For the past few days, Donghua had been teaching the two of them divine abilities and thunder arts while consolidating his own cultivation and comprehending the Great Dao Law.
Suddenly, clouds churned between heaven and earth, myriad forms of energy burst forth, and waves of divine sound rang out, echoing across the heavens.
Below Buzhou Mountain, the Twelve Demon Gods stood in every direction. Dijiang, Zhu Jiuyin, and Houtu stood on a high platform at the center, while She Bi Shi controlled the myriad forms of energy throughout the world.
A vast Pangu Phantom began to coalesce, eventually reaching the height of Buzhou Mountain before taking shape and standing there.
"Father God above, let Heavenly Dao bear witness! Today, we establish the Witch Court and name ourselves the Witches. Witches stand between heaven and earth, communicating with both. We pledge to establish order in the Primordial Wilderness."
"We confer upon Ancestor Witch Zhu Rong the title of God of Fire, to govern all the world's flames."
"We confer upon Ancestor Witch Gong Gong the title of God of Water, to govern all the world's waters."
"We confer upon Ancestor Witch Houtu the title of God of the Great Earth, to govern Yin-Yang, the birth and growth of all things, and the beauty of the earth, mountains, and rivers."
"Let Pangu Hall suppress the fortunes of the Witch Court. The Witch Clan emerges, and the Witch Court is established."
In an instant, heavenly flowers rained down, and Golden Lotuses Springing from the Earth appeared.
A vast mass of Mysterious Yellow Merit descended from the heavens, then divided into four portions.
Five-tenths went to the Twelve Ancestor Witches, three-tenths went to the Witch Clan, one-tenth settled on Pangu Hall, and the final tenth merged with the Pangu Phantom.
Nourished by the Mysterious Yellow Merit, the vast Pangu Phantom began to contract and change shape.
As the phantom grew smaller, it ceased to be illusory and began to turn corporeal.
At last, it transformed into a great seal. Beneath it, the Great Dao Talisman engraved the character "Witch."
As the Twelve Ancestor Witches received the Mysterious Yellow Merit, their auras burst forth, spreading from Buzhou Mountain across the Primordial World Continent.
Dijiang and Houtu broke through directly to the Mid Quasi-Saint Realm (middle stage of the Ancestor Realm), while the other Ancestor Witches also made progress.
The Witch Clan also entered a period of vigorous growth, with most of its members making breakthroughs.
The Twelve Ancestor Witches no longer looked like the Demon Gods they had once been. Now they seemed sacred and imposing.
Their appearance was still the same, but their bearing had changed greatly.
The figures of the Twelve Ancestor Witches rose up between heaven and earth. With Heavenly Dao's support, they lingered for a long time before slowly fading away.
Seeing this, the living beings of the Primordial Wilderness felt that the scene was familiar. The same thing had happened when Di Jun attained the Heavenly Emperor Position.
Donghua watched quietly, then finally sighed. "These are troubled times."
The Witch Clan had been established for several hundred years. During that time, the Witch Court had upheld its original vow and established order in the world.
Many divine arts and spells of the Witch Dao had been created, and the Witch Clan now had its own writing system: Witch Script.
The Primordial World was flourishing.
One day, Donghua called his two disciples to him.
Donghua said, "You two have cultivated under me for many years. As the saying goes, a master leads you through the door, but your own cultivation is up to you. It's time for you to leave."
When he had finished speaking, Donghua lightly tapped each of their foreheads. A strand of Pure Yang Qi protected their souls.
The two were startled when they heard him. "What Master says is true, but we have yet to repay your great kindness. How can we leave? We don't wish to go. We would rather remain by your side and serve you."
"Foolish children, foolish children. Don't be like this. Go on, go."
"When you're out in the world, stay calm and clear-headed when trouble arises. Sometimes, taking a step back opens up a wider horizon."
"Master..."
"Master..."
"We have no way to repay your great kindness, Master. We can only wish that you attain Hun Yuan soon."
After speaking, the two knelt and bowed, then reluctantly left the valley.
Donghua watched them go.
"The course of heaven is constant, and yet it is ever-changing. It is time for me to leave as well."
Donghua rose and set off for the Southern Continent. He wanted to see the south.
There was a spiritual treasure there called the Treasure-Dropping Golden Coin, which would later shine brilliantly during the Investiture of the Gods.
