The Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Tower had already appeared above Gou Buli. Its aura had locked onto him the very moment it arrived. It was precisely this formless pressure that made it impossible for Gou Buli to play dead—he had no choice but to revive. From the moment he stood up, he had been locked in place by the tower. The emitted force was as heavy as mountains and as vast as peaks. That was also why Gou Buli had tried to shatter the tower immediately.
Unfortunately, he had no idea what kind of terrifying treasure he was truly facing.
Among Mystic-Grade Artifacts, this one was without question one of the strangest and most terrifying.
Even the Soulshatter Bell, a natural treasure of heaven and earth, couldn't budge the tower's body. Instead, it was blown away by the oppressive aura radiating from the tower alone.
Now, as the tower descended, the space beneath it seemed to completely freeze. With every inch it dropped, the pressure below multiplied exponentially. The surrounding heavens and earth seemed utterly locked down.
"You can actually seal space? Damn you, Yi Tianxing! Are you really planning to go to war with my Kobold race, to the death?!"
Gou Buli roared in fury, feeling the crushing pressure emanating from the tower.
At the same time, he raised his Blood Jade Scythe and slashed it furiously toward the tower.
Brilliant scythe light burst forth, radiating the aura of death and a savage, bloodthirsty gleam as it cleaved toward the tower.
Pffft!
Yet just as the scythe was about to strike the tower, a bronze war spear suddenly manifested from within the tower. Without warning, it emerged with an intense and pure Shattered Jade Spear Intent, as if it were splitting the heavens and earth apart, unleashing boundless might.
The war spear itself was already a Mystic-Grade Artifact, and moreover, an Opening-Heaven Divine Weapon. It was infused with the tower's internal world-force. With just one strike, the Blood Jade Scythe was blasted away. The tower plummeted down like a landslide, earth-shattering and unstoppable.
Boom!!
Rumble!!
Gou Buli had no way to escape the tower's bindings. The tower slammed directly onto him, and the terrifying force transmitted through it crushed him. Inside the tower were complete, self-contained Minor World Realms. Even without invoking their source powers, just their weight alone was comparable to tens of thousands of mountains.
"Brothers of all races, beware the Eight-Gate Gold-Lock Formation! There are Golden Locks within the formation!"
As the tower descended, a trace of despair flashed in Gou Buli's eyes. He shouted with all his might.
Then, he thrust both arms skyward, striking a pose as if to hold up the heavens, trying to prop up the tower. But in the face of this tower, it was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot—completely laughable. In the very instant of contact, bone-cracking sounds rang out, and both his arms instantly burst into blood mist. His entire body exploded into a pulp of blood and flesh under the crushing weight of the tower.
When it struck the ground, it trembled violently.
Then, the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Tower rose into the air. Even the shattered remains of Gou Buli were swept into the tower, consumed as nourishment. Not a drop of blood remained on the ground, leaving behind only a chilling, unnatural void.
In a single blow, a powerful Life Aperture Realm expert was reduced to pulp.
There was no room for resistance.
As the tower returned, it also swept up the Blood Jade Scythe and the Soulshatter Bell without hesitation, transforming them into streams of light that vanished into the tower. They reappeared inside Yi Tianxing's Divine Sea, where they suppressed both his Divine Sea and Sea of Consciousness.
Hiss—!!
This scene left the watching alien cultivators gasping inwardly.
A Life Aperture Realm expert! That wasn't something you saw every day—like cabbages growing in a field. In any race, such figures were top-tier experts. Yet in front of that tower, such a powerful being was crushed like an insect. Not a shred of resistance.
The shock of that sight silenced the entire area.
No one dared to say they could survive an encounter with that tower.
"What an incredible treasure. That tower must be a heaven-and-earth artifact beyond imagination—it can even suppress Life Aperture Realm experts with ease. Doesn't that mean Yi Tianxing is nearly invincible among cultivators of the same level?"
"If I could obtain that tower, I'd rise to become a peak-level genius on the Eternal Continent. That's a treasure of unimaginable worth!"
"But what did Gou Buli say at the end—something about the Eight-Gate Gold-Lock Formation? What kind of formation can bury hundreds of thousands of troops and still prevent even Gou Buli from escaping death?"
"These humans are truly not easy to deal with."
All around, the eyes of alien cultivators grew grave.
