At that very moment, heavenly flowers rained down, and golden lotuses sprang from the earth.
Countless golden petals fluttered down from the sky, each containing pure merit power.
Golden lotuses emerged from the soil, each radiating a profound Dao resonance.
The entire western land was enveloped in this manifestation of merit.
The Great Dao bestowed boundless merit.
That merit power was as vast as the sea and as pure as a mirror. It descended from the heavens, divided into several streams, and fell upon everyone who had helped repair the earth veins.
Pan Xuan sensed the arrival of that merit power.
He could feel its immense magnitude and purity.
This was merit earned by restoring an entire land, merit earned by allowing countless living beings to be reborn. Its quantity was beyond measure.
Rather than absorbing it directly, he gathered all that merit power and stored it away.
Like golden liquid, the merit power flowed slowly through his body before settling in his Dantian, awaiting gradual refinement in the days to come.
Seeing this, the Twelve Ancestral Witches made the same choice.
Although they lacked the Merit Profound Yellow Dharma Aspect, they knew.
Pan Xuan was developing the Martial Dao, and this merit power might prove greatly useful in their future cultivation.
Even if it could not be used directly for the Martial Dao, there was no harm in storing it.
Thus, they too temporarily sealed the merit power within their bodies rather than absorbing it directly.
Jieyin and Zhunti, however, were different.
They did not know why Pan Xuan and the Ancestral Witches had chosen not to absorb the merit directly, but they gave it little thought. They sat cross-legged and began absorbing the merit power that had descended upon them.
As the merit power entered their bodies, their cultivation began to rise.
They were already at the Daluo Golden Immortal Peak, only one step away from becoming Primordial Origin Golden Immortals.
And this merit power was precisely the opportunity they needed to break through.
Golden light blazed around Jieyin, and his laws of metal grew purer under the nourishment of the merit power.
His aura began to climb, slowly advancing from the Daluo Golden Immortal Peak toward a higher realm.
The same was true of Zhunti.
His laws of wood grew more profound under the nourishment of the merit power. His aura likewise climbed, approaching the Primordial Origin Golden Immortal realm.
But breaking through to the Primordial Origin Golden Immortal realm was not the work of a single day.
The merit power merely provided an opportunity. A true breakthrough still required them to gain their own insights and fathom its mysteries.
After absorbing all the merit power, the two rose, turned toward Pan Xuan and the Twelve Ancestral Witches, and bowed deeply.
"Our benefactors, the western earth veins could only be restored because all of you lent your aid."
Jieyin's voice was steady and sincere, his eyes filled with gratitude. "I have no way to repay you. I can only engrave this kindness upon my heart."
Zhunti's eyes were slightly red, and his voice caught a little. "The west is our root, the homeland of countless western beings.
"By restoring the western earth veins, you have not merely helped us-you have saved countless living beings. I will never forget this kindness for all eternity."
Pan Xuan stepped forward, returned a slight bow, and smiled. "There is no need for such courtesy, fellow Daoists.
"The Primordial World was formed from Father God Pangu. Protecting it and repairing Father God's body is the duty of our Witch Clan.
"Restoring the western earth veins benefits the Primordial World, and it benefits us as well. It serves both ends."
Jieyin shook his head. "Even so, you had no ties of kinship or friendship with the west, yet you were willing to spend countless years here repairing its earth veins.
"How could we turn a blind eye to such righteousness, such kindness?"
He paused, then said solemnly, "From this day forward, all of you will forever be friends of our west.
"Whenever it may be, whatever the matter, if you ever have need of me, I will spare no effort to help."
Zhunti likewise said solemnly, "The same goes for me. Our benefactors, you will forever be friends of our west."
At these words, the Twelve Ancestral Witches all nodded slightly.
Di Jiang said in a deep voice, "We appreciate your sincerity, fellow Daoists. The word 'friends' is enough."
Houtu said softly, "Although the western earth veins have been restored, it will still take long years for the spiritual energy to recover.
"In the days ahead, you must take good care of this land so that it may regain its former vitality as soon as possible."
