The Pangu Phantom, the Witch Clan Established

The Twelve Ancestral Witches took their places in the open ground before Pangu Hall, each occupying a position in the Dutian Divine Fiends Grand Formation.

Di Jiang stood due east, the power of space surging around him.

Zhu Jiuyin stood due west, the power of time flowing around him.

Zhu Rong stood due south, Southern Illumination Divine Flame blazing fiercely.

Gong Gong stood due north, the power of Weak Water as unfathomable as an abyss.

Xuan Ming stood in the northeast, the power of ice biting cold.

Houtu stood in the southwest, the power of earth heavy and deep.

Jumang, Rushou, Qiangliang, Xizi, Shebishi, Tianwu.

The twelve Ancestral Witches each held their position and activated their own Natal Law.

"Dutian Divine Fiends-rise!"

At Di Jiang's shout, the Twelve Ancestral Witches unleashed their full strength at once.

At that moment, the twelve kinds of Power of Laws merged into one, becoming a chaos-colored pillar of light that shot into the sky.

Within that pillar of light, a phantom slowly began to coalesce.

At first, it was merely a blurred outline, like a cloud of mist before chaos had been cleaved apart.

But soon, that outline grew clearer and more solid.

It had a human form, standing between heaven and earth, its height spanning untold tens of millions of miles.

It was a phantom of Pangu.

The phantom slowly took shape, gripping an enormous axe-the phantom of the Pangu Axe. Chaos Qi churned ceaselessly along its blade.

The instant the phantom fully formed, an unimaginable pressure radiated from him, enveloping all of Pangu Hall.

Houtu stood within the formation, and the Primordial Spirit in her Niwan Palace lit up.

With a thought, she linked the power of her Primordial Spirit to the Pangu Phantom.

The phantom's eyes, which had held nothing but chaos, suddenly lit up, as though a trace of awareness had awakened within them.

Bolstered by Houtu's Primordial Spirit, the Pangu Phantom became more solid, more real.

The enormous axe in his hands grew clearer as well, the Chaos Qi along its blade churning even more fiercely.

"Pan Xuan's younger brother, I'm ready." Houtu's voice came from within the formation, calm and firm.

Pan Xuan nodded and said gravely, "Big sister Houtu, step out of Pangu Hall and proclaim it to heaven and earth."

Houtu activated her Primordial Spirit, and the Pangu Phantom slowly moved toward the great doors of Pangu Hall.

The great doors of Pangu Hall slowly opened.

The Pangu Phantom walked out of the hall and set foot upon the land of the Primordial World.

The moment the Pangu Phantom left Pangu Hall, an unimaginable aura shot skyward from the direction of Mount Buzhou, spreading in every direction.

That aura was vast, ancient, and boundless, carrying the mighty power that had cleaved heaven and earth apart. The entire Primordial World trembled before it.

Beyond chaos, within Zixiao Palace.

Hong Jun sat high upon the Cloud Bed, Purple Qi swirling around him, his aura as unfathomable as an abyss.

Below him, countless cultivators sat cross-legged, their expressions reverent as they awaited the sage's discourse on the Great Dao.

The Three Pure Ones sat in the front row. Jieyin, Zhunti, Di Jun, Taiyi, Fuxi, Nuwa, Zhen Yuanzi, Hong Yun, Minghe, Kunpeng... nearly every renowned mighty figure in the Primordial World had gathered there.

Hong Jun was about to speak when his brow suddenly stirred.

He sensed a powerful aura coming from the direction of Mount Buzhou.

That aura held Pangu's Power, yet also carried an entirely new will.

Hong Jun's gaze pierced through chaos and across the Primordial World, settling in the direction of Mount Buzhou.

An almost imperceptible ripple passed through his eyes.

The other mighty figures sensed that aura as well.

The Three Pure Ones exchanged glances, each seeing puzzlement in the others' eyes.

They were the closest to Pangu, and they knew Pangu's Power within that aura better than anyone.

Yet that aura also held a power they had never encountered before.

It was the power of the Witch Clan, the power of the Twelve Ancestral Witches.

"The Witch Clan... what are they trying to do?" Taiqing Laozi murmured.

Yuqing Yuanshi frowned slightly. "This aura... they're summoning Father God's phantom."

A glint flashed through Sect Master Tongtian of Shangqing's eyes. "Summoning Father God's phantom? What are they trying to do?"

Within Zixiao Palace, countless cultivators whispered among themselves, all speculating about the disturbance near Mount Buzhou.

Meanwhile, before Mount Buzhou, the Pangu Phantom had already emerged from Pangu Hall.

The phantom stood between heaven and earth, his height spanning untold tens of millions of miles, the enormous axe in his hands radiating the light of chaos.

Houtu's Primordial Spirit had become one with the phantom. Her will was his will, and her voice was his voice.

The Pangu Phantom stood before Mount Buzhou, facing the land of the Primordial World, and threw back his head in a long roar.

That roar was like the first thunderclap when heaven and earth were cleaved apart, spreading across the four seas and eight wildernesses, reaching the nine heavens and ten lands.

