Men were slaughtered, women violated—such horrors were so gruesome that even Old Ghost Qi didn't wish to speak further. The scenes were too brutal, too chilling. Just talking about them could cause nightmares at night.
Reportedly, the Great Wei Dynasty had already scouted the strength of the alien tribes in the Wei Prefecture. However, the tide of battle shifted abruptly when the aliens received a mysterious reinforcement—a massive force of Beastmen warriors emerged and joined the battlefield, altering the entire dynamic. Additionally, legions of the Undead appeared, causing Great Wei to suffer consecutive defeats. Rumor had it that among the aliens, there existed a powerful necromancer capable of enslaving undead skeletons.
If not for these developments, with the might of Great Wei—even at the cost of significant casualties—they would have been able to suppress the alien tribes and fully unify the Wei Prefecture. But such is the Eternal World—full of surprises, where nothing ever goes entirely as planned. Uncertainty lies everywhere. Just like now, Great Wei's bright prospects had been utterly ruined.
Numerous Immortal Cities had already fallen.
According to Old Ghost Qi, a brutal battle had broken out not long ago outside Jinshui City between Great Wei's forces and the aliens. The slaughter was horrendous; blood flowed like rivers on the battlefield. Though the aliens were repelled, Great Wei suffered devastating losses—hundreds of thousands of troops perished.
Fearing an ambush on Jinshui City, the army had to retreat to defend the city, postponing the recovery of the corpses until the next day. Typically, by nightfall, civilians would leave the city as corpse-carriers, retrieving the bodies of the fallen to prevent them from being defiled or corrupted into undead by the necromancers. That would be a grim fate—a humiliation for the warriors who would not even find peace in death.
"But those corpse-carriers no longer have any use."
Yi Tianxing shook his head inwardly.
The occupation of corpse-carrier existed because it was profitable. During the process of retrieving bodies, one might stumble upon valuables—a ring, an artifact—making it a potentially rewarding profession while also honoring the fallen. A win-win.
"How's the current state of Great Wei?" Yi Tianxing asked.
"Based on intel, it's not looking good," Old Ghost Qi replied grimly. "Many Immortal Cities have fallen one after another. Vast numbers of human civilians have been enslaved and subjected to horrific ordeals. Only less than ten cities remain. If even those fall, then Great Wei is truly finished."
Old Ghost Qi clearly didn't feel optimistic. The situation was dire. If not for lingering loyalty toward Great Wei and some faith in Cao Cao, many civilians would have already sought their own paths to survival.
"The human race will not fall so easily. Our martyrs are not far behind us. It's our turn to advance," Yi Tianxing said solemnly.
"Indeed. There's reliable news that His Majesty has personally traveled to a Human Immortal Sect, requesting their assistance. It's said that the sect is quite powerful. If they agree to help, they may just pull Great Wei out of this crisis," said Old Ghost Qi with a hopeful glimmer in his eyes.
It was perhaps Great Wei's last and greatest hope: for the Immortal Sects of humanity to intervene.
"Let's hope so. By the way, do you know who's in the royal family?"
The Cao clan, Yi Tianxing mused, was full of talent. Cao Cao, in particular, was renowned for siring many sons—and hardly any of them were mediocre.
Cao Zhi, Cao Pi, Cao Ang, Cao Zhang, Cao Chong, Cao Xiong, Cao Yu—each was extraordinary in some way. According to records, Cao Cao fathered over twenty sons, an impressive and admirable feat by any standard.
Among them, Cao Zhi was famously known as being "eight parts talent out of ten"—a poetic genius whose literary brilliance was unmatched.
"Below the king, there are princes like Cao Zhi, Cao Pi, and Cao Chong. All are outstanding. Their cultivation is said to be extremely high, not inferior to mighty generals. The royal Cao family is overflowing with talent," said Old Ghost Qi with admiration.
Few could compare to someone like Cao Cao—not just in producing children, but in raising so many competent ones.
Old Ghost Qi then shared more news about Great Wei. With someone like him around, Yi Tianxing didn't need to waste time gathering information himself. All it cost was a few Eternal Coins, a trivial expense.
