Primordial Era: The Witch Clan's Dog-Headed Strategist

The main array of the Zhou Tian Lun Hui Purification Array was operating stably above the abyss vortex, with chaotic light cascading down like a waterfall, peeling away and purifying the turbid and evil energy and the filthy blood layer by layer.

The pure, pale golden evil energy was continuously transported to the secret realms of various tribes on Buzhou Mountain through twelve spatial channels, while the golden-red blood source was injected into the Pangu Blood Pool through the central channel.

The entire formation was like a beating heart, transforming the filth of the sea of ​​blood into nourishment for the witch clan, day and night without ceasing.

However, the sea of ​​blood was too vast.

Although the abyss vortex is the source of the turbid evil energy, with the highest concentration, the entire Blood Sea is boundless, and the turbid evil energy accumulated over countless years has already permeated every corner of the Blood Sea.

The main formation can only cover the core area around the abyss, those turbid evil nodes scattered throughout the sea of ​​blood.

If left unattended, it will not affect the operation of the main formation, but it will waste a lot of available resources.

After discussing with Houtu, Panxuan decided to set up secondary purification arrays in various parts of the Blood Sea to link with the main Abyss array.

The main array serves as the hub, while the secondary array eyes act as tentacles, extending the purification network to every turbid and evil node in the Blood Sea, maximizing purification efficiency.

This work cannot be rushed.

The turbid evil nodes in the Blood Sea are widely distributed, some in the shallow layer of the Blood Sea, and some in the bottom of the abyss.

Some are hidden in the lair of bloodthirsty evil spirits, while others are buried under layers of filth and grime accumulated over countless years.

Houtu used the laws of earth to sense the direction of the Blood Sea's veins, while Panxuan used his righteous energy and the Primordial Measuring Ruler to pinpoint the precise location of the Turbid Fiend Node. The two explored and set up formations one by one.

Each time a turbid energy node was found, Pan Xuan used the chaotic light of the Azure Lotus as a guide to set up a small secondary purification array eye.

These secondary array nodes are far less massive than the main Abyss array.

However, their advantage lies in their large number, which are interconnected through the earth's veins, forming a purification network that covers the entire sea of ​​blood.

The Styx River turned a blind eye to this.

He would occasionally observe from a distance for a moment, and seeing that Pan Xuan and Hou Tu were only setting up the purification array eyes and had not touched the root of the Blood Sea, he would turn around and return to the Netherworld Blood Sea Palace to continue his seclusion.

His attitude towards the witch clan has changed from initial indifference to tacit cooperation. Although they are not particularly close, at least there is no longer any hostility.

On this day, Pan Xuan and Hou Tu arrived at the far west of the Blood Sea.

The terrain here is completely different from other places.

The blood-red water became unusually calm here, with no surging waves or rising malevolent energy, only a deathly still dark red surface.

Beneath the surface, the outlines of countless wrecks could be vaguely seen, those wrecks having accumulated over countless years and long since become one with the sea of ​​blood.

Houtu sensed the location for a moment using the laws of earth and confirmed that this was the largest turbid evil node on the west side of the Blood Sea. The two then began to set up the formation.

Pan Xuan used the chaotic light of the Azure Lotus as a guide, and Hou Tu used the power of the earth to embed the array eye into the earth vein. Array patterns extended outward from the array eye, echoing the main array of the abyss in the distance.

Just as the formation was about to be completed, Houtu suddenly stopped what she was doing.

She turned her head slightly, her brows furrowed, her gaze piercing through the dark red curtain of blood-red water, looking towards some unseen direction in the depths.

Pan Xuan noticed her unusual behavior and stopped drawing array patterns in his hands:

"Sister Houtu, what's wrong?"

Houtu did not answer immediately.

She remained silent for a long while, her brows furrowing more and more, as if trying to discern something.

The phantom of the Destruction Monument loomed behind her, its earthen-yellow light flickering faintly, creating a subtle resonance with some being deep within the sea of ​​blood.

"Brother Pan Xuan."

Houtu finally spoke, her voice softer than usual, tinged with uncertainty, "I feel... something deep within the Sea of ​​Blood is calling to me."