After the roar, Houtu's voice rang out from within the phantom, solemn and majestic. Every word rang like the clash of metal and stone, resounding through heaven and earth:

"Great Dao above! Father God Pangu above! Let the heavens and earth of the Primordial World bear witness! Let the Heavenly Dao witness this!"

As her words fell, heaven and earth shook.

That voice carried the full will of the Twelve Ancestral Witches, the Witch Clan's reverence for Father God, and their pledge to heaven and earth.

Within Zixiao Palace, countless cultivators heard that voice, their expressions varied.

"The Great Dao above? The Great Dao has already withdrawn, yet they still swear to it?" one cultivator murmured.

"Let the Heavenly Dao witness this? They call upon the Heavenly Dao as witness, yet make no mention of Dao Ancestor Hongjun?" another cultivator said with a frown.

"The Witch Clan... they truly revere only Pangu and no one else." A cultivator shook his head.

The Three Pure Ones remained silent, their gazes deep.

They could feel the solemn sincerity within that aura, as well as its proud backbone and unyielding spirit.

The Witch Clan had never been a race that bowed beneath others.

Di Jun and Taiyi exchanged glances, each seeing gravity in the other's eyes.

With such power, if the Witch Clan truly succeeded in formally establishing itself, it would surely become their greatest rival.

Jieyin and Zhunti pressed their palms together and chanted softly, their faces calm.

Hong Jun remained seated high upon the Cloud Bed, his expression unchanged.

His gaze pierced through chaos and settled toward Mount Buzhou, upon that Pangu Phantom standing between heaven and earth.

There was no anger in his eyes, no surprise-only a bottomless calm.

Houtu's voice continued to echo between heaven and earth:

"We, the Twelve Ancestral Witches, blood descendants of Father God Pangu, were born of Father God's blood essence and wield the fundamental laws of heaven and earth.

We cannot bear to see the Heavenly Dao incomplete, the Primordial World unstable, and Father God's final wishes unfulfilled."

"We pledge to establish the Witch Clan, inherit Father God's will, and shoulder the duty of guardianship. With Pangu Hall and the Primordial Heaven-Measuring Ruler, we shall anchor our fortune."

"From this day forth, the Witch Clan shall guard Mount Buzhou.

Born of Father God's spine, the pillar supporting heaven shall never fall."

"From this day forth, the Witch Clan shall purify the land of the Primordial World.

Born of Father God's flesh and blood, the foundation of all things shall never be defiled."

"From this day forth, the Witch Clan shall make the Heavenly Dao whole.

Born of Father God's will, the order of heaven and earth shall never be incomplete."

"In the name of Pangu's descendants, we swear to the Great Dao, to Father God, to heaven and earth, and to the Heavenly Dao:

As long as the Witch Clan endures, Mount Buzhou shall not fall;

As long as the Witch Clan endures, the land of the Primordial World shall not be defiled;

As long as the Witch Clan endures, the flaws in the Heavenly Dao can be mended."

"Let heaven and earth bear witness to this oath, and the Great Dao attest to it!"

As the words fell, heaven and earth shook.

A beam of Light of Chaos shot skyward from Mount Buzhou, interweaving with the radiance of the Pangu Phantom.

Within that radiance, a faint phantom of Father God Pangu appeared. He looked down at the Twelve Ancestral Witches, his eyes filled with gratification.

Across the land of the Primordial World, countless mountains and rivers seemed to sense something and gave a deep, resonant hum.

It was the resonance of Father God's bloodline, the response of heaven and earth to the Witch Clan's oath.

The power of the Heavenly Dao descended from above, becoming a golden pillar of light that enveloped the Pangu Phantom and the Twelve Ancestral Witches.

Within that pillar of light lay the Heavenly Dao's witness to and recognition of the Witch Clan's oath.

Within Zixiao Palace, countless cultivators watched the scene, their expressions varied.

"The Witch Clan... what are they trying to do? Establish their clan? Weren't they already a clan?" one cultivator asked quietly.

Another shook his head. "It's different. Before, the Witch Clan was merely the Twelve Ancestral Witches and their clanspeople. They had no formal clan name and had sworn no oath to heaven and earth.

Now they're formally establishing their clan and proclaiming it to heaven and earth. They're formally stepping onto the stage of the Primordial World."

One cultivator sneered. "If they want to establish their clan, so be it. Why speak of 'making the Heavenly Dao whole'? Are the Heavenly Dao's flaws theirs to mend?"

Another agreed. "Exactly. Dao Ancestor Hongjun has attained sagehood. Matters of the Heavenly Dao naturally fall to him to oversee. The Witch Clan is usurping another's place, with no measure of its own strength."

Yet some cultivators remained silent, their gazes deep.

They could feel the solemn sincerity of the Witch Clan's oath, and the power within that Pangu Phantom that could not be ignored.

Among the Three Pure Ones, Taiqing Laozi shook his head slightly and murmured, "The Witch Clan... as rash as ever. How could matters of the Heavenly Dao be resolved merely by swearing an oath?"

