Ding!!
Sensing danger, Yi Tianxing instinctively raised his Tang Dao to block in front of him. The blade clashed directly with the bird's beak, sending a terrifying force through the sword. The Tang Dao was knocked from his hand—his hastily infused True Qi couldn't compete with the explosive power within the beak—but it still managed to slow the attack. Yi Tianxing instantly retreated backward.
Pfft!!
The beak grazed past his chest and slammed into the ground, carving a ferocious pit three feet deep. Had it landed on his body, it would have pierced his chest and killed him on the spot.
If not for the subconscious block with the Tang Dao, he might've died then and there—or at least been severely injured.
"That was close. As expected of a ruler of the skies, a top-tier predator from the primeval wilderness. It must be a Quetzalcoatlus, probably from a Jurassic-like world. Initially without any divine abilities, but once integrated into the Eternal Continent, it awakened its Life Aperture and gained innate divine powers. Truly gifted by nature. And I'm sure this isn't an isolated case. This world really is becoming a savage age."
Yi Tianxing sucked in a cold breath. His heart pounded in his chest. This was just the beginning. As things progressed, countless ferocious beasts and monsters would roam every corner of the world. For humanity, it would be a bloody and brutal journey.
Battling beasts. Fighting monsters.
Living primitively—eating raw meat, drinking blood. Traveling outside without strength would mean certain death. Countless would die in the process.
Only by building villages and working together could people survive in such a cruel world.
And in this harsh environment, to venture out meant being prepared to die.
"Lord, are you all right?" Wang Dahu appeared behind Yi Tianxing with his soldiers. Upon seeing the massive corpse of the pterosaur, their eyes filled with shock. They had never seen such a monstrous bird before.
It could conjure windstorms that tore people apart like paper. Savage beyond words—like a beast from ancient legend. Had Yi Tianxing not been here, the entire Xuanhuang Village might've been slaughtered.
The scene was horrifying.
"I'm fine. That creature is called a Wind God Quetzalcoatlus—a dominant predator of the skies. You're not ready to face something like that yet. But with effort, even beasts like these can be slain. I'll pass on cultivation techniques. Everyone can become stronger. Everyone can fight beasts. Everyone can protect Xuanhuang Village."
Yi Tianxing saw the shame and helplessness in Wang Dahu and the soldiers' eyes.
As soldiers—warriors—they had been unable to protect their villagers. That hit them hard.
Unworthy of the title soldier!
But Yi Tianxing didn't blame them. While they were stronger than ordinary people, they were just regular soldiers from different worlds and eras—though trained, they had never cultivated. As such, they were barely stronger than civilians. They weren't yet qualified to fight beasts.
"Lord, please grant us a cultivation method. I, Wang Dahu, refuse to remain a useless man relying on your protection. If I must, I'd rather remove this uniform and become a commoner!" Wang Dahu knelt on one knee, shame written across his face.
"Good. In Xuanhuang Village, we value spirit. We don't give up. We don't submit. Even if you didn't ask, I'd still give you a technique. I have high-level techniques, even top-tier ones, but I can't hand those out immediately. Still, if you fight hard and earn merit, you'll have a chance to receive better techniques."
Yi Tianxing nodded. He appreciated that they had pride and drive. That shame could become a powerful motivator. He had long planned to give them cultivation methods. Without their strength, how could they defend the village?
He was the village chief—not a babysitter. The whole village needed to grow strong together.
"Thank you, Lord!!"
Wang Dahu grinned, his eyes filled with respect.
Back during the Treasure Tide, they had obtained over a thousand artifacts—not just treasures of varying grades, but even alchemy pills, divine weapons, and cultivation techniques.
Some high-grade, some low. But no matter the quality, acquiring one was a stroke of luck. Especially the techniques—these were essential. Cultivation methods were the root of strength.
For the soldiers, Yi Tianxing had selected a technique from the Treasure Tide called Iron-Blooded Fiend Qi (铁血煞气) — a method perfectly suited for military training.
