even more dazzling.
He used the power of Merit to move Creation Cauldron, and the Chaos brilliance spitting out at the mouth of the tripod began to rotate, slowly forming a vortex.
"Fellow Daoist, please enter the cauldron." Xuande's voice was solemn and calm.
Houtu didn't hesitate at all.
She turned around and took one last look at her eleven brothers, looking from Dijiang, Zhujiuyin, Goumang, Rushou, Gonggong, Scanned the faces of Zhurong, Xuanming, Tianwu, Xizi, Shebishi, Qiangliang one by one.
Her lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she said nothing.
She turned around and stepped into the brilliance of Chaos at Dingkou.
The lid of the tripod is closed.
Eleven Ancestral Witches all held their breath.
A low buzzing sound came from the cauldron, which was the sound of Return to Origin's power in full operation.
Creation Cauldron Dao Mark's whole body was extremely bright, and it seemed like countless worlds were coming and going in the cauldron between brightness and extinction.
Xuande closed his eyes and concentrated, and the seals between his fingers were changing like flying. Merit Golden Light was poured into the cauldron continuously, guiding the power in the cauldron to peel off the Sage clone and restore it layer by layer.
He can sense the changes taking place in the cauldron.
The clone of Houtu is dispersing its existing form. The body of Quasi-Saint, which carries her will and consciousness, is being pushed back to its original state.
All acquired veins, breaths, and Divine Sense are all eliminated one by one by Creation Power.
Houtu's will trembled slightly in the cauldron, as if he was saying his final farewell.
Then, everything returned to silence.
After an unknown amount of time, Creation Cauldron's light gradually faded, and the tripod lid slowly opened.
A fist-sized golden blood essence rose from the cauldron and suspended in mid-air in the hall.
The drop of essence and blood is golden, like a miniature scorching sun, with countless mysterious divine patterns faintly visible intertwining and flowing.
That is the Origin Essence divine pattern of Houtu, the pulse of the earth, the mark of Six Paths of Reincarnation, and the purest power of a Ancestral Witch.
The aura emanating from the blood essence was so coercive that it actually caused the slightly weaker Ancestral Witch to change color slightly.
That is the breath of the blood of Sage. Although the refining of Return to Origin in the cauldron has completely eliminated the will of Sage contained in it, the remaining power of the Tao Yun is still heart-stopping.
Dijiang raised his hand and carefully put the drop of blood into his palm.
His palms were shaking.
Gonggong turned his back and shrugged his shoulders slightly.
Zhurong clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.
Xuanming closed her eyes, and a drop of ice crystal condensed in the corner of her eyes.
Zhujiuyin let out a long sigh, and there was an indescribable vicissitude in that sigh.
Dijiang held the essence and blood tightly in the palm of his hand and said in a deep voice, "This is the transformation of my little sister, and it is also Witch Clan's last trump card. No one is allowed to say a word about what happened in the palace today after leaving this door."
"Yes." Ancestral Witchs responded in unison, but there was an unconcealable heaviness in their voices.
Dijiang turned to Xuande, with a hint of deep gratitude on his resolute face.
He bowed and bowed, Ancestral Witch's bow was as heavy as Mount Tai: "Daoist Xuande, today's grace will be remembered by the Witch Clan from generation to generation. If there is any mission in the future, Witch Clan will never give up even if he or she dies."
Xuande stretched out his hand to support me and said solemnly, "Dijiang, fellow Daoist, your words are true.
Pindao has known fellow Daoist Houtu for many years, and her choice was to help Pindao.
This drop of essence and blood contains the hard work of fellow Daoist Houtu. I hope you will make good use of it and don't let her hard work go down."
He was also filled with emotions.
Houtu Going here is more of a layout than a sacrifice.
She left the essence and blood of her clone to the Witch Clan, buried her hope in the deepest part of the earth, and cast her gaze from Underworld to the unreachable future, a future where Earthly Dao and Heavenly Dao stand side by side.