Yuqing Yuanshi said coldly, "They've always been this way. They revere only Father God.

Now that the Heavenly Dao has emerged, they still insist on swearing to the Great Dao. Utter nonsense."

Sect Master Tongtian of Shangqing had a different view. His gaze deep, he said softly:

"Though the Witch Clan is rash, their oath... does hold some truth.

The Primordial World was formed from Father God Pangu. Protecting it has always been our duty as his descendants.

The Three Pure Ones were formed from Father God's Primordial Spirit, and the Witch Clan from his blood essence. They certainly bear a share of that duty."

Yuanshi Tianzun frowned. "Tongtian, what do you mean by that?"

Sect Master Tongtian shook his head. "Nothing in particular. I merely feel that, though rash, the Witch Clan's actions are not entirely without reason."

Laozi said mildly, "Whether they have reason or not, matters of the Heavenly Dao are for the Heavenly Dao to decide.

If the Witch Clan wishes to make the Heavenly Dao whole, that still depends on whether the Heavenly Dao accepts."

Discussion filled Zixiao Palace.

Di Jun said quietly to Taiyi, "The Witch Clan has formally established itself and proclaimed it to heaven and earth.

From now on, we have another rival in this Primordial World."

Taiyi nodded, his gaze grave. "The Witch Clan's strength cannot be underestimated.

All Twelve Ancestral Witches are mighty figures, and they also possess the Dutian Divine Fiends Grand Formation, which can summon the Pangu Phantom.

Even you and I dare not take that power lightly."

Di Jun sneered. "However strong they are, they're merely a pack of brutes without Primordial Spirits.

Without Primordial Spirits, they cannot truly comprehend the Heavenly Dao. They will never amount to anything great."

Taiyi said nothing. He merely watched the pillar of chaos light rising skyward in the direction of Mount Buzhou, a trace of contemplation flashing through his eyes.

Jieyin and Zhunti pressed their palms together and chanted softly. Zhunti asked quietly, "Senior brother, what do you think of the Witch Clan's actions?"

Jieyin was silent for a moment before saying slowly, "The Witch Clan descends from Pangu. Protecting the Primordial World is indeed their duty.

Though their methods are somewhat... direct, their sincerity is real."

Zhunti nodded. "You're right, senior brother.

When they repaired the Western Earth Veins back then, I knew the Witch Clan was no ordinary group. Though rash in their actions, their hearts are sincere."

Jieyin said softly, "Sincerity... sometimes, sincerity matters more than cleverness."

Before Mount Buzhou, the Pangu Phantom gradually drew in upon himself, becoming a beam of Light of Chaos that sank into Pangu Hall.

The Twelve Ancestral Witches withdrew the Dutian Divine Fiends Grand Formation and stepped out of it.

Pan Xuan stood at the entrance to Pangu Hall, watching everything, countless feelings stirring within him.

Establishing the Witch Clan, proclaiming it to heaven and earth, and shouldering the duty of protecting the Primordial World-this was the first step he had conceived.

By getting ahead of Hong Jun, he would bring the Witch Clan formally onto the stage of the Primordial World and seize the initiative.

Hong Jun wanted to merge with the Dao, so the Witch Clan would establish itself first;

Hong Jun wanted to make the Heavenly Dao whole, so the Witch Clan would first shoulder the responsibility of Mending the Heavens.

This way, the Witch Clan would no longer be a piece on Hong Jun's board, but a player facing him across it.

As for how to truly make the Heavenly Dao whole, Pan Xuan already had plans, but that was a matter for later.

What mattered most now was letting heaven and earth know that the Witch Clan had arrived.

The Twelve Ancestral Witches withdrew the grand formation and stepped out, their faces weary, yet their eyes shone with an unprecedented light.

Zhu Rong laughed heartily. "Brother Pan Xuan, your method really worked! I could feel the Heavenly Dao responding to us."

Gong Gong nodded as well. "Indeed. When the power of the Heavenly Dao descended just now, my Water Law gained another layer of connection with heaven and earth."

Houtu said softly, "Pan Xuan's younger brother, my Primordial Spirit also gained a stronger connection with the Heavenly Dao. It was as though... I had become part of the Heavenly Dao, and the Heavenly Dao had become part of me."

Pan Xuan smiled slightly. "My elder brothers and sisters, this is what establishing the clan means.

Once the Witch Clan formally shoulders the duty of protecting the Primordial World, the Heavenly Dao will recognize us, and our laws will resonate with it.

This is the first step. More will follow." Di Jiang said gravely, "Brother Pan Xuan, you said you had other arrangements for making the Heavenly Dao whole. What are they?"

Pan Xuan shook his head. "This matter still needs careful consideration. My elder brothers and sisters, you've only just established the clan. Rest for a few days first. Once you've recovered, I'll explain it to you in detail."

The Ancestral Witches all nodded and returned to Pangu Hall to rest.

Pan Xuan also turned toward his meditation chamber. He sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and focused his mind, sensing the changes in the Heavenly Dao.