Deep within Pangu Hall, Zhou Ming emerged from his seclusion.
Di Jiang, Zhu Jiuyin, Zhurong, Gonggong… The Twelve Ancestral Witches sensed Zhou Ming's aura of emergence and rushed over.
"Big Brother! You've come out of seclusion!" Zhurong's loud voice was the first to ring out, filled with unconcealed excitement.
"Congratulations, Big Brother, on your great progress in Cultivation!" Di Jiang also had a smile on his face.
The other Ancestral Witches also stepped forward, their eyes filled with admiration and joy.
Zhou Ming's strength was the strength of the Witch Clan.
After a brief moment of joy, Di Jiang scratched his head and spoke with a hint of embarrassment: "Brother, besides congratulating you on your great progress in Cultivation, we also came to discuss something with you."
"Oh? What is it?" Zhou Ming asked.
Di Jiang looked at the other Ancestral Witches, then said: "It's about the reproduction of the Witch Clan."
He paused, then continued: "These years, as we've traveled outside, we've seen more and more Primordial Land beings, and various ethnic groups have begun to emerge. We Witch Clan… Great God Pangu created us, and including Big Brother, there are only thirteen of us."
"The Blood Pool in Pangu Hall was formed from Great God Pangu's essence blood and contains endless vitality," Di Jiang continued, "We discussed it and want to use the power of the Blood Pool to create our Witch Clan members!"
"That's right, Big Brother!" Zhurong added in a booming voice, "Just the thirteen of us is too few! We need to create more clan members to strengthen the prestige of our Witch Clan!"
"Creating clan members?" Zhou Ming had long anticipated this. He looked at the twelve pairs of expectant eyes and nodded slightly.
"Yes. However, I have one condition."
"Please speak, Big Brother!"
"After creating the clan members, you twelve must accompany me into seclusion within Pangu Hall to comprehend Great God Pangu's Legacy. Before Hongjun's Enlightenment to become a Saint, no one is allowed to leave!"
"Ah? More seclusion?" Zhurong immediately seemed a bit displeased.
"Big Brother, why is this?" Houtu also asked, somewhat puzzled, "We are just about to create clan members; this is precisely when they need our guidance."
"Precisely because of that, it's even more important to enter seclusion," Zhou Ming's tone was decisive and brooks no argument.
"The waters of the Primordial Land are deeper than you imagine, and an unprecedented change is about to come. Before that, we must improve our strength as much as possible!"
"Don't worry, for the newborn clan members, I will leave a Clone to look after them."
"But you, you must put all your energy into Cultivation and quickly activate the Great God Pangu's Legacy imprint deep within your Bloodline!"
"Only when we are strong enough can we truly protect the Witch Clan!"
Although the Twelve Ancestral Witches were still somewhat puzzled, out of trust in Zhou Ming, they all nodded in unison: "Yes! We will obey Big Brother's command!"
Afterward, Zhou Ming and the Twelve Ancestral Witches arrived at the Blood Pool deep within Pangu Hall.
The Blood Pool surged, emanating a rich aura of life.
The Twelve Ancestral Witches simultaneously forced out their own essence blood, integrating it into the Blood Pool.
However, Zhou Ming stood by the pool, unmoving.
He watched all of this quietly, and unlike the other Ancestral Witches, he did not offer his own essence blood, because Zhou Ming did not intend to create the Witch Clan with his own essence blood.
Zhou Ming manipulated the dao source divine pearl, imbuing the improved Nine Revolutions Qi Cleansing Art into each of the blood cocoons that were currently gestating.
At the same time, the dao source divine pearl floated above the Blood Pool, casting down a soft, clear light to assist in the gestation of the blood cocoons.
One by one, the blood cocoons floated in the Blood Pool, emitting auras of varying strengths.
Time flowed by.
When the first batch of Witch Clan members materialized from their blood cocoons, Zhou Ming immediately used his Divine Thought to investigate.
These newborn Witch Clan members all possessed extremely powerful Physical Bodies.
However, without exception, none of them had given birth to a Primordial Spirit.
