"You woke up no slower than she did. You must have heard everything we just said. Since that's the case, there's no need to repeat it. No matter how you were captured, you're now free and completely rid of the Demon Lord's control. But now, I want to know—how much do you know about the Demon Lord and the Demon City? What information do you have?"
Yi Tianxing glanced at the woman before him.
He had to admit, this woman exuded a sacred aura, like a celestial goddess beyond the mortal realm—impossible to profane.
"That's right. Start with your identity—who are you, and where do you come from?"Gongsun Daniu asked, looking directly at the woman. The aura she gave off was vastly different from Wang Zhaojun's, both in temperament and bloodline.
"Heaven-Human Tribe, Gong Qianyu."The woman replied calmly after a brief pause.
"What? Heaven-Human Tribe?"Yi Tianxing's brows furrowed slightly.
He had heard of this race. The Heaven-Human Tribe was known to be one of the most powerful races under heaven. It was said they bore human blood but were actually descendants from unions between the Celestial Spirit Tribe and the human race. With celestial blood considered "heavenly," they came to be known as Heaven-Humans.
They were said to possess the combined advantages of both races—the extraordinary cultivation aptitude of the Celestial Spirits and the ingenuity and adaptability of humans. Virtually every Heaven-Human was a peerless genius. Their ability to comprehend and master divine arts and techniques was astonishing. Additionally, their bloodline granted them innate divine talents, which would awaken once they reached a certain level.
These awakened talents varied greatly—some incredibly powerful, others nearly useless. It all depended on fortune and the depth of one's foundation.
It was as if they were blessed by the heavens themselves.
Their ability to enter a state of oneness with heaven made their cultivation progress nearly impossible to keep up with. However, their one fatal flaw was their low reproductive rate, meaning they could never grow their population quickly and thus remained relatively rare.
Nevertheless, men of the Heaven-Human Tribe were strikingly handsome, and women were stunningly beautiful. Their reputation for beauty and power was well-known across the realms. Despite their small numbers, their sheer number of strong cultivators rivaled that of any major race, earning them tremendous status.
"From your surname Gong, a royal family name among the Heaven-Humans, I take it your identity must be quite exceptional."Yi Tianxing looked at Gong Qianyu meaningfully. From her appearance and bearing alone, it was clear she was no ordinary figure.
"Still, I don't care what your past identity is. The fact that we've met now is fate. If you wish to leave, you're free to do so at any time. If you'd prefer to stay a while, you're welcome to remain in Golden Scale City for now. My Great Yi Dynasty welcomes friends—and does not fear enemies."His tone remained steady, unaffected by her status. After all, he owed them nothing, and that gave him the confidence to treat all equally.
"Then I'll trouble you for now,"Gong Qianyu replied, not refusing the offer. She clearly had no intention of leaving immediately.
The topic then turned to the Demon City.
Wang Zhaojun spoke first, her face tinged with recollection."I was captured and taken into the Demon City after falling into the Abyss. They brought me into a palace where I walked beside a blood-red lotus, and then the Demon Lord engraved a cultivation method into my mind. After that, I was sealed in a Heavenly Coffin and remained unconscious until I was just awakened. So, I don't actually know much about the Demon City."
That was understandable—given the mysterious nature of the Demon City, it was unlikely she'd be allowed to learn its secrets easily.
"You received a cultivation method directly from the Demon Lord?"Yi Tianxing showed a hint of surprise.
"Yes. I don't know exactly what it is, but it's called the 'Heavenly Maiden's Wondrous Aspect Scripture' (天女妙相经). While I was sealed in the coffin, my body continued cultivating it. By now, I've fully laid my foundation with this technique."
Wang Zhaojun explained calmly.
The Heavenly Coffin's function was truly astonishing—it allowed her to cultivate and grow stronger while unconscious, breaking through bottlenecks with ease and skyrocketing her cultivation at a terrifying speed.