The visualization used was Iron-Blooded Battlefield Diagram (铁血纵横图). It was easy to begin, especially for those who had experienced war. Their bodies already held fiendish qi, making entry-level cultivation nearly effortless. But to go further—to rise above—required one's own effort and talent.
"I'll soon establish a Scripture Hall at the manor. I'll place the techniques there. For now, you'll only be allowed to cultivate Iron-Blooded Fiend Qi. It's the most suitable for you. Only through constant battle can you grow stronger. This will be the base cultivation method for all future soldiers."
Yi Tianxing smiled.
"Thank you, Lord." Wang Dahu and the others beamed with joy. A chance to grow stronger—what soldier wouldn't want that? In the military, strength was everything.
"That's one enormous bird. The outside world has clearly changed completely. The destruction a beast like that could cause is terrifying." Huang Chengyan appeared beside the pterosaur's corpse, his expression grim.
Clearly, even he had been shaken. Creatures like this had never existed in his original world.
Only the Classic of Mountains and Seas mentioned such beasts.
"It's a Wind God Quetzalcoatlus. Powerful, yes—but if it kills villagers of Xuanhuang Village, no matter how strong it is, it must die." Yi Tianxing took a deep breath and looked at the gathered villagers as he spoke firmly.
His tone carried a decisiveness that inspired trust.
And the pterosaur's corpse was proof of his words.
That one declaration made the villagers admire Yi Tianxing even more. Their sense of belonging to the village grew. To kill even this kind of monstrous bird—only such a leader could bring them peace.
They began to truly realize how dangerous this world had become. It was no longer anything like their past lives. It was as if they had returned to the prehistoric wilderness faced by humanity's ancestors.
A unique light shone in many eyes.
"Chief, if one Wind God Pterosaur appeared, more could follow—perhaps different kinds of aerial beasts. Their threat to Xuanhuang Village is too great. Relying on you alone would be dangerous. We need to bolster our defenses. I suggest forming an archer unit, and training divine marksmen."
Huang Chengyan frowned and made his proposal.
"Don't worry, Elder Huang. I've already prepared a countermeasure. Please, take a look." Yi Tianxing smiled and raised his hand. With a flash of light, two miniature arrow towers appeared in his palm.
Made from unknown stone, the towers had a small pagoda-like structure. At the top were vicious-looking crossbows, equipped with arrow magazines for continuous firing. One glance and it was clear—these were no ordinary constructs.
These were Artifacts—Arrow Towers, treasures born from the power of fantasy!
"What are these, Chief?" Huang Chengyan asked, staring at the towers radiating mysterious light. They resembled arrow towers, yet something about them was clearly extraordinary.
"These are Arrow Towers, artifacts born from heaven and earth. Once placed in Xuanhuang Village, they'll protect us from all directions, launching attacks at any invading beasts or monsters—especially flying threats. However, their attack rate is limited. These are only Yellow Grade, First Tier Arrow Towers—not yet capable of handling high-level threats."
While powerful, they were at the lowest tier, roughly equivalent to the first level of Spirit Sea Realm. Once upgraded to Yellow Grade, Ninth Tier, they could kill most Spirit Sea level foes—beast or man.
For further upgrades, Arrow Towers must be nourished through combat—absorbing blood, flesh, and bones from defeated enemies. This can raise them to Yellow Grade Nine, but to evolve beyond that would require unique treasures.
Boom!!
Yi Tianxing tossed the towers out. A drop of blood fused into each one, linking him spiritually to them. As they hit the ground, they integrated into Xuanhuang Village.
They landed on either side of the village's main archway.
Upon contact with the earth, they expanded in the wind, growing to seven meters tall. Their stone tower bodies were naturally formed. The tower tops had crossbow ports, while rotating battle crossbows sat inside, covering 360 degrees of attack range.
Sturdy and ancient—they stood ready to guard the village.