Finding Money on the Ground

Clear the level one more time? No! This was no game, no dungeon trial. This was a city—Battle Heaven City! An army stood before the walls, flouting the rules, provoking the garrison of Battle Heaven City again and again. It was nothing short of blasphemy against the supreme power! Above the city walls, three silver warriors assembled. At this moment, under the command of the three silver warriors were thirty bronze-armored centurions and three thousand garrison troops. Battle Heaven City, the Battle Heaven Army! At that very instant, as superpowered cultivators gathered below, a glint flickered in the eyes of the three silver warriors. Unbearable insolence! The garrison existed solely to guard and protect Battle Heaven City. Yet now, enemies had dared to push right to their doorstep. "Kill!" An ancient cadence, raspy and heavily mechanical, rasped from the mouth of one of the silver warriors. The next moment, boom! A black torrent surged downward! Charge! Slay the enemy! Countless ages later, the Battle Heaven Army could still do battle on the field of war. *** Below the city walls, the superpowered cultivators were still clamoring. Why were there black armors again? Some were still chatting excitedly: "This is a good thing! Black armor is valuable. Just look at the Martial Guard Army—a single suit of black armor is worth far more than a divine energy stone. Grab a few, and you'll make a fortune..." Boom! Before the words had fully left the speaker's mouth, countless black-armored soldiers leaped down from the walls. With a thunderous roar, the slaughter began. Spears, swords, sabers... A military formation locked into place. Thirty bronze armors converged into a vanguard formation, thrusting inward like the tip of a blade. Rumble! "Ahhh!" Screams rang out instantly, jolting the chattering crowd. Even the powerhouses froze in disbelief before shouting furiously: "Quick, fight back...!" "Damn it, didn't they say taking the second pathway would keep us safe?" "Why?!" "Why are there so many black armors... weren't they supposed to have been wiped out?" Shouts, clamor, and chaos erupted into total pandemonium. These people hailed from various organizations and factions. Far too many had entered this time—over two thousand in total, and more were still pouring in from the outside. Some had walked straight across the plaza; others had taken the second pathway. The moment the army crashed down upon them, panicked cultivators took flight. Those who had bypassed the second pathway were blasted into oblivion on the spot, while those who had taken the second pathway found themselves crying out in misery as well! Before they could even touch down, a tremendous boom shook the air as the three silver warriors soared into the sky, unleashing slaughter midair! "Exterminate!" The mechanical voice echoed once more. The Battle Heaven Army seemed thoroughly enraged. For someone was provoking Battle Heaven City! Rumble! Battle erupted instantly. Within the city, black armors were comparable to Solar Flares—exceptionally formidable. Against three thousand of them, never mind Solar Flares, even Three Sols were fleeing for their lives. Several Rising Lights wore grim expressions. An ill omen right at the start! They had only just reached the foot of the city walls when this unforeseen disaster struck—it defied imagination. An expert roared in fury, "Hou Xiaochen... is this a plot cooked up by your Night Patrollers?!" In the distance, Hou Xiaochen said nothing, hastily leading his people in retreat. Plot my ass! This had nothing to do with him whatsoever. He had made preparations, but certainly not here. Who could have known this would happen? Three thousand garrison troops had abruptly appeared in Battle Heaven City. Without a doubt, the guards from the other three gates must have converged at the eastern gate. Over by Yama's side, Equality King shouted, "We must eliminate them! These black armors are also priceless! We have plenty of powerhouses. The black armors are merely Lunar Nethers clad in armor—no matter how many there are, they're still just ants!" There were indeed many black armors, but the bronze armors were only on par with peak Solar Flare, and the silver warriors were only equivalent to Three Sols; they had not yet undergone full revival. And how many Three Sols and Rising Lights had come this time? As long as they joined hands, dealing with three thousand black armors would not be difficult. Yet the various organizations and top experts suddenly began retreating. Almost no one was willing to hold the front line. If you retreat, I retreat too; even the experts who were holding their ground swiftly withdrew. One powerhouse after another rapidly fell back. The black