It was impossible to defend every area at once. There would always be weak points and vulnerabilities. Once such a breach was found, the Buddhist Light Barrier could be forcibly torn apart, allowing enemies to storm the protected zone. However, these weaknesses constantly shifted; discovering them required luck, strength, and relentless pressure from the tribal warriors who were continuously slaughtering the beasts. Even then, breaches in the Buddhist Light Barrier were rare.
Nonetheless, with the barrier holding, the threat from the beast tide was significantly reduced. The nomadic warriors fought fiercely, leveraging favorable terrain and timing. Massive numbers of beasts were slain, and their charge was gradually repelled. At this pace, the tide could eventually be withstood.
The entire Skyhawk Plains was under siege from the beast tide.
Even the Skyhawk Capital was not spared.
However, the capital had city walls and the protection of the Buddhist Light. Though the tide was ferocious, it posed no lethal threat to the city.
Tuoba Tao, King of the Skyhawk Court, stood grimly atop the city wall. He stared at the beasts and fierce birds endlessly crashing into the barrier and walls. His expression was dark. Around him stood the royal court's top ministers, generals, and strategists.
"What in the world is going on? The last beast tide ended not long ago. How could another one erupt so suddenly and without warning? I sense a trace of ominousness in this,"Tuoba Tao said, taking a deep breath.
This was unprecedented. Many beasts had perished during the previous cataclysm. The survivors had dwindled by more than half. Even with their rapid reproduction, they shouldn't have recovered so quickly. Traditionally, there were always several months between beast tides for recuperation. This time, the gap was far too short.
"It is indeed strange. Still, the beast tide has begun, and there's no stopping it now. All we can do is resist. That's our only option,"a middle-aged scholar said, shaking his head.
In the face of a beast tide, no strategy could apply. Only survival mattered. Failure to withstand it meant doom. Any conspiracy would have to wait until after the tide.
"Master Cui is right," Tuoba Tao nodded."Though this wave is abrupt, it probably lacks the strength to shatter our Buddhist Light Barrier. The real danger is someone using this chaos to launch an attack when we're vulnerable."
Restoring the Buddhist Light wasn't easy. It required constant prayers and offerings from the tribes to accumulate Faith Power, which then enabled the Living Buddha statues to project the protective light.
"The enemy hides in the dark. We can't even identify who they are. For now, all we can do is conserve strength during the tide,"Master Cui sighed.
With intelligence so imbalanced, they were left blind. All they could do was wait.
Meanwhile, in Golden Scale City, the Divine Mirror of Spirit Connection displayed scenes of tribes battling beasts. Casualties rose among the nomadic warriors, and the Buddhist Light Barriers visibly dimmed.
In some tribes, the barriers had completely collapsed. The beasts had breached their defenses and were engaging in brutal close combat. The fighting was gruesome.
Strangely, even after breaching the tribes, the beasts continued targeting only the nomadic warriors, completely ignoring the human slaves—in truth, undercover bounty hunters—disguised among them.
Blood-red eyes locked only on the warriors. The slaughter was relentless.
Even though the majority of the tide had been suppressed and could no longer threaten the Skyhawk Royal Court as a whole, Jia Xu, Zhuge Liang, and others watched with satisfaction.
"With this beast tide, we've forced the Skyhawk Court to exhaust one of their trump cards. The first phase of the Falcon Hunt Plan is complete—perfectly,"Zhuge Liang said with a smile.
They never intended for the beast tide to destroy the Skyhawk Court—such a feat was impossible against a Dynasty-level force. The goal was to force out and deplete the enemy's hidden reserves.
Now, the Buddhist Light Barrier had been consumed. It wouldn't be available again any time soon. The Skyhawk Court had essentially lost its wall of defense.
"With their defenses at rock bottom, we're at the turning point. Sirs, your plan is brilliant—thunder roars from silence,"exclaimed Gongsun Daniu in awe.
All of this stemmed from a simple drink—the Hundred-Beast Blood Spirit Wine—which plunged the Skyhawk Court into calamity. The might of strategists was terrifying. One misstep, and an empire could bleed without even understanding why.
"That was only the first step. Next comes the true storm:Step Two – Flames Across the Sky!"Jia Xu said calmly.
The beast tide only dissolved the defense. The next move would deliver the killing blow.
At that moment, high above Skyhawk Island, atop a massive white cloud, several figures stood silently. They were so still, so devoid of aura, they seemed mere illusions. Yet they were unquestionably real.
Had Yi Tianxing seen them, he would have immediately recognized them: the Sea Dragon King, Princess Ao Qi, Ao Ying, Prime Minister Turtle, and the Dragon Palace's First Prince Ao Lie and Second Prince Ao Yang.
They stood hidden in the void, shielded by divine powers. No one could see them, not even the Divine Mirror of Spirit Connection.
"Father, this beast tide clearly links to the Great Yi Dynasty, but how did they cause it? Before, the beasts only attacked the tribal warriors. What kind of scheme is at work here?"asked Ao Ying, eyes wide with curiosity.
They had arrived far earlier than it seemed.
The Sea Map released by the Sea Dragon Palace was meant to stir chaos in the Boundless Sea Region, to plunge it into endless war. Only chaos served the dragons' long-term goals.
The Great Yi Dynasty had rapidly risen as a dominant force—unrivaled in the region. Their power was alarming. The Sea Dragon Palace had kept a close eye on them, especially after the Sea Map was distributed.
From their unification of Yi Province, the establishment of a human-dominant imperial core, to launching overseas expeditions, the Great Yi had expanded relentlessly.
They deployed blue celestial ships, built immortal cities on deserted islands, and annexed new lands daily. No obstacle withstood their armies. No resistance held.
Upon arriving at Skyhawk Island, Great Yi silently infiltrated the royal court. Disguised as Wanyu Chamber of Commerce, they purchased slaves and freed millions of human captives. Then, bounty hunters entered the plains, pretending to be captured and embedding themselves into the tribes.
All of it unfolded under the dragons' watchful gaze. Only the origin of the beast tide remained mysterious.
What mortal could guess that the chaos stemmed from a single kind of spirit wine?
Yet while it baffled Ao Qi and the others, the Sea Dragon King had already discerned the truth.
"It was the wine—the Hundred-Beast Blood Spirit Wine. Once ingested, it leaves behind beastly aura that enrages other monsters, as if it carries a bloodline-level hatred. That's what triggered the tide.It's like a curse. Fortunately, the effect fades in a few days,"the Sea Dragon King explained calmly.
The wine wasn't toxic. Aside from drawing beast hostility, it had no harmful effects—thus no one in the Skyhawk Court had detected the trap.
"So that's what it was… a wine causing chaos across the Skyhawk Dynasty,"Ao Qi murmured, her eyes filled with awe—and fear.
A mere drink had upended an entire empire. Such strategists were horrifying.
"I fear the second phase of the Great Yi plan is about to begin. With so many bounty hunters embedded across the court, and no more Buddhist Light to protect them, the Skyhawk Court is on the brink of total collapse,"Ao Lie said grimly.
"The Great Yi Dynasty is growing too fast—too strong. Its power is swelling by the day. If this continues unchecked, they'll become a threat we can no longer contain.Their rise may hinder our Dragon Clan's great plan,"Ao Yang warned darkly.
His eyes were filled with deep fear and caution toward the Great Yi.