The power of annihilation contained within the rune bombs harbored the capacity to obliterate all things. Any form of life caught in its wake would be torn to shreds, every last trace of vitality extinguished. It was a vision of apocalypse, so terrifying that even the power of ice and snow could not halt it; even the coldest storm could not freeze it. This force was simply too ferocious—so wild it could even shatter a blizzard.
The beasts of ice and snow were the first to suffer. Though their bodies were massive and encased in crystalline ice armor, this protection proved futile. Within the tide of annihilation created by the countless rune bombs, they were ripped apart.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions rang out like a volley of firecrackers, tearing through the beasts and sending blood and flesh flying in all directions.
Fear and shock filled the eyes of these creatures, but in the midst of the beast tide, there was only advance—never retreat. They had no chance to stop. Amid the terrifying storm of rune bombs, they could only charge forward.
Forward. Ever forward.
And with their advance came an endless chorus of explosions.
With every breath, countless beasts of ice and snow were buried within the minefield.
Hundreds of thousands. Millions?
This single wave alone reduced over a million beasts to pieces.
Even Frost Giants emerged within the minefield—massive beings of terrifying strength. Yet even they were torn asunder by the annihilation energy. One could see gaping wounds burst open on their massive thighs, though still alive, their legs were shattered, their bodies riddled with cracks and wounds. Toppling to the ground, they howled in rage—only to be trampled into chunks by the beasts behind them. A humiliating, unwilling death.
The five kilometers leading to the Iron-Blood Great Wall had become a road of death.
"What terrifying rune bombs," remarked Lord Emptiness. "That Frost Giant must have reached the Life Diagram Realm, and with its physical might, could've matched even stronger enemies—yet it still died in the minefield. Unless you can fly, entering that zone means certain death. That power of annihilation stacks—it grows more violent the more it accumulates."
"The foundation of the Great Yi Dynasty is truly exceptional," added Yan Chixia with a solemn nod.
In that moment, all were shocked by the true might of Great Yi. These rune bombs weren't only buried as mines—they could also be hurled as single-use artifacts, causing the same devastating explosions even in direct combat.
"But this blizzard beast tide can't be stopped by just one minefield," Yan Hongye said gravely.
Indeed, the tide of beasts did not halt. Though those in the front were obliterated, more surged forward from behind. There was no fear. No hesitation. Only an unending onslaught.
As the tide rolled forward, their eyes turned to the Iron-Blood Great Wall, cold and feral.
Wading through the minefield, they reached the very base of the wall. From atop the ramparts, one could feel the very breath of the savage beasts. Above, flying beasts soared—Frost Dragons—their twisted faces and gleaming fangs clearly visible.
Naturally, once the beasts approached within 3,000 to 4,000 meters, the Iron-Blood Great Wall responded.
"Ballistae ready! Target the Frost Dragons in the sky! Shoot down those winged lizards!"
With sharp shouts, the Po Jun Ballistae atop the wall fired simultaneously.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Arrows thundered out like lightning, fanning across the sky like an open war fan—blazing and deadly. Each volley loosed seven massive bolts:
Armor-Piercing Bolt
Flame Bolt
Ice Bolt
Wind Bolt
Gravity Bolt
Flash Bolt
Thunderbolt
Each bolt emitted brilliant divine light, enveloping the Frost Dragons midair.
So fast—so fast that the human eye could only catch glimpses of glowing streaks tearing through the sky. As they flew, they even sliced the air with high-pitched cracks.
No one could doubt their power.
Yet the Frost Dragons were no easy prey. Facing the barrage, they retaliated immediately with frost breath, freezing bolts mid-flight into crystals that shattered harmlessly on the ground. Some dragons even manifested crystalline armor, their scales becoming nigh impenetrable. Bolts struck with shattering force, only to have the damage mended by chilling energy.
With claws and wings, they demonstrated pure draconic might.
The power of ice in their hands was second nature—turned into shields, spears, and countless other magical constructs.
"Archers, prepare! Target the beast tide! Open fire—kill!!"
As soon as the enemy entered the optimal range for the Divine Machine Crossbows and longbows, another order rang out.
Without hesitation, archers released their volleys. Arrows imbued with true essence blazed with various lights—bursting across the battlefield like fireworks, targeting both ground and sky.
Some elite marksmen aimed directly for the dragons' eyes and mouths—their vital spots.
"Rune Gunners, ready—fire!!"
The army also deployed Rune Guns, now standard weapons in Great Yi's military.
Much like the Divine Machine Crossbow, rune guns were easy to learn and fired rapidly. In the hands of a skilled shooter, they unleashed terrifying firepower. On the battlefield, they rivaled even the strongest siege weapons.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Sharp cracks rang out. Streams of rune bullets surged forth like light beams, bursting through beastly hides and painting the battlefield in blood. They hit like a storm—efficient and lethal.
Snipers raised their rune sniper rifles, picking off Frost Giants and Frost Dragons with deadly precision, striking only at their weakest points. The sheer speed made it nearly impossible to react.
One after another, the savage beasts fell beneath the wall.
"What incredible firepower—once deployed as units, these become devastating forces of war," said one cultivator, stunned.
Individually, a rune gun posed little threat—but en masse, they became a deadly storm.
"Rune guns have their own strengths. So do bows and ballistae," Yi Tianxing thought aloud as he watched the carnage unfold from atop the wall. "Each has its place—but all are ultimate weapons of war."
Of course, rune guns had their drawbacks. They required special materials and couldn't endure prolonged combat. Extended use could damage the internal engravings—the rune paths—rendering the gun useless.
More importantly, rune bullets were expensive and non-recoverable. Unlike arrows, once fired, they were gone. A costly, one-use ammunition.
Still, for Great Yi, such logistics were well within reach.
Crates of rune bullets stood ready along the ramparts, glowing faintly with their embedded arrays.
Ballista bolts, rune guns—these were the mightiest weapons of the Great Yi Dynasty.
They fell like storms among the beasts, reducing many to shredded corpses. Blood filled the air.
Yet in the blink of an eye, even the corpses were frozen solid by the cold. Many arrows and rune bullets were frozen mid-air by the frigid aura, shattered into ice shards, nullified.
The beast tide surged ever closer to the Great Wall.
From the wall, one could feel their breath—smell their rage.
The beasts were right below the wall now—mere meters away.
In their eyes gleamed a savage joy. Just one more leap, and they would scale the walls and tear apart every human on the ramparts.
"Iron-Blood Ward!!"
Yi Tianxing remained unmoved. Calmly, he spoke a single command.
At once, the Iron-Blood Great Wall erupted with blinding crimson light. It shot into the sky, forming a massive blood-red barrier across the heavens—covering all of Great Yi's domain.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
"Fight! Fight! Fight!"
Chants of blood and war echoed within the barrier. Within the light, countless human spirits—fallen heroes—could be seen, lined in formation upon the wall.
To protect. To defend.
The essence of the Iron-Blood Great Wall lay in its divine protection. More than mere stone, it was a national artifact, forged to guard Great Yi's borders.
This Iron-Blood Ward was the core of its divine power—imbued with indestructible will and immortal defense.
To breach this barrier required dozens—hundreds of times more power than usual.
When struck, the force would be dispersed across the entire wall, diluting even the mightiest attacks into nothing more than a mosquito's bite.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Ice and snow beasts slammed into the barrier.
Ripples spread across the surface like a pond stirred by stone.
And yet, the wall stood—unyielding, unbroken.