Just as he was about to seize the cyan bead, a crack suddenly split open in the ground. A black serpentine monster darted out and swallowed the bead in one gulp. With a twist of its body, it burrowed back into the earth. The whole process was as swift as lightning, vanishing before anyone could react.
Preoccupied with retrieving the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Pagoda, Yi Tianxing hadn't sensed the change until it was too late.
By the time he snapped out of it, the strange poisonous serpent had disappeared completely—without leaving behind the faintest trace of aura.
"What a bizarre serpent. Not only was its aura completely hidden, but its speed was terrifying, and it could vanish underground. That's no ordinary venomous snake."
Yi Tianxing frowned slightly as he observed the scene.
From the bead, he had sensed a pure and potent toxic life force. Now that it had been swallowed, the consequences were difficult to estimate. But pursuing it was already impossible. The snake's stealth techniques were so extraordinary that it left no trace behind. The stolen cyan serpent bead had vanished into parts unknown.
Still, it was just a single bead. Yi Tianxing didn't dwell on it and turned his focus back to the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Pagoda.
He watched as, after devouring vast quantities of toxic life force, the toxins—each infused with dense vitality—were rapidly converted into chaotic energy within the Chaotic Space, which then flooded into the thirteen other pagoda spaces, triggering a massive expansion.
These toxins were far from ordinary. The chaotic energy gained from refining them was considerable. Both the Chaotic Space and the other internal spaces of the pagoda expanded by over a mile in radius, significantly enhancing the pagoda's foundation.
High above, the Supreme Divine Diagram began to show subtle mystical changes as the collective will of the people converged upon it. It seemed to resonate mysteriously with the destiny of Xuanhuang Town.
"If that's the case, then today, in this very ruin, I shall lay an even stronger foundation for Xuanhuang Town."
A glint of light flashed through Yi Tianxing's eyes. With a thought, he directed the embryonic form of the Supreme Divine Artifact downward. The sight resembled a city's foundation pressing onto the earth.
Startled looks flashed across many citizens' faces.
But the descent was so swift that none could evade it. In the next moment, the embryonic form, appearing ethereal, phased right through people, objects, and buildings alike—merging seamlessly into the earth and vanishing from sight.
Others may not have sensed it, but Yi Tianxing clearly perceived a profound transformation beginning to unfold within Xuanhuang Town.
The embryonic artifact, now embedded in the ground, became indistinguishable from the land itself. But having refined the Supreme Divine Diagram with his essence and will, Yi Tianxing knew it had become akin to a life-bound treasure—and crucially, immune to absorption by the Hongmeng Pagoda. The two coexisted peacefully. Now, the embryo enveloped Xuanhuang Town from below.
In that instant, the Fortune Pool naturally merged into the embryonic artifact. The Council Hall (Town Lord's Mansion) also fused seamlessly with it. Both were already spiritually linked to Yi Tianxing, and now they were one with the artifact.
Then came the Moon Well, the two Arrow Towers, the two Magic Towers, the Sky-Reaching Pavilion, and the Scripture Pavilion—each extraordinary structure instinctively integrated into the embryo, becoming a part of it.
Their auras intertwined, causing the divine glow of these buildings to surge as one. Their spiritual link formed a mysterious, unified whole—though this phenomenon quickly faded from sight.
"Father, this embryo is the perfect foundation for forging Xuanhuang Town. The Fortune Pool is highly compatible with it, and the speed of fate accumulation has already increased. Once the city is built, its potential will be limitless. These extraordinary buildings have now become part of the city embryo and will evolve along with it," said Xinghai, the Star Network's spirit, her tone brimming with excitement.
Such treasures were born of the world, possessing their own instinctive spirituality. They had made the optimal choice—fusing with the Supreme Divine Artifact's embryo, binding their essence to it. From this moment on, they would share the fate of Xuanhuang Town—and future Xuanhuang City.
"Very well, Xinghai. It won't be long before your coverage expands many times over."
Yi Tianxing nodded with satisfaction.
The fusion of the buildings with the embryo was exactly the outcome he hoped for.
Now, the earth beneath still looked the same—but the embryonic artifact was fully embedded, only to become tangible once actual city-forging began.
Though long in description, the entire process occurred within the span of a breath.
"Where's the Immortal City? It vanished!"
"It sank into the ground—could it be beneath our feet right now?"
"The divine light from those buildings must be connected to the Immortal City. We might be standing inside it already!"
What had just occurred was impossible to ignore. The sight burned into everyone's souls—etched permanently into memory. The ground beneath their feet now felt subtly different.
"Do not grieve. The fallen heroes will forever guard us. From today forward, Xuanhuang Town shall need no walls. Their bones and blood will form our strongest defense—our Iron-Blooded Great Wall."
Yi Tianxing turned to the townspeople and soldiers, addressing the troops preparing to recover the bodies of the fallen.
The town walls of Xuanhuang had been destroyed. There was no need to rebuild them. Against an overwhelming enemy, walls were meaningless anyway—he had a better solution.
With a flash of light, a miniature segment of a city wall appeared in his hand. It was blood-red, exuding a fierce aura of slaughter and indomitable will. Some parts of the wall were already solidified—each brick radiating unwavering conviction and warlike spirit.
"What is that?"
"Why does it make me want to weep? As if I see fallen comrades, warriors, and friends who died on the battlefield."
"I feel a surge of respect—like I can hear the sounds of battle."
Everyone's eyes locked onto the miniature wall—it gave off an indescribable sense of security, a feeling that touched the soul.
Veterans like Huang Chengyan and Master Lu were curious but remained silent, their anticipation growing. Anything taken from Yi Tianxing's hand was never ordinary.
Swish!
Yi Tianxing tossed the miniature wall into the air. It spun above the battlefield, and wherever it passed, bodies of fallen soldiers were drawn toward it by a mysterious force. In an instant, each corpse transformed into a blood-red brick, merging into the wall, building it piece by piece at visible speed.
"Fight! Fight! Fight!!"
"Kill! Even if I die, I'll take one more enemy with me!"
"I can't retreat. Behind me are the civilians—our homeland. It was destroyed once, but never again!"
"For the Human Race! For our dignity! We will not back down—not even before savage beasts!"
Cries of valor echoed from the wall. One could see visions of warriors locked in bloody combat and civilians rising to resist. The spirits of fallen heroes flickered across its surface.
Every corpse—soldiers and civilians alike—was absorbed into the growing wall. Their flesh and bone forged its bricks.
"These warriors and townsfolk… their bodies are being transformed into the bricks of the wall. This entire structure is built from the remains of those who died in battle!"
"The Lord once said: those who fall have a different destination. They don't need burial or mourning. They have not left us. Their flesh, bones, and willpower live on—within the wall!"
"If this wall can defend our home and protect the people, I too would choose to become one of its bricks when I die—my blood and will forever guarding humanity."
Soldiers gazed at the wall with solemn understanding.
A warrior's resting place is the battlefield. Their duty is to defend. If their sacrifice can help the Human Race survive on the Eternal Continent, they would gladly forge an immortal wall of flesh and bone. This was a different kind of immortality—one where the soul might perish, but the will endured.
In mere moments, every human corpse on the battlefield had been absorbed.
Swish!
The wall soared into the sky.
It flew toward a distant canyon, descending upon the cliffs. It landed atop the peaks, transforming into a towering three-zhang-high (10 meters) wall that stretched along the terrain. In the blink of an eye, it enveloped the surrounding region. Following the mountain's contours, it extended three kilometers, like a living, breathing defense line.
This was the Iron-Blooded Great Wall.