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

What Pan Xuan said was a major matter that he had been thinking about for a long time.

When Nuwa created humans, she used the Qiankun Cauldron, the Nine Heavens Breath Soil, and the gourd vine as mediums to create 129,600 innate Dao bodies.

That gourd vine was originally a first-class innate spiritual root in the primordial world. Over countless years, seven gourds have grown on the vine, each with its own spirituality and supernatural powers.

Pan Xuan nurtured the seven gourds with his own Great Dao and also drew upon the divine Dao's fortune to nourish them.

After countless years, the seven gourds finally gained their spiritual power and broke out of their shells.

After cultivation

Boss, with a swing of your arms, you can move mountains and fill seas.

The second son has eyes that can see billions of miles, ears that can hear from all directions, and keen insight.

The third brother was as tough as copper and as strong as iron, indestructible and impervious to swords and spears.

The fourth brother possessed raging flames; when he opened his mouth, he spewed out fire that could scorch the heavens.

The Fifth Elder can control spiritual water with a wave of his hand, gathering rivers, lakes, and seas.

The sixth brother's figure was like a ghost, capable of disappearing without a trace.

The seventh brother held a purple-gold gourd in his palm, which could collect all things in heaven and earth and swallow the universe.

The seven children were born from the gourd, inheriting the legacy of the gourd vine, and sharing the same origin and root as the power of creation at the beginning of humankind.

The moment they opened their eyes, they felt an innate affinity for humans because of the 129,600 newly born human beings.

They were all children born from the same mother, a gourd vine.

They are brothers of the human race.

Pan Xuan was overjoyed to see that his seven sons had been formed. He summoned them and solemnly said:

"You seven were born from the gourd vine, and share the same origin and roots as the human race."

Although the human race is strong now, it is surrounded by external enemies and has internal troubles that have not yet been resolved.

Are you willing to join the human race, to become protectors of the Dharma, and to ensure the eternal peace of humanity?

The seven sons exchanged a glance and knelt down in unison:

"We were born from gourd vines, destined to protect humanity. We are ready to obey the commands of the supreme god!"

Pan Xuan was overjoyed and immediately appointed his seven sons as protectors of the human race, each to govern a region and protect the human race:

The eldest son, Zhen Dong, wields immense power, capable of uprooting mountains and rivers, and is a pillar supporting the human race.

The second brother, residing in the southeast, has eyes that can see for thousands of miles and ears that can hear from all directions, serving as the eyes that can see into the human race.

The Third Town is located in the southwest, its inhabitants possessing copper skin and iron bones, serving as an unbreakable shield for the human race.

The fourth brother, Zhenxi, wields the Heaven-Burning Fire, a flame to suppress demons for the human race.

The Fifth Town is located in the northwest, guarding the Lingshui River, a source of nourishment for the human race.

Old Six, stationed in the north, remains hidden in the shadows, serving as a secret guardian of the human race.

In the town of Laoqi, he wields a purple-gold gourd, capable of swallowing the universe, and serves as a guardian general for the human race.

Each of the seven sons took on a specific role, transforming into seven streams of light that disappeared into the four directions of the human race.

From then on, whenever the human race was in danger, the seven sons would always appear to protect them.

They do not reside in temples or vie for fame or position; they simply guard every corner of humanity, like seven invisible barriers that firmly protect humanity within.

Humanity gradually became aware of the existence of these seven guardians, respectfully calling them the "Seven Sons of the Gourd," and worshipping them for generations with incense burning continuously.

Pan Xuan watched the seven sons' departing figures and smiled slightly:

"The gourd vine gave birth to you, and you came to protect the human race. This cause and effect is now complete."

With the guardian deity established, Pan Xuan then turned his attention to the three ancient races.

Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin are the three oldest mythical beast races in the primordial world.

The war between the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin clans nearly shattered half of the prehistoric world. In the end, all three clans suffered heavy losses and had to withdraw from the struggle for supremacy.

Later, Pan Xuan established the Divine Path, and won over the Dragon Clan as the Water God, the Qilin Clan as the Mountain God Inspector, and the Phoenix Clan as the Sky God. Only then did the three clans find a new foothold in the Divine Path.

