Zhou Tianci, who had been single-mindedly searching for a civilization to cultivate in, unexpectedly obtained the Chaotic, Indestructible Spiritual Light—condensed from the Three Thousand Laws of the Primordial World—and was transported to an unfamiliar world of martial arts. Post-Heaven, Pre-Heaven, and Divine Abilities. Zhou Tianci was awestruck by the immense power of the cultivators there; however, his goal was not to reach the pinnacle of cultivation, but to devour the martial arts world itself. “It’s a pity this world’s tier is too low; its world energy is barely sufficient to forge Immortal Artifacts. It seems that to give birth to the Sword of Slaying Immortals, I’ll have to devour an even more powerful cultivation world.”
Chapter 17: Entering the Wild Forest
In the City of Tears and Blood, Huang Jue hurried back to the Huang Manor with two subordinates. The Huang family was one of the four great clans of the City of Tears and Blood; even the General of the Western Campaign had to yield to their power and influence. Naturally, their manor was extremely grand—there were more than twenty guards at the gate alone, and judging by their aura, none of them were below the mid-Houtian cultivation level. “Greetings, First Young Master!” Everyone bowed to Huang Jue, but he paid them no mind and strode past them. Once inside the estate, the steward, Huang Zhong, came forward to greet him: “Young Master, you’re back so early today?” “Where is Father? I wish to see him,” Huang Jue said. “The Master is in his study. Please follow me, Young Master,” Huang Zhong said, leading the way. Though his back was hunched and his hair and beard were entirely white—giving him the appearance of a man on the verge of old age—his pace was in no way slower than Huang Jue’s as he strode briskly ahead. In less than two minutes, they arrived outside the study. “Jue’er is back. Come in,” a deep voice called out from within the study. Huang Jue smoothed out his clothes and stepped inside slowly, while Huang Zhong and Huang Jue’s subordinates, Huang Lin and Huang Meng, waited outside the study. “Father!” Huang Jue bowed to the man behind the desk. The man had a face as fair as jade, eyes like Xingchen, and a long purple beard hanging down—he was none other than Huang Shuyi, the current head of the Huang family. Huang Shuyi set down the book he was holding and spoke slowly, “What has you so flustered?” Huang Jue replied, “I’ve just received word—the beast tide has begun!” “Oh?” Huang Shuyi seemed somewhat surprised. “It seems this beast tide has arrived sooner than we anticipated.” “What should we do now, Father? Neither the clan nor my own affairs have been fully prepared yet…” Huang Shuyi replied, “Don’t worry. The clan is nearly ready; we can set out in two days at most. I’m sure the other three clans are in the same position. Now, it all depends on the military’s arrangements.” “Aside from our four major clans and the Northwest Legion, the martial artists from outside who’ve gathered in the City of Tears and Blood are also a problem. I had it investigated: ever since news of the impending beast tide spread, no fewer than 300,000 martial artists have rushed to the City of Tears and Blood. From what I know so far, there are more than twenty Xiantian-level practitioners among them!” Huang Jue added. Huang Shuyi shook his head dismissively: “The City of Tears and Blood is our territory. No matter how many outsiders there are, they can’t compete with us. Our opponent isn’t them—it’s Liu Yuntao.” General of the Western Campaign, Liu Yuntao, had also received news of the beast tide and quickly ordered his men to assemble. In the council hall of the General’s Mansion, more than twenty legion commanders were discussing the beast tide with Liu Yuntao, and Cao Ming was notably among them. Liu Yuntao looked down at the commanders before him. Some he had brought with him from the capital, while others he had won over after taking office. In terms of numbers, only slightly more than half of the 40 commanders from the Blood Battle Legion had attended—meaning Liu Yuntao controlled only half of the Northwest Legion. As for the remaining half, eighty percent were likely under the control of the Four Great Clans, while the other twenty percent had chosen to remain neutral. “General, the Beast Tide has reappeared after only seven years—there’s something unusual about this,” said Sun Chong, commander of the Rock Legion, as the others listened intently. Among the 40 elite