armors charged and hacked, silent as specters, yet their killing intent was tangible. Scores of cultivators were slaughtered where they stood. Even those of considerable strength collapsed into a rout under that overwhelming slaughter. Agonized screams rose without pause! *** At the rear. Chief Steward Yu glanced at Hou Xiaochen. Hou Xiaochen's expression remained tranquil, as though he hadn't noticed a thing. Kong Jie was also smiling, arms crossed over his chest. "Well, who would've thought? There are actually this many black armors left. Old Hou, looks like your Martial Guard Army can be fully outfitted after all." Three thousand black armors! Hou Xiaochen said nothing, merely observing for a moment before whispering, "Tell me, why did the Battle Heaven Army attack us out of the blue? Before, as long as one passed through the second pathway and didn't provoke them, they wouldn't attack... But now, don't you think these undead warriors seem somewhat more animated?" Kong Jie paused, startled. "You mean... someone is directing them?" "Mm." Hou Xiaochen looked toward the towering city gate, as if peering through it into the city beyond. He abruptly rose into the air and gazed inside. There... faint lights seemed to gleam. No, perhaps it was the reflection of gold. Had the golden warrior revived once more? Hou Xiaochen frowned slightly. This sudden turn of events had caught him off guard as well. Could it have something to do with Li Hao and the others? Did the Eight Great Families still maintain such close ties after countless ages? Strange! *** Inside the city. Li Hao and his companions also heard the commotion. At that moment, Li Hao climbed along an unlocked building to the rooftop. Looking out from the roof, he could faintly see the scene outside. The building was quite tall, only slightly lower than the tortoise tower. Standing there, Li Hao watched, and as he watched, he suddenly smiled. Southern Fist and Hong Yitang climbed up as well. Southern Fist was surprised. "Why... why are so many black armors attacking them? Didn't they say that taking the second pathway prevents the black armors from attacking?" Li Hao said calmly, "With so many cultivators in a disorganized mess, someone probably did something to anger them. These soldiers are reasonable and follow the rules. Perhaps someone adopted an aggressive stance, someone tried to scale the city walls, or someone struck the city gate... Any of that would draw their hostility. In the eyes of the Battle Heaven Army, that is a provocation!" Hong Yitang frowned slightly and glanced at Li Hao. "You seem much more composed than last time." "I'm stronger than last time, so naturally I'm more composed. Besides... I've found Battle Heaven City quite fascinating. It's a place that follows rules. Since that's the case, so long as we abide by their rules, there won't be much danger. There's no reason for them to attack visiting guests." He smiled and added, "Last time I came, I treated it as a simple expedition without much feeling. I only saw it as a fallen city where I came to hunt for treasures!" "And this time?" "This time... I feel that this is a city with a soul." Li Hao chuckled. "Compared to the people outside, perhaps these departed warriors are far more admirable. Even though they died long ago and only lingering obsessions remain, they feel like living, breathing beings of flesh and blood to me! I'm thinking... perhaps this is what true martial masters, true soldiers, are supposed to be. They aren't like today's warlords carving out territories and asserting dominance... It's completely different!" Hong Yitang raised an eyebrow with a smile. "You feel the current Bureau of Military Law isn't to your liking?" "No." Li Hao shook his head, thought for a moment, and said, "Decadent... feudal! Perhaps these are the drawbacks of an incomplete reform. When the royal family was made to step behind the scenes and the Nine Departments took the reins, the reforms were probably left half-done. I've realized that whether it's the Nine Departments today or the administrative bodies of each province... everyone is solely focused on their own interests." "Who cares if war breaks out? Who cares if the common people live or die? Who cares if transportation is convenient, if crops can be harvested, or if cities fall into chaos... They don't care about any of it!" Li Hao smiled. "Everyone is plotting their petty schemes, building their little military cliques, nurturing their own powerhouses, and preparing to rule their own domain. Up until now, the only group I've truly encountered that resembles this army is Silver City's Demon Hunting Squad." "A band of people, led by Captain Liu Long, driving out the darkness!" "They were weak, but they were