Houtu

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Houtu (后土)
Alias(es)	Lady Houtu; Sister Houtu; Imperial Earth Deity Houtu; Mistress of Reincarnation
Species/Race	Ancestral Witch of the Witch Clan
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Witch Clan; Houtu Tribe; Netherworld
Occupation/Role	High Chief of the Houtu Tribe; one of the Twelve Ancestral Witches; ruler and overseer of the Netherworld
Status	Active; a Saint bound to the Netherworld, able to act through avatars 806 896 992
First Appearance	120

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Daluo Realm	225 266	Her aura is formidable enough to terrify the Great River’s Water Demons; Red Cloud is described as only faintly stronger, and the Twelve Ancestral Witches are identified as Daluo cultivators.
Initial insight into the Dao of Reincarnation	186	She recognizes the cycle from death to life and life to death after her experience at Myriad Crows Mountain.
Dao of Life and completed Reincarnation insight	603	Within annihilating Chaos Divine Lightning, she comprehends the Dao of Life; combined with her Dao of Death, it forms the basis of reincarnation.
Saint / Ruler of the Netherworld	805 806	She transforms herself into reincarnation, establishes the Six Paths, receives immense Heavenly Dao merit, and attains sainthood.

Background / History

Houtu first meets Wu Chu when Nuwa guides her to Purple Jade Mountain. She arrives in time to assist him against Tianmu Daoist, who is possessed by an avatar of Demon Ancestor Luohou. Houtu overwhelms the enemy with merit divine runes and golden fist radiance, helping destroy the avatar and earning merit from the Heavenly Dao alongside Wu Chu. 120

As Wu Chu’s guest, Houtu investigates the nature of the Demonic Dao, then becomes deeply interested in the food, architecture, farming, and daily-life practices of Purple Jade Mountain. She brings these ideas back to the Witch Clan, replacing raw diets and cave dwelling with cooked food and wooden buildings; the Heavenly Dao rewards her efforts with merit. 121 124 125 133

She remains at Purple Jade Mountain far longer than intended in order to help Wu Chu create the Nine-Turn Mysterious Technique. Drawing on Witch Clan bloodline-awakening principles, Houtu provides the technique’s core philosophy while Wu Chu adapts it for spiritual-energy cultivation. 128

As chief of the Houtu Tribe, she refuses the Qilin Royal Clan’s invitation to join its faction and later leads her people away from Mount Buzhou when Qilin pressure becomes too dangerous. She chooses to relocate near Purple Jade Mountain, seeking a safer future and Wu Chu’s assistance in developing the tribe. 133 169

Over time, Houtu and Wu Chu turn the tribe into an increasingly organized settlement. She mentors young Wus such as Kua, safeguards her people during the Dragon–Qilin conflict, adopts practical reforms such as tournaments and specialized labor, and supports the creation of First City and First Academy. 175 249 261 705

Her growing understanding of death, life, and the suffering of wandering spirits eventually leads her to establish the Netherworld. Though Wu Chu fears the cost of her decision, Houtu resolves to transform herself into reincarnation so that souls may be judged and reborn. 603 799 800

Appearance

Houtu normally appears as a tall, slender woman with cascading black hair, soft features, and a calm, gentle presence. She is first described in pale-yellow celestial robes, whose restrained elegance contrasts sharply with her overwhelmingly forceful combat style. 121

• Long black hair and a tall, graceful build. 121 243
• Gentle, plain aura unlike Nuwa’s more obvious Dao-rhythm presence. 121
• Prefers practical comfort over attendants, despite possessing a grand garden residence. 175
• Her Dharma form has a human head, serpent body, and many arms extending from her back. 805
• Can enlarge herself into a colossal body roughly ten thousand zhang tall. 224

Personality

Houtu is composed, thoughtful, and compassionate. She reflects deeply on existence, her clan’s purpose, life, and death; these concerns ultimately guide her toward the Dao of Reincarnation. 123 186 603

As a leader, she is cautious rather than timid. She rejects reckless conflict with the Qilin Royal Court, relocates her tribe when necessary, and weighs long-term survival above pride. However, when her people are threatened, she can be stern and terrifyingly decisive. 169 224 225

She is receptive to useful knowledge regardless of its source. Houtu seriously studies cooking, construction, farming, and social organization from Wu Chu and Little Moon Spirit, then adapts those lessons for the Witch Clan. 124 125 261

Beneath her dignified exterior, Houtu is a devoted food lover. She readily discards her formal bearing when faced with a good meal and learns cooking faster than Nuwa due to her genuine interest. 121 123

Abilities & Skills

Witch Clan Body Cultivation

Houtu cultivates through vitality, blood, and earthly baleful energy rather than a primordial spirit and conventional mana.

• Uses earthly baleful energy to temper her body toward immortality. 124
• Possesses the physical strength and close-combat prowess characteristic of the Witch Clan. 120 428
• Her clan’s bloodline can awaken varied divine abilities through cultivation. 128 177
• Can manifest an immense combat body when confronting powerful enemies. 224 805

Merit Divine Runes and Golden Fist Radiance

Houtu can wield merit-based power in direct combat.

• Her golden fist radiance destroys and disperses Tianmu Daoist’s demonic sword qi. 120
• She repeatedly intercepts the fleeing Demon Ancestor avatar, striking after it teleports and forcing it back. 120
• Her contribution to slaying the avatar earns a Heavenly Dao merit reward. 120

Earth and Body Divine Abilities

Houtu’s abilities are closely tied to the earth and the Witch Clan’s physical cultivation.

