Chapter 226: Ancestral Witches All Attain the Dao

It's finally here!

Lu Yun's mood was incredibly excited.

He had triggered this Supreme-level Task: Revive the Primordial World's Earthly Dao, quite a long time ago, and only now had he finally completed it thoroughly and obtained the reward.

At this moment, he didn't even have the heart to check exactly how much merit he had gained; he only wanted to return to his Qiankun World as quickly as possible to open the Supreme Treasure Chest he had just received and see exactly what he had obtained.

Thus, he suddenly said to the people around him: "Everyone, please forgive me for taking my leave for a moment!"

As soon as his voice fell, he didn't wait for the others to react; his figure flashed, and he entered directly into the Qiankun World.

Seeing this scene, Minghe Laozu could not help but be somewhat stunned, not knowing where Lu Yun had gone.

Nuwa and Houtu and the others naturally guessed it, so they didn't care at all.

Seeing that everyone else was unconcerned, Minghe Laozu didn't dwell on it, instead immersing himself in the surprise of being about to receive another portion of Earthly Dao merit.

After the surprise, he began to ponder how he should use these two portions of merit! He wondered if there was any difference between how to use Earthly Dao merit and Heavenly Dao merit?...

Inside Zixiao Palace.

Hongjun, who had already prepared to strike, saw Lu Yun suddenly disappear, and his face immediately turned dark.

"That fellow, could he have guessed that I was about to act, so he hid in advance?"

Hongjun's rhythm had been disrupted by this action of Lu Yun's.

And just in the brief moment he paused, he suddenly discovered that the Twelve Ancestral Witches had actually started making other moves.

They had all chosen to use the Heavenly Dao merit they had just obtained, each fusing it into a weapon to refine it into a merit spirit treasure!

It was also at this moment that Hongjun discovered that these Ancestral Witches, who were not previously accustomed to using any spirit treasures, were each holding various weapons, and the grade of these weapons was not low at all—they were all top-grade Post-celestial spirit treasures.

Now, after fusing with the Heavenly Dao merit, they had each directly become top-grade Post-celestial merit spirit treasures! For a time, Hongjun was both shocked and furious.

Once these Ancestral Witches possessed top-grade Post-celestial merit spirit treasures, not only would their strength increase significantly, but with such spirit treasures, they would no longer need to worry about Karma attaching to them when they killed in the future.

In this way, wouldn't the Heavenly Dao's rejection of this group of Ancestral Witches be unable to grow any further? How could he still eliminate them?

However, thinking that this group of Ancestral Witches was now each about to become an Earthly Dao Saint or an Earthly Dao Sub-Saint, and that he could not easily eliminate them anyway, Hongjun felt relieved.

Of course, it was impossible for Hongjun to do nothing.

"The most urgent matter is to follow the previous plan and completely seal them within the Netherworld, so they cannot interfere in the struggles of the Great Desolation again!"

Hongjun made up his mind, his figure moved, and he left Zixiao Palace directly.

Inside the Netherworld.

"Hum!"

The Earthly Dao merit finally descended, and the land of the Netherworld was shrouded in a brilliant dark golden radiance.

This radiance contained endless mysteries; every ray of light seemed to contain the secrets of life and death, revealing an ancient majesty as it flowed.

As the leader of the opening of the Netherworld and the Six Paths of Reincarnation, Houtu received the most abundant portion, four and a half tenths of the Earthly Dao merit.

One tenth of it surged into the Twelve-Rank Reincarnation Purple Lotus, and the remaining three and a half tenths of merit surged into her body like a tidal wave; her aura instantly skyrocketed, as if she had merged into one with the entire Netherworld.

Under the baptism of the power of merit, Houtu's body began to undergo earth-shaking changes.

Her figure gradually became illusory, as if blending with the Netherworld Qi within the Netherworld. At the same time, two magic treasures suddenly appeared in her hands—a thick Book of Life and Death and a Spring and Autumn Reincarnation Pen flowing with the Qi of life and death.

The Book of Life and Death recorded the life and death of all living beings, while the Spring and Autumn Reincarnation Pen held the authority over the reincarnation of all living beings. Once these two magic treasures appeared, the entire Netherworld trembled, as if cheering for the birth of a new Netherworld ruler.

With the appearance of the two magic treasures, Houtu's aura skyrocketed once more; she finally became a Saint on the spot, becoming the first Earthly Dao Saint in the Netherworld.

Her figure gradually disappeared into the light of the Book of Life and Death and the Spring and Autumn Reincarnation Pen, leaving only a majestic and sacred voice echoing over the Netherworld: "I am Houtu. Today, with Earthly Dao merit, I take charge of the Netherworld, judge the life and death of all living beings, and set the Six Paths of Reincarnation!"