always thinking about how to keep Silver City peaceful and prosperous." "Silver City may be small, but it was safe... Setting aside the troubles caused by Red Moon's overwhelming strength, over all these years—a full twenty years—at least no excessively brutal massacres ever took place in that little corner." "Yet after entering White Moon City, I found that despite a population of thirty million, housing the four major organizations and countless powerhouses... it seems the people of White Moon City aren't even living as happily as those in Silver City." "When facing external foes, would White Moon City's three legions charge forward like them, heedless of death, just to strike a single blow against the enemy?" At this moment, Li Hao was suddenly filled with emotion. He watched the charging black-armored warriors, then looked at this city—a deserted, empty city. "Look at them. To protect this city, even countless ages later, they are still willing to draw their swords and fight... Martial Uncle Hong, tell me, where did their convictions come from? That pride, that calm, that willing devotion, refusing to lay down arms even in death... I wonder, what kind of conviction could drive them to such lengths?" It was simply unbelievable! Hong Yitang fell silent for a while. After a long pause, he sighed and said, "Many reasons. Powerful foreign enemies, charismatic leaders, a beautiful homeland, a united conviction, a shared goal, national confidence... All of this filled these people with fighting spirit!" He continued, "In fact, such soldiers still exist; it's just... they aren't very visible nowadays! You say the Three Silver Moon Armies would never act like this, but that might not be entirely true. However... do you know why today's soldiers seem to lack conviction and fighting spirit?" "Please enlighten me, Martial Uncle!" "Purpose and conviction... Why are they fighting, who are they fighting for, and what is the ultimate goal?" Hong Yitang said solemnly, "Nowadays, when armies clash, it's all civil war! The dynasty is still nominally unified, so everyone is a soldier of the dynasty. Unless you are exterminating the Three Great Organizations, waging war against anyone else is, in truth, civil war!" "Can a civil war ignite passion and conviction?" Hong Yitang shook his head. "No! That's why everyone prioritizes individual powerhouses while neglecting the military. In fact, if Silver Moon truly achieved independence, possessed a grand objective, enacted monumental reforms, and were willing to lead these people along a new path out of decay... perhaps that would be the key to making the Three Silver Moon Armies shine once more." He looked outside the city at the powerhouses flying through the air, adding, "Independence is not for hegemony! Right now, the time has not yet come. Silver Moon can still hold on. But once things truly descend into dire straits, if someone steps forward at that time and raises a rallying cry, perhaps it will awaken the conviction of the Silver Moon people!" Having said that, Hong Yitang added in a low voice, "In truth, it won't be long now. With constant warfare, several provinces in the Central Region have already begun developing problems due to the fighting. Many might not have noticed yet, but some places in the Central Region have suffered total crop failures for years!" "High officials in every province are stirring restlessly, secretly hoarding grain and fodder. On the market, food prices have already risen by thirty percent! And this is just the beginning. As war-torn regions expand, the daily consumption of the Heavenly Star Dynasty—with its population of ten billion—is an astronomical figure!" "Fertile fields and prime lands that used to yield abundant grain are now gradually falling barren. People dare not go out to farm, and even if they do, a single battle could wipe out an entire harvest!" Hong Yitang sighed again. "Right now, because the dynasty is vast and wealthy, with abundant land and resources, a few years of conflict haven't made it blatantly obvious yet. But soon... it will erupt!" "In fact, many people are watching and waiting—waiting for this crisis to blow wide open." "Once such a chaotic age breaks out, it will be their opportunity. Troubled times breed heroes, but they also breed ruthless warlords!" Hong Yitang laughed softly. "Silver Moon is among the better ones. The General Administration Bureau is actually quite responsible; over the past few years, they've been promoting large-scale cultivation, introducing new farming practices, discoveries, and technologies... Yet even so, if everywhere around us falls into chaos, Silver Moon won't be able to stay peaceful either." Li Hao's brow furrowed deeper as he listened. Southern Fist also