Houtu

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Houtu (后土)
Alias(es)	Earth Mother; Mother of the Earth Path; Lady Houtu
Species/Race	Wu Clan Ancestral Witch
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Wu Clan; Earth Path; Six Paths of Samsara Underworld; allied with the Human Dao
Occupation/Role	Creator of the Six Paths of Samsara; Mother of the Earth Path; supreme ruler of the Underworld
Status	Alive; attained complete Saint perfection within the Six Paths of Samsara
First Appearance	31

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Quasi-Saint	35	Enters the Human Race Forbidden Zone alone; at the time, Jiang Chen considers her unmatched within the zone.
Peak Quasi-Saint	63	Her released pressure forces Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals of both the Wu and Demon Clans to kneel.
Earth Path attainer / Saint merit	64 65	Swears great vows, manifests the Six Paths of Samsara, and opens the Earth Path. Jiang Chen uses the Great Dao Samsara Millstone to prevent her body from being permanently absorbed into the Six Paths.
Complete Saint perfection	81	Transcends through the Heavenly Punishment and becomes a perfect Saint within the Six Paths of Samsara. Outside the Six Paths, she retains Saint merit but ordinarily possesses Quasi-Saint strength.

Background / History

Houtu is the youngest Ancestral Witch of the Wu Clan, regarded by her siblings as their purest and kindest sister. Unlike the more warlike members of her clan, she longs for a peaceful Primordial World where living beings need not die in endless conflict. 34 35

When Jiang Chen establishes the Human Dao, Houtu is drawn toward the Human Race Forbidden Zone by what she believes to be Heavenly Dao guidance. She is deeply impressed not simply by Jiang Chen's strength, but by his resolve to carve out a path for humanity. 32 33

After entering the Forbidden Zone, Houtu accompanies Jiang Chen as he buries the remains of massacred Human Tribes. They spend more than three hundred years crossing ruined settlements, erecting tombs, and laying countless dead to rest. During this journey, she uses Quasi-Saint methods to trace the histories of devastated tribes and comes to regard Jiang Chen as her elder brother. 36 37

Houtu later helps train Human Race youths in physical cultivation, contributing to more than thirty thousand children reaching the Hundred Thousand Extreme Realm. 43

Appearance

Houtu appears as a young woman slightly shorter than Jiang Chen, with large, clear eyes compared to the purest spring water. Her bearing is gentle and innocent despite her status as a peak Ancestral Witch. 35

• Often conceals her Quasi-Saint pressure and appears approachable rather than imposing. 35
• Described as pure-hearted, kind, and beloved by heaven and earth. 34 129
• Her plain robes and sacred presence become especially pronounced when she manifests the Six Paths of Samsara. 64
• She blushes easily when her feelings for Jiang Chen are discussed. 44 93 128

Personality

Houtu is compassionate to an exceptional degree. The suffering of the Human Race weighs heavily on her, even though she did not personally cause it, and she joins Jiang Chen in burying the dead because she cannot accept leaving them forgotten. 35 36

Her central wish is peace: a world without the bloodshed of the Witch-Demon conflict or the loss of her clansmen. This desire ultimately drives her to establish reincarnation so that wandering souls may find rest. 35 64

Though naturally gentle, she becomes unyielding when Jiang Chen is endangered. She refuses Haotian's request to see him while he is in seclusion, despite the invitation coming from Dao Ancestor Hongjun. 137

Abilities & Skills

Quasi-Saint Cultivation

Houtu possesses formidable cultivation as an Ancestral Witch, reaching the peak Quasi-Saint level before attaining the Earth Path.

• Her pressure alone forces Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals to kneel. 63
• She can enter the Human Race Forbidden Zone alone, where Jiang Chen initially acknowledges that he cannot defeat her in his weakened state. 35
• Her Earth Origin Law prevents her released aura from disturbing the Human Race Forbidden Zone. 63
• Outside the Six Paths of Samsara after her transcendence, her active cultivation remains at the Quasi-Saint level. 81

Historical Tracing

Houtu can use Quasi-Saint methods to investigate a region's past.

• Traces the history of destroyed Human Tribes during her journey with Jiang Chen. 37
• Determines that the final member of one ruined tribe died only about twenty years earlier. 37

Six Paths of Samsara

Houtu creates the Primordial World's cycle of reincarnation by transforming her body into the Six Paths of Samsara.