At the same time, the Twelve-Rank Reincarnation Purple Lotus beneath her underwent a transformation after being baptized by one tenth of the power of Earthly Dao merit.

The purple lotus, which already contained rich Netherworld Qi, bloomed with even more dazzling light at this moment.

It absorbed one tenth of the Earthly Dao merit and directly transformed into a top-grade Pre-celestial merit spirit treasure; patterns of life and death reincarnation seemed to flow upon its petals, releasing an endlessly mysterious aura.

The other eleven Ancestral Witches also divided up four tenths of the Earthly Dao merit among themselves.

This power of merit surged into their bodies, allowing their strength to be greatly improved.

Their auras blended with the Netherworld Qi in the Netherworld, and the laws each of them radiated also seemed to become a part of the Netherworld.

Under the blessing of the power of merit, they broke through their shackles one after another, achieving the realm of Earthly Dao Sub-Saint! Finally, for the remaining one and a half tenths of Earthly Dao merit, Nuwa and Minghe each received one-eighth of that total.

Nuwa felt the power of merit merge into her body, her heart filled with joy. She sensed the profundity of this Earthly Dao merit, which was quite compatible with the Way of Creation, and she knew deeply that this Earthly Dao merit would be of great help to her future cultivation.

As for Minghe Laozu, he was shocked by the profundity and power of the Earthly Dao merit; he felt that his power had been greatly improved at this moment.

What he felt regretful about was that his harvest was only half that of the Ancestral Witches, so he did not achieve the Sub-Saint realm because of it.

However, the most eye-catching part was that final portion of Earthly Dao merit, exceeding one tenth of the total, even comparable to the harvest of three Ancestral Witches. It was actually suspended in the air, not falling down, as if waiting for something.

Seeing this scene, everyone knew that this last one tenth of Earthly Dao merit should belong to Lu Yun. But because Lu Yun had suddenly disappeared, this merit remained unresolved.

This was the first time in the Great Desolation that merit could not find its owner, which also made countless Great Desolation powerhouses watching this place click their tongues in wonder.

At the same time, everyone was curious: at such a critical juncture, what matter was so important that Lu Yun had left temporarily? If it were anyone else, they would probably be dying to accept the merit immediately, right? Even if they couldn't become a Saint, at least they would be a top-tier Sub-Saint!

On Kunlun Mountain, the gazes of the Three Pure Ones were all focused in the direction of the Netherworld, witnessing the shocking scene of Houtu and the others achieving the status of Earthly Dao Saints. Tongtian Jiaozhu looked toward the Netherworld, his eyes flashing with excitement. He was open-minded by nature and did not stand on ceremony; seeing now that the Wu Clan could actually achieve sainthood, he felt happy instead. In his view, the Wu Clan becoming Saints meant that there was one more powerful force in the Great Desolation, and the entire Primordial World would become even more exciting and lively.

"Haha, who would have thought the Wu Clan could have such a day; the Great Desolation will be even livelier now," Tongtian Jiaozhu laughed loudly, his voice filled with joy.

However, unlike the excitement of Tongtian Jiaozhu, Yuanshi Tianzun's face was terrifyingly gloomy at this moment.

He had always been arrogant and conceited, looking down on these barbarian Wu Clan members, believing they were not worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as himself and the others. But now, these Wu Clan members he looked down upon had actually each achieved sainthood, and without even relying on Hongmeng Purple Qi, which made him feel extremely unbalanced and depressed.

"These Wu Clan members... how is it possible!" Yuanshi Tianzun muttered to himself, his voice filled with disbelief and anger.

Just then, he suddenly discovered that Laozi's face was also unusually ugly, even more uncomposed than his own.

One must know that Laozi was always calm and indifferent on ordinary days, as if nothing in the world could move him, but at this moment his face was full of astonishment and unwillingness, which really made Yuanshi somewhat stunned.

"Big Brother, what is wrong with you?" Yuanshi Tianzun couldn't help but ask.

Laozi came back to his senses, took a deep breath, and said slowly: "What I find hard to accept is that Houtu's Twelve-Rank Reincarnation Purple Lotus actually transformed into a top-grade Pre-celestial merit spirit treasure after absorbing the Earthly Dao merit."

Upon hearing this, Yuanshi Tianzun and Tongtian Jiaozhu both fell silent.

One must know that the Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda in Laozi's hand, although touted as the number one defense in the Great Desolation, is merely a Post-celestial Merit Supreme Treasure.

Yet Houtu's Twelve-Rank Reincarnation Purple Lotus, which was originally just a Supreme Innate Spiritual Treasure, has now transformed into a Top-grade Pre-celestial Merit Spirit Treasure, its grade already completely no weaker than Laozi's pagoda.

