Moreover, there was a key requirement—those who were to host such immense power could not be cultivating the Heavenly Soldier Battle Canon; instead, they had to cultivate the Heavenly General Battle Canon. The power of the Heavenly General Battle Canon was superior in quality to the Heavenly Soldier Battle Canon. Only with generals commanding the soldiers could this unimaginable force be suppressed and controlled—tamed like a flood beast and turned into one's own strength.
Therefore, this battle formation secret art could only be possessed and executed within the Great Yi Dynasty.
Other factions, having no access to either the Heavenly Soldier Battle Canon or the Heavenly General Battle Canon, naturally could not replicate this feat.
Its might was evident from the slash just moments ago—so domineering, so absolute.
After joining Great Yi, Guan Yu had become the commander of the God-Slaying Legion. Naturally, he was eligible to receive the inheritance of the Heavenly General Battle Canon. Once he obtained it, he began cultivation without hesitation. This battle canon didn't conflict with his original cultivation techniques—on the contrary, it complemented them, allowing him to progress with astonishing speed thanks to his current cultivation level.
Of course, even if one had only cultivated the Heavenly General Battle Canon to a low level, they could still control the overwhelming power of the Heavenly General Soldier-Gathering Formation. This power merely resided within the body, stored temporarily—but inevitably, it would erupt in the shortest time. No one could contain such force indefinitely.
Especially since this type of battle formation could not be used recklessly.
One could clearly see that after the earlier slash was delivered, many soldiers began to sway and tremble instinctively, a clear sign of the tremendous energy cost. That one strike had drawn strength from all the soldiers' bodies. If such attacks were repeated several times, the soldiers might collapse, and the formation would fall apart.
"They're dead—all the ghouls are actually dead, cut to pieces! Am I dreaming?"
"Unbelievable, this is truly unbelievable. Are these really human troops? Have our people become this powerful?"
"The entire ghoul tribe has been annihilated. We—we actually survived! Hit me—let me make sure this isn't a dream!"
"We made it! We're safe! No longer do we have to fear being eaten alive at any moment…"
"Waaaah, my poor child, my poor child… devoured by those damn ghouls. Revenge! All these accursed alien races must die! If I ever gain strength, I'll slaughter them to the last!"
In that moment, the enslaved humans locked in cages throughout the town—once numb with despair—began to regain expression. In the darkness, they saw the true light of hope. Their hearts were reignited, their will to live and dream rekindled.
But what followed was a wave of bitter sobbing.
Not just from the joy of surviving, but from the sorrow of those hellish days. Their wails echoed from the depths of their souls. When they thought of the children who'd been eaten—some their own—the pain was unbearable. Their grief, immeasurable.
Why hadn't this day come sooner?
"Brothers and sisters, you are safe now. We're here to rescue you."
Guan Yu took a deep breath as he looked at the large crowd of human refugees. Even someone as iron-willed as him couldn't help but be moved. During the battle, he'd forced himself to suppress all emotion—but now, with the ghouls eliminated, he could no longer restrain the sorrow and anger in his heart.
Under his command, soldiers quickly entered the ghoul settlement, unlocking all the iron cages and releasing the imprisoned humans. Soon, the freed slaves gathered together—and by rough count, they numbered at least three to four hundred thousand.
The sins of the ghoul tribe were unfathomable.
How many humans had they devoured over time? The number was incalculable, their crimes truly unspeakable. White bones filled the surroundings—piled into massive bone pits. A chilling sight.
"Don't stay outside—enter the immortal city. Inside, there's clean water, food, and clothing. You can wash and eat freely. Our military cooks will prepare meals. From now on, as citizens of the Great Yi Dynasty, you no longer need to fear anything. Great Yi fears no alien race, no enemy. It is the aliens who should be afraid!"
Guan Yu declared loudly, his voice resonating with confidence.
Upon discovering the refugees, he had already ordered the military kitchens to begin preparation. Every immortal city held grain stockpiles—enough to feed millions for years. It wouldn't take long to ready a hot meal.
With no hesitation, the refugees entered the immortal city. This was a human city.
For the first time, these refugees felt safe. The moment they passed through the city gates and saw the products of human civilization—even if there were no ordinary civilians, only soldiers—they felt a deep sense of security, like weary birds finally finding home.
"We're really safe. This means we're part of the Great Yi Dynasty now… thank heavens."
"Since I survived this, I'll fight aliens to the end. My descendants too—we'll never forget this hatred, especially for the ghouls. Blood must pay for blood!"
"I heard that in Great Yi, everyone can cultivate, everyone can become a cultivator, learn combat skills, and earn merit points to trade for cultivation methods. I'll become stronger—I don't want to be weak ever again!"
As safety returned, a fierce hatred ignited in their hearts. The alien races—especially the ghouls—were their sworn enemies. Given the chance, they would become deadly hunters of all alien kin, willing to pay any price.
The arrival of hundreds of thousands of human refugees brought new life to the immortal city.
But the city did not halt.
Large groups of soldiers entered the ghoul settlement, looting all their resources and treasures. The spoils of war—everything from the ghoul tribe's treasure vaults—were taken back to the immortal city for official submission.
The wealth accumulated by the ghoul tribe over the years was staggering. Even their treasure house was discovered and emptied.
Yet the army didn't linger. The immortal city pressed forward.
Wherever it passed, the ghoul cities collapsed into rubble—flattened beyond recognition.
Surrounding alien scouts who witnessed this were petrified with fear, nearly scared out of their souls. News spread like wildfire.
But the immortal city did not stop for anything. It charged forward, relentlessly heading toward its destination.
Along the way, any obstruction—regardless of its nature—was crushed to dust without mercy.
Even though the alien races tried to respond quickly, they couldn't stop the immortal city. After the ghoul tribe was annihilated, their fear of Great Yi deepened exponentially.
None dared to block its advance without full preparation.
Within mere hours, the city had already traveled thousands of miles.
Before long, they arrived at a massive mountain.
This mountain was immense—expanding over a vast area, surrounded by flourishing flora and teeming with fierce beasts and vicious birds.
ROAR!!
The cries of beasts echoed through the air. Countless monsters ran in panic, flocks of birds took to the skies, fleeing in every direction, terrified of being buried alive if they tarried.
Most strikingly, this mountain had been cleaved in half. The top half had vanished, leaving behind a vast, flat plateau.
RUMBLE!!
The earth trembled. From the horizon, the immortal city appeared. On the city walls, soldiers stood tall—cold arrows trained outward. When they saw the mountain ahead, anticipation grew in their hearts.
"This is Broken Spine Mountain—split right down the middle," Guan Yu muttered with a nod. It matched the map perfectly. This was their destination.
"Descend!"
The geomancer's apprentice waved his imitation mountain-driving whip, guiding the immortal city to the plateau atop the mountain. With a loud shout, the suspended city naturally descended.
BOOM!!
With a thunderous crash, the city landed atop the mountain, instantly merging with the earth and mountain—taking root. The local earth energy surged into the city. The atmosphere became more stable, and a mysterious force began to gather from heaven and earth.
"This is Broken Spine Mountain—then this city shall be called Broken Spine City."
Guan Yu declared firmly.
As his words fell, three ancient characters—Broken Spine City—appeared on the city walls. From this moment on, the immortal city had a name.