raised an eyebrow, shooting Hong Yitang a glance. Truth be told, in today's martial arts circles and the supernatural realm, everyone chased strength; few ever gave thought to such matters. Those ambitious warlords might have seen it—might have understood it completely—yet they were fanning the flames! Some had even intentionally halted cultivation on fertile lands, sitting back and waiting for widespread crop failure. Commoners were weak, but once starved to the brink, the power unleashed by the masses was enough to topple the dynasty and spark wars and revolutions. Commoners didn't ask for much, but... you could not let them starve! A starving person was capable of anything. Superpowered beings were a minority after all. Even if you could suppress ten thousand, a hundred thousand, a million... what about ten million, a hundred million, or a billion? Li Hao's face paled slightly. That surging tide seemed to unfold right before his eyes. He looked at Hong Yitang... In truth, even though Li Hao was a commoner himself, Silver City had been relatively well-off, so he could hardly imagine scenes recorded in history books actually breaking out in this day and age! With high technology booming and ancient civilization techniques being popularized, in his view, famines shouldn't happen in this era. Yet now... listening to Hong Yitang's description, he could almost see it happening: an unstoppable tide sweeping across the land, bleached bones covering the earth, heaven and earth crumbling! The will of the people could not be defied! Even Southern Fist couldn't help chiming in: "Old Hong, aren't you exaggerating?" Hong Yitang smiled. "Exaggerating? Not at all. Everything I've said is a fact. Some people see it but pretend not to; some genuinely don't see it; some deliberately engineer this outcome; and some... are simply fools!" "So, when Li Hao asked why the soldiers of this era cannot compare to those of the ancient civilization, I gave him the answer—the time is not yet ripe!" "When this era descends into utter chaos, when these people realize the homeland behind them will be destroyed... they, too, will erupt with unimaginable brilliance!" He pointed toward the people outside. "Among those out there, perhaps some understand and some don't. But when that day comes, perhaps some will become saints, some will become villains, some will become overlords, and some will become butchers!" He looked at Li Hao again. "What about you?" Li Hao stared blankly. What about me? "You're just like them, aren't you?" Hong Yitang smiled. "You've seen it too, perhaps even sensed it, but haven't you also felt that it has nothing to do with you? What is not of personal concern is best left alone! What does the fate of this era have to do with you? Your parents are dead, your friends are dead, and your teacher is the only one you count as family. So do you really care about the people of Silver City? Liu Long's conviction was to guard the safety of Silver City. What about you? You thought: while I'm weak, I'll just follow along. Did you ever truly take it to heart?" "You transferred Liu Long out. Liu Long thought: once I grow strong, I'll return to protect Silver City! And you? You thought: once you grow strong, you'll go wipe out your enemies in Red Moon. Have you ever thought about what becomes of Silver City?" Hong Yitang shook his head and gave a quiet laugh. "In this era, everyone lives only for themselves! The human heart is selfish, and human nature is selfish. Truth be told, whether in the martial world or the supernatural realm, how many people are genuinely willing to consider the common folk?" Li Hao drifted into a daze, his mind wandering. Me... Hong Yitang seemed to be right. Indeed, he had never considered this. Liu Long's talk of "guarding justice" had always felt like a mere slogan to him, something to make oneself feel more righteous. But what, exactly, was justice? He didn't understand! He looked at Hong Yitang, bewildered. Hong Yitang, however, said nothing more. There was nothing left to say. This wasn't something that could be made clear in a few words. If you didn't understand, you didn't; if you did... you did! Only when the day came that Li Hao saw corpses strewn across the wilderness and the starved dead littering the ground—when his heart ached for them with pity, self-reproach, and remorse—would he truly understand. If he merely saw the dead as a bunch of ants... there was no point in saying anything. Even if he felt that emotion, it required him to do something about it. If he took no action, it was nothing more than fleeting sympathy! At that moment, Southern Fist's expression shifted slightly. "Hong Yitang, you've said so much, but what about yourself?" What have you done? Hong