The Witch Clan's Peril, Twelve Ancestral Witches

Although Houtu Ancestral Witch was of the Witch Clan, in the Primordial World where Nascent Soul Cultivators were the mainstream, she always felt somewhat out of place. However, she was also a genuine Innate Goddess.

The Empress Houtu of later generations was immensely compassionate, performing supreme meritorious deeds for all beings in the Primordial World. Her ultimate achievements, among the Innate Goddesses, could only be matched by Nuwa, and in some aspects, she was even superior.

However, at this time, Houtu was merely the youngest Ancestral Witch of the Witch Clan, at the realm of an ordinary Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal. While not exactly unremarkable, she had not yet reached the status of being revered by thousands of people as she would be in later generations.

Unlike the beautiful and stunning Innate Goddesses like Queen Mother of the West and Nuwa, Houtu possessed more of a dignified and virtuous aura, perhaps related to her identity as the Earth Ancestral Witch.

"Houtu of the Witch Clan greets fellow Daoist East King Duke. Your esteemed presence is unexpected, and I apologize for not welcoming you sooner. My elder brothers are already waiting in Pangu Hall, so please follow me."

Houtu stepped forward, bowed, and invited him.

"Greetings, fellow Daoist Houtu. This is fellow Daoist Queen Mother of the West. We came uninvited, please forgive our intrusion."

"It's nothing. Please, both of you!"

After a brief exchange, they were about to depart when Zhu Rong spoke up, "Sister, you can escort this Daoist... this fellow Daoist East King Duke to see Big Brother. I won't go."

Seeing that East King Duke had been invited by their Big Brother Dijiang, the fight was naturally off. Although he found this Daoist with a powerful physique rare and was eager to test his mettle, he had to give up for now. Zhu Rong, being straightforward and not good at socializing, decided not to accompany them.

"Brother Zhu Rong, Big Brother Dijiang instructed that my siblings and I should go to the divine hall to receive guests together. If you don't want to go, I will report it truthfully."

"No, no, no! I'll go, alright?"

Zhu Rong's temperament was fiery, fearing nothing, except for his Big Brother Dijiang. Hearing Houtu's words, he dared not say anything more.

Houtu then led the two, East King Duke and Queen Mother of the West, towards Pangu Hall.

Pangu Hall was the sacred ground of the Witch Clan, especially the inner hall, which ordinary clan members were not allowed to enter without cause. Currently, in the outer hall, sat several individuals clad in animal skin robes, each with a powerful physical body and extraordinary aura.

They were all Ancestral Witches. Apart from Houtu and Zhu Rong, the other ten of the Twelve Ancestral Witches were present.

At the head sat a solemn-faced, tall figure. With every movement, the surrounding space would subtly ripple. He was the leader of the Witches, the Space Ancestral Witch, Dijiang.

"Big Brother, may I ask what kind of person this East King Duke is that requires all twelve of us Ancestral Witches to receive him?"

Gong Gong, the Water Ancestral Witch, inquired from below.

Dijiang did not answer directly but looked at a Witch below. "Zhu Jiuyin, what do you say? Can you confirm it's him?"

A white-faced Ancestral Witch with a long beard and a small stature, surrounded by profound runes that exuded wisdom, sat in the first position below Dijiang. He was the sage of the Witch Clan, the Time Ancestral Witch, Zhu Jiuyin.

He pondered for a moment and said, "I deduced using the power of the River of Time that the one who can resolve our clan's crisis comes from the East. This East King Duke is a cultivator from the East Sea, which fits. However, this Daoist is exceptionally mysterious, shrouded in mist. It seems some great power or treasure is isolating him. Even with the power of time, I cannot break through to see clearly. He is indeed extraordinary, but I cannot be certain if it is him."

The Witch Clan had been multiplying for tens of thousands of years, with a population numbering in the millions. The Descendants of Pangu had shaken the Primordial World upon their emergence. While their development seemed smooth, with a larger population came chaos. The Witches were warlike, and although led by the Twelve Ancestral Witches, they were difficult to control. In recent years, other crises had also emerged, impacting the long-term future of the clan.

