"Why? Why did it have to be the Rooster Zodiac? I was born in the Year of the Tiger!"
Tang Bohu's face twitched violently as he cried out in grief and indignation.
"No. You were born in the Year of the Rooster,"said the Golden Sunlight Rooster proudly.
"The Rooster...? Am I not who I used to be anymore?"
Tang Bohu froze.
After a moment's thought, he suddenly remembered that in this life, he really was born under the Rooster sign. His name hadn't changed, and his memories remained intact, so he'd subconsciously ignored that fact. But now… to be chosen as the Rooster Zodiac Warrior? The name alone left him deeply disturbed.
"Shouldn't it be Divine Mechanism Warrior, wearing the Divine Machine Armor instead?"he muttered to himself."Maybe it's because I like braised chicken wings too much…"
"Tang Bohu, do you accept the legacy of the Rooster Zodiac, and swear to protect Great Yi and shelter the human race?"The Golden Sunlight Rooster didn't bother with his grumbling and proceeded with the inheritance ceremony.
"I… I accept!!"
Though he struggled inwardly for a moment, Tang Bohu still agreed.
Becoming a Zodiac Guardian was a path completely separate from the civil exams, yet just as prestigious—a golden ticket onto the grand stage of Great Yi. Its importance and status were no less than that of a First-Rank Court Official. In fact, it might even surpass that, with greater freedom in choosing one's path.
"Divine Rooster Armor fusion complete.
Armor Abilities:
Golden Sun Needle (大日金针)
Raging Chicken Blood Needle (狂暴鸡血针)
Radiant Sun Mirror (浩日金光镜)
Divine Weapon: Sun Needle Box (太阳针盒)
With the armor equipped, the wearer may channel its power to achieve 8th Stage Dao Platform Realm strength.
Host currently limited to maintaining 7th Stage True Spirit Realm combat power.
The stronger the will to fight, the stronger the combat force…"
The inheritance rapidly filled Tang Bohu's mind.
Yet the more he read, the darker his face became.
He was holding a golden box full of needles.
"Needles? Are they expecting me, Tang Bohu, one of Great Yi's Eight Literary Geniuses, to do embroidery?!"
He wanted to roar with laughter—or tears.
"I don't want to do needlework!"
Golden Sun Needles, Blood-Raging Chicken Needles, a Sun Needle Box…He could already see the headlines:"Tang Bohu stabs enemies with sewing needles."Before he could kill the enemy, they'd die of laughter!
"Have I no dignity?!"
But as he read through the true effects of the divine abilities, his expression slowly eased.
"Golden Sun Needle… Hm, not bad.Raging Chicken Blood Needle… pretty powerful."
And just like that, he shifted into full acceptance—"With this needle in hand, the world is mine."
Meanwhile, Li Xunhuan was undergoing his own inheritance.
He had been chosen by the Long-Eared Radiant Rabbit, becoming the Divine Rabbit Warrior.
He showed a flicker of odd emotion.
After all, rabbits were usually symbols of cuteness, gentleness, and weakness.
But Li Xunhuan did not reject it.
"Very well. As a Zodiac Guardian, I can protect Great Yi and its countless citizens. That is no small responsibility."
He thought silently.
"Divine Rabbit Armor fusion complete.
Armor Abilities:
Treasure-Locking Light (定宝神光)
Body-Freezing Light (定身神光)
Transforming Light (变形神光)
Divine Weapon: Flying Knife Box of Radiant Light (神光飞刀匣)…"
The knowledge flooded into him almost instantly.
Even with Li Xunhuan's usual composure, he couldn't help feeling a surge of excitement.
Powerful—incredibly powerful.
One light froze divine artifacts.
One light froze enemies in place.
One light transformed foes on the spot—into cats and dogs if necessary.
There was no exaggeration in this.
At the same time, a slender middle-aged man was seen being enveloped in the final light.
His eyes carried a penetrating brilliance—as though they could see through all things.
"That is Sun Yang," Huang Chengyan remarked."He is naturally gifted in evaluating horses, capable of perceiving the essence of any steed with a single glance.
