Within the divine light's glow, a strange fortress could be seen—small in size, about five meters tall, yet clearly the result of meticulous engineering. It hovered in mid-air, whether due to embedded floating formations or levitation stones was unclear. It not only floated but was surrounded by a protective barrier. Inside, seated on a throne, was a young girl, her expression brimming with intelligence and composure.
Her eyes shimmered with keen light.
All around the fortress lay a circle of corpses.
A closer look revealed all kinds of gruesome wounds—some beasts were pierced by countless needle-like projectiles, killed in an instant. The needles shimmered faintly, clearly laced with deadly poison, capable of killing on contact. It was terrifying.
Others died from crossbow bolts—small, but also venomous.
Still others were felled by rune bullets, blades, or strange mechanisms. The methods of death were bizarre and varied.
Poison needles, rune bullets, crossbow bolts—all signs pointed to the fortress. Its structure included visible bolt slots, rune gun muzzles, and other deadly weapon systems. Observers couldn't help but gasp—this thing was a walking death machine, like a spiked turtle covered in armor, radiating murderous intent.
And at its core was a girl. That shocked everyone.
"The women of Great Yi are as brave as men. Every one of them has true blood in their veins."
Nearby cultivators couldn't help but murmur their admiration.
"I know that man—Wu Song! A warrior of unmatched valor! And now he's been chosen by the Monkey God Battle Armor. What a heaven-sent opportunity!"
Someone recognized the rod-wielding warrior—a well-known bounty hunter of great reputation. Known for his loyalty and fearlessness, Wu Song was no stranger among the bounty hunters. He had always fought on the front lines—never flinching.
"So it's him—Wu Song the Pilgrim. A perfect match for the Monkey God Armor."
Yi Tianxing nodded in recognition. Wu Song's name was not unfamiliar to him—a legendary figure in history, known far and wide for his incredible might. The story of Wu Song slaying a tiger was still told to this day. That he earned the recognition of the Monkey God Armor was no surprise.
"And that one—that's Black Whirlwind Li Kui! Didn't expect him to gain the approval of the Ox God Armor. He's about to soar straight into the heavens. Having him and Wu Song fight alongside us—it's a blessing for this battle."
These were Zodiac War Gods. When Lin Feng previously inherited the Dragon God Armor, the power he unleashed was enough to flatten an entire foreign tribe. Their potential was enormous.
"And her… I've heard of her—Su Ying. A genius in multiple arts: medicine, poisons, mechanisms, rune arrays, Five Elements, Bagua—she excels in all of them. She's a legendary figure at the Immortal Academy. They say she was building a mobile fortress, and I'd wager this is it!"
Su Ying's name was no mystery.
At the Immortal Academy, she was a true prodigy—frequenting different colleges, humbly learning from professors. What shocked others was how quickly she mastered whatever she studied, even creating her own innovations. A true genius.
Her fortress, known as the Six Absolute Fortress, reportedly featured:
a healing lantern,
storm blade discs,
crossbows,
Rain of Pear Blossom Needles,
Tyrant Rune Cannon, and
a Five Elements Shield.
It combined offense, defense, and healing—a triune fortress built on advanced mechanisms, runes, and alchemy.
To master even one of these arts took a lifetime for an ordinary cultivator. But Su Ying? She excelled in all. She was now chosen by the Rat God Armor.
The three chosen ones began receiving their inheritance.
No one would reject a Zodiac armor—they were ecstatic. To be chosen out of billions of people was a glory beyond words.
In the blink of an eye, three sets of radiant armor emerged on their bodies.
✨ Zodiac Armor Inheritances:
Monkey God Armor
Divine Abilities:
Topple Rivers and Seas
Auspicious Foresight
Yin-Yang World Annihilation Wheel
Divine Weapon:
Yin-Yang Celestial Staff
Ox God Armor
Divine Abilities:
Mountains Collapse
Heaven-Shattering Bull Qi
Death Stare
Divine Weapon:
Heavenquake Axe
Rat God Armor
Divine Abilities:
Midas Divine Light
World-Devouring Mouse Tide
Steal the Sun, Replace the Moon
Divine Weapon:
Thousand-Trick Umbrella
In an instant, these abilities flooded their minds. Their armors fully materialized, each covering them entirely with a vivid zodiac mask concealing their faces.
