If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1090 Hou Tu Clan

"Don't worry, it's just the essence of the Earthly Fiends, I'm very familiar with it."

Xiaoyu had a faint smile on her face, one hand behind her back, and the other hand stretched out in front of her, palm down, fingers loosely grasping.

"Whoohoo~~"

A sudden gust of wind swept across the surrounding underworld ground, carrying with it the scattered "black smoke" (earthly evil essence) that was about to sink into the earth and merge into the veins of the earth, which fell into Xiaoyu's palm.

More and more black smoke gathered together, eventually forming a metallic black sphere.

It's about the size of a pineapple, and even without touching it, just by looking at it, you can tell it's extremely heavy.

In fact, the surrounding space was slightly distorted, and its power was astonishing.

"Ah, this is my vital essence!"

The little bull was both surprised and delighted, looking at Xiaoyu with longing and awe.

Xiaoyu said, "After we finish talking, I'll give it back to you so you can grow taller."

The little bull-headed man shouted, "If you're going to talk, then talk! Why did you suddenly attack me and force out my vital energy?"

Do you know how many years it took me to cultivate this essence?

Xiaoyu said, "You're tall and loud. When you speak above my head, it sounds like thunder."

I'll shrink you down so it'll be easier for us to talk.

The little bullhead became even more excited and said, "Just tell me, and I can grow big or small, and my voice can be as loud as thunder or as soft as a whisper."

Yang Li shouted, "You scoundrel, since you can shrink and speak softly, why are you so rude?"
With Grand Tutor Yu right in front of her, she still dared to be taller and louder than her; she deserved to be beaten!
Grand Tutor Yu might as well throw this lump of Earthly Fiend Essence into the earth, so that his ten thousand years of hard cultivation will all be in vain in one day.

"Give him a severe punishment, so he'll know the majesty of the Grand Tutor of Great Qin."

Xiaoyu said softly, "Dignity comes from morality and etiquette, not from showing off."

"Little calf, continue. The sooner you finish, the sooner I'll return your energy to you."

—Aren't you just showing off your supernatural powers and putting on airs right now?
Yang Li thought to himself, "This is what I'm thinking."

"How does Grand Tutor Yu intend to deal with Empress Dowager Zhao?" Xiao Niu asked softly.

"She'll probably have to stay in the underworld. Could you designate a blessed land for her to live in? Or perhaps you could simply send her to reincarnation?" Xiaoyu asked.

The minotaur pondered, "If Grand Tutor Yu takes Empress Dowager Zhao away, things will be much simpler."

All you need to do is find Judge Zhao and have him remove Empress Dowager Zhao from the blacklist and add her name to the official register.

Empress Dowager Zhao was a person of great nobility, so there is no need to consider how many sins she committed or how much evil karma she accumulated during her lifetime.

Even if there are causes and effects and evil deeds, they shall be borne by the Great Qin and by humanity.

Even if the Qin Dynasty has already fallen, there are still the Taishan Underworld for judgment and the Fengdu Underworld for punishment and suppression.

Just like a normal lord of a blessed land, if he acts arrogantly and domineeringly in his own blessed land, no one will care; but if he dares to lead ghost soldiers to disrupt the order of the underworld, or frequently goes to the human world to harm living beings.

The underworld of Fengdu will dispatch ghost soldiers to launch a fierce attack and severely suppress the lord of this blessed land.

In more serious cases, they might even demolish the kingdom of the dead within the blessed land.

But none of this matters to our Netherworld.

The underworld blessed land of the great nobles of China is not under the jurisdiction of the netherworld.

If Grand Tutor Yu wanted to keep Empress Dowager Zhao in the underworld, there would be many procedures to go through.

First, we must go to the First Hall of Yama to find King Qin Guang and have His Majesty examine Empress Zhao's Book of Life and Death, and then compare it with the Mirror of Retribution to reveal the sins Empress Zhao committed throughout her life.

After she confessed without hesitation and all the charges were confirmed, she was escorted to the second courtroom to begin her trial.

After the trial concludes, Grand Tutor Yu will take Empress Dowager Zhao to the Fifth Court of Hell.

Once they reach Yama, it will be up to Grand Tutor Yu to decide what to do.

If you need to pull strings and build connections, even the King of Hell will be more accommodating.

After explaining the general process, Xiao Niu stared eagerly at the ball of Earthly Fiend Essence in Xiao Yu's hand.