Yitang smiled. "Me? What can I do? I can't accomplish much. The only thing I can do is make Sword Gate a little safer, a little more peaceful, and ensure everyone has enough food and clothing... In the Sword Gate mountains, I support the families of Sword Gate's disciples. They work hard to live, labor diligently to prosper, and remain fed and clothed, insulated from the chaos outside. That is all I can manage." "I'm just an ordinary man, not a saint." Hong Yitang sighed with emotion. "Truth be told, I didn't see these things either at first, nor did I understand them. As a martial master who roamed the pugilistic world in my earlier years, our generation lived on hearty bites of meat and generous draughts of wine. Frankly, what did commoners have to do with us?" "Until one day, I happened upon a group of orphans. Some had parents who starved to death; some lost their parents to war; some had parents killed amid martial strife; and some had parents who traveled far from home chasing strength... At that moment, I suddenly had a tiny revelation, that's all!" Just a tiny bit! He never advertised himself as a saint, nor was he one. It was simply that Sword Gate took in a few more orphans from then on. Perhaps this was one of the few mercies offered by the powerful in this era. That was why he could speak of these things with Li Hao today. Otherwise, he would have merely claimed that the soldiers of this era were inferior to those of the past because... they weren't strong enough! Was it because they weren't strong enough? No! There were roughly two thousand cultivators outside, all quite strong. If they joined forces, they could easily crush those three thousand black armors. But... so what? Did they possess conviction? Aside from knowing how to grow stronger and seize treasures, what conviction did they have? Were the three men present any different? In this era, human hearts were thoroughly cold. Li Hao's thoughts were in a muddle. He gazed outside at the torrent of black armor charging forward, cutting in like a keen blade, fighting on without end. Countless ages later, this army was still fighting! What were they fighting for? He shook his head and looked at Hong Yitang, suddenly feeling... this man was terrifying! Yes, terrifying. With effortless ease, he had shaken Li Hao, confused him, and even weakened his resolve. After a moment, Li Hao took a deep breath and descended from the tall building. He didn't want to watch anymore. He only wanted to find some treasures, grow stronger, get out, and then... seek vengeance against Red Moon. Yes! He was precisely the selfish person Hong Yitang had described—why shouldn't he be? The world's people were ignorant, suffering in dire straits—what did that have to do with him? Nothing at all! He was one of them, a victim himself. No one had come to save him... Oh, wait, someone had: his teacher, Liu Long, Hou Xiaochen... These people had indeed saved him. Then why should he have to save others? How bizarre! Li Hao felt Hong Yitang overthought things. Those people were neither kith nor kin to him; why should he care about what happened to them? Even if the world were destroyed, so what? *** Behind him. Southern Fist looked at Hong Yitang with a deep scowl, sending a voice transmission: "Hong Yitang, what on earth have you been contemplating all these years? How... how did you end up fretting over the country and the people?" This wasn't how a martial master acted! Hong Yitang glanced at him, smiled, and transmitted back, "I've been contemplating the path of martial masters, contemplating the purpose of our existence! I once read an ancient text that said, 'The greatest of heroes serves the country and its people'... At first glance, I called it a joke! Looking again, I felt it was exaggerated. How could mere martial brutes be heroes? What makes a true hero? Punishing the strong to aid the weak, righting wrongs, acting with courage and righteousness, worrying for the nation and the people... That is what makes a chivalrous hero! Where in today's martial world can you find heroes like that? It's just a bunch of martial brutes stooping to any means to make themselves stronger!" "You are one, I am one, Yuan Shuo is one, and so is everyone else!" "Over the years, I leafed through that ancient book again, and some different thoughts came to me. Perhaps they're a bit childish, perhaps a bit idealistic, but I wondered: what is the purpose of growing stronger? Immortality? Standing aloof from worldly strife? Becoming invincible across the realm? And then what?" Hong Yitang chuckled. "And then... turning into dry bones! Decades or centuries later, no one will remember you. As formidable as Yuan Shuo is, if he had died in Silver City, would the people of Silver