All beings are equal. Who is truly born to stand above others?
If sects don't come to terms with their place in the world, there may come a time when their very existence becomes uncertain.
To Lord Kongxu, these Xiaohanshan disciples before him were nothing more than minor matters. In fact, he had already surmised that the moment they entered Xuanhuang City, their presence would have been known.
"The Celestial Registration Card here is far more than just an identity pass."
He held up a crystalline card and spoke with a faint smile.
The Celestial Registration Card could record all kinds of personal information. It was connected to a mysterious divine artifact, gathering information from across the city. Many places required this card to access; without it, one's movements would be limited. It also recorded merit points, which emphasized its importance. There even existed a treasure that could synchronize with it, producing strange effects.
Yet those from the sects, proud and aloof, would never humble themselves to go register for a card.
Their distinctive temperament alone would draw attention. In the past, someone would have already come to investigate them thoroughly. But with the beastman army approaching, all attention was now focused on the looming war. No one had the spare energy to deal with them.
Otherwise, someone would have already come knocking.
"I heard a Golden Behemoth was nailed outside the Iron-Blood Great Wall. It was from the royal bloodline of the beastmen. Now it's summoning the beastman horde to attack Xuanhuang City. Senior brother, should we lend a hand when the time comes?"
A young girl in green asked.
"Hmm, let's observe first. Xuanhuang City is no ordinary place. Let's see how this unfolds."
The senior brother replied calmly.
He actually welcomed this opportunity to witness the true depth of Xuanhuang City's strength.
From the moment they arrived, they had felt it—Xuanhuang City's policies posed a direct shock to the traditional sect system. Here, anyone could cultivate, anyone could become a cultivator. As long as one had merit points, they could enter the Scripture Repository and choose techniques. According to what they'd discovered, the number of techniques inside was vast, nearly unrivaled in the world.
The Repository contained a myriad of cultivation methods and combat techniques.
To the sects, this was what defined a sect's heritage.
Even the Cold Mountain Sword Sect's collection paled in comparison to Xuanhuang's Repository. It was like comparing a poor hut to a grand library.
Though they hadn't entered the Repository yet, what they had learned along the way told them enough: the ordinary books were countless, and the cultivation methods and battle techniques even more so. Some were even top-tier techniques. With merit points, one could simply claim them—unlike in the sects, where top-tier techniques were never passed down to non-core disciples.
Take themselves, for example. As young disciples, they were only allowed to train in a derivative of the Ice Sword Codex, called the Lesser Ice Sword Codex. Only after making enough contributions would they be granted access to the true Ice Sword Codex.
Just this alone showed the boldness and generosity of Xuanhuang City. It had no fear of others obtaining their cultivation methods—instead, it actively encouraged the populace to cultivate.
"This is beyond a sect. It's a society where everyone cultivates. Though they train on their own without personal instruction, over generations, they'll become an immense force."
The senior brother pondered silently, thoughts racing.
If every region became like this, sects would find their space to survive shrinking rapidly.
What he truly wanted to see was the full extent of Xuanhuang City's power.
That couldn't be judged by appearances—only in war could one see its true form.
Awoo!!
Suddenly, a piercing howl echoed through the skies.
Streaks of golden and green light flashed through the air—the Golden Roc and the Windgod dragon King were returning from afar.
DONG! DONG! DONG!
The urgent clang of alarm bells rang out.
Dense and rapid. The sound of the bells echoed eighty-one times.
This was no ordinary alarm.
Each level of alert corresponded to nine rings.
A Level One Alert had only nine rings. Eighteen signified Level Two. But eighty-one—that meant maximum alert, signifying an unimaginable catastrophe was about to descend.
Everyone in Xuanhuang City knew: this was a summons to prepare for death.
A determination to die in battle.
"Eighty-one bell tolls—the highest level of alarm. A great calamity approaches."
"Is it the beastman army? Intelligence says their numbers already exceed ten million. And that's not even counting the vicious beasts accompanying them. Such an overwhelming force… once they charge, their destructive power will be apocalyptic."
"To break through the Iron-Blood Great Wall… let's see if the beastmen have what it takes. Sharpen your blades. Onto the battlefield. Kill the enemy!!"
