Even if they were destined to lose, it would be in battle, not retreat.After all, they were Innate Deities, the most noble and prideful beings born of Heaven and Earth.How could they tolerate running away?
To do so would fracture even their inner Dao-hearts.
"Indeed, this battle is inevitable.Even if, by previous agreement, we must submit to Great Yi, we will do so with pride—in battle."Mother of Lightning (Dianmu) declared firmly.
The problem was…This day had come far sooner than they had expected.
They never imagined that Great Yi's foundations could be so vast, so powerful.That they would be able to shatter the Four God Array so quickly.
What shocked them the most was the completion of the Twelve Zodiac Guardians—not only were they all selected in record time, but each one possessed true spirit-level combat strength, and when pushed, could rival the Dao Platform Realm.
With twelve of them, Great Yi had gained twelve new top-tier powerhouses overnight.
"Then let us clash with the Twelve Zodiac Guardians and see…who is stronger."The Rain God followed up, without hesitation.
Though they had already agreed to submit to Great Yi and serve as divine spirits, this battle had nothing to do with submission.
It was about showing the might of their Dao.
The stronger they proved to be, the greater the respect, and the more benefits they would secure in the future.
This was about their destiny—there could be no retreat.
"How fascinating.The Four Gods Array versus the Twelve Zodiac Array…Two peerless formations.Two supreme Daos clashing."
In the Zhengqi Manor, the Lord of Emptiness sat pale as ever, his face devoid of color. But his eyes gleamed with interest as he stared into the sky.
"I've heard that the disciples of the great immortal sects are beginning to descend into the mortal world—slaying demons and honing their skills.Many of them are heading toward Great Yi.Things are about to get a lot livelier."
He had his own sources and knew quite a lot about the immortal sects.
In truth, many sect disciples had already entered Great Yi, battling monsters in the wilderness.
They were not only cultivating, but also accumulating resources needed for advancement.
However, Great Yi was a land of strict laws. The Heavenly Decree hung high in the skies—not just a symbol, but an absolute law.
Anyone who violated it would be hunted down by the Six Doors.
And the Six Doors was no longer just a mundane law enforcement agency—every member was a cultivation expert. Many cultivators from sects had voluntarily joined, completing missions to earn merit and exchange for rare resources.
"Serving in the public sector is the true path of cultivation"—this was no empty slogan. It was reality.You could acquire resources unavailable anywhere else.
And if anyone thought to cause trouble in Great Yi…They'd quickly find themselves locked in the Heaven Prison, alongside the disciples of other sects who had already tried—and failed.
But that was another story.
The Lord of Emptiness continued watching the sky with interest.This spectacle was simply too rare to miss.
He was not alone.
Many others—especially those from immortal sects residing in Great Yi—watched with complicated expressions.
For common folk, Great Yi was a blessing.
For the sect world, it was a shackle.
Their lofty pride meant nothing in the face of Great Yi's laws.
"Zodiac Dog Guardian, Wu Er'gou—return to position!!"
As the final command rang out, Wu Er'gou transformed into divine light and flew into the Zodiac Array, completely merging with it.
CRACK!!
BOOM!!!
At the exact moment the Twelve Zodiac Guardians were fully assembled, twelve strands of divine energy fused together.
Amid endless radiant light, a towering Dao Pillar suddenly manifested above Xuanhuang Immortal City.
It connected Heaven and Earth, glowing with boundless golden light.
On this pillar, the twelve zodiac beasts could be seen circling.
Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter—the four seasons flowed visibly across its surface.
Time passed, snow melted, summer blazed—it was a vision of the natural cycle of the world.
"That is the Zodiac Dao,"Yi Tianxing whispered from the imperial palace, a strange glint in his eye.
The Dao Pillar pulsed with mystical laws and principles, palpable to all.
"My heavens…I feel like all my cultivation problems are suddenly being answered.My Dao comprehension is advancing.Even the source of my Life Aperture is expanding!"
"Same here!My understanding of laws is ten, no—a hundred times faster than before!It's like I've entered a constant state of enlightenment. This is… this is incredible!"
"This is the Zodiac Dao, formed by the Twelve Guardians.It contains the flow of seasons, time, solar-lunar cycles…A supreme creation!"
All across the empire, citizens felt their comprehension soaring.
The Dao Pillar was a tangible manifestation of a Heavenly Dao—it was like having the answer sheet of the universe laid out before them.
Even those who had struggled with cultivation suddenly found themselves understanding everything after one glance.
But then—
BOOM!!!
Without warning, the skies exploded with lightning.Gales roared, rain poured, thunder and hail followed.
One by one, nature's cataclysms began to manifest.
And in the midst of it, another Dao Pillar emerged—
This one composed of storms, lightning, earthquakes, wildfire, tsunamis.
A colossal Celestial Phenomena Dao Pillar took form, surrounded by four divine figures cloaked in radiant mist—
The Four Elemental Gods: Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning.
This was the Heavenly Phenomena Dao!
Anyone with weather-based Life Apertures instantly felt their understanding multiply tens of times over.It was like the truth of nature itself had been laid bare.
"So this is the invisible shackle that's been hanging over the Great Yi territory.Interesting...No matter how deep you hide, you'll still be forced out."Yi Tianxing smiled faintly.
The appearance of the Heavenly Phenomena Dao meant their theory had been correct.
Once the Zodiac Dao reached completion, the Celestial Phenomena Dao had no choice but to reveal itself.
The two Dao Pillars—Zodiac and Heavenly Phenomena—stood tall in the void.
And then… they clashed.
There was no negotiation.No trickery.No setup.
Just one word: Strike.
See which Dao was stronger.
BOOM!
Two Dao Pillars, each a world unto itself, slammed into each other.
The skies twisted, lightning raged, sun turned to snow, then to storm, then to fire, then to deluge.
Pure chaos.
Pure cataclysm.
This was law against law.
Dao against Dao.
One would crumble, the other would remain.
Even a True Spirit Realm cultivator would be torn apart by the energy erupting from just a single collision.
There was no showmanship here.No games.No politics.
Just two forces—crashing together, again and again.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Like twin mountains slamming into one another.
Every strike sounded like doomsday, shaking the very world.
Once… twice… three times…
Each impact sent shockwaves through the empire.
Citizens felt their eardrums rupture, their bodies falter.
Some nearly collapsed from the spiritual pressure alone.
"We can't watch this.This clash is far beyond our level."
Many instinctively closed their eyes, blocked their ears, using soundproof talismans just to survive the spectacle.
CRACK!!
Suddenly—a sharp shattering sound rang out.
On the Celestial Phenomena Dao Pillar, a faint crack had appeared, slowly spider-webbing outward.
"It's ending."
"The Celestial Phenomena Dao… is losing.It can't match the Zodiac Dao."
All the powerful cultivators watching realized the outcome was clear.
It wasn't that the Celestial Phenomena Dao was inherently inferior.
Rather, the Four Elemental Gods—as individuals—simply couldn't compare to the united might of the Twelve Zodiac Guardians.
That was the real deciding factor.
Every Dao had the potential for supremacy—but it was the wielders that made the difference.
"Victory is decided.Would the Four Deities care to show themselves?"
Yi Tianxing stepped into the sky, his gaze fixed on the Heavenly Phenomena Dao, his tone calm yet filled with imperial majesty.
The clash of Daos ceased.The two Dao Pillars remained, still confronting each other.
And then—
Silence.
A tense, divine silence spread across the void.