"Impossible."
The Thunder God responded without hesitation.
"You, Ice and Snow, should understand the power of the Four-God Diagram. It's not just a formation of four gods—it could become a five-god or even six-god diagram, a supreme divine formation that gathers the might of many deities. Even now, with only four of us, we can still influence the Heavenly Phenomena Dao, fully controlling all weather patterns and celestial changes within Great Yi.
Within this domain—under the protection of the Four-God Diagram—no power in Great Yi can break it."
Within the formation and under the current laws of the world, they were formless beings of pure will, merging and dispersing at will—nearly flawless in existence.
Even those of higher cultivation couldn't easily harm them.Of that, they were absolutely confident.
Unless they intentionally held back, it would be nearly impossible to shatter their seal.
"The Emperor says: Within three years, your seal will be broken."
The Snow Queen responded calmly.
"That's impossible," said the Wind God, his tone equally composed.
The four gods had already agreed amongst themselves: they would seal Great Yi for twenty years. Once those years passed, their task would be complete, and they could withdraw without leaving behind unresolved karma. Unless they themselves lifted the seal, no force could break it. Their confidence stemmed from their very essence as primal deities.
"Indeed," the Thunder God added with a light smile. "If Great Yi had a method, they would have used it long ago, not waited until now. This so-called three-year promise is a joke."
"The Emperor foresaw your disbelief. So he has issued a wager."
The Snow Queen continued.
"If Great Yi succeeds in breaking your seal within three years, you four must join Great Yi and accept the Emperor's imperial decree—becoming divine officials under the empire."
"And if you fail?" the Lightning Mother asked, her gaze sharp.
"Then your mission to seal Great Yi and unleash natural disasters will be considered null and void. There will be no lingering karma between you and the empire. Great Yi will no longer seek retribution. What do you think?"
The Snow Queen delivered Yi Tianxing's exact words.
From her perspective, this arrangement gave the four gods a perfect outcome either way. Whether or not the seal was broken, their lives and futures would be preserved.And joining the Great Yi Empire, for innate deities, brought tremendous benefits.
With the empire's fate behind them, their cultivation would grow by leaps and bounds. They might even ascend beyond their current level. When the empire was promoted to Sacred Court, all officials and divine beings within its structure would receive a great fortune—she had already experienced this once, and it had been more miraculous than any divine treasure.
Joining Great Yi was not a loss.
Her own current power matched or even surpassed the Four Gods, thanks to the empire's blessing.
"The Emperor truly said this?" the Lightning Mother asked, her gaze flashing.
"Yes," the Snow Queen nodded solemnly.
"Very well. If the Emperor is this confident, then how could we not accept the wager?" the Thunder God declared firmly."If you really manage to break the Four-God Diagram within three years and sever our control over the Heavenly Phenomena Dao...Then we will accept imperial decree and join Great Yi."
This was, in truth, a way out for them. They had seen with their own eyes how advanced and civilized Great Yi had become—its prosperity, floating trains, public mechanical carriages—marvels beyond imagination. A flourishing culture like this…Could not be suppressed forever.
They sensed it.If pressed too hard, Great Yi would eventually soar upward with even greater force.
They didn't want to commit fully to crushing Great Yi and thus had never used their full power. It wasn't cowardice—it was prudence, to avoid incurring heavy karmic debt.
Now, this wager gave them a perfect exit strategy.There was no reason to refuse.
"Good. Then the wager is set," said the Snow Queen."Let both sides honor it when the time comes."
Though this was only a verbal agreement, no one would dare break such a pact. To do so would mean destroying one's reputation—and in the cultivation world, reputation was more valuable than life.
No one lightly risked it.
After a bit more conversation, the Four Gods departed, their forms fading from view.
"The selection for the Zodiac Guardians officially begins.
The Zodiac Armors shall rise to the heavens, shine like stars, and illuminate Great Yi—watching over every citizen and selecting their ideal host.