Legend says he's the reincarnation of Bo Le—the ancient divine horse-tamer.
Now chosen by the Celestial Dragon Horse, the legend may not be false."
"If he truly is Bo Le reborn," Zhuge Liang added with a smile,"then this selection makes perfect sense. He is clearly an ideal host.
With this inheritance, they've stepped onto a stairway to greatness.Ascending to the heavens is now within reach."
Indeed, their future was now nearly guaranteed—far better than most cultivators could ever hope for.
"Divine Horse Armor fusion complete.
Armor Abilities:
Heavenly Gallop (天马行空)
Noble Rank on Horseback (马上封侯)
Feathered River Ascension (羽化仙河)
Divine Weapon: Feathered Ascension Warbow (羽化战弓)…"
This armor was no less powerful than the others, each ability unique and world-shaking.
"Thousand-li steeds are common, but Bo Le is rare," Yi Tianxing observed quietly."Sun Yang… very good."
Now, only the Zodiac Dog remained—the Darkhowl Celestial Hound.
Yi Tianxing's gaze swept the void, filled with anticipation.
"Once all twelve Zodiac Guardians are gathered, we can activate the Zodiac Formation Diagram.It will likely shatter the Four Divine Restrictions—and then, the moment for Great Yi to ascend to a Sacred Court shall finally arrive.
But there's no need to rush. Even if it takes a few more years, so be it."
He was not worried about being surpassed.
The advantages Great Yi held could not be erased easily—especially not in terms of civil development. That kind of progress couldn't be solved with military force—it needed time, talent, and vision.
Soon after, official decrees were issued for Li Xunhuan and the others.
Now as Zodiac Warriors, they no longer needed to complete the examinations.
They left the testing grounds and headed toward the Innate Spirit Veins corresponding to their Zodiac, where they would retreat into cultivation halls, integrating and mastering their newly transformed essence and power.
Meanwhile, in the void above, the **Four Elemental Gods—Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning—**had also taken notice.
At first, they didn't think much of the Zodiac Guardians.
But after watching them battle the Nine-Tailed World-Destroying Demon Dragon, and seeing more appear one after another, they began to feel a growing sense of dread.
"Boss… I've got a bad feeling,"Wind God said solemnly."There are eleven now. Once the last appears, they may really shatter our formation and force us out of the void.If that happens—we've lost."
"Great Yi is truly bottomless," Rain God added."If we don't release our restriction on the Four Divine Formation, we may lose the wager entirely."
"Maybe it's time to go all out—show Great Yi we're not so easily bullied," Thunder God said with a smirk.
"No," said Mother Lightning, immediately objecting."If they break our formation, we lose the wager—and must submit to Great Yi, taking their imperial seals, joining their court.
If we go too far, we'll cause irreversible harm. And that would backfire."
In truth, they had already accepted the idea of joining Great Yi.
With Eternal Coins recognized by heaven and earth, and the Dragon of Fortune visibly growing stronger every day, even they had begun to admire the path ahead.
They had also exchanged ideas with the Ice Queen—and now clearly understood what kind of divine treatment came with deification in Great Yi. It could cut down millions of years of cultivation. It was beyond tempting.
"Still, we can't let the Zodiac Guardians overpower us too easily. One's position must reflect one's strength,"Thunder God nodded.
Strength defined entitlement—this, they understood clearly.
"My real worry is Dao Lord of the Nine Heavens,"Rain God suddenly said in a troubled tone."We've been slacking off… if he starts paying attention seriously, we could be in big trouble."
The Nine Heavens Dao Lord was like a sword hanging over their heads.
They were certain the Dao Lord had already noticed Great Yi's rise—perhaps even their deliberate underperformance.
The consequences of that gaze... no one could predict.
This calm—may very well be the calm before the storm.
Yi Tianxing raised his eyes toward the sky, eyes deep and thoughtful.
In his heart, the figure of the Dao Lord of the Nine Heavens also emerged.
To shatter the seal of the Four Gods would be to challenge the authority of the Dao Lord himself.
And at that moment, a seven-colored butterfly drifted across the sky, fluttering freely in the void—
Light.
Graceful.
Untethered.