Pan Xuan's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained impassive: "Call me?"

"It's very blurry," Houtu said slowly, her gaze still fixed on that unseen depths. "Intermittent, sometimes visible, sometimes not."

It was like a sound, and also like a feeling.

I can't say exactly what it is.

But in the deepest part of that sea of ​​blood, something was drawing my soul in.

It wasn't the aura of the River Styx, nor the origin of the Sea of ​​Blood, but something far more ancient and profound. The feeling was strange; I had never experienced anything like it before.

Pan Xuan followed her gaze into the depths of the sea of ​​blood, but his heart was filled with turbulent waves.

Of course he knew what it was.

The cycle of rebirth in the six realms.

The Blood Sea is adjacent to the Nine Netherworlds, where the souls of the dead have nowhere to go and all scatter into the Blood Sea.

The primordial laws of reincarnation have not yet been born, but their prototype has been quietly gestating for countless years at the border between the Blood Sea and the Nine Netherworlds.

Houtu is the ancestral witch of the earth and the only one among the twelve ancestral witches to possess a primordial spirit. Her perception of the earth and the netherworld far surpasses that of the other ancestral witches.

The nascent form of the Law of Reincarnation called to her from the depths of the Blood Sea because, in the original trajectory of the Heavenly Dao, she was the one who embodied reincarnation.

But he also knew that now was not the time.

The rudimentary form of the law of reincarnation has just been formed and is far from mature enough to bear the enormous cause and effect of reincarnation.

More importantly, he has not yet found a way to replace Houtu in reincarnation.

If Houtu were to investigate the source of that call now, she would likely be locked in by the laws of reincarnation, making it difficult to extricate herself then.

To transform oneself into the cycle of reincarnation is a path of no return.

If Houtu were to reincarnate, she would no longer be the Ancestral Witch, nor her sister, but the Peaceful Lady who would forever guard the Underworld.

Pan Xuan would never allow such a thing to happen.

These thoughts raced through Pan Xuan's mind, but his expression remained calm and gentle, showing no sign of anything amiss.

He pondered for a moment, then said to Houtu:

"The Sea of ​​Blood is formed from the tainted blood of the Father God and the tainted blood of three thousand Chaos Demon Gods, containing fragments of the most primordial laws of heaven and earth."

My elder sister is the Ancestral Witch of Earth, wielding the power of the earth, and the depths of the earth are originally of the same origin as the Blood Sea.

The reason you can sense a certain call deep within the sea of ​​blood is probably because your laws resonate with a fragment of some law deep within the sea of ​​blood.

Houtu seemed to be deep in thought: "Fragments of laws?"

Pan Xuan nodded: "The Blood Sea has existed for countless years. It contains not only turbid evil energy and filthy blood, but also fragments of the oldest and most primitive laws in the world."

Some of these fragments came from the Father God, and some came from the three thousand Chaos Demon Gods. They were scattered throughout the Blood Sea, most of them had been annihilated, and a few still retained a trace of spirituality.

"My elder sister's primordial spirit resonates with the deity of the Earth Law, making her most acutely aware of these fragments of the law. That call should be a fragment whose law resonates with yours conveying a connection to you."

He paused, his tone gentle yet solemn, "If you wish to gain enlightenment here, sister, why not open a cave dwelling here and stay temporarily?"

Although the Sea of ​​Blood is the most turbid and filthy place, it is also the best place for you to comprehend the Dao of the Netherworld.

Houtu's eyes brightened slightly.

She was indeed intensely curious about the call, but as the ancestral witch of the witch clan, she knew she couldn't recklessly abandon her responsibilities and venture into the depths of the Blood Sea.

Pan Xuan's suggestion resolved this contradiction perfectly.

They can continue their cultivation and enlightenment in the sea of ​​blood without having to stray far from the core of the witch clan's scheme.

"However," Pan Xuan's tone suddenly became serious. He looked into Hou Tu's eyes and said, word by word.

"Sister, you must remember this: no matter what you realize, no matter how strong that call is."

Before making any decisions, you must consult with me first. Can you promise me that, sister?

Houtu was slightly taken aback.

Pan Xuan was always gentle and composed, and never spoke to the Twelve Ancestral Witches in a commanding tone.