Those chosen shall inherit the title of Zodiac Guardian."
A divine proclamation echoed across the skies.
From Xuanhuang City, twelve beams of divine light shot skyward. Within each beam hovered a battle armor—twelve majestic sets of armor, glowing with divine brilliance.
Each armor floated forth from the mouth of its corresponding Zodiac statue, positioned within the capital.
You could clearly see on the Dragon Battle Armor, a vivid image of a Great Sun Time Dragon, whose eyes radiated sunlight and flowing time. A formless dragon's might swept across the land.
In the Tiger Battle Armor, a White-Browed Golden-Cracking Tiger raised its head in a mighty roar, emanating a sharp and destructive aura that seemed to shake the heavens.
The other armors were no less impressive:
Long-Eared Radiant Rabbit
Great Sun Golden Rooster
Earth-Splitting Golden Ox
Seven-Colored Heaven-Devouring Python
White-Feathered Heavenly Dragon Horse
Red-Rumped War Ape
Earth-Sundering Golden Mouse
Undying Moon-Gazing Pig
White Jade Guardian Goat
Nightshade Sky-Howling Dog
Each of them was a mid-grade innate spirit treasure, and with time, they could grow and evolve along with their hosts. They might even ascend to high-grade, or peak-grade, or with destiny's favor—become true innate supreme treasures.
This was a bond of mutual growth between spirit and host.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The twelve divine armors soared through the sky and spread out across the empire.Like twelve stars, they shone high in the heavens—moving randomly, without pattern, as if silently observing all of Great Yi's people.
Each Zodiac Armor was searching for its destined host.Once it sensed one, it would descend from the sky and merge with them—creating a new Zodiac Guardian.
This spectacle appeared across the skies of the entire empire.The people looked up, their eyes burning with hope and desire.
A once-in-a-lifetime chance…But no one knew the criteria the armors used to choose.
Tianlong City, in Great Yi.
Within the Hunter's Hall, a man stood at the entrance. Clad in battle gear, with a rugged face and a beard, he had the physique of a powerful warrior. His eyes shone with a penetrating light that inspired instinctive respect. His hands gleamed faintly with metallic luster—his body forged through cultivation.
"Captain Lin," someone said, "the Zodiac Guardian selection has begun. This could be your dream come true. You've always wanted this. If only we knew the selection criteria…With your strength, you'd definitely be a candidate for the Dragon Armor!"
Surrounding him were a group of elite bounty hunters. Their words were filled with genuine respect.
This man's name was Lin Feng. Bold and forthright, he possessed the aura of a true warrior. He had trained in the wild since childhood, following his bounty hunter parents. His main path was body refinement, cultivating a powerful technique called Nine Revolutions Dragon Elephant Art.
Each successful layer granted him the strength of a Primordial Dragon Elephant—a terrifying force. His physical defense was equally formidable.
He also cultivated Qi techniques, but body refinement remained his core path. With the help of the Solar Eye of Heaven, his physical training had advanced rapidly. With astonishing talent, he absorbed True Sun Fire to temper his body—enduring pain beyond mortal limits and emerging stronger each time.
After decades, he had become a Fifth-Revolution Body Refiner, equivalent to a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator.
In the bounty hunter world, he was among the elite.
His fame in the Hunter's Hall was unmatched. His signature technique—Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms—was executed with true divine power, each strike unleashing a dragon-shaped energy wave, overwhelming and unstoppable. The more he fought, the stronger he became.
He had long been suspected of possessing past-life wisdom.That technique had manifested at birth, as if gifted by the heavens. Even as a child, he had shown extraordinary talent. Learning the technique was effortless—it seemed almost innate.
But Lin Feng always laughed it off.
"A past life is a past life. This life is this life. No matter what came before, these are my parents now—and that will never change."
Over the years, he had earned deep loyalty and friendship, gathering a band of like-minded companions. Together, they formed a bounty hunting group called the War Dragon Hunters, with Lin Feng as their respected leader.