East King Duke and the Ancestral Witches chatted, mostly about cultivation. Though he was a cultivator of the primordial spirit, he also had considerable insight into body-tempering techniques. His Supreme Yang Battle Body was extraordinary and scarcely inferior to the Witch Clan's divine abilities.
Moreover, he had once tempered his Daoist body with Pangu Pressure on Buzhou Mountain, reaching the realm of Physical Great Luo. That had forged a connection of sorts with the Witch Clan, descendants of Pangu, so they found it all the easier to talk.
Earlier, Zhu Jiuyin had used Time Power to make deductions, but all he had seen was East King Duke shrouded in mist, mysterious and unfathomable. After decades, the Ancestral Witches had also determined that he was a Great Supernatural Being among cultivators of the primordial spirit.
That was secondary. What astonished the Twelve Ancestral Witches most was the strength of East King Duke's physical combat prowess. Zhu Rong, who had fought him, understood this better than anyone.
And there was more. Besides his exceptional cultivation and formidable combat strength, East King Duke's knowledge had deeply impressed all the Witches—especially Zhu Jiuyin, the Time Ancestral Witch famed for his wisdom.
His knowledge extended not only to the Primordial World Great Trend but even to matters concerning the Witch Clan. He seemed to know them in remarkable depth.
East King Duke had no idea that they were facing a crisis. He had deliberately displayed his abilities only to earn the respect of Dijiang and the other Ancestral Witches, so he could make plans concerning the Witch Clan. He had not expected to hit upon the right thing by sheer chance.
Dijiang and the others exchanged thoughts in secret. They still could not be certain whether this Daoist was the person Zhu Jiuyin had divined, but given the man's knowledge, even if he was not, he should still be able to help the Witch Clan.
After they had discussed it, Dijiang spoke.
"Fellow Daoist East King Duke, your knowledge is exceptional, and we are impressed. You have traveled a long way to visit our Pangu Divine Hall and meet with us; it must be fate. There is a matter troubling the Witch Clan that we have been unable to decide for many years. We would like to ask your advice, so please do not hesitate to share your insights."
Hearing Dijiang, East King Duke was briefly taken aback. "Go ahead."
He had not expected the Witch Clan to ask something of him during this visit. Curiosity stirred within him, along with a desire to learn more.
Dijiang explained the matter at length, and East King Duke soon understood what was troubling them.
It was indeed an internal matter of the Witch Clan, one that concerned the origins of all the Witches. The Witch Clan had come into being from Pangu's Essence Blood combining with the Malevolent Qi of Heaven and Earth. They were naturally fond of battle. When their numbers were still small, the Ancestral Witches had managed to lead them in relative peace, but tens of thousands of years had passed, and their population had grown rapidly. Disorder had followed.
Though all Twelve Ancestral Witches were powerful, most were poor at governing, and they also needed to cultivate. It was exceedingly difficult to keep such a vast clan in check. It would hardly do for them to step in and resolve every incident themselves.
After several such incidents, Dijiang and the others had realized that things could not continue this way. It would hinder the Witch Clan's growth and might even cost them their clan's fortune. This was no small matter.
Yet the Twelve Ancestral Witches had discussed the matter for nearly ten thousand years and still failed to settle on an effective system. Even Zhu Jiuyin, famed for his wisdom, was at a loss.
Now Dijiang wanted East King Duke to offer a solution.
Once he understood the situation, East King Duke's thoughts stirred. He really did have a way to solve this. After pondering for a moment, he said, "To be honest, I have come to your clan with a request of my own."
"Please, Fellow Daoist, speak freely."
East King Duke's words suggested that he had an idea. Dijiang and the others were delighted rather than surprised.
"I have long admired the name of Great God Pangu. I have heard that the Great God possessed nine Divine Hearts, and that after creating the world, only one remained, which was passed down to the Witch Clan. I came here hoping to gaze upon it. Would you permit me?"
