Chapter 0116 – Chased into the Valley

"Let's see what kind of material has been refined from the essence of these beast bones. Whether the plan to forge the Heaven Register Cards can be implemented depends entirely on this attempt."Yi Tianxing's heart was filled with anticipation.

If even the material issue couldn't be solved, then everything else would be nothing but empty talk. There would be no point in discussing anything further. Materials—they were the true foundation of everything.

Shua!

A large number of crystal-clear cards shot out of the container and fell to the ground.

At a glance, there were likely several hundred of them.

Each was about the size of a pre-cataclysm ID card, just slightly larger.

Yi Tianxing picked up one of the bone cards. Its texture was smooth and warm like jade. A faint spiritual energy could be sensed within, and the card itself had a surprisingly substantial weight. There was none of the fragility one might expect from bone; instead, it felt as heavy and solid as refined iron. Holding it in hand gave off a sense of sturdy durability.

Ding!

He flicked it with his finger. The card emitted a crisp, pleasant ring—like a cross between jade and fine steel. The resonance was clear, almost musical, and carried the elegance of a crafted artwork.

Flexible yet tough, translucent like jade, and surrounded by a faint radiance.

"Excellent. As I thought, this idea of using refined bone was right. Once tempered, this material possesses an innate spiritual nature. The impurities have been completely removed—what's left is the condensed essence of beast bone. It can absolutely bear the power of engraved sigils. And since these bones come from fierce beasts, which we can continuously hunt, the supply of materials won't be a problem."

"What matters now is whether we can complete the sigil inscriptions in the shortest possible time. Otherwise, everything else is meaningless."

Looking at the bone cards before him, Yi Tianxing couldn't help but feel a surge of joy in his heart. This was a solid first step.

After refining the crystal cards, Cao Zhengchun hadn't yet returned. But it was already deep into the night—he was likely just delivering a message, and any real production would have to wait until the next day.

These things couldn't be rushed.

Yi Tianxing collected the crystal cards and stored them back in the Spirit Orb Space.

With eyes closed, he once again immersed his mind into his sea of consciousness. While continuing to nourish the Yang Linking Meridian, he simultaneously began mentally deducing the Foundational Sigil Canon, focusing on the few basic sigils he would need. He repeatedly visualized and simulated them, hoping to engrave them into memory as soon as possible. Only then could he inscribe them in one go when it came time to draw.

If one had to stop and think mid-drawing, success would be impossible. A sigil was composed of runes, and it needed one's true qi to guide Heaven and Earth energy and Dao rhythm into it. Any pause during the process would cause failure.

A slight variation in the amount of true qi used could yield vastly different results—or lead to complete failure. The Foundational Sigil Canon explained all of this in detail, but truly mastering it required hands-on practice and personal insight. The book could only take one so far.

Time slipped by unnoticed, and soon, dawn approached.

ROAR!!

From the entrance of the valley came wave after wave of terrifying beastly howls, accompanied by the sounds of fierce fighting. In the past, this would've been normal—fierce beasts and monsters often battled each other. Their previous unified attacks against humans had only occurred because humanity was weak—easy prey, abundant food. When facing the strong or the weak, the choice was obvious: strike the weak first.

This was no different from the early days of the Cataclysm. Back then, hordes of monsters had descended upon the world and immediately targeted humans—not out of hatred, but because humans were perceived as weak and vulnerable. That primal instinct ran deep in their blood.

It was like how, after Xuanhuang Village had been established, the surrounding monsters had quickly gathered to attack it, launching wave after wave of assaults. But now, the number of beasts daring to charge the village had dropped significantly.

That was the result of a deterrent forged from piles of monstrous corpses—a reputation built through blood and battle. The aura of slaughter surrounding Xuanhuang Village had become so thick that, although invisible to the average person, it could not be hidden from the senses of fierce beasts.

Lower-ranked beasts now didn't even dare approach the village lightly.

But now, the roars outside the valley were filled with an almost manic excitement—the thrill of chasing prey.

