At first, the Military Soul Stele was only ten feet tall. To dye it completely red with blood was no easy task. The blood it absorbed had to be the essence—only through slaughtering vast numbers of ferocious beasts, monsters, and even living beings could it evolve, becoming fully dyed in crimson. Moreover, this could only be achieved by the soldiers within the military camp through personally slaying the enemies.
Only those killed by one's own hands would be absorbed by the Military Soul Stele.Once someone entered the military camp, an imprint would naturally appear, granting the stele's recognition.
Although it was only ten feet tall, to dye it completely blood-red would require the slaughter of at least tens of thousands of beasts or alien races. The military camp existed solely for war and slaughter.
This didn't surprise Yi Tianxing.
"The military camp is the base for campaigns across the world, raising soldiers of slaughter—hunters of all beings. I truly look forward to its transformation as it grows."Yi Tianxing nodded to himself, murmuring quietly.
The sudden appearance of the military camp also drew attention within Xuanhuang Town. Yet upon seeing its nature, people showed no particular alarm.
"What a magnificent military camp. It's entirely natural, without any trace of artificial carving. The aura it exudes is powerful—like a terrifying beast. Just looking at it instills awe and fear."
"This must be another Heaven-and-Earth treasure, like the Scripture Pavilion or the Tongtian Pagoda. I wonder what special qualities it has—it surely must have a great effect on the soldiers."
"Fantastic! Another treasure-building! The more of these we have, the stronger the foundation of Xuanhuang Town becomes. This one can train our army—our forces will definitely become even stronger."
Voices of discussion buzzed in the air.
Many gazes toward Yi Tianxing carried admiration and fanatic reverence. Seeing the town grow and strengthen before their eyes, that sense of respect only deepened.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Just then, rapid footsteps echoed. Wang Dahu, clad in battle armor, rushed up to the city wall, his face both excited and grave.
"My lord!!"He called out loudly as he reached the wall.
"Dahu, has something urgent happened?"
Seeing Wang Dahu's expression, Yi Tianxing immediately guessed that something serious had occurred—otherwise, he wouldn't be in such a rush.
Weren't they supposed to be clearing debris from the battlefield? Had they discovered a treasure, or had something gone wrong?
"My lord, earlier I led some soldiers and cultivators with awakened earth-element life apertures, and we followed the scorpion tribe's escape tunnels, trying to track them. Even though the scorpion men destroyed most of the passageways as they left, we still managed to follow some traces—and discovered something major."
Wang Dahu quickly steadied his breathing and continued:
"We found that not far from Xuanhuang Town, the scorpion race had excavated a huge underground space. And inside, they were holding captive a massive number of human civilians. I only caught a glimpse, but there were people everywhere—tens of thousands, perhaps even over a hundred thousand. I even saw the scorpion men killing and eating them as blood sacrifices."
"Worse, they're planning a ritual to offer the prisoners as sacrifices to a demonic god. I fear it's imminent. Their warriors are too numerous—we couldn't challenge them with our small force, so I rushed back to report."
This discovery clearly carried enormous implications.
So many humans, held underground... used as sacrifices.If they could be rescued and brought into Xuanhuang Town, the town's development would skyrocket.
Yi Tianxing knew—no matter for the sake of justice or the future of the town—he could not stand idly by.
"General Yang."
Yi Tianxing called for Yang Ye.
"How many battle-ready soldiers do we still have?"
"Thirty thousand," Yang Ye answered without hesitation. "The rest are either dead or too wounded to fight."
As a general, he was naturally clear on his troop strength. His immediate answer showed his discipline.
"Gather all soldiers and bring them into the military camp. Prepare the army. Bring supplies, rune bombs, crossbow bolts, and rune arrows—as many as possible, but without hampering combat readiness. Once ready, we move. We'll storm the underground stronghold!"
Yi Tianxing issued his command swiftly.
"Yes, my lord!"Yang Ye responded without hesitation.
This was no time for indecision. Knowing tens of thousands of humans were at risk of being sacrificed, there was no alternative but war.
"All soldiers, drop everything and report to the military camp!!"Yang Ye's voice rang across the town.
Soldiers immediately abandoned their tasks and hurried toward the camp. Even those cleaning the battlefield rushed over.
The military camp looked small from the outside, but no matter how many entered, nothing could be seen from the outside. It was enshrouded in a mist of concealment.
This sudden mobilization drew curious glances from townsfolk and cultivators alike.
"What's going on? Why are all soldiers rushing into the military camp? Could it be that they're testing its features?"
"No... there's a murderous atmosphere in the air. I sense a looming battle. Could another enemy race be attacking?"
"Interesting. Looks like Xuanhuang Town is preparing for something big. Maybe some foolish alien tribe dares to challenge them again."
Even Young Master Kongxu sensed the killing intent in the air and looked toward Yi Tianxing, feeling the bloodlust emanating from him.
"Brother Yi, I want to go too. With my Immortal Phoenix Zither, I can help!"
Cai Yan, upon hearing about the imprisoned civilians, was reminded of her own captivity by the Xiongnu. She empathized deeply and wished to join the fight.
"No need. This is an underground operation. Your energy is still recovering from using the Phoenix Zither, and you're not fully restored yet. Besides, Xuanhuang Town still needs someone to hold the fort—you are vital for public morale. That's just as important as fighting."
"Besides," Yi Tianxing said confidently, "the scorpion tribe has been crippled. Even the Demon Scorpion was heavily injured. I'm bringing 30,000 troops. With me there, I refuse to believe that they have any trump card left that can withstand our assault."
His words exuded absolute confidence.
The scorpion tribe had suffered heavy losses in previous battles—bombarded underground, massacred on the surface. If they'd managed to escape with even a third of their forces intact, it would be a miracle.
Yi Tianxing did not believe they could stop a fully armed, battle-hardened army.
"Alright. I'll wait for your return."Cai Yan nodded gently.
"Don't worry."Yi Tianxing smiled, pulling her slender waist into his arms and holding her close.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Within moments, organized units of troops marched out of the military camp.
Every soldier wore full battle armor, wielding weapons. The Divine Machine Corps carried loads of crossbow bolts and war gear. A chilling aura of slaughter rolled outward, freezing the very air.
The sight made many townspeople and cultivators shiver inwardly—a great battle was clearly imminent. This wasn't for show. It was war.
Thirty thousand troops stood in tight formation.
Yi Tianxing stood at the front, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers. Without wasting words, he turned, and shouted a single command:
"Move out!!"