"I will! I promise to train hard and become a true Zodiac Guardian, to protect my parents, to protect Great Yi, and to protect the people of the world."The young boy's face lit up with determination. For some unknown reason, when he saw that Dragon God Battle Armor, an uncontrollable sense of longing stirred within him—something ancient, resonant, and deeply familiar.It was a yearning born from bloodline resonance.
"Mother believes in you. You'll definitely succeed."
The beautiful woman smiled and added, "This year, you'll begin school. Study both literature and martial arts diligently. If you do well, you could enter the academy—and if you're lucky, even the Immortal Academy. Whether it's in the school or the academy, there are many excellent instructors. Many of them are retired veterans who have experienced real battles and possess a wealth of experience. Even if they're not top-tier experts, they have more than enough to teach you all the essentials.
"There, you'll receive systematic training, from martial arts cultivation to foundational knowledge—far better than wandering as a bounty hunter."
In the Great Yi Dynasty, due to years of warfare, many soldiers had sustained injuries or were forced to retire due to health issues. But the dynasty had not forgotten them.
These veterans, forged in the crucible of blood and fire, were treasures in their own right. Some were appointed to the Six Doors Division as constables—an honorable transition. Others were assigned to schools and academies to teach children the way of cultivation and combat from the ground up.
This approach allowed Great Yi to rapidly establish a complete network of schools and academies in every Immortal City—the schools for basic enlightenment, and the academies for advanced cultivation. With such structured learning and direct guidance, many children could avoid wasting time on detours in their cultivation journey.
Especially now, with a massive wave of newborns growing up and reaching schooling age, the education system had become critical.
Typically, the schools admitted children at age three to begin enlightenment, followed by body tempering at four, continuing for five to six years. At age nine, they would begin cultivating internal energy and open the Divine Sea, thereby advancing to the academy level.
The academy period lasted four years.
Whether a student could stand out during this time depended entirely on their effort and talent.
Thus, upon graduation at age thirteen or fourteen, students were already physically and mentally mature—almost indistinguishable from adults.
In ancient times, thirteen was an age suitable for marriage and starting a family.
In this Eternal World, even more so. With endless disasters and trials, people matured quickly. And with abundant worldly energy, even pigs could attain intelligence. Under such influences, the physical growth of humans had improved drastically.
In Great Yi, food was never scarce. People ate well—often beast meat, spiritual grains, and precious ingredients—combined with rich Heaven and Earth Vitality. As a result, children around twelve or thirteen often reached heights of 1.8 to 1.9 meters.
Thus, the cultivation schedule arranged by the dynasty matched the natural development of the human body perfectly.
A strong youth leads to a strong nation!
Yi Tianxing understood this deeply.
But that was all for later.
After announcing the Zodiac War Armor and the selection of their future Guardians, Yi Tianxing did not linger. He turned and returned to the palace.
Everyone else dispersed as well, though many now carried a newly born longing.There were no restrictions on who could become a Zodiac Guardian. In theory, anyone had the chance.And with only twelve positions available, the status and power they represented would be extraordinary.
"Dear, what kind of powers do these twelve Zodiac Armors possess? And how long will it take for them to fully form?"Lian Xing asked curiously.
"I don't know the exact abilities," Yi Tianxing replied with a smile. "Until they're fully born, no one can say for sure. But I can guarantee their quality is extraordinary. With refinement through the Zodiac Formation, I suspect they might even be able to command time itself. These are battle armors at the Innate Spiritual Treasure level, capable of shaking the heavens and the earth."
"As for how long they'll take to form, I can't say that either. But within the Innate Spiritual Vein, each day equals twelve years. At this rate, I believe it won't be long before they emerge."
Though this manipulation of time only applied within the Zodiac Statues, the implications were terrifying.
One day equaled twelve years. One year meant 4,380 years of gestation time. And if it continued for multiple years—ten, twenty, fifty—that would amount to tens of thousands of years of accumulated growth.
With such vast time, combined with the power of the Zodiac Formation and the Innate Spiritual Vein, Yi Tianxing was certain the battle armors would soon reach maturity and be born.
However, the armor was fused with the Zodiac Formation and the Innate Vein. Even the person chosen as its wielder would only temporarily control it. Ultimately, the armor would return to the formation—it belonged to the nation, not the individual.
Legends from the West spoke of Twelve Golden Cloths, divine armors that granted godlike strength. Whether these could rival the future Zodiac War Armor, Yi Tianxing was eager to find out.
"I do hope we meet them one day," he chuckled inwardly.He was certain the Zodiac Armors would give the Golden Cloths a "surprise"—hopefully not a shock.
"It won't take long—decades at most. Even a hundred years passes in the blink of an eye for us," Ao Qing said with a smile.
As dragons, their lifespan was immense. Sleeping for centuries was nothing unusual. So for twelve Innate Spiritual Treasures to be born within a hundred years—that was a historic event even among dragonkind. Especially when they were defensive treasures. Their rarity ranked even higher.
"By the way, did you send invitations to the Dragon Palaces for this year's Celestial Delicacy Banquet?" Ao You asked.
In the Hanhai Realm, the Great Yi's Celestial Delicacy Banquet had become renowned. As a well-known Fortune Dynasty, its every move drew attention. An annual grand feast naturally wouldn't escape the gaze of the Dragon Palaces.
"I did. Since I've married the two of you, we're now in-laws with the Bohai and Hanhai Dragon Palaces. The Celestial Banquet is a family gathering, meant for key ministers of Great Yi. Any close allied power is welcome. So I had invitations sent to both Dragon Palaces. Whether they come or not doesn't matter—our intention is clear."
Becoming family with the dragons was a strategic move in itself.
Whether they came or not was irrelevant. What mattered was that the gesture had been made.
Hanhai Dragon Palace
A gilded invitation lay before the Hanhai Dragon King. Around him, dragon elders and powerful kin observed silently.
"Father, should we attend the Celestial Delicacy Banquet?" Ao Qi asked. "It's Great Yi's most important annual event. All the key officials and city lords will be there. If we go, we might be able to expand the dragon race's influence."
Indeed, the banquet gathered the backbone of the dynasty. To sway any among them would yield great benefits for the dragons.
"We will attend, of course," the Dragon King said, tapping his fingers lightly. "We've already proven our strength when we opened the Dragon Gate and spread our bloodline across the Eternal World. There's no need to flaunt it again. This time, we'll show the wealth of our Dragon Palace. Let the Great Yi officials know—if they align themselves with us, they'll enjoy endless riches."
They had already revealed their martial power. And now, being in-laws with Great Yi, another show of force might trigger hostility. Subtlety would serve better. They would gradually reshape Great Yi's view of dragons—from distrust, to tolerance, to fondness, and eventually, to deep interdependence. That was the true long-term strategy.
"How will we do that? Are we going to shower the Great Yi ministers with gifts at the banquet?" Ao Qi was stunned. "Wouldn't that seem too blatant? And doing it in front of the Emperor... it might offend him."
Giving out favors directly before the Emperor's eyes was an act of clear overreach, if not outright disrespect. No ruler could tolerate others rewarding his own ministers in public.
Great Yi was not a force to be underestimated.
"It doesn't matter," the Dragon King said calmly. "Yi Tianxing is no fool. He won't stop us."