In the Primordial Wilderness, where time was unmarked, the hidden passage connecting the Underworld to the Primordial Land opened once more.
But this time, Houtu did not travel alone. She led a company powerful enough to draw the attention of the entire Primordial Wilderness.
Led by the newly ascended Saint Houtu, eleven Ancestor Witches with auras as vast and unfathomable as the abyss followed close behind, stepping out of the Underworld and arriving in the sunlit Primordial Land.
As soon as they encountered the outside world's aura, the Ancestor Witches reacted in different ways.
Di Jiang drew a deep breath, and space rippled faintly;
The phantom of the River of Time flashed and vanished in Zhu Jiuyin's eyes; phantoms of plants and trees swayed around Gou Mang;
A metallic sheen surfaced on Ru Shou's skin; water vapor swirled around Gonggong, while heat shimmered beside Zhu Rong; lightning danced through Qiangliang's hair;
Toxic miasma seemed to form with each of Shebishi's breaths; wind circled Tian Wu; Xizi's lightning flickered; Xuanming exhaled a faint chill.
These were instinctive reactions to the laws they controlled.
Yet after their Primordial Spirits were born, these reactions seemed to have gained a measure of control and "perception." They were no longer simply an outpouring of power.
Houtu looked back, her gaze sweeping over all the Ancestor Witches, and said gently:
"We are going to Wuzhuang Temple to seek the Dao and learn its mysteries, not to wage war.
"Brothers and sisters, you must restrain your auras, be courteous, and keep your minds calm.
"Longevity Mountain is the sacred ground of Saint Zhenyuanzi, and one of the few Pure Holy Lands in the Primordial Wilderness. Do not disturb the spiritual workings of the mountain."
Though the Ancestor Witches were not used to this, they listened.
Why had