Chapter 0470: Human Slaves

Such massive city walls, without a single gap—one would think they'd grown straight out of the earth. Just one glance filled people with an intangible sense of awe and pressure. It was simply enormous. The presence it emanated was omnipresent. This ancient city was several times larger than Xuanhuang City, resembling a peerless giant standing on the earth, unmoving like a mountain, unshakable.

"If this really was built in just a few days, then the strength of the foreign races is worth taking seriously. We must stay on high alert. The strength of the alien races is definitely not as weak as imagined. I wonder whether this was built by the Winged Men alone or through a joint effort by several races," said Jia Xu, squinting slightly.

There was a fundamental difference between the two. If the Winged Men built it alone, then their strength was truly terrifying. But if it was a joint effort, that meant while the alien races were powerful, they weren't invincible.

"It must've been a joint construction effort. And this is only the outer wall. The interior is likely still under construction," Yi Tianxing took a deep breath and spoke in a heavy tone.

He simply couldn't believe that the alien races had the strength and foundation to build such a colossal ancient city in such a short span of time. That would be too outrageous—at least, he wouldn't believe it easily. Even if this was meant as a show of force to intimidate the other races, it wasn't something the Winged Men could pull off on their own.

"Let's go. We're heading over."

Without hesitation, Yi Tianxing made his decision and led the way toward the giant city.

On closer inspection, the city stood on a vast plain. Nearby, a mighty river divided the land in two. This river was very familiar—it was the same one near Xuanhuang City.

This great river stretched for thousands of miles across the land, nourishing all living things. Its waters surged with life, sometimes roaring with waves and whitecaps.

The river had nourished countless people—many villages and towns, both human and alien, had been built near its banks. While each race may have named it differently, in Xuanhuang City, the people called it the Evergreen River (Changqing He).

"Chang" referred to the river's endless flow, its infinite reach with no known end."Qing" symbolized life, a river of vitality that gave birth to countless beings—a mother river, a cradle of life.

This interpretation had won unanimous approval from the citizens of Xuanhuang City, and so the river came to be widely known as the Evergreen River. It held a sacred place in people's hearts.

As for how other races called it—irrelevant. The name could change a thousand times, but the river remained the same.

"To build a fortress city beside the Evergreen River, using the river as a natural barrier against the Zerg plague, and relying on the city for defense—it's a brilliant strategic choice. Clearly, they plan to use this city as a frontline base to suppress the Zerg threat. There are wise minds among the alien races," Jia Xu said, surveying the surroundings as they approached.

The location was excellent. With open plains, nearby hills and waters, and the Evergreen River as a natural moat, defense would be significantly easier. Against the Zerg, the river would reduce the impact of any swarm by at least thirty percent. Any insect tide trying to cross it would have part of its numbers swept away, disrupting its momentum.

The closer they got, the more suffocating the pressure from the city became.

The massive city walls blocked all vision. Visually alone, the sheer scale struck hard.

"These walls aren't made from ordinary materials—they're entirely forged from steel. Likely, some cultivators used a divine power that transforms earth and stone into metal. The entire wall is steel, unimaginably thick and solid," Yi Tianxing observed, his eyes flashing as he took in the metallic gleam of the walls.

Clearly, these were not simple stones, but true steel—tough and incredibly durable. No single cultivator could've converted such a large area alone. There must have been many with that power, all quite high-level.

Inside the city, alien races could be seen coming and going.

"Gnolls."

"Ogres!"

"Beastmen!"

As they neared the gate, it was evident that those entering and exiting came from many races—some familiar like the gnolls, others completely new. "Beastmen" was a general term; the species varied widely based on their animal traits.

Different races, different appearances.

Guarding the gate were tall, intimidating werewolves, clad in beast-hide armor. Their hulking frames were packed with explosive muscle, each one bearing a huge wolf head atop their shoulders. They looked like upright wolves, gripping massive sabers in their hands. Their cold gazes swept the surroundings with chilling intensity. Just being stared at filled one with unease.

These werewolves radiated a bloodthirsty, savage aura. Even among the other alien races, many clearly felt wary of them.

Above the gate, huge ancient characters were engraved:

Rock Citadel (Panshi City).

"Like a rock standing firm before the Zerg plague—indestructible and everlasting."

Upon seeing the name of this giant city, Yi Tianxing nodded inwardly. Whatever else could be said, the name conveyed determination. The city would stand firm like a rock in the insect disaster—immovable, unbreakable.

Massive numbers of alien races were stationed atop the gates and walls.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Yi Tianxing led his troops forward in tidy formation. Twenty thousand soldiers marched in sync, their presence forming a cohesive force. As they stepped, the ground echoed with a deafening cadence, as though a fierce beast was approaching.

The moment they came into view, they immediately drew the attention of the alien forces stationed on the walls. Even within the city, reactions rippled.

"Another race's army? Which one this time?"

"Humans—it's the human race! They've actually come. This army looks fairly disciplined. Their gear is rather impressive too."

"Humans? What kind of strong individuals could humans have? They're nothing but weaklings, like ants. I've met a bunch before—could crush them with a finger. But they're delicious—makes you want seconds."

"So humans came too. What kind of strength can they have? Their armies are just ants to be crushed at will. Are they here to die?"

"Hmph. Humans are only good as food. Letting them in would degrade our status."

The alien races within the city reacted with shock, curiosity, and mostly disdain. To many, humans were merely blood food—weak to the point of being laughable. Numerous alien races clearly didn't want to share space with humans, as if it meant lowering themselves to live with dogs or pigs.

Disgust was evident.

"Stop! Identify your race!"

At the gate, a group of towering werewolves bellowed, halting Yi Tianxing's advance.

"Human race. Yi Tianxing, here with an army to help repel the Zerg," he replied coldly, eyes glinting with frost.

There was confidence in his voice—unyielding and firm.

"Humans? Hmph. What strong ones can humans possibly have? A bunch of weaklings no better than insects. Scram—this place isn't for your kind," one werewolf sneered, baring his fangs.

"Humans? As food, maybe. You want in? Sure—as slaves. Let them haul stone and build houses," another added with a cruel grin.

Contempt dripped from every word. In their eyes, humans were laughably weak—countless in number, but as easy to kill as mowing grass. No resistance. No threat.

Even though Yi Tianxing had brought twenty thousand troops, in their eyes, it was nothing. The city already held over a million gathered warriors from various races. They didn't believe humans had any real army to speak of.

"We've come to help fight the Zerg. Are you sure you're not going to let us in?" Yi Tianxing narrowed his eyes, his tone sharp with menace.

He had expected contempt or obstacles—but being denied entry outright? That was blatant discrimination, open mockery. If this got out, it would disgrace the entire human race.

"We know you're here to fight the Zerg. Out of respect for the Winged Men, we won't stop you entirely. But the main gate isn't for you. Take the side path instead—that's more suited for your kind."

One of the werewolves laughed coldly, then gestured to the side.

There, next to the massive gate, was another entrance.

But it was… small.

So small, it looked like a hole.