Reborn as a tiger, he was chosen by the nation as its guardian beast.

Chapter 179 The Battle Begins!

Moreover, in this world, a fourth-tier true dragon friend is far more valuable than a fourth-tier true dragon corpse.

"This mission sounds good."

Lin Yue stroked her chin and laughed. "So, whoever dares to make a move, we'll take them down, right?"

"That's one way to understand it." A smile appeared on Wu Nanshan's serious face. "The Nine Cauldrons Division and the various sects will be the core force of this escort operation. Your mission is to stop all foreign superhumans who dare to approach the core area."

"As for my naval officers and soldiers," he gestured to the massive warships on the sand table, "we will handle those ironclads. In short, those who offend China, no matter how far away, will be punished!"

"When do we make our move?" Lin Yue asked, increasingly excited.

She could already sense that the energy fluctuations coming from the eastern sea were growing stronger, as if an ancient behemoth was about to awaken from its slumber.

Wu Nanshan glanced at him, his eyes full of amusement.

"Now! Everyone, let's go!"

With Wu Nanshan's command, the entire Hawaii base instantly sprang into action, like a sophisticated war machine.

Inside the port, ship horns sounded a long blast as massive warships slowly departed, forming a huge formation and cutting through the waves towards their target area. In the sky, advanced fighter jets roared into the air, assembling into attack formations like falcons circling above the warships.

Meanwhile, Wang Hu, Lin Yue, Wu Nanshan, Daoist Qingxu, and other top experts boarded a specially modified, top-speed assault ship.

This assault ship, named "Longyuan," is the flagship of this operation and their forward command post.

The assault ship was extremely fast, its hull cutting through the sea surface with almost no splash, as if gliding on the water.

The group stood on the wide deck, gazing at the horizon where the sea met the sky.

The closer one gets to that sea area, the more obvious the changes in the world become.

The once clear sky was now covered with dark clouds. Thick, leaden clouds formed a huge vortex above the sea. At the center of the vortex was a deep, dark purple, and streaks of silver lightning darted through the clouds, accompanied by muffled thunder.

The calm sea surface became turbulent, with giant waves tens of meters high appearing out of nowhere and crashing wildly against the surface, as if the entire ocean had been boiled.

The air was filled with a spiritual energy so dense it was almost tangible, and a chilling pressure emanating from the very source of life.

"What terrifying power—" Master Qingxu looked at the scene before him, his aged face filled with shock. "The aftershocks of the breakthrough alone can trigger such a terrifying celestial phenomenon. The power of this divine dragon is probably beyond our imagination."

"Amitabha," a highly accomplished Buddhist monk clasped his hands together and softly chanted the scriptures, "This is a heavenly tribulation, which is beyond human power to resist. If this dragon can overcome it, it will leap over the Dragon Gate and become a true god. If it cannot overcome it, it will perish, its soul will be scattered."

Wang Hu stood at the bow of the boat, his golden fur fluttering in the gale.

His sense of danger was frantically warning him, but this warning did not come from any enemy, but from the world itself.

He could clearly sense that a terrifying power, capable of destroying everything, was brewing within the calamity cloud above his head.

That is the power of the rules, pure, vast, and unstoppable.

Is this what it means to transcend tribulation?

Wang Hu's expression became extremely serious.

He had always believed that breakthroughs were simply the natural result of accumulating one's own strength to a certain degree. But now it seems he had been too simplistic.

The leap from the third to the fourth tier is not merely an increase in power, but a transformation of the very essence of life. This transformation, however, seems to defy the laws of nature and will be tested and suppressed by them.

If you can get through this, the future will be bright.

If you can't withstand it, you'll be reduced to ashes.

"Interesting." Wang Hu let out a low growl.

Far from feeling fear, a powerful fighting spirit surged within him. He wanted to see just how powerful this so-called heavenly tribulation truly was. He also wanted to see how the dragon would withstand the might of heaven and earth.

"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, we have arrived at the designated sea area and are 80 kilometers away from the energy core."

"Report! The United States aircraft carrier battle group has been spotted, located at our nine o'clock position, at a distance of seventy kilometers!"

"Report! EU joint fleet spotted, located at our three o'clock position, 65 kilometers away!"

"Report! A large number of high-energy life forms have been detected, rapidly approaching the core area from all directions!"

Inside the flagship's command center, reports came incessantly.

Wu Nanshan stood in front of the huge holographic map, his face calm and composed, and he clearly issued a series of commands.

"The first and second carrier strike groups will advance to the 50-kilometer mark to establish the first line of defense at sea, keeping the fleets of the United States and the European Union at bay!"

"All submarines, dive to operational depth and keep a close watch on what's underwater!"

"Air and space integrated combat brigade, take off! Cover that entire sky, don't let even a fly in!"

"Attention all personnel involved in the combat: This is a forbidden zone for China! Before receiving my order, anyone who dares to cross the red line will be shot to death! No need to ask for permission!"

Wu Nanshan's order was filled with an unquestionable domineering air.

As soon as his order was given, the massive Chinese fleet sprang into action. Warships adjusted their course, their cannons slowly rising to aim at the distant "uninvited guests." In the sky, hundreds of fighter jets formed an impenetrable aerial barrier.

A tense standoff at sea has officially begun.

"It's our turn." Lin Yue grinned, her eyes sharpening.

"Go!" Lin Yue spread her wings, and dazzling five-colored divine fire burned on her wings as she was the first to rush out.

Master Qingxu and the monk who had spoken earlier followed closely behind, transforming into streaks of light and flying off in different directions. Their mission was to construct the second and most crucial line of defense—the superhuman defense line.

"Big Cat, aren't you going?" Lu Chen asked, glancing at Wang Hu who was still lying on the bow of the boat.

Wang Hu didn't say much; he just turned his head and glanced at Lin Yue.

His gaze was fixed intently on the center of the distant storm clouds. He had a premonition that the real show was about to begin.

Just then, a loud, high-pitched dragon's roar, seemingly capable of piercing the soul, came from the center of that vortex!

"hold head high!"