Primordial Era: The Three Senior Brothers of the Taiqing Clan

The fluctuation came from the depths of the microscopic world—the very place where he stored Pangu's essence and blood and allowed Xuanming to reshape his physical body.

Chen Qing's expression shifted, then joy appeared on his face. He was all too familiar with this fluctuation; it was a sign that his physical body was about to take shape and his true spirit was about to return to its rightful place.

"Here comes a helper," Chen Qing muttered to himself, a smile hard to hide on his face.

He immediately sat down cross-legged and focused his mind on his body.

In that microscopic world, a drop of Pangu's essence blood floated in the void, radiating a warm and ancient light.

This microscopic world contains a large amount of unclaimed spiritual energy transformed from the Qiankun Cauldron.

The power of the world enveloped the unclaimed spiritual energy, nourishing the life that was gestating within. After these days of nurturing, Xuanming's true spirit had deeply merged with his essence and blood, and a new physical body was slowly taking shape.

At this moment, the drop of essence blood trembled violently, its light shining brightly, like a miniature sun. The surrounding spiritual energy surged towards it, absorbed and transformed by the essence blood, and injected into the newborn body.

Chen Qing dared not be careless and quickly mobilized the power of the world to assist him. This was the most crucial moment in reshaping his physical body, and the slightest mistake could lead to the failure of all his previous efforts.

Time passed by, second by second.

After an unknown amount of time, the drop of blood essence finally stopped trembling. The light gradually faded, and a figure slowly emerged from it.

It was a woman, tall and slender, with fair skin and a long, flowing white hair that cascaded down to her waist. Her eyes were closed, and an aura of icy coldness surrounded her, making her seem like a goddess sculpted from ice and snow. She was none other than Xuanming—the Ancestral Witch of Rain, the wielder of the Laws of Ice.

She opened her eyes, a hint of confusion flashing in her pupils before quickly regaining her clarity.

"I...recovered?" Xuanming looked down at his hands, then touched his cheeks, feeling the real touch of his newborn body, and murmured.

Chen Qing's voice rang in her ear: "How are you feeling?"

Xuanming raised his head and looked at the illusory figure formed by Chen Qing's divine sense deep in the void, revealing a grateful smile: "Thank you for your life-saving grace, fellow Daoist. This physical body... is stronger than before."

Chen Qing smiled and said, "That's for sure. The body reshaped by Pangu's essence blood not only preserves your Ancestral Witch body but also eliminates the hidden dangers of turbid evil energy. From now on, there will be no more obstacles for you to cultivate the Great Dao of Ice, and you may even be able to make further progress."

Xuanming sensed the changes within her body and indeed discovered that the turbid evil energy that had been troubling her had completely disappeared, replaced by pure power of laws. Countless law inscriptions crisscrossed and interdependently burned onto her physical body. This was the result of Chen Qing's guidance in understanding the laws.

The result is that the Ancestral Witch's true form was destroyed, but the good news is that her physical body has become much stronger. With the fusion of the essence and blood of all the Witch Clan members, plus the undying spiritual light and understanding of laws given by Chen Qing, her physical strength is comparable to that of a top-grade innate spiritual treasure, and her power has been greatly enhanced.

The downside is, is she still the Ice Ancestral Witch? An Ancestral Witch without her true form? An Ice Ancestral Witch who is proficient in other laws?

After hesitating for a long time, he solemnly thanked him, saying, "I will remember this kindness."

Forget it, why think about this? If you're of Pangu bloodline, you're a member of the Wu clan.

Chen Qing waved his hand: "No need to be polite. You've helped me, so I won't treat you unfairly. The situation in the prehistoric world is not peaceful right now, so it's always good to have another helper."

Xuanming's expression hardened: "What happened?"

Chen Qing briefly recounted the story of the extraterrestrial saint "Void" and the Tianyuan Realm. Xuan Ming frowned deeply after listening.

"Such a thing is true." Xuanming said in a deep voice, "How is Xingtian?"

Chen Qing said, "He's fine. That 'Xing Tian' was an imposter under Xu Wu's command; the real Xing Tian should still be in the Netherworld."

Xuanming breathed a sigh of relief, then a cold glint flashed in his eyes: "Those people from beyond the realm dare to be so arrogant. When they arrive, we'll definitely have to deal with them."

Chen Qing smiled and said, "No rush. First, get used to this new body and stabilize your cultivation. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."

Xuanming nodded without pretense, immediately sat down cross-legged, and began to circulate his cultivation technique to consolidate his realm.

Chen Qing regained his composure and let out a long breath. Xuanming's awakening was undoubtedly a great help to him.

A powerful being at the level of an Ancestral Witch, and an evolved version at that, free from the hidden dangers of turbid energy, and proficient in all kinds of laws, whose combat strength should not be underestimated. Below the level of a Saint, they are practically invincible.

