Houtu

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Origin and Zixiao Palace

Houtu originated from one of twelve drops of Pangu’s heartblood. Her drop lay farther inward and absorbed less heaven-opening baleful qi and primordial turbid qi than the others. This delayed her formation but left her with the possibility of eventually developing a primordial spirit 92.

At Zixiao Palace, she noticed Dao Xuan’s unusual restraint: after studying Zixiao Divine Thunder, he ignored the other inscribed arts. Curious, she deliberately sat beside him, though neither initiated a conversation 11.

Without a primordial spirit, Houtu could not comprehend Hongjun’s teachings or cultivate the palace’s Dao arts. She nevertheless endured the first sermon, strengthened her body, and returned for the second. She eventually asked Hongjun how the Witch Clan could attain the Dao without primordial spirits 13 14 15 18.

Developing a Primordial Spirit

The Earth Law gradually nurtured a trace of primordial spirit within Houtu. Once she discovered it, she actively cultivated it to the Daluo Golden Immortal realm. She kept this development secret, intending to surprise the other Ancestral Witches after reaching Quasi-Saint 92.

While presiding over a large tribe in the eastern lands, she felt an unexplained pull. After confirming that her tribe was safe and leaving instructions with a Great Witch, she departed to investigate. Her travels prompted fears that the Witch Clan’s future war with the Demon Tribe might be influenced by powers stronger than either faction 92 93.

Dao Xuan’s Intervention

Houtu’s attempt to divine the war’s outcome nearly shattered her primordial spirit. Dao Xuan, disguised as an elderly Daoist, interrupted her and concealed their meeting within his modified Nine-Curved Yellow River Formation 93.

He offered three World Tree treasures with different consequences:

The fruit entered Houtu’s sea of consciousness and drew her spirit inside before the formation disappeared. Unable to remove it, she realized that the old Daoist had effectively made the choice for her. She suspected his true identity and was moved by his willingness to help despite their limited acquaintance 94.

The Blood Sea and Reincarnation

Following ghosts through an underground Yellow Springs river, Houtu reached the Blood Sea. There she discovered Minghe’s formation grinding departed souls apart and remaking them as Asuras. Her condemnation of this treatment—and of his failed Dao-proving methods—provoked a battle 94 95.

Her body resisted Minghe’s swords, but his exploding Blood God Clones overwhelmed the defenses protecting her primordial spirit. The World Fruit intervened, destroying the clones and threatening Minghe’s true spirit. Dao Xuan’s arrival ended that threat; Hongjun and the Seven Saints subsequently gathered as Reincarnation approached its emergence 95 96.

After Dao Xuan revealed her destined mission, Houtu agreed to become the Six Paths of Reincarnation. He proposed Minghe as a possible substitute, but she declined further intervention on her behalf. She sacrificed her body to complete Pangu’s world and provide a destination for homeless souls, despite knowing that the Twelve Ancestral Witches would become incomplete 97 98.

The resulting Reincarnation Disk consumed more than half the Blood Sea, opened the Netherworld, and drew ghosts into six vortices to be reborn. Her preserved spirit then entered Dao Xuan’s prepared body, allowing her to attain the Dao rather than disappear with her original physique 98 100.

Establishing the Netherworld

Houtu reunited with the Eleven Ancestral Witches and apologized for choosing all living beings over her clan. Reincarnation could accommodate the Demon Tribe but not ordinary Witches, whose true spirits dissipated at death because they lacked souls and primordial spirits. Dijiang reassured her that the clan supported her decision and hoped she could shelter it if it lost the Calamity Cycle 101.

With Dao Xuan’s guidance, she established the Netherworld’s administration, temporarily appointed ten avatars as the Ten Directional Yama Kings, and took the title Great Emperor Fengdu. Dao Xuan constructed its principal facilities and later established the Eighteen Levels of Hell under Minghe’s supervision 101 102.

Appearance

• Wears a yellow palace gown at Zixiao Palace 11.
• Radiates earthen-yellow light with a solid, weighty aura while cultivating 92.
• Receives a replacement body fashioned from Three Lights Divine Water and Nine Heavens Breath Soil after sacrificing her Ancestral Witch body 100.

Personality

Houtu’s compassion extends to beings outside her clan. Although she had killed countless beings as an Ancestral Witch, she could not tolerate departed souls being denied peace and exploited by Minghe. Her eventual sacrifice prioritized all living beings, including the Witch Clan’s enemies 94 98 101.

