Spirit Gourd himself was not a domineering person. Even though his status was different now, he did not usurp the throne or use his power to oppress others. Instead, he used his past friendship to act as a bridge between the Dragon Clan and the Human Clan, making the benefits of the arrangement clear.
"Old Dragon King," Spirit Gourd spoke first, getting down to business.
As you know, the Human Clan is now rising like the Heavenly Mandate, a trend that is inevitable and irreversible.
Admittedly, there have just been some minor setbacks between your East Sea Dragon Clan and the Human Clan. However, I believe this is an excellent opportunity to turn misfortune into fortune, eliminate misunderstandings, and allow the Dragon Clan to use this as a pretext to forge a deep alliance with the Human Clan!
This matter shouldn't have required so much trouble, but Ao Guang just moved too fast!
Previously, the Dragon Clan had gathered information and learned that the Haotian Shangdi of Heavenly Court was the attendant of the Hongjun Dao Ancestor, and that Heavenly Court was backed by Dao Ancestor, who also instructed the Six Saints of the Heavenly Dao to provide him with more assistance.
Knowing about this connection with the Heavenly Court, Ao Guang discussed it with his clan elders and decided to offer timely assistance, taking advantage of the Heavenly Court's current weakness to pledge allegiance to it.
In this way, considering how sensible the Dragon Clan are, if the Heavenly Court becomes powerful in the future, the foundation of the Four Seas of the Primordial World will certainly not be shaken. Moreover, as the Heavenly Court grows stronger and its power expands, the Dragon Clan will also be able to extend their tentacles there. In the water, there is probably no race that can compete with the Dragon Clan.
However, this also brings a problem: if the Dragon Clan wants to form an alliance with the Human Clan, it cannot do so without a reasonable reason, nor can it bypass the Heavenly Court. After all, the Human Clan and the Heavenly Court have already established the Heaven-Human Alliance, Dragon Clan is now a subordinate force of the Heavenly Court.
However, given the situation involving Ao Bing and Nuwa, an alliance can be established through compensation or by understanding the Karma and effect.
Spirit Gourd analyzed the pros and cons for Ao Guang:
Now that Human Emperor Shennong is on the throne, he promotes the cultivation of the Five Grains, opening up new food sources for the Human Clan. For the Human Clan to prosper, favorable weather is the foundation.
The Dragon Clan rules over the four seas, encompassing vast blue waves and trillions of the Water Tribe. If they could lend their full support to pacify the waterways, subdue water demons, and ensure a peaceful and prosperous coastline with abundant harvests, this would be an unparalleled Merit Five Grains, in Respond to the Heavenly Dao and benefiting all living beings!
In the past, during the Immortal Court era, the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace cooperated with the Immortal Court in an attempt to expand its sphere of influence and advance into the inland waterways of the Primordial World, but ultimately failed.
If the Dragon Clan and the Human Clan form an alliance, they can establish a Water Manor within the waters under the Human Clan's influence, thus reviving their past achievements. This would be a move that aligns with the Heavenly Mandate and brings fundamental benefits to both the Dragon and Human Clans!
Imagine this: the Human Race's fortune are soaring, their future limitless. If the Dragon Clan can deeply bind itself to this great destiny, it will surely seize the opportunity to sweep away its decline and has the potential for revival!
After recounting the benefits, Spirit Gourd brought up their past friendship.
The cooperation between the Dragon Clan and the Western Teachings was mutually beneficial, and Jiang Yun never treated the Dragon Clan unfairly.
Over the years, thanks to its good relationship with the Western Teachings, the Dragon Clan has sent many of its members to the Western Teachings to cultivate. Now, the Dragon Clan's younger generation is no longer in dire need of successors, and talented individuals are emerging in large numbers!
Moreover, they also learned many Secret Techniques from Western Teachings. Not to mention anything else, the Stars Formation and Earth Veins Formation that Jieyin the Star Power are extraordinary and have greatly benefited the Dragon Clan.
Ao Guang knew all of what Spirit Gourd had said; there were many benefits to being on good terms with the Human Clan.
