Ao Fang walked into the Elegant Abode. The moment he saw Gu Xi, his expression changed.
Gu Xi had only just broken through. His divine power had surged, and he could not yet fully contain his aura.
Countless Great Dao divine patterns flickered across his body. Faint Profound Yellow Divine Light shone from every acupoint, while wisps of suppressed, terrifying divine power spread from him through layer upon layer of space-time.
The instant Ao Fang saw Gu Xi, he felt pressure bearing down on him like mountains toppling and seas overturning.
It was like facing the Great Dao itself. The terrifying, oppressive aura nearly suffocated him.
Terrifying. He's only just become a Primordial Great Sage, yet he makes me feel as though I'm facing one at the peak.
No wonder the ancestor values him so highly and told us to befriend him.
Shaken, Ao Fang cupped his hands and bowed respectfully to Gu Xi.
"Ao Fang of the Dragon Clan greets Great Sage Gu Xi."
Gu Xi regarded Ao Fang with interest and smiled playfully.
"I never expected my breakthrough to bring Fellow Daoist Ao Fang here, much less as a representative of the Dragon Clan... You've truly surprised me!"
"But what brings you here, Fellow Daoist Ao Fang?"
"Don't tell me you came to congratulate me."
"I don't think I carry that much weight."
Ao Fang laughed. "Hahaha, Fellow Daoist Gu Xi, you underestimate yourself."
"You are the Human Race Holy Father. Among the Human Race, only the Human Race Holy Mother, Nuwa, stands above you."
"Saint Nuwa attained sainthood through the Merit of Creating Humans. That alone shows the astonishing potential of the Human Race."
"One day, the Human Race will surely become one of the mightiest races in Hong Huang."
"As the Human Race Holy Father, you deserve every bit of regard we can give you."
Gu Xi merely smiled. The Dragon Clan still had Great Supernatural Beings, so it was no surprise they could see the Human Race's potential.
"Fellow Daoist Gu Xi, I've come bearing the Dragon Clan's goodwill... We wish to form an alliance with the Human Race."
"Though the Dragon Clan has declined and no longer rules heaven and earth as it did in ancient times, we still have some strength. Our influence in the East Sea and the surrounding lands remains considerable..."
"Once our races form an alliance, we can trade what each lacks, interact as friends, and help each other grow."
"Both races will benefit, and the Human Race will rise all the faster."
Ao Fang had stated his purpose.
Gu Xi pondered for a moment.
The Human Race had been born only a century ago. Compared with powerful races that had developed for countless ages, it lagged far behind in both foundations and strong cultivators.
If the Human Race befriended the Dragon Clan, and cultivators from both sides visited, exchanged knowledge, and traded what they lacked, it would greatly benefit the Human Race's development.
For the Dragon Clan, however, there was little to gain.
The Human Race was still too weak to offer it much.
Had the Dragon Clan sought friendship simply to bring the Human Race a little warmth?
Gu Xi could not yet fathom its motives, but since befriending the Dragon Clan would greatly benefit the Human Race, he naturally accepted Ao Fang's proposal.
"Very well. I agree."
In the end, Gu Xi agreed to an alliance between the Human Race and the Dragon Clan.
For now, of course, this alliance was only a verbal one.
Neither Gu Xi nor Ao Fang signed a contract or swore an oath to the Heavenly Dao. Neither wanted the fortunes of their two races bound together.
This was only their first cooperation.
Both Gu Xi and the Dragon Clan remained cautious, unwilling to tie their races' fortunes together.
Ao Fang departed with the answer he had hoped for.
The other Gods and Demons who had come to offer congratulations left after setting down their gifts.
Once they were gone, Gu Xi summoned Suiren Shi, Youchao Shi, Ziyi Shi, and every other Human Race cultivator above the Earth Immortal Realm.
"In Hong Huang, the four seasons are indistinct. Living beings do not understand the passage of seasons or the changes in Heaven and Earth Vital Energy. They do not know when to work or when to rest... This hinders their recovery and growth, as well as planting and gathering."
"Today, I will teach you the Four Seasons and Twenty-Four Solar Terms. From now on, you can follow them in your work, rest, planting, and gathering..."
As Gu Xi spoke, twenty-four hazy Dao Diagrams appeared above his head.
"The Four Seasons and Twenty-Four Solar Terms follow the pattern of Star Rotation and contain the mysteries of how Heaven and Earth Vital Energy changes."
"The Big Dipper circles through its cycle. One clockwise turn of its handle marks one year. Each year has four seasons—spring, summer, autumn, and winter—and each season contains six solar terms."
"Spring: Start of Spring, Rain Water, Awakening of Insects, Spring Equinox, Pure Brightness, and Grain Rain."
"Summer: Start of Summer, Grain Full, Grain in Ear, Summer Solstice, Minor Heat, and Major Heat."
"Autumn: Start of Autumn, End of Heat, White Dew, Autumn Equinox, Cold Dew, and Frost Descent."
"Winter: Start of Winter, Minor Snow, Major Snow, Winter Solstice, Minor Cold, and Major Cold."
"Life stirs in spring, grows in summer, is harvested in autumn, and is stored in winter. As the seasons turn and the solar terms succeed one another, they reveal the secrets of changing Heaven and Earth Vital Energy and the growth of all things. Follow the Four Seasons Sequence in your work and rest, and you will benefit greatly."
The Twenty-Four Solar Terms Dao Diagrams above Gu Xi's head turned slowly. Scenes corresponding to each solar term emerged within them, making it easier for Suiren Shi and the others to grasp their secrets.
"The Holy Father possesses great wisdom! He discerned the secrets of Star Rotation and the changes in Heaven and Earth Vital Energy, then created the Four Seasons and Twenty-Four Solar Terms!"
Suiren Shi and the other Human Race experts marveled without end.
Then delight rose in each of their hearts.
Having heard Gu Xi explain the solar terms, they understood how much the Human Race would gain by spreading them.
The Human Race had long since learned the Way of Planting from Gu Xi. Combining it with the solar terms would bring twice the results with half the effort.
Gathering and the Way of Hunting were also closely tied to the Four Seasons Sequence.
Following the solar terms would greatly advance the Human Race's development.
Under Suiren Shi and the others' urging, the Four Seasons and Twenty-Four Solar Terms soon spread throughout the Human Race.
From then on, the entire Human Race followed the rhythm of the solar terms in its work and rest.
After Gu Xi and Ao Fang reached their verbal agreement, cultivators of the Dragon Clan and the Human Race gradually began visiting one another, exchanging knowledge and trading what each lacked.
The Human Race also established friendly relations with many other races and factions along the East Sea Coast.
The Human Race entered a period of rapid development, and its population grew explosively.
Indeed, the Human Race's ability to multiply was frightening.
When they first arrived on the East Sea Coast, they numbered only about a million.
Yet after a mere century, their population had surpassed thirty million.
Ten thousand years later, humanity numbered more than ten billion.
Were it not for Hong Huang's harsh living conditions, which kept many later-born humans from reaching thirty, their population might already have exceeded a hundred billion.
Even so, the Gods and Demons throughout the East Sea Coast and the East Sea were utterly stunned.
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