"Thank you, General. I'll enter the city at once."
Yi Tianxing looked up at the city walls. When he saw the general standing there, he couldn't help but inwardly praise him. What a fierce general.
The man stood over eight feet tall, his waist as thick as a barrel. His appearance was rugged and resolute, his physique powerful and imposing—so much so that even ordinary people could sense his terrifying might. Faint traces of killing intent surrounded him, clear proof that many had perished at his hands. His strength was formidable—the fluctuations of his aura alone revealed that he had reached the peak of the Life Diagram realm. Moreover, he had cultivated the body refinement path, and on the battlefield, the fusion of the two made his combat power comparable to those in the Dharma Image realm.
And if he possessed any unique life orifice divine powers, then his strength would be entirely unpredictable.
Thus, cultivation realms were only surface-level indicators. To judge someone's strength purely by realm was a surefire way to die without knowing how.
This wasn't the Dayi Dynasty, where most military generals had broken through to the Dharma Image realm. In this place, lacking such a breakthrough was not unusual—after all, reaching new realms required resources, techniques, and fortune.
"This is a Fortune Dynasty—its people are protected by destiny. I wonder which powerful human ruler founded this one."
Yi Tianxing was thoughtful. His gaze could discern the strong fate energy radiating from the general, though based on its quality, it likely only reached the level of a royal dynasty, not an imperial one.
The main city gate was tightly shut. With the land embroiled in war, no city would open its gates for just one or two individuals. However, a small side gate remained open and was used for controlled ingress and egress.
The small gate, though open, was still heavily guarded. The soldiers' eyes were sharp and vigilant.
Yi Tianxing entered the city smoothly. Of course, he was subjected to a brief inspection—but such procedures were meaningless before him. They could do nothing to hinder him.
Inside, he saw large numbers of commoners. Though their clothes were neat, they lacked the vibrant spirit of Dayi citizens. Their faces were pale and anxious, haunted by fear—an inevitable side effect of wartime chaos.
Ordinary people feared war.
For them, war meant death.
Worse yet, they now faced non-human tribes. Falling into their hands, death might be a luxury—far more terrifying was the fate of a living hell.
"So many people..."
Judging by the number of civilians within Jinshui City, it was likely no fewer than several hundred thousand. Thankfully, this ancient city was vast enough to accommodate them—for now.
Yi Tianxing headed to a tavern.
When it came to intelligence gathering, there was no place better than a tavern.
He soon found one named Three Moons Tavern and walked inside.
The place was filled with people—most of them wearing anxious, troubled expressions. It was clear that the atmosphere was far from joyful.
"Welcome, sir. How many in your party?"A waiter came up and asked politely.
"Just one."Yi Tianxing smiled.
"Are you here for food or lodging?"
"Bring me your tavern's signature dishes—and a pot of your best wine," Yi Tianxing replied.
"Right away, sir. Please follow me upstairs."
He was led to the second floor, which was noticeably quieter than the first. He found a table by the window and sat down.
No sooner had he sat than a figure approached and sat down across from him. The man looked at Yi Tianxing and said directly, "Sir, you're clearly not from Jinshui City. Otherwise, I, Old Ghost Seven (Qi), would've recognized you. From your bearing and attire, you clearly aren't some ordinary fellow."
Yi Tianxing looked at the man—gray robes, a rat-like face, sharp nose and chin—but with eyes that gleamed with cunning intelligence, constantly darting about. Clearly, he was a highly shrewd individual.
"Who are you?"
Yi Tianxing smiled faintly, already guessing the answer. He didn't drive the man away.
"I'm a Wind Whisperer here in Jinshui City. No one's better informed than me. If it's happening around here, I know it. So if you're looking for news—well, you came to the right guy."
Old Ghost Seven grinned confidently. This was how he made his living, and he was the undisputed leader among his peers in the city.
"Oh? As long as the information is accurate, money is no problem. If you tell me what I want to know—these are yours."
Yi Tianxing waved his hand, and ten Eternal Coins appeared on the table, shimmering with dazzling golden light that captivated the eyes.
"What currency is this...?"
Old Ghost Seven picked one up and bit into it—only to nearly break a tooth.
