Other races are not born noble, and the human race is not destined to be mere blood sacrifices. Humans are not eternal weaklings.Given time, even other races can be trampled underfoot by humanity.
How is confidence cultivated? This is how it's forged—through endless piles of corpses, by forcing a path of dignity, renown, and status for the human race among all the myriad races of the heavens. A path where none in this world would dare look down upon them. Through such acts, a reputation is built internally, inspiring belief in the human spirit and awakening its bloodlust. With higher ambition, one can elevate the entire race to stand in higher realms.
Only by doing this can the human race truly stand atop the myriad races.
If one lacks self-confidence—if one doesn't believe they can reach the peak—then no matter how much they say or do, it will all be in vain.
Now, with the Green Emperor returning with a group of kobold captives and reducing these once-arrogant foreign beings to slaves, all humans began to realize something deeply: the human race had indeed grown strong. The power of Xuanhuang City was no longer inferior to that of any other race. In fact, it had reached the point where it could even enslave other races.
"So we've become this powerful already."
"It turns out the so-called foreign races are nothing special. These are just kobolds for now—but in the future, the wolfmen, the scorpion-people—they too will become our slaves. Sooner or later, our human race will trample one race after another beneath our feet."
"This feeling is incredible. Reducing other races to slaves… that mental high is even more thrilling than sleeping with a woman. I'm addicted. I must cultivate harder and keep growing stronger."
Countless commoners found their minds surging with thoughts. Their goals rose higher and higher—not just survival anymore, but to crush other races underfoot and become one of the strongest among all the heavens.
They wanted the very name of the human race to strike fear into the hearts of all other species.
Of course, this process would be paved with blood and slaughter.
But at this moment, no one was afraid. On the contrary, they felt a hot-blooded surge from within their chests.
...
After this unconventional funeral, the army began its return to camp.
Yi Tianxing and Cai Yan returned to the city hand-in-hand, while Huang Chengyan and the others followed them into the city lord's manor. Inside the main hall, they gathered to discuss and summarize the war. While they had received information from Gao Xiaojing and her clairvoyance ability, it still wasn't the same as experiencing it firsthand.
There was no need for Yi Tianxing to speak—Jia Xu and others narrated the entire expedition, detailing everything they had encountered. Their vivid recounting painted a clear picture in everyone's minds, stirring emotions in all who listened.
Especially when they heard how the foreign races had barred the humans from entry after the insect plague and even targeted them directly afterward. It was brazen. The foreign races had never treated humans as allies.
Then came the bloody battles during their return journey.Scene after scene left everyone deeply shaken and unable to calm their hearts.
"These foreign races are truly bold—wolves in sheep's clothing. From the very beginning, they never considered our human race as equals. One day, they'll come to realize that though we may be downtrodden now, in the future, they won't even be qualified to look up to us."
Wu Yong shook his feather fan and sneered coldly.
When the sovereign is humiliated, so are the ministers. The humiliation Yi Tianxing had suffered stirred deep resentment among all present.
"Though the foreign races look down on us and it is infuriating, this stems from our own strength—or lack thereof. This time, we dealt a heavy blow to them and forged Xuanhuang City's reputation. But now, I believe the most important thing is not to continue killing and clashing with foreign races. Instead, we should use this opportunity to make our city stronger. We can even leverage our new reputation to reach out to races friendly toward us and unite with them against common enemies."
Jia Xu spoke calmly.
Now that there was a rare chance to breathe, it was the perfect time to grow and develop. Endless slaughter wasn't the path to true strength.
Use one foreign race to balance another—grow in the gaps between their conflicts. That was the ideal path for Xuanhuang City right now.
"Indeed. I agree," Huang Chengyan nodded. "Managing a realm isn't about brute strength. Governing a large state is like cooking a small fish—you can't rush it."
"However, to form such strategic alliances, we need skilled negotiators—those with silver tongues. In this, the Vertical and Horizontal school among the Hundred Schools excels. If we could recruit someone from that school, such matters would be far simpler."
The School of Diplomacy (纵横家), renowned among the Hundred Schools, specialized in manipulating nations through alliances and rivalries. Their oratory skills were unparalleled—on par with the monks of Buddhism. They could talk the dead back to life, and calling a deer a horse was child's play to them.
"I plan to establish a Hall of Talent Recruitment in the city, posting public notices to recruit capable individuals from all directions," Yi Tianxing said with a nod.
Before, they had no foundation to attract true talent. And real geniuses were proud—they wouldn't bow to just anyone. They sought worthy lords to follow.
"Wise move, my lord. With our current momentum, and the prestige you've earned from your wild expedition and the blood you've spilled, our reputation is at its peak. Once the Hall of Talent opens, many hidden talents will surely answer the call."
Huang Chengyan's eyes gleamed as he spoke excitedly.
"Indeed. Anyone with vision can see that Xuanhuang City's rise is unstoppable. Such a move will undoubtedly stir a wave of applications," Wu Yong praised.
"Not just the Hall of Talent," Yi Tianxing added, "we must also open schools. We have many children in the city—these children are our future. Before, we didn't have the means. But now, it's time to begin enlightening them—guiding them onto the path of cultivation and shaping their worldview and morality."
The establishment of a Hall of Talent naturally led to the topic of education.
The human civilization passed down knowledge through writing, beginning with schools and childhood enlightenment. Education was the seed of civilization. In times of chaos, the luxury of learning was rare—how could one study when survival was uncertain?
"Brilliant idea, my lord. Opening schools will benefit generations to come. If the chance arises, I would be honored to teach in one," Huang Chengyan stepped forward, eyes glowing.
The earlier, the better. It was a great contribution to humanity's future.
"Yes, schools must be established not just in Xuanhuang City, but in villages and towns as well. Teach not only reading and writing but also foundational knowledge of cultivation to the children," Jia Xu agreed.
In the future, cultivation would dominate, but children needed proper guidance. With a solid base, they could go further and understand techniques more deeply.
The group launched into an enthusiastic discussion on establishing schools.
The hall buzzed with energy.
Once implemented, this move would radically elevate Xuanhuang City's status in the eyes of the common people. The will of the people would truly become unstoppable.
For scholars and academics, the allure would be even greater.
After some debate, they had a rough plan in place. Once refined, it could be carried out in full.
"By the way, my lord—what shall we do with the kobolds?" Yang Ye stepped forward. "The Green Emperor left them outside the city, under military watch. That's fine for now, but if they stay long-term, there could be trouble. After all, they're foreign beings, and their temperament is unpredictable. We must decide soon."
There were many kobolds—nearly twenty thousand of them, including the old, weak, and sick. Though their tribe was small, it was still a sizable population. If anything went wrong, chaos would follow.
The kobolds themselves posed little threat, but their symbolic value was enormous: the first time humanity had conquered and enslaved a foreign race.
A landmark moment. One that would instill pride and dignity in the human people.
"The kobolds were brought back by the Green Emperor, and they already acknowledge him as their master. But since they're here, they're now the slaves of Xuanhuang City—war spoils."
Yi Tianxing nodded and pondered briefly before speaking again:
"Kobolds have a high reproductive rate and a natural talent for detecting mineral veins and mining. We have many mines, don't we? Let's withdraw our human workers and send in the kobolds to mine under human supervision. Give them basic resources to survive and reproduce. Let them contribute to our human race."