Yi Tianxing silently mulled over this. He had never seen that scripture in the Demon Scripture Hall, which meant it likely wasn't stored there. If that were true, then it must be a personal treasure of the Demon Lord, something even he held in high regard. That made it anything but ordinary.
"A technique is just a technique—its worth depends on how well it allows someone to unleash their potential. There's no absolute distinction between righteous or evil methods. What matters is who uses them."Yi Tianxing made no attempt to claim the scripture for himself. Doing so would have been beneath him.
And besides, he had no shortage of techniques or ancient scriptures. He didn't care for one more or less.
That being said, Wang Zhaojun's cultivation had already reached the Manifestation Realm (Tier 4), which was impressive. Clearly, the Heavenly Coffin's power—and the Demon Lord's methods—were extraordinary.
They left the quiet chamber shortly afterward. Yi Tianxing had accommodations arranged for Wang Zhaojun and Gong Qianyu within the city lord's mansion. He and Gongsun Daniu then wandered the city to give her a look at what a Great Yi Immortal City looked like.
Golden Scale City had undergone a dramatic transformation in a short time.
The Golden Scale Tribe had fully integrated, and a stream of bounty hunters had come pouring in from the Great Yi Dynasty, helping to construct and activate the city's infrastructure.
Many keen-eyed merchants from other Immortal Cities had also relocated and opened shops, making the city flourish in no time. Walking its streets felt like stepping into a scene of imperial prosperity—unthinkable given how recently it had all begun.
"For the human race to have someone like you is a blessing. I never thought I'd live to see such flourishing human cities. Just for this, Tianxing, your contribution to our people is immeasurable. If only you had arrived at Skyhawk Island earlier—who knows how many more could have survived."Gongsun Daniu spoke with growing emotion.
She had seen firsthand how the common folk lived in villages and towns—completely incomparable to the conditions in Golden Scale City. What she saw here was the true hope of the human race, especially for the people of Skyhawk Island.
"Wan'er, don't limit your perspective. Think long-term. Golden Scale City is just one of our newly built Immortal Cities. Every city in the Great Yi Dynasty is far more prosperous than this. And this is only the beginning. The human race has countless heroes, not just me. If I were the only one, we'd truly be doomed."Yi Tianxing smiled.
"The Eternal World is vast. Across its many regions, countless human geniuses are all striving to carve out a future—to shelter our people and ensure their survival."
"The road ahead is long and winding, but I shall search high and low."
A quote from the ancient sages, fitting for the journey.
"Unfortunately, not all those with human faces have human hearts. Take the Skyhawk Royal Court. Its people may be human, but they have no humanity."Gongsun Daniu said with a bitter tone.
Yes, the Skyhawk Court was technically part of the human race—but ethnicity and humanity were not the same. These people had slaughtered and eaten their own. That was not just cruelty—it was betrayal of the human race.
Traitors must die.No mercy for those who eat their own kind.
"Don't worry. We've already begun our covert operations against the Skyhawk Royal Court. Once all is in place, we'll crush them in an instant."Yi Tianxing said calmly.
More and more bounty hunters were infiltrating the plains. Some had already embedded themselves within the Skyhawk Royal Court's capital—ready to strike at a moment's notice.
The final pieces were just minor logistical details.
"But the Skyhawk King isn't that simple. It's said he possesses a secret and formidable force, one that is his true trump card. Yet no one knows what it is."Gongsun Daniu revealed.
This mysterious force was what made the Skyhawk King truly dangerous.
There was a legend: once, a powerful alien tribe roamed the grasslands. But when the Skyhawk Court rose to power, that entire tribe was annihilated overnight—a sea of corpses, blood staining the plains. To this day, no one knows how they were wiped out.
"Also, don't forget the temple forces on the grasslands. They have top-tier experts—and they won't stand by and watch the Skyhawk Court collapse."Another obstacle in dismantling the Skyhawk regime.