Her benevolence does not prevent forceful action. She stands by her criticism of Minghe and, when persuasion fails, resolves to defeat him in battle. She also shows persistence in attending sermons she cannot comprehend and pride in her unexpected spiritual cultivation 14 15 92 95.

Her greatest regret concerns the Witch Clan. Losing her original bloodline does not erase her affection for the other Ancestral Witches, and she regards their exclusion from Reincarnation as a pain she cannot forgive herself for 101.

Abilities & Skills

Earth Law and Wutu Qi

Houtu innately commands the Earth Law, using it for defense and to counter the Blood Sea’s watery environment 11 95.

• Solidifies Blood Sea water into mud that sinks beneath the surface 95.
• Makes Minghe’s approaching swords exceptionally heavy and wears down their sword qi 95.
• Uses Wutu Protection to surround herself with defensive light, concentrating protection around her head and primordial spirit 95.
• Her Daluo-level magical power cannot withstand the chain explosions of Minghe’s Blood God Clones 95 96.

Ancestral Witch True Body

Her original body possesses extraordinary durability and rapid recovery 95.

• Endures ordinary strikes from the Yuantu and Abi swords without meaningful injury 95.
• Receives only shallow wounds from their stronger attacks, healing them almost immediately 95.
• Originally protects her true spirit through its fusion with her flesh; developing a separate primordial spirit introduces a new vulnerability 95.
• Is permanently surrendered to create the Reincarnation Disk, leaving no trace of Pangu’s bloodline in her replacement body 98 101.

Primordial Spirit and Divination

Her unusual primordial spirit enables magical cultivation and the calculation of heavenly secrets 92 95.

• Develops through the combination of reduced turbid qi at her origin and prolonged nourishment by the Earth Law 92.
• Allows access to Dao arts and divine abilities unavailable to her at Zixiao Palace 11 95.
• Cannot safely penetrate the obscured fate of the Witch–Demon war; forcing the attempt nearly destroys it 93.

Netherworld Dominion

Through the World Fruit, Houtu integrates with the Netherworld’s “Heavenly Dao,” gaining authority over the entire realm rather than only the Six Paths 100.

• Can invoke its rules to suppress Minghe and the Heavenly Dao Saints with a thought 100.
• Can imprison Saints within the Netherworld without the Heavenly Dao being able to free them 100.
• Can draw upon almost one-third of the Primordial World’s Heavenly Dao power, according to Hongjun 100.
• Even Dao Xuan and Hongjun can contend with her there only briefly before risking suppression 100.
• Outside the Netherworld, she loses this territorial advantage; Heavenly Dao-supported Saints can suppress her despite her immense merit-derived strength 100.

Avatars and Nether Administration

• Splits off ten avatars to serve temporarily as the Ten Directional Yama Kings 101.
• Oversees a system that judges the dead according to merit and karmic debt, assigning favorable rebirth, administrative service, or punishment 101.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• World Fruit — Contains a Middle Thousand World and fuses with her sea of consciousness. Preserves her primordial spirit, releases protective power against Minghe, and enables her mastery of the Netherworld’s rules 93 94 96 100.
• Book of Life and Death — Supreme-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure bestowed by Hongjun; originates from the Human Book among the Three Books of Heaven, Earth, and Man 101.
• Judge’s Brush — Companion Supreme-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure bestowed with the Book of Life and Death for her rule over the Netherworld 101.

Relationships

• Dao Xuan — Benefactor and guide. Preserves her spirit, prepares her replacement body, and helps organize the Netherworld. His intervention also allows him to copy its rules for his own inner world 93 94 100 101.
• Dijiang — Elder brother and leader of the Ancestral Witches. Supports her sacrifice and hopes the Netherworld can offer the Witch Clan refuge 101.
• Xuanming and the other Ancestral Witches — Her siblings and former clan companions. Their affection survives the severing of their heavenly karma 97 98 101.
• Minghe — Initially an opponent over his exploitation of ghosts. Later honors her compassion, benefits from Reincarnation merit, and becomes overseer of the Eighteen Levels of Hell 94 95 98 99 102.
• Hongjun — Teacher at Zixiao Palace and giver of her administrative treasures. Warns her not to oppose heaven despite her great merit 18 101.
• Pangu — Revered as Father God; the source of her original bloodline. She dedicates her sacrifice to completing his creation of the world 92 98.

Notable Quotes

“I am willing to sacrifice myself and become the Six Paths of Reincarnation!” 97

“But, Heavenly Venerable, there is no need to defy the Heavenly Dao for my sake anymore and bring trouble upon yourself.” 98