After East King Duke left, the Witch Clan, under the leadership of Ancestral Witch Dijiang, underwent a major reorganization. They abolished the system in which the Twelve Ancestral Witches jointly governed the entire clan and instead divided up responsibility.
The vast Witch Clan was split into twelve divisions, each named after one of the Twelve Ancestral Witches. With Pangu Hall at the center, they spread out and planned separate settlements for their tribes.
The clan's powerful leaders gathered, and they formally established the position of Great Witch, ranked below the Ancestral Witches and tasked with assisting in the management of the various tribes. Many Great Witches who would become famous in later generations began to emerge one after another.
Among them were Xing Tian, Jiu Feng, Kuafu, Hou Yi, Xiang Liu, and others...
This reform of the Witch Clan lasted for tens of thousands of years. It also laid the foundation for the Primordial World's Witch Clan to flourish for hundreds of thousands of years. But that was all for later.
As for East King Duke, he had gained a great deal from his visit to the Witch Clan. Though his primordial spirit cultivation had not advanced, his physical body had reached the Late-stage Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm—a tremendous improvement. Moreover, he had glimpsed the Pangu True Meaning and comprehended the Pangu Great Dao True Seal. That alone was an immense fortune.
The Mystery of Heaven Opening that had shocked him, as well as what he had learned about the Primordial World and the chaos beyond it, would not affect him much for now. At least before he proved the Dao and attained the Primordial realm, the impact would be minimal.
East King Duke was not the only one who had benefited. During the time since leaving Mount Fang Island, Queen Mother of the West had also encountered many opportunities. From what she gained at Buzhou Mountain, to discussing the Dao with Fuxi and Nuwa, to sensing a trace of the Pangu True Meaning in Pangu Hall, her realm had advanced considerably. She had only recently entered the Mid-stage Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm, yet she could already see the hope of a breakthrough.
After leaving the region around Buzhou Mountain, the two headed straight for Western Kunlun. Queen Mother of the West planned to gather up the useful things from her original home, bring along her attendants, and move to Mount Fang Island.
Nothing happened along the way. The two traveled by cloud, and few came to disturb them. Besides, ordinary beings would rarely encounter two Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals. They arrived safely at Queen Mother of the West's home in Western Kunlun.
It was the place where the Pure Yin Qi had taken form. East King Duke had visited years ago, while she was still being nurtured. Now it had become a Blessed Land Grotto-Heaven. As soon as they entered the formation, they heard birdsong and smelled flowers, and an Immortal Family Aura filled the air. The grounds were not large, only about a million li across, but since Queen Mother of the West and her attendant were the only ones who had lived there, it had been more than enough—indeed, there had even been room to spare.
At the center of the grounds stood a Daoist palace, quite similar to the Pure Yin Palace Queen Mother of the West had built on Mount Fang Island. Before the two even reached its entrance, they heard a ringing cry.
An Auspicious Beast came racing toward them.
The beast stood about six chi tall and was over ten chi long. Its body was covered in nine colors, a horn rose from its head, and clouds formed beneath its four hooves as it galloped through the air. It was a strange beast, a Nine-Colored Divine Deer.
Though the Divine Deer was nominally Queen Mother of the West's mount, she rarely rode it. Now, sensing its mistress, it happily raced over to her.
After exchanging affectionate greetings, they returned to the palace, where an attendant stepped forward to pay her respects.
"Your disciple Cai Ling pays her respects to Her Majesty. Welcome back to the palace."
Queen Mother of the West's attendant was named Cai Ling. She had been brought to life from a colorful butterfly, and she got along well with East King Duke's two attendants, Jin Ling and Yin Ling. Perhaps it was all fated.
"You may rise. Come and greet your Uncle-Master Dong Hua."
Cai Ling had always been curious. Her mistress had always been a solitary figure, and in all these tens of thousands of years, she had hardly met any fellow Daoists. Now she had brought a male Daoist with her. Who could he be?
"Your disciple Cai Ling greets Uncle-Master Dong Hua. May your Daoist body remain in good health."
The young attendant was quite clever. East King Duke smiled faintly and said, "You may rise."
Then he took out two Acquired Spiritual Treasures he had crafted in his spare time.