legions of the Northwest Legion, the Rock Legion ranked among the very best in terms of both strength and battle record, and Sun Chong’s cultivation had reached the mid-Xiantian stage. For these reasons, Sun Chong enjoyed great prestige among the 40 commanders and was entitled to speak first. “I’ve already dispatched men to investigate the specific cause of this beast tide. For now, what we need to discuss is how to respond,” Liu Yuntao said. “If we follow our usual arrangements, there will be hidden concerns regarding the safety of the City of Tears and Blood.” “The Four Great Clans have controlled the City of Tears and Blood for a century, amassing immense power. Now that they’ve taken control of nearly half of the Northwest Legion, their intentions are treacherous!” Cao Ming declared in a clear voice. Upon hearing this, some of the other commanders nodded in agreement, while others remained unconvinced. Seeing this, Liu Yuntao felt a pang of disappointment. His purpose in coming to the City of Tears and Blood was an open secret: to restore the royal family’s control over the city. To accomplish this mission, Liu Yuntao had to suppress the Four Great Clans. But now, the Four Great Clans had struck first, secretly taking control of a small portion of the Northwest Legion. Combined with their existing influence, their strength far surpassed Liu Yuntao’s. Liu Yuntao wasn’t afraid of being outmatched in strength; he had the royal family’s backing. What he feared most was a lack of unity within his own ranks—some commanders, even though they had pledged allegiance to him, were unwilling to confront the Four Great Clans. “With the City of Tears and Blood currently facing a crisis, it is truly not the time to stir up internal strife,” said Taishi Hong, commander of the Cloudpiercing Legion—a prime example of such a person. “The most pressing matter is the defense of the City of Tears and Blood,” Liu Yuntao said, having no choice but to set aside the issue of the Four Great Clans. “Based on past experience, whenever a beast tide occurs, the Golden Wolf Empire takes advantage of the chaos to plunder. To protect the City of Tears and Blood, we must leave sufficient troops stationed to the west and south.” Lü Fei, commander of the Thunder Legion, said, “The General is absolutely right. In my opinion, we should station five legions to the south and ten legions to the west; the remaining legions can accompany the General into the Barbarian Wilderness.” Lü Fei was not only the commander of the Thunder Legion but also served as Liu Yuntao’s chief advisor; everyone placed great weight on his words. “If the General intends to enter the Wild Forest, he must take at least 20 legions with him. Leaving 15 legions behind would leave far too few troops available for deployment,” Cao Ming objected. Lü Fei smiled. “Commander Cao is right. What I mean is that the General must take 23 legions.” Everyone was taken aback. Liu Yuntao currently controlled only 23 legions—if he took them all to the Wild Forest, would the City of Tears and Blood be left to the Four Great Clans? “Lü Fei, explain your reasoning,” Liu Yuntao said. Lü Fei flashed a confident smile: “In my view, the defense of the City of Tears and Blood must rely on the Four Great Clans. The City of Tears and Blood is the foundation of the Four Great Clans; their centuries of accumulated strength are concentrated here. If anything were to happen to the City of Tears and Blood, the Four Great Clans would become trees without roots, and their decline would be inevitable. As for us, the City of Tears and Blood is merely an important stronghold—important, yes, but not essential to our very existence. Even if we lose the City of Tears and Blood, my Northwest Legion can simply retreat to the heartland and then seize the opportunity to retake it later.” Lü Fei looked at the group and said resolutely, “I’m certain the Four Great Clans value the City of Tears and Blood far more than we do. If we don’t defend it—even if it means giving up our profits from the Barbarian Wilderness—they will undoubtedly fight to the death to hold it!” “But what if…” Tai Shi Hong hesitated. “There’s no ‘what if’!” Cao Ming voiced his unequivocal support for Lü Fei. “I agree with Commander Lü’s proposal. General, you may order the Breaking Edge Legion, Storm Legion, and 13 other legions to defend the City of Tears and Blood, while my Blood Battle Legion, Rock-Solid Legion, Cloudpiercer Legion, Thunder Legion, and others