Primordial Era: Becoming the Great Emperor of Humanity from the Start

Chapter 233 Houtu, the Ancestral Witch, Emerges from Seclusion!

"Finally finished!" Jiang Heng said with a smile, quite excited.

It took only a little over a thousand years to complete the task, much less time than Jiang Heng had anticipated.

The Chaos Bell was now suspended in front of Jiang Heng, and the sun, moon, stars, earth, water, fire, and wind that had originally surrounded the bell had all disappeared.

Originally, the Chaos Bell should have contained mountains, rivers, land, and countless races, but now it has vanished without a trace.

Instead, one after another, mysterious symbols of the Great Dao appeared, all of which shimmered with golden light.

In fleeting moments, an unparalleled, indescribable, and unimaginable aura of creation will be subtly revealed.

Originally, when the Chaos Bell appeared, its resounding chimes should have illuminated the universe, causing heaven and earth to lose their color and the universe to tremble, revealing the undisputed power of this innate treasure.

However, the current Chaos Bell has a more restrained aura, almost imperceptible, as if it does not exist in this space-time at all.

"Human Emperor, having broken through the limits this time, I now have infinite possibilities, but unfortunately, I'm still missing the final step!" The voice of the Chaos Bell rang out.

Jiang Heng naturally understood the meaning of the Chaos Bell, because he had not yet stepped into the realm of Immortal Emperor, and his own Dao was not yet truly perfect.

Jiang Heng inscribed his own Dao into the Chaos Bell, but since his Dao was not yet perfect, the Chaos Bell could not reach a perfect level.

"Don't worry! It's just a matter of time!" Jiang Heng said, his face full of a confident smile.

The reason this went so smoothly was entirely due to the mysterious Dao runes originally engraved on the Chaos Bell.

"It seems that the three innate treasures and the three parts of Pangu's primordial spirit may hold even deeper secrets!" Jiang Heng thought to himself.

The predecessor of the three innate treasures was undoubtedly the Pangu Axe, which Pangu used to create the world, and the Pangu Axe was Pangu's companion treasure.

The symbols of the Great Dao engraved on the Chaos Bell are undoubtedly inherited from Pangu's axe, or it can be said to be the great god Pangu who created the world.

Even just a few symbols of the Great Dao could benefit Jiang Heng immensely; it's hard to imagine just how powerful the Great God Pangu truly was.

It is no exaggeration to say that the great god Pangu was an extremely special being, as was the primordial world he created.

The Heavenly Dao is nearing its completion, and Dao Ancestor Hongjun has even merged with the Dao, yet they still firmly occupy the primordial world. Why is that?

It's because the Primordial World is extremely special that even the Heavenly Dao and Dao Ancestor Hongjun would not easily give up on it.

If the Heavenly Dao and Dao Ancestor Hongjun have surpassed the former Great God Pangu, creating another primordial world like this would probably not be difficult.

At that level, the entire primordial world would probably be nothing important to them.

Jiang Heng had already obtained the three creation marks from the Three Pure Ones, in addition to the creation mark left behind by the Great Dao Demon God.

Jiang Heng had already grasped most of the details of the scene of the great god Pangu creating the world, and what remained were the three innate treasures.

The Chaos Bell is now in Jiang Heng's hands, and the Taiji Diagram is in the hands of the Sage Taiqing. It shouldn't be difficult for Jiang Heng to borrow them for a look.

Only the Pangu Banner was currently in the hands of Yuanshi Tianzun. Given the relationship between Jiang Heng and Yuanshi Tianzun, it was naturally impossible for Yuanshi Tianzun to hand the Pangu Banner over to Jiang Heng.

Dealing with Yuanshi Tianzun is not difficult; the difficulty lies in the fact that once Yuanshi Tianzun is dealt with, Daozu Hongjun will definitely intervene.

Moreover, the current Sage Taiqing is currently in seclusion, and it is difficult to predict when he will emerge from seclusion.

Even considering the worst-case scenario, it's possible that the Supreme Saint, in his pursuit of a higher realm, would ultimately transform into the Dao, thus perishing and his Dao dissipating.

In the primordial world, there is a saying that saints are immortal, but this is not absolute; saints can still perish.

Especially when the Sage of Taiqing had clearly sided with Li Mu, the Heavenly Dao and the Sage of Taiqing were already enemies, not friends.

If the Sage Taiqing were to perish, one less great enemy would be lost, and Dao Ancestor Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao would probably be very happy to see it.

