Star Dou Forest, core region, the Land of Great Beasts.
The Lake of Life shimmered with rippling light. This was the holy land of soul beasts, a forbidden zone within forbidden zones for humans.
The air was thick with life energy. Even a mere weed could grow into a hundred-year spirit herb here.
At this moment, Di Tian, the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King and foremost of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts, was coiled atop a towering ancient tree.
His majestic golden eyes were slightly closed as he contemplated the laws of space.
Ever since that unsettling tremor had come from the God Realm, Di Tian had been gripped by an inexplicable anxiety.
"Lord... that sense of unease is getting stronger and stronger," Di Tian murmured, his dragon whiskers stirring despite the absence of wind.
Suddenly.
Thud, thud, thud.
The ground began to tremble rhythmically.
It was not the vibration of soul beasts running, but a heavier, colder rumbling, filled with a metallic quality.
"Hm?"
Di Tian's eyes snapped open. His gaze flashed like lightning, piercing through layers of mist toward the edge of the forest.
The once-lush primeval forest now looked like a scalp shaved by clippers, exposing vast patches of ugly yellow earth.
Rows of gigantic yellow mechanical constructs, each fifty meters tall, advanced in neat formations.
These mechanical beasts had enormous tracks, with rotating alloy sawteeth and high-energy laser cutters at the front. Wherever they passed, whether ten-thousand-year ancient trees or thousand-year soul beasts, all were shredded and swallowed, then expelled from their rear as neat blocks of compressed lumber and... canned meat.
At the very front of these mechanical beasts floated a flying saucer.
Standing atop the saucer was a wolf in a yellow hard hat, holding a loudspeaker. His amplified voice shook the entire forest:
"Listen