Jieyin and Zhunti

Repairing the earth veins was no easy task.

The earth veins of the western lands had been almost completely destroyed when Luo Hou detonated himself.

Those earth veins had been like a vast net, covering the entire western lands and connecting mountains, rivers, spiritual energy, and vitality.

Now, that net lay shattered, with only scattered fragments remaining deep underground.

Houtu sat cross-legged at the center of the western lands, pressed both hands against the ground, and closed her eyes.

The power of the Earth Ancestral Witch surged from her body, becoming a gentle yet weighty force of the earth that seeped deep underground.

Like invisible tendrils, that power slowly spread underground, sensing and locating the broken fragments of the earth veins one by one.

This was the first step in repairing the earth veins: sensing them.

Only by knowing the location, size, and condition of every fragment could she proceed to the next step of repair.

Houtu's divine sense roamed deep underground, sensing the aura of every earth vein fragment.

Some fragments were as large as mountain ranges, others as small as fists, scattered throughout the underground with deep chasms between them.

Di Jiang stood behind Houtu, power of space surging around him.

His task was to transport those scattered earth vein fragments from deep underground to suitable positions, creating the conditions for Houtu's repairs.

Power of space traveled underground, lifting fragments from deep pits and slowly moving them close to where they originally belonged.

Zhu Rong and Gong Gong stood shoulder to shoulder, one wielding fire and the other water, each complementing the other.

Zhu Rong's Southern Illumination Divine Flame heated the broken earth vein fragments, making them soft;

Gong Gong's Weak Water flowed into the fragments before they cooled, allowing water and fire to blend and fuse the fragments back together.

This method of harmonizing water and fire required extraordinarily precise control: too much fire would melt the fragments, while too much water would make them crumble.

Zhu Rong and Gong Gong were always bickering in ordinary times, but in this matter, their cooperation was seamless.

Xuan Ming stood to one side, the power of ice surging around her.

Whenever a section of earth vein was repaired, she solidified it with her power of ice, making the newly joined vein firm and stable in the extreme cold.

Her ice did more than freeze; it tempered the veins, greatly increasing their resilience under the extreme cold.

Using wood law, Jumang sowed seeds of life wherever the earth veins had been repaired.

His power of wood seeped into the earth, restoring vitality to the scorched land.

Plants began to sprout, and though there were only scattered flecks of green, they brought a trace of hope to this deathly silent land.

Using metal law, Rushou infused the fractures in the earth veins with the power of metal, strengthening those fragile places.

Like a skeleton, the power of metal supported the network of earth veins, keeping them from breaking again.

Qiangliang and Xizi used the powers of thunder and lightning to clear channels for spiritual energy underground.

The power of thunder split obstructing earth and stone, while the power of lightning opened the earth vein network, allowing spiritual energy to flow again.

Using poison law, Shebishi purified the foul energies underground.

The destructive power left by Luo Hou's self-detonation had seeped deep underground; unless it was removed, it would corrode the repaired earth veins once more.

Shebishi's power of poison could devour that filth and transform it into harmless energy.

Using wind law, Tianwu circulated the air at the surface, letting fresh winds blow into this deathly silent land.

The wind brought spiritual energy from afar and carried away the poisonous fumes at the surface.

Di Jiang, Zhu Jiuyin, and Houtu were the main force behind the repairs.

Houtu reconnected the fragments with earth law, while Di Jiang maintained the stability of the earth veins with power of space.

Zhu Jiuyin accelerated the repair process with power of time, rapidly closing cracks in the earth veins that would otherwise take long ages to heal naturally.

Pan Xuan did not remain idle either.

He used the Righteous Vitality Formula to keep himself at his peak at all times, while using the Primordial Heaven-Measuring Ruler to help Houtu measure the course of the earth veins.

The Heaven-Measuring Ruler inherently possessed the ability to measure dimensions, making it perfectly suited to measuring the positions, lengths, and depths of the earth veins.

The black-and-yellow light of merit upon the ruler spilled over the earth, clearly revealing the earth vein network wherever it passed and greatly facilitating Houtu's repairs.

Each of the thirteen carried out their own duties as they began the long work of repairing the western lands.

It was a colossal undertaking.

