No one could look at a group of people digging holes in the ground with hoes and immediately deduce their true purpose. To do so wouldn't be a matter of insight or intelligence, but an ability to foresee the future—to glimpse destiny itself. That would require more than extraordinary powers—it would require a divine ability to see the threads of fate.
Clearly, the man surnamed Jia did not possess such a heaven-defying ability.
All he could do was infer from the traces and clues left behind.
Yet merely digging holes wouldn't reveal much of the underlying scheme.
"You're right," he said. "Still, digging pits outside the town can't be meaningless. There must be a purpose behind it, and it's surely related to resisting the invasion of the alien armies. This Xuanyuan Town is definitely not as simple as it appears. To dare provoke the alien races and face them head-on without fear—whether in terms of courage or strength, this place is extraordinary."
The pale-faced scholar beside him nodded in agreement.
Digging a few pits—not trap pits for horses or beasts—wasn't something even gods could decipher without further context.
"Standing here watching is meaningless. Let's head into Xuanyuan Town. They don't mind outsiders observing and even allow access to the city walls. If anything important is happening, we'll only learn about it from within. Besides, I'm even more curious to see this Yi Tianxing with my own eyes—the one who dares challenge the alien races so boldly. What kind of man is he?"
Curiosity lit up the eyes of the middle-aged man surnamed Jia.
This upcoming battle was simply too significant.
So significant, in fact, that it was already spreading like wildfire through the surrounding regions.
A large number of cultivators had gone to the Immortal Tomb previously, and many of them had witnessed Yi Tianxing's provocation toward the Scorpion Demon firsthand. The Scorpion Demon had responded with utter contempt, declaring he would wipe Xuanyuan Town from the map.
News of an impending war between the human and alien races had spread like a storm, sweeping across the land.
Countless talented humans, whether out of curiosity, empathy, a desire to aid their race, or simply to observe from the shadows, had started flocking toward Xuanyuan Town.
In just a short time, the name Xuanyuan Town, and especially Yi Tianxing, had become thunderously well-known throughout the region. There were few who hadn't heard of him. After all, this would be the first large-scale battle between humans and alien races.
The consequences of victory or defeat were too enormous to ignore.
Unconsciously, more and more human cultivators made their way to Xuanyuan Town.
Some had already arrived, others were watching from the shadows.
These two were among them.
"Very well, let's go in together. I'm just as curious to see what mystery lies behind all this pit-digging," said the scholar with a smile. "After you, Brother Jia."
"Please, Brother Wu, after you," Jia replied with a courteous smile.
Both men descended from the tree with practiced ease—clearly cultivators of some strength.
The gate of Xuanyuan Town had not been sealed.
Anyone could come and go freely.
The two entered the town without difficulty. Outsiders like them were quite numerous. Once inside, they were immediately struck by what they saw—a town completely unlike anything they had imagined.
Compared to other villages, this place was worlds apart. It was nearly impossible not to be impressed.
"To establish a town of this scale in such a short time… That's not something ordinary people could accomplish. He must be a hero of chaos, born for this era," Jia said thoughtfully.
"Indeed. Though this town is young, its size rivals, or even surpasses, that of older small cities. Look at the people here—their spirit and morale are different. They radiate hope and determination," Wu agreed, nodding.
As they spoke, they began to stroll through the town, clearly interested.
...
Their arrival didn't stir any attention within the town.
Outside, the pit-digging continued with intensity.
It didn't take long.
By midday, a massive network of pits had been dug, covering the area densely. One glance could not even count them all.
"What are they planning to do with so many holes?" someone murmured, unable to suppress their curiosity.
There was no obvious answer.
Clearly, they weren't planting trees or crops.
But the mystery didn't last much longer.
That afternoon, squads of soldiers began transporting wooden crates. Opening the crates revealed dozens of pitch-black spheres. These spheres were carefully placed into the pits, then covered again with soil. Afterward, cultivators produced talismans, which they activated and tossed over the freshly refilled ground.
A flash of yellow light swept across the dirt, erasing any sign of disturbance. The ground became firm again, indistinguishable from its original state.
Talisman — Earth Manipulation Talisman (御土符)!
This talisman didn't serve many purposes, but it could manipulate nearby soil, reshaping terrain or restoring disturbed ground. For covering pits, it was perfect.
With one talisman, dozens of pits could be disguised with ease.
The black spheres were quickly buried, one after another, in a fast-paced and orderly operation.
An atmosphere of urgency filled the air.
As quickly as the pits had appeared, they vanished without a trace.
Those who watched from the town walls—especially the sharp-eyed or curious—felt even more puzzled.
"What are those black spheres? They dug all those pits just to bury these things?"
"Strange. I've never seen anything like this before. Separately, I understand digging holes, and I understand hiding objects—but together, it becomes utterly perplexing."
More and more people gathered on the walls, watching, guessing, but understanding less and less.
"This is fascinating. This must be some kind of war weapon unique to Xuanyuan Town. But what exactly is it? Those black spheres… I've never seen them before. Intriguing—this town hides many secrets."
Jia muttered to himself, his eyes gleaming with interest.
Digging holes on their own might have meant little.
But now, after burying mysterious black spheres, he was certain: these objects had a military purpose. Likely a lethal weapon designed for use during battle.
Though he didn't know exactly what it was, he could imagine its potential.
If they could be activated from underground and explode, then they could deliver a devastating surprise during battle. The potential for destruction and chaos was enormous.
"I've heard of something called a Thunderfire Bomb (霹雳子)," said Wu. "It's made from gunpowder, and when it explodes, it causes significant damage. Maybe these black spheres are something similar?"
If so, burying them would allow for massive battlefield disruption.
But as far as Wu knew, the standard Thunderfire Bomb wasn't powerful enough to harm fierce beasts or alien creatures.
"Possibly," Jia nodded. "If that's the case, then this is an astonishing operation. The scale of Xuanyuan Town's war preparations is beyond belief."
He was more and more shocked by the town's resources.
If these spheres were indeed similar to Thunderfire Bombs, then producing them in such vast quantities must require considerable effort. Yet here, they were pulling out crate after crate without pause.
How had they amassed such resources?
"It seems Xuanyuan Town is preparing for a full-blown defensive battle," Jia added. "There's no clearer way to demonstrate your strength and foundation than a face-to-face battle. No tricks, no deception—just raw power."
He was impressed.
In his view, any strategy not adapted to real-time conditions was meaningless. The enemy was not static—they wouldn't blindly walk into traps.
True warfare was ever-changing. The key was to adapt, to find that flash of inspiration that could turn the tide.
Inferior strategists used outdated tactics—waiting by the tree for a rabbit, fighting only on paper.
Average strategists used existing knowledge, but could adapt with some creativity.
Superior strategists understood the enemy—deducing their next moves from character, emotion, age, and habits, seeing through them like crystal.
But the greatest strategists? They commanded with calm confidence, with unmatched brilliance. They adapted to any terrain and circumstance, weaving ideas on the fly, holding the entire battle in their mind. They saw ten steps ahead, a hundred. They led the enemy into their own doom, calculating every reaction in advance.