Chapter 346: Prehistoric Healing… Which Is Best

"Ha, stand still and behave!"

In a small Witch tribe settlement, deep within a cold pine forest, hundreds of strong men and women, clad in animal skins, charged forward. Wielding mostly damaged weapons, they were eager to hack down those two vile 'demon race' individuals with their crude choppers! This despicable poisoning tactic exploited the Witch tribe's weakness for meat. They had fallen for it too many times and would absolutely not be fooled by such low-level trickery again! The Witch tribe would never be gullible again!

However, the bearded 'demon' man, clad in armor, chuckled twice. With a sweep of his left hand, a ripple of water-blue light spread through the forest, freezing all the charging figures in place. It was a stasis spell. Thus, hundreds of Witch tribesmen remained frozen mid-charge, watching helplessly as the two 'demons' feasted on meat and drank wine with gusto. Hundreds of Witch tribesmen were filled with righteous indignation, tears of sorrow and anger streaming from their eyes! This was simply too much! They were being utterly humiliated!

Li Changshou and Zhao Gongming chatted and laughed, paying no mind to the hundreds of Witch tribesmen beside them. Instead, when a dozen or so Witch children came charging forward, yelling loudly and each holding a large stone, Li Changshou casually tore off more than ten pieces of roasted meat, wrapped them in immortal power, and floated them directly into the children's mouths. The Witch tribesmen were stunned! But they could only express their anxiety with their eyes!

The children, however, collectively froze. They had initially intended to spit out the roast meat to show their spirit as Witch tribe youngsters, but... it was simply too delicious. The little ones blinked in unison, then one after another dropped their stones and began munching on the roast meat in their hands. They finished the meat in a few bites, then gathered around the grill, eyes wide with anticipation, each nibbling on a finger. They seemed generally less intelligent than human children.

"Go over there," Li Changshou said softly. From his sleeve flew three paper figures, transforming into two men and one woman. They quickly set up a grill and arranged more roast meat on a nearby clear patch of ground. Soon, the forest echoed with the appreciative exclamations of the young Witch children. The hundreds of frozen Witch tribesmen stared, somewhat bewildered by the situation.

Before long, dull thudding footsteps resounded from all directions. Large groups of Witch tribesmen were rushing in from the north, northwest, and northeast! However, the somewhat 'unsettling' scene in the forest left many of the arriving Witch tribesmen perplexed. Although Witch tribesmen were generally simple-minded, there were a few intelligent ones, and those with good minds usually held a certain degree of authority within the tribe. Several Great Witches immediately issued low commands, and the surging Witch tribesmen halted hundreds of yards away, observing the situation from a distance.

Li Changshou's immortal sense swept out, revealing numerous figures rushing towards their location across the vast, desolate land within a ten-thousand-mile radius. Clearly, the Witch tribe still maintained good vigilance and reacted very quickly.

Zhao Gongming, who was drinking wine, frowned slightly and whispered, "Be careful, some Witch tribe masters are on their way."

Li Changshou glanced at the dozen or so children happily feasting nearby and smiled, "Brother, please release the stasis spell."

"Very well." Zhao Gongming gently pushed with his left hand, and the hundreds of Witch tribesmen he had frozen collectively recoiled, most of them stumbling backward in disarray.

Just then, the ground trembled lightly, and a rhythmic 'thump-thump' sound echoed from deep within the earth. The two to three thousand Witch tribesmen already gathered in the forest lowered their heads. An old woman, leaning on a staff, emerged from a stone house several thousand miles away. Despite her incredibly aged appearance, she took two steps, and the ground beneath her feet slid rapidly. In just two steps, the old woman appeared in the forest here, having traversed thousands of miles with such apparent ease.

Li Changshou raised an eyebrow. This was... a Ground Shrinking Incantation? No, this wasn't a spatial escape technique. The Witch tribe did not practice magic, but they possessed divine abilities. The Twelve Ancestor Witches once commanded the twelve Great Daos between heaven and earth, somewhat similar to the current Heavenly Court's divine authority. This old Witch woman was using a Witch combat technique, akin to control over the earth; this single divine ability alone could be called a master stroke.

