When Pan Xuan and the Twelve Ancestral Witches arrived in the west and began repairing the earth veins, Jieyin and Zhunti sensed it immediately.
At first, they could not believe it.
The Twelve Ancestral Witches were beings born from Pangu's blood essence, mighty figures between heaven and earth.
Why would they come to repair the Western Earth Veins? They had no ties to the west, so why would they expend so much effort?
But soon, they saw the thirteen at work.
Houtu sat cross-legged, the power of earth pouring ceaselessly underground; Di Jiang traveled through the void, transporting fragments of the earth veins.
Zhu Rong and Gong Gong made water and fire work in harmony, binding the severed earth veins together; Xuan Ming tempered them with ice, making them stronger.
Jumang sowed life, restoring vitality to the scorched earth; Rushou infused the power of metal into the earth veins to provide support.
Qiangliang and Xizi used thunder and lightning to open channels for spiritual energy; Shebishi purified filth; Tianwu sent gentle breezes blowing; Pan Xuan measured positions with the Heaven-Measuring Ruler...
Each of the thirteen had his or her own task, working in seamless coordination, every person's power devoted to repairing the earth veins.
Jieyin and Zhunti stood atop Mount Sumeru, watching the scene from afar, their eyes filled with awe and emotion.
"Senior brother, they... they're helping us restore the west." Zhunti's voice trembled slightly, his eyes faintly red.
Jieyin remained silent for a long while before slowly nodding. "The Twelve Ancestral Witches... and that young man holding the Heaven-Measuring Ruler.
"They have no ties to the west, yet they're willing to lend a hand. This debt of gratitude weighs as heavily as Sumeru."
Zhunti said softly, "Senior brother, we... we should help too. Our strength may be meager, but one more person means one more measure of strength."
Jieyin nodded. "Indeed we should."
The two flew down from Mount Sumeru and arrived at the site of the repairs. They approached Houtu and bowed deeply.
"I am Jieyin." "I am Zhunti." "Greetings, Ancestral Witches.
"The west is where the two of us cultivate. The destruction of its earth veins has caused us anguish, yet we have been powerless to repair them.
"Your help today is a kindness akin to granting us life anew. We are willing to contribute our meager strength and repair the earth veins alongside you."
Houtu opened her eyes, looked at the two, and nodded slightly. "You are thoughtful, fellow Daoists.
"Repairing the earth veins is not the work of one person. One more person means one more measure of strength. Please go ahead."
Overjoyed, Jieyin and Zhunti immediately joined the repair effort.
Jieyin supported Rushou with the Metal Law. His power of metal was pure and profound, complementing Rushou's Metal Law.
Together, they infused stronger power of metal into the fractures in the earth veins, making those fragile places even more impregnable.
Zhunti supported Jumang with the Wood Law. His power of wood was compassionate and gentle, harmonizing with Jumang's Wood Law.
Together, they sowed more seeds of life wherever the earth veins had been repaired. Nourished by the power of wood, those seeds quickly sprouted and grew, bringing more greenery to the western lands.
With Jieyin and Zhunti joining them, the repairs proceeded faster still.
Although Jieyin and Zhunti were only peak Daluo Golden Immortals, far below the Ancestral Witches' Primordial Origin Golden Immortal realm.
Their understanding of the Western Earth Veins ran deeper than anyone else's.
For countless years, they had cultivated in the west and knew every mountain, every river, and every earth vein like the backs of their hands.
Under their guidance, the efficiency of the repairs improved greatly.
"There used to be a branch vein here, connecting Mount Sumeru to the west's spiritual veins."
Zhunti pointed deep underground and told Houtu, "After the earth veins broke, the fragments of that branch vein scattered in three directions.
"One lies three hundred li to the southeast, one five hundred li due west, and another two hundred li due north."
Houtu sensed with the Earth Law and indeed found the three fragments at the locations Zhunti had described.
With Zhunti's guidance, she no longer needed to spend so much time sensing and locating them. She could move the fragments straight to the appropriate positions for repair.
Jieyin, meanwhile, led Rushou and Zhu Rong in infusing the power of metal and the power of fire into the earth veins' crucial nodes, making those nodes stronger.
