"Salute!!"
"To the martyrs, our comrades—may their souls return home!!" Feng Yumo roared solemnly.
"To the martyrs, our comrades—may their souls return home!!" All soldiers, with grave expressions, saluted in unison as each martyr was carried out from the space gate. Their eyes lingered on every face, as though trying to engrave each visage into their memory—into their very soul.
These were warriors who died for the Human Race—heroes of humanity.
"The souls of our brave human warriors—return home!!"A million citizens shouted in unison.
A solemn atmosphere hung over the void.These heroes died for them. Once living beings sent off into battle—now they returned as broken corpses. The contrast struck deeply, and many civilians had tears glimmering in their eyes. Some women quietly wept.
"Welcome back, my Lord—welcome home victorious!!"Yi Tianxing and Jia Xu emerged from the space gate and stood before the crowd.
At that moment, a wave of cheers rose through the air.
Yi Tianxing nodded slightly, scanning his surroundings before speaking:"Escort the martyrs—to be buried in the Iron-Blood Great Wall."
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The army marched forward with synchronized steps, each stride steady and firm, radiating their unwavering determination. It was a march of fearlessness, of defiant courage in the face of death.
Behind them, the civilians remained silent, following quietly on the path toward the Iron-Blood Great Wall.
Unknowingly, they arrived at its base.
Each stretcher was carried steadily by hand as they stood before the towering wall.
The massive Iron-Blood Great Wall, endlessly stretching, was entirely blood-red in hue. It exuded a powerful, invisible will. The region surrounding it was avoided by fierce beasts and predatory birds—instinctively repelled by something they could not understand. It was the battle intent of the fallen souls within the wall, emanating from every inch of stone. That intent made all beasts wary, fearful.
Even when not actively unleashed, that aura was enough to deter them.
Like how snakes detest realgar—not because it hurts them, but because it repels them by nature. So too does this wall suppress through innate dominance—a true example of one force restraining another.
"Lay the martyrs to rest!!"Yi Tianxing gazed at the fallen warriors, pausing for a breath before calling out.
Whoosh!
A blood-red divine light flared naturally atop the Iron-Blood Great Wall, enveloping the corpses. They rose into the air as if drawn by a mysterious force, quickly drifting toward the wall, inch by inch.
Within the divine light, it seemed as if one could see the smiling faces of the warrior spirits—stepping proudly into the wall itself.
"With shattered bodies, we rest in the Iron-Blood Wall.May all humans rise like dragons. May our Xuanhuang endure eternally."
Shouts echoed faintly through the air—the voices of the heroic spirits, the immortal will left behind at their moment of death.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each body merged into the wall, transforming into blood-red bricks, seamlessly integrating with the structure. The Iron-Blood Great Wall extended further, continuing its reach.
The battle intent within the wall grew even purer and more powerful.
To the people and soldiers watching, the wall loomed tall—a symbol of majesty and reverence. This wall, forged from the flesh and blood of human martyrs, stood as a lasting shield. Even in death, their spirits remained to guard the race—to protect the innocent.
"Warriors, citizens of the Human Race."Yi Tianxing stood atop the wall, sweeping his gaze across the gathered crowd. Drawing a deep breath, he spoke slowly:
"Perhaps we don't have powerful bodies. Perhaps we aren't born with supreme talent. We are weaker than other races by nature. But we possess infinite potential. We have wisdom. We can learn. We can adapt and evolve. We can grow."
"So long as we don't look down on ourselves, we will grow stronger—and in time, trample all other races beneath our feet. Humanity means standing tall and proud, head held high. Weakness lies not in the body—but in the heart. A feeble heart leads to cowardice, no matter how powerful the body may be."
"If our hearts are strong enough—if we fear nothing, not even death—then no matter how weak we seem, we can still become strong."
"Are the alien races strong? Yes, very. They roam the wilderness and dominate the world. But no matter how strong they are—if we do not fear them, they too shall fall at our feet."
"It's not enough for just one person to be strong. That is not the path to a strong race. Only when everyone becomes stronger—only then can we stand alongside the myriad races of the universe, eternal and indomitable. In times of chaos, only by becoming strong can we claim our place."
