Buzhou Mountain, Pangu Hall.
Twelve giant dragon-carved pillars support the dome of the Great Hall, their surfaces weathered and covered with ancient World Creation Witch Rune dating back to the beginning of time.
The hall was filled with a palpable aura of malevolence. The Eleven Ancestral Witches sat around a massive Bloodstone Platform, their auras as solid and imposing as an ancient divine mountain.
Di Jiang sat in the head seat, dark red Space Law appearing and disappearing around him, distorting the light and causing his face to constantly shift between reality and illusion.
Di Jiang's hoarse voice echoed in the Great Hall:
"The starlight of the Zhou Tian Star Dou Great Array has completely enveloped the Great Wilderness."
"This time, Di Jun Taiyi are serious."
Ju Mang was brimming with vitality, yet his brows were furrowed.
"Big brother."
"The demon race is moving so quickly; there must be someone pulling the strings behind the scenes."
Zhu Rong slammed his hand on the stone platform, and flames rose from his palm.
"Who else could it be? That Yuanshi went to the Demon Court, clearly intending to back up the demon race!"
In Gong Gong's eyes, the cold light was like a knife.
"If Sage intervenes in a great calamity, isn't he afraid of the Karma Backlash?"
"Afraid?"
Zhu Jiuyin slowly opened his eyes, Time Shard flowing within them:
" Yuanshi dared to go, it means that Heavenly Dao tacitly approved it."
"The final battle of the great calamity, the chaos of Heavenly Secret, the Karma Entanglement... this is the best time for Sage to step in."
Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly froze.
The Eleven Ancestral Witches all wore grim expressions.
What will become of Sage?
This is by no means an exaggeration.
Although the Witch Clan was powerful, it ultimately failed to produce Sage.
The Du Tian Divine Fiend Great Array summoned the Pangu Phantom, which could withstand even Sage, but now that Houtu has departed, the array is incomplete...
If Yuanshi truly intervenes in the final battle, what are the chances of the Witch Clan winning?
"And Xuandu."
Qiang Liang suddenly spoke, his voice booming like thunder:
"Although this person has a grudge against the demon race, he is ultimately the Jie Sect Vice Sect Master, and may not genuinely help my Witch Clan."
Xi Zi's body crackled with electricity:
"Indeed, although Xuandu has enlightened Houtu on the mysteries of the Houtu's Earth Dao, he may very well have ulterior motives."
The Ancestral Witches remained silent.
Xuandu.
This name has now become the biggest variable in the Great Wilderness.
Hundred Year Zenith Heaven, the Disgraced Saints, the Gather Fortune, the awakening of humanity, and the acceleration of the revival of the Earth Dao...
Every step he took treaded on the very grounds of the Saints, yet every step he took was steady and secure.
How could such a person be content to be merely an ally of the Witch Clan?
Tian Wu was suddenly startled; he discovered a figure deep within the Great Hall.
"Who?"
Upon hearing this, Di Jiang suddenly stood up, and the Space Law around him erupted, instantly enveloping the entire Great Hall in an invisible barrier!
The other Ancestral Witch also rose at the same time, their Blood Qi Resonance, their baleful aura soaring to the sky. Eleven earth-shattering Ancestral Witch auras intertwined, completely sealing off every inch of the Pangu Hall!
Can...
Deep within the Great Hall, in the shadowy area shrouded by the Zhu Jiuyin.
A Green Clad Figure had quietly taken up a position beneath the pillar.
He stood with his hands behind his back, his face calm, his eyes as deep as the starry sea.
It is indeed Xuandu!
"You..."
Di Jiang's pupils shrank sharply as he stared intently at the figure, his face showing disbelief and astonishment for the first time!
Not only Di Jiang.
All the Ancestral Witch present were shaken to their core at that moment!
They didn't notice at all!
Pangu Hall is a sacred site of the Witch Clan, suppressed by the residual will of the Great God Pangu, and further protected by a natural restriction formed by the Blood Qi Resonance of the Eleven Ancestral Witches.
Even if Sage himself were to arrive, he could not possibly sneak in without a sound!
But Xuandu...
He was standing there.
His blue robes fluttered slightly, and his demeanor was as ordinary as that of Mortal.
If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they wouldn't even have sensed that someone was there!
Such a method of concealment is simply unbelievable!
"Fellow Daoist, how have you been?"
Xuandu spoke slowly, his voice calm yet clearly penetrating the depths of each Ancestral Witch's mind.
There was no intimidation, no sharp edge; it was as if it were just a greeting between old friends reuniting.
