"In ancient times, the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin Races, and Dragon Clan were able to become overlords not only because of their own powerful clans, but also because the Phoenix Clan led scaled creatures and ruled the ocean; the phoenix clan led Bird Tribe creatures and ruled the sky; Qilin Clan led beasts and ruled the earth. If they had relied solely on their own clans, they would never have achieved such great success."
Therefore, now that the Witch-Demon have withdrawn from the scene, if the Human Clan wants to stand out from the myriad races of the Primordial World, it needs to learn from and draw on the practices of the Three Ancient Races.
Based on the idea of forming an alliance with the Dragon Clan, I have a suggestion: select a suitable race from those friendly with the Human Clan to serve as Human Clan 'Zodiac Guardian Gods Deities'!
Upon hearing this, everyone showed expressions of curiosity and inquiry.
"What are the 'Zodiac Guardian Gods'?" Shennong pressed.
Spirit Gourd Daoist explained:
At the heart of this plan is the selection of twelve species of beings to serve as guardian totems that are inextricably linked to the Human Clan.
These twelve kinds of creatures must be relatively docile and peaceful by nature, and must also have their own unique endowments Fortune, so that they can live and coexist with the Human Clan in daily life.
Human Clan will bind their Fortune to these twelve races for a long time through specific sacrifices, festivals, calendar times, and even daily customs.
The chosen race will directly benefit from the nourishment of the Human Clan's inherent Fortune in terms of population growth, strength, and potential development. Simultaneously, the Human Clan will also receive unique talents or protective powers bestowed upon that race, and in crucial moments, can summon these protective powers to safeguard Human Clan!
He paused, giving everyone time to think about what he had said.
"Furthermore, since we can form an alliance with the Dragon Clan, we can do the same with the other two Three Ancient Races Phoenix Clan and the Qilin. You should know that even though the three clans have declined, their Fortune is still not low."
Do you still remember what I said back then?
As heaven's movement is ever vigorous, so should a gentleman constantly strive for self-improvement; as earth's condition is receptive, so should a gentleman cultivate virtue and bear all things with magnanimity.
The most powerful characteristic of the Human Clan is its adaptability; it is inclusive and open-minded, absorbing and integrating the cultural heritage of any race into its own culture, thus creating its own unique style.
If we can subdue the Three Ancient Races, we can then bestow upon them the title of the Human Race's Three Auspicious Beasts of the Human Race. Following this line of thought, we can also bestow upon the four beasts guarding the Heavenly Pillar—Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise —the title of the Human Race's Four Symbols Sacred Beasts.
This move is of profound significance!
Firstly, it greatly expanded the number and diversity of the Human Clan allies, forming a protective network centered on the Human Clan, far exceeding the scope of cooperation with the Dragon Clan alone.
Secondly, through the binding of Fortune and sacrificial rites, these allied races are firmly incorporated into the Human Clan civilization system, enhancing the inclusiveness and attractiveness of the Human Clan civilization.
Thirdly, the different guardian races each possess Divine Ability, and when combined, they will become an invisible, inherited force for the Human Clan!
This move will allow Human Clan to truly stand between heaven and earth, with an unbreakable foundation!
The scene described by the Spirit Gourd Daoist was magnificent and profound, Shennong was deeply moved, his eyes shining.
He was not an impulsive person; after calmly considering the situation for a moment, he solemnly responded:
"The Dao Venerable's plans are profound and far-sighted; both of his strategies are invaluable words of wisdom!"
Allying with the Dragon Clan can solve the immediate needs of favorable weather and territorial expansion; while establishing the Zodiac Guardian Gods is a plan for an everlasting foundation, laying the deep foundation for the Human Clan!
Shennong wholeheartedly agreed!
Only..."
His tone turned cautious:
These two policies, especially the Zodiac Guardian Gods Plan, involve the future distribution and binding of the Human Clan Fortune the selection of allies. They are far-reaching and affect the fundamental strategic direction of the Human Clan, bearing a truly heavy responsibility.
Shennong alone could not make decisions arbitrarily.
Although I, Shennong, Human Race Co-Lord, I must also follow the rules, summon the many wise and outstanding ancestors of the Human Clan, gather their wisdom, and conduct in-depth discussions before making a decision.
Spirit Gourd Daoist expressed his understanding and nodded, saying, "
Fellow Daoist, your composure is as it should be.
The future of the Human Clan should be discussed and built together by its Human Clan.
Shennong gratefully clasped his hands in thanks:
Thank you for your understanding Dao Venerable.
But please rest assured, Dao Venerable, Shennong believes this is the only way for the prosperity of the Human Clan.
If this plan gains widespread acceptance within the tribe, its subsequent implementation, such as selecting races, negotiating and concluding agreements, and even establishing sacrificial rituals, will undoubtedly be fraught with difficulties. We hope that the Dao Venerable and the Spirit Bamboo Mountain lineage, out of consideration for their friendship with the Human Clan, will generously offer their assistance.
Spirit Gourd Daoist solemnly agreed:
Since this matter was raised by me, I naturally have no choice but to take responsibility.