Li Changshou dared not be presumptuous. He put down his wine cup and roast meat, stood up, and bowed to the old woman in a Daoist salute. "I am a disciple of the Human Dao and the Heavenly Court's Water God. Today, entrusted by a friend, I have come specifically to visit. If there is any offense, I ask the Witch tribe to forgive me."

The old woman nodded slowly. She first spoke a few words in a low voice in the Witch language. Throughout the forest, most of the Witch tribesmen turned and withdrew, leaving only a dozen or so tribal leaders and contemporary Great Witches, who then approached Li Changshou and Zhao Gongming. They subtly formed a pincer movement. Howls echoed from a distance. Li Changshou's immortal sense detected that most of the Witch tribesmen who had been rushing to the scene had now halted their charge, either waiting in place or turning back to their respective tribes. The dozen or so young Witch children eating roast meat nearby were also carried away by their parents. As they left, they casually grabbed the batch of roast meat that was still medium-rare on the grill. Truly, they were simple-minded yet meticulous.

The old woman slowly advanced, her back hunched and eyes downcast, as if on the verge of death. Yet, she emanated an astonishing surge of power. She was like a humanoid beast capable of tearing the earth apart at any moment! The dozen or so Witch men and women who remained were also exceptionally strong, their blood qi overflowing. Li Changshou roughly estimated that each of them could easily defeat three to five weak sect masters.

"Human Dao, Heavenly Court... Heavenly Court," the old woman said slowly, using the common language of the Great Desolation at that time. Leaning on her staff, she slowly bowed her head to Li Changshou and said, "News is scarce in North Continent. Has the Human Race's Heavenly Court truly prospered? Are you the deity now in charge of water?"

"Great Witch Priest, you misunderstand," Li Changshou said loudly. "The Heavenly Court is not the Heavenly Court of the human race, nor is it like the ancient Demon Court, which existed for a certain race to dominate all beings. Currently, the Heavenly Emperor of the Heavenly Court is His Majesty the Jade Emperor, personally appointed by the Dao Ancestor to govern the Heavenly Court, maintain the stability of the Three Realms, and protect all living beings in heaven and earth."

Zhao Gongming, standing beside him, also rose, cupped his hands to the Great Witch Priest, and smiled, "This humble Daoist is Zhao Gongming, an outer disciple of the Jie Sect. My master is the Sect Leader of the Heavens." Calling out a Saint's Daoist title directly when introducing oneself was the best way for a Saint's disciple to confirm their identity.

The old woman immediately looked up at Zhao Gongming, then quickly performed a different Daoist salute towards him, her voice becoming much livelier as she said, "So, you are a disciple of a Saint! My tribe has been remiss in entertaining such distinguished guests. I am the Great Witch Priest of this branch of the Witch tribe; you may simply call me Witch Priest."

As she spoke, the old woman's hunched figure slowly straightened, and the withered skin around her body gradually began to swell; wisps of blood qi enveloped her, and she transformed directly from an 'on-the-verge-of-death' old woman into a well-proportioned middle-aged woman! This differential treatment... Li Changshou felt a pang of emotion, thinking that the Heavenly Court still had a long way to go...

Zhao Gongming then chuckled again, "Great Witch Priest, look at this Daoist beside me. He is the most trusted Heavenly God before His Majesty the Jade Emperor in the Lingxiao Treasure Hall. The recent allegiance of the Four Seas Dragon Clan to the Heavenly Court was brought about solely by his efforts. Moreover, he is a favored disciple of Grand Pure One in the Tushita Palace, calls Grand Master Xuandu his senior brother, and is a brother with whom this humble Daoist shares an inseparable bond! He came here today... Oh, by the way, brother, what brings you to the Witch tribe?"

Li Changshou continued, "I was entrusted by my two friends, Ox-Head and Horse-Face, the soul-reapers of the Underworld, to inquire about the Witch tribe's life in North Continent. If there are any difficulties, Great Witch Priest, please feel free to state them; if there are any troubles, please inform me, and I will consider them carefully and do my best to assist."