Xiao Yu said, "Take us to see Empress Dowager Zhao first."

Xiao Niu hesitated and said, "Reporting to the Grand Tutor, I am the 'Guardian' of the Ghost Gate in the Netherworld, and I am not allowed to leave my post without permission."

How about I summon a minor official to guide the Grand Tutor?
Upon arriving at the City of the Wrongfully Dead, a judge will receive the Grand Tutor.

Xiao Yu said, "Summon the clerk first, so I can take a look at him. If he's just a lowly brat, he's not qualified to receive the 'Grand Tutor of Qin'."

"Grand Tutor, rest assured, we underworld ghost messengers are also citizens of the great nation of China, and we are most knowledgeable in etiquette."

The calf quickly summoned a ghost messenger and sent them to find someone.

Xiao Yu chuckled, "I, the Grand Tutor, have already extracted the Earthly Fiend Essence from your body. Do you think I don't know your identity? You're a pure-blooded sorcerer, aren't you?"

Xiao Niu said, "I am a shaman, and also a Chinese shaman who has been taught etiquette and manners by the superior nation."

Xiao Yu looked at him suspiciously and said, "Your name is 'Hou Shan' and your surname is 'Hou', so you must be a subject of the Goddess Hou Tu."

The Goddess Houtu created the Ghost Realm, and you followed her, using connections and back channels to gain a position as a ghost messenger in this realm.

The concept of 'China' didn't exist back then.

What makes you think you're a 'Chinese shaman'?

Xiao Niu praised, "Grand Master Yu has excellent eyesight and knowledge. This humble one is indeed a shaman from the 'Hou Tu Tribe'."

Moreover, a few years after the goddess established the underworld, she moved here with her clansmen.

After years of struggling, he finally made it to the top and became a 'Primordial God of Heaven and Earth' bestowed by imperial decree.

But we, the Wu tribe, regardless of which branch of the twelve major tribes we belong to, are all people of the superior land of China.

There was a hint of disdain in his eyes, and his tone was filled with undisguised arrogance: "When our Wuren tribe was the 'superior nation of China,' the human race was not even considered barbarians."

There was no civilization, no etiquette. They learned all that from us shamans later.”

Xiao Yu sneered, "You witches can call your tribe 'Shangbang' at certain special times. But 'Zhonghua' is exclusive to the human race. How dare you steal it?"

In ancient times, humans voluntarily became slaves to the witch tribe in search of protection.

The shamans all disliked the human race for its lack of innate endowments.

At that time, the witch tribes, who possessed greater power, more advanced systems and productivity (witchcraft), were indeed the "divine land" of the prehistoric world, and the "superior nation" in the eyes of all races.

However, if "China" is to be placed before "the superior nation", then it must be a human race.

The little ox exclaimed, "Grand Tutor Yu, you are probably too young and have never seen the 'Great Integration of Human Tribes' in ancient times."

When human tribes fought each other, many shamans also got involved.

Only after dozens of large tribes, such as the Yan Emperor tribe, the Yellow Emperor tribe, and the Chi You tribe, were integrated did the term "Huaxia" and "the superior nation of China" come into being.

Grand Tutor, do you know how many of these merged tribes are pure-blooded witch tribes?

They account for at least 40% of the total!
If we include humans with shamanic blood, 80% of the tribes are related to shamans.

In that era, any prosperous and powerful human tribe qualified to participate in the struggle for supremacy had deep connections with the witch tribe and inherited and learned their witchcraft.

But witchcraft is not just a technique; it is a whole system of civilization.

Xiao Yu's own personal experience—the Fangfengji she met in Tianhe and the Danhua Lady she extorted—were both leaders of ancient clans and had close ties with the shamans.

The Wind-Protecting Ritual directly possesses the bloodline of a shaman.

Lady Danhua possessed the bones of an immortal, yet she never came into contact with "immortal arts" during her lifetime, instead practicing the witchcraft of a sorcerer.

By the way, Lady Danhua practices "Houtu Clan witchcraft".

Xiao Yu sighed, "I didn't expect you witches to have such a high degree of identification with 'China's Superior State,' you really consider yourselves as human." Xiao Niu shook his head and said, "It's not that we consider ourselves 'human,' we only recognize 'China's Superior State.'"

Whether it's 'Zhonghua' or not doesn't really matter; the key is that it's 'Shangbang' (a superior state).