Jieyin nodded. "Rest assured, Ancestral Witch Houtu. The west is our root. We will tend to it with care."
Pan Xuan looked at Jieyin and Zhunti, then at the western land whose vitality had already returned, before turning to the Twelve Ancestral Witches.
"Elder brothers and sisters, the earth veins have been restored. It is time we returned to Pangu Hall. Our work on the Martial Dao remains unfinished. We must not neglect it."
Di Jiang nodded. "Brother Pan Xuan is right. Come, let us return to Pangu Hall."
The thirteen transformed into streaks of light, rose into the sky above the western land, and flew east toward Pangu Hall.
Jieyin and Zhunti stood atop Mount Sumeru, watching those thirteen streaks of light vanish into the horizon.
"Senior brother, they are true benefactors," Zhunti said softly, his voice filled with gratitude.
Jieyin nodded, his gaze distant. "The descendants of Father God Pangu truly are extraordinary. Our west will never forget this kindness for all eternity."
The two stood atop Mount Sumeru for a long time. Only after those thirteen streaks of light had completely vanished into the horizon did they turn and return into the mountain.
Meanwhile, Pan Xuan and the Twelve Ancestral Witches traveled east all the way back to Pangu Hall.
Pangu Hall still towered majestically in the embrace of Mount Buzhou, ancient and vast, exuding an eternal aura that would endure as long as heaven and earth.
The Pangu Blood Pool still lay quietly before the hall, with profound yellow qi and golden merit light intertwining and swirling above it.
The thirteen landed before Pangu Hall and filed inside.
Standing within the hall, Pan Xuan looked around, myriad feelings stirring in his heart.
This journey west had yielded tremendous gains.
They had restored the western earth veins and accumulated boundless merit.
The Merit Profound Yellow Dharma Aspect had grown stronger once more, and the Twelve Ancestral Witches had also stored large quantities of merit power within their bodies, ready to be used in developing the Martial Dao.
They had become acquainted with Jieyin and Zhunti, forging a bond of goodwill for the Witch Clan in the west.
Although those two were currently only at the Daluo Golden Immortal Peak, Pan Xuan knew that their future achievements would be limitless.
Befriending such people could only benefit the Witch Clan.
They had also witnessed the changes in the Primordial World.
The Dragon-Han Calamity had ended, and the curtain had fallen on the Dao-Devil War.
The Heavenly Dao was about to emerge. A new era was dawning.
Pan Xuan drew a deep breath, looked at the Twelve Ancestral Witches, and said in a deep voice, "Elder brothers and sisters, our business in the west is concluded. Next, we shall continue developing the Martial Dao.
"Although the effects of the Heavenly Enlightenment Wisdom Light have already faded, our insights into the World-Creation Diagram remain, as does the merit power.
"We must strike while the iron is hot and work out the path of the Martial Dao as soon as possible."
Di Jiang nodded. "Brother Pan Xuan is right. We cannot abandon our work on the Martial Dao halfway. Starting tomorrow, we will resume secluded cultivation."
Zhu Rong laughed heartily. "Good! Repairing the earth veins was exhausting, but it also gave me a deeper understanding of the nature of fire.
"Before, I only knew that fire could burn. Now I know that fire can also create. While we were repairing the earth veins, my Southern Illumination Divine Flame was not merely heating the fragments-it was infusing the earth veins with vitality.
"That feeling of creation was entirely different from before."
Gong Gong also nodded. "The same is true of water. While repairing the earth veins, my Weak Water was not merely binding the fragments together-it was nourishing the land.
"I had never felt so clearly how water bears things up, how it embraces them."
Xuan Ming said coldly, "Ice can solidify the earth veins, and it can also temper them.
"Before, I only knew that ice could freeze. Now I know that ice can also protect."
Houtu said softly, "Repairing the earth veins deepened my understanding of the power of the earth.
"The earth does not merely bear all things-it connects all things as well.
"The earth veins are the earth's meridians. Repairing the earth veins means clearing those meridians. That feeling was entirely different from before."
The other Ancestral Witches also nodded, clearly having gained something themselves during the process of repairing the earth veins.
Before you continue