Though Houtu Ancestral Witch belonged to the Witch Clan, she seemed somewhat out of place in the Primordial World, where primordial spirit cultivators were the mainstream. Yet she was still a genuine Innate Goddess.
In later generations, Empress Houtu would show great compassion and perform immeasurable merits for All Honghuang Beings. Among the Innate Goddesses, only Nuwa could compare with her in ultimate achievement; in some respects, Houtu even surpassed her.
But at this time, Houtu was still the youngest Ancestral Witch of the Witch Clan, at the level of an ordinary Great Luo Golden Immortal. She was by no means unremarkable, but she had yet to reach the stature that would one day make her revered by all.
Unlike Innate Goddesses such as Queen Mother of the West and Nuwa, who were all beautiful and radiant, Houtu had a more benevolent, virtuous air about her. Perhaps that had something to do with her identity as the Earth Ancestral Witch.
"Houtu of the Witch Clan greets Fellow Daoist East King Duke. You have come all this way, and I failed to welcome you properly. My elder brothers are all waiting at Pangu Hall. Please, follow me."
Houtu stepped forward, bowed, and invited them in.
"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Houtu. This is Fellow Daoist Queen Mother of the West. We came without notice; please forgive our intrusion."
"Think nothing of it. Please, fellow Daoists!"
After exchanging greetings, they were about to set off when Zhu Rong spoke from the side. "Little sister, take this Daoist... this Fellow Daoist East King Duke to meet eldest brother. I'll stay here."
Now that East King Duke had been invited by eldest brother Dijiang, there was no chance of fighting him. Zhu Rong rarely met a cultivator with such a powerful physique, and as someone who loved a good fight, he was eager to test himself and find out who was stronger. But for now, he had to let it go. Zhu Rong was straightforward by nature and poor at socializing, so he decided not to go along.
"Brother Zhu Rong, eldest brother Dijiang said that all of us siblings should go together to receive our guests in the hall. If you don't want to go, that's fine—I'll simply report back exactly what you said."
"Wait, wait. I'll come along, all right?"
Zhu Rong had a fiery temper and feared nothing under heaven, but eldest brother Dijiang was the exception. Hearing Houtu say that, he didn't dare say another word.
Only then did Houtu lead East King Duke and Queen Mother of the West toward Pangu Hall.
Pangu Hall was the Witch Clan's sacred ground. In particular, ordinary clan members were not allowed into the inner hall without good reason. At this moment, several figures sat in the outer hall, dressed in animal hides. Each had a formidable Dao Body and an extraordinary presence.
They were all Ancestral Witches. Aside from Houtu and Zhu Rong, the other ten of the Twelve Ancestral Witches had arrived.
At the head sat a tall figure with a solemn expression. Every gesture caused the surrounding space to ripple faintly. He was Dijiang, the leader of the Ancestral Witches and the Space Ancestral Witch.
"Eldest brother, what sort of person is this East King Duke, that all Twelve Ancestral Witches must receive him together?"
Gong Gong, the Water Ancestral Witch seated below, asked.
Dijiang did not answer directly. Instead, he looked toward one of the Ancestral Witches below. "Zhu Jiuyin, what do you think? Can you confirm it's him?"
The Ancestral Witch seated in the first place below Dijiang had a long beard, a pale face, and a slight build. Profound symbols circled around him, giving him an air of wisdom. He was Zhu Jiuyin, the Witch Clan's wise one and the Time Ancestral Witch.
He pondered for a moment before replying, "I used the power of the river of time to make a prediction. The one who can resolve our clan's peril will come from the East. East King Duke is a cultivator from the East Sea, so he fits the description. However, this Daoist is exceedingly mysterious, surrounded by layers of mist. It seems that some great power or supreme treasure is keeping him hidden. Even with the power of time, I cannot pierce through and see him clearly. He is certainly no ordinary figure, but I cannot be sure he is the one."
The Witch Clan had existed for tens of thousands of years, and its members numbered well over a million. As soon as the Descendants of Pangu entered the world, they shook the Primordial World. On the surface, all had gone smoothly. But with so many clan members, disorder inevitably arose. The Witch Clan loved to fight, and though the Twelve Ancestral Witches led them, those below were difficult to control. In recent years, other dangers had also begun to surface, already threatening the clan's future.