Now, what Pan Xuan needs to do is to help these three races take a further step and formally join the human race as auspicious beasts.

On this day, Pan Xuan held a grand banquet in the Great Luo Heaven, inviting the leaders of the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin clans.

Pan Xuan got straight to the point: "I invited the three of you here today to discuss an important matter."

In the early days of humankind, although their fortunes were abundant, their foundations were still shallow.

"Would the three of you be willing to lead your respective races, in the form of auspicious beasts, to join the human race, to connect with the human race's destiny, and to support and assist each other?"

The three clan leaders exchanged a glance, all showing signs of interest.

Zu Long pondered and said, "The human race and my dragon race have a long history."

In those days, we were appointed as water gods to protect the waters. The human race's water conservancy, boats, fishing and hunting all owe their existence to our dragon race.

Now that he has officially entered the human race as a mythical beast, it can be considered a double blessing.

Yuan Feng said, "My Phoenix Clan was appointed as the God of the Sky, looking down upon the human world. Seeing the human race multiplying and thriving, we are naturally quite happy."

If a mythical beast were to enter the human race, sharing in the destiny and protecting the world, it wouldn't be so bad.

The first Qilin said, "Our Qilin clan has always been associated with auspicious omens and peace."

If humanity is protected by us, we can ensure favorable weather, peace, and prosperity for the nation.

Such a wonderful opportunity is something my Qilin clan is willing to undertake.

Upon hearing this, Pan Xuan clapped his hands and laughed loudly:

"Very well! In that case, the three races will formally submit to the human race in the form of auspicious beasts!"

Thus, a grand alliance ceremony was held at the foot of Shouyang Mountain.

On this day, thousands of people gathered at the foot of Shouyang Mountain.

The dragons arrived riding the clouds and mist, hovering above the nine heavens, and showering down sweet rain.

The phoenixes arrived with a flap of their wings, their radiance filling the sky, their cries like celestial music.

The Qilin clan arrived riding on auspicious clouds, and wherever they passed, vegetation revived and flowers bloomed.

The leaders of the three clans swore an oath:

"From this day forward, my three clans of dragon, phoenix, and qilin, as auspicious beasts, will forever protect the human race!"

May the weather be favorable, the nation prosperous, and the people at peace; may we share in the good fortune, coexisting and prospering together!

Once the oath was made, three streams of fortune rose from the heads of the three races, connecting with the vast river of fortune of the human race.

In an instant, the fortunes of the human race surged.

Within that long river of destiny, it seemed as if three agile dragon shadows, three dazzling phoenix shadows, and three auspicious unicorn shadows had appeared, intertwining and entwining with the destiny of the human race, making them inseparable.

From then on, the rivers and lakes of the human race were protected by the dragon race.

The skies above the human realm are guarded by the Phoenix Clan. The mountains and rivers of the human realm are protected by the Qilin Clan.

The three races and the human race are intertwined in destiny, sharing both glory and disgrace.

Humans worship the three races as auspicious beasts, and the three races will protect humanity for eternity.

Pan Xuan stood atop the mountain, watching this scene, and felt greatly reassured:

"The dragon guards the water, the phoenix guards the sky, and the qilin guards the earth. Heaven, earth, water, and marshes are all protected. The fortune of the human race has finally gained some foundation."

After the auspicious beasts submitted, Pan Xuan turned his attention to the vast and boundless demon race.

Although the human race is blessed with good fortune, it ultimately needs a more stable "framework" to suppress it.

Martial arts train the body, literature cultivates the mind, and auspicious beasts provide protection—these are all part of the "flesh and blood" and "wings."

But the true "skeleton" still needs a pattern that is in harmony with heaven and earth and corresponds to the universe.

Pan Xuan recalled that when the Wu Clan deduced the Zhou Tian Star Array, the 365 main stars secretly corresponded to the number of the Zhou Tian.

As for the human race, he already had a plan in mind, namely the Twelve Yuan Chen.

On this day, Pan Xuan personally went to the Heavenly Court to request an audience with Emperor Jun.

Emperor Jun is now a sage, residing in the Sun Palace and overlooking all the heavens.