"Alas… It still doesn't work?" Zhou Ming sighed inwardly. Even with the improved Cultivation Technique, he still couldn't enable the Witch Clan to give birth to a Primordial Spirit.
"Never mind, the disparity in innate foundation is ultimately difficult to bridge."
For the Twelve Ancestral Witches to be able to give birth to a Primordial Spirit was already a miracle under the favor of Great God Pangu's will; one couldn't ask for too much.
Having confirmed that the newborn Witch Clan could not give birth to a Primordial Spirit, Zhou Ming completely abandoned his thoughts on that front.
He began to execute the next step of his plan.
Primordial Spirit Leaving the Body!
He sat cross-legged, his Primordial Spirit Leaving the Body, suspended above his head, emitting a powerful fluctuation at the Primordial Golden Immortal Rank.
"Sever!"
Zhou Ming let out a low cry, his complexion instantly turning pale, and his Primordial Spirit trembled violently.
He had actually forcibly severed two small parts of his own Primordial Spirit!
An indescribable agony instantly swept through his consciousness, as if tearing his Soul into fragments.
But he gritted his teeth and endured it.
A moment later, his Primordial Spirit successfully split into two small portions.
One portion, roughly one-tenth of his Primordial Spirit power, he used great magical power to fuse with a drop of his own essence blood, beginning to shape a Clone!
The other, smaller portion, he nourished with a secret technique, saving it for another use in the future.
Soon, a figure appeared in the great hall, eight or nine parts similar in appearance to Zhou Ming, but with a more gentle and introverted temperament.
This Clone's aura was stable at the Early Stage of Grand Unity Golden Immortal!
It was sufficient.
"Fellow Daoist, from today onwards, you are me, acting on my behalf in the Primordial Land and managing the affairs of the Witch Clan," Zhou Ming said to the Clone.
The Clone bowed slightly: "Fellow Daoist, rest assured, you and I are one, the affairs of the Witch Clan and walking the Primordial Land are all entrusted to me."
"Go, act discreetly, forge good relationships, especially with… that one from Wuzhuang Temple," Zhou Ming waved his hand.
The Clone nodded, turned, and left Pangu Hall, beginning to fulfill his duties.
As for Zhou Ming's main body, he led the Twelve Ancestral Witches once again into the deepest part of Pangu Hall. The heavy hall doors slowly closed, isolating the inside from the outside, and they began a long period of seclusion.
Their primary task was to comprehend the supreme Legacy from Great God Pangu, deep within their Bloodline!
...
Time in the Primordial Land was not recorded.
Zhou Ming's Clone walked on the Primordial Land, discreetly handling Witch Clan affairs under the name "Wu Ming," while also observing the situation in the Primordial Land and forging relationships with various forces.
His character was steady, and his actions were thorough, so he indeed made some friends.
For example, Zhenyuanzi, the Ancestor of Earth Immortals from Wuzhuang Temple, and the famous good-natured Fellow Daoist Hongyun by his side.
The Clone discussed the Dao and drank tea with them, and their relationship was quite harmonious.
Zhou Ming's main body and the Twelve Ancestral Witches were completely immersed in comprehending Great God Pangu's Legacy, their Cultivation steadily improving.
...
This day.
The Heavenly Dao rumbled, showering down golden flowers. Above the nine heavens, myriad rays of light shone, and auspicious colors stretched for thousands of miles. Above the sky, a faint figure stood, with purple Qi extending for ninety thousand miles behind him.
Immediately after, a majestic voice resounded through every corner of the Primordial Land, entering the heart of every living being:
"Sitting high on the nine-layered clouds, a cushion reveals the true Dao."
"Beyond heaven, earth, profundity, and yellow, I shall hold the position of Sect Master."
"I am Hongjun, and I have now achieved Enlightenment to become a Saint!"
"Three thousand years from now, I will preach the Great Dao in Purple Cloud Palace."
"Those who are fated may all come to listen to the Dao!"
As the voice fell, the celestial phenomena slowly dissipated.
But the pressure of Enlightenment, the proclamation of becoming a Saint, exploded like thunder in the hearts of all the great powers of the Primordial Land!