But at this moment his tone was unusually solemn, so solemn that it was almost a plea.

She could see an emotion in Pan Xuan's eyes that she rarely saw before.

That was worry, caution, and a deep fear of some unknown consequences.

Although she didn't understand why Pan Xuan was taking it so seriously, she knew that Pan Xuan would never speak without reason.

"Brother Panxuan." Houtu nodded gently, her voice tender and solemn.

"I promise you, whatever I sense or whatever I want to do, I will discuss it with you first. I will remember this promise."

Pan Xuan breathed a slight sigh of relief, but the worry in his eyes did not completely disappear.

He embedded the last wisp of array pattern into the earth's veins, completing the setup of this secondary array eye. Then, he took out a jade talisman from his sleeve and used his divine sense to leave an emergency communication restriction within it:

"This communication jade talisman is directly connected to the Star Seal. If you sense anything unusual, or if the call suddenly becomes stronger, immediately crush the talisman, and I will arrive as soon as possible."

Houtu accepted the jade talisman and solemnly put it into her sleeve.

She didn't ask any more questions, but simply stood quietly on the edge of the sea of ​​blood, gazing into the depths of that dark red abyss.

The phantom of the Destruction Monument slowly rotated behind her, its earthy yellow light intertwining with the dark red hues of the Blood Sea, as if foreshadowing something.

After setting up the last few secondary array points, Pan Xuan and Hou Tu returned to the vicinity of the main array in the Blood Sea Abyss.

Pan Xuan sat cross-legged beneath the green lotus and sent a message to Buzhou Mountain using the Starry Divine Seal.

He briefly informed Dijiang and the other Ancestral Witches about Houtu's feeling of resonance with fragments of law deep within the Blood Sea and her decision to temporarily stay in the Blood Sea to open a cave and comprehend the Dao of the Netherworld.

They need not worry, the purification array in the Blood Sea is operating normally, and Dijiang will continue to oversee the affairs on Mount Buzhou.

Shortly after the message was sent out, the Star Seal received a reply from Emperor Jiang.

Dijiang simply said one word: "Good." Concise and to the point, as always.

But then Zhu Rong's shouts burst forth from the Star Seal, making the seal itself vibrate and buzz:

"What? Houtu wants to stay in the Blood Sea? That place is filthy and stinking, what's there to gain from it? Brother Panxuan, you'd better keep an eye on her!"

Then came Gonggong's cold voice: "Houtu has the Destruction Monument protecting her, you don't need to worry about her."

Zhu Rong retorted, "What do you know!" Then their voices were cut off by Di Jiang's cold snort.

Pan Xuan listened to the commotion coming from the Star Seal and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

The development of both the Star Tribe and the Twelve Tribes is progressing steadily.

With Dijiang presiding over Mount Buzhou and Houtu and others in the Blood Sea, the prehistoric chess game has temporarily entered a rare period of calm.

But Pan Xuan knew that this period of peace would not last long.

The Heavenly Court grew stronger day by day in the starry sky, and although Hongjun's will in the Heavenly Dao was restrained by the illusory image of the Father God, it never stopped infiltrating.

Meanwhile, the nascent form of the Law of Reincarnation is quietly taking shape deep within the Sea of ​​Blood.

The undercurrents of the primordial world have never ceased to surge.

He withdrew the Star Seal and looked at Houtu beside him.

Houtu sat cross-legged on the edge of the abyss, the Destruction Monument slowly rotating behind her, its earthy yellow light intertwining with the dark red hues of the Blood Sea.

Her gaze pierced through the layers of blood waves in the sea of ​​blood, looking into that unseen depths.

That intermittent call still echoed in some corner of the sea of ​​blood.

Pan Xuan withdrew his gaze and closed his eyes again.

Righteous energy circulated slowly within his body, and the illusory image of merit and virtue appeared and disappeared behind him.

He knew that the real grand strategy was yet to come.

Hongjun is laying the groundwork; he is breaking the deadlock.

The nascent form of the Law of Reincarnation has begun to call upon Houtu, which is the last thing he wants to see, but also the thing he must face.

He must find a replacement before Houtu transforms into a being for reincarnation.