"Run! Run faster! There are too many monsters behind us! And the Xiongnu are on our tails too. If we're caught, I'd rather die to the beasts than fall into their hands! Those beasts… no, those animals are worse than monsters!" a woman's desperate voice rang out.

It was clear from her tone that she feared the Xiongnu far more than the beasts. Being caught by a beast meant being eaten, but falling into the hands of the Xiongnu was a fate worse than death—one filled with torment and horror. To her, the Xiongnu weren't even human.

After all, even dogs wouldn't eat dog meat if they realized what it was—they'd vomit, even weep. But the Xiongnu? They delighted in cannibalism. There was no humanity left in them.

Cannibalism among the same kind is a sin.Beasts eating humans is not.Humans eating beasts is not.Only eating your own kind is a crime.

"Quick! There's a valley ahead. I see the entrance. If we can get in there, maybe we'll have a chance at surviving!"

Another voice shouted.

"You all go! Get into the valley—I can't run anymore. I'd rather die here to the beasts than get dragged back by those monsters. My death might buy you some time!"

Chaotic shouting echoed in the air.

Human voices.

But these people were clearly in dire straits, caught in the throes of escape.

Outside the valley, a group of people were sprinting forward as fast as they could. Despite being breathless and exhausted, none dared stop. Their eyes were filled with fear—and hope.

There weren't many of them—fewer than a few hundred.

Behind them, the roars of fierce beasts grew louder. From the skies, savage birds swooped down, snatching villagers into the air and tearing them apart mid-flight. Some had their skulls split open, their brains pecked out in gruesome flashes.

From the darkness, pairs of gleaming eyes emerged, filled with hunger and malice. One by one, stragglers were dragged into the shadows, their screams piercing the night before abruptly falling silent.

The scene was chilling—enough to send shivers down anyone's spine.

When the fleeing people spotted the valley entrance, hope lit up in their eyes.

"Look! Firelight up ahead!"

"There's a fire! It's a village! I see walls! There are humans in that valley—we're saved! We're really saved! Hurry! Get to the village!"

As soon as they passed through the valley entrance, they could see the blazing fires of Xuanhuang Village ahead.

In Xuanhuang, bonfires never went out at night. Every so often, someone would add wood to keep them burning. Soldiers patrolled the wooden palisades in shifts, three rotations through the night, ensuring the defenses were never unmanned. With cultivator physiques, the guards could go a night without sleep without fatigue. At a moment's notice, the rest could be summoned to action.

Even the villagers would willingly climb the walls to help with defense.

The entire village was like a militia of the people.

The refugees from Yang Family Village had also started cultivating in the past few days. Some of them, blessed with natural talent, had already stepped into the path of cultivation, becoming true cultivators. Their lives were transforming.

Their growing strength brought newfound confidence.

Their belief in Xuanhuang Village had never been stronger.

As dawn approached, the wall watch was being led by Wang Dahu and Feng Yumo.

The wooden palisade was built wide enough to walk on, functioning like a proper city wall.

"General Wang! Look! There are people over there!"Feng Yumo's eyes locked onto the valley entrance. He shouted in alarm.

"They're humans! I see them too! People are running toward us from the valley!"

"Men and women… they look panicked. Something's chasing them. I hear beastly roars. Could it be monsters?"

"Where on earth did these people come from? It's a miracle they've survived until now. The wilderness is hell—especially at night. Yet they've made it all the way here?"

At that moment, Wang Dahu also saw the group clearly.

They were disheveled, clothes in tatters, faces pale—clearly survivors of immense hardship. They had escaped from death's jaws, no doubt about it.

"Open the gates! Sound the alarm! Have the soldiers report to the walls immediately! Feng Yumo—go inform the Lord!"

Wang Dahu's eyes gleamed as he barked out the orders with commanding presence.

In that instant, his decisiveness and poise revealed the makings of a true general. His orders were confident, swift, and effective.

Generals aren't born—they're made. And Wang Dahu… was becoming one.