Primordial Era: I am a treasure trove, full of magical treasures.

On the edge of the Netherworld Blood Sea, in a deathly gray zone.

Houtu's aura had become so intense as to be almost tangible, and her earth-yellow radiance was perfectly synchronized with the pulse of the earth beneath her feet. The illusory figure behind her became increasingly clear: six blurry passages rotated and revolved, emanating distinct auras—as if to suppress everything and restore order.

"The Six Paths of Reincarnation... So that's how it is." Houtu slowly opened her eyes, her gaze seemingly reflecting the birth and death of countless beings. Her voice was ethereal yet firm. "I must be here, using my Ancestral Witch true form and the essence of earth as a foundation, to merge with the primordial vein deep within the earth, to open the 'Land of Reincarnation,' to establish the Six Paths of Reincarnation, to guide the souls of all beings in the primordial world, to redefine the order of life and death, and to restore the virtue of the earth."

She looked at Xuanbao: "At that time, I will transform into the Cycle of Reincarnation, my true body and origin will permanently merge with this place, evolving the Laws of Reincarnation. This process is irreversible and will trigger extraordinary phenomena throughout the entire primordial world, bestowing immeasurable merit, but it may also... be accompanied by calamities. Brother Xuanbao, you..."

"I will be here to protect you," Xuanbao said calmly, "to ensure the smooth opening of the cycle of reincarnation, free from external interference. Sister, please feel free to act."

Houtu gave Xuanbao a deep look, then said nothing more. She stood up, walked to the center of the gray area, and slowly opened her arms, as if to embrace the entire world.

"Father God above, I am a descendant of Pangu, the ancestral witch Houtu, who governs the earth! Today, I feel that the souls of the myriad beings in the primordial world are without refuge, their resentment is accumulating, the earth is burdened, and heaven and earth are incomplete. I wish to offer my ancestral witch body and the fundamental law of earth as a sacrifice to open the cycle of reincarnation, establish the order of the six realms, so that the souls of the dead may have a place to return to, good and evil may be rewarded, and heaven and earth may cycle in an orderly manner!"

The clear and solemn voice, though not loud, seemed to pierce through time and space, resonating in the hearts of every living being in every corner of the primordial world. Countless powerful beings, whether engaged in battle, cultivation, or slumber, were simultaneously shaken, their minds reeling as they stared in horror toward the Blood Sea in the north!

As soon as she finished speaking, Houtu burst forth with an unprecedentedly dazzling divine light! Her Ancestral Witch true form began to etherealize, transforming into the purest earth-yellow primordial torrent, which relentlessly connected and merged with the primordial vein deep within the earth beneath her feet—a vein that had been dormant for a long time and represented "the return of the earth to stillness and rebirth"!

"Boom—!!"

Centered on the gray zone, the entire primordial land trembled violently! Mount Buzhou hummed, the four seas churned, and the mountains shook. Countless ley lines of earth energy involuntarily converged towards the sea of ​​blood, dyeing the sky a chaotic, dark yellow color, dimming the light of the sun, moon, and stars.

The sea of ​​blood boiled! The Styx Ancestor was jolted awake from his cultivation, rushing out of the palace. He stared in shock and fury at the earthen-yellow pillar of light piercing the heavens and earth at the edge of the sea of ​​blood, and the six vortexes faintly forming within it. "Houtu! How dare you commit such a heaven-defying act on the shores of my sea of ​​blood!" He sensed the endless vengeful spirits and malevolent souls within the sea of ​​blood being drawn away by the pillar of light, breaking free from the sea's control. He was both shocked and enraged, yet intimidated by the majestic heavenly power and the overwhelming earthly aura, he dared not act rashly.

Kunlun Mountain, Jin'ao Island, Shouyang Mountain, Nuwa Palace, Western Paradise... all the sacred sites of the saints, countless powerful divine thoughts instantly traversed the endless void and focused on this place.

"Houtu transformed into reincarnation? To complete the earth's path?" The Taiji diagram flowed in Taiqing Laozi's eyes, deducing the secrets of heaven, "Indeed... great compassion, great perseverance, and also a great opportunity."

