Countless runes flickered, and in the blink of an eye, a massive protective barrier enveloped all of Lingzhu City. From the glow emitted by the barrier, a natural sense of heaviness—like the weight of the earth itself—could be felt. The Xuanhuang Barrier was fully integrated with the Immortal City and connected to the dragon vein beneath the ground, channeling its energy to sustain the formation and exude immense defensive power.
RUMBLE!!
The moment the barrier was activated, the monstrous tsunami came crashing down without mercy. The collision between the wave and the barrier erupted like a comet striking the earth, unleashing a deafening boom. The violent force shook Lingzhu City to its core. The glow of the Xuanhuang Barrier dimmed as it absorbed the brunt of the impact. Countless runes flickered rapidly, while enormous amounts of Heaven and Earth energy surged from the dragon vein to the city's core—replenishing the barrier.
Every Immortal City of Great Yi was incredibly formidable. Their barriers were deeply integrated with the city's dragon veins. As long as the dragon vein wasn't destroyed or depleted, the Xuanhuang Barrier couldn't be easily breached. Most attacks could be blocked outright.
Though the tsunami was vast and powerful, it was still a natural calamity. And with Lingzhu City fully defending, it managed to hold.
The first wave of the tsunami was the most dangerous.
Once weathered, the water would quickly disperse in all directions.
"We held!"
"Haha! That's our Great Yi's Immortal City! Not even a tsunami can break through our defenses!"
"Quick! The beast tide is coming! Brothers—kill!!"
"Suppress the beast tide! This land belongs to Great Yi! We won't let some sea beasts run wild!"
On the city walls, countless bounty hunters roared with pride—and their eyes were full of battle intent.
Kill! Kill! Kill!!
With war cries resounding, the defense weapons on the city walls roared to life. Giant ballistae launched massive bolts into the oncoming beast tide. Bounty hunters and Great Yi soldiers raised their Divine Machine Crossbows and Godslayer Crossbows, firing entire magazines of bolts into the horde.
The arrow rain was so dense it instantly turned the front ranks of sea beasts into living pincushions—many died on the spot, others were trampled into pulp by the beasts behind them.
Slaughter filled the battlefield.
Great Yi had long experience defending against beast tides. With its vast array of war machines, including the Godslaying Crossbow—each a weapon of mass destruction—it was possible to eliminate 10% of the tide before the beasts even reached the wall.
"Keep firing! Use the Divine Machine Crossbows and Godslayer Crossbows to suppress the tide! Target the airborne beasts! Brothers of the Hunters' Hall—charge!!"
Bounty hunters quickly grouped into squads, launching wave after wave of attacks.
Some held their ground on the wall, unleashing bows, crossbows, and even Life Aperture divine abilities. Countless talismans flew through the air, exploding with devastating force. Many beasts were slain on the spot.
However, the tide drew ever closer.
Once the beasts reached the wall and began attacking the barrier directly, the pressure would become far more intense. Sea beasts could unleash their own divine abilities—attacks far more powerful than the tsunami itself. If the barrier were overwhelmed, it would eventually fail.
Thus, waiting in defense was not the best strategy.
Offense is the best defense.
Attack into the beast tide!
"Spirit Fox Battle Armor—merge!!"
"Tiger King Battle Armor—merge!!"
"Spirit Serpent Battle Armor—merge!!"
In a flash, bounty hunters across the wall activated their battle armors. With a shout, brilliant lights flared across their bodies, and form-fitting personal battle armor emerged from within, covering them head to toe.
These were their Primal Phantom Armors—custom-grown battle suits that they had cultivated over years. They weren't just strong in defense, they also possessed mystical attributes, having saved their wearers countless times from death.
The growth potential of Primal Phantom Armor was extraordinary. Each came with a companion weapon or artifact, and with each tier of advancement, they could generate a unique divine ability. Eventually, some could even evolve into spiritual treasures.
A bounty hunter clad in Spirit Fox Armor wielded a long, elegant sword—the Fox Spirit Sword. With a blur, he dashed into the tide, sword dancing in blinding arcs. Each slash pierced a beast like lightning—swift, sharp, and elusive. The speed amplification of the Spirit Fox Armor made him almost untouchable, his strikes numbering hundreds per second.
A hunter in Tiger King Armor carried a massive cleaver, slashing in mighty arcs, painting the battlefield with blood. His strikes were bold, savage, and overwhelming—like the king of beasts itself.
Another, clad in Spirit Serpent Armor, lashed out with a venomous whip, its movements sly and venomous, attacking from unexpected angles with deadly precision.
Hunters in all kinds of armor charged into the tide.
They worked in tight-knit teams, covering each other and advancing together.
With support fire from the city walls, the bounty hunters held their own. Their battle against the beast tide was intense and bloody, but the humans had the upper hand—both in cultivation and physique. Great Yi citizens had long strengthened their bodies—many were as strong as beasts themselves.
Together, they formed a wall of steel, holding the beast tide outside the city. With the continuous crossbow suppression from the walls, the beast tide was held back—unable to advance even a step.
"Emperor, although our bounty hunters are strong, the casualties are already significant. Perhaps we should dispatch the army. After all, these are our people."
Zhuge Liang shook his feather fan as he spoke.
Bounty hunters were an important part of Great Yi's strength. Letting too many die here was unnecessary.
"If one does not strive for oneself, then Heaven and Earth shall not aid him. If one can't fight for his own survival, then even dying on the battlefield is fair."
Yi Tianxing nodded.
He did not intend to abandon them. He wanted to see for himself whether Great Yi's people had truly grown strong—whether his policy of universal cultivation had borne fruit.
Defending against disaster was not just the army's duty—it was everyone's.
Still, he was about to order the army to mobilize.
But just then, Yi Tianxing raised his gaze to the sky. A strange look crossed his eyes, and he smiled:
"No rush. Looks like we're about to witness a surprise."
In the sky, several stars began to flash—as if weighing a decision.
"A Zodiac Guardian is about to be born. Right here on this battlefield."
Zhuge Liang also looked up, a hint of delight on his face.
He saw the same thing—and for now, withheld the order to deploy the military.
Then—
A pillar of divine light suddenly descended from the heavens.
Its target was the battlefield outside the city.
There, a man wearing Great Ape Phantom Armor was swinging a massive iron rod, smashing beasts' skulls into pulp. Around him, the corpses piled high—his fighting style was wild and ferocious.
As the divine light enveloped him, his body froze.
Within the divine glow, a mighty Celestial Ape roared toward the sky—as if it would tear open the heavens.
"It's the Monkey God Battle Armor—who will it choose?"
Many watched the scene unfold, their hearts pounding. In Great Yi, the emergence of Zodiac Guardians was not new—but still wondrous to witness.
"Wait! Look—another one!"
A second beam of divine light appeared.
This time, the divine form was a majestic divine ox, its hooves shattering earth and sky.
"The Ox God Battle Armor has chosen a bearer!"
The light enveloped a burly, bearded man, standing amid a mountain of corpses, wielding a giant double-headed battle axe soaked in blood. A look of disbelief and excitement appeared on his face.
"Another one—look! The Rat God Battle Armor also chose someone!"
Now the entire city was shaken.
No one expected that three Zodiac Armors would choose successors at the same time—
Monkey, Ox, and Rat—three Guardians reappearing together.
Once they fully awakened, half of the Twelve Zodiac Guardians would have returned.
This was of immense importance.
"But wait—who's that over there? That war machine… that's brutal!"
Countless eyes turned toward the third chosen, the one chosen by the Rat God Armor—all full of curiosity and shock.