How could he come to the Primordial Wilderness and miss out on this treasure? What was more, the Treasure-Dropping Golden Coin had been born in response to destiny and naturally represented wealth. If he could obtain it, there would be much he could do with it.
"Could I truly have no fate with this treasure?"
Donghua traveled through the mountains. By then, he had been in the Southern Continent for several years, yet he had found neither the Treasure-Dropping Golden Coin nor even Wuyi Mountain.
"That shouldn't be. Wuyi Mountain is at least a high-grade blessed grotto-heaven. It shouldn't be unknown."
Donghua used the Heavenly Derivation Technique to divine the whereabouts of the Treasure-Dropping Golden Coin, but he gained not a single useful clue. When he tried to divine Wuyi Mountain's location, he could only vaguely determine a general direction.
As he pondered and continued to work out the direction, he suddenly heard the gentle notes of a zither drifting down from a high mountain.
The music interrupted his divination, but Donghua wasn't annoyed.
The sound was soothing and contained the Dao Sound, bringing joy to the spirit and mind.
Donghua slowly closed his eyes, tapping his fingers in the air to accompany the music as he walked onward, his mind still immersed in its melody.
At some point, the piece came to an end, and the music stopped.
By then, Donghua had reached the mountaintop.
Beneath a golden Fuyao Tree, a man in white sat cross-legged, playing the zither. Three multicolored birds circled the tree, dancing gracefully. They were true descendants of the Phoenix Clan.
A Hui Dragon lay coiled in front of the man in white, still immersed in the music he had just played.
Man in white: How was today's piece?
Hui Dragon: The pieces you play are always beautiful.
Hui Dragon: You come every day to play the zither for me, and I have nothing to give you in return. One day, when I cultivate into an Ying Long capable of reaching heaven and earth, I'll let you sit atop my horns and play your zither as we ride the wind, taking in the scenery of mountains and rivers.
Man in white: In the mountains, one loses track of time. Stay here long enough, and the heart grows as still as water. I play the zither to soothe my spirit, but without you here, it would be terribly lonely. What is there to repay?
Man in white: Still, I'll remember what you said. I don't know how long it will take you to become an Ying Long, but the promise we made today will never change.
The Hui Dragon fell silent. Their identities were worlds apart. After they parted today, who knew when they would meet again? And even if they did, they might be friends—or enemies.
But the Hui Dragon still nodded solemnly.
"Why does this conversation sound so familiar?" Donghua wondered. As he thought it over, it gave him an intense sense of déjà vu.
"Who's there?"
The Hui Dragon cried out in alarm and immediately sprang into the air, fixing its gaze on Donghua.
Donghua realized he had been so lost in thought that he had revealed himself without meaning to. Still, it didn't matter. He hadn't intended to hide in the first place.
He stepped forward casually, and with two light steps, he was already in front of the man in white.
He turned to the Hui Dragon, which was baring its teeth at him, and said, "Sit."
The Hui Dragon dropped from the air against its will and landed on the ground.
Donghua had used the divine ability Words Manifest as Law.
He had comprehended this ability after Slaying the Corpse. His mind aligned with the Dao, so a single word became the Dao itself—and the law.
Then Donghua naturally sat on the Hui Dragon's head and faced the man in white.
"Your zither playing is excellent. Among those I know, your technique is second to none, but in the feelings conveyed by your music, you're the very best."
The man in white bowed to Donghua, then sat down gracefully.
"Thank you for your praise, senior. But I'd like to know who ranks first in zither technique."
Donghua paused, then burst out laughing. "You truly are an arrogant one. Your temperament is very much like that of the people of the Witch Clan."
"But the one who ranks first is someone you may never surpass in your lifetime. He is the founder of zither music, Xi Huang of the Heavenly Court, Azure Emperor Fuxi."
Hearing the name, the man in white looked up to him, but said nothing about Donghua's claim.
"Senior, do you know Azure Emperor Fuxi?"
Donghua smiled. "You needn't test me. I'm not a member of the Demon Clan, and I won't attack you. Fuxi and I are merely fellow disciples."
"I came here today only because your zither music drew me in. I haven't heard such soothing music in a long time."
The man in white behaved with courtesy. "It is my honor, senior."
"What is your name?"
Thank you, Jinying Chuange, and the two readers who sent monthly tickets. What else can I do for you in the future?
While the book is new, I hope you won't leave it sitting unread. Please read more, and thank you for your support.
Before you continue