Upon hearing Pan Xuan explain his purpose, he couldn't help but ask in surprise, "The Twelve Yuan Chen? Using twelve kinds of living beings to suppress the fate of the human race?"

"That's right," Pan Xuan said. "Twelve is the number of the Earthly Branches, which secretly corresponds to the principle of the operation of heaven and earth."

By using twelve kinds of living beings as the primordial spirits, each governing a time and a region, they can be in harmony with the heavens and earth, firmly suppressing the human race's fortune and making it as solid as a rock.

Of these twelve creatures, I have thought long and hard and decided that the most outstanding ones are the demon race.

The demon race is inherently spiritual, and they were born together with the human race between heaven and earth.

If the most outstanding talents of the demon race were appointed as the Twelve Earthly Branches, sharing the destiny with the human race, then the destinies of the demon and human races would be linked, and the two races would be of one spirit and connected branches. Wouldn't that be a wonderful thing?

Upon hearing this, Di Jun pondered for a moment, then burst into loud laughter:

"Excellent! Fellow Daoist Pan Xuan, your idea firmly binds the demon race and the human race together! In that case, I will personally select these twelve Yuan Chen for you!"

Thus began a selection process that spanned the entire demon race.

Emperor Jun, with the dignity of a sage, personally toured the various tribes of the demon race, searching for the most outstanding talents of each tribe.

He wanted to choose the most outstanding among eleven animals, plus the dragons.

Taken together, these correspond to the twelve Earthly Branches.

After much deliberation, the twelve chosen were all exceptionally talented individuals from their respective clans:

The rat clan's prodigy, though small in stature, is exceptionally clever, adept at anticipating opportunities, and skilled in strategizing and making decisive decisions.

The pride of the cattle clan is honest, steady, incredibly strong, and persevering.

The Tiger Clan's prodigy, king of beasts, exudes a chilling aura and commands respect from all directions.

The rabbit clan's prodigy is agile and nimble, treading the heavens and earth, appearing and disappearing without a trace.

The pride of the dragon race, inheriting the bloodline of the dragon race, soaring through the clouds and controlling the wind and rain.

The Serpent Clan's prodigy is cunning and unpredictable, moving stealthily and delivering a fatal blow.

The pride of the horse tribe, galloping thousands of miles a day, coming and going like the wind.

The proud sheep are gentle and peaceful, yet they harbor hidden sharpness and remain as immovable as a mountain.

The monkey clan's pride, resourceful, intelligent, and skilled in all arts.

The pride of the rooster clan crows across the land, awakening the rising sun and controlling the hours.

The pride of the dog clan, unwavering in loyalty, guarding their home and property, and discerning between the loyal and the treacherous.

The pride of the pig clan, honest and forthright, yet possessing a wise but foolish demeanor, and blessed with great fortune.

The twelve prodigies gathered in the Heavenly Court, and Emperor Jun personally bestowed seals upon them.

He said in a deep voice, "You twelve people are here today to be appointed as the Twelve Divine Organs, each in charge of a time and each guarding a region."

From this day forward, you will be connected with the destiny of the human race, jointly upholding and sharing its fortune.

If humanity prospers, then you and others will prosper.

"When humanity prospers, so do you. Are you willing?"

The twelve prodigies bowed down in unison: "We are willing to accept the title!"

As soon as he finished speaking, twelve streams of light shot up from the twelve geniuses and transformed into twelve primordial starlight beams, piercing through the heavens.

Those twelve rays of starlight echoed the stars in the heavens.

Together with the 365 main stars and 14,800 secondary stars, they form a grand array of destiny covering the heavens.

The vast river of human destiny, under the suppression of these twelve celestial bodies, remained condensed and unyielding, as solid as a rock.

From then on, the human race had the twelve Earthly Branches.

The twelve earthly branches are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.

The twelve Yuan Chen Divine Lords each have their own duties, sharing and protecting the destiny of the human race.

Pan Xuan stood in the Ziwei Palace, gazing at the twelve beams of starlight, and finally nodded in satisfaction:

"Martial arts train the body, literature cultivates the mind, and the seven gourds protect you."

With auspicious beasts like dragons, phoenixes, and qilin guarding the land, and the twelve celestial bodies suppressing the foundation of human destiny, it can finally be considered truly complete.