Zhou Ming continued to ascend Buzhou Mountain with Zhurong, Gonggong, Xuanming, and Houtu.
The higher they went, the heavier and more vast the Pangu Will became.
It was as if every step they took was like carrying an invisible divine mountain on their shoulders.
"Hoo… ha… Big Brother, the pressure up here… it's too great, isn't it?" Zhurong panted, veins bulging on his forehead.
Gonggong, on the other hand, climbed silently, one step at a time, grunting and snorting, clearly nearing his limit.
Xuanming and Houtu's faces were even paler, their delicate bodies trembling slightly, each step taken with extreme difficulty.
Zhou Ming looked back at them; he also felt immense pressure, but his Realm was higher, and his resistance to this Will pressure was much stronger.
"Where is this?" Zhou Ming said in a deep voice, "This is formed from the spine of Father God, containing the supreme power of Father God's world creation!"
As he climbed, he silently pondered in his heart.
Buzhou Mountain was indeed a good place.
The higher they went, the richer Father God's Will became, and the better the tempering effect on the Physical Body and Will.
In the future, he should let his younger siblings climb more often.
Not only could it temper their Will, but it could also… "connect with" Father God's Will.
What if one day Father God's Will was in a good mood, or was moved by their 'filial piety,' and dropped some treasures? That would be a huge gain!
Thinking of this, Zhou Ming's gaze involuntarily drifted towards Gonggong, who was stubbornly climbing with his neck craned.
"However, I must keep an eye on this simpleton," Zhou Ming muttered to himself.
"I absolutely cannot let him break this pillar that supports the sky."
He secretly resolved that he must "take special care" of Gonggong in the future, and absolutely not let this stubborn fellow walk the old path of breaking the celestial pillar.
"Hold on, everyone!" Zhou Ming encouraged them.
"The higher we go, the greater the benefits for us!"
"Carefully sense Father God's Will; this will benefit us in comprehending the Dao and stimulating the potential deep within our Bloodline!"
Finally, following the vague guidance of the Will in his mind, Zhou Ming stopped at an area where the Will pressure had almost solidified.
"It should be around here!"
"Everyone, look carefully! Father God said that Fragment of the Jade Tablet of Creation is nearby!"
"Looking for something? Alright!"
Upon hearing that they were looking for a treasure bestowed by Father God, Zhurong immediately perked up, most of his climbing fatigue dissipated, and he began to look around enthusiastically.
Gonggong also shook his head, his gaze sharply scanning every inch of the mountain rock.
Xuanming and Houtu were even more meticulous; they bent down and carefully examined along the rock's texture.
The Four Ancestral Witches searched for a long time, but couldn't even find a decent stone, let alone any Fragment of the Jade Tablet of Creation.
"Big Brother, there's nothing here?" Zhurong scratched his head, feeling a bit discouraged.
Zhou Ming frowned, then calmed his mind again, attempting to communicate with the mysterious Pangu Will.
A moment later, he suddenly opened his eyes and pointed to the edge of the platform.
"Over here, under that inconspicuous bluestone!"
He pointed to the edge of the platform, at an inconspicuous, even somewhat weathered, bluestone.
Zhurong and Gonggong immediately rushed over, and, enduring the pressure of Pangu Will, together moved the bluestone aside.
Indeed! Beneath the bluestone, a palm-sized, incomplete jade-colored fragment, flowing with profound Dao rhyme, lay quietly!
The space around the fragment seemed to become unreal; faintly, it was as if phantoms of Dao Law were rising and falling within it!
Fragment of the Jade Tablet of Creation! One of the most supreme treasures in the Primordial World, recording the mysteries of the Three Thousand Dao!
"Quick! Thank Father God!" Zhou Ming reacted the fastest, immediately bowing deeply and respectfully towards the peak of Buzhou Mountain again.
This time, it wasn't an act; it was genuine gratitude from his heart.
"Father God truly still cares for us!" Zhou Ming thought, feeling delighted; this "crying on the mountain" plan was a huge profit!
Zhurong, Gonggong, Xuanming, and Houtu also quickly followed suit, bowing and giving thanks.
"Thank you, Father God!"
Zhou Ming dared not delay and immediately mobilized the Law power within his body, condensing it into an invisible large hand. He enveloped the Fragment of the Jade Tablet of Creation, isolating all its Qi.
This item was too important; not a single trace of its Qi could be leaked. Otherwise, Hongjun, the future Dao Ancestor, would likely immediately sense its existence.
It was fine within Buzhou Mountain and Pangu Hall, with Father God's Qi concealing it, but once outside this range, it would be hard to say.