Moon still remember him a few years down the line? Did he bring any change to Silver Moon? Did he bring peace and blessings to countless homes? Did his great strength offer even a shred of help to the millions of living souls?" Southern Fist swallowed hard. Had he? Of course not! It was impossible. Martial masters... vied for supremacy, slaughtered in all directions, doing everything to grow stronger, search for a path, and seek the Dao... As for what lay beyond finding the Dao? Nothing! What else could there possibly be? At this moment, a thread of fear touched him. Looking at Hong Yitang, he suddenly felt this fellow was terrifying! "Hong Yitang... what... what exactly are you thinking about?" Hong Yitang laughed softly. "What are you so worked up about? It's just some reflections on my own life. I've been thinking: people always say martial masters and superpowered beings exist only to slaughter... I suppose that's not wrong, but is slaughter the purpose of slaughter? Is slaughter the ultimate goal? Isn't that far too narrow-minded?" "Slaughter is merely a process, not the goal! Don't conflate the two. That kid Li Hao thinks the same way: I grow strong just to slaughter... And then what? After killing everyone, what comes after?" A chill ran through Southern Fist's heart. Looking at Hong Yitang, he suddenly felt an urge to distance himself from him! At times, this man was truly unfathomable. "Stop staring. I'm no saint, just pondering. Are even thoughts supposed to be shackled? The ancient texts say: do not imprison human thought. You can shackle my body, but you cannot shackle my mind. As long as thought remains, I am alive; once my mind is imprisoned as well, only then am I truly dead." "The Heavenly Star Dynasty is actually rotten to the core!" As Hong Yitang walked, he said, "This dynasty is effectively imprisoning people's minds! Education is underdeveloped, and the populace remains unenlightened. Everything must be dredged up from ancient civilizations; no one knows how to develop or research on their own." "The education system isn't developed in the slightest! Take Silver City—a population of one million, yet how many are educated and cultured? They treat a single Silver City Ancient Academy like a treasure, with a student body of barely one or two thousand. Does it make sense that among a million people, so few are educated?" "In all of vast Silver Moon, with its population of a hundred million, I've observed and gathered statistics. I don't know the exact total of schools, but I do know there are only thirty-seven higher education academies, with roughly two hundred thousand students. In four-year cycles, that's about fifty thousand graduates a year..." "Assuming an average working span of forty years, that comes to two million graduates over forty years... And those two million are the upper crust, the elite of society. Out of a hundred million people, two million educated elites—do you think that's high or low?" "Higher education students make up two percent. Even if you multiply that tenfold for primary and secondary education, twenty percent is an overestimation! In other words, those who can actually read and write make up barely twenty-two percent of the population. What do you think of that ratio?" Southern Fist said solemnly, "Is that low?" He didn't think it was low at all! "Besides, isn't a literacy rate of over twenty percent already quite high? I remember it wasn't even that high before. That means one in every five people can read now. Decades ago, if you gathered a hundred people, sometimes only one or two were literate. Is there a problem with that?" He truly saw nothing wrong with it. That was already impressive, wasn't it?! Hong Yitang laughed and shook his head. "You really are... Never mind, I can't be bothered explaining it to you! Read more books. Read the ancient texts, look at them, and think about why the ancient civilization was so mighty. If I told you that during the ancient civilization, the literacy rate was as high as ninety-nine percent, how would you react? Yes, aside from a tiny minority, everyone was literate!" "Literacy is the bedrock for the rise of a country, a nation! Don't expect illiterate people to pass on knowledge, change your life, or strengthen your path. If Yuan Shuo couldn't read, could he have forged his new path?" At this moment, Hong Yitang felt as though he were playing a lute to a cow. Whatever, why bother saying all this! Finally, he added, "One more thing: among the Nine Departments, not a single one is dedicated to education. The establishment of higher academies is left entirely to local initiatives, haphazard and arbitrary. Furthermore, even the ancients understood the importance of encouraging agriculture and