Within Xuanhuang City, everyone—no matter who they were or what they were doing—froze. Their bodies straightened, listening to the relentless bells. These weren't just warnings.
They were death knells.
"So… they've come."
Inside the quiet chamber of the City Lord's residence—
From beneath Yi Tianxing, a shadow emerged, transforming into a humanoid form—it was Yi Tianxie, his other self.
Clad in a black robe, he opened the door and strode out.
"Husband, you've come."
Cai Yan stepped forward, cradling the Immortal Phoenix Zither in her arms. Dressed in a court robe, she looked like a celestial goddess descended to earth. Her presence was breathtaking.
"Yes. To the Iron-Blood Great Wall. This battle will be soaked in blood."
Yi Tianxing's voice was calm but firm.
Together, they stepped forward.
The Golden Roc and the Windgod Dragon King swooped down, lifting them into the skies and soaring toward the wall.
In a flash, they reached the Iron-Blood Great Wall.
"Greetings, Lord and Lady!!"
Huang Chengyan and others were already stationed there. Upon seeing Yi Tianxing arrive, they bowed deeply.
"No need for formality. We simplify things on the battlefield," Yi Tianxing said evenly. "According to Goldroc and Windwing's scouting, the beastman army is almost here. Though we do not seek war, we must fight it. We never provoke conflict—but we do not fear it. Any force that dares covet what is ours must be prepared to bleed."
"If this war cannot be avoided, then let us carve a future from blood. After this battle, Xuanhuang City shall ascend as a Royal City, establishing a true kingdom. Those who dare seek to destroy us or slaughter our people—I say this now: as long as Xuanhuang stands, we shall build our nation atop mountains of corpses and oceans of blood. I want to see who dares to stop us."
Each word was spoken with absolute confidence—unshakable, undeniable.
Such belief. Such resolve.
Though he had once planned to wait patiently, to slowly accumulate strength and lay the foundations for a kingdom, the beastman invasion had changed everything. Did they think him so easily bullied? That schemes and tricks would halt his rise?
Delusional.
If they wouldn't let him cultivate in peace, then he would climb to the throne atop their corpses.
He would crush the beastman army, seize their fate, and transform from serpent to dragon.
Whoever stood in his way—would die!
"Very well! We pledge to follow the Lord and found the nation!!"
Huang Chengyan knelt with conviction.
"Follow the Lord! Found the nation!!"
Thousands of soldiers roared together. In their eyes burned a passion that words could not describe. Yi Tianxing had long become their spiritual pillar. So long as he stood—they would charge into hell itself.
Founding a nation—the words alone ignited their blood.
To establish a nation was a sacred dream.
Once it happened, every citizen would have a true homeland. A new human kingdom would rise, bringing strength and legitimacy to the race. If they defeated the beastman horde and seized their fate, Xuanhuang City's ascension and national founding would be unstoppable.
It would become a historic inevitability.
Nation-building—the dream of countless common folk.
BOOM!!
Amidst the shouts, the ground outside the Iron-Blood Great Wall trembled violently.
The earth quaked, mountains shook. A savage, murderous aura surged forth like a tide.
A stampede of countless beasts.
Outside the wall, the land stretched flat—a vast grassland, chosen as the battlefield by the beastmen.
Here, visibility was high, ambushes unlikely. It was perfect for full-scale war. No matter the side, this terrain left little room for stealth or traps.
In contrast, a forested battlefield would make any commander wary of ambush.
"What a pity. If we hadn't had to consider the safety of other towns and villages, we could've chosen a more advantageous battlefield. I'm confident that along the march, I could've reduced their numbers by thirty percent. Now, we must fight head-on. The losses will be heavy."
Jia Xu sighed, his eyes fixed on the horizon, where the beastman army rapidly approached.
If they could've waged a guerrilla war—ambushes, traps, strategic strikes—they could've worn the beastmen down over time. That kind of chessboard war was his favorite.
But now, with a head-on battle, their options were limited.
"Wenhe, your talents are unquestioned. Your time will come. But even now, we need your strategic mind. We are vastly outnumbered."
Yi Tianxing inhaled deeply and spoke.
"Wolves. So many wolves…"
"Look at the size of them—bigger than warhorses. They're terrifying…"