Zhao Gongming, standing by, winked and sent a voice transmission to Li Changshou: "This isn't like you, Chang Geng. Why are you offering benefits to the Witch tribe? Could it be that you're interested in some Witch combat technique?"

Li Changshou smiled but remained silent, quietly waiting for the Great Witch Priest's reply.

The Great Witch Priest, now in the form of a middle-aged woman, was not exceptionally beautiful, but her face exuded a valiant and steady aura. She first frowned slightly and asked, "Ox-Head, Horse-Face?"

"These are their portraits," Li Changshou replied, already prepared. He took a scroll from his sleeve and slowly unrolled it, revealing the figures of Ox-Head and Horse-Face—the 'unmasked' version!

The Great Witch Priest's furrowed brow gently relaxed, and she slowly sighed, saying, "So that's how it is... Thank you, Water God, for coming all this way. My Witch tribe is currently quite well and has no requests."

Li Changshou chuckled, "Great Witch Priest, would you grace us by sitting down for a talk? Are you perhaps concerned that the Heavenly Court intends to use the North Continent Witch tribe to threaten the Underworld? There's no need to worry about that."

The Great Witch Priest's eyes flickered slightly, and she gave Li Changshou a faint bitter smile, "Water God, you are unaware of the matters here. We no longer wish to burden the lineage of the Ancestor Witches..."

"Great Witch Priest, you are mistaken again," Li Changshou sighed softly and said gently, "I'll be direct. The Heavenly Court needs the Underworld to be integrated into its ranks to stabilize the balance of the Three Realms; the Underworld also needs the Heavenly Court's assistance and protection to ensure the Six Paths of Reincarnation are not forcibly violated. Currently, the Underworld wishes to submit to the Heavenly Court but doesn't know how to begin. The Heavenly Court, seeking to show goodwill to the Underworld, could only come here to you all, to alleviate the Witch tribe's predicament. Great Witch Priest, please listen to my words first. If I speak wrongly, you may dismiss me. But if what I say is correct, I ask that you speak frankly with me today."

The Great Witch Priest asked, "What is it the Water God wishes to say?"

Li Changshou looked at the Great Witch Priest, his gaze clear and serious, his voice deliberate and powerful, striking at the heart of the matter! "Is the Witch tribe currently... unable to bear children?"

Zhao Gongming, who had been smiling and drinking, watching the show, turned his head and spat out a mouthful of wine. What was going on? One shouldn't just blurt out things like that, should they? If the Witch tribe went berserk and threw them out, they would lose face tremendously!

Unexpectedly, the Great Witch Priest's brows furrowed tightly, her gaze showing a hint of struggle, yet she sighed, looking up with boundless sorrow and desolation. "You are correct."

Zhao Gongming's beard trembled. He glanced at Li Changshou, who appeared calm and composed, seemingly with victory already in hand, and was utterly speechless. Well, he was the man his second sister highly approved of, so his way of thinking was indeed extraordinarily unique.

Li Changshou made a welcoming gesture. The Great Witch Priest slowly stepped forward and sat directly on a stone block Li Changshou had conjured. Li Changshou then invited the dozen or so Witch tribe village leaders to sit nearby, and the paper figures became busy once more. Soon, the aroma of roast meat filled the forest again. But this time, it was very quiet, with only the soft voices of Li Changshou and the Great Witch Priest conversing, and the sizzling sound of the roasting meat. Zhao Gongming listened quietly from the side, and soon, a new world opened before him.

Li Changshou was not at all reserved; he remained very serious. He inquired about the Witch tribe's fertility rates every hundred years over the past ten thousand years, the current number of Witch couples, and their understanding of reproduction. To be fair, for any race, this was indeed an extremely serious and grave issue. But Zhao Gongming couldn't help but let his imagination run wild, feeling a little uneasy inside. He felt that if his sister were to become Li Changshou's Daoist companion in the future, their relationship certainly wouldn't be the simple and platonic type. Then again, Chang Geng wasn't very old, yet he knew so much. Soon, Zhao Gongming was also listening with rapt attention, becoming increasingly serious.