He knew which nodes formed the core of the earth veins and which were merely secondary channels, where reinforcement was needed and where things could remain as they were.
Such precise judgment allowed the repairs to achieve twice the result with half the effort.
Watching Jieyin and Zhunti's busy figures, Pan Xuan nodded inwardly.
Though their cultivation fell short of the Ancestral Witches', their understanding of the west and familiarity with its earth veins were unmatched.
With them there, the work of repairing the Western Earth Veins had a clear direction.
Time slowly passed amid the repairs.
Years went uncounted in the Primordial World, and no one knew how many ages had passed.
Houtu's hands never left the ground. The power of her Earth Law continued to circulate deep underground, connecting one earth vein fragment after another.
Her Primordial Spirit had already reached full maturity, allowing her to sustain such prolonged output.
Even so, a trace of weariness occasionally appeared on her face.
It was not because her strength was insufficient, but because this immense undertaking was too long and too tedious.
Di Jiang's figure flickered constantly above the western lands, each flicker marking the transport of an earth vein fragment.
Though his power of space was inexhaustible, after transporting fragments continuously for countless years, even he occasionally needed to stop for a short rest.
Over those long years, Zhu Rong and Gong Gong, that pair of bitter rivals, had come to work together as seamlessly as a heavenly robe without a stitch.
When Zhu Rong's fire should grow stronger or weaker; when Gong Gong's water should increase or decrease.
They no longer needed words. A single glance, or even a tiny movement, was enough for the other to understand.
Xuan Ming's power of ice left its mark on every repaired stretch of earth vein.
Tempered by ice, those earth veins grew tougher through alternating extremes of cold and heat.
Her white hair fluttered in the wind, like a spirit amid ice and snow.
The seeds Jumang had sown had already grown into vast forests.
The once-blackened lands were now brimming with green.
Plants flourished, flowers bloomed in profusion, and birds and beasts began to reappear upon the land.
Though it remained far from the west at its height, at least this land was no longer a dead realm.
Rushou, Qiangliang, Xizi, Shebishi, and Tianwu each wielded their own laws, working underground, on the surface, and in the sky.
Their figures appeared in every corner of the western lands, their power seeping into every inch of its fabric.
Using the Righteous Vitality Formula, Pan Xuan remained at his peak throughout, never tiring.
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 land, revealing the earth veins' channels clearly wherever it passed.
When needed, he also washed earth vein fragments eroded by filth with Vast Righteous Qi, purifying them before Houtu repaired them.
Jieyin and Zhunti exerted themselves to the utmost.
They were cultivators born and raised in the west, and their feelings for this land ran deeper than anyone else's.
They knew that repairing the Western Earth Veins was not merely for merit, but also for their own homeland.
Thus, they worked harder and took greater care than anyone else.
During breaks in the repairs, Zhunti often sat cross-legged on the ground, palms pressed together, murmuring chants.
He used the power of his great vows to bless the earth veins, making the repaired sections more stable.
Though the power of his great vows was not as mighty as the Ancestral Witches' power of laws, it possessed a unique compassion and resilience that could soothe the savage energy within the earth veins.
Jieyin often stood on high ground, overlooking the western lands.
His gaze was deep and far-reaching, as though he could see every node and every channel of the earth veins.
Based on the earth veins' overall course, he provided Houtu with the best plans for repair.
His wisdom and foresight spared the repair effort many detours.
Finally, after an unknown number of years, the last broken stretch of earth vein was repaired.
At that moment, the entire western land trembled.
It was not the trembling of destruction, but of new life.
The earth veins reconnected, and spiritual energy began to circulate.
The once-depleted spiritual energy slowly rose from the depths of the earth veins like clear springs welling up anew in a dry riverbed, spreading into every corner of the western lands.
Mountains began to revive, rivers began to flow, vegetation began to flourish, and living creatures began to return.
Washed by spiritual energy, the once-gray-black sky gradually grew clear.
The light of the Primordial World's great sun pierced the clouds and spilled over the western lands, illuminating this land that had endured destruction and rebirth.
Upon Mount Sumeru, golden light blazed.
It marked the reactivation of the west's spiritual veins and symbolized the land's revival.
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