"As Heaven moves with strength, so too should a gentleman strive unceasingly."
"We of the Human Race... must grow stronger!!"
Each word echoed with iron conviction, spreading across the entire Xuanhuang City—reaching every citizen and etching itself into their souls.
Aliens were not to be feared. Yi Tianxing had already proven this—leading the army out of countless alien ambushes, paving their path with enemy corpses. They were not invincible. They died like all things.
If every citizen rose up, if everyone grew stronger, nothing in all of Heaven and Earth could extinguish the Human Race—or block their path to ascendancy.
"May all of the Human Race rise like dragons!!"Yi Tianxing raised his eyes to the sky and declared.
"May all of the Human Race rise like dragons!!"The chant resounded across the city from soldiers and civilians alike, ringing out with an unyielding human spirit.
Suddenly—
"Master! Your most loyal servant—the great Green Emperor—has returned! Look what this emperor has brought you!"
The voice rang out.
Everyone turned to see the Green Emperor strutting in proudly, flanked by tens of thousands of kobolds, scampering behind him like an escort. Upon seeing Yi Tianxing atop the wall, the dog puffed up in pride and called out loudly.
"What the—Aliens! Kobolds!"
"Look at that—so many kobolds! Why are they in Xuanhuang City?! And wait, they're carrying the Green Emperor?! Was he kidnapped? Did he say… he brought these kobolds back himself?!"
"What's going on? Are these kobolds insane, coming into human territory like this? Do they think our swords are just for show?!"
The sight of tens of thousands of kobolds carrying the Green Emperor sent shockwaves through the crowd. Guards instantly unsheathed their weapons, their eyes cold and alert.
A wave of killing intent swept forth.
But no one attacked just yet.
Everyone knew the Green Emperor's identity. And this… didn't look like a kidnapping.
"No need to panic! No need to panic! These kobolds are my slaves—captives! My servants! You fools, kneel before your master!" the Green Emperor barked haughtily.
Instantly, the tens of thousands of kobolds dropped to their knees, kowtowing and chanting loudly:
"Oh revered Green Emperor, you are the almighty deity! The supreme among dogs! The King of Kings! The walking green light that brings salvation to our tribe!"
"You are hope itself! The sun that never sets…"
The praises poured out like a rehearsed chant—fluent and fanatical. It looked less like a surprise and more like they'd been drilled on this a thousand times.
Their words lavished every possible compliment upon the Green Emperor—so much so that they bordered on the absurd.
The Green Emperor grinned from ear to ear—clearly thrilled.
He had really tamed these kobolds. No one knew how—but they had clearly been converted into fanatical worshipers.
"He really did bring back a bunch of kobolds," Yi Tianxing muttered, having already been informed by Guo Yulin. Still, seeing it in person was something else.
More importantly—these kobolds were now technically slaves of Xuanhuang City.
"Well done, Green Emperor. You've rendered great service. Later, you may drink from the Five-Colored Beast Soul Pool."
Yi Tianxing nodded approvingly. The Green Emperor's unexpected return had indeed brought a surprise worth celebrating.
"Hehe, beast soul liquid! I'm going now!"The Green Emperor cackled. "With that, Xiaohua will finally elope with me!"
Yelling excitedly, he bolted into the city without a second thought.
"No! Xiaohua! You damned mutt—if I catch you, I'll castrate you and turn you into a eunuch dog!!"Liu Qu's face twisted in horror as he grabbed a shovel and raced home. If he was too late, who knew what would happen. If Xiaohua really eloped with that mutt, how could he ever face his ancestors?!
He sprinted back as fast as he could.
"Aliens aren't so special. Kobolds are aliens, too. And now they're our slaves."
"There is no innate nobility in this world—only strength and weakness."
"Xuanhuang City is second to none. One day, we'll rise to the top of the myriad races."
Watching the kobolds kneel before the Green Emperor—utterly subservient—changed the mindset of countless civilians. Their view of aliens had been utterly overturned.