The Jade Pure Primordial Heavenly Venerable's expression was complex: "The Ancestral Witches do not cultivate their primordial spirit, yet they can touch upon such a fundamental Dao... With the establishment of reincarnation, the order of heaven and earth will change, and the fortune of the Witch Clan will be..."

The Supreme Lord of the Supreme Purity Sect clapped his hands in praise: "How magnificent! To mend the heavens and earth with one's own body, such spirit deserves a toast! However... with such a commotion, I'm afraid some people will become restless."

The sage Nuwa sighed softly, expressing both admiration for Houtu's self-sacrifice and a hint of contemplation about the future fate of humanity under the cycle of reincarnation.

The Western Guide and Zhunti exchanged a glance, their eyes flashing with brilliance. "Reincarnation! A great opportunity! If we can share in even a fraction of it, the revival of our West is within reach!" Zhunti gripped the Seven Treasures Tree even tighter with excitement.

In the Heavenly Court, at the Lingxiao Palace, Di Jun and Tai Yi's faces were grim. Hou Tu's actions were of immeasurable merit, which would greatly enhance the fortune of the Wu Clan and the favor of the Earthly Dao, posing a great threat to their demon race! "We cannot let her succeed! At least... we cannot let her achieve complete success!" Di Jun's eyes flashed with cold light as he instantly communicated with Tai Yi and other core members of the demon race via telepathy.

In the center of the gray zone, Houtu's ancestral witch form had completely transformed into her origin, merging with the earth's veins. An incredibly vast, nascent "world," existing between reality and illusion, was rapidly forming and expanding! It was a dim, silent space, seemingly existing in the deepest part of the earth and in the cracks between the mortal world and reality. In the center of the space, the phantom of an ancient, mottled, and colossal stone platform slowly solidified. Above the platform, six enormous, slowly rotating vortex channels gradually became clear, emanating six distinct auras of law that encompassed the destiny of all beings.

The Wheel of Reincarnation is taking shape!

At the same time, in the heavens above, the Xuanhuang merit energy began to gather on an unprecedented scale! It was countless times more vast than the combined total of Nuwa creating humans, the Three Pure Ones establishing their religion, and Xuanbao spreading the Dao among humankind! The clouds of merit covered the sky and sun, turning the entire sky above the sea of ​​blood into a pure Xuanhuang gold color!

Such earth-shattering merits made all onlookers breathless and envious.

"Now!" Deep within the sea of ​​blood, Styx could no longer suppress his desire for merit and the power of reincarnation. Especially seeing that even a race like the Witch Clan, which had no primordial spirit, could obtain such great benefits, while he himself had repeatedly failed, he was naturally filled with resentment.

With a fierce roar, the Styx unsheathed two superior-grade innate spiritual baby swords, which it had acquired from an unknown source. These swords transformed into two blood-red rainbows that tore through the heavens and earth, piercing straight at Houtu's will, which was forming the core of reincarnation! At the same time, countless Blood God clones surged out of the sea of ​​blood, rushing towards the golden cloud of merit and the phantom of reincarnation, attempting to stop Houtu.

Almost simultaneously, from the direction of the Heavenly Court, an incomparably fierce solar fire, seemingly capable of incinerating all things, and a chaotic bell phantom that shook the universe and stabilized earth, water, fire, and wind, tore through space and arrived with a deafening roar! Di Jun and Tai Yi personally intervened, attempting to interrupt the process, at least severely damaging Hou Tu's will so that she could not perfectly control reincarnation!

"Hmph! I've been waiting for you!" Xuanbao's eyes turned cold, and he took a step forward, instantly appearing in front of the Reincarnation Core.

Facing the Twin Swords of the Styx, he neither dodged nor evaded, but directly threw a punch! Chaotic aura swirled around his fist, and fragments of the Law of Power appeared and disappeared. His physical strength, which had been tempered in the Pangu Blood Pool for a hundred years and had reached the peak of the late Quasi-Saint stage, suddenly erupted!

"clang--!!!"

The fist clashed with the Yuan Tu A Bi twin swords, producing a deafening roar like a great bell! The violent shockwave stirred up towering waves in the sea of ​​blood, instantly vaporizing countless Blood God Child clones. The Styx Ancestor's main body trembled violently, his blood surging, as he watched in horror as his invincible Innate Killing Sword was forcefully shattered by a mere fist, the sword groaning in agony!

