Following the crushing defeat of the Witch Race, a heavy, suffocating gloom settled over their people. Faced with the threat of extinction, one of the Ancestral Witches (Ancestral Witch) turned back to the source of their existence: Father Pangu.
Qiang Liang left the Pangu Temple, traveling alone to the base of Mount Buzhou. Finding a secluded spot where no eyes could see, he poured his heart out to the mountain—the spine of his creator.
"Father... open your eyes and look at us! Your children are being bullied, and our race is on the verge of being wiped out!"
"Those Yao Race beasts used a formation to kill Shebishi. We can't beat them, Father!"
"If you can hear us, help us! Grant us a formation, a weapon, anything... let us take our revenge and crush the Yao!"
Qiang Liang slumped against a massive boulder at the mountain's foot, wailing. Even a titan like him, a master of thunder, showed his fragile side when the survival of his entire race was at stake.
"Stand up."
A soft, majestic voice suddenly rang in Qiang Liang's ears. It carried a boundless weight, tinged with a hint of helplessness and parental affection.
"Who is it?"
Qiang Liang bolted upright, his massive, round eyes darting around in shock. He stared intensely at the rock face of Mount Buzhou. "Father? Is that you, Father?"
He had been desperate for a sign, but now that it had actually happened, he found it hard to process. Yet, that vast, supreme aura... who else could it be but Pangu? Of that, Qiang Liang was certain.
There was no verbal confirmation. Instead, a Jade Bottle manifested out of thin air, floating serenely before him. It radiated a startling light and an aura so powerful it felt like it could suppress the heavens—proof that the contents were extraordinary.
"Father, is this for us?" Qiang Liang asked in a hushed, trembling voice, reaching out for the bottle as if it were made of thin glass.
"Indeed. This will allow you to achieve a Breakthrough (Breakthrough) and change your current plight." The voice echoed from within the mountain, vibrating directly into his soul.
"Thank you, Father!" Qiang Liang was ecstatic. He dropped to his knees, his forehead slamming against the earth in a series of heavy kowtows. "Father, you take such good care of us... we don't even know how to repay you!"
I've spent my life taking from you, never giving back, only now realizing how hard you had it...
"I don't need repayment. You have nothing to give me anyway," the voice replied, now tinged with a flicker of genuine irritation. "If you want to do something for me, find a chance to teach those three unfilial sons, the Sanqing, a lesson!"
It was the voice of a frustrated father complaining about his disappointing offspring.
Qiang Liang's spirit surged! He pounded his chest in a vow. "Father, rest easy! We will definitely teach those three unfilial sons a lesson!"
He was overjoyed. This was official recognition! The Father had personally branded the Sanqing as "Unfilial Sons"—they had been struck from the Pangu family tree!
The voice gave a few more instructions before fading into silence. Qiang Liang stood there for a long time, hoping for more, but the mountain was still once again. He kowtowed three more times before sprinting back toward the Pangu Temple.
The Temple of Hope
"Qiang Liang, why are you grinning like an idiot?"
"You fool, we're in the middle of a crisis! How can you still smile?"
The other Ancestral Witches turned toward him as he burst into the temple, his face split into a wide, beaming grin. They were understandably annoyed. How could they go to their graves with a brother who looked like he'd just won a lottery?
"He showed himself! Father Pangu showed himself!"
Qiang Liang held up the jade bottle like a sacred trophy, waving it in front of their faces.
"What?" "Father manifested?"
The Witches shot to their feet and crowded around him. Qiang Liang gave a detailed—if slightly edited—account. He omitted the part where he was crying like a child and claimed he had been "summoned by a divine resonance." It sounded much more dignified that way.
The Witches were both shocked and envious. Why Qiang Liang? Did this mean he was the Father's favorite child?
"Father gave this to us. Big Brother, look at this!" Qiang Liang handed the bottle to Di Jiang.
Di Jiang opened the bottle carefully. Instantly, a boundless, surging Blood-Qi filled the temple, accompanied by the shimmering glow of Chaos Indestructible Light.
"This... what kind of blood is this? Is it Father's Essence Blood (Essence Blood)?"
The surrounding Witches felt the power. Even a single wisp of the escaping aura made their own blood boil with ancient strength. Di Jiang didn't answer immediately; he didn't know what it was, but after inhaling a tiny fragment of the scent, his eyes blazed with excitement.
He couldn't be sure it was Pangu's blood, but he knew one thing: this substance had a miraculous effect on their physical forms. The Ancestral Witches had been stuck at the Peak Quasi-Saint (准圣Perfection) level for eons, but with this, Di Jiang felt he could finally take that final step.
"Good! This is a legendary treasure!" Di Jiang shouted, his voice trembling.
"Brother, tell us! What is it?"
"I can't say for certain," Di Jiang replied, "but I know this: it can help us take the final step. We can Attain Sainthood through the Physical Body (Attain Sainthood through the Physical Body)!"
The temple erupted! If they could reach that level, the Yao Race's formations wouldn't be worth a damn.
"Thank Father for his grace!" "Qiang Liang, you've done a magnificent job!"
The oppressive pressure they had been feeling vanished.
"Also," Qiang Liang added, remembering his instructions, "Father said to punish the Sanqing. He called them 'Unfilial Sons' and said their status as the Orthodox Lineage of Pangu (orthodox lineage of pangu) is revoked!"
"Excellent!"
The Witches felt a surge of morale that surpassed even the gift of blood. They had fought the Sanqing for that title for ages, and now they had the "Founder's" approval. Even if they couldn't beat the Saints yet, they had already won the moral war!
"Once one of us attains Physical Sainthood, we will surely fulfill Father's wish and beat those three sons!"
"Qiang Liang, you brought this back. You should be the one to absorb the Essence Blood!" one Witch suggested.
Qiang Liang waved his hands quickly. "No, no. My cultivation is still thin. Big Brother should do it first!"