Whatever decision the Sage Emperor Shennong and the Human Clan make, we will provide our full support wherever the assistance of this humble Daoist and the Spirit Bamboo Mountain lineage is needed.
In the days that followed, Shennong did not delay.
He first meticulously organized Spirit Gourd Daoist's ideas and refined the details, clearly presenting the two major strategic directions of "strengthening cooperation with the three races" and "establishing the 'Twelve Zodiac Guardian Gods'".
In particular, it elaborates on the concept of the Zodiac Guardian Gods, the qualities required of the candidate groups, and the enormous benefits and far-reaching impact that they may bring to the Human Clan.
In his view, this plan would require a great deal of manpower and resources, and would span a long period of time. It could not be completed by him alone, and would require the persistent efforts and perseverance of successive Human Emperor.
Afterwards, Shennong Human Clan to Chen Du for the most important internal meeting in the history of the Human Clan.
The meeting was personally presided over by Shennong, and Ancestor Hong Yun, as the Teacher of the Earth Emperor, was also present.
After Shennong personally explained the two major strategic plans to everyone in detail, it immediately sparked a heated and profound discussion.
Supporters are drawn to the grand vision for the future, seeing it as a golden Great Dao for the Human Clan to escape isolation and reach its zenith; while more cautious individuals worry that prematurely binding themselves to too many external forces could damage Human Clan's independence or allow allies to turn the tables on them; still others are concerned about how to guarantee the loyalty of those who protect the race, and whether the selection criteria are fair, and so on.
In response to the doubts, Shennong, based on the original meaning of the Spirit Gourd and his own reflections, provided a detailed explanation and refutation of each point.
He particularly emphasized:
Esteemed ancestors, I believe that we should not focus too much on the powerful and dominant races of the Primordial World when considering candidates for guardian deities.
Our Human Clan has domesticated many animals, such as loyal dogs, hardworking cows, gentle sheep, and crowing chickens.
They live alongside our people day and night, are relatively peaceful in nature, and have become deeply integrated into the Human Clan life, widely accepted and recognized by our people.
Based on this, wouldn't it be an excellent choice to select several more?
There's no need to be greedy with the quantity; twelve is the ideal number for offerings.
The chosen race will naturally receive the Fortune and prosperity of the Human Clan for their duty of protection, ensuring their continued flourishing.
His suggestion, based on the actual domestication of companion species by the Human Clan, was practical, highly persuasive, and greatly reduced everyone's concerns.
After several rounds of frank and pragmatic discussions, the core leadership of the Human Clan finally reached a consensus: Spirit Gourd Daoist's two strategies are highly feasible, in line with the fundamental interests of the Human Clan's long-term development, and preparations should be made to launch them!
Furthermore, they refined the various items in the plan, dividing the entire plan into several stages and setting goals for each stage. This made it easier to operate and reduced the pressure on everyone.
The first priority was to establish an alliance with the Four Seas Dragon Clan, and for each tribe to begin examining potential candidates for the "Guardian God Race".
Shennong was greatly pleased that the plan had gained acceptance within the Human Clan, and he immediately sent a message to Spirit Gourd and the others who were temporarily staying in Chen Du.
Upon receiving the message, Spirit Gourd and the Three Xiao discussed and divided the work.
Bixiao was responsible for looking after Xuanling and guiding his cultivation.
Yunxiao and Qiongxiao then assisted Shennong in planning specific strategies for contacting Water Tribe in various regions.
Spirit Gourd, true to its promise to Shennong, took on the crucial role of facilitating cooperation between the two tribes.
His first chosen breakthrough points were the Western Sea Dragon Palace and the Northern Sea Dragon Palace.
The Spirit Gourd is Incarnation of Jiang Yun. Given the deep friendship Jiang Yun forged with the Dragon Clan when he established the Western Region Spirit Land, and his current status, his willingness to act as a go-between has essentially determined the final outcome.
He conveyed through special channels the goodwill of Shennong, the Human Race Co-Lord, in wanting to establish a friendly and cooperative relationship with the Dragon Clan to the two dragon palaces.
He emphasized several points: As the future Protagonists of Heaven and Earth recognized by all the Saint, the Human Clan Fortune prosperous and has great potential. Befriending them is an excellent historical opportunity for the West Sea and Northern Sea Dragon Palace, which are located in relatively remote areas and face considerable pressure from resource competition, to expand their influence, acquire abundant inland resources, and enhance the Fortune of their own Branch Lineage!
At the same time, he also subtly mentioned that this was a matter of concern to Dao Venerable Jiang Yun of Spirit Bamboo Mountain.
Upon receiving this information, the West Sea Dragon King and the Dragon King of the Northern Sea agreed to cooperate almost without hesitation.
They were not ignorant of the secrets of Heavenly Secrets; they had long been keenly watching the rise of the Human Clan.
Seeing that the Human Clan is about to rise to prominence, if they can catch this fast train, it will be entirely beneficial to their Dragon Palace.
Moreover, the person who pushed this matter was Sage Jiang Yun, who had cooperated with them before, and their relationship and influence should not be underestimated.
The two Dragon Kings soon secretly dispatched trusted envoys carrying tokens from the Dragon Palace to the Human Clan territory to discuss the specifics and terms of cooperation.
