Primordial Era: The Witch Clan's Dog-Headed Strategist

Those who pass all three tests will be assigned divine duties according to their performance.

The one with the best performance can become a judge and assist Houtu in managing the court of judgment.

The next type are the ghost messengers, who are responsible for guiding the souls of the dead and patrolling the underworld.

The next most important positions are those of ferrymen on the River Styx and Meng Po (the goddess of forgetfulness).

As soon as Pan Xuan finished speaking, Zhu Rong couldn't wait to ask when it would start, wishing he could immediately go to all parts of the prehistoric world to post notices.

"No rush, let's notify the righteous gods in the Shinto system first."

Pan Xuan smiled and took out the Star God Seal from his sleeve, and a purple-gold light shone in the hall.

In his capacity as the master of the divine path, he sent a message to all the great supernatural beings who had joined the divine path system.

The message was concise yet extremely important. The positions of the underworld gods had been vacant for a long time, and the pinnacle of the divine path had decided to hold a public selection for underworld gods in the primordial world, choosing the best candidates.

We invite all the righteous gods to go to the underworld to serve as examiners for this selection.

The examiners do not participate in scoring; they are only responsible for supervising the fairness of the assessment process and making suggestions when necessary.

After the selection process concludes, all examiners will jointly witness the investiture ceremony for the underworld deities.

We hope that all the righteous gods will grace the underworld with their presence at that time and join us in this grand event.

The light of the Starry Sky Divine Seal pierced through the dome of the Pangu Palace, merged into the divine network, and spread to all parts of the primordial world.

Deep within the eye of the East China Sea, the Ancestral Dragon sits atop its throne, its dragon might and divine authority intertwining to form a profound, deep blue expanse.

The message from the Divine Path Network caused a flash of shock in his dragon eyes, which quickly turned into deep thought.

He had lived for countless years and had never seen any power select gods in such a way.

It is not based on bloodline, lineage, or cultivation level, but rather on open selection from the entire prehistoric world, with the best candidates chosen.

After a long silence, the First Emperor slowly spoke: "Ao Yuan, prepare the carriage, we are going to the Underworld."

On the Wutong Divine Tree of the Immortal Volcano, Yuan Feng was surveying the heavens with the authority of the Sky God when he received the message.

A hint of surprise flashed in her phoenix eyes, which quickly turned into understanding.

Pan Xuan intends to extend the concept of "education for all" from the Sanqing Temple to the divine offices in the underworld, so that all talented people have a path to advancement.

Without the slightest hesitation, she immediately ordered the Azure Phoenix and Fire Phoenix to prepare to travel to the Underworld.

On Qilin Cliff, a hint of relief flashed in the aged eyes of the First Qilin.

He didn't speak, but silently straightened his robes and flew towards the underworld on auspicious clouds.

Under the Bodhi tree on Mount Sumeru, both Jieyin and Zhunti received the message at the same time.

A slight smile appeared on the sallow face of the guide, and he nodded slowly.

Zhunti had already stood up, patted his monk's robe, and said with a touch of emotion, "Senior brother, Fellow Daoist Panxuan is trying to turn the Underworld into the most just place in the primordial world."

Open selection, merit-based admission, regardless of background or origin—this is precisely what our Western Religion has always wanted to do but has failed to achieve. Let's go, to the underworld.

At Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Hill, under the ginseng fruit tree, Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun are sitting facing each other, enjoying tea.

When the message arrived, Hongyun put down his teacup, auspicious clouds swirling around him: "Brother Zhenyuan, we should also join in the fun of Fellow Daoist Panxuan's public selection!"

Zhen Yuanzi put the Earth Book into his sleeve and nodded slowly.

In Phoenix Mountain, Fuxi and Nuwa stood side by side under the Primordial Wutong Tree.

Upon receiving the message, a look of understanding flashed in Fuxi's eyes as he turned to his sister deep within the cave.

Nuwa and he exchanged a glance, smiled at each other, and then transformed into two streaks of light, flying side by side toward the sea of ​​blood.

In the Yuanjue Cave of Lingjiu Mountain, Randeng has long been on duty in the underworld.

Meanwhile, deep within the Blood Sea, Styx received Pan Xuan's message. A rare hint of solemnity appeared on his sinister face, and he immediately began mobilizing the Blood Sea troops to deploy the defenses of the Gates of Hell.