• Swears great vows to complete the duties of the underworld and bring peace to spirits. 64
• Liberates the deceased souls of the Primordial World, allowing them to enter reincarnation. 64
• Opens the Earth Path, the third Dao alongside the Heavenly Dao and Human Dao. 64
• Her initial transformation weakens the Wu Clan's Twelve Capital Celestial Evil Array because it loses its Central Earth component. 64
• Jiang Chen prevents her permanent sacrifice by using the Great Dao Samsara Millstone to suppress the Six Paths in her place. 65

Earth Path Sainthood

As the Mother of the Earth Path, Houtu holds authority over the Six Paths and the Underworld.

• Possesses Saint-level power within the Six Paths of Samsara. 66 81
• Attains complete Saint perfection after surviving the Heavenly Punishment. 81
• Is effectively impossible to kill within the Earth Path, even for the Heavenly Dao Saints. 81
• Can perceive major developments in the Primordial World that even Heavenly Dao Saints may not sense. 137

Underworld Administration

Houtu personally guides souls and preserves order in the reincarnation cycle.

• Maintains the Six Paths as increasing numbers of beings enter reincarnation. 99
• Becomes the supreme ruler of the Underworld, whose commands cannot be defied there. 119
• Establishes the Six Paths of Samsara Underworld with Jiang Chen to manage the destinies of Primordial beings. 122

Physical-Cultivation Guidance

Houtu assists the Human Race in strengthening its younger generation.

• Guides Human children in physical cultivation for a century. 43
• Helps more than thirty thousand youths reach the Hundred Thousand Extreme Realm. 43

Relationships

• Jiang Chen — Initially regards him as an elder brother after their shared burial journey; later becomes his wife. They jointly uphold the Human Dao and Earth Path, establish the Underworld, and survive the Heavenly Punishment together. 37 65 81 122 128
• Di Jiang — Elder brother and fellow Ancestral Witch; worries for Houtu when she enters the Human Race Forbidden Zone and mourns her apparent sacrifice. 34 64
• Xuan Ming — Elder sister and close companion; stays with Houtu after the Witch Tribe departs and frequently teases her over Jiang Chen. 93 128
• The other Ancestral Witches — Her siblings and protectors; they attempt to stop her from transforming into the Six Paths and are distressed by her choice to prioritize Jiang Chen after she is saved. 64 65
• Human Race — Houtu aids their children’s cultivation and earns their gratitude through her compassion for their dead and her creation of reincarnation. 43 65
• Four Heavenly Dao Sages — Seek Houtu's death because her survival prevents them from seizing control of the Six Paths of Samsara. 67
• Tongtian — Indirect ally during the struggle over the Six Paths; he opposes the other Sages' attempt to exploit Houtu's fate and restrains them with the Immortal Slaying Formation. 67 70 81

Story Role / Major Arcs

Journey Through the Human Race's Ruins

Houtu joins Jiang Chen in burying the dead of countless destroyed Human Tribes. The journey transforms their initial caution into companionship and deepens Houtu's understanding of the need for reincarnation. 35 36 37

Enlightenment in the Book World

After reading A Leaf Covers the Sky, Houtu enters the Book World with Jiang Chen's guidance. Experiences of loss, death, and her inability to save a younger sister-like figure leave her obsessed with whether reincarnation exists. 44 46 47 62

Creation of the Earth Path

Awakening amid the Wu-Demon conflict, Houtu asks whether reincarnation exists in the Primordial World. She then vows to transform into the Six Paths of Samsara, giving wandering souls a path to peace and opening the Earth Path. 63 64

Defying Predetermined Fate

Jiang Chen prevents Houtu's permanent dissolution into the Six Paths, drawing Heavenly Punishment and the hostility of Sages seeking control over reincarnation. Houtu later fights beside him, transcends the punishment, and reaches complete Saint perfection. 65 67 79 81

Ruler of the Underworld

Houtu guides reincarnating souls while Jiang Chen plans a formal system for the Six Paths. Together they establish the Six Paths of Samsara Underworld, attracting powerful cultivators and competing factional interests. 99 119 122 123

Marriage to Jiang Chen

Houtu marries Jiang Chen in a ceremony that symbolizes the union of the Human Dao and Earth Path. The wedding receives merit said to be second only to attaining Sainthood, while Houtu brings the entire Witch Tribe as her dowry. 128 129

Notable Quotes

“I swear a great oath to Heaven and Earth, willing to sacrifice my body, to transform into the Six Paths of Samsara, to complete the duties of the underworld, and to quell the wrath of all spirits!” 64

“Once the Six Paths are formed, all spirits shall find peace!” 64

“But he is my most beloved Elder Brother!!!” 64