"I wonder what this stage tests," Chen Jiuyang mused, surveying the vast, isolated space.
Ancient trees towered, lush and green, as if perpetually in spring. Yet, beneath the tranquility lay a disturbing, chilling scene. Giant stone effigies of demonic beasts, hundreds of meters tall, lay scattered about, their presence radiating a terrifying aura despite their unknown age. It was the same primal fear Chen Jiuyang had felt as a mortal in the forbidden zone of Yunxian Cliff, encountering demonic beasts that awakened something deep within the human bloodline.
"How do we pass this stage?" Chen Jiuyang asked.
"Traverse the eons, transform into ancient warriors, and slay the demonic beasts," the city's spirit replied, its voice echoing in Chen Jiuyang's ears.
The scenery before him then rapidly shifted, the world spinning.
...
An old soldier and a young recruit were throwing cannonballs. The old soldier, a captain, led a hundred men defending a position. As they hurled projectiles, he said to the recruit, "Our general is truly mighty! He held off the demon tide for a whole day with his five hundred elite guards!"
The recruit's arm muscles trembled, his lips dry, and he chuckled, "Isn't that something?"
A day passed, the general fell in battle. The lieutenant general, with fifteen hundred men, held on for half a day. Now, the general's tiger tally was in the hands of a captain. The recruit knew reinforcements wouldn't come. Only death awaited them. His instincts screamed at him to desert, to find any way to survive. But the recruit didn't want to be a deserter. Facing death, however, didn't seem so unbearable, for so many were with him. What if, just what if, the demon tide was repelled, driven back, or reinforcements arrived? Then they could live.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The explosions continued, the sound of divine fire thunder. The divine fire thunder was what the recruit knew as landmines. A soldier, bitten by a demon beast and clinging to life, pulled the fuse, uttering his last words. The recruit's ears were nearly deafened.
At this moment, a soldier ran to the old soldier and whispered something. The recruit didn't hear, numbly continuing to throw cannonballs. The old soldier walked up to the recruit and snatched twelve divine fire thunder from his waist.
"What are you doing?" the recruit yelled.
The old soldier pointed to the demon tide not far below the city walls and roared, "In half an hour at most, the demon tide will storm the city! Tens of thousands of civilians inside haven't evacuated yet. The newly appointed general will lead three thousand daredevils to buy time for their evacuation. All the divine fire thunder must go to them."
The recruit pursed his lips, his mouth trembling, "Then hurry and send them over!"
The old soldier nodded and, carrying the divine fire thunder for his hundred men, delivered them to the main city gate. Not long after, the recruit heard a cry: "Might!"
Three thousand men, in pairs, leaped off the city walls towards the demon tide. They willingly faced death. Meanwhile, the hundred men, including the recruit, had run out of cannonballs. They could only draw their Azure Python long swords. A few demon beasts had already scaled the walls. The recruit was about to face them. A beast resembling a leopard leaped before the recruit's company. With a flick of its tail, it killed a soldier. The remaining men roared and charged to hack at the beast.
"Damn you! I don't believe I can't kill you beasts!" The recruit had gone mad, joining his comrades in hacking at the demon beasts that had climbed the wall. He realized something: these beasts were like the fierce beasts of his past life, possessing no special abilities. But their sheer numbers were enough to induce numbness and despair.
The recruit was exhausted. The old folks in the city who refused to leave voluntarily brought food to the wall for the survivors. The recruit sat there, watching as the three thousand men charged forward, one by one consumed, one by one exploding into fireworks. They had successfully completed the general's order, holding back the demon beasts for half a day. It was now night on the second day. The old soldier, who had been gone for half a day, reappeared before the recruit.
"Hahahaha!" The old soldier laughed heartily.
"What good news makes you so happy? Have the reinforcements arrived?" the recruit asked.
"You guessed right, kid. Reinforcements are indeed on the way! But that's not why I'm happiest."
The recruit couldn't resist teasing, "Oh? Then what's even better?"
The old soldier pulled out a bronze tiger tally and roared with laughter, "I'm a general now! This is the general's tiger tally!" Then the old soldier burst into tears, his lips trembling as he said, "So many brothers are gone. I've been in the Wei Wu Army for over a decade."
"They were all brothers!" The recruit's lips quivered, "We still have so many living people."
The old soldier wiped his tears and smiled, "I am a general now, and I have an order for you."
"What order?" the recruit asked.
"You are to immediately go to the sentry post ten li behind the south city gate to receive reinforcements."
"The reinforcements haven't arrived yet?" the recruit asked.
The old soldier tossed something to the recruit. The recruit caught it, it was the tiger tally representing a general's authority. Confused, he asked, "What are you doing?"
"What am I doing?" the old soldier cursed, "I'm telling you to go receive reinforcements! The reinforcements haven't come to Bai Cheng, you need to lead the way, understand? The tiger tally is the token; the reinforcements only trust the tiger tally!"
The recruit shook his head, "I'm too weak now. Find someone stronger to receive the reinforcements, so we don't waste time."
The old soldier drew a knife and held it to the recruit's neck, "I am a general now, and my order is a general's order. If you disobey the general's order, you are a deserter. I'll cut you down right now!"
"Do you obey the military order!"
"I..." The recruit's tears welled up. Finally, gritting his teeth, he said, "I don't obey..."
The old soldier pulled the recruit, who had slumped to the ground, to his feet. "Look around you. Aren't they all cultivators? Isn't everyone stronger than you?"
"One less person means one less main force to resist the demon beasts. Only you are suitable to go, understand?"
The recruit gritted his teeth, "I understand."
"Then you'd better execute the military order now and go to the sentry post to receive the reinforcements as quickly as possible!"
The recruit remained rooted to the spot. The old soldier kicked him and roared, "Don't waste time! Do you want to watch our remaining brothers die?"
"Get out of here!"
With tears in his eyes and gritting his teeth, the recruit summoned his last strength and walked away. As he descended the city wall, he seemed to hear the old soldier speaking to him, but amidst the roar of artillery, he couldn't make it out. He glanced back once, then ran outwards.
The old soldier watched the recruit's retreating back, cursing with a smile, "I don't just eat your rations for nothing. I'm repaying you now, little one..." Then he turned, drew his Azure Python long sword, raised it to the sky, and roared hoarsely, "I, the old soldier, am now General Wei Wu! All brothers, follow me to defend Bai Cheng, to buy time for the last civilians to evacuate! Might!"
"Might!"
"Might!"
"Might!"
The recruit didn't know how long he ran. In the dark night, he reached the sentry post ten li away and exhaled, collapsing onto the post, his eyes gazing towards Bai Cheng.
...
The wind began to blow.
I am not worried about the worldly affairs.
I worry that my charcoal burns too quickly.
Not enough to wait for someone to arrive...
...
Just as the recruit was about to close his eyes, a young man approached him. "From Bai Cheng's Wei Wu Army?"
The recruit nodded with difficulty.
"Where is the token?"
The recruit opened his clenched hand, revealing the tiger tally. The young man bowed respectfully towards the tiger tally and declared, "I, Human Warrior Chen Jiuyang, have come to assist!"
Then, in the darkness of the night, the recruit saw Bai Cheng erupt in light. The entire vista was as bright as day. Even from ten li away, he heard the shrill screams of the demon beasts. The recruit smiled and slowly closed his eyes. He didn't lie to me; reinforcements have arrived.