Xuanyuan held deep respect and admiration for Shennong.
He knew that Shennong had risked his life to find medicinal herbs and save the people, personally tasting all kinds of herbs without regard for his own safety.
Shennong's selfless devotion and fearless spirit moved Xuanyuan deeply and filled him with reverence.
"Welcome to the Youxiong Tribe, Senior Shennong. Your visit is an honor for our tribe," Xuanyuan said.
"While I was in the capital, I heard that you had used your wisdom and strategy to govern the tribe in an orderly manner. I came especially to see for myself," Shennong said.
"I was only doing my duty," Xuanyuan replied.
"Very good. One should fulfill the responsibilities of one's position. Well done," Shennong praised.
"Xuanyuan, what do you believe a Co-Lord's guiding principles should be?" Shennong asked.
"Guiding principles?" Xuanyuan's lips curved slightly, and a thoughtful look flashed in his eyes. He spoke slowly. "I believe a Co-Lord should put all the people first, care for the countless common folk, and uphold fairness, justice, and benevolence. He should lead the various tribes to develop together and build a glorious future."
He paused, then continued, "A Co-Lord should be impartial and unbiased, favor no one side, and treat every tribe equally, so that all can feel the power of fairness and justice.
"At the same time, he should attend to people's livelihoods, strive to improve the living conditions of every tribe, and help them feel happier and more fulfilled."
"Moreover, a Co-Lord should be compassionate, care about the hardships faced by the people of every tribe, and actively help them overcome difficulties, fostering harmony among the tribes.
"Only then can we truly achieve unity under heaven and usher in a prosperous new era." Xuanyuan gazed firmly into the distance, as though he could already see that bright future.
Shennong looked at Xuanyuan with approval, admiration and praise shining in his eyes. He nodded slightly, his lips lifting into a satisfied smile.
"Good. Very good. I hope you'll always uphold your principles," Shennong said before leaving the Youxiong Tribe.
Meanwhile, Chi You of the Jiuli Tribe believed Shennong's visit meant he intended to appoint him as the next Co-Lord.
So Chi You hastened his conquests. First, he developed farming in the Jiuli Tribe, having some of the people grow crops and store grain.
To increase crop yields and improve their quality, Chi You taught the people to choose crops suited to the local climate and soil, and to use proper farming practices, irrigation techniques, and fertilizers.
He also encouraged the people to share their experiences and explore better ways to farm together.
Thanks to these efforts, agriculture in the Jiuli Tribe developed rapidly, and grain production increased substantially, giving the tribe a solid material foundation for prosperity.
At the same time, Chi You understood how important military strength was for defending the tribe and expanding its territory.
So he began building an army and forging weapons. He selected strong and brave people to serve as warriors and put them through rigorous training.
As for weaponry, Chi You invented bronze weapons, including bronze axes, bronze spears, and armor. These were sharper and sturdier than stone and wooden weapons, greatly increasing the army's combat strength.
He also created the Five Weapons: the dagger-axe, spear, halberd, Chieftain's Spear, and Yi Spear.
As time passed, Chi You's army gradually grew into a formidable fighting force.
It could not only defend the Jiuli Tribe from outside threats, but also wage wars of conquest and expand the tribe's sphere of influence.
Under Chi You's leadership, the Jiuli Tribe rose to prominence and became a powerful, prosperous tribal alliance.
He steadily sought to expand the tribe. Those who agreed joined the Jiuli Tribe; those who refused were simply crushed by his army. As a result, many members of the Human Race in other tribes grew resentful.
Over time, Chi You's Jiuli Tribe annexed many Human Race tribes.
In the Youxiong Tribe, Xuanyuan sat in a tiger-skin chair, listening gravely to his subordinate's report. His sharp, resolute gaze carried an air of authority.
"Chief, Chi You has sent his troops to annex many tribes. His power is growing stronger by the day," a young warrior said anxiously.
Xuanyuan furrowed his brows slightly. After a moment's thought, he said, "Chi You is so ambitious that he wants to dominate the world. That's an enormous threat to our Youxiong Tribe."
He rose to his feet, his tall frame radiating an imposing presence. "But I believe that as long as we stand together, we can repel Chi You's invasion."
Xuanyuan swept his gaze across everyone, his voice low and forceful. "Gather all our warriors at once and prepare for battle! We must defend our homeland, and protect our land and our people!"
Everyone answered as one, their morale high. They knew that faced with Chi You's threat, only by standing united and resisting bravely could they protect their loved ones and the peace of their tribe.
Xuanyuan knew that this war would be a grueling trial, but he firmly believed that justice would ultimately triumph over evil.
He resolved to lead the warriors of the Youxiong Tribe into a fierce showdown with Chi You, defending peace and dignity.
Chi You's and Xuanyuan's armies soon met at Zhuolu, and the two sides immediately went to war.
Although Chi You's army was smaller than Xuanyuan's, its weapons were exceptionally well-made and remarkably durable.
Xuanyuan's army gradually began to lose ground. Seeing that the situation was turning against him, Xuanyuan ordered a retreat.
With no other choice, Xuanyuan sent for his teacher, Guangchengzi, who arrived at Xuanyuan Camp.
Xuanyuan rose to welcome him. "Teacher, you're here."
"Xuanyuan, what happened? Your forces outnumbered Chi You's. How could you have lost?" Guangchengzi reproached him.