"This is an Eternal Coin. It contains pure heaven-and-earth essence and grants a threefold cultivation boost. It can be absorbed and refined like a pill, but with no impurities or side effects."
Yi Tianxing spoke calmly.
Wherever he went in a new realm, introducing Eternal Coins into circulation was always a top priority. Once they began flowing, they gathered fate energy. Even a single wave of circulation could yield immense benefits.
"It's even more exquisite and mystical than our Xuan Crystal Coins. Those only provide a single-fold increase to cultivation speed. Even so, they're already considered miraculous. But these Eternal Coins... threefold boost... incredible!"
Despite his worldly experience, Old Ghost Seven was stunned. He held the coin as if it were a precious treasure—obviously smitten by it. A single Eternal Coin was worth many times more than a Xuan Crystal Coin.
"Oh? Tell me about Great Wei. And this Xuan Crystal Coin."
Yi Tianxing's eyes narrowed slightly as he asked.
Old Ghost Seven now looked at him differently. Clearly, this man didn't know anything about Great Wei or its currency. Combined with the miraculous coins, it was obvious—this was an outsider. Maybe a sect cultivator. Maybe from another region. Either way, as long as he was human—and paid—nothing else mattered.
"This is a Xuan Crystal Coin."
He pulled out a pitch-black coin engraved with mystical patterns. One side bore the words "Move Mountains and Shift Peaks," and the other, two ancient characters: Wei Wu.
The inscriptions endowed the coin with spiritual properties, granting a one-fold cultivation boost. Compared to regular spirit stones, Xuan Crystal Coins were superior—more convenient and potent.
But the energy within was far less refined than that of an Eternal Coin. In terms of purity and density, there was simply no comparison.
"Great Wei is our current human royal dynasty—a Fortune Dynasty—founded by our King, Cao Cao. Its capital is in Xudu, and he established the Great Wei regime to protect our people in these harsh lands, fending off non-human tribes and wild beasts."
"..."
Old Ghost Seven quickly summarized the basics. Though most of this was common knowledge in Great Wei, for Yi Tianxing, it was valuable—providing him with a rapid understanding of the local situation.
"A dynasty founded by Cao Cao... So that's where I've ended up. How interesting."
A ripple stirred in Yi Tianxing's heart.
Cao Cao—the legendary schemer of Chinese history. The man who once said, "I'd rather betray the world than let the world betray me." A true warlord. Though he never claimed the throne in life, his ambitions were known to all.
Now, in the Eternal World, all worldly shackles had fallen away. Unsurprisingly, Cao Cao had established the Great Wei Dynasty with himself as sovereign.
With his unique fate and charisma, he had quickly attracted a host of civil and military talent. Through ruthless methods, he amassed power and territory, and within a few years, carved out a vast domain.
The land they were currently in was known as Weizhou.
Of course, Great Wei hadn't unified all of Weizhou—that name came from the dynasty's own internal classification.
"That general guarding Jinshui City—who is he?"
Yi Tianxing asked.
"That's General Xu Chu," Old Ghost Seven said solemnly, his tone respectful.
"Xu Chu... So it really is him. No wonder."
A look of realization crossed Yi Tianxing's face.
Xu Chu had been one of Cao Cao's most loyal generals. While not one of the famed Five Elite Generals, his loyalty to Cao Cao was absolute. Rumor had it he once coughed blood in grief when Cao Cao died.
He had saved Cao Cao's life more than once and was one of his most trusted guards.
In terms of strength, Xu Chu was also one of Cao Cao's top warriors. Extremely powerful.
The fact that he was now stationed at Jinshui City meant this place held great strategic importance.
Through Old Ghost Seven, Yi Tianxing also learned of Great Wei's current predicament.
It turned out that Cao Cao's aggressive expansion had drawn the ire of the non-human tribes. Determined to claim the wilderness for his people, he led campaigns that wiped out tribes and slaughtered beasts—clearing land for a safe human homeland.
But such iron-blooded tactics eventually united the enemy. The non-human tribes banded together in outrage, launching a massive counteroffensive.
They began by unleashing beast hordes to attack Great Wei's immortal cities. When those failed, elite forces from various tribes breached the cities' defenses. One by one, the cities fell—and what followed was utter horror.