Those who can establish a 'superior state' on earth must be a race favored by heaven and earth, that is, the 'protagonists of heaven and earth'.

The protagonist of heaven and earth possesses great fortune.

"If we shamans want to multiply, prosper, and become great again, we have to go up there and join the fun!"

Xiao Yu's expression froze for a moment, then she said irritably, "You're really honest!"

"Before the Grand Tutor, I dare not be dishonest."

Xiao Niu chuckled to himself, thinking: "This kind of petty trick can't be fooled at all. It's just that you're young and inexperienced."

Xiao Yu's eyes flashed, and she asked, "Who is the clan chief of your 'Hou Tu Tribe' now?"

The calf puffed out its chest and shouted, "It is I! I am the chieftain!"

"You?" Xiaoyu asked with a suspicious look in her eyes, "I have long admired the Goddess Houtu. Could you help introduce me to her?"

"Alas, Her Majesty has long since vanished into the underworld. It is probably impossible to see her in person. If the Grand Tutor admires Her Majesty, he can go to the Houtu Shrine or the Pingxin Niangniang Temple and offer sincere prayers. Her Majesty will surely respond," Xiao Niu sighed.

"Hou Yi also has the surname 'Hou,' so is he from your tribe?" Xiao Yu asked again.

The little ox immediately perked up and beamed with pride, nodding vigorously and saying, "Not only Hou Yi, but also the ancient heroes now celebrated in the upper echelons of China, such as Xing Tian, ​​Chi You, Kua Fu, and Xiang Liu, are all great shamans of our Houtu tribe!"

The twelve "Wu tribes" of the Wu people are not the only ones with outstanding people and many "famous people".

The number and quality of shamans in each tribe are actually about the same.

In terms of sheer strength, the Houtu tribe wasn't even the strongest.

The reason why so many heroes of the Houtu tribe have left their names and deeds in human history is because of this.

Among the twelve ancestral witch tribes, the Houtu tribe had the closest ties with the human race.

Before humans became the main force in the world, the shamans of the Houtu tribe lived among ordinary people in large numbers, and even intermarried, giving birth to "mixed-blood" offspring.

For example, the famous Hou Yi and Chang'e.

As far as Xiaoyu knows, Chang'e is a pure-blooded human girl with a limited lifespan who will age, so she needs to consume elixirs of immortality.

But Chang'e and Hou Yi belonged to the same tribe.

This shows how deep the integration between humans and shamans was in the Houtu tribe at that time.

Xiao Yu said, "Hou Yi, Xing Tian, ​​and Chi You must have left behind some immortal martial arts manuals, but you don't know any of them."

"Who says I can't? I—"

The calf bellowed excitedly, then suddenly remembered the identity and reputation of the person opposite it.

He stiffened for a moment, his face contorted, and forced a smile: "That's right, I don't know any of them, not even one."

There's absolutely nothing to it, and even if I wanted to learn, there's nothing I could learn, so I don't know anything.

After saying that, he turned and waved towards the depths of the ghost city, calling out, "Liang Fa, Liang Gongcao, come here quickly!"

The ghost messenger he had previously sent out was leading an official in a tall hat and wide robe, slowly drifting along the street.

Even when he heard the calf bellowing, he didn't speed up his flight; he remained leisurely and swaying.

Hou Shan was getting impatient, and sparks were practically flying from his eyes. He almost couldn't hold back and was about to burst out cursing: "Who is Yu Fengxian? How dare you act so arrogantly here!"
Uh, this guy has forgotten his previous performance.

Xiaoyu reached out and patted the little ox on the head, saying, "Xiaoshan, as the chief of the Houtu tribe, your strength is far from sufficient."

Quickly find the martial arts techniques of Hou Yi and Chi You.

Only through diligent and unwavering daily practice can we restore the glory of Houtu and make the shamans great once more.

"No, there's no cultivation technique." Little Niu's tone of denial became hesitant.

—I, the great shaman of the Houtu tribe, have cultivated for hundreds of millions of years, yet I couldn't even withstand a single move from Yu Fengxian. My skill is indeed insufficient, and I have made a fool of myself!

Hou Yi's "Yi Shoots Down the Nine Suns," Chi You's "Blood Fiend Battle Body" and "Tiger Soul Blade"—perhaps they should all be taken out and studied. But I've studied them before, though I lack the talent to master them.