With Xuanming, the three religions have an additional layer of protection.

Several days later, Xuanming completely stabilized his cultivation and emerged from the microscopic world.

She stood atop the mountain of Penglai Immortal Island, facing the wind, her white hair flowing, her eyes reflecting the boundless sea. She took a deep breath, feeling the unprecedented clarity and freedom brought by her newborn body.

"So many years... I've finally broken free from the entanglement of that turbid and malevolent energy," Xuanming said in a low voice, his tone full of emotion.

Chen Qing walked to her side, stood with his hands behind his back, and gazed into the distance: "How are you feeling?"

"Very good." Xuanming's lips curled up slightly. "Better than ever before. Only now do I realize that the path we, the Ancestral Witches, took was wrong from the very beginning."

Chen Qing nodded: "Pangu's essence blood is naturally close to the Great Dao, and should have followed the path of integrating with the laws of the primordial world. However, you chose to refine your bodies with turbid evil energy. Although your strength increased rapidly in the early stages, the consequences were endless. Now that you have a second chance, you might as well consider the path of integrating with the Dao."

Xuanming seemed to be deep in thought: "Merging with the Dao...merging with the Great Dao of Ice of the Primordial World?"

"That's right," Chen Qing said. "The Ancestral Witches are descendants of Pangu, and they have a natural affinity with the laws of the primordial world. If you can integrate your true spirit into the Great Dao of Ice, not only will your cultivation level increase rapidly, but you may even have the opportunity to touch the threshold of becoming a Saint."

This is a true sage, one with the laws of the primordial Dao, sharing in each other's glory.

A glint flashed in Xuanming's eyes, then dimmed again: "Let me think about it. Once I embark on this path, I will be completely bound to the Primordial World. If the Primordial World is in trouble, I will not be able to stand aside."

Chen Qing smiled and said, "In the current situation, who do you think can stay out of it?"

Xuanming was silent for a moment, then gave a wry smile: "You're right. But which Dao should I merge with now? There are so many laws!"

Chen Qing...

Good grief, you've actually picked one?

"Integration with the Dao is merely a means to achieve rapid improvement. Once one's own strength reaches a certain level, it will drive the development of the Great Dao."

Xuanming's eyes lit up upon hearing this. "Then I'll give it a try?"

"Why don't you go and check on the Witch Clan first?" Chen Qing said. "Our ancestors were a fighting race in the primordial world. Now that an alien world has invaded, how can we forget about these fighting forces?"

"Yes, I need to go to the Netherworld first to check on the current situation of the Witch Clan," Xuanming said.

……

After Chen Qing and Xuan Ming reached an agreement, Chen Qing got up alone and headed towards the underworld.

The gates to the underworld lie deep within the sea of ​​blood, a place usually filled with eerie winds and ghostly shadows. But today, the moment Chen Qing crossed the sea of ​​blood and stepped into the underworld, he sensed something amiss.

It's too quiet.

The already dim sky of the underworld now appeared even more gloomy and oppressive, as if an invisible layer of dark clouds shrouded the entire sky.

A suffocating sense of oppression filled the air, making even breathing heavy.

Even more strangely, none of the wandering ghosts that used to roam around and wail incessantly were visible at this moment.

The road to the underworld is deserted, the Bridge of Helplessness is desolate, and even the Gate of Hell is not a ghost in sight.

The entire underworld seemed to have become a desolate wasteland.

Chen Qing frowned, a sense of unease creeping into his heart. He quickened his pace, heading deeper into the underworld.

Along the way, he passed the facilities that he and Houtu had set up together—the Gate of Hell, the Road to the Underworld, and the Bridge of Helplessness—all of which were still there, but there was no one there, making it seem particularly eerie.

Just then, a vast and evil aura suddenly surged up from the depths of the underworld.

Chen Qing's expression changed drastically—the direction from which that aura came was none other than the Pangu Palace where Pingxin was!

He dared not delay, his figure transforming into a streak of light as he sped off in that direction. Xuanming followed closely behind, extremely nervous.

Inside the Pangu Hall.

Pingxin sat weakly on the throne, her face pale. Her breath was feeble, clearly indicating severe internal injuries.

Fang, Xing Tian, ​​Jiu Feng, and other great shamans were covered in wounds, their faces were exhausted, and they were either sitting or lying down, with traces of blood from the battle still remaining on their bodies.

Countless witch warriors stood guard around the perimeter, exhausted but still gripping their weapons tightly, their eyes warily fixed on the outside of the hall.

The Pangu Palace truly lives up to its reputation as the treasure of the Wu Clan. Its interior space is enormous, accommodating all the surviving members of the Wu Clan without feeling crowded at all.

However, at this moment, a gloomy atmosphere hung over everyone's faces, so heavy it was almost as if water was about to drip from them.

