"Human powerhouse, who are you? A warrior of your strength is worthy of being remembered by me—Alistar."
As he spoke, Alistar coughed up a mouthful of blood.
The Bull Demon Totem was his life totem. When the totem was injured, he too suffered damage—this connection was mutual. The fierce battle the Bull Demon had just fought was being controlled by his spiritual will. Otherwise, a totem alone couldn't possibly possess such refined combat instincts. The pressure he felt while facing the attack of the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon was unimaginable for ordinary people.
It was terrifying—every part of its body was a weapon of slaughter.
Each movement could unleash a deadly strike.
It was truly powerful.
Frighteningly so. If the Bull Demon Totem weren't already immensely strong, it might have been torn to pieces by the golden dragon in a single clash.
"I am Yi Tianxing, monarch of the Great Yi Dynasty!!"
Yi Tianxing replied calmly.
"I, Alistar, will remember this name,"
Alistar shouted loudly.
However, he did not pause for even a second. With great strides, he charged forward, each step like shrinking the earth underfoot, covering vast distances in an instant. He fled at full speed. Many Minotaurs had already taken the opportunity to retreat during the intense clash and had broken away from the battlefield. Now appearing in the distance, their retreat lifted many of Alista's concerns. Once off the battlefield, he was confident that the human army would not split up to give chase.
After all, seizing control of a battle city was the most important objective.
"As expected, the alien races cannot be underestimated. Their powerhouses are many—perhaps even more numerous than the humans. A single race might not have many elites, but combined, their numbers are anything but small. Just as the human race has powerful beings sealed away, the alien races also have sealed experts. This is balanced. Their natural advantages are real. I only reached the Life Map realm after numerous fortuitous encounters and an enormous investment of resources. For alien races to produce Life Map-level warriors so consistently—it truly reflects their powerful foundations."
Yi Tianxing did not pursue.
Just as Alistar had guessed, the most critical task now was to seize Sunset City. Securing this battle city came before anything else. The Minotaur chieftain was not easy to kill—his Bull Demon Totem still had trump cards left unused. In such a situation, engaging in a life-or-death duel with him was not worthwhile. After all, the true nature of the Battlefield of Gods and Demons remained unclear.
For now, the sole objective was taking Sunset City. As long as that goal wasn't hindered, everything else could wait.
"What a powerful Five-Clawed Golden Dragon... Is that His Majesty's life map?"
Jia Xu murmured inwardly.
"Incredible. The golden dragon exhibits terrifying combat instincts, using every inch of its body to its fullest destructive potential. It's not just strong—it perfectly suits His Majesty's status and power."
Ye Zhiqiu also nodded inwardly in approval.
The divine powers shown by the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon could only be described as overwhelming.
"I wonder... could my blade pierce that golden dragon?"
Fu Hongxue's eyes flickered with fighting spirit as he whispered to himself.
Clearly, they believed that the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon was Yi Tianxing's core Life Map, just like the Minotaur chieftain's Bull Demon Totem. This was only natural.
What they didn't know was that the golden dragon Yi Tianxing had revealed was only a part of the Heavenly Emperor's Dragon Command Map—not the whole. Of course, this was not something Yi Tianxing intended to explain. As long as he didn't expose it, it remained one of his hidden trump cards. When others prepare strategies specifically to counter the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon, they will discover their efforts are futile.
"Run!!"
"The humans have a Life Map powerhouse! Run! Sunset City can't be held!!"
The remaining alien warriors in Sunset City witnessed the brief clash, and in sheer terror, their courage shattered. No longer harboring any will to fight, their only thought was to escape—to survive.
Masses of alien warriors scattered in chaos, fleeing desperately.
But in this disorganized retreat, they were like lambs to the slaughter before the five great legions of Great Yi. Divine Mechanized Crossbows and Bone War Bows repeatedly loosed volleys of arrows, flashing lights as alien warriors were pierced through and fell dead on the spot.
Of course, some aliens managed to escape in the chaos.
Others directly hid inside buildings within Sunset City, attempting to survive by going into hiding, hoping to wait for a better opportunity. However, Yi Tianxing had no intention of leaving these aliens alive within the city.