"Finally, I succeeded!" Suddenly, a smile appeared on Jiang Heng's face as he murmured to himself.

Jiang Heng casually put away the Chaos Bell, then created an avatar. After taking a step, he was already in the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

Jiang Heng did not conceal his aura, and after he descended into the Six Paths of Reincarnation, many powerful figures in the Underworld naturally sensed it.

Xuanming Ancestral Witch, the Ten Kings of Hell, Yun Zhongzi and other powerful figures from the underworld quickly appeared and paid their respects to Jiang Heng, the Human Emperor.

"What brings the Human Emperor here?" Xuanming Ancestral Witch asked first.

"The Ancestral Witch Houtu is about to emerge from seclusion, so of course I have to come!" Jiang Heng said with a smile.

"Great! Sister Houtu has finally emerged from seclusion!" Xuanming Ancestral Witch said excitedly.

Since the Netherworld Blood Sea merged into the Six Paths of Reincarnation hundreds of thousands of years ago, the Ancestral Witch Houtu has been in seclusion, and has not appeared in recent years.

In Jiang Heng's perception, the Six Paths of Reincarnation was about to reach its culmination, and the transformation of Houtu Ancestral Witch herself would naturally be completed soon.

"I have been in seclusion for many years and have little understanding of the Three Realms now. Tell me about the current state of the Three Realms!" Jiang Heng said.

With Jiang Heng's current strength, he could take in the entire Three Realms with a single thought, but what he would see would only be the surface.

The waters of the Three Realms are very deep, and even with Jiang Heng's current strength, he dares not underestimate them in the slightest.

"Mysterious Ancestral Witch, I, Old Sun, am back again! Come out and fight me at once!"

But at that moment, a mighty voice resounded within the Six Paths of Reincarnation. Who else could it be but Sun Wukong?

Judging from the expressions on everyone's faces, they seemed to be used to this situation, so this was probably not the first time it had happened.

"Hmph! Sun Wukong, we've fought countless times, and neither of us can defeat the other. Do you really think I'm afraid of you?" Xuanming Ancestral Witch said angrily.

Jiang Heng's heart stirred slightly. Although he didn't know exactly what had happened, he could guess a thing or two.

Once, when Sun Wukong wreaked havoc in the Six Paths of Reincarnation, he was severely punished by the Xuanming Ancestral Witch, a lesson Sun Wukong has always deeply regretted.

After the Journey to the West tribulation ended, Sun Wukong, having reached the pinnacle of his power, came to the Six Paths of Reincarnation to seek revenge against the Xuanming Ancestral Witch. This was not surprising.

Sun Wukong thought that with his strength fully developed, facing a Xuanming Ancestral Witch would be no problem.

But who would have thought that Sun Wukong, who came full of confidence, not only failed to regain his honor in one fell swoop, but also fought Xuanming Ancestral Witch several times, all of which ended in a draw.

If it were the Xuanming Ancestral Witch from the Lich War era, with Sun Wukong's current strength, defeating her would naturally not be difficult.

But now, after so many years, how could the Xuanming Ancestral Witch's strength have remained stagnant?

During the Lich Wars, the Wu Clan had difficulty improving their strength because they lacked a primordial spirit, but that was only in the past.

After Houtu the Ancestral Witch became a Sage of the Earthly Realm, this limitation of the Witch Clan was completely broken by Houtu the Ancestral Witch.

Now, the witch clan in the underworld, like the human race, can also continuously increase their strength through acquired cultivation.

Jiang Heng once passed on the unparalleled skills of the Ruthless Great Emperor to the Ancestral Witch Houtu, which was a supreme method that could directly lead to the realm of Quasi-Immortal Emperor.

After becoming a sage of the earth, Houtu, the ancestral witch, combined the creation of the six realms of reincarnation to create a peerless method that suited her.

This unparalleled technique was named "Reincarnation Creation Heavenly Technique" by the Ancestral Witch Houtu, and she passed it on to the Ancestral Witch Xuanming.

It was precisely through the "Reincarnation Creation Heavenly Art" that the Xuanming Ancestral Witch's cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, breaking through the limit of the peak Quasi-Saint.

It is no exaggeration to say that the current Xuanming Ancestral Witch is not only no less powerful than Sun Wukong, but is even slightly stronger.

However, Sun Wukong had already mastered the Fighting Victory Technique to a high level, and becoming stronger with each battle had become second nature to him.