The western lands stretched boundlessly, their earth veins crisscrossing like the meridians and blood vessels of a human body.

Repairing these broken networks required not only strength, but patience and perseverance.

Day after day, year after year.

Houtu sat cross-legged at the center of the western lands without ever moving.

Her hands remained pressed against the ground, the power of earth law pouring endlessly underground and connecting earth vein fragment after fragment.

Her aura was steady and weighty, like the earth itself, neither anxious nor impatient, neither hurried nor slow.

Di Jiang traveled from place to place, his power of space constantly transporting earth vein fragments.

His figure flickered across the skies above the western lands, and with every flicker, a fragment was moved into a suitable position.

His movements were precise and efficient, without a trace of waste.

Zhu Rong and Gong Gong, that pair of bitter rivals, actually managed the rare feat of not arguing throughout this long repair process.

Their attention was focused entirely on the work in their hands.

Controlling the heat, gauging the amount of water, and balancing the two all required extraordinarily precise coordination.

Whenever Zhu Rong's fire grew too strong, Gong Gong silently increased the amount of water;

Whenever Gong Gong supplied too much water, Zhu Rong silently increased the intensity of his flames.

Over these long years, the unspoken coordination between them reached unprecedented heights.

Xuan Ming's power of ice left its mark on every repaired section of earth vein.

The earth veins tempered by her ice were stronger and more stable than before.

Her face remained as cold as frost, but the light in her eyes grew increasingly gentle.

The seeds Jumang had sown began to sprout and grow.

Scattered flecks of green gradually appeared across the once-scorched land.

Though the plants were still tiny and sparse, their presence brought a breath of life to this deathly silent land.

The power of metal Rushou infused into the earth veins supported them like a skeleton.

The once-fragile places became indestructible under the reinforcement of the power of metal.

Qiangliang and Xizi's thunder and lightning traveled underground, splitting obstructing earth and stone and opening channels for spiritual energy.

Spiritual energy began to circulate slowly through the places cleared by thunder and lightning; though still very weak, it already showed signs of flowing.

Shebishi's power of poison devoured the filth deep underground.

He removed the destructive power left by Luo Hou's self-detonation little by little, and the underground environment grew increasingly pure.

Tianwu's power of wind blew across the surface, carrying away poisonous fumes and bringing spiritual energy. Fresh winds swept through the western lands, giving this deathly silent earth breath.

Pan Xuan maintained his peak condition with the Righteous Vitality Formula, never growing weary.

His Primordial Heaven-Measuring Ruler constantly measured the course of the earth veins, providing Houtu with accurate information.

The black-and-yellow light of merit upon the ruler spilled over the earth, clearly revealing the earth vein network wherever it passed.

The thirteen worked together with increasing harmony, and the repairs progressed faster and faster.

The sun and moon turned, and spring and autumn succeeded one another.

While they were repairing the western earth veins, two figures approached from the direction of Mount Sumeru.

One was a thin, middle-aged Daoist with a sallow face, and the other was a young Daoist with refined features and compassion on his face.

Both wore gray Daoist robes, their auras peaceful yet deep, with a faint golden light flowing around them.

They were Jieyin and Zhunti, cultivators native to the west who had long lived in seclusion on Mount Sumeru, devoted to cultivation.

When the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin Clans contended for supremacy, they had not dared to act;

When Luo Hou fought Hong Jun and the others, they had not dared to act either.

Though their cultivation had reached the peak of the Daluo Golden Immortal realm, they still fell short before those supreme mighty figures of heaven and earth.

So they had chosen to endure and bide their time, cultivating quietly on Mount Sumeru as they waited for their opportunity.

But when the western earth veins were detonated and the entire land was reduced to scorched earth, they could no longer sit still.

The west was their root, their cultivation ground, the home where they had cultivated for countless years.

Now their home had been destroyed, yet they had been powerless to stop it and could only watch everything turn to ashes.

That sense of helplessness, that heart-piercing pain, left them restless day and night.

They had tried to repair the earth veins, but the strength of the two of them alone was no more than a cup of water against a cartload of burning firewood before such a colossal undertaking.

They could only remain on Mount Sumeru, guarding that last patch of pure land and waiting for a miracle to appear.