Eternal life begins with saving my clan

Tension hung in the air, and fear gripped the hearts of everyone in Cloud Wind City. The news about the incoming Necoris army had spread throughout the city.

The city could defend against a small group of Necoris soldiers, but not a full battalion. One kilometer around the City was devoid of humans, and everywhere was as quiet as a graveyard.

Inside the city, the various clans were already preparing for the worst. In the Wu clan estate, they had gathered all their resources into carriages, ready to escape if things went south.

The city lord's face was grim.

"Why would these savage barbarians attack my city?!" he muttered, his voice filled with fear and annoyance.

He sent a message to the king the moment he learned of the Necoris army. Considering the distance between the imperial capital and their Soaring Wind Region, he doubted help would arrive before his city was destroyed.

Prepared for the worst, he sent all his men to defend the city walls while also commanding the clans in the city to send their men to help.

With the sickening tension, the bustling city fell silent. The streets were empty, leaving only stray animals and the howling wind.

"My Lord..." the butler shouted, rushing into the room with a face full of smiles.

"What?!" the city lord snapped in annoyance.

He had been on edge for the past few days, and every little thing irritated him.

"My Lord..." The old butler controlled his excitement, taking a deep breath before handing the city lord a scroll.

Unfolding the scroll and reading its contents, the city lord's lackluster expression changed immediately.

"IS THIS TRUE?"

he shouted, forgetting about his usual composed demeanor.

"Yes, my lord. Our men monitoring the Necoris movement sent this today."

For a moment, the city lord stared at his butler before bursting into loud, hysterical laughter.

"Hahahaha! The heavens are on my side!"

Seeing his lord's genuine happiness, the butler's smile deepened. He was the only one who knew how troubled the city lord had been since learning about the Necoris army.

Now, the Necoris army was not coming to their city after all. According to their scouts, it seemed they were heading to another city and had only passed through their city's route.

After recovering from his excitement, the city lord adjusted himself, returning to his dignified posture.

He squinted and thought for a moment.

"What is the closest city to us?"

"Hmm?"

The butler was confused, furrowing his brow. Still, he quickly recovered and responded, "Black Rock City."

"Hmm. Hmm." The city lord shook his head. "If they were going to Black Rock City, why would they take such a long detour? I think they're heading somewhere else."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Is there any other city nearby?"

The confusion on the butler's face deepened, but he didn't ask and replied after a moment's thought.

"The only city I can think of is Dongping City. But that's just a backward place where even the poor are afraid to go."

"Is there any other city besides Dongping?"

"No," the butler responded, shaking his head.

"If they're not going to Dongping City, then they must have discovered something of great importance," the city lord mused aloud before commanding, "Send our men to follow them and update me on any changes. I want to know where they're going with such a large army."

Three days later, the news was confirmed. The Necoris army was heading toward the backward Dongping City, which stunned all the cities in the Soaring Cloud Region.

Instantly, Dongping City became the talk of the region, with one question lingering on everyone's mind:

Why would the Necoris army go to Dongping City?

...

Inside a courtyard, Su Yen sat at the center of a Spirit Gathering Formation with spirit stones scattered around him. The spiritual energy within the formation was so thick that it formed a visible aura around him.

Oblivious to all this, Su Yen was deeply focused on his cultivation when he furrowed his brow. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and a sharp, chaotic sword intent cut through the air.

The space trembled violently, teetering on the brink of a spatial tear.

Seeing this, Su Yen retracted his sword intent and turned his head to look in a particular direction.

His gaze pierced through space, witnessing events thousands of miles from Dongping City.

"Interesting!" he muttered.

Since he had decided to break through to the Saint Realm before leaving Dongping City, he wouldn't meddle in these mortal squabbles.

"Come!" he commanded through his spirit sense.

Inside the Celestial Heavenly Store, Zimo was reading a book to pass the time when he heard Su Yen's voice in his ear.

Instantly, he got to his feet, his expression turning solemn. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared from his room, leaving a gust of wind behind.

A second later, Zimo appeared before Su Yen's mansion and took a deep breath. He straightened his robes and looked at the ordinary door.

Creak!

Slowly, the door opened by itself, and Zimo stepped in. He walked carefully, his face etched with respect and deep reverence.

Standing tens of meters from Su Yen's courtyard, Zimo shouted, "Your Majesty, The Great!"

"Be at ease..." Su Yen's serene voice echoed in his ear.

Whoosh!

An illusory figure of Su Yen appeared before him, staring intently. Zimo dared not look him directly in the eye and fell to his knees.

"Stand up, walk with me."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

As they strolled through the quiet mansion, the wind was gentle, and the sound of insects filled the air.

"Are you confused about why I summoned you?" Su Yen asked, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"You've broken through to the Core Refining Realm, and your foundation is stable. Well done."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Without you, how many men would it take to defeat one hundred thousand Necoris soldiers?" Su Yen asked calmly, without breaking his stride.

"Hmm?"

Zimo furrowed his brow and immediately realized what was happening. They were under attack.

"Two men would be enough if they went all out. However, if we're using the Knights..." He paused, thinking for a moment.

No Necoris could withstand the full brunt of a Peak Foundation Building Realm stage 9 attack. Even if they used less than half their power, the result wouldn't change. It would just take a few more attacks to achieve the same outcome.

Combined with the Knights, two Barren Land soldiers could breeze through the battle, dealing with the more powerful threats.

With all this running through his mind, he responded, "Two are enough." His voice was filled with unshakable confidence.

"Good. Send two of your weakest men, and they should use less than twenty percent of their power, along with all the Knights. I can't have them disturbing my cultivation. It's time to witness the full power of your Knights."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Whoosh!

A storage ring appeared out of thin air, hovering before him. "Take it. There's a manual on how to set up the Bewildering Formation."

"After this battle, this little city will rise to fame. The formation will prevent those fools from disturbing us."

"Now leave..."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Zimo paid his respects, took the ring, and departed in large strides.

...

Two days later.

As the sun set, dark clouds loomed over Dongping City. The mortals returned to their homes after a hectic day in the desert, while those who loved to indulge in pleasures went to the brothels.

However, this night was far from peaceful as thunderous footsteps reverberated outside the city.

Gathered in front of the city walls was a hundred thousand-strong Necoris army, their terrifying killing intent filling the sky.

"Humans, surrender now and keep your miserable lives!" A thick, boisterous voice boomed throughout the city.