The first war—neither the alien races nor humanity were truly prepared for it. They lacked any real understanding of war.
Just like a true commander, who would never carelessly place themselves in danger. While leading by example is important, for a commander, staying alive is even more crucial. Being alive means being a living banner, a symbol that can influence the outcome of the battlefield. Once that symbol falls, the blow to the army is devastating. It may spur the troops to fight in grief, but once that wave passes, what remains is collapse.
The consequences are nothing short of catastrophic.
On the battlefield, the sounds of killing gradually faded.
Large numbers of alien invaders fell one after another, unable to escape the slaughter by the archers.
Wuuu wuuu wuuu!! —
In Xuanhuang Town, the citizens gazed at their ruined homes and shattered buildings. The corpses of fellow townspeople and soldiers lay scattered—some had died in particularly tragic ways. Unable to hold back her sorrow, a woman let out a soft wail.
Grief, it turned out, was contagious.
More women began to sob softly. The men were stronger, but at that moment, as they looked at the fallen comrades and brothers, tears welled in their eyes. Among the dead were people they knew—those who had only recently shared meals, chatted, joked about the future. Now, those familiar faces had turned cold, lifeless. The sorrow was overwhelming.
The casualties—soldiers and civilians—numbered in the thousands, even tens of thousands.
For Xuanhuang Town, it was a tragic victory. Though they had won, the cost was immeasurable.
"Our homes… all reduced to rubble.""Uncle Li died… He took an alien down with him. He didn't bring shame to Xuanhuang Town. But I'll never see his smile again."
Whispers of mourning echoed across the battlefield and throughout the town.
Many of the fallen were also visiting cultivators. But here, they too were heroes of the human race.
Huang Chengyan approached Yi Tianxing, giving him a meaningful look. The heavy sorrow engulfing the town wasn't healthy. This moment—when hearts were empty and spirits crushed—was exactly when people needed a source of strength the most.
Huang Chengyan understood this. Naturally, Yi Tianxing understood it as well.
Looking at the somber battlefield, Yi Tianxing stepped onto the remains of the city wall. A formless aura naturally radiated from him.
No matter the time, every move Yi Tianxing made drew everyone's attention. As he climbed the wall, countless eyes instinctively turned to him.
"Soldiers, citizens, brothers and sisters. Do not weep. The Eternal Continent has no use for tears."
Yi Tianxing exhaled slowly, then projected his voice with infused true energy, making sure everyone could hear it. The words rang out across the battlefield, stirring the hearts of all who heard them. This was the Eternal Continent—it only believed in iron and blood, not tears. Tears only made one weak. Only blood and steel could forge strength.
"The walls have been destroyed—we can rebuild them. Our homes have been razed—we can construct new ones. As long as we stand here today, this land belongs to us, to humanity, to the people of Xuanhuang Town. As long as we live, we can always build a new home—no matter where we are."
"Our town, Xuanhuang Town, is a rock that cannot be crushed or broken. With so many soldiers and civilians willing to give their lives to defend it, to fight in blood-soaked battle—how can we not live well? Not just survive, but live in a way that honors the fallen. Let us build a new human civilization—our civilization."
Each word carried conviction, reigniting the spirits of the soldiers and townspeople. In their hearts, a realization echoed: The dead are gone. They died to protect us. We must live—not with sorrow, but with purpose. We must live for them, and build the home they dreamed of.
This world has never respected tears.
Only strength—only being strong—can protect what we hold dear.
"If one Xuanhuang Town falls, we'll build another. Two. Three. But our true future... lies not here."
Yi Tianxing looked out at the ruins and waved his hand. In the air, a glowing ancient diagram appeared—a supreme divine artifact map radiating brilliant divine light. Within it, a phantom city manifested in the sky.
This city had no walls, its layout completely organic. Palaces soared, pavilions dotted the landscape like raindrops. Immortal birds flew, spirit beasts wandered, dragons and phoenixes danced. The architecture was vast and awe-inspiring—a scene straight out of myth.