"Today, I inherit the Monkey God Armor. Today, I will crush the beast tide and protect the people and land of Great Yi!"
Wu Song, clad in fiery red armor, raised his voice in a mighty cry. Light flashed in his hand, and a black-and-white iron rod appeared—the Yin-Yang Celestial Staff. He pointed it toward the oncoming tide.
BOOM!!
A colossal tsunami appeared around him, surging forward like a mountain flood. Within the wave surged violent, chaotic energies. Any beast caught in it would be shredded apart.
"By the heavens…"
"Terrifying divine power… This is the might of a Zodiac Guardian!"
Bounty hunters in the thick of battle watched in awe as the wave swept past them—harming none of them, but utterly annihilating the beasts around them. The wave turned from blue to red, soaked in the blood of the fallen. Countless monsters were obliterated instantly.
"Watch this—Heaven-Shattering Bull Qi!"
Li Kui bellowed.
With a huff of breath—
WOOOSH!!
A hurricane-like blast erupted from his mouth, sending countless beasts flying into the sky. They spun uncontrollably, hurtling out of sight. It was brutal and majestic.
"World-Devouring Mouse Tide!"
Su Ying opened her Thousand-Trick Umbrella, and with a flick, a glowing ancient gate appeared in mid-air. The gate was adorned with rat glyphs—so vivid they made onlookers' skin crawl.
With a flash of light, endless spectral rats poured out. Though not real, they were tangible manifestations of divine power—vicious and overwhelming. They tore into the beast tide like a flood.
Rats vs. beasts.
In the blink of an eye, waves of monsters were stripped to bone. Some spectral rats were torn apart—but then instantly vanished into light. These were illusions, yet deadly as the real thing.
Each rat might not be strong individually—but in vast numbers, they were unstoppable.
The three Guardians fighting together tripled their battlefield presence. Their combined force was unimaginable.
The massive beast tide was shattered in the blink of an eye—swept away.
A moment ago, the city was on the brink.
Now, it was saved.
"Heavens! That's the power of the Zodiac Guardians? Even stronger than True Spirit cultivators. Their divine techniques are unbelievable!"
"The beast tide was crushed! This really is a step into the heavens. Strength like this is the only way to protect our Great Yi!"
"Just one beast tide—and we gained three new Guardians. What a blessing!"
Inside Lingzhu City, bounty hunters stared at the trio with blazing admiration. Their power was awe-inspiring.
"Haha… Excellent. Wu Song, Li Kui, Su Ying. Looks like there's no need to dispatch the army—they've dealt with the beast tide already."
Zhuge Liang chuckled, his eyes glowing with satisfaction. The appearance of three Zodiac Guardians was a major boon. Great Yi's foundation just grew even deeper.
"Don't get complacent. The real danger has yet to appear," Yi Tianxing said calmly.
His gaze turned toward the depths of the ocean, eyes serious.
ROOAAAR!!
A deafening roar suddenly tore through the skies—without warning.
From the horizon, an unimaginably massive creature rose from the ocean.
Its aura swept across the battlefield like a tidal wave—
Chaos. Destruction. Fury.
"What… what is that?"
"By the heavens—is that a dragon? How can it be so enormous?"
"Its aura… for a moment, I thought I was already dead…"
From afar, the beast was enough to make one's scalp go numb.
It was tens of thousands of meters long, with three massive heads—clearly a dragon, but similar to Western dragons. It had eighteen pairs of wings, blocking out the sun, each one blazing with demonic fire. Its tail was even more terrifying—scorpion-like, and not just one—nine monstrous tails, all radiating lethal force.