The Investiture: Unlimited Blade Works Nezha
Chapter 257 - 256: The Twelve Zodiac Signs

Chapter 257: Chapter 256: The Twelve Zodiac Signs

Although the Primordial world’s spiritual energy is becoming increasingly sparse, it continues to develop in an orderly manner. The most direct manifestation of this is the further refinement and formalization of various rules.

The establishment of the Twelve Chinese Zodiac signifies a completion of the temporal laws.

The first thing Nezha needed to tackle was the Twelve Chinese Zodiac World inhabited by the Twelve Divine Beasts.

In Nezha’s understanding, opening a world requires brute strength, leaving the rest to miracles. After all, this was how Zhao Gongming had taught him in the past.

Though creating twelve small worlds is less challenging for Nezha compared to Zhao Gongming, his cultivation is vastly inferior to Zhao Gongming’s.

After consulting his mentor, Nezha decided to go for it. The vessels for opening these worlds would be none other than the remaining twelve Ocean Stabilizing Divine Pearls.

These items were indeed fine magical treasures, though merely "fine."

Nezha possessed too many treasures; a mere twelve Ocean Stabilizing Divine Pearls seemed somewhat redundant.

Moreover, Taihuangtian had already reached a certain level of perfection, greatly diminishing the significance of the pearls.

There was no rush for this matter; the first step was to finalize the Twelve Chinese Zodiac.

Though there were templates from his previous life, this was the Primordial world, where fate ruled supreme.

Nezha first took out a jade talisman and contacted his good brother, Bai Ze the Demon Saint. The two had collaborated many times and were quite familiar with each other.

"Brother Bai, Brother Bai, do you want a position? If you do, just say the word!"

Bai Ze: "Ah!"

Of course, this wouldn’t have been Nezha and Bai Ze’s exact dialogue, but that was the general idea.

The Demon Clan might be poor, but Bai Ze the Demon Saint was certainly not.

Nezha proposed a price, and Bai Ze didn’t argue. At his level of cultivation, material possessions were of minimal use to him—what was the point of holding onto them?

Simply giving the items to Nezha wasn’t feasible; it involved many causes and effects issues. However, trading worked just fine.

Nezha used a Heavenly Court position to exchange for a large batch of spiritual materials.

No one in the Primordial world understands the Great Dao of trade better than Nezha!

Rather than directly deciding on the candidates for the Twelve Zodiac, Nezha adopted a competitive selection process.

After notifying Bai Ze, Nezha began waving the Evil Summoning Banner. The first eleven to respond would take up their positions.

Why just eleven, you ask?

Well, Nezha hadn’t hidden his plan to establish the Twelve Chinese Zodiac, and one of his secretaries, Yang Chan, learned about it. After Yang Jian ascended to Heaven, the siblings finally had time to spend together.

After the Divine Enthronement, Yang Jian, before taking on demons and monsters for Nezha, had made a trip to the West Sea. He still deeply cared for Ao Cunxin, the Little Dragon Girl.

This trip was also meant to provide Ao Cunxin with some closure. Now, as the True Martial General, Yang Jian’s position was even higher than the West Sea Dragon King. Naturally, the Old Dragon King couldn’t deny this son-in-law.

He wanted to see the marriage finalized quickly for peace of mind.

Yang Jian, on the other hand, wanted to delay the wedding. Firstly, he wished to wait until his mother’s sentence was served. Secondly, he was eager to return to his duties.

Yang Jian’s reasons were sound, and Ao Cunxin, in her lovestruck state, readily agreed. Ultimately, she even brought a dowry of ten thousand elite naval soldiers and followed Yang Jian to Heaven.

Of course, the West Sea Dragon King tacitly approved of this.

Growing up in the Mortal World, Yang Chan placed great importance on mortal concerns, such as the Yang family bloodline. Her second brother, now the sole heir of the Yangs, bore the heavy burden of continuing the lineage.

