The Primordial World.
Houtu Tribe.
"Da Yi, where are Eldest Brother and the others?"
After the lecture ended, Houtu returned to the Primordial World at once to find the other Ancestral Witches and discuss a plan.
She had seen it clearly at Zixiao Palace. Ever since East King Duke revealed his destiny, many people had been tempted.
It wouldn't be long before they established forces and fought for dominance over the Primordial World.
Da Yi had yellow snakes coiled around his ears, a powerful, burly build, and a red longbow on his back that radiated a heavy aura.
"Witch Ancestor Houtu? I don't know where the others are, but Xuanming Ancestral Witch should be cultivating in seclusion at the ancestral grounds."
Da Yi was inspecting the tribe when he suddenly heard someone speak behind him. When he saw Houtu, he was overjoyed.
"Mm. By the way, Da Yi, tell our people not to wander too far from the tribe for now, and send more Great Witches out on patrol!"
Houtu was about to leave when she suddenly thought of something and instructed Da Yi.
"Patrol? Is the Demon Race planning to ambush us?"
Da Yi's eyes filled with murderous intent. The longbow on his back sensed its master's mood and began flashing red.
The Demon Race and the Witch Race both lived in the northern lands and often clashed. They had a minor skirmish every three days and a major battle every five. It was no exaggeration to call them Ancient Grudges.
"Just do as I say. Also, have Kuafu notify the people in the other tribes and tell them to stay alert, too."
Houtu offered no explanation. After giving her instructions, she stirred the Earth Qi and sank straight underground, heading deeper into the earth.
After Da Yi passed on the Ancestral Witches' orders, the entire Witch Tribe began to mobilize.
Deep underground!
After descending tens of thousands of billions of miles, Houtu finally stopped before a palace whose grandeur rivaled that of Zixiao Palace.
Ancestor Witch Hall!
The Twelve Ancestral Witches usually cultivated here, absorbing baleful earth energy.
Ancestor Witch Hall stood several million zhang tall, its doors carved with reliefs of mysterious totems.
After manifesting her Ancestral Witch True Body, Houtu pushed open the doors and entered.
Inside, Ancestor Witch Hall was not a grand hall but a small world.
A wild, ancient aura swept over her. Even the Sun, Moon, and Stars revolved in the sky above.
At the center of the small world lay a spiritual pool called Ancestor Witch Pool. All Twelve Ancestral Witches had been born there.
At that moment, a murky mass of blood floated above the pool's surface. An aura of supremacy, chaos, and primordial obscurity swept in every direction.
The Essence Blood was terrifying. Boundless, pure baleful energy kept pouring from it.
Eleven figures sat quietly around it, their bodies turned into black holes as they devoured the baleful energy produced by the blood. Even so, a large amount of it still spilled across the small world.
"Little Sister Houtu, you're back!"
A hearty voice rang out. One of the men, with an animal's head and a human body, opened his eyes and spoke cheerfully. Red scales covered him.
"Little Sister Houtu!"
Xuan Ming transformed into a mature, alluring woman and strode over on her long legs. When she drew close, she directly took Houtu by the arm and continued,
"Little Sister Houtu, what was so interesting about the Saint's lecture? You were gone for five hundred years. I missed you so much."
"Big Sister Xuan Ming."
Worried at heart, Houtu managed a faint smile when she saw Xuan Ming.
"What happened? Did someone bully you?!"
Xuan Ming's eyes narrowed. A dangerous aura radiated from her, and a bone-chilling cold froze the earth inch by inch.
"No one bullied me. I just saw someone at Zixiao Palace."
Houtu hurriedly told her about East King Duke.
She knew Xuan Ming's temper very well. If she learned that someone really had bullied Houtu, she would dare march right up to their door and fight them, even if it was Hongjun.
Houtu could only shake her head at this.
Their Ancestral Witch bodies gave them powerful physiques, but also made them more irritable and quick to anger.
Gong Gong and Zhu Rong had been affected the most.
There was always a price to pay, after all!
"East King Duke. I've heard of him, too. I thought he was just a nobody with a bit of luck. I never expected him to possess such great destiny."
Di Jiang and the others stopped cultivating as well, their expressions turning grave.
"Little Sister Houtu, what do you think we should do?"
Houtu was the most special among them. Not only was she the youngest, she was also the cleverest.
So when it came to many matters, they were willing to listen to her opinion.
Houtu frowned and pondered, not answering right away.
But Zhu Rong immediately began shouting.
"Eldest Brother, isn't he just some damned Heavenly Emperor? So what if he's got a little destiny? We should just fight him!"
For once, Gong Gong didn't argue with Zhu Rong. Instead, he agreed.
"Exactly. Father God created the Primordial World. As Father God's children, our Witch Race should be its ruler. What right does Hongjun have to appoint someone else as Heavenly Emperor?"
"Eldest Brothers, don't speak so recklessly!"
Houtu hurriedly cut them off. She carefully sensed the void and, finding nothing amiss, finally relaxed.
"Eldest Brothers, how can you speak to a Saint like that?"
Houtu's reproachful voice made Gong Gong feel a little aggrieved, but he didn't argue.
They all doted on their little sister, Houtu, from the bottom of their hearts.
Whenever he and Zhu Rong fought, only Houtu could talk them down. No one else could, not even Di Jiang.
Houtu didn't comfort him. Instead, she turned to Di Jiang.
"Eldest Brother, when I went to listen to the lecture this time, I discovered that the Three Pure Ones, Di Jun, and the others have already become Quasi-Saints. It won't be long before they grow even stronger."
"Taiyi of the Demon Court is especially dangerous. If he uses the Eastern Emperor Bell to sever his three corpses, his battle strength may well become the greatest beneath the Saints."
Di Jiang's heart tightened. He still vividly remembered the pressure Hongjun had radiated when he became a Saint.
Even Di Jiang's Ancestral Witch True Body had nearly buckled beneath it. If Taiyi truly became as Houtu described—
The Witch Race would be the first to suffer.
"What do you think we should do, then?"
Di Jiang knew how serious the situation was. The Ancestral Witches might not be afraid, but the rest of their people couldn't stand against the enemy.
"We should befriend East King Duke. If he wants to become Heavenly Emperor, he'll inevitably clash with Di Jun and the others."
"With him dealing with the Demon Court, whatever the outcome, we can avoid their period of strength."
After speaking, Houtu looked at the Essence Blood hovering over Ancestor Witch Pool, then continued,
"With Pangu's Essence Blood to help us, we can make plans after we become Quasi-Saints."
There was something Houtu didn't say: if East King Duke wanted to become Heavenly Emperor, the Witch Race would also stand in his way.
In her view, giving up on the struggle for dominance was the best choice for the Witch Race.
But she also knew that no one would agree if she said it aloud. They would never abandon their desire to rule the land.
"Good. Then that's what we'll do!"
Di Jiang made the decision, and they agreed.
"Little Sister Houtu, I'll leave the matter of befriending East King Duke to you."
"Don't worry, Eldest Brother."
Houtu nodded without refusing. She was the only one among them who had met East King Duke, and she had some rapport with him, making her the best person for the task.
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