Within the Daoist sanctuary of Fuxi and Nuwa on Buzhou Mountain, the siblings emerged from secluded cultivation one after the other and sat down together.
After discussing the Dao with East King Duke and Queen Mother of the West for nearly ten thousand years, both had gained a great deal. Their improvement in magical power was secondary; most important was that they had seen the Path Ahead. The idea of the Primordial Chaos Realm beyond the Great Luo had left them both deeply shaken.
At that moment, it seemed as if East King Duke had opened a brand-new door before them, one that led into another world.
"I wonder what sort of origins Daoist Supreme Yang has. His Dao Rhyme is so serene; he truly is a Great Supernatural Being, a True Immortal who has attained the Dao. And not only is his cultivation profound, having reached the late stage of the Great Luo Golden Immortal Realm and nearly its peak—far surpassing us—but his insight is so extraordinary as well. He is truly admirable."
Thinking of East King Duke's peerless bearing, Nuwa still spoke with a sigh of admiration.
Fuxi nodded slightly, agreeing with his younger sister.
"Brother, do you think his talk of the Primordial Chaos Realm is true?"
"I used the art of innate inheritance to make deductions. Though I couldn't clearly grasp its meaning, my primordial spirit sensed something in the unseen. What he said should be true."
Nuwa nodded. When she thought of the senior Hongjun East King Duke had mentioned, a sense of Karma stirred in her primordial spirit once more. It seemed she had a great connection with him, but when she tried to sense it carefully, she couldn't make anything of it.
She stopped dwelling on it and looked at Fuxi. "Brother, now that the Path Ahead is clear, shouldn't we devote ourselves to cultivation here in our sanctuary? Why would you join the Demon Race and get caught up in the conflicts of the Primordial World?"
From beginning to end, Nuwa had never really approved of Fuxi joining the Demon Race. She couldn't say why, but she had always had a premonition that the Demon Race's plans would be fraught with danger.
Fuxi shook his head. After a moment of silence, he said, "I've made my deductions. Joining the Demon Race may be my destiny. Fellow Daoists Di Jun and Tai Yi are both Heaven-Blessed Geniuses, and both are fortunate enough to possess supreme treasures. Compared with East King Duke, they should be every bit his equal. The Demon Race has already gained considerable power and possesses extraordinary fortune. If we join them, we can share in the Demon Race's Fortune and attain the Primordial Chaos Realm more quickly."
Nuwa had no rebuttal. She fell silent, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Meanwhile, East King Duke had subdued Xing Tian, the Witch Clan member who had blocked their way and foolishly tried to capture him and Queen Mother of the West, with just one move.
He sealed Xing Tian's six senses and held him in his hand.
Seeing this, the other members of the Witch Clan roared and surged toward them.
East King Duke had no intention of making an enemy of the Witch Clan. He merely waved his hand, forcing them all back, then prepared to continue on his way.
Just then, a furious roar rang out in the distance.
"You dare injure one of our Witch Clan warriors on our territory? Daoist, you'll die here!"
Amid the roar, a red figure swept toward them, wrapped in boundless killing intent. Wherever he passed, scorching Malevolent Qi surged skyward, carrying the force of a fire that could burn heaven and scorch earth.
In the blink of an eye, the figure was before East King Duke and Queen Mother of the West. He too had an eight-foot-tall Witch Body, but his imposing presence far surpassed Xing Tian's.
He wore a red animal-hide coat, his face twisted into a grimace. His brows and hair were red, and he strode through the air barefoot. The laws of fire swirled around him, making him look like a blazing beast ready to devour its prey.
The Witch Clan warrior charged over without a word and swung a fist. Flames followed his every movement, seeming capable of harming not only the body but the primordial spirit as well.
East King Duke inwardly praised him. The Witch Clan's Divine Abilities were indeed remarkable. The man before him already possessed the might of a Great Luo Golden Immortal.
Even so, East King Duke was not the least bit afraid. He didn't even summon a spiritual treasure, choosing to meet the attack with his own Body Cultivation Divine Ability.
