People are still using guns?
This was truly unexpected.
Firearms were consumables. Without bullets, a gun was no better than a stick used for stoking a fire. In this world, there were no production lines for manufacturing bullets. Making them by hand? That was nothing but a joke. How many could you realistically make in a day? The consumption far outweighed the reward.
Even if the guns themselves were preserved, without ammunition they'd long be useless scrap metal.
And yet, not only were they still in use, someone was actually firing real bullets—the sound unmistakably that of gunfire.
That unique piercing force—that was the sound of a real bullet.
"Interesting. I want to see who's using firearms. A survivor from the modern world, perhaps?"
Yi Tianxing's curiosity was piqued. Guns stirred memories of the old world, of modern civilization.Almost reflexively, his footsteps shifted toward the direction of the gunfire.
Bang!!
Roar!!
Another sharp report of a bullet piercing the air echoed—this time, weaker than before. It was quicker and more subdued, followed by the roar of a feral beast. Clearly, an intense battle was underway.
Judging by the sound, the battle wasn't far.
Yi Tianxing's steps, though seemingly leisurely, were graceful and swift like a swimming dragon weaving through the forest. In the blink of an eye, he neared the site of the skirmish.
"Kill them quickly! It worked! These guns really can be modified! They're way stronger now—those old bullets couldn't even pierce a beast's hide! But now, with these upgraded rounds, the firepower's increased by several—no, dozens of times!"
"Amazing! Die, you damn beasts! Eat grandpa's peanuts!"
"They used to be little better than clubs. Now? They're deadly weapons!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!!
Yi Tianxing heard the excited shouts as he approached.
Looking closely, he saw five or six Wind Wolves locked in combat with a group of humans. The people were dressed plainly—coarse linen clothes with visible tears and patches. But in their hands, they held rifles. Not crude makeshift weapons—they resembled old military firearms, their barrels ejecting glowing rounds of bullets. Despite the wolves' speed, the humans had accurate aim—two or three wolves already lay dead in pools of blood.
"Soldiers!!"
One glance, and Yi Tianxing had made a firm judgment about their identities. These people were soldiers. That aura—unyielding, disciplined—it was something born from blood and battle, engraved deep in their bones. Time could not erase such a mark.
And they weren't just any soldiers. They were modern-era soldiers, likely survivors absorbed from some modern world into the Eternal Continent. How exactly they arrived wasn't important.
What mattered was this: they were soldiers, and they knew their guns.
"These bullets… they're not ordinary. Custom-made. Modified firearms. They can channel true essence. The bullets are inscribed with runes—Runic Bullets. Armor-piercing rounds!"
Yi Tianxing's eyes, as sharp as ever, instantly saw through the mechanics. The bullets emitted runes, glowing with power—something no ordinary bullet could replicate.
"Fascinating. Truly fascinating."
Yi Tianxing was intrigued.
He had previously directed Lu Shi to create Runic War Arrows by fusing talismans and runes, increasing their lethality. Now, someone had taken the same concept and applied it to bullets. Firearms adapted to the Eternal Continent's rules—no longer reliant on gunpowder, but on runes and true essence.
Of course, for these bullets to be effective, the guns themselves had to be heavily modified.
And from what he could see, they were. These were true magical modifications—"magitek" weaponry, if you will. To fully understand the mechanisms, he'd need to get his hands on one.
Bang!!
A golden runic bullet fired from a rifle, tearing through a Wind Wolf's skull. The beast collapsed instantly, twitching as it died.
"Let's go. We need to report this. These guns work!"
One young man grinned with excitement. The group quickly hoisted the wolf carcasses onto their backs and began walking off. Clearly cultivators themselves, their strength allowed them to easily carry the massive beasts.
Yi Tianxing didn't reveal himself.
From their conversation, it was obvious they had a base nearby—and he was eager to find the one responsible for modifying the guns. Anyone capable of such innovation was talent, and such people were exactly what Great Yi needed.
Even if others couldn't mass-produce this tech—Great Yi could. Runic bullets might be difficult to craft, but Great Yi had the infrastructure to do so at scale. These were superweapons, akin to Divine Crossbows, that could be easily taught and deployed for war.
Even if these guns weren't stronger than the Divine Crossbows, they could serve as a complementary weapon system, maybe even a whole new troop class.
Diversification had its value.
The men marched ahead, staying alert.
Soon, they reached the base of a tall mountain.
The area was overgrown with thorns and weeds, but the group navigated effortlessly, avoiding traps. Reaching a specific spot, they pulled back some grass—revealing a hidden cave entrance. It was well-concealed. From the outside, it was nearly impossible to detect.
Most uncanny was the aura emanating from the cave—a force that suppressed divine sense, making observers instinctively ignore the spot. Even Yi Tianxing was impressed.
"Impressive. This place has an unusual field—a natural domain, like a feng shui array infused with the power of heaven and earth. No wonder they've stayed hidden so long."
Yi Tianxing nodded inwardly. Without having followed them directly, he likely wouldn't have noticed the entrance at all.
In a flash, he disappeared silently inside.
From outside, the cave seemed unremarkable—but within, it opened up into something far more vast.
Instead of winding or ascending, the tunnel sloped steeply underground, lined with stairs.
"Guards. Traps."
Yi Tianxing's innate Yin-Yang Eyes scanned the cave immediately. He easily detected embedded sentries and complex mechanisms hidden throughout the passage. One wrong move, and an intruder would be riddled with traps. Even the guards were hidden in small crevices, invisible to the average eye.
This defense setup was airtight—flawless.
But not to Yi Tianxing.
With a wave, a Space Gate opened before him. In an instant, he stepped through and vanished—so quickly that even the hidden guards saw nothing more than a faint white flash, too faint to register as an attack or intrusion.
Yi Tianxing didn't stop—he moved through the entire tunnel in seconds, bypassing all danger.
The tunnel was deep—truly deep.
Clang, clang, clang!!"Heave-ho! Heave-ho!!"
"Hurry up! Get those red copper ores out—our alchemists are waiting!"
"Let's get moving! I heard the new runic guns are finished—someone's already out field testing them!"
"Hope they work. Our old guns were worse than fire pokers—couldn't pierce a beast's hide. If these work, everything changes."
"They will! They were built by alchemists, engineers, and weaponsmiths working together. This is going to change the battlefield!"
As he emerged from the passage, a stunning scene spread before him.
He stood before a massive underground space—a fully hollowed-out cavern, turned into a city.
It had walls of glinting metal, buildings blending both Eastern and Western architecture in harmony.
A diverse array of beings moved through its streets: humans, dwarves, goblins, and even elves. An incredibly rare mix of races coexisting in one place.
Above the city gate, a plaque read:
"Darkblood Town"
"Unbelievable… absolutely unbelievable. An underground city—home to humans, dwarves, elves, and goblins… How do they all live together in peace?"
Even Yi Tianxing was momentarily speechless.