After interacting with Ao Cunxin, Yang Chan was very impressed. In these times, love and romance weren’t paramount; Ao Cunxin’s genuine care for her second brother was what truly mattered.

Now, Yang Chan requested Nezha to grant Ao Cunxin a divine position.

Recognizing the gravity of the matter, Nezha deliberated. Though his relationship with the Dragon Clan was strained, he didn’t target his allies. Yang Jian and Yang Chan were his close confidants, so he couldn’t afford to slight Ao Cunxin. Yet granting her a position too high would be unjustified due to her limited abilities.

In the end, assigning her a Zodiac position was the perfect compromise—important yet not overly so.

After coordinating with Bai Ze, Bai Ze spread the word among the Demon Clan. The demons were all fired up; the frigid and barren North State was a place none of them wished to remain!

Everyone hoped to secure a steady position under the Heavenly Court.

Nezha then summoned a golden gourd. Opening its mouth, purple demon energy surged forth as he channeled his mana into the Evil Summoning Banner, making it sway.

Demons across the world responded to the summoning and began racing toward the Primordial Starry Sky.

Meanwhile, Yang Chan and Golden Light stood atop a high platform, notebooks in hand, awaiting the first eleven demons to arrive.

After swaying the Evil Summoning Banner for half a day, Nezha waved it back into the golden gourd, which flew into his hand. The demons racing toward the starry sky felt a signal pulsing within them: "Return."

Many demons were just a step too late. Though indignant, none dared to voice their frustrations. Reluctantly, they all returned to the North State.

Yang Chan and Golden Light brought the eleven demons forward one by one. As Nezha predicted, counting the Dragon Girl, the original Twelve Chinese Zodiac candidates were intact.

The Demon Clan was now in disarray. Currently, the strong clans were limited to a few: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.

Most of these clans boasted some extent of Great Demon bloodlines.

The Rat Clan relied on their numbers; with so many rats, there were bound to be a few with extraordinary talent.

The Ox Clan was self-explanatory, being the mounts of powerful figures and thus the most prestigious of the Demon Clan.

The Tiger Clan was innately talented, and with the occasional assistance of the White Tiger Divine Monarch, they were naturally a formidable group.

The Rabbit Clan excelled in speed and had a deep connection to the Taiyin Star, making them another powerful clan.

The Snake Clan, being closely tied to the Dragon Clan since ancient times, was a predictable inclusion.

The Horse Clan shared close blood ties with the Qilin Clan.

The Goat Clan required little explanation, as they were practically Bai Ze’s kin.

The Monkey Clan had always produced heroes like the Six-Eared Macaque and the Red-Furred Horse Monkey. Though their original forms were now unknown, their bloodlines persisted.

The Rooster Clan was robust, with the current Mao Ri Star Official being unrelated to the Investiture of the Gods. His mother was said to be a mysterious Great Expert.

The Dog Clan valued loyalty above all. Though not particularly strong, their wide-reaching connections and loyalty made them highly cherished by the Primordial world’s great figures.

Finally, the Pig Clan consisted not of domestic pigs but a species only slightly inferior to the Tiger Clan. Their innate strength made them a solid presence within the Demon Clan.

With the Twelve Chinese Zodiac fully assembled, the eleven demons, revered within their clans, now knelt humbly. Pressing their foreheads to the ground, they solemnly chanted, "Greetings to the Central Ziwei Emperor. May the Great Emperor live eternal!"

Nezha, donned in his Emperor Robe, nodded slightly. These demons lacked sophistication; their praises extended only as far as "live eternal," a far cry from the flattery his master received!

No need for further words—get to work!

Nezha first summoned the twelve Ocean Stabilizing Divine Pearls and severed their connection to Taihuangtian.

Holding the prayer script written by his secretary Yang Chan, Nezha began chanting. Say what you will, but the ceremonial grandeur was truly on point.

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