will follow you into the Wilds Forest!” “All right, let’s do it!” Liu Yuntao settled the matter with a decisive word. “Booom…” A long, resonant horn blast echoed throughout the City of Tears and Blood. “Could war have broken out?” Zhou Tianci, who was in the midst of practicing the *Blood Shadow Sword Technique*, heard the horn and quickly donned his battle armor before rushing to the drill ground. Within half an incense stick’s time, over 5,000 members of the Blood Battle Legion had assembled on the drill ground. Commander Cao Ming nodded with satisfaction. After nearly a month, this reorganized Blood Battle Legion was finally taking shape. “Soldiers, news has come from the Wild Forest—the beast tide has begun again!” Cao Ming’s voice was not loud, but it rang clearly in everyone’s ears. “By order of the General of the West, the Blood Battle Legion is to enter the Wild Forest immediately to protect the mountain villagers as they retreat and to repel the beast tide.” Although rumors of the beast tide had been circulating for a long time, when the moment finally arrived, the soldiers of the Blood Battle Legion still felt a sense of panic. Most of these soldiers had experienced the beast tide seven years ago and knew its horror. Thinking back to the mountains and fields overrun by ferocious beasts, and the comrades who had fallen to their claws and fangs, many wore expressions of fear. “Military orders are as unyielding as a mountain!” Sensing the soldiers’ unease, Cao Ming bellowed, “Defending the City of Tears and Blood and repelling the beast tide is the duty of our Northwest Legion! This time, from the General of the West down, 23 elite legions are entering the Wilds Forest. Anyone who disobeys orders and retreats without authorization will be executed without mercy!” After assembling at the drill ground, the officers—including Zhou Tianci—were summoned separately by Cao Ming. “There’s something peculiar about this beast tide—everyone must be fully prepared.” Cao Ming spoke sparingly, yet his words weighed on their hearts like a boulder. “The Blood Battle Legion has only recently been reestablished. You must keep your soldiers in check. If any problems arise, I will hold you personally accountable!” “Yes, Commander.” Cao Ming’s tone softened slightly: “According to military regulations, there are punishments for offenses and rewards for merit. Anyone who performs outstanding feats in repelling the beast tide will have me petition the Commander to grant them a pass token for the third level of the Tower of the God of War.” Cao Ming’s promise instantly dispelled the fear the men had previously felt toward the beast tide; even Zhou Tianci looked at him with delight. Among the five captains and twenty-five company commanders present, all were at the late Post-Heaven cultivation level; including Zhou Tianci, twelve had reached the peak of the Post-Heaven realm. For them, the allure of the third floor of the Tower of the God of War was simply too great. “If I can reach the third level, perhaps I’ll be able to glimpse the secrets of the Xiantian realm and advance to that level!” many of them thought to themselves. Zhou Tianci was also weighing his options: “Since cultivating the *Eyes of the Underworld*, I’ve become much more proficient in manipulating my Spirit Soul. Even without guidance from others, it will take me no more than three months to condense True Qi within my meridians and thus enter the Innate Realm. However, I know absolutely nothing about the path beyond the Innate Realm—that’s a major problem. If I could get a glimpse of the collections on the third floor of the Tower of the God of War, I’d surely avoid a lot of detours!” Cao Ming had stirred up the enthusiasm of Zhou Tianci and his companions. That very afternoon, the Blood Battle Legion, along with 22 other legions, entered the Barbarian Wilderness under the leadership of Liu Yuntao. The Wild Forest covered an immense area, harboring untold wonders and treasures. It was one of the most mysterious places in this world; to humans, the Wild Forest was both a treasure trove and a forbidden zone. Since the dawn of humanity, no one had ever been able to determine just how vast the Wild Forest was or what it contained. The Wild Forest south of the City of Tears and Blood is only a tiny fraction of the entire Wild Forest—less than one ten-thousandth of its total area. Even so, the sheer vastness of this section of the forest is enough to send shivers down one’s spine.