This is why Sun Wukong fought against Xuanming Ancestral Witch countless times, but never managed to determine a winner.

Sun Wukong and the enraged Xuanming Ancestral Witch quickly clashed, and given their current strength, it was likely to end in a draw.

Jiang Heng couldn't help but smile, not taking this childish game to heart.

At the same time, Yun Zhongzi and the others were already telling Jiang Heng about the current situation in the three realms of Heaven, Earth, and Man.

First, there's the Heavenly Realm. According to Yun Zhongzi, the Heavenly Realm is far from peaceful these days, with the struggle between the Jade Emperor Haotian and Lu Ya reaching a fever pitch.

Although the demon race has declined, it is still a formidable force. After years of recuperation, the demon race has regained some strength.

With the support of powerful demons, Lu Ya is now on par with the Jade Emperor Haotian in the Heavenly Court.

Many important positions in the Heavenly Court have been occupied by the demon race, who completely ignore the Jade Emperor Haotian's orders.

Although the Jade Emperor Haotian is still the nominal ruler of the Heavenly Court, his authority has been greatly eroded by Lu Ya.

The Jade Emperor Haotian was naturally unwilling to accept this situation. It is said that recently, he has launched a major counterattack in the Heavenly Court and has severely suppressed the demon race led by Lu Ya.

Lu Ya was no ordinary person either, especially after breaking through the limit and taking a step forward from the peak Quasi-Saint level.

It is foreseeable that the struggle between Lu Ya and the Jade Emperor Haotian in the Heavenly Court will inevitably intensify.

Upon hearing this, a smile involuntarily appeared on Jiang Heng's face; all of this was exactly what Jiang Heng had expected.

Jiang Heng was naturally pleased with the current situation in the Heavenly Court. In fact, he wanted to embellish it further.

Jiang Heng didn't need to worry too much about matters in the Heavenly Realm; he had already planned for them, and everything was proceeding smoothly according to his plan.

"Alas! In the current Immortal Realm, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is becoming increasingly scarce, making cultivation more and more difficult!" Yun Zhongzi sighed.

Jiang Heng went into seclusion to allow the Chaos Bell to bear his Dao. It has only been a little over a thousand years, but the spiritual energy of heaven and earth in the Earthly Immortal Realm has decreased significantly once again.

The current Immortal Realm has truly entered the Dharma-ending Age, and the primordial energy of heaven and earth has become unimaginably scarce.

For beings at the Immortal Realm and above, maintaining their own needs in the Earthly Immortal Realm becomes extremely difficult.

Not to mention, the idea of ​​increasing one's cultivation level through practice is simply out of the question; there's absolutely no such possibility.

In other words, in some blessed lands, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is relatively abundant, which is enough for beings above the Immortal Realm to cultivate.

It's no exaggeration to say that the current Immortal Realm is similar to the former Human Realm, completely unsuitable for beings above the Immortal Realm.

This naturally had the greatest impact on the human race. Faced with the increasingly scarce spiritual energy of heaven and earth, many human beings could not even achieve immortality.

Jiang Heng remained silent, smiling. The scarcity of the world's vital energy would inevitably lead to this result, and Jiang Heng had long been prepared for it.

Therefore, it seems that everything is ripe and the cultivation system of "Covering the Sky" will become the only option for the human race.

Of course, for Jiang Heng, it wouldn't be good if the spiritual energy of heaven and earth continued to be so scarce.

"Human Emperor! The primordial energy of heaven and earth is scarce. Is there any way to solve this problem?" Yun Zhongzi asked expectantly.

As far as Yun Zhongzi was concerned, it seemed that nothing could stump the Human Emperor before him since he had become famous.

Yun Zhongzi had inquired with Yuanshi Tianzun about the dwindling primordial energy of heaven and earth, but had not received any useful answers.

In Yun Zhongzi's mind, if anyone in the primordial world could solve the problem of the dwindling spiritual energy of heaven and earth, it would be none other than Jiang Heng.

"I will find a way to resolve this matter. While I cannot say that the primordial energy of heaven and earth can be restored to its original state, we cannot allow it to continue to deteriorate like this!" Jiang Heng said.

Even in the world of "Covering the Sky", although the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is not abundant and cultivation is extremely difficult, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth still exists.

Jiang Heng used the scarcity of the world's vital energy to rejuvenate the human race, rather than depleting the world's vital energy to the point that cultivation was impossible.