Earlier, Dijiang had asked Zhu Jiuyin to use the power of time to deduce a way to save them. The only answer he had received, as if from some unseen force, was that the person who would help the Witch Clan was a primordial spirit cultivator from the East. Now that East King Duke and Queen Mother of the West had arrived, Dijiang and the other Ancestral Witches had taken notice of them.
After hearing Zhu Jiuyin's words, the Ancestral Witches fell silent.
Qiang Liang, the Lightning Ancestral Witch, spoke from the side. "Our Witch Clan is the Pangu Orthodox. Why should a primordial spirit cultivator decide the great affairs of our clan? I don't think this is appropriate."
"You know our clan's peril as well as anyone. If you think this is inappropriate, then come up with a solution."
Dijiang spoke calmly.
"Well..."
Qiang Liang had no answer. If he had a way to solve the problem, they would not have been in this situation for so long.
"Enough, Qiang Liang. East King Duke will be here soon. We can ask him whether he is the one Zhu Jiuyin predicted would help our clan. If he is, we can offer him a treasure and ask for his advice. If not, we can simply send him on his way."
The other Female Ancestral Witch among the Twelve Ancestral Witches, Xuan Ming, spoke. After hearing him out, the Ancestral Witches all nodded in agreement.
East King Duke and Queen Mother of the West rode on clouds, following Houtu and Zhu Rong along the way. The two Ancestral Witches did not use any flying technique, but simply ran across the ground, covering more than a hundred thousand li with each step. Their speed was astonishing.
Soon, they reached Pangu Hall. The great hall was vast, stretching for tens of thousands of li and towering in grandeur. It had been formed from the Great Dao and was part of Pangu's Legacy. It looked simple and unadorned, yet every brick and tile accorded with the Dao, profound and mysterious.
Standing outside the hall, they looked up to see a huge plaque ten thousand zhang above them. Three characters in Dao Script were written on it: "Pangu Hall."
Looking closely, they sensed a strong aura of Pangu in the characters. They were profoundly mysterious, stirring the immortal power around them and resonating deeply with their primordial spirits. East King Duke and Queen Mother of the West both became absorbed in them without realizing it.
Houtu did not disturb them. She waited for years before the two finally emerged from their reverie, both feeling they had gained a great deal.
"Thank you, Great God Pangu, for your enlightenment!"
Seeing that the two had offered their thanks sincerely and held Pangu Father God in the highest regard, Houtu nodded to herself.
"Please come in, fellow Daoists. My eldest brother Dijiang and the others have been waiting for you for quite some time."
As soon as she finished speaking, the hall doors opened by themselves. They went inside, and sure enough, ten Ancestral Witches were seated within. After Houtu and Zhu Rong took their places, East King Duke and Queen Mother of the West stepped forward.
"East King Duke of East Sea Mount Fang Island, and Queen Mother of the West, greet the Twelve Ancestral Witches!"
Dijiang stood at the head of the hall and exchanged a glance with Zhu Jiuyin. The two silently nodded to one another before Dijiang spoke. "It is an honor to receive distinguished guests. Please forgive me, Dijiang, for failing to welcome you properly. Please, take a seat."
"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Dijiang."
At Dijiang's invitation, they took their seats. He then introduced the others one by one.
East King Duke was also taken aback. The Witch Clan was indeed one of the future rulers of heaven and earth. At a glance, every Ancestral Witch was extraordinary. Though none had a primordial spirit, each radiated divine might, and all kinds of law power flowed through their Dao Bodies, inspiring awe.
Dijiang and Zhu Jiuyin were especially remarkable. The power of space and time flickered around them; they must possess bizarre Spatial Divine Abilities and Time Power. Their combat strength was surely extraordinary.
The Ancestral Witches were secretly examining the two as well, yet could not see through East King Duke at all. They were just as astonished.
Soon, some junior witches brought in food.
The Witch Clan enjoyed eating meat, unlike primordial spirit cultivators. East King Duke and Queen Mother of the West brought out Spiritual Fruits to accompany the meal, and everyone chatted together. Before long, they had grown familiar with one another.
After they had talked for several decades, Dijiang said something that left East King Duke deep in thought.
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