Thus, the discussion proceeded. Li Changshou and the Great Witch Priest conversed for a long time, their discussion revolving entirely around the 'major problem' Li Changshou had immediately identified within the Witch tribe. Before leaving, Li Changshou left a preliminary solution, asking the Great Witch Priest to first find two hundred pairs of 'healthy' Witch men and women to follow the plan and see if it had any effect. After returning, he would visit the Temple of Matrimony and the Underworld to thoroughly investigate the root cause of the problem before making further arrangements.

The Great Witch Priest and the dozen or so Witch leaders were immediately filled with gratitude, offering a thousand thanks. They even brought out some Witch tribe specialties, insisting he take them for His Majesty the Jade Emperor to taste. These were genuine local specialties: unique rare fruits from North Continent. They were completely different in nature from the 'local specialties' that batch of Witch tribesmen in the Underworld had created!

On the cloud road back, Elder Zhao Gongming hesitated several times, stammering for a moment before finally asking, "Chang Geng, did you know about the Witch tribe's hidden pain beforehand?"

"No," Li Changshou shook his head. "Before this, I had only heard rumors that the Witch tribe was dwindling, but I never imagined it was this severe. As you also saw, Brother, at the edge of the pine forest that blocks the miasma, there were clearly many abandoned villages, indicating a significant population decline even after the Witch tribe effectively resisted the miasma's intrusion. In the tribe we visited, there were only a dozen or so children in total, and all of them were of similar age, with no newborn infants. At first, I thought the Witch tribe might have hidden their newborn children, but when those children gathered to eat, I quickly noticed a small issue with them..."

"What small issue?"

"Their Witch bloodline was impure; they were almost like human-Witch hybrids."

Zhao Gongming's face immediately showed understanding, and he said solemnly, "Could it be that pure-blooded Witch tribesmen can no longer exist in this world?"

"Perhaps," Li Changshou said. "That's why I played it safe today and didn't speak with absolute certainty. The preliminary plan I gave them is only to increase the chances of conception. After all, I don't know if someone is plotting behind the scenes, and it must be thoroughly investigated. Ninety-nine percent of the Witch tribe are not immortal. If this problem is not resolved, there might be no Witch tribesmen left on earth after one Yuanhui."

"Sigh," Zhao Gongming sighed. "To think of the Witch tribe in their prime... But never mind, this has nothing to do with my Jie Sect. Oh, by the way, Chang Geng, your plan seemed to involve some kind of 'Autumn Palace Illustrations'..."

Li Changshou turned to look at Zhao Gongming, his eyes wide with shock, so much so that he exclaimed softly: "Brother, you're actually... actually interested in such things?"

Zhao Gongming's old face flushed red. "I'm not, I'm not... Don't you dare! How can you just slander my good name out of nowhere like that!"

"Hahahaha!" Li Changshou burst into laughter. Only then did Zhao Gongming realize he had been pranked. Annoyed, he tried to go after Li Changshou, but Li Changshou was quick-witted and swiftly pulled out a treasure pouch from his sleeve.

"'Thirty-Six Heavenly Constellations: Autumn Water Without Trace Illustrations,' I present them to you, my brother!"

"Oh?" Zhao Gongming's spirit was immediately stirred. He took the scroll, and their eyes met.

Zhao Gongming said solemnly, "Heaven knows, Earth knows, the venerables know, and you and I know about this matter."

Li Changshou immediately nodded, "And don't let Fairy Yunxiao see it."

"Good!"

"Agreed!"

Thus, the two immediately hit it off, slung their arms around each other's shoulders, and flew on clouds towards South Continent. They had barely arrived at Anshui City when a streak of purple light flew out from the South Sea, stopping just in front of them and transforming into a slightly corpulent Daoist. The newcomer glared at Zhao Gongming and urgently chided him: "Oh, no! Junior Brother Gongming! You! How could you still have such intentions towards your eldest grand-nephew!"

Zhao Gongming was immediately confused, and Li Changshou was equally bewildered. What was going on now?