Title: XinYueHu

（Heart Moon Fox）

Individual Work

Time: 2025.9 - 2025.12

Type: Digital Sculpting & Model Making

Software: Zbush / Blender

Summary

This creature design is inspired by the Heart Moon Fox. It reflects its position within the Azure Dragon of the East by incorporating flame motifs and specific physical traits of the dragon.

Inspiration and Research

The Creation Process

In ancient Chinese astronomy, the sky is divided into the Twenty-Eight Mansions, a system similar to the zodiac but based on the lunar cycle. These mansions are grouped into four cardinal directions, each governed by a legendary divine beast: the Azure Dragon of the East, the White Tiger of the West, the Vermilion Bird of the South, and the Black Tortoise of the North.

My creature design, the "Heart Moon Fox" (Xinyuehu), is derived from the Eastern sector of this system. It is the fifth mansion of the Azure Dragon and holds a unique position as it represents the physical heart of the dragon. Astronomically, its primary star is Antares—a red supergiant known in ancient texts as "The Great Fire."

To visualize this celestial connection, my design reimagines the fox not just as an animal, but as a spiritual entity fused with the dragon's power. Since it resides within the dragon's heart, I incorporated dragon scales and anatomical features into the fox's body. I also added flame motifs to symbolize the "Great Fire" of the Antares star, reflecting the burning energy at the core of the Azure Dragon.