East King Duke's words shocked the Ancestral Witches. Their clan did indeed have a Pangu Divine Heart in its keeping, but they had no idea how he had learned of it.
Now was not the time to investigate. Dijiang considered the request, then said, "We will need to discuss this among ourselves."
East King Duke nodded. "Of course."
Then he closed his eyes.
The Twelve Ancestral Witches communicated with one another using the Witch Clan's divine ability. Afterward, Dijiang spoke. "If you can resolve our clan's problem, we will agree to let you cultivate beside the Pangu Divine Heart for ten years!"
"Good! Then I shall first tell you how to resolve your clan's problem."
"We are all ears!"
The Ancestral Witches were curious to hear what solution he could offer.
East King Duke explained it slowly. At first, the Ancestral Witches all seemed thoughtful. But after considering his proposal, they began to look pleased.
His solution was very simple. In short, it came down to four words: divide and rule.
The Ancestral Witches had not been around for long, and they all lived together near Pangu Hall. East King Duke's proposal was for each of the Twelve Ancestral Witches to lead a division, splitting the Witch Clan into Twelve Tribes. Each tribe would have Great Witches under its leader, followed by high-ranking Witches beneath them, and then ordinary lesser Witches. With authority organized in successive layers, the clan would be easy to govern.
In his previous life, the Witch Clan had used this very system, though he did not know who had established it.
"Hahaha, Fellow Daoist, you are truly gifted. We are impressed!"
Dijiang laughed heartily, clearly convinced by the plan.
Zhu Jiuyin and the other Ancestral Witches beside him also nodded in agreement.
"Our Witch Clan keeps its word. Houtu will take you to the Pangu Inner Hall, where you may study the Pangu Divine Heart for ten years. After that, we will come and thank you, Fellow Daoist."
Ten years passed in the blink of an eye. Queen Mother of the West stayed where she was, while East King Duke followed Houtu Ancestral Witch to the Pangu Rear Hall.
Deep within the divine hall stood a small chamber.
"Fellow Daoist, the Pangu Divine Heart is inside. Go in on your own, but remember the ten-year limit. Do not forget."
After giving him these instructions, Houtu turned and left.
East King Duke had come for the Pangu Divine Heart, so he did not hesitate. As he approached the door, it opened by itself.
He strode inside, only to discover that it was an enormous, separate space, filled with Malevolent Qi. Even his Spiritual Sense could not survey it all.
He simply followed the feeling in his heart and kept walking.
After a hundred steps, he saw a statue standing beside a pool.
The statue depicted a bare-chested giant with three heads and six arms, red eyes, and disheveled hair. He stood on a green lotus platform, a huge jade disc above his head, and held a divine axe that could shake the heavens. Though it was only an inanimate object, it radiated boundless power.
It was a statue of Great God Pangu.
The moment East King Duke approached it, he was stunned. An immense pressure emanated from the statue. It contained a trace of Pangu True Meaning, making him feel an irresistible urge to bow.
He resisted the force with his magic power, then sat cross-legged before the statue for an entire year, comprehending its Dao. He gained a great deal from the experience.
After bowing respectfully, East King Duke continued onward. The pool's water was crimson. Though it brimmed with spiritual energy, it also carried waves of Malevolent Qi. The pool was full of blood.
At first, the Blood Pool was perfectly still. Before long, ripples appeared across its surface, and strands of Blood Qi rose from the water, gradually gathering into a Blood Cloud overhead.
"Thump, thump!"
Several heartbeats sounded. They were slow, yet perfectly rhythmic.
The sound came from the center of the Blood Pool.
East King Duke activated his spiritual vision and peered through the blood mist. He could just make out something within, and it left him utterly shocked.
A gigantic golden heart hung in the center of the Blood Pool. The heartbeats came from it.
This was the Pangu Divine Heart.
Though Pangu had perished, the Pangu Divine Heart still brimmed with vitality. With each beat, Heart Blood dripped into the Blood Pool below.
The Blood Pool had been formed from Pangu's Heart Blood. East King Duke was astonished.
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