From a public perspective, the Dragon Clan can gain enormous benefits: expanding their influence in the interior, attaching themselves to the Human Clan to elevate their Fortune, and achieving the Dragon Clan's revival; from a private perspective, they cannot disregard the past relationship with Sage Jiang Yun.
With the West Sea, North Sea, and South Sea already taking the lead, and the Human Clan providing a ready-made reason that would not be hindered by the Heavenly Court, the lingering doubts in Ao Guang's heart instantly vanished.
"The Dao Venerable's words are golden, every sentence hits the nail on the head, and are perfectly reasonable!" Ao Guang, the Dragon King Ao Guang of the East Sea, stood up from his throne and cupped his hands to the Spirit Gourd. "Today, on behalf of the East Sea Dragon Clan and all the Water Tribe under his command, Ao Guang wishes to establish an everlasting and unbreakable friendly alliance with the Human Clan!"
I hereby issue this strict order: all Water Tribe belonging to the East Sea shall diligently perform their duties, abide by their responsibilities, and shall absolutely not engage in any actions that would bring chaos to the Human Clan's waters!
If anyone dares to rebel or cause trouble again, the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace will punish them severely without mercy!
As for the alliance between my Dragon Clan and the Human Clan, although I can make the decision directly, it is still not entirely appropriate. I need to inform the ancestors of my race so that it will be legitimate.
However, I can promise you that from now on, the Dragon Clan will do everything in its power to the Human Clan's territory enjoys favorable weather and abundant harvests, without the slightest mishap!
To demonstrate his sincerity, Ao Guang publicly promised, "To show the sincerity of the East Sea, our Dragon Palace will take the lead in promising to immediately dispatch an elite navy to assist the Human Clan in clearing away the vicious water demons that are causing havoc along the coast and in the main waterways, thus creating a clear and peaceful waterway for the Human Clan!"
The Spirit Gourd has already built the bridge. Next, Hong Yun and the Human Clan envoy will step forward to discuss the cooperation framework and content after the alliance with the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace. These things involve many aspects and will require a long time to discuss the details.
However, the alliance between the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace and the Human Clan was thus established.
The specific Sea Region, waterways, division of responsibilities, and more detailed rules of the alliance will be discussed and implemented by the wise ministers of the Human Clan and the capable subordinates of the Dragon Palace.
From this moment on, the Human Clan and the Four Seas Dragon Clan officially embark on a new historical era of working together, sharing weal and woe.
Thanks to the tranquility of the ocean and the accessibility of resources, the territory of the Human Clan has quietly expanded outwards.
After initially finalizing the alliance with the Dragon Clan, Chen Du, Shennong, and others from the Human Clan began planning something even more important.
The prelude to the "Twelve Zodiac Guardian Gods" project has officially begun!
Human Emperor Hall, Shennong, dressed in a simple linen imperial robe, stood at the head of the hall with a restrained and dignified air, with the gentle and refined Ancestor Hong Yun beside him.
Inside the main hall, tribal leaders and sages gathered together, their faces beaming with the joy of a bountiful harvest brought about by the alliance of the Dragon Clan and the significant reduction in floods.
Favorable weather ensured that the people had plenty of food and clothing, and with ample food and clothing came a thriving population. The Human Clan, like bamboo shoots after a rain, quietly flourished in various tribes.
Shennong's profound gaze swept over the assembled ministers, and his steady voice echoed in the hall:
Leaders, with the alliance with the Dragon Clan now in place, our land is fertile and bountiful, and the prosperity and flourishing of our race is an unstoppable trend!
However, the Primordial World is vast and teeming with countless races, and our race still faces many crises both within and outside our borders that urgently need to be addressed.
The Dragon Clan rules over the four seas and controls clouds and rain, which can relieve our race's worries about floods and droughts.
However, on the Primordial World land, many tribes lived adjacent to our tribe, some with good intentions and others with evil.
The foundation of the Human Clan lies first in Self-Improvement, and secondly in cultivating good relationships, turning enemies into friends, and learning from others' strengths for our own use!