"Teacher, Chi You's weapons are too powerful. They're sturdier than ours, and we can't defend against them. Their armor is a problem too. Our weapons can't pierce it."
"If that's the case, then fight him yourself. If you can't defeat him, I'll step in," Guangchengzi said grimly.
"Very well." Xuanyuan immediately gave the order to launch another attack on Chi You.
At the front lines, Chi You rode his Iron-Eating Beast and called out to Xuanyuan, "Xuanyuan, you lost the very first time we clashed. Still not ready to admit defeat?"
"This time, I'll fight you myself," Xuanyuan replied.
"Good." Chi You dismounted from the Iron-Eating Beast and charged at Xuanyuan with the Tiger Soul. The two soon clashed.
Though Chi You had been reincarnated as a member of the Human Race, Houtu's arrangements had restored his memories and his strength as a Great Witch. He easily overpowered Xuanyuan.
Seeing Xuanyuan outmatched, Guangchengzi acted himself, bringing out the Sky-Flipping Seal and hurling it at Chi You. After Buzhou Mountain had been broken, Houtu had taken it away, so Primordial Lord had forged the Sky-Flipping Seal from other materials.
The seal struck Chi You, but it did nothing to him. Chi You brushed off some nonexistent dust and said, "Guangchengzi, are you trying to tickle me? Hahaha!"
Guangchengzi was horrified. "Chi You, have you regained your Great Witch strength?" The Witch Race had always possessed powerful bodies. Though Guangchengzi and Chi You were both Peak Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals, Guangchengzi was no match for him.
Guangchengzi turned and ran, calling out to Xuanyuan, "Retreat at once!"
Xuanyuan withdrew his troops, feeling helpless. Teacher can't beat him, yet he still insists on fighting—and loses again.
At Xuanyuan Camp, Xuanyuan looked at Guangchengzi with a troubled expression. "Teacher, what should we do now?"
"Don't worry. I'll go to Kunlun Mountain and ask my junior brothers for help," Guangchengzi said.
After speaking, Guangchengzi returned to Kunlun Mountain and explained the situation to the other eleven Golden Immortals.
The Eleven Golden Immortals were delighted, since helping Guangchengzi would let them share in his merit.
They had already been upset that Primordial Lord had favored Guangchengzi and given him the chance to earn merit, even though the opportunity should have gone to them—not even Nanjixian Weng, the eldest among them, had received it.
The Twelve Golden Immortals assembled at Xuanyuan Camp. Guangchengzi thought they now had victory in the bag, so he spoke up again. "Xuanyuan, go challenge him."
When Xuanyuan saw that all Twelve Golden Immortals had arrived, he went to challenge Chi You again.
This time, Xuanyuan didn't have to fight. The Twelve Golden Immortals took action themselves. Besides Guangchengzi, True Man Yu Ding and Cihang Daoist were Peak Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals.
Facing three Peak Zenith Heaven Golden Immortals, along with several Grand Unity Golden Immortals and Golden Immortals, Chi You began to struggle.
But he remained unruffled and shouted, "Brothers, help me!"
Suddenly, eighty-one enormous monsters charged out from Chi You's ranks. Some had dragon heads and human bodies, others had tiger bodies and human faces, and still others had bird bodies and snake tails. They were all different, and all terrifying.
They wielded all kinds of weapons, including knives, spears, swords, and halberds. Their powerful auras sent chills down everyone's spines.
As soon as they appeared, they suppressed the other nine Golden Immortals. Guangchengzi wanted to run again, but there was no chance.
The other Golden Immortals couldn't hold out either. They sent Guangchengzi messages: "Senior Brother, what should we do?"
Guangchengzi was frantic too. He steeled himself and sent a message back. "Junior Brothers, let's attack the Human Race below. Their forces are already small. They'll have to split up to rescue their people, and then we can use the chance to escape."
They attacked together, casting spells at the ordinary members of the Human Race below. They summoned strong winds, boulders, flames, icicles, and other attacks against them.
Countless soldiers in Chi You's army were killed or wounded in an instant. Chi You and his eighty-one brothers were enraged. They hurried down to the ground to shield his soldiers from the attacks.
Guangchengzi and the others took the opportunity to retreat at once. Xuanyuan was at a loss. "We lost again."
At Xuanyuan Camp, everyone sat listlessly, not knowing what to do.
Xuanyuan furrowed his brows. "Perhaps I should ask the Ancestral Land for help. If this goes on, the Human Race will only keep killing one another. Our forces will dwindle quickly, and the ones who ultimately suffer will be our own people!"
His voice was full of worry and anxiety. It was as though he could already see the tragedy that might unfold.
He knew what war would bring, and understood that if no action was taken, the Human Race would fall into an even deeper crisis.
With no other choice, Xuanyuan went to the Human Ancestral Land. After announcing his arrival, he was granted an audience with Martial Ancestor Su Mu.
"Martial Ancestor, the war has been going on for a long time, and the Human Race is being drained by internal conflict. If it doesn't end soon, it will do us nothing but harm."
"Very well. Go back for now. Once I've found someone suitable, I'll send him to you," Su Mu said.
Xuanyuan returned to the Zhuolu battlefield with a heavy heart. Meanwhile, word of the "God of War of Zhuolu" spread throughout the Primordial World: "God of War of Zhuolu"—defeated again and again, losing one battle after another.
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