"How is this possible?!" Styx exclaimed in disbelief.

However, only ten thousand years have passed. Although Xuanbao defeated him back then, it was with the help of the great formation. But now, those who could barely fight him back then are now beyond his ability to handle with their physical bodies alone. At this moment, Styx's desire to become a saint is even more urgent.

At the same time, Xuanbao flipped his left hand, and the Measuring Ruler appeared in his hand. He gently struck the incoming True Fire of the Sun and Chaos Bell Waves!

"call--!"

A vast, boundless divine light, seemingly bearing the weight of the primordial earth, swept forth. The true fire of the sun crashed into the divine light, like a clay ox entering the sea, quickly being decomposed, absorbed, and transformed into the essence that nourished the earth. The chaotic waves collided with the divine light, stirring up ripples, but were also weakened and stabilized layer by layer by the incomparably heavy power of the earth, ultimately dissipating into nothingness.

"Xuanbao! How dare you obstruct my Heavenly Court's important affairs!" Taiyi roared in fury, and the Chaos Bell's true form was about to cross over to the other realm.

"This is a manifestation of the Earthly Dao, a matter concerning all living beings in the primordial world, not just a matter for your demon race." Xuanbao's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable power. "Anyone who dares to obstruct it is an enemy of the Earthly Dao, and an enemy of all living beings in the primordial world!"

Xuanbao disregarded everything else and immediately pinned the blame on the demon race.

As Xuanbao finished speaking, several top-grade innate spiritual flags automatically flew out from his brow and hovered above his head. The four flags fluttered in the wind, releasing rays of red, yellow, white, and black light, which intertwined to form a massive light screen, firmly protecting the core of reincarnation. Xuanbao snorted coldly, his hands rapidly forming hand seals. The Measuring Ruler emitted streams of profound yellow energy, subtly resonating with the forming land of reincarnation and the vast cloud of merit. Simultaneously, the laws of creation within his body circulated at full power, and streams of vibrant azure light from creation showered upon the core of reincarnation formed by Houtu's will, helping it stabilize and accelerate its formation.

you……!

Di Jun and Tai Yi were extremely shocked and furious.

Just as the three sides were locked in a stalemate, and Styx, Dijun, and Taiyi were enraged and about to launch a stronger offensive—

"Don't panic, Houtu, your brothers are coming!"

Eleven incredibly powerful and earth-shattering plumes of blood and qi shot into the sky from the direction of Buzhou Mountain, tearing through space and descending instantly! Dijiang, Zhujiuyin, Zhurong, Gonggong... the true forms of the eleven ancestral witches were revealed, their murderous aura filling the sky, firmly protecting the land of reincarnation in the center!

"Styx! Dijun! Taiyi! If you want to touch my sister, you'll have to get past our fists first!" Dijiang's spatial power locked onto all directions, his voice icy cold.

With the twelve Ancestral Witches gathered together, along with the unfathomable Xuanbao who wields the Kongtong Seal and controls the power of creation, this force is enough to terrify any great power below the level of a saint! More importantly, Houtu's transformation into the cycle of reincarnation is an act in accordance with the laws of heaven and earth, and is protected by the earth's way and merits. Attacking her at this moment will surely result in a backlash.

Di Jun and Tai Yi's faces were ashen as they weighed the pros and cons. The Styx Ancestor's eyelids twitched as he looked at the Ancestral Witch and Xuan Bao, who were eyeing him menacingly, and then at the almost certain outcome of the Reincarnation illusion and the vast merit. He knew that the situation was hopeless, and if they continued to entangle themselves, not only would they not be able to share the merit, but their Blood Sea Foundation would also be in danger.

"Hmph!" In the end, Di Jun snorted coldly, withdrew his attack with Taiyi, took a deep look at the Land of Reincarnation, and turned to tear through space and leave.

The Styx Ancestor glared hatefully at Xuanbao. It was truly a case of old grudges not being settled and new ones being added. However, he did not have the strength at the moment and could only avoid his sharp edge. In the end, he recalled his twin swords and sank into the sea of ​​blood, leaving only a divine thought to keep a close watch.

With the obstacles removed, the cycle of reincarnation opens up without further hindrance.