Some were drawn to the treasure tower, hearts swelling with greed. With such a divine treasure, rising to supremacy seemed just within reach. That greed, once born, took root like a thorn in the mind—hard to pull out.
Others were pondering Gou Buli's final words—what exactly was the Golden Lock within the Eight-Gate Gold-Lock Formation? The meaning was unclear, and with so little time left to explain, no one could piece together the formation's true mystery.
That one question lingered in many minds:
What exactly is the Golden Lock in the Gold-Lock Formation?
But the answer remained elusive.
"Hmph!"
Yi Tianxing's cold gaze swept across the valley. His eyes radiated a calm indifference as he slowly declared:
"My human race, my Xuanhuang City, fears no enemy, no war, no death. Anyone who dares block our path will end up like those kobolds. Since ancient times, when has humanity ever feared anyone?"
"Today, I will lead our army back to Xuanhuang City. We will not travel via teleportation gates but instead walk across the wilderness. And whoever dares block our way—will die. My only method for enemies is: Kill! Kill! Kill!!"
Each word thundered through the valley and echoed in every direction.
It carried a pressure that could not be described.
"Kill!!"
Wang Dahu stepped forward, shouting first. The army followed, stepping as one. Each step was like a mountain collapsing, like a flood erupting. The momentum they released was terrifying.
"Kill!!"
Step two.
"Kill!!!"
As the third war cry erupted, they took the third step.
With those three cries, it no longer seemed like two thousand troops—but an army of one hundred thousand or even a million.
Nearby alien cultivators felt the crushing wave of killing intent and battle aura hit them in the face. It was suffocating.
"March! Let's go home!"
Yi Tianxing waved his hand and gave the order.
Without hesitation, he led the march forward.
Step by step, they moved toward the valley's exit. The two-thousand-strong army advanced in a formation that could respond instantly to attack. Each step was steady and powerful, and every soldier radiated thick battle intent.
With every step, their momentum grew stronger.
Like a colossal giant slowly rising.
When they reached the valley's mouth, no alien dared to make a move.
Yi Tianxing scanned the surroundings. The hidden alien warriors, to him, were as clear as candle flames in the dark. There were many—too many. All sorts of races were present. But the ferocity of the earlier battle had left them dazed and cautious. The fear in their hearts kept them from acting rashly.
"Reputation is forged through battle."
This thought rose in Yi Tianxing's mind.
Only true strength can earn respect and security. As that thought surged, his battle aura erupted like a torrent, causing his long black hair to whip wildly behind him. He couldn't suppress the roar in his chest.
"Fight! Fight! Fight!!"
Three thunderous war cries erupted from him, like lightning bolts piercing the darkness, slamming into everyone's minds.
The soldiers' battle will was instantly ignited. From their very blood came a primal instinct: the thirst to fight.
"Heaven's thunder drums! The earth our tomb! A thousand miles of blood-red clouds upon our path!"
"Wilderness fierce! Aliens mad! But humanity will never be shamed!"
"Heads may fall! Blood may spill! But our iron bones and loyal souls shall battle across the Nine Provinces!!"
"Steel blade in hand, ninety-nine in total! Until alien heads fall, we will not rest!!"
Two thousand soldiers roared their war song, their voices rising to the heavens. Their momentum soared with the song, transforming them into an unstoppable mountain. The light in their eyes, the expressions on their faces—all were dyed with battle spirit.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!!"
Wang Dahu raised his war blade and roared to the sky.
"Fierce beasts rampant! Aliens savage! But we men grasp blade and spear! Our blade is the decapitation blade! Our spear the god-slaying spear! Be it god or demon—none shall survive!"
"Let eternal glory rise, with white bones dyeing the sky. For the sake of humanity—we will slay a million souls!"
"Alive, we are heroes. Dead, we are heroic spirits. With our undying souls, we will fight for peace across the land!"
"Today we cast away millennia of mercy and honor! Laughing as we drink the blood of ten thousand races! With bones beneath our feet, we march! Softness is no longer our way! Let ten thousand races hate us, but none shall insult us again!"
Amid the war songs, the two-thousand-strong army marched forward, following the path they had once carved out.
This was their return journey—but it was also a road of blood.
And from their songs, it was clear—they feared no enemies. Even in death, they would never retreat.
The reputation of Xuanhuang City would be built upon blood and steel.
Not just the enemy's blood, but also their own.