Chapter 8: The Second—War and Arms

"Excellent!"
All twelve Ancestral Witches nodded in agreement.

With keen interest, Houtu said, "The fourth point is to foster connections with outstanding figures, is it not? I wonder, how should we befriend the many heroes of the Great Desolation?"

Di Cang considered and replied, "We may establish ties through trade."

He continued, "The Great Desolation is vast and abundant, and there are certain rare resources possessed by our Wu Tribe that other races lack, and vice versa. Through exchange, we can establish connections and trade for what each side needs. As the volume of such exchanges grows, a deep friendship will naturally develop. What do you all think?"

...

"Excellent, excellent!"

Houtu praised, "Rewarding the virtuous and punishing the wicked, equalizing wealth, appointing the worthy, and exchanging what is lacking—these are truly formidable strategies!"

She added, "If these four strategies are carried out, who in the world would not be convinced, and who could possibly stand against us?"

Turning to the other Ancestral Witches, Houtu asked, "What do you, my elder brothers, think?"

"Excellent!"

Di Jiang, the Ancestral Witch, nodded solemnly, wholeheartedly agreeing with the advice given.

Zhu Jiuyin declared, "Let us implement these four recommendations!"

Thus, Di Cang’s first great principle for stabilizing the Great Desolation was thus determined.

...

"Cang!"

Di Jiang asked curiously, "Earlier you mentioned there are a total of eight laws to eternally stabilize the Great Desolation. Aside from righteousness, what is the second law?"

"Ancestral Witches!"

Di Cang replied respectfully, "The second law is martial strength!"

"Martial strength?"

All twelve Ancestral Witches were intrigued. "What is martial strength?"

"Simply put," Di Cang said, "it means having people, having weapons, and having power!"

"Hahahaha..."

Once they understood, all twelve Ancestral Witches burst into hearty laughter.

---

Di Jiang said, "Our Wu Tribe has no issues in this regard!"

"No!"

Di Cang interjected, "I believe our tribe faces significant challenges in this aspect."

"Oh?" Di Jiang asked, "How so?"

Di Cang explained, "Though the Wu Tribe is strong and has many powerful members, when it comes to suppressing the entire Great Desolation, no matter how many strong ones we have, it will never be enough."

"Therefore," he continued, "to eternally stabilize the Great Desolation, three methods must be used to enhance our strength."

The twelve asked in unison, "Which three?"

"First, protect the supreme ones!"

Di Cang smiled. "The Twelve Ancestral Witches are the pillars of our tribe. Every effort must be made to support you. In the future, any cultivation resources we acquire—those beneficial to the Twelve Ancestral Witches—must be given to you as a priority."

"Indeed," Di Jiang nodded gently. Even if Di Cang had not said so, this was well understood.

"Second, cultivate the Great Witches!"

Di Cang continued, "The one hundred and eight Great Witches are the strongest force of the next generation. We must allocate resources to nurture them. However, as their number is vast, it is difficult to cultivate them all quickly. My suggestion is to select twelve among them as elites, designate them as Supreme Great Witches, and allocate extra resources to them first. Once they grow strong, they can support the development of the rest. What do you all think?"

"Excellent, excellent!" Xuanming, one of the Ancestral Witches, nodded in agreement. "There are too many Great Witches to nurture at once."

Jumang added, "If we focus on twelve Supreme Great Witches, matters become much more manageable!"

"Third, promote the prodigies!"

Di Cang said, "If the Wu Tribe has other descendants, some young ones will surely possess only shallow cultivation. They require little to grow quickly. Thus, we might establish Twelve Divine Halls within the tribe, classifying talents into nine ranks. The strongest will serve as instructors, mentors, and hall masters, guiding the tribe’s prodigies. The most gifted will receive more resources. In this manner, we can guarantee a continuous emergence of geniuses and a never-ending stream of strong ones."

"What do you all think?"

"Excellent!" Di Jiang exclaimed in admiration, "What a splendid strategy of martial strength! It aligns perfectly with my own thoughts. In fact, my own plan was to sweep the world with martial might, though not as detailed as yours!"

---

"This plan is excellent. Let us proceed as such!"

...

"Cang!"

After some deliberation, Houtu asked, "We Ancestral Witches wish to use the Pangu Pool to nurture four hundred and eighty million ordinary Wu clansmen to help us govern the Great Desolation. What is your opinion?"

"The Pangu Pool can nurture four hundred and eighty million Wu clansmen?"

Di Cang was taken aback. After some thought, he replied, "If the Ancestral Witches wish to cultivate new Wu clansmen and strengthen our tribe, that is certainly a good thing."

"However," he changed his tone, "if there are new Wu clansmen, I believe they should not be revealed to the world. Consider this: when two great powers clash, and one reveals all their cultivation, magic, and treasures in advance, while the other hides their abilities, the one who conceals will always be better prepared. Even if the one who exposes themselves is stronger, it becomes easy for them to suffer defeat. Concealing strength and leaving the enemy in the dark—if the enemy thinks they have seen through us, they may end up suffering instead. What do you all think?"

"Excellent!"

The idea of using the Pangu Pool to nurture four hundred and eighty million clan members had originally been proposed by Di Jiang.

But hearing Di Cang’s words, Di Jiang was the first to nod in agreement. "If one wishes to dominate the Great Desolation, one must contend with all races. In such a struggle, I only thought of amassing strength and ruling with absolute power, but I forgot that, in battle with the enemy, having hidden cards is most important."

"If I had heard your words sooner, I would never have made my previous decision."

...

After pondering, Di Cang asked, "May I ask the Ancestral Witches, what method does the Pangu Pool use to nurture the Wu bloodline? For instance, could my own blood be used to create new life?"

The Twelve Ancestral Witches might not care about this, but to Di Cang, it was of utmost importance!

At present, the Wu Tribe is numerous, but all are soulless, their potential limited. Di Cang alone among them stands out, but he is a solitary pillar.

If there were a way to spread Di Cang’s bloodline and nurture countless Wu capable of cultivating souls, the potential of the tribe would soar instantly.

Because the Wu were weak, in later eras when the tribe declined, it was already too late for salvation.

But now, while the tribe is strong, ample resources can be allocated to nurture powerful Wu, allowing them to rise at this critical moment.

Di Cang pondered deeply. As a member of the Wu Tribe, he felt it necessary to understand just how their descendants are brought into being.