Or perhaps I should ask Lady Pingxin to bestow some divine pills to help me increase my wisdom and physical constitution?
"You really don't have any inherited techniques? Sigh, how pitiful. I'm in a good mood today, and we clicked, so I'll teach you a technique called 'Hou Tu Wu Shen Gong' to help you refine your Earthly Fiend Essence. Do you want to learn it?" Xiao Yu asked.

"You know the Houtu Witchcraft Technique?" Xiao Niu asked, both surprised and suspicious. "I never said that Houtu Niangniang created this technique."

Xiao Yu said, "It is a cultivation technique I created after comprehending the Way of the Earth, which can cultivate 'Primordial Earthly Fiend Essence'. I named it this because I admire the Goddess Houtu."

As she spoke, she pulled a piece of spirit jade from her sleeve and quickly created the first chapter of "Hou Tu Wu Shen Gong".

Upon seeing the spirit jade handed to him, Xiao Niu was both surprised and conflicted.

Yang Li's eyelids twitched a few times as he said, "The shaman has no primordial spirit. If you give him the spirit jade, he has no energy, cannot distinguish thoughts, and cannot read the spiritual imprint in the spirit jade at all."

Xiaoyu paused for a moment, then awkwardly chuckled and put the spirit jade away. "I forgot about that. I'll help you copy a manual."

She was very fast. By the time Liang Gongcao floated in front of her, he had already quickly used his sword energy to inscribe a jade slip.

Liang Gongcao saw the pineapple-sized Earthly Fiend Spirit Balloon in her hand, felt the immense malevolent energy within it that terrified even ghosts and gods, and also caught a glimpse of the short, weak-looking calf.

His eyes widened in surprise and doubt, and the nonchalance on his face vanished instantly. He hurriedly bowed and said, "Liang Fa, the clerk of the City of the Wrongfully Dead, pays his respects to Grand Tutor Yu of the Great Qin Dynasty."

Xiao Yu nodded casually, tossed the jade slip into the calf's arms, then gathered the Earthly Fiend Essence and slapped it hard on the calf's head.

"Bang!"

It sounded like a giant iron sledgehammer striking an aircraft carrier deck; the sound was incredibly hard and painful to hear.

The calf stumbled from the impact, and pain was indeed visible on its face. However, the rapid expulsion of the ethereal immortal energy from its body and the replenishment of its earthly essence made it feel so comfortable that it wanted to moo.

He couldn't help but moo, but he resisted the urge to swell up and remained in the shape of a dwarf calf, so as not to anger Grand Tutor Yu.

"Cultivate diligently. If you encounter any difficulties, come to Xianyang to find me."

Xiao Yu gave a brief instruction, then turned to Liang Gongcao and said calmly, "Let's go find Empress Dowager Zhao."

Liang Gongcao glanced at the jade slip in Xiao Niu's hand, not understanding what had happened, and dared not ask any more questions. He immediately led the two Great Qin Celestial Masters and flew towards the depths of the underworld.

The calf was left alone, holding the jade slip, its face contorted in a dilemma.

—Isn't Yu Fengxian supposed to be someone who interrogates others about their martial arts techniques? Today she's really got a brain teaser, and she's even offering me a secret manual.

But you're just a human immortal, how could you possibly know anything about the Earthly Fiend Cultivation Methods of the Witch Clan?
While pondering to himself, the little ox was also very curious and opened the jade slip to take a look.

The nonchalance on his face and the doubt in his eyes quickly disappeared.

He was so engrossed in staring at the jade slip that he forgot about the time.

However, the contents of the jade slip were limited, and he quickly finished reading the entire document.

"Oh dear, why did it end at the exciting part?"

After reading the entire article, but finding the content unfinished, Xiao Niu scratched his head, looking quite distressed.

"How about we go to Yu Fengxian and ask for the sequel? She wasn't exaggerating before; she really does know a lot about the Earthly Fiend Essence."

No wonder he was able to subdue me in one move and even force out the Earthly Fiend Essence within me.

Yu Fengxian is truly a master in this field!

But she's not a good person; those who offer unsolicited favors are either up to no good or are thieves.

Could it be that they're playing the game of giving before taking?

I'll try cultivating it first. Perhaps the 'Primordial Evil Qi' is all show and no substance, or perhaps I'll never be able to cultivate it at all.

Xiao Niu tucked the jade slip into his robes, hurried back to his residence in the city, closed the door, and silently circulated his profound inner energy.

(End of this chapter)