He had already advanced to the Life Orifice Realm earlier, having opened several orifices. The greatest advantage of military cultivation techniques lies in their rapid progress and minimal resource consumption. To open a life orifice, one usually needs a Life Orifice Pill. However, military techniques allow the substitution of soldierly baleful aura (兵煞之气) instead, which naturally condenses the orifices.
The supplementary resources required are not rare spiritual treasures but rather common items, many of which can be substituted. The key lies in the accumulation of soldierly baleful aura, which one must build through constant slaughter and warfare.
Upon obtaining a Heavenly Mandate position, his cultivation surged dramatically, ascending directly to the peak of the Life Orifice Realm, just a step away from the Life Map Realm. This is the strength of an imperial dynasty.
"When one man attains enlightenment, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven!"Everyone benefits.The higher the rank in Heaven's Order, the greater the return.
In one furious strike, he lashed out—though the two-headed ogre was of the same realm, it was caught off guard and instantly killed.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
In the Valley of Jagged Rocks, screams echoed.
The foreign races resisted frantically, but under the rain of arrows, their counterattacks couldn't even form a proper formation. They posed no threat to the army and fell one after another—completely wiped out.
The battle ended as quickly as it began.
The alien tribes had never intended to confront the Human army head-on. They hadn't expected such an outcome. Faced with overwhelming strength, they were utterly annihilated by the Vermilion Bird Legion.
The scene was brutal.
However, after the battle, none in the Vermilion Bird Legion showed joy. Instead, a deep sorrow settled upon them.
Because the ones who had died under their hands were not just aliens—but tens of thousands of Human civilians, including infants.Their hands were stained with the blood of their own kind.Just the thought of it made their hearts tremble.
"Something's wrong."
Yi Tianxing stood atop the city wall, visibly tense, with a flicker of doubt in his eyes.
He felt something was off, though he couldn't pinpoint what exactly.
"The Child Emperor had informed me in advance of this situation and sounded confident. If she had done nothing, why would she contact me with such certainty?"
"Something doesn't add up—wait... it's the blood! When the crossbow bolts hit those civilians, there was no blood... That's it! There was no blood. That's abnormal!"
Yi Tianxing's eyes gleamed with a strange light.
He was certain—when the bolts pierced the civilians' bodies, there wasn't a single splash of blood. Only flames consumed them afterward. That was far too strange. And if something is strange, it means there's a hidden truth.
Suddenly—
"Waa waa waa——""We're not dead! We're still alive!"
"I saw the arrow go into my chest—how am I unharmed? What's going on?"
From within the valley, figures began emerging from thin air as if summoned out of nothing.
Upon closer inspection, they were the very same Human civilians—pregnant women, infants—all alive and well.
The cries of the infants echoed once more through the canyon.
It was as though time had been reversed.
But the alien tribes within the valley remained dead, their bodies strewn across the ground. There was no sign of revival. They were truly slain.
"So that's how it is… This incident saved Great Yi from an onslaught of criticism. The Disaster Hall has rendered great service this time."
Yi Tianxing took a deep breath, eyes filled with understanding. With a step forward, he rose into the air.
As he moved, his appearance shifted subtly and silently—his original features restored.A Chaos Battle Dragon Robe now adorned his figure, and an invisible aura of imperial majesty radiated from him.
"It's the King!"
"Long live the King! Long live the King!"
His appearance was immediately noticed by all.
Yang Ye and the Vermilion Bird Legion were first to react, all bowing low in salute.
The same occurred inside Gold and Silver City, where all the civilians bowed in unison.
"Your Majesty, what happened? Were those civilians saved by you?"
Yang Ye, seeing the mass resurrection of the previously slain civilians, felt his anger and guilt waver, now replaced by confusion and hope.
He had already prepared to carry this eternal stigma for Great Yi—but now, things had changed. While elated, he needed answers.
Given Yi Tianxing's mysterious strength, Yang Ye believed only he could've accomplished such a feat.
"This was not done by me."
"Child Emperor, this is something your Disaster Hall should explain."
Yi Tianxing turned his gaze to a distant corner and spoke calmly.
"Heehee, I knew I couldn't hide it from the King."
A soft giggle rang out. The Child Emperor stepped forth with a group of Disaster Hall experts.
"You once told me that alien forces were using Human civilians as hostages to force Great Yi to retreat, and you claimed you had a solution. Now I see—this resurrection was your doing."
Yi Tianxing spoke seriously.
"Yes. The credit belongs to Paper Top Scholar. Without him, I wouldn't have had confidence in this plan."
She gestured toward a figure.
"Paper Top Scholar."
Yi Tianxing looked over.
The figure had a strange appearance—flattened, almost compressed, making him appear thinner than normal. His entire being resembled a living paper doll.
He left a very strange and memorable first impression.
"Paper Top Scholar greets the King."
The man bowed deeply.
"Paper Top Scholar practices a unique art, the Qiankun Paper Sutra. It contains paper cutting and crafting techniques, as well as many strange mystical arts. Among them is a divine ability called Qiankun Paper Doll, which requires opening a unique orifice: the Qiankun Orifice. It only functions with paper constructs."
"He also possesses a strange treasure: the Qiankun Paper Casket. Only by using the two together can the effects you see be achieved," explained the Child Emperor.
"Qiankun Paper Doll... it can reverse heaven and earth—essentially, a substitute death puppet."
"It swaps fates," Yi Tianxing said slowly.
"Correct. The Qiankun Paper Casket is my life-bound treasure. It stores special cut-paper figures and maintains their original form. It also amplifies their effects. When danger strikes, the Qiankun Paper Doll can transfer all damage to itself while simultaneously casting the protected person into a temporary Qiankun Space. When that space collapses, they reappear in the world unharmed."
The explanation now made everything clear.
When the civilians were struck by bolts, the injury was transferred to the paper dolls, which were burned in their place. The real civilians were safely hidden in a temporary space and only now returned.
"How long can a Qiankun Paper Doll maintain this effect?"
Yi Tianxing asked, his eyes gleaming.
"At most one day—twelve hours. That's my current limit. As I grow stronger and my life orifices improve, that time may increase. But no matter what, they can't be preserved long-term. Even storing them in a spatial bag won't help—the Qiankun power will still dissipate. Only in the Qiankun Casket can they be preserved properly."
This meant the dolls became worthless after a day.
Given Paper Top Scholar's abilities, there was no way he could create tens of thousands of these within a single day. This must've been the result of years of accumulation. He had now used everything.
It would've been impossible to save the civilians quietly from alien camps, but replacing them with paper substitutes had been possible. This had been the only viable solution the Child Emperor could devise—and it had worked perfectly.
"Excellent. You've done well. The Disaster Hall did not disappoint. All involved will be handsomely rewarded—with merit and treasure. Both you and Paper Top Scholar have earned great honors."
Yi Tianxing nodded, satisfied.
The Disaster Hall had proven its worth at a critical moment.
"Thank you, Palace Master Tong. You spared me from becoming a sinner for all eternity."
Yang Ye sincerely bowed to the Child Emperor and Paper Top Scholar.
Relief washed over him—at least he hadn't truly slain innocent civilians. That alone was priceless.
"General Yang, you'll still need to bear this false stigma a bit longer. This matter cannot yet be made public. I will issue a gag order in Gold and Silver City—no one is to spread word of the civilians' resurrection."
"If we want to ensure no future tribe tries this tactic again, the world must believe that even taking Human hostages cannot stop Great Yi's advance."
Yi Tianxing spoke with quiet gravity.