"Here, these Eternal Coins are yours," Yi Tianxing said calmly, sliding the coins toward him.
"Thank you, brother! If you ever need anything in Jinshui City—information, goods, even… companionship—I can get it for you. Whatever you want, I can find it," Old Ghost Qi said cheerfully, his tone suddenly turning into that of a pimp.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
At that moment, a series of resounding war drums rang from the city walls, echoing with intense battle spirit and a chilling killing intent.
"War! War! War!!"
"Fight to the death! Fight to the death!!"
Thunderous roars echoed across Jinshui City, shaking the skies. The unyielding will of the soldiers surged with every cry.
BOOM RUMBLE!!
The ground began to quake. It felt as though thousands of troops were galloping beneath their feet.
"It's the war drums—the alien coalition is about to attack Jinshui City!"
"We're doomed. We only have 300,000 troops in the city. Even with the reserves, that's no more than 500,000. The aliens always lead with endless beast tides, followed by undead. Their assaults are relentless, and eventually we're overwhelmed."
"Damn these aliens, always using numbers to win! That's not honorable combat!"
"To the walls! I refuse to see this city fall without a fight. If we're going to die, we'll die fighting. If the city falls, what awaits us is worse than death—our wives and daughters will be violated!"
"If you're a man—take your blade and get to the wall!"
Citizens erupted into panic. Yet many men roared in defiance, hoisting their weapons and heading straight for the city walls. They clearly intended to die fighting, not to sit and await slaughter.
"Interesting. So they've finally come. Let's see what these aliens are truly capable of."Yi Tianxing quietly observed. But he wasn't in a hurry.
The food had just arrived. These signature dishes, while not gourmet cuisine, had their own charm. The flavors weren't bad either.
He leisurely enjoyed his meal. The war had just begun—there was no rush.
Though he appeared calm, Yi Tianxing ate quickly, finishing everything without a trace. Tossing out a single Eternal Coin for the meal, he stepped out of the tavern and headed for the city wall.
Along the way, the fearful expressions of the townsfolk were evident everywhere.
"What a pity," he mused. "Though Cao Cao is a brilliant strategist, he suffers from paranoia and lust for power. Even though he possesses cultivation techniques—quite a few, I imagine—he never made them public. He never gave the common people a chance to grow strong. Otherwise, this whole city could be full of cultivators. They could fight or flee instead of waiting to die."
This, Yi Tianxing disapproved of. In such chaotic times, it wasn't just about the fate of one nation, but the struggle among all races. A strategy of universal cultivation—where everyone becomes a dragon—was the only viable path.
If Great Wei had done that, perhaps its current predicament could have been completely reversed.
But now, it was too late—even if they realized their mistake.
In Great Yi Dynasty, things were different. No alien race dared to attack their Immortal Cities. Not only were the cities heavily defended, but anyone willing could become a soldier. The entire city could rise up in battle—this was why the Great Yi could dominate the wilderness.
Before long, Yi Tianxing reached the walls.
There, Great Wei soldiers clad in armor stood with grim determination, exuding an aura of readiness to die. Their eyes were resolute—those who stood here had already accepted death. In the face of righteousness and duty, personal survival meant little.
BOOM RUMBLE!!
The earth shook violently. At the distant horizon, a black tide rolled in like a crashing wave.
It was a beast tide—densely packed, covering the entire landscape. Savage beasts and monstrous birds formed a terrifying tsunami of flesh and fury. Cruel light shone in their eyes.
But for Jinshui City, this was only the beginning.
"All units, prepare! Archers ready!!"
"Ballistae ready!!"
"Magic crystal cannons—ready!!"
SWISH SWISH SWISH!!
Thousands of arrows rained down on the beast tide like a storm. Screams erupted as beasts were pierced, trampled, or torn apart by the chaos. Death swept across the front lines.
The giant ballistae fired bolts the size of tree trunks, each shot carving bloody ravines through the beast tide.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!!
Then came the Magic Crystal Cannons, mounted on platforms. Fueled by crystal stones, each blast released a dazzling ray of destruction. Wherever it landed, beasts were blown apart, vaporized into blood mist.
Four cannons. One at each cardinal point—guarding the city with overwhelming power.