"These two little things are for you. Take them to protect yourself."
Cai Ling was only at the late-stage Heavenly Immortal realm, with lower cultivation than East King Duke's own attendant. Two Mid-grade Acquired Spiritual Treasures would be more than enough for her.
Cai Ling looked delighted, but she did not take them. Instead, she looked to Queen Mother of the West.
"Since your Uncle-Master Dong Hua has given them to you, accept them. Go back and refine them properly."
"Your disciple thanks Uncle-Master Dong Hua for the treasures."
Cai Ling accepted them with a happy smile.
They did not stay long in Western Kunlun. After collecting some spirit roots, the two set off for the East Sea with Cloud Boy and their mount, the Nine-Colored Divine Deer.
Queen Mother of the West did not even take the palace she had built with her own hands. She removed the formation protecting her grounds and decided to leave the place for someone destined to find it.
The two, an attendant, and a deer set out for the East Sea.
Years later, they returned to East Sea Mount Fang Island. They had been away for tens of thousands of years, and neither of them would leave the island again for a long time.
Time flowed on, and ten thousand years passed in a flash. Before they knew it, two Yuan Hui had gone by. One day, while the two were in the Supreme Yang Palace guiding their disciples in cultivation, an overwhelming pressure suddenly descended. Everyone present except East King Duke felt compelled to kneel.
Several disciples and attendants instinctively fell to the ground. The Yin-Yang Two Qi beneath East King Duke's feet surged from the Dao Lotus, shielding him and Queen Mother of the West, and the pressure immediately eased.
East King Duke already knew what had happened, so he bowed deeply toward the sky.
Suddenly, celebratory music rang out, and Mysterious Dao Sound spread throughout the Primordial World. Colorful heavenly flowers drifted down from the Ninth Heaven, while golden lotuses of the Heavenly Dao rose from the earth. Across the Primordial World, all kinds of birds and strange beasts looked up and cried out to the heavens.
Auspicious rain fell, blessing all living beings. The laws of the Great Dao appeared in the sky, their patterns naturally formed and boundlessly mysterious. In an instant, all creation came into view.
Kirin auspicious beasts raced across the Primordial Great Land, presenting auspicious signs to Heaven and fulfilling Primeval Kirin's oath from long ago: wherever a kirin appeared, auspiciousness would follow.
Amid countless streams of Auspicious Qi, an overwhelming might pressed down upon the Primordial World. All living beings grew solemn with reverence. Apart from a few mighty beings who had attained the Dao, everyone felt the calling in their hearts and bowed to the ground.
High above, amid the clouds of the ninth layer,
On a cushion, I realized the truth.
Beyond Heaven and Earth, dark and yellow,
I shall hold the highest seat.
Pangu gave birth to the Supreme Ultimate,
From it came the Two Forms and Four Images.
I lead the Mystic Gate,
One breath transformed into Hongjun.
After the Heavenly Dao bestowed this verse, Hongjun's voice once again resounded throughout the Primordial World. "I am Hongjun. Today, I have proved the Dao and become a Saint, the first Saint in the Primordial World. Under the Heavenly Dao, Saints are responsible for enlightening all living beings. Therefore, in ten thousand years, I shall lecture on the Great Dao in the Chaos Purple Firmament Palace, Beyond the Thirty-three Heavens. All beings of the Primordial World who are fated to attend may come and listen!"
More than two Yuan Hui had passed since the Dao Demon War. At last, Hongjun had proved the Dao and become a Saint.
East King Duke had been waiting for this day all along. He had assumed that once the war ended, Hongjun would soon ride the momentum and become a Saint. He had never expected it to take so long.
It seemed that the decline of the West had affected Hongjun far more than East King Duke had initially imagined.
As the Dao Sound faded, it seemed that Hongjun wished to display the power of a Saint. The pressure of the heavens surged once more, carrying the force of a ruler over the Primordial World. All beings bowed to the ground again and could not rise. Even most of the mighty Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals could not resist. The few who managed to remain standing bowed to show their respect.
East King Duke brought forth the Eighteen-grade Yin-Yang Dao Lotus. Yin-Yang Two Qi spread throughout the palace, and he and Queen Mother of the West merely lowered their heads slightly, standing proudly upright.
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