• Ground-Shrinking Technique — Travels by drawing upon earth veins through earthly fiendish qi; she can keep pace with Qiankun Shifting users. 175 449
• Three Heads and Six Arms — A Witch Clan divine ability that can take forms beyond its name; Houtu’s version manifests with a vastly enlarged body and more than six arms. 177
• Terrain Raising — Raises the land beneath her tribe into a heavenly pillar to keep it above floodwaters. 249
• Brute-force formation breaking — Disperses the Ten Thousand Crows Formation with a single punch. 186

Reincarnation Authority

After attaining sainthood, Houtu commands the Netherworld and governs the cycle of death and rebirth.

• Establishes the Six Paths of Reincarnation: Heavenly, Asura, Human, Animal, Hungry Ghost, and Hell. 805
• Directs departed souls toward rebirth and assigns their path according to merit, faults, and karmic burden. 805
• Establishes Fengdu as a city for spirits unwilling to reincarnate immediately. 806
• Holds authority as the Imperial Earth Deity, commanding and overseeing the Netherworld. 806
• Cannot freely leave the Netherworld with her true body, but can dispatch avatars to act elsewhere. 499 992

Teaching and Cultivation Research

Houtu is a capable teacher and cultivation innovator.

• Co-creates the Nine-Turn Mysterious Technique with Wu Chu, adapting Witch Clan bloodline-awakening concepts for humans and other spiritual-energy users. 128
• Modifies the Ground-Shrinking Technique for Wu Chu and personally trains Kua through practical trials. 175
• Revises body-tempering methods for other beings, including Bai Ze and Big Red. 243 418

Items

• Nine-Heavens Resting Soil — A piece of precious earth-origin material given to Wu Chu during her first stay at Purple Jade Mountain. 122
• Seven-Treasure Radiance Kerchief — A treasure she acquires through exchange and gives to Wu Chu after his Golden Immortal advancement. 204
• Book of Life and Death — A Netherworld artifact refined by Houtu and placed in the Hall of Yama. 896
• Judge’s Brush — A matching Netherworld artifact refined alongside the Book of Life and Death. 896

Relationships

• Wu Chu — Companion, cultivation partner, and later wife. Houtu helps create the Nine-Turn Mysterious Technique with him, relies on his counsel in governing her tribe, and proceeds with establishing reincarnation despite his fears for her. 128 261 805
• Nuwa — Fellow powerful being whom Houtu calls “Sister.” Nuwa guides Houtu to Purple Jade Mountain, leading to Houtu’s first meeting with Wu Chu. 120 121
• The Twelve Ancestral Witches — Her siblings and fellow founders of the Witch Clan. Houtu often acts as the measured voice in their deliberations and leads discussions concerning the Houtu Tribe’s future. 169
• Dijiang — Ancestral Witch sibling who supports the tribe’s migration decision and later offers Witch Clan personnel to help govern the Netherworld. 169 806
• Kua — Young member of the Houtu Tribe whom she trains through travel, sparring, and use of the Ground-Shrinking Technique. 175 176
• Qingqiu Li — Initially a tense acquaintance and rival for Wu Chu’s attention, later an amicable “sister” and fellow cultivator who discusses Dao and cultivation with Houtu. 183 185 304
• Red Cloud — A respected ally who prevents Houtu’s dispute with the Water Demons from escalating into a massacre. 225
• Minghe — Lord of the Blood Sea, whose refusal to cooperate complicates the Netherworld’s creation; he resents Houtu’s later authority over the region. 805 806
• Heavenly Emperor Hao — Supports Houtu’s establishment of reincarnation by ordering Minghe to yield half of the Blood Sea and later formally appoints her overseer of the Netherworld. 805 806

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Aid Against the Demon Ancestor’s Avatar — Saves Wu Chu from Tianmu Daoist and helps destroy Luohou’s avatar. 120
• Purple Jade Mountain Guest — Learns cooking, agriculture, construction, and social practices while helping develop the Nine-Turn Mysterious Technique. 121 124 128
• Civilizing the Houtu Tribe — Introduces settled housing, cooked food, farming, organized production, and later competitive events to strengthen Witch Clan society. 133 261 266
• Migration and Tribal Leadership — Relocates the Houtu Tribe to avoid Qilin pressure and develops it near Purple Jade Mountain. 169 175
• Search for Reincarnation — Gains insights through Myriad Crows Mountain, Chaos Divine Lightning, and prolonged travel; her Dao of Life and Dao of Death converge into reincarnation. 186 603 799
• Founding of the Netherworld — Uses half the Blood Sea to establish the Six Paths of Reincarnation, becomes a Saint, and founds Fengdu. 805 806
• Guardian Beyond the Netherworld — Sends an avatar to the Little Netherworld, rescues surviving intelligent life from the destroyed Blue Star, and arranges for their reincarnation. 992
• Expansion of Reincarnation — Sends an avatar to reincarnate and establish another Netherworld in the Four Continents World. 1003 1022

Notable Quotes

“I am Houtu. I have seen how, after the beings of the Primordial World die, their souls have nowhere to depend upon and drift between Heaven and Earth.” 805

“Moved by the hardships of life and death endured by all beings, I am now willing to transform myself into reincarnation.” 805

Trivia

• Houtu’s normal gentle demeanor sharply contrasts with the dominating, fist-focused battle style she displays against powerful enemies. 121
• She refuses Wu Chu’s suggestion that she create maidservants, saying she is unused to being waited upon. 175
• Although she initially worries that entertainment may weaken the Witch Clan, she accepts Wu Chu’s view that warriors and noncombatants should develop according to their individual talents. 261 266
• The Houtu Tribe grows from a small independent clan into a population of nearly ten million under her rule. 682