pitying the farmer. Yet in this era, so advanced that we have airplanes and cannons, there isn't a single specialized agricultural department to help people clear land or cultivate new seeds. They only know how to live off whatever nature provides..." "The reforms of the Heavenly Star Dynasty were a joke. The royal family stepping behind the scenes was merely because their strength was inferior. Every faction looks only at martial might; who cares about anything else?" "Truth be told, the Silver Moon General Administration Bureau isn't too bad. Those fellows surnamed Zhao and Zhou have done decent work over the years, but... they're still blinded by a single leaf!" Southern Fist stared at him blankly. At that moment, he felt as if he hardly recognized the Earth-Overturning Sword! Was this really the Earth-Overturning Sword? "You're a martial master..." "That's right! That's why I said the greatest of heroes serves the country and its people. I can't do it, so I am a martial master, not a chivalrous hero!" Much less a grand hero! He chuckled, not feeling the slightest bit uneasy. He wasn't worthy of being called a hero, and neither was anyone else; this era was simply populated by a bunch of martial masters. Perhaps one day, this era would produce true heroes like that? Looking at Li Hao ahead, he shook his head slightly. Forget it! Li Hao was probably just a martial master as well, like the rest of them. As long as he didn't slaughter the innocent indiscriminately, he was already doing right by others; he was destined not to become a hero either. Mainly because no one possessed such a concept. Martial masters seeking the welfare of commoners? From past to present, such an idea seemed never to have existed. 'No... Liu Long...' At that thought, a person suddenly came to mind. It was rather peculiar, but that fellow was actually quite intriguing. Though his strength was unimpressive, one had to admit that in this era, genuinely wanting from the bottom of his heart to protect the local populace made him quite exceptional. Of course, he only worried about Silver City. Still... perhaps that could be called heroic chivalry, albeit confined to Silver City. That was already quite something—far better than most martial masters! For many martial masters, their so-called homeland was nothing more than a perch. If it were destroyed, they would simply move elsewhere and carry on living. *** The sounds of battle outside continued. Walking ahead, Li Hao felt somewhat dazed. Higher up, the giant tortoise silently gazed down at a person—not at Li Hao, but at Hong Yitang. It felt slightly dazed. It seemed to have heard something, sensed something. A chivalrous hero... Looking out over the four directions, looking down upon this land, who could be called a hero? Perhaps this man wasn't one either. Yet he reminded it of another person: an unimaginably powerful being, the Human King of a unique era, someone who constantly had the words "education is paramount; no matter how poor we are, we cannot scrimp on education" on his lips. Of course, that was an affair of the very distant past. In truth, they weren't all that alike. Compared to that man, this one fell far short—far, far too short! That man was the beacon of his era, the guiding light and life mentor to the Human King who came after. And during that era, there were many figures like him. They knew what they were fighting for. They knew what the future was. They also knew that self-reliance, independence, and every person becoming as formidable as a dragon were the true foundations of an era's strength. Thus, they forged that era—a different era, one rarely seen across eternity. Living in that era, everyone was proud, everyone was honored! No matter how bitter, exhausting, or perilous, with a single command, tens of millions marched to their deaths, fighting until their last drop of blood was shed! No one had regrets. When they looked back, they had dispelled the darkness and ushered in the light. Yet now, perhaps... they too had plunged into darkness. In this era, who could reignite the radiance of Battle Heaven City? In this era, who could lead Battle Heaven City once more to slash their swords across the heavens? Probably no one! The old tortoise closed its eyes again. Gone... In this era, not a single spark of hope remained. At least, it had neither seen nor felt one. That man just now might have been one of the last few embers, but alas, he didn't seem all that impressive either. With a slight stir of its mind... Just at that moment, Hong Yitang, who was still walking, suddenly froze. Looking down, he saw a storage ring lying on the ground. He blinked, picked it up, inspected it, and then... froze in stupor! Yes, he was completely dumbfounded. Li