In this way, Laozi's Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda can no longer be considered the number one defense in the Great Desolation! Tongtian Jiaozhu thought for a moment and spoke to console him: "Eldest Brother, although the treasure is good, it also depends on the person using it. Although the Twelve-Rank Reincarnation Purple Lotus is strong, Houtu has after all only just become a Saint and may not be able to unleash its full power. And your Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda has followed you for many years and has long been in perfect harmony with your heart and mind; how could its power be compared to that of the purple lotus?"

Yuanshi Tianzun also nodded, rarely chiming in: "Third Brother is right. No matter how strong a treasure is, it depends on the person using it. Moreover, the three of us are all Saints, so why should we care about these external objects?"

Upon hearing this, although Laozi still felt somewhat unwilling in his heart, he also knew that his two junior brothers spoke with reason.

He took a deep breath, suppressed the emotions in his heart, and returned to his usual calm.

Just at this moment, they all suddenly heard a voice transmission: "All of you, hasten to the Netherworld!"

The three looked at each other, both seeing astonishment in the other's eyes.

Because this voice transmission was, shockingly, from Dao Ancestor Hongjun!

The Three Pure Ones did not know the purpose of Hongjun's sudden transmission, but since the Dao Ancestor had transmitted it personally, something important must have happened.

Thus, the three no longer hesitated; with a movement of their figures, they transformed into three streaks of light and sped toward the direction of the Netherworld.

At the same time, the Western Two Sages, who were originally on the edge of the Nether Blood Sea, also received the same voice transmission.

Jieyin and Zhunti looked at each other, shock appearing in their eyes.

They knew that Dao Ancestor Hongjun rarely intervened personally in the affairs of the Great Desolation; that he had personally transmitted a message for them to go to the Netherworld this time meant he was surely preparing to do something about the Netherworld.

A thought emerged in both their minds simultaneously: Indeed, it was absolutely impossible for the Dao Ancestor to turn a blind eye to the revival of the Earthly Dao! The two dared not delay and immediately set off, rushing toward the direction of the Netherworld.

Meanwhile, in the Outer Space, the atmosphere within the Sun Star Palace was unusually tense.

Di Jun sat upon the great hall, his face as gloomy as water.

He, who had always held himself in high regard, could not accept this fact: as the leader of the Demon Race, he had obtained the Hongmeng Purple Qi yet had not been able to become a Saint, while these Ancestral Witches had actually walked ahead of him!

This made him feel extreme unwillingness and anger.

The Ten Great Demon Sages stood below, each with a face full of panic and unease.

Guiche said with even more terror: "Your Majesty, could the Twelve Ancestral Witches kill their way to the Outer Space? If they really come to kill us, I fear that even if we bring out both great killing arrays, we won't be able to stop them at all!"

Upon hearing this, the complexions of the other Demon Sages changed in unison.

They all knew that the strength of the Twelve Ancestral Witches was unfathomable; if they really killed their way to the Outer Space, they feared the Demon Race would be hard-pressed to resist.

Hearing this, Di Jun was also anxious beyond measure.

He immediately looked at Baize and asked: "Baize, do you have a countermeasure?"

Baize took a deep breath, trying his best to remain composed.

He suddenly transmitted a message to everyone: "Everyone, do not worry. The revival of the Earthly Dao is a huge threat to the Heavenly Dao. Dao Ancestor Hongjun will certainly not sit idly by. I believe the Twelve Ancestral Witches may not have the opportunity to kill their way to the Outer Space."

Hearing Baize's words, the complexions of Di Jun and the other Demon Sages looked slightly better.

They knew that Baize was a wise man among the Demon Race, and his words were often very insightful. Since Baize said so, perhaps they really did not need to worry too much.

However, even though Baize said this, the hearts of Di Jun and the other Demon Sages were still filled with unease, and their gazes continued to stare nervously in the direction of the Netherworld.

Fortunately, just as Baize had guessed, they indeed saw a figure full of majesty suddenly appear within the Netherworld.

It was none other than Dao Ancestor Hongjun!

Besides him, the Three Pure Ones and the Western Two Sages also appeared together! Such a grand formation made Di Jun and the others gasp in shock, and they immediately held their breath.

They vaguely guessed that Hongjun must have brought the various Heavenly Dao Saints because his status had been threatened.

At this moment, they were full of anticipation that Hongjun would personally take action and directly wipe out Houtu and that group of Ancestral Witches!

At the same time, in the center of the Netherworld, Houtu and the others sensed the arrival of Hongjun Daozu and the others; they stopped what they were doing one after another and cast their gazes toward Hongjun and the others.

Their expressions were indifferent, clearly having long anticipated that such a moment would arrive.

However, they did not speak, merely waiting coldly for Hongjun to perform.

One saw that Hongjun's gaze was deep and cold, sweeping across every corner of the Netherworld as if to take in everything within the entire Netherworld.

His gaze did not ultimately fall upon Houtu and the others, but instead landed on Nuwa.

(End of this chapter)