Even Huang Chengyan and Master Lu were captivated.
Compared to this heavenly vision, the old Xuanhuang Town looked like a crude shack in the wilderness.
"Will that be the city we'll live in one day?" the thought emerged simultaneously in many minds—even among the outsider cultivators.
That, they felt, was a true immortal city.
Then, the vision faded. What remained was a vast, ethereal foundation—a phantom platform resembling the base of a city.
"This," Yi Tianxing declared, "is the embryo of a supreme divine city, filled with infinite potential. Though it is only the beginning, I believe that if we work together, we can forge a divine city that shakes the ages—a new sacred ground for humanity."
"Dragons fight in the wild, their blood turns to Xuanhuang. My Xuanhuang Town fears no enemy. Even if we must step over mountains of corpses, we will forge our divine city!"
His words struck every heart with force.
Many were still in awe of the phantom city they had seen, but now, hope surged. If they could build that city themselves, their hearts raced, blood surged, and their faces flushed red.
"Yes! We can build that immortal city. A sanctuary for humanity. Xuanhuang Town may be destroyed, but we'll rebuild it stronger. More perfect!"
"I can't wait. I wonder how long it will take to build that city. It'll be our eternal home."
"Even if I have to give up everything I own, I'll contribute to it. That divine city… must be built."
One by one, soldiers and citizens began to look to the phantom foundation with hope and reverence. In their hearts, they had already accepted it as the future Xuanhuang City, their future home—and perhaps, one day, the sanctuary of the human race.
Unknowingly, streams of invisible willpower—wishes and resolve—began pouring out of them toward the divine artifact map. Thread by thread, stream by stream. This was the people's will.
The divine diagram grew sharper, less illusory. It became more solid. Heavier.
"The people's will… united as one!!" murmured Master Lu, eyes wide.
"It's actually transforming the embryonic divine city…" Yi Tianxing whispered, stunned. A flash of insight lit up his mind. "To forge a supreme artifact requires rare materials. Ordinary ones won't work. But true heavenly treasures are too rare to gather on a large scale. Building an entire city seemed like a pipe dream—until now."
"But if I use Wish Power Beads as the material—it might be possible. Wish Power Beads are no lesser than any treasure. Perhaps they're even greater."
Yi Tianxing's mind raced.
"Others may struggle to gather them. But I have the Money Tree—wealth connects the world. I can continually gather wish power and form Wish Power Beads. At first, the city might be small, but with an endless supply of beads, the divine city can continually expand."
"A city forged from pure wish power will naturally draw in the world's energy. Cultivation there will progress in leaps and bounds."
Wish power is obsession. The purest wish is an immortal obsession. A city forged from immortal obsession—it would be the most perfect construction imaginable.
This revelation solved a long-standing problem.
"Forging the Supreme Divine City from Wish Power Beads is the best path for me. No need to search for impossible treasures. And such a weapon may even surpass all others."
Yi Tianxing made his decision.
He looked at the surging wish energy flowing into the divine artifact map.
Then, his gaze turned to the green poisonous mist still lingering over the battlefield.
The venom—released from the Green Python King's explosion—couldn't be allowed to linger. If it spread, Xuanhuang Town would be lost for good.
"Just poison? That won't stop me. Be gone!!"
With a wave of his hand, the Heavenly Emperor's Primordial Pagoda transformed into a streak of light, diving into the toxic mist.
Immediately, the mist churned violently, as though some force were stirring the air. A vortex formed at the center of the fog, spinning faster and faster, sucking in the poisonous mist.
In mere moments, the once vast field of green mist vanished before everyone's eyes.
Ding!
As the final wisp disappeared, a green pearl dropped near the Primordial Pagoda.
"What's that?"
The pagoda flashed and returned to Yi Tianxing's body, settling into his Divine Sea.