Time flowed like water, years drifted by empty and unhurried. Several million years had passed.
During these years, great powers secluded themselves in cultivation, while the Demon Race guarded the Starry Sky.
The Witch Clan created humans, increasing their population and expanding their territory.
Over such a long span, the Human Race had also quietly grown stronger step by step, its population now counted in the hundreds of millions.
They had completely cast off the label of sparse population.
Yet a larger population also meant a greater need for land.
Fortunately, after the Witch Clan defeated the Demon Race, they concentrated most of their strength in the Heavenly Court, while the remaining forces controlled the regions around Buzhou Mountain.
And as new Witch Clan children were born over these years, their territory gradually edged westward.
It was not only the Human Race that had risen during these years. A new race had also been born—the Human-Witch Hybrids.
They were the offspring born from unions between the Human Race and the Witch Clan.
Though Human-Witch Hybrids did not possess bodies as powerful as those of pure-blooded Witches, the Human Race's influence had tempered their reproduction, improving it compared to the Witch Clan.
The emergence of the Human-Witch Hybrids became the link between the Human Race and the Witch Clan.
The Human Race and the Witch Clan established diplomatic relations.
The Primordial World was now flourishing, free of conquest and war.
A brief and beautiful lull had arrived.
"Big Brother, the Primordial World is too vast, and our clansmen are too few. Those Human-Witch Hybrids also carry half the bloodline of our Witch Clan. Why not employ them to help open up new territory?"
Tu Bishi's booming voice rang through Lingxiao Palace.
"Absolutely not! Human-Witch Hybrids are not Witches. The lands of the Primordial World were seized by us—how can we make wedding clothes for others?"
"Third Brother, our Witch Clan has only so many people. The Heavenly Court needs people, and our clan lands around Buzhou Mountain need people as well. The people in those two places cannot be moved, so naturally there will be fewer people in the other territories."
"Our Witch Clan reproduces with difficulty. Our population simply refuses to rise."
"Then let every Witch in the clan get to work, making babies for me from dawn till dusk! Give it another few million years—I refuse to believe the population still won't grow!"
"Enough. Stop arguing!"
Dijiang sat upon the throne, his brows tightly furrowed.
He had always wanted to defeat the Demon Race and become the sole overlord of the Primordial World. Now that he had defeated them, his goal could be said to have been achieved. Yet this throne was far less comfortable than he had imagined.
There had been population problems before, but back then he worried that they would lack people and fall into a disadvantage in battle. Who would have thought that now, with no wars to fight, he would still have to worry about population? And this problem was even more severe than before!
His head hurt so badly!
Dijiang reached up and knocked on his head. He was nothing but a rough brute—he could take on Dijun and Taiyi alone in a fight and hammer them both, but this was handling government affairs!
Seeing his eldest brother's headache, Zhu Jiuyin sighed helplessly inwardly. The Witch Clan was suited only for vying for supremacy, not for administration...
He had no solution to the population issue either. Though he was the Ancestral Witch of Time, he had not reached the point where he could help his clansmen shorten their pregnancies, compress time, and thereby increase their chances of conception.
As for Tu Bishi's proposal to employ Human-Witch Hybrids to help govern the Primordial World, the idea was feasible, but there was no room to put it into practice.
After all, the lands their Witch Clan had fought to seize could not be handed over for Human-Witch Hybrids to pluck the peaches.
Though the emergence of the Human-Witch Hybrids had been tacitly approved by the Ancestral Witches, that did not mean they truly acknowledged them.
"Where's Little Sister?"
"Where did Little Sister run off to?"
Dijiang swept his gaze around and found that Houtu was absent from the hall, so he immediately asked.
Ever since that battle, Houtu's status within the Witch Clan had formally replaced Zhu Jiuyin's, and she had become the Witch Clan's strategist.
Xuanming stepped forward and said, "Little Sister went traveling through the Primordial World."
"Traveling through the Primordial World... Then forget it. Don't disturb Little Sister."
Upon hearing from Xuanming that Houtu had gone traveling, Dijiang waved his hand.
Ten thousand years ago, Houtu had suddenly felt a stirring in her heart and set out to travel the Primordial World in search of an opportunity.
Compared to attaining the Dao, everything else was a trivial matter. How could he trouble Little Sister over something as minor as population?
Dijiang watched several burly men inch backward toward the doors of Lingxiao Palace, a savage grin appearing on his face. "Zhurong, Gonggong, where do you think you're going?"
"Haha, Big Brother, it's just that Gonggong told me his strength had improved somewhat, so he dragged me along to test it for him."
Zhurong grabbed Gonggong's hand and placed it on his own arm, putting on an unwilling expression.
"He insisted on dragging me along. I had no choice, did I?"
"What the—"
Gonggong's eyes instantly widened like bronze bells. He raised his hand and slapped away Zhurong's huge paw. This brat had no martial virtue at all.
"Gonggong's strength has improved? Come discuss matters first. Once we reach a conclusion, I'll personally give you some pointers."
Gonggong: ...
Dijiang was not the eldest brother merely because he had been born first. He was also the strongest.
His strength had indeed improved somewhat, but there was no way he could be Dijiang's match. He knew all too well what "guidance" between Ancestral Witches meant. Zhurong and he loved giving each other pointers whenever they had nothing to do, but if Dijiang gave him pointers, would that not just be a pure beating?
Gonggong glanced at Zhurong, whose face was full of gloating, and shouted, "Big Brother, Zhurong said his skin was itching... No, he wants your guidance too."
"Fine. I'll give the two of you pointers one at a time later."
The gloating on Zhurong's face instantly vanished, leaving nothing but bitterness.
"Big Brother, what do you think of the method of enfeoffment? Like the Demon Race, they could forever guard the Starry Sky and watch over one another with our Witch Clan."
"Of course, the Human Race and the Human-Witch Hybrids do not possess the Demon Race's strength, so we can take them in as vassals. Back then, the Dragon-Phoenix-Qilin Tribes each gathered vassals and then formed the Three Clans of scaled creatures, flying creatures, and beasts. Now our Witch Clan's population is sparse, insufficient to occupy the entire Primordial World. We can emulate the Three Clans."
Zhu Jiuyin's hoarse voice slowly sounded.
"This..."
A thoughtful look appeared on Dijiang's face. This method was not particularly brilliant, but it truly was the best way to resolve the problem.
"What do you all think?"
Kunlun Mountain.
A streak of black light coiled around Lu Chen's body. The black light was profound and deep, faintly emanating the Dao rhythm of devouring all things.
"Charge straight through!"
Lu Chen drew the final trace of Devouring Law he had comprehended into his body. A vast pressure burst forth from him, crashing against the cave abode's restrictions and sending ripples spreading out.
Bai Geng, beside him, was jolted awake by the aura. He abruptly opened his eyes, transformed into a white-haired youth, and cupped his hands in salute.
"Congratulations, Master, on stepping into the realm of Primordial Unity!"
Lu Chen slowly opened his eyes and withdrew the pressure surrounding him back into his body. A dim gleam flashed through his eyes as he murmured,
"Primordial Unity is merely a new beginning."
Only after stepping onto the Primordial Unity Path could one understand one's own insignificance.
Still, no matter what, Lu Chen had entered the second highest echelon of the Primordial World.
"Bai Geng."
"What are Master's orders?"
"Accompany me outside for a stroll."
Before you continue