A wave of battle intent soared into the sky.
It gathered across the battlefield, forming into an indestructible will. This battle intent permeated everything, becoming a formless force that seemed to bless all human warriors on the field, filling them with a power beyond their own.
"Battle intent soaring to the skies, killing aura as vast as the sea… It actually strengthens our warriors and even the common folk, multiplying their combat strength. I never imagined that battle intent could have such a wondrous effect. Truly, this world is full of the unknown, waiting for us to uncover," Lu Shi muttered.
Through his Eye of Vision, Lu Shi could see the battle intent coalescing in the void. It transformed into crimson halos that descended upon each citizen and soldier. Though each person received only one halo, their power in battle surged dramatically—it was a geometric increase in combat effectiveness.
No one had expected this before.
In ancient times, the strength of an army often depended on its morale. Even a ragtag militia, if their spirit was unshakable, could crush even the best-trained regulars. That was the power of morale—awakened potential, unleashed strength.
Otherwise, how could poorly equipped peasant armies have ever defeated trained legions?
Momentum on the battlefield could bridge the gap in raw power.
And now, the town's citizens were cultivators themselves. With this amplification, their battle prowess was terrifying. Against the invading Scorpionmen horde, they fought to a standstill.
Moreover, the townspeople weren't unarmed.
Before the battle, Yi Tianxing had already ordered a stockpile of weapons—blades, spears, swords—all kept in wooden crates throughout the town. When battle erupted, the people could arm themselves at once. Some crates even held talismans.
Yet oddly enough, many chose not to use the weapons. They preferred their usual tools—hoes, shovels—which, in their familiar hands, proved just as lethal. The result was an eerie, chaotic battlefield.
War songs roared, and the pounding of war drums echoed like thunder through the void.
Screech!
A piercing shriek rang out from the Golden Roc high in the sky.
In its fierce battle with the Windwinged Dragon, the Roc had suffered terribly—feathers fell like rain, its body torn and bloodied. The once-majestic creature now looked ragged. And yet its defiance had not diminished in the slightest.
The Windwinged Dragon bore its own wounds. With a flame magic tower constantly locking onto it, it could not defeat the Roc outright. Trapped between spells and claws, it suffered continual damage. Its eyes blazed with humiliation and fury.
The battle intent in the air enveloped the Golden Roc as well.
And at the very moment that battle intent surged into it—
A loud boom erupted within the Roc's body. Golden light burst from its flesh, gold winds howling and tearing through the sky. Feather after feather regenerated rapidly, gleaming as they returned to its massive form. Its qi and blood surged violently.
Its body, already at Tier One Grade Nine, had reached a tipping point in the fight. Now, with the impact of battle intent, the barrier shattered. Qi and blood erupted like a tide—it broke through to Tier Two. A strong devouring force emanated from its flesh.
Heaven and earth essence poured into it like a flood, merging with its blood and flesh. Its body grew like an inflated balloon, expanding rapidly.
In just a few breaths, the Golden Roc reached over a hundred meters in length. Its wings blocked the sky like a dark cloud.
The golden feathers shone more brilliantly than ever, its bloodline even richer, and the pressure it exuded was more intense, more domineering.
The Golden Roc had advanced to Tier Two, Grade One!
Though still slightly smaller than the Windwinged Dragon, it was no less threatening. Its feathers gleamed like divine swords, and its kingly aura radiated across the battlefield.
Seeing this transformation, the Windwinged Dragon's eyes hardened. No longer did it see the Roc as a nuisance—it now recognized it as a true threat.
A threat that could kill.
The Windwinged Dragon dropped all thoughts of breaking through to strike at Xuanhuang Town. Its attention turned solely to the Roc. Though only marginally smaller, the Roc now stood as its equal.
This Golden Roc was no ordinary Tier Two beast—it was a king among Tier Twos.
This kingship was not about cultivation level, but bloodline rank. It had the innate power to dominate its peers and fight across realms.
The Windwinged Dragon was the same.
When two kings meet, they must either become allies—or mortal enemies. One must die for the other to prove their supremacy.
The Windwinged Dragon's killing intent could no longer be hidden. As a natural king, it could command other fierce birds—but two kings could not coexist.
Previously, it had never taken the other beasts seriously. Even under Cai Yan's music control, it had felt only rage at being manipulated—not fear. And the Roc had seemed a toy at best.
But now, it had to fight seriously.
"A truly magnificent war song. A single song, yet it's as mighty as an army of a hundred thousand. It awakens the fighting spirit of humanity, rouses the blood, and drives us to fearless heights. And it's only because Yi Tianxing is the one leading this town. If it were anyone else, they likely could not inspire such powerful battle intent," murmured the middle-aged man surnamed Jia.
He gazed at Yi Tianxing with growing satisfaction.
However, this moment incensed the invading armies.
They could clearly feel the human warriors becoming more powerful—their arrows sharper, their attacks fiercer. The oppressive pressure was mounting fast.
"Damn it! That war song… it stirs a hatred as deep as the sea in our hearts! Not one of these humans can be allowed to live! This is no longer just a battle—it's life or death!" growled the Frost Wolf King, its pupils shrinking.
"Die! Humans exist only to be our food!" roared the Two-Headed Ogre.
He hefted his massive spiked club and charged forward.
Every step he took made the earth quake, leaving huge crater-like footprints in his wake.
"Fire!!"
On the city walls, archers aimed their arrows at the Two-Headed Ogre. Arrows flew like lightning, dense as a storm, instantly engulfing the ogre.
ROAR!!
The Two-Headed Ogre didn't stop. One of his heads let out a roar and opened its mouth wide—unnaturally wide.
That mouth expanded dozens of times its original size, turning into a gaping black hole, and swallowed all the incoming arrows in one gulp.
Then, with a belch, it spat out a stream of foul air—red and blue, flickering with sparks.
"Delicious!"The ogre grinned wickedly.
"He… he ate them?!"
"Are you kidding? Those talisman arrows could kill cultivators at the Sea of Divinity level! And he just swallowed them whole?! What kind of mouth is that?!"
"This must be some kind of terrifying divine ability. To expand his mouth like that and eat attacks whole… and he's completely unscathed! What the hell is this power?!"
Everyone on the city wall was shaken.
The Two-Headed Ogre's strength was overwhelming from the first moment. Even arrows meant to kill elite cultivators couldn't scratch him. The implications were terrifying.
"This ability definitely has limits. He couldn't possibly devour all attacks infinitely. Those arrows just haven't reached that threshold," said Huang Chengyan, eyes narrowing.
Aperture Technique — Heaven-Eating!(食天命窍)
When fully cultivated, this divine ability allows its user to devour even the heavens. Everything becomes food—nothing is off limits.