The 'Twelve Zodiac Guardian Gods' plan previously proposed by Venerable Spirit Gourd is profound in its implications, and now is the perfect opportunity to implement it!
"This plan aims to select twelve creature races that are gentle in nature, unique in their talents, and capable of coexisting and benefiting with the Human Clan, and to honor them as the guardian Zodiac Totem of our Human Clan!"
Each tribe should carefully observe its surrounding neighbors. Those who are willing to accept the goodwill of our Human Clan and work together for harmonious development will be rewarded with the blessings and Merit of our Human Race's fortune. They will be appointed as the tribe's guardian totem, granted specific sacrificial rites, and aided in their spiritual practice. They will also be required to protect the peace and safety of their region and ward off evil spirits!
These words are like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples all around.
A lively yet restrained discussion immediately filled the hall.
A chief from Southern Region forest tribe stepped forward, his voice trembling with excitement:
Lord, our tribe has lived as neighbors to a group of 'Shadow Monkey' for generations.
This monkey is intelligent and agile, moving through the forest like the wind, and is especially good at warning of danger.
They enjoy our clan's fruit wine, yet fear the fierce tigers Poisonous Miasma in the forest.
Our tribe has communicated with its elders and promised to regularly offer them fruit wine to help them drive away predators in exchange for them serving as sentinels in the forest to warn the tribe in advance!
If this strategy is adopted and it is formally incorporated as the tribe's guardian totem, the tribes in the mountains and forests will surely be able to rest easy!
"Excellent!" Shennong nodded in approval.
This is a perfect example of mutual assistance!
Those who protect our people will be treated with great kindness and share in our Fortune!
However, not all tribes had such an easy time.
Another tribal chief from the Western Region looked worried:
Your Majesty, the creatures we are besieging are a group of ferocious, blue-faced, fanged Fierce Water Rhino!
This beast has thick, rough hides and immense strength. It repeatedly tramples farmland and injures our people during the farming and herding seasons. We can drive it away, but it always returns. It is a persistent problem!
How can such a scourge be included among those to be protected?
Upon hearing this, Shennong pondered for a moment and then decisively said:
This fierce and violent beast is not one that can Contract; forcibly taking it in will only bring harm!
Our clan's strategy is not simply to be lenient and tolerant.
For such a harmful clan, we must use swift and decisive measures to deter, expel, hunt down, and annihilate them. Protecting the safety of our people is our top priority!
The selection of guardian deities must be carried out with utmost care, with the core principle being 'symbiosis and mutual benefit,' which is the way to achieve a powerful alliance and win-win results.
If the wicked rhinoceros realizes its fortune and is willing to repent in the future, then it will not be too late to discuss cooperation.
If they remain obstinate, the Gē Máo of the Human Clan warriors will be their sharpest weapon in response!
At this moment, Ancestor Hong Yun also chimed in, saying, "
The Twelve Guardian Deities Plan selects those who are 'blessed, kind-hearted, or easily tamed'.
Animals such as Shadow Monkey, Auspicious Deer, Spirit Dog, and Rooster Announcing Dawn are highly adaptable and can easily form a symbiotic relationship with the Human Clan.
As for the ferocious Green Rhino, the primary task is to protect the territory and ensure the safety of the people.
Each department should carefully select suitable races based on the actual situation and report them to Chen Du. The sovereign and many wise men will then coordinate and approve the selections to ensure that the chosen races can truly assist the Human Clan and strengthen its foundation and Fortune!
The imperial edict was swiftly disseminated to all the tribes from Chen Du.
The Primordial World land of the Human Clan seemed to be infused with new vitality, and for a time it was bustling with activity.
For those relatively friendly other races, the human race set aside their reservations and took the initiative to send envoys to make contact, express goodwill, and invite them with tangible benefits: a stable food source, a safe habitat, and the precious blessing of human fortune and merit...
For those races that demonstrated strong protective capabilities, bolder tribes began the first attempts at bestowing titles.
