But now, things had taken a turn for the worse.
The difficulty of the mission had suddenly increased tenfold—if they couldn't even locate the Pirate League's headquarters, then their efforts would be meaningless. Without striking at the root, any attempt to eradicate the pirates would only be superficial.
"We must report this to the court immediately,"Wu Yong said after a moment of contemplation."Let's see if His Majesty and the other ministers can find a way to enter and exit the Pirate League's domain."
He refused to believe that the Pirate League was completely flawless—no system was without cracks. The method was just extremely well-hidden, that was all.
And if anyone could find it, it would be the brilliant minds of Great Yi.
"Yes, I believe His Majesty will come up with something.With the strategists of the Heavenly Strategy Pavilion working together, surely a solution can be found."Gan Ning quickly regained his confidence.Great Yi feared nothing.With talent pouring in by the day, the collision of genius minds would surely produce unmatched brilliance.
Meanwhile, the Red Legion continued to sail through the Caribbean Sea Region.
Though they had not encountered pirates, they tirelessly sought out islands—for two purposes:
First, to survey and document the geography, building a detailed nautical map;
Second, to spread the influence of Great Yi, informing all local forces that the Empire's arrival was inevitable.
They distributed specially crafted illustrated manuals detailing Great Yi's policies, showcasing scenes of its major immortal cities, the lives of its citizens, and countless rare treasures.
Each illustration depicted a world of unimaginable prosperity.
"So this is the Great Yi Empire… Incredible! A single immortal city housing several million citizens—its splendor surpasses anything we've ever seen!"
"An immortal city anchors every thousand miles of wilderness… and where a Great Yi city stands, all races bow their heads!That's the kind of future I dream of."
"They even have a Bounty Hunter System!Anyone can become a cultivator! His Majesty Yi personally decreed that in Great Yi, every man is a dragon!Unbelievable—this is a true immortal nation."
"So much wealth!They have floating trains that can traverse the skies and fly over wild lands!"
The hearts of countless common folk were stirred.
The mere sight of Great Yi's prosperity was enough to plant a seed of loyalty in their hearts—one that would bloom when the time came.
Momentum like this is unstoppable.
Even though the local powers were fully aware of the danger to their people's loyalty, none of them dared to act.
Because Great Yi was a mountain that no one could overcome.The pressure they exerted far surpassed even that of the pirates.
Time passed quietly.
Great Yi continued its steady expansion.
The Imperial Examination had been held without issue, and another massive batch of talent had been selected.
Among them, there were over a hundred thousand qualified city lords alone, as well as countless other professionals for every field, further enriching the empire's foundations.
The Martial Examination also yielded a wealth of military commanders.
Some were well-known figures from history, others were rising stars from within Great Yi itself.These talents were first sent into military training, not given positions immediately.
Once their trials were complete, they would be formally appointed.With Great Yi preparing to build a navy, there would be plenty of positions available—even an army of talents wouldn't be enough.
Following the exam, Great Yi once again accelerated its development.
Every day, new infrastructure and institutions were being established—changing with each sunrise.
Before long, two more months passed.
Unnoticed, the Eternal Calendar had already reached Year 49, Month 12, Day 17.
In the city of Fushan, within the territory of Great Yi—
Inside a peaceful courtyard labeled "Wushan Residence," the barking of dogs could be heard.
But then, the barking suddenly ceased, as if some terrifying force had caused them to fall silent all at once.
"He's at it again. That Green Emperor—what's gotten into him?For the past two months, he's come here every single day, bothering Dog King.The Wushan Residence's business is on the verge of collapse."
A passerby shivered slightly, fear flashing across his face.
Two months ago, for reasons unknown, the Green Emperor had suddenly barged into the Wushan Residence.
There, he locked onto Wu Er'gou, demanding that he release his "Dog Lady", insisting that she was none other than the Green Emperor's Empress.If she wasn't handed over, he'd sing to express his love for her—and he did just that, every day.
But Wu Er'gou refused.
He knew the Green Emperor had sensed that he had inherited the Dog Zodiac Warrior's power and was here to steal the inheritance.
There was no way he would give it up.
He also feared the Green Emperor's dreadful singing, which had already become infamous.
Fortunately, an order from Yi Tianxing was quickly issued:
"In any Great Yi city, the Green Emperor is forbidden from singing.Violators will be jailed immediately."
Though the Green Emperor was unwilling, he obeyed.
But instead, he began an even more shameless campaign—silent harassment.
He came every day, said nothing… just stared at Wu Er'gou, muttering:
"Give me my Dog Lady…"
"Return my Empress…"
"You're the villain who tore apart lovers…"
"You're the executioner of love…"
It was nonstop.Wu Er'gou was nearly driven mad.
Of course, he retaliated.
He used his dog-training techniques, trying to subdue the Green Emperor and prove he was the greatest dog-trainer in the world.
The two were locked in a daily standoff—a true clash of titans—for two whole months.
Unfortunately, the Green Emperor was immune to all training.He just stood there, unmoving, determined to win the heart of his beloved Dog Lady.
That day, the Green Emperor returned again.
Wu Er'gou's face was twitching with rage.
"I've had enough!Zodiac Dog Warrior, return to your place!!"
A loud roar erupted from the Wushan Residence.
At that moment, a brilliant divine light shot into the sky.A seven-colored rainbow arced through the heavens, a rainbow bridge forming to carry Wu Er'gou into the sky.
In the imperial palace, Yi Tianxing looked up and sighed.
"That damn Green Emperor is really a headache.I was hoping Wu Er'gou could stay hidden a while longer…But I suppose the time has come.The Four Divine Array must now be broken.I can't allow that seal to linger forever—it's too stifling."
With that thought, Xuanhuang City—the Emperor City—emerged from the void.
Radiant beams of immortal light bathed its towering walls in divine splendor.
"It's the Imperial City!"
"It's been hidden in the void all this time—why is it showing itself now?"
Countless citizens stared in awe, reverence and excitement in their eyes.
Then, a command echoed across the world:
"Zodiac Guardians, return to your positions!"
Suddenly, above Xuanhuang City, a massive formation diagram appeared.
It manifested as a great ring of light, containing the twelve zodiac beasts—though their figures were still somewhat ethereal.
"Zodiac Dragon Warrior, Lin Feng—Return to position!"
A blinding pillar of divine light rose skyward.Lin Feng appeared, clad in battle armor, stepping into the array to merge with the Dragon Zodiac.Its light flared, its power instantly surging.
"Zodiac Tiger Warrior, Han Qinhu—Return to position!"
"Zodiac Monkey Warrior, Wu Song—Return to position!"
One by one, dazzling lights tore through the sky like celestial pillars, uniting with the formation.
Each return caused shockwaves of divine energy to ripple across the Great Yi Empire.
The Zodiac Guardians were reclaiming their roles.
Citizens across the empire looked to the heavens in awe.
Each guardian exuded an aura capable of suppressing the heavens—this was a miracle.
But far away, the Four Elemental Gods—Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning— grew tense.
"This is bad…The Zodiac Formation is complete.It really does have the power to shake the Laws of Time and disrupt the balance of seasons,"said the Wind God, his heart sinking.
The Celestial Phenomena Dao, which they had formed through their own Four God Formation, had begun to tremble.
This was a dangerous omen.
"We cannot surrender.If they want to disrupt the natural order,then we'll clash with these Zodiac Guardians and see who truly rules the weather and the seasons!"
The Wind God's voice rang with defiance.
To admit defeat without a fight would be a disgrace—a humiliation to their identity as Primordial Gods.