Outside the hall, countless lonely ghosts surged in like a tide, crashing wave after wave against the protective light barrier of the Pangu Hall before turning to ashes.

Behind these ghosts, several mysterious figures dressed in black robes, exuding a powerful aura, stood with their hands behind their backs, coldly watching everything unfold.

A man in black robes spoke, his voice hoarse and unpleasant: "What we're doing shouldn't be a problem, right? The Underworld seems to be quite important in this world; those saints won't just stand by and do nothing, will they?"

"Heh heh heh, you're really getting more and more regressive with age," another man in black robes chuckled. "So what if you're a saint? The Netherworld has long been sealed off. Besides, we have plenty of others here. Don't forget, we still have that great one overseeing things!"

"But... Pingxin seems to be at the Saint level of cultivation as well. One of those two masters has already left, and now only one remains. I'm afraid..."

"Heh." The third man in black robes sneered. "Pingxin has been severely injured by the two lords working together. He is now hiding in the Pangu Palace and doesn't dare to come out at all."

What are you still hesitating about? As long as we break through this place, and that lord hunts down Pingxin, the Netherworld will be ours for the taking!

The men in black robes chatted amongst themselves, showing no regard for Pingxin in the Pangu Palace or the entire primordial world, as if the Netherworld was already in their grasp.

Outside the hall, countless ghosts relentlessly assaulted the protective light barrier of the Pangu Temple. With each impact, the barrier trembled violently, and its spiritual light gradually dimmed.

Xing Tian looked at the ghosts outside who kept crashing into the light barrier and turning into ashes, and a trace of worry flashed in his eyes.

He looked at Pingxin and said in a deep voice, "Pingxin, if this continues, I'm afraid the defenses of the Pangu Palace won't last much longer."

Pingxin naturally understood Xingtian's meaning. If she hadn't forcibly brought all the Wu tribe members into the Pangu Palace and forbade anyone from going out to fight, these people would probably have already rushed out to fight the enemy to the death.

The Wu tribe is warlike and would rather die than surrender. To them, dying on the battlefield is an honor, a return to the embrace of their father, Pangu.

But the situation is different now—these remaining members of the Wu tribe are their last hope. If they are all lost, the Wu tribe will truly be wiped out from the primordial land.

Pingxin didn't want to see that outcome, and neither did Xingtian.

But the spiritual light of the Pangu Temple was dimming little by little. At this rate, the defenses would be breached soon. Rather than waiting to be killed, they had to fight to the death.

The indomitable flame of war burned fiercely in Xing Tian's eyes. Jiu Feng raised her head, her gaze equally resolute. The surrounding Wu Clan warriors gripped their weapons tightly, their bodies radiating a dense aura of killing intent.

Rather than waiting to die here, they would rather go out and fight.

Even if the enemy is so powerful that even Lady Pingxin was seriously injured, even if they know that this journey is most likely to lead to their death—why should the sons of the Wu tribe fear death?

"Xingtian, I am willing to leave the palace for a battle!" Xingtian knelt on one knee, his voice strong and clear, his eyes filled with fighting spirit and determination.

"Nine Phoenixes, I am willing to fight!" Nine Phoenixes followed closely behind, their voices clear and cold as ice, yet equally resolute.

Xing Tian and Jiu Feng's words acted like a fuse, instantly igniting the fighting spirit of the Wu Clan throughout the Pangu Hall.

One after another, the Wu tribe warriors knelt down, their eyes fixed intently on Pingxin, their resolute expressions telling her that they were willing to go out and fight to the death.

Pingxin fell silent.

The hall was completely silent, except for the muffled sounds of ghosts crashing against the light barrier outside, one after another, like a death knell.

After a long while, Pingxin slowly opened her eyes, her gaze sweeping over the faces of every member of the Wu clan in the hall.

Those familiar faces, those clansmen who had fought alongside her through countless battles and shared life-and-death experiences, now all had their eyes burning with the fire of war, showing no fear whatsoever.

She sighed, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly: "War."

Just one word, nothing more.

Pingxin slowly stood up. In that instant, the aura emanating from her seemed to have transformed into that of a different person.

The witches seemed to see Houtu, the ancestral witch who stood shoulder to shoulder with the other eleven ancestral witches and led the witches to conquer the primordial world—no, even more majestic and inviolable than before.

"war!"

Xing Tian roared and stood up first, holding a dry knife, his whole body surging with murderous aura.

"war!"

Jiufeng followed closely behind, her chilling killing intent almost tangible.

"war!"

"war!"

"war!"

Inside the Pangu Palace, the roars of the Wu tribe warriors rose and fell, causing the entire palace to tremble slightly.

Those shouts of "Fight!" were their indomitable will, their final glory, and their challenge to fate.

Outside the hall, the man in black robes seemed to sense something, frowned slightly, and then revealed a disdainful sneer.

"Finally couldn't hold back anymore? Good, saves us the trouble."