But beneath this calm, a chill ran through the hearts of the Eleven Ancestral Witches!
" Fellow Daoist Xuandu."
Di Jiang took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart, his voice hoarse:
"May I ask what brings you here?"
He waved his hand to remove the spatial barrier, signaling the Ancestral Witches to conceal their auras.
Having revealed themselves, they no longer harbored any murderous intent.
Moreover... if Xuandu truly intended to harm the Witch Clan, the moment when they were completely unaware would have been the perfect opportunity to strike.
But he just stood there.
This has already made our stance clear.
"I came for the Witch Clan."
Xuandu slowly stepped forward, walked to the stone platform, and glanced at the solemn and wary faces of the Eleven Ancestral Witches.
He didn't care about those stares.
The Witch Clan is arrogant and of the Pangu Orthodox Lineage; it is normal for them to react this way.
"You all should know the current predicament of the Witch Clan better than I do."
Xuandu's voice was calm, yet every word was like a knife:
" Fellow Daoist Houtu Body Merged with Samsara, taking charge of the Earth Dao, and has become Earth Dao Sage."
"This is a great virtue, and a blessing for the Witch Clan."
"But for her, it was a blessing; for the Witch Clan... it was like losing an arm."
Zhu Rong gritted his teeth:
"Although Houtu is gone, my Witch Clan still has the Du Tian Divine Fiend Great Array!"
"The formation on Jiu Feng Peak still retains 60% of its power; it may still be able to fight against the Zhou Tian Star Dou Great Array!"
"Sixty percent?"
A mocking smile curled at the corner of Xuandu's lips:
"Does the Ancestral Witch Zhurong truly believe that the Du Tian Divine Fiend Great Array, can withstand the Zhou Tian Star Dou Great Array Fully Open?"
"Not to mention..."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the Sky Dome:
" Yuanshi has arrived at the Demon Court and is having a private conversation with Di Jun Taiyi."
"You should be able to guess what I'm going to talk about."
Upon hearing this, the expressions of Ancestral Witches in the hall changed drastically!
"Is Yuanshi really going to get involved?!"
A cold glint flashed in Gong Gong's eyes.
"Otherwise what?"
Xuandu countered:
"He personally went to the Demon Court, could it be to admire the starry scenery?"
" The Witch-Demon Tribulation is Heavenly Dao's Predetermined Number; the Witch Clan will decline, and the Demon race will rise."
"As Heavenly Dao Sage and in charge of the Chan Sect, Yuanshi should naturally follow the mandate of Heaven and drive the Great Kalpa."
"His trip was to Reassurance Pill Di Jun Taiyi, allowing them to go all out."
Each word resounded like a thunderclap!
The Eleven Ancestral Witches's face was ashen.
Although they had suspected it beforehand, hearing it with their own ears still sent a chill down their spines.
What will become of the Sage...?
Then this decisive battle will no longer be a matter Witch and Demon Races.
Rather, it is... a battle between the Witch Clan and the Sage, and against the Heavenly Dao Trend!
"So, Fellow Daoist Xuandu, you have come here..."
Di Jiang's eyes were sharp as he stared intently at Xuandu.
"Is this a reminder to my Witch Clan... to prepare for our demise as soon as possible?"
His voice carried suppressed anger, and even more so, a desolate resolve.
If that's true...
That Witch Clan may truly be coming to an end.
"No."
Xuandu slowly shook his head:
"I am showing the Witch Clan... a way to survive."
A way out?
Ancestral Witches looked up, their eyes gleaming.
What is the way to survive?
Ju Mang asked in a deep voice.
Xuandu did not answer directly.
He slowly raised his hand, and a Chaos Rune quietly condensed in his palm.
The runes were small, yet they exuded the Primal Dao Rhyme from before the World Creation, and faintly conveyed the flow of mountains, rivers, and the cycle of Reincarnation of all living beings.
"This is the Earth Dao Samsara Mark."
Xuandu's voice was calm:
"Before Fellow Daoist Houtu merged with the Dao, she left behind a wisp of Spiritual Sense, entrusting me to pass it on to the Witch Clan."
"With this mark, if the True Spirit of the Witch Clan perishes during the Great Calamity, it can be Reincarnation first, retaining its Bloodline Memory, and in the next life... will still be Witch Clan Warriors."
The words had barely left his mouth.
The Chaos Rune slowly drifted towards Di Jiang.
Di Jiang reached out and took it, only to feel a sudden weight in his palm.
He was all too familiar with the profound, somber, and compassionate Earth Dao emanating from the runes.
It is Houtu!