The Heavenly Dao and Dao Ancestor Hongjun had their own calculations, and the scarcity of primordial energy in the world was even more related to the fundamental rules of the primordial world.

But this doesn't mean Jiang Heng is completely helpless. The reason he hadn't taken action before was simply because the timing wasn't right.

"If the Human Emperor can intervene, that would be for the best. Otherwise, if things continue to deteriorate, I'm afraid many immortals will perish!" Yun Zhongzi said.

As the vital energy of heaven and earth gradually diminishes, beings in the celestial realm will face the five signs of decay, a phenomenon that has been repeatedly unfolding in the Earthly Immortal Realm.

Seeing countless beings from the celestial realms about to perish, many powerful figures in the primordial world were extremely worried.

"How is the human realm doing now?" Jiang Heng asked.

Whether in the celestial realm or the human realm, the current situation is within Jiang Heng's expectations, and there is nothing to pay special attention to for the time being.

Of the three realms, Jiang Heng is most concerned about the human realm, as it will be the key to this great calamity.

"The human realm is protected by a great formation, and we are not very clear about the situation there!" Yun Zhongzi said.

Jiang Heng nodded. The human realm is protected by the Zhou Tian Star Array. Unless one breaks through the boundary, the human realm is relatively independent.

Jiang Heng's heart stirred, and his primordial spirit broke through layers of space and time, descending into the human realm to observe the current situation there.

Soon, Jiang Heng frowned slightly. In just a moment, he sensed the aura of faith in the human realm.

Faith can only exist in the human world as a means of Heaven.

"It seems we need to teach Nezha a lesson!" Jiang Heng thought to himself.

Jiang Heng originally entrusted the affairs of the human realm to Nezha, but judging from the current results, Nezha clearly did not take Jiang Heng's words to heart.

Jiang Heng originally intended to use this incident in the human realm to give Nezha a chance to advance further and become a powerful figure comparable to Yang Jian.

But Nezha's unruly nature was truly giving Jiang Heng a headache. Without some lesson, Nezha's hope of breaking through was extremely slim.

"It seems I still need to make a trip to the human realm, and I can also resolve the issue of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth while I'm at it!" Jiang Heng thought to himself.

Compared to the celestial realm and the earthly realm, the human realm is more important, especially during this great calamity.

The two saints, Jieyin and Zhunti, are plotting to seize faith in the human world. This must be dealt with as soon as possible, or it will become a great hidden danger.

Perhaps neither the saints Lianyin nor Zhunti realized what this great calamity truly meant for the human realm.

However, while the two saints, Jieyin and Zhunti, were unaware of this, it was impossible for the Heavenly Dao and the Dao Ancestor Hongjun not to know, which was also what Jiang Heng was most worried about.

The human realm is inhabited by countless humans. Jiang Heng created the human realm to provide them with a safe place to live.

If even the peaceful life that was originally possible cannot be sustained, then Emperor Jiang Heng will probably be truly to blame.

Just as Jiang Heng was pondering, the Six Paths of Reincarnation suddenly trembled, and an unparalleled aura manifested.

Houtu, the Ancestral Witch, manifested in the Six Paths of Reincarnation, just as gentle and beautiful as she was tens of thousands of years ago, smiling radiantly as she looked at Jiang Heng.

When Yun Zhongzi and the others saw Houtu appear, they hurriedly stepped forward to pay their respects and congratulate Houtu on her return from seclusion.

Jiang Heng could sense that Houtu Ancestral Witch's aura had become much stronger than it had been tens of thousands of years ago.

After Yun Zhongzi and the others left, Jiang Heng and Houtu Zuwu arrived at the depths of the Six Paths of Reincarnation. Jiang Heng said:

"You're still one step short. It seems the Netherworld Blood Sea alone isn't enough to completely transform you!"

Although Houtu Ancestral Witch's aura has become more powerful, it has not exceeded the limit of the Saint Realm; it is only a few degrees stronger than before.

That's normal. The Quasi-Immortal Emperor realm isn't easy to break through. The Netherworld Blood Sea alone is clearly not enough for Houtu Ancestral Witch to transform.

"It is expected that it will be extremely difficult to take another step forward! But your aura, could it be that it has already..." Houtu, the Ancestral Witch, inquired.

At this moment, in the eyes of Houtu Ancestral Witch, Jiang Heng's aura was almost imperceptible. With his current strength, he almost failed to sense Jiang Heng's presence.