The first to arrive were the dragon clan's water gods and their entourage, led by Zu Long. Yuan Feng followed with Qing Luan and Huo Feng, and then the Qilin clan's Shi Qilin arrived on a cloud.

Jieyin and Zhunti's pale golden light pierced the sky above the sea of ​​blood, Fuxi and Nuwa descended side by side, and Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun arrived together.

Before long, the Styx River emerged from the depths of the Sea of ​​Blood, and the Burning Lamp stood before the Gate of Hell, holding a glass lamp.

The avatars of the Four Saints also cast their concerned gazes from all four directions of the Underworld.

All the righteous gods in the Shinto system were present.

The three clan leaders, Zu Long, Yuan Feng, and Shi Qilin, met at the Gates of Hell. They exchanged glances, each seeing a hint of melancholy in the other's eyes. Once upon a time…

They were mortal enemies during the Dragon-Han Calamity, fighting each other fiercely until the heavens and earth were darkened.

Now, however, they are both righteous gods of the divine path, witnessing this unprecedented public selection together.

Pan Xuan, along with the Twelve Ancestral Witches and the Three Pure Ones, emerged from the depths of the underworld to welcome the arrival of the righteous gods.

"Fellow Daoists, you have come from afar. Pan Xuan thanks you."

Pan Xuan solemnly cupped his hands to everyone, and then explained the specific arrangements for the assessment.

After listening, everyone nodded in agreement.

Zulong was the first to speak, expressing his willingness to be the examiner. Yuanfeng, Shiqilin, Jieyin Zhunti, Fuxi Nuwa, Zhenyuanzi Hongyun, Randeng Minghe, and all the righteous gods present also expressed their willingness.

Pan Xuan solemnly bowed to everyone, then turned around and began making arrangements together with the Twelve Ancestral Witches, the Three Pure Ones, and various righteous gods.

Houtu and Nuwa went to the Hall of Judgment, and based on the Book of Life and Death and the Judge's Pen, and supplemented by the Way of Creation, they set up the first trial, the Netherworld Law Questioning Array.

The Three Pure Ones then joined forces to set up the Heart-Questioning Illusion Array in the second trial, with the Tongtian Sect Leader adding an extra test of sword intent within the array.

Those who choose to back down when faced with injustice will be forced to reveal their true colors under the pressure of sword intent.

Pan Xuan personally set up the Fengdu Illusion in the third level, using the authority of the Fengdu Emperor combined with the deductive power of the divine network to simulate various complex trial scenarios.

The First Emperor opened up a temporary waiting area outside the Gates of Hell.

Yuan Feng used the flames of Nirvana to inscribe the announcement of the assessment rules in the air.

The First Qilin, along with the Qilin Clan Mountain God Inspector, reinforced the spatial barriers at the four corners of the Underworld.

Jieyin and Zhunti set up a magic array of vows to stabilize the mind on both sides of the River Styx.

This prevents applicants awaiting assessment from having their minds corrupted by the ghostly aura of the underworld.

The lamp was lit and the glass lamp was hung high above the Gates of Hell.

With the authority of the Heavenly Venerable of Tranquility, the entire assessment area is blessed with the power of tranquility, ensuring that all applicants remain calm and at peace during the assessment period.

Hongyun and Zhen Yuanzi then integrated the energy of blessings and the power of the earth's veins into the banks of the River Styx.

To provide the most basic protection for the rogue cultivators who came to apply, Styx mobilized the elite of the Blood Sea to guard the entrance and exit of the Gate of Hell, ensuring that the assessment would not be interfered with by any external forces.

Everyone was busy at their own places; the underworld had never been so lively since its creation.

A few days later, Pan Xuan announced the news of the open selection of underworld deities through the divine network.

The divine system will hold open selections for underworld deities in the underworld.

All living beings in the primordial world, regardless of their origins, backgrounds, or cultivation levels.

Anyone who is willing to serve the underworld can go to the Blood Sea Ghost Gate to register and participate.

The selection process involves three stages of assessment, selecting the best candidates in a fair and transparent manner.

The announcement shook the entire world.

Countless independent cultivators spread the word, and those with limited talent who struggled in the immortal cultivation system but could never rise to the top set off towards the Blood Sea.

From the shores of the East China Sea to the Kunlun Mountains in the far west, from the immortal volcanoes of the south to the frigid ice plains of the north, countless streaks of light streaked across the sky like stars flowing against the current, and crowds thronged before the Blood Sea and the Gates of Hell.