Under the coordination of the Spirit Gourd Daoist, the special envoy from the West Sea, "Dragon Turtle Prime Minister," and the special envoy from the North Sea, "General Xuan Jing," paid a visit to Shennong.
The atmosphere of the talks between the two sides was extremely harmonious.
The Dragon Clan envoy expressed the strong desire of the West Sea and North Sea to establish a long-term and stable alliance with the Human Clan. They promised that once the alliance is reached, the Dragon Palace in their respective Sea Region will do its utmost to ensure the safety of the Human Clan fisheries in the adjacent Sea Region areas, coordinate the control of Commanding Clouds and Rain the Sea Region area, share some non-core deep-sea information and unique marine resources, and, under certain conditions, provide the Human Clan with a certain degree of assistance in waterway navigation and in resisting the invasion of water demons.
Shennong, Human Clan, expressed a sincere vision for cooperation, promising to promote goodwill towards the Northern Sea Dragon Palace of the West Sea and North Sea to all people within the Human Clan territory to enhance their positive influence, and to bind their Fortune with the Dragon Clan of the West Sea and North Sea Dragon Clan in the future to help the Dragon Clan's revival, etc.
As a witness and coordinator, Spirit Gourd Daoist established a preliminary framework for cooperation between the two parties and suggested that a more detailed agreement be signed at a later, more appropriate time.
The dragon envoys of the West Sea and North Sea, filled with the sincerity of the Human Clan and their hopes for future cooperation, returned to the sea satisfied.
With a good start in the West and North Seas, the most crucial Eastern Sea Dragon Palace and the least prominent Southern Sea Dragon Palace became the next targets.
With the examples of the West Sea and the North Sea, the Southern Sea Dragon Palace was easily dealt with. As for the East Sea, the incident with Nuwa had just happened not long ago. After learning the whole story from Ao Bing, the Dragon King Ao Guang of the East Sea gave Ao Bing a good scolding.
Others might not know, but as the leader of the Four Seas Dragon Clan, he was very clear that after the Witch-Demon, the Human Clan would be the next Protagonists of Heaven and Earth.
Moreover, the Human Clan has an incredibly strong background, with Nuwa, the Three Pure Ones, Zhenyuanzi, and Jiang Yun standing behind them. Not to mention, the Human Clan's own strength has increased rapidly. Heavenly Emperor Fuxi is Sub-Saint, and he alone is enough to give the entire Dragon Clan a hard time. Not to mention the Two Sovereigns and Five Emperors behind them, who are all Sub-Saint and Quasi-Saint in preparation.
After Ao Guang beat Ao Bing until his skin was torn and his flesh was ripped open, he brought plenty of treasures to Chen Du to see Shennong and apologize, hoping that Shennong could forgive the matter. However, Shennong, for the sake of his subsequent plans, only temporarily put the matter aside and did not directly settle the karmic Karma between the two parties.
The initial approach was all for this moment. After the other three Dragon Palaces reached an agreement, the East Sea had already received the information, and Ao Guang had a thorough understanding of Shennong and the Human Clan's thoughts.
According to his wishes, the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace represents the entire Dragon Clan, and he would not easily form a stable alliance with any force in the Primordial World.
After all, we're all just Protagonists of Heaven and Earth; who isn't?
But in the end, they all declined. Not to mention the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin Races, even the Immortal Court and the later Witch and Demon Clans —weren't they all the same?
However, the current situation is beyond human control. The three dragon palaces of the West Sea, North Sea, and South Sea have all reached cooperation agreements with the Human Clan. Moreover, the Human Clan has a great advantage: they have many Saint standing behind them. It is now clear that Primordial World prehistoric world is in the hands of Saint. In this way, the Dragon Clan can try to fight!
Linghu Daoist, carrying Shennong's formal proposal for cooperation and a friendly invitation, along with the Three Immortal Maidens of Sanxiao and the girl Xuanling who had already become a disciple of the immortal path, formally visited the Crystal Palace of the East Sea Dragon Palace under the guidance of the East Sea Turtle Prime Minister.
The Dragon King Ao Guang of the East Sea, personally led his important officials out of the palace gate to greet him, showing the utmost courtesy.
He first personally and solemnly apologized to Xuanling, then punished the Third Prince Ao Bing, whose Magical Power had been sealed, and publicly ordered him to reflect on his mistakes in seclusion for a hundred years and personally supervise the safety of the waters along the East Sea for ten thousand years.
Spirit Gourd Daoist and Ancestor Hong Yun, the representative sent by Shennong, readily accepted the apology, saying, "You were impetuous as a youth; it is enough that you acknowledge your mistakes and correct them. The past can be turned around."
In fact, that incident was a fatal blow to the Nuwa, and it was also a fatal blow to Ao Bing. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been killed by Nezha after Nezha pulled out his dragon tendons. The Karma of this incident can be traced back to this incident.
Now, the Three Xiao of Sanxiao happened to witness this incident and, by chance, saved the Nuwa. This not only averted the Nuwa's death but also saved Ao Bing!
After apologizing, the two sides began to discuss the main topic.