A fist for a fist.
Boom!
The impact thundered, and both men were driven back. The shockwaves swept outward, pushing the other members of the Witch Clan far away. Even Queen Mother of the West had to use her magical power to hold her ground.
After that exchange, both men took stock of each other and put aside any contempt. East King Duke had come to investigate the Witch Clan, and from the man's appearance and bearing, his identity was already obvious.
He could only be Ancestral Witch Zhurong.
Zhurong was known as the Fire Ancestral Witch. His fire-based Body Cultivation Divine Ability was extraordinary, and his understanding of the laws of fire through his Daoist body astonished East King Duke as well.
He had assumed that, lacking primordial spirits, the Witch Clan would be somewhat weaker than primordial-spirit cultivators in their grasp of the laws. Now he realized he had been wrong. The Witch Clan was blessed by nature, their bodies born capable of bearing their respective laws.
Zhurong, for example, was a master of fire.
With Body Cultivation Divine Abilities and laws at his command, an Ancestral Witch could stand against an ordinary primordial-spirit cultivator at the late stage of the Great Luo Golden Immortal Realm.
As East King Duke marveled to himself, Zhurong was just as astonished. Like Xing Tian before him, he had never expected this Daoist's Body Cultivation Divine Ability to be so formidable.
"This must be Ancestral Witch Zhurong. I am East King Duke. I've come to visit the Witch Clan with no ill intent. Please introduce me; I wish to meet Fellow Daoist Dijiang and the other Ancestral Witches."
Once they had separated, East King Duke seized the opportunity to speak. He didn't want to end up in a fight without even knowing why.
But Zhurong seemed to have other ideas.
"Since you know my name, you should know my temper. If you want to meet my big brother Dijiang and my other siblings, you'll have to get past me first."
Without waiting for East King Duke to answer, Zhurong threw himself straight at him.
The Fire Ancestral Witch's love of a fight was plain to see.
Zhurong charged like a giant fireball hurtling toward him. East King Duke planted his foot, gave a low shout, and turned to meet him with his shoulder.
The Supreme Yang Battle Body was no ordinary Divine Ability, and he could now wield Yin-Yang Power. Against Zhurong, he didn't fall behind in the slightest—if anything, he had a slight edge.
The two traded blows with their Body Cultivation Divine Abilities for hundreds of rounds, yet neither could gain the upper hand.
Zhurong was fighting to his heart's content, and so was East King Duke. Since taking form and comprehending his Body Cultivation Divine Ability on the Sun Star, he had never fought another in such a physical battle.
"Good, good, good! East King Duke, you truly have remarkable strength. Now, behold my Ancestral Witch True Body!"
As he spoke, Zhurong threw back his head and roared. The flames of his magic surged, and amid a sky filled with fire, a giant ten thousand zhang tall appeared. It stood with its head against the heavens, held a blade of fire in its hand, spat flames from its mouth, and strode toward East King Duke.
The flaming giant's power was far greater than before. East King Duke didn't dare be careless and was about to manifest his Battle Body when a gentle voice came from afar.
"Brother Zhurong, put away your Divine Ability. Let me take these two Daoists to meet big brother Dijiang."
As soon as the voice fell, a petite figure appeared in the distance. She wore a skirt of animal hide, her long hair falling over her shoulders. Her features were gentle, her bearing dignified, and she radiated the solidity of earth.
"Little sister Houtu, wait a moment. I must fight this Daoist and decide the victor first."
This Witch Clan goddess was indeed the famed Empress Houtu of later generations, and she truly radiated benevolence.
At her words, East King Duke immediately put away his Divine Ability, but Zhurong seemed unwilling to do the same.
Seeing this, Houtu added, "Big brother Dijiang sent me to escort Fellow Daoist East King Duke and his companion to him. Brother Zhurong, don't blame me for not warning you if you ruin the important matter and big brother punishes you."
Zhurong deflated at that and quickly transformed back from his Ancestral Witch True Body. "Fine, fine. I'll let you take them there."
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