"Let's go! Down the mountain! Back to Pangu Hall!"
Upon returning to Pangu Hall, Zhou Ming did not tarry, directly entering the deepest part of Pangu Hall. He carefully placed the Fragment of the Jade Tablet of Creation in the innermost part of Pangu Hall, which was where the Pangu Qi was most concentrated in the entire hall, and also the safest place.
Only after completing all this did he completely relax.
"Alright," Zhou Ming turned around and looked at the four Ancestral Witches, who were still somewhat excited and curious.
"All of you, go Cultivate well and consolidate what you gained from climbing Buzhou Mountain this time."
"Especially, calm your minds and try to comprehend the Legacy imprint Father God left deep within your Bloodline!"
"That is where the true foundation of our Witch Race lies!"
"Yes, Big Brother!" The four responded in unison, each finding a spot and eagerly beginning their closed-door Cultivation.
Zhou Ming also sat down cross-legged, beginning to sort out his gains from this trip and his plans for the future.
The Fragment of the Jade Tablet of Creation was in hand. There was also a clear clue for the netherworld white lotus; although he would need Zhenyuanzi's Earth Book to find it, at least there was a direction.
It seemed that after the future Earth Immortal Ancestor was born, he would have to find a way to establish a good relationship with him.
...
Time flew by, and ten thousand years passed in a flash.
On this day, the space outside Pangu Hall subtly fluctuated.
Dijiang returned, covered in dust, with Liang, Tianwu, and Xizi.
Closely following them, Zhu Jiuyin also appeared inside the hall, leading Jumang, Rushou, and Yazi.
After ten thousand years apart, the Twelve Ancestral Witches were finally reunited in Pangu Hall.
Zhou Ming also awoke from his closed-door Cultivation and looked at his younger siblings before him, nodding with satisfaction.
Ten thousand years of travel and Cultivation had allowed them all to grow considerably; their Qi was more condensed, and their eyes held less naivety and more composure.
"Elder Brother! We're back!" Dijiang strode in, his voice booming.
"It's good that you're back; you've all worked hard," Zhou Ming said gently.
"First, tell me about your situations."
Dijiang stepped forward first, waving his large hand, and various items glowing with treasure light piled up in a corner of the hall.
"Big Brother, look! We've gained a lot this time!" Dijiang said, patting his chest as if seeking praise.
"All sorts of strange Spiritual Root, rare Ore, top-grade Artifact Refining Materials, and quite a few powerful Magic Treasure!"
Zhou Ming's Divine Thought swept over them, and he nodded slightly.
Although most were just Acquired items, with varying quality, they were still quite good.
Among them, a few reached the Innate Grade, though only Low Grade and Medium Grade, but for the current Witch Race, they were already very rare gains.
"Not bad, you all did very well; you've worked hard," Zhou Ming praised.
"It's our duty! For the Witch Race!" Dijiang grinned, happy to share the burden with his Big Brother.
On the other side, the usually silent Zhu Jiuyin also walked up. He respectfully handed the dao source divine pearl back to Zhou Ming.
"Elder Brother, we followed your instructions, traveled the Western Land, and used the dao source divine pearl to regulate the earth veins and absorb and refine the Evil Qi."
"The Western Land's Evil Qi and grievances are deep, making it quite difficult to regulate, but because of this, we also accumulated a lot of Karma, all stored within the dao source divine pearl."
Zhou Ming took the dao source divine pearl and probed it with his Divine Thought. Inside the divine pearl's space, a vast and pure Karma power had gathered; although it couldn't compare to the legendary vastness of Nuwa creating humans or Houtu transforming into Reincarnation, it was definitely a huge fortune!
"Very good!" Zhou Ming nodded with satisfaction, "This Karma will greatly benefit the future development of our Witch Race!"
With the Twelve Ancestral Witches reunited, Pangu Hall immediately became lively.
In the center of the hall, thirteen figures stood solemnly.
"All my younger siblings," Zhou Ming looked at the twelve increasingly powerful Ancestral Witches before him, his expression becoming serious.
"Now, the Evil Qi in the Primordial World is gradually calming down, and a new era is about to arrive."
"Our Witch Race should also make plans for the future."
"At present, our primary task is to improve our strength!"
"Open the Legacy imprint Father God left deep within our Bloodline as soon as possible, and raise our Cultivation Realm!"
"As for the Innate Spirit Treasure that Dijiang and the others brought back…"
"I will distribute them reasonably according to your respective Law attributes and actual needs, prioritizing those who need them most."
Under Zhou Ming's planning, the Witch Race once again entered a phase of dedicated Cultivation.