Groups of soldiers began entering various buildings in search-and-destroy operations, hunting down the hidden aliens.
This became a guerrilla-style street battle. But in such warfare, humans had far more experience than the alien races.
There were some casualties during the resistance, but they were minimal. The soldiers were well-armored, with their vital areas heavily protected. Even when severely wounded, many could still survive.
Boom boom boom!!
The gates of Sunset City opened.
Zhang Fei, mounted on his warhorse, exited the city and came to Yi Tianxing's side. He bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the city is under our control. A few alien remnants are hiding in buildings and resisting stubbornly. However, the Breaking Demon Legion has already moved to suppress them. The outcome is set. Please enter the city, Your Majesty."
To Zhang Fei, the resistance inside the city wasn't worth mentioning. Even if Yi Tianxing entered now, his safety was guaranteed.
"Excellent. Enter the city. We must refine the City Lord's Token to fully occupy this battle city. Without it, the city's basic defensive arrays can't be activated. That's how they used a spatial gate to send troops directly into the city last time."
Yi Tianxing nodded decisively.
A City Lord's Token was the key. Without it, a battle city couldn't truly be seized. The reason these cities were called "battle cities" was because of their defensive formations, which could shield the entire ancient city. On the battlefield, this was the greatest protection. Safety—a place to rest—was the key to survival.
Boom boom boom!!
The Nine-Dragon War Chariot advanced, heading straight toward the city gates.
The gates were massive, and standing beneath them, one could feel the ancient weight of the city. The ground was covered in corpses and blood, the liquid flowing into the moat, which had been filled. The blood-colored river swirled ominously. Corpses floated in the water, giving a chilling view. This was war—merciless and brutal.
The streets led directly to the City Lord's Mansion.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!!
Around them, countless soldiers moved in and out of buildings, continuing to engage alien warriors in close combat. The air was thick with blood—the scent was almost unbearable.
Corpses were everywhere—hung on buildings, strewn across the roads. Of all races.
Screams rang out constantly.
Miserable.
Horrific.
Yet Yi Tianxing felt no pity or sorrow.
Tragic? When the Eternal Continent first formed, what humanity endured was far worse than this.
These alien warriors had fallen in battle—with dignity. In contrast, countless human civilians were roasted, boiled, eaten alive... They died without honor.
In such a battlefield—what room is there for mercy?
They advanced all the way to the City Lord's Mansion.
It took up an enormous portion of the city, resembling a grand palace.
Inside, a blood-colored stone stele stood proudly. Upon it were three ancient characters for Sunset City.
"This is the City Lord's Token."
Yi Tianxing's eyes locked onto the stele. Instantly, he knew—it was the core of Sunset City. Cracks were visible on its surface, clear signs of previous fierce battles and heavy damage.
"Please refine the City Lord's Token quickly, Your Majesty. Only then can this city become a true part of Great Yi," Jia Xu said with a smile.
"Very well."
Yi Tianxing nodded.
He was also eager to uncover the secrets hidden within this battlefield.
He stepped forward and placed his hand on the blood-colored stele.
Immediately, torrents of true essence surged from his body into the stone.
As his essence poured in, the blood-red glow on the stele began to fade, swiftly replaced by a gray radiance. The more energy he infused, the faster the transformation.
In just moments, the stele was fully refined.
The process was unexpectedly smooth. Surprisingly easy.
Shua!!
As the stele was fully refined, a gray token emerged from it, naturally falling into Yi Tianxing's hand.
The stele itself turned gray, exuding an ancient aura. Yi Tianxing's essence had left an imprint during the refinement—a seal of divine power.
Should anyone attempt to refine the stele again, they would first have to dispel that imprint—and withstand the divine technique sealed within. If they couldn't... they would die.
"So that's it... I refined Sunset City's core before anyone else. That's why it went so smoothly. And this isn't just a City Lord's Token—it's a form of qualification."
Yi Tianxing's eyes lit up with understanding.
He stared at the token. With a thought, he channeled his essence into it.
Shua!!
The token shone brightly—radiating with divine light.