Earlier, Dijiang had asked Zhu Jiuyin to use the power of time to deduce a solution. In the depths of fate, only that a person who would aid the Witch Clan would come from the East, a Nascent Soul Cultivator. Coincidentally, East King Duke and Queen Mother of the West had arrived, drawing the attention of Dijiang and the other Ancestral Witches.

After Zhu Jiuyin said that, all the Ancestral Witches fell silent.

The Lightning Ancestral Witch Qiang Liang, standing nearby, said, "Our Witch Clan is the Pangu Orthodox. For important clan matters, why should we let a Nascent Soul Cultivator decide? I don't think it's appropriate."

"You know the danger our clan is in. If you think it's not appropriate, then you should propose a solution," Dijiang said lightly.

"This..."

Upon hearing this, Qiang Liang was speechless. If he had a solution, he wouldn't have dragged on until now.

"Qiang Liang, there's no need to say more. That East King Duke is about to arrive. Whether he can deduce someone who can help our clan will be known once we ask. If it's him, we'll offer him treasures and seek his guidance. If not, we'll send him away," said Xuan Ming, another female Ancestral Witch besides Houtu. The other Witches nodded in agreement.

East King Duke and the other person flew on clouds, following Houtu and Zhu Rong. Although the two Ancestral Witches didn't use flying techniques and only ran on the ground, they covered over a hundred thousand li in a single step, moving extremely fast.

Soon, they arrived outside the Pangu Hall. The divine hall was incredibly vast, stretching for tens of thousands of miles, exceptionally majestic. The entire hall was formed from the Great Dao, a legacy of Pangu. It appeared ancient and ordinary, yet every brick and tile conformed to the Dao's intent, making it profoundly mysterious.

Standing outside the hall, they looked up at a giant plaque tens of thousands of feet high, inscribed with three Dao Scripts: "Pangu Hall."

Upon closer inspection, they felt a Pangu aura emanating from the script, which was exceptionally profound. It stirred the immortal energy within their bodies, and their Nascent Souls resonated strongly. East King Duke and Queen Mother of the West were unconsciously immersed in it.

Houtu did not disturb them. After waiting for several years, the two finally emerged, both feeling they had gained a great deal.

"Thank you, Great God Pangu, for your enlightenment!"

Seeing their sincere gratitude and deep respect for Pangu Father God, Houtu secretly nodded.

"Please come in, two fellow Daoists. My elder brother Dijiang and several elder brothers and sisters have been waiting for a long time."

With that, the hall doors opened. Following them inside, they indeed saw ten Ancestral Witches seated. After Houtu and Zhu Rong took their seats, East King Duke and Queen Mother of the West stepped forward.

"East King Duke (Queen Mother of the West) of Mount Fang Island in the East Sea greets the Twelve Ancestral Witches!"

Dijiang, seated at the head, rose and exchanged a look with Zhu Jiuyin. They nodded to each other and then Dijiang spoke, "Your esteemed presence is an honor. Dijiang regrets not welcoming you sooner. Please, have a seat."

"Thank you, fellow Daoist Dijiang."

They took their seats as instructed, and Dijiang began introducing them one by one.

At this moment, East King Duke was inwardly astonished. They were indeed one of the protagonists of later generations. Upon observation, the Ancestral Witches of the Witch Clan were truly extraordinary. Although they all lacked Nascent Souls, their divine might was evident, and the power of various laws flowed within their Dao bodies, making them incredibly imposing.

Especially Dijiang and Zhu Jiuyin, the power of time and space flickered around them. They must possess peculiar innate abilities related to time and space, making their combat power extraordinary.

At this time, all the Ancestral Witches were also secretly probing the two, but they could not discern East King Duke's depth at all, and were equally shocked.

Soon, minor witches brought food.

The Witch Clan enjoyed eating meat, but Nascent Soul Cultivators were not the same. East King Duke and Queen Mother of the West took out Spiritual Fruits to accompany them. They chatted and soon became familiar with each other.

After decades of conversation, a word from Dijiang caused East King Duke to fall into deep thought.