Just as the Twelve Zodiac Guardian Gods Plan was being implemented in full swing, something that would have a profound impact on the Human Clan, something that even the Spirit Gourd had not anticipated, quietly occurred within the Human Clan.
In the land of the Eastern Yi, the Gaotao Tribe suddenly faced a crisis.
A ferocious Plague Beast, bred from the miasma of the deep forest, suddenly attacked the tribe.
In the midst of this critical situation, a shocking scene unfolded.
Many tribes were deeply moved by the heroic deeds of their former Clan Leader, "Yan," who sacrificed himself to protect the tribe from the invasion of wolf demons. They held him in high esteem and admired his character and actions, and erected Clay Statue in his honor for future generations to pay their respects.
In the past, nothing unusual had been found about the Clay Statue. However, when the crisis came, the Clay Statue suddenly emitted Golden Light, and the spirit of the previous Clan Leader Yan actually walked out of the Clay Statue and manifested in the sky above the ancestral Ancestral Shrine of the tribe!
It guided the will and blood of many young and strong warriors, combined with its own Golden Light power, and successfully defeated the Plague Beast Apparition, thus saving the tribe.
The tribal Shaman was deeply shocked.
Although he was not a person of profound Daoist magic, he could clearly sense that when Yan's heroic spirit appeared, the Golden Light was filled with an extremely special and powerful spiritual energy.
He recalled the process of bestowing titles upon external totems, and it seemed that such energy had also appeared on those totems. Could it be that the heroic spirits of the tribe's fallen heroes could also become guardian totems?
To unravel the mystery and find a better way out for the tribe, he decided to give it a try and convened the entire tribe for a solemn ceremony.
The Shaman stood before the Ancestral Shrine, proclaiming loudly the ancient prayer, solemn and dignified:
Our illustrious ancestors, in your lifetime you protected the Bloodline of Gao Yao with your flesh and blood. Even after your passing, your spirit Immortality and will continue to bless our clan with peace and prosperity!
In gratitude for his great merits and virtues, we hereby proclaim to Heaven and Earth that our ancestral Clan Leader, 'Yan,' is hereby bestowed the title of 'Guardian Venerable Heroic Spirit God of the Gaotao Tribe'!
May our clan enjoy the incense offerings passed down through generations, and may our clan live in peace and tranquility for ten thousand generations!
May the name of the revered deity be with Gao Yao!
The entire tribe, young and old, knelt in devout worship, expressing heartfelt gratitude, respect, faith, and prayers...
Countless complex and pure thoughts converged like a tide, transforming into a mysterious power that gathered in the void and then poured into the Clay Statue.
In an instant, the pottery Clay Statue became lustrous and radiant, exuding a faint, warm, jade-like glow!
Strands of golden energy, barely perceptible to the naked eye, flowed and converged, condensing above the Clay Statue into a blurry yet majestic human figure composed purely of Golden Light!
Although its appearance is unclear, a firm and profound aura of protection emanates from it.
The figure nodded slightly, then merged into the Clay Statue.
The entire tribe was in an uproar; the Guardian Heroic Spirit God had appeared!
When the Shaman tried to connect with the Golden Spiritual Power, he felt invigorated, but countless subtle thoughts also welled up within him: protect the tribe... drive away disease... bless my son... pray for a bountiful harvest...
He immediately realized:
This Spiritual Power originated from the devout prayers and appeals of the tribespeople. While its power is indeed pure and vast, it contains countless selfish desires and impure thoughts of the tribespeople. If one were to absorb it directly, it might pollute the soul or even cause a backlash!
If one can purify the impure thoughts within it, it might be usable; otherwise, it's no different from poison.
However, perhaps my cultivation level is too low to know that it has other wonderful uses!
The practices and experiences of the Gaotao Tribe led the Human Clan to a path quite different from the Zodiac Guardian Gods Plan. This matter was quickly reported and attracted the attention of Shennong and others. After Shennong and others personally verified it, they confirmed its feasibility. Subsequently, they conducted more detailed and meticulous research and summarization. After forming a systematic plan, it began to gradually spread among tribes with Shaman.