"We've only taken half a step by luck; we're still far from being able to defy the Heavenly Dao!" Jiang Heng said.

In fact, if Jiang Heng hadn't had the system's help, he would have unbelievably entered "Perfect World" and witnessed the growth of the Desolate Emperor.

Even if Jiang Heng cultivated diligently for hundreds of thousands of years, he could not break through the limits and reach the Quasi-Immortal Emperor realm.

"It is already extremely difficult to take even half a step. For you to reach this step in just a few hundred thousand years is probably beyond the expectations of the Heavenly Dao."

"That's right! Although I didn't take that crucial step during this period of seclusion, I did gain some insights!" said Houtu, the Ancestral Witch.

"Oh? Is it about the primordial world?" Jiang Heng asked, a thought flashing through his mind.

"It seems you already know some things! That's right! This time, because of my improved cultivation, I unexpectedly glimpsed the secrets within my bloodline."

"Our Wu clan's bloodline originates from the Father God Pangu, and it is because of this that our Wu clan possesses innate supernatural powers."

Just as Houtu Zuwu said, the Wu tribe was formed from the essence and blood of the great god Pangu, and can be said to be the inheritors of the bloodline of the great god Pangu.

This is why the Witch Clan possesses innate supernatural abilities, having been born with extremely powerful strength, among whom the Twelve Ancestral Witches are the most outstanding.

Perhaps for this reason, while the lich is powerful, it also has many limitations; the fact that it lacks a primordial spirit is enough to be fatal.

However, as Houtu Ancestral Witch became a sage of the earth, this restriction was broken, and Houtu Ancestral Witch was able to completely control her own bloodline.

Aside from her own cultivation level, if we only talk about the strength of her physical body, Houtu Ancestral Witch is even above Jiang Heng.

This is precisely the power of the Pangu God's bloodline. However, during this period of seclusion and cultivation, Houtu, the Ancestral Witch, discovered that the power of the Pangu God's bloodline was not limited to this.

According to Houtu, the ancestral witch, deep within her own bloodline, she seemed to resonate with all living beings in the primordial world.

The feeling was as if, if Houtu the Ancestral Witch were willing, she could also transform into all things, just like the Great God Pangu once did.

"The Great God Pangu once transformed into all things. It can be said that all existence in the primordial world originated from the Great God Pangu!" Jiang Heng said.

Apart from the human race, which was created by the sage Nuwa, all living beings in the primordial world were born from the primordial world itself.

All beings in the primordial world originated from the god Pangu. Therefore, all living beings in the primordial world can be said to have originated from the god Pangu.

Houtu, the ancestral witch, resonated with all the spirits in the primordial world through the bloodline of the great god Pangu. Upon careful consideration, this is only natural.

"I can resonate with all spirits, and even with heaven and earth, but there are two things in the primordial world that I cannot see even a fraction of!" said Houtu, the Ancestral Witch, in a deep voice.

"The Heavenly Dao and Dao Ancestor Hongjun?" Jiang Heng's expression changed slightly, and he said in a deep voice.

"That's absolutely true! In my perception, neither Dao Ancestor Hongjun nor the Heavenly Dao seem to belong to the primordial world!" said Houtu, the Ancestral Witch.

Jiang Heng's expression grew increasingly solemn. Houtu's discovery was indeed extraordinary for Jiang Heng.

It's one thing to mention Dao Ancestor Hongjun, but there have long been rumors that Dao Ancestor Hongjun was not a being from the primordial world, but one of the Great Dao Demon Gods.

Because Dao Ancestor Hongjun possessed the Jade Disc of Creation, he escaped the Great Calamity of Creation and only entered the Primordial World after the fall of the Great God Pangu.

If we calculate it this way, then Houtu Ancestral Witch's perception that Dao Ancestor Hongjun did not belong to the primordial world merely confirms this statement.

However, the Heavenly Dao was born from the primordial world and is the will of the primordial world, so how could it not belong to the primordial world?

Although Jiang Heng had witnessed the true nature of the Heavenly Dao, he never thought that the Heavenly Dao did not belong to the primordial world; he simply believed that the Heavenly Dao might have always been like this.

But if Houtu's perception is correct, then the true nature of the Heavenly Dao may not be what Jiang Heng originally thought.

"So, we haven't even come across the true secrets of this world!" Jiang Heng said solemnly.

"I haven't taken that step yet. If I break through, I might be able to perceive even more!" said Houtu, the Ancestral Witch.

(End of this chapter)