Just as Houtu's body was about to shatter and completely merge with the origin of the earth, Xuanbao's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he summoned something with his backhand.

It was a strange spiritual treasure, square in shape like a tortoise shell, entirely black, and covered with natural Dao patterns. As soon as it appeared, it exuded a heavy aura, as solid as a mountain, capable of bearing all things. This was a special spiritual treasure that Xuanbao had obtained in his early years, made from the tortoise shell of the Chaos Demon God "Yu" by using a large amount of precious energy and his own blood and sweat—an extremely hard Great Thousand World. Xuanbao had spent thousands of years on this, and even had the Three Pure Ones help him decompose the Chaos Demon God. Otherwise, Xuanbao alone would not know how long it would have taken to decompose the Chaos Demon God and refine it into a spiritual treasure. Even the Three Pure Ones were amazed when they saw the body of the Chaos Demon God, especially the mark left by the Heaven-Opening Axe on the tortoise shell, which each of the Three Pure Ones had studied for hundreds of years.

"Sister Houtu, guide this being!"

Xuanbao shouted and threw the tortoise shell of the Demon God towards the core of Samsara. The tortoise shell spun rapidly, growing larger in the wind, and in an instant transformed into a huge, sky-covering phantom of a carapace. Dao patterns flowed on it, evolving into mountains, rivers, stars, and all things, and a "chaotic" Dao aura spread out.

Houtu's will instantly understood the Xuanbao's intention. She channeled the soon-to-dissipate Ancestral Witch True Body's essence, the core of the Earth Law, and the newly born will of reincarnation entirely into the Chengtian Armor. The illusory shell, like the most resilient container, steadily accepted and restrained this immense power capable of shattering the Great Thousand Worlds. At the center of the shell, the ancient and mottled Reincarnation Stone Platform and the Six Paths Vortex seemed to have found a solid foundation, settling completely and merging into one with the tortoise shell.

"Buzz—!"

The tortoise shell emitted a deep, satisfied hum. Under the infusion of the vast earthly essence and the power of reincarnation, the tortoise shell itself began to undergo an astonishing transformation. The jet-black shell became even deeper, the Dao patterns became more complex and profound, and faintly, there were phantom images of the creation of heaven and earth and the birth and death of all things flowed within it!

"The cycle of six realms of reincarnation, here we come!"

Houtu's will resounded throughout the primordial world. The enormous Six Paths of Reincarnation Disc solidified completely, crashing down into the center of the already formed, dim world below, merging seamlessly with its ancient grandeur. The entire realm of reincarnation stabilized and began to operate spontaneously, generating an immense suction force. Countless wandering ghosts and vengeful spirits struggling in the sea of ​​blood were drawn towards the Six Paths of Reincarnation, entering different channels according to their karma and causes in their previous lives.

Above the nine heavens, the vast and boundless Xuanhuang merit finally descended!

The largest of these, about 70% of its essence, merged into Houtu.

About half of the merit was bestowed upon the eleven Ancestral Witches who had come to protect them. As the merit entered their bodies, the Ancestral Witches felt their malevolent aura being cleansed, their blood and qi becoming purer, their understanding of their respective laws deepening, and they faintly touched upon a chance to break through the limits of their Ancestral Witch bloodline. Their strength improved significantly.

Approximately two-thirds of the merit flew towards Xuanbao. This was all because Xuanbao had offered the precious tortoise shell at a crucial moment, stabilizing the core of reincarnation. Furthermore, Xuanbao had previously protected the Dharma and repelled interference, making a great contribution to the successful establishment of reincarnation. With the vast merit bestowed upon him, the merit golden wheel, which was already complete with seven circles, instantly reached the eighth circle. Finally, the eighth merit golden wheel gradually became complete as well. One can imagine how much merit this reincarnation had accumulated. Xuanbao felt his primordial spirit become clear, and his understanding of the Dao improved as naturally as water flowing into a channel. His understanding of the laws related to creation, earth element, and reincarnation instantly rose to a whole new level. Although his cultivation had not directly broken through to the Hunyuan Daluo realm, he had already reached the pinnacle of the Hunyuan Golden Immortal realm. He only needed an opportunity to open the door to the Holy Realm.