Chapter 18: The Fourth Resource

"Supreme Innate Spiritual Root?"

Everyone watched as the Four Symbols Plantain Tree gradually emanated the unique Dao aura that only a supreme innate spiritual root could possess. At the same time, the power contained within the four Dao Leaves that sprouted from the tree began to undergo a subtle transformation, as if they were about to evolve into supreme innate spiritual treasures.

All the gods and demons present could not help but be moved.

"Congratulations to all of you, fellow Daoists!"

Regaining their composure, the siblings Fuxi and Nuwa stepped forward at once to offer their congratulations. Both were of noble character; though they felt envy and jealousy, their actions remained restrained, without a trace of greed, always maintaining a cordial relationship with the twelve Progenitor Ancestors before them.

The twelve Progenitor Ancestors responded with humble expressions.

Before long, everyone saw another tricolor cloud of meritorious virtue gather in the sky. However, this cloud was noticeably smaller than the previous one.

Without hesitation, the twelve Progenitor Ancestors collected this new cloud of virtue and merged it into another superior innate spiritual root, the Thunder God Wood.

As the saying goes,

"It can happen once, but not twice."

Fortune could not always favor the twelve Progenitor Ancestors. The Thunder God Wood, after merging with the tricolor cloud, did not ascend to a higher rank. Instead, a strange fluctuation began to stir within the spiritual root—a wave of life-like energy emerged from deep inside the Thunder God Wood.

The twelve Progenitor Ancestors, Fuxi, and Nuwa all understood at once.

Progenitor Houtu spoke: "With the aid of the tricolor cloud of virtue, the superior innate spiritual root Thunder God Wood has developed its own consciousness and is about to set foot on the path of the Dao."

"And since it is the Thunder God Wood that has taken form, its path will surely be the Great Dao of Thunder, which is quite akin to our elder brother Qiangliang's power!"

"In that case," Houtu continued, "let this Thunder God Wood, having just awakened wisdom, be taken as a disciple by our elder brother Qiangliang, who can then guide it on the proper path. What do you all think?"

"Excellent!"

The twelve Progenitor Ancestors, along with Fuxi and Nuwa, all nodded in agreement.

...

Without delay, everyone set to work refining the chaotic secret realm before them into a supreme postnatal spiritual treasure—the Great Thousand World Pearl. Even with so many innate spiritual roots and treasures hidden within the chaotic secret realm—such as the Twelve-Petaled Lotus of Creation, the Innate Gourd Vine, the Thunder God Wood, and the Four Symbols Plantain Tree—combining all their powers only just managed to allow the Great Thousand World Pearl to barely reach the threshold of a supreme postnatal spiritual treasure.

Yet, such a world-type auxiliary treasure, once it achieves the status of a supreme postnatal spiritual treasure, is truly extraordinary.

It must be noted that the Twenty-Four Sea-Calming Divine Beads, each containing a world within, are individually only superior innate spiritual treasures. Only by combining at least twelve of them can their power rival that of a supreme innate spiritual treasure, which speaks volumes about their might.

Though supreme postnatal and supreme innate treasures are classified differently, in terms of power, there is no distinction.

...

After refining the "Great Thousand World Pearl," the twelve Progenitor Ancestors immediately took their leave of Fuxi and Nuwa and returned in grand procession to the Hall of Pangu.

Once there, they quickly established an altar in a corner of the hall, placing the "Great Thousand World Pearl" upon it.

Next, they transplanted the supreme innate spiritual roots—the Innate Gourd Vine and the Four Symbols Plantain Tree—and the superior Thunder God Wood into the "Great Thousand World Pearl," allowing these three great roots to stand as pillars, thereby strengthening the chaotic secret realm with their combined force.

Progenitor Emperor Jiang invited everyone to be seated and said, "Since everything Cang spoke of—the Innate Gourd Vine, the Four Symbols Plantain Tree, and the Twelve-Petaled Lotus of Creation—has proven real, it follows that the Wind and Thunder Immortal Apricot and the Pure Yang Scarlet Fruit must also exist. Therefore, I and Zhu Jiuyin will personally search the surrounding lands for Mount Zhongnan and head southwest to seek Mount Emei, to find these two spiritual roots and thereby enhance our Witch Tribe’s chaotic secret realm. What say you all?"

"Excellent!"

Progenitor Shebishi said, "Elder brother, entrust the task of nurturing our tribe in the Pangu Pool to the ten of us, and you can rest assured it will be done flawlessly!"

Progenitor Zhu Rong added, "We are not children—surely, we can handle such a small matter and ease our elder brother’s worries!"

"Leave it to us, elder brother!"

...

The next phase of their propagation plan was quickly set.

Progenitor Emperor Jiang and Progenitor Zhu Jiuyin personally set out to search the lands. Before long, they found the Wind and Thunder Immortal Apricot and the Pure Yang Scarlet Fruit.

All twelve Progenitor Ancestors were overjoyed.

The two innate spiritual roots were transplanted into the Witch Tribe’s Chaotic Divine Land, and the secret realms where they had been hidden were fused into the same land, further enhancing the power of the Great Thousand World Pearl.

Its expanse became truly vast, beyond measure.

...

The ten remaining Progenitor Ancestors acted in concert, wielding the power of the Pangu Pool. The Yin blood and Yang blood within combined, quickly forming one blood-red cocoon after another.

In no time, two hundred and forty million members of the Witch Tribe were successfully born into the world!

The twelve Progenitor Ancestors were all delighted.

The one hundred and eight Great Witches and the two hundred and forty million ordinary witches were divided into twelve tribes, each led by one Progenitor Ancestor, with nine Great Witches and twenty million ordinary witches under their command.

Because Emperor Cang needed to work with Progenitor Houtu to ensure that the tribe could propagate a Witch clan with souls, he was temporarily assigned to Houtu’s tribe.

The other Progenitor Ancestors kept the Emperor Jiang and Zhu Jiuyin tribes stationed at Mount Buzhou to guard the Hall of Pangu, while the remaining ten tribes entered the chaotic secret realm to cultivate.

Thus, the growth and development of the Witch Tribe in the Great Desolation World began to proceed in an orderly fashion.

...

Emperor Cang understood well the nature of the Witch Tribe: if they were to cultivate solely by accumulating spiritual power bit by bit, it was uncertain when they would ever make true progress.

However, if they refined the essence blood of demon and ferocious beasts, their cultivation speed would multiply, just as Emperor Cang himself had rapidly advanced after refining the corpse of a Celestial Phoenix in just five hundred years.

In the short term, there might be no consequences, but over time, disaster would be inevitable.

For, unless one had truly comprehended karma, cultivating by refining the corpses of ferocious beasts would inevitably accrue karmic burden. When that burden became too great, and they reached a certain realm, it would become impossible to rely solely on bloodline strength to advance further. Only by accumulating merit to atone for past transgressions could they progress.

It was akin to every member of the Witch Tribe trading their bloodline potential for temporary power.

This path was not viable.

After careful thought, Emperor Cang said to the twelve Progenitor Ancestors, "The fourth principle of my method is resources."

"Resources—namely, those used by the twelve tribes for cultivation."

"At present, our tribe relies, however faintly, on the essence blood of ferocious beasts as an elixir, boosting cultivation and magical power. In my view, this is unwise."