Hao and Southern Fist also sensed the movement and turned toward him, looking at him in surprise. A storage ring? Found on the ground? Hong Yitang blinked, wondering if he was dreaming. The next instant, he kicked Southern Fist. Southern Fist flared up in fury! Speechless, he snapped, "What are you doing?!" "He Yong, tell me... finding money just walking down the street, could it be that Heaven thought I was too poor and took pity on me?" "..." Li Hao was also intensely curious. "Martial Uncle Hong, what did you find? Is there anything inside?" Hong Yitang nodded numbly. A moment later, after some thought, his mind shifted. Then... Li Hao and Southern Fist stood dumbfounded, their eyes widening in shock. That was... that was a divine energy stone larger than a human head! Holy shit! What was more, light flickered across it—not dull like ordinary divine energy stones, but brilliantly translucent at first glance, so clear that one might doubt if it was even a divine energy stone! Yet sensing it now... it seemed it truly was! Hong Yitang also drew a sharp breath! Holy crap! What had he done? He had just taken a casual step. Why... why would he stumble upon a storage ring containing such a massive boulder... no, such a massive treasure?! He was thoroughly bewildered! Furthermore, within the storage ring, there were three such boulders. Yes, a full three of them! On top of that, there was a small vial of liquid sealed inside, appearing immensely precious. Hong Yitang didn't know what it was and didn't open it to check, remaining in a daze. He looked all around... After a long while, he suddenly cupped his fists in salute. "A blessed land! A land of treasures! Battle Heaven City is practically my second home. Who knows, maybe my ancestors were members of Battle Heaven City! Li Hao, you two should pay your respects! This place is incredible!" Southern Fist was completely stunned. Looking at the stone, he swallowed hard, and after a long silence, squeezed out with great difficulty, "This... top-grade divine energy stone... cut up, it would yield... over three thousand pieces, wouldn't it?" One of these could probably match three ordinary ones, which meant over ten thousand divine energy stones! He was utterly dumbfounded. Li Hao was equally dazed. In that instant, he couldn't help looking toward the distant giant tortoise... Wait, could Old Hong finding money have been deliberate on the part of some conscious entity in the city? Why? One had to realize that this city was utterly empty, cleaned out completely. The ground could even absorb dropped objects; how could a storage ring have lain here for countless years and still remain intact? What was going on?! Only if a conscious entity existed in the city could this be possible. Yet why give it to Old Hong? Li Hao scratched his head, only now delving deeper into the thought: could it be... because of Old Hong's words? Were those words worth a fortune? Could they have struck a chord? Li Hao sank into deep contemplation. As for the gigantic divine energy stone, he didn't care all that much. Everyone had their own opportunities; no rule forbade Hong Yitang from having his. Li Hao was merely considering... if even the beings in this ancient city found those words valuable, perhaps those words were his own greatest harvest. He looked once more at Hong Yitang. This somewhat lazy, rather unkempt man suddenly seemed somewhat mysterious. Meanwhile, Hong Yitang tucked away his windfall, grinning from ear to ear. He couldn't close his mouth from smiling! What a wonderful day! So blissful! What a great city. "Let's go find my quarters. Now that we're here, let's rest a bit, then explore the streets..." Hong Yitang chuckled. As he walked, he glanced at the surrounding architecture and mumbled, "Such a small city, yet so many schools. Walking this way, I think I've seen at least five schools... Could it be... because I talked about building more schools, the ancient city sensed it and rewarded me?" Strange indeed! Li Hao also heard this. Looking around, he saw that what lay ahead indeed appeared to be a school. Walking along this path, they had indeed passed quite a few similar structures. He furrowed his brow slightly. Why build so many schools? At most, this small city could hold a million people, couldn't it? They hadn't even reached the end of this single street. Could the entire city possess over a hundred schools? If so... these ancients were truly wealthy! Not only wealthy, but energetic as well. In Silver City, if he remembered correctly, there were only a dozen or so schools, and that was considered quite good. In this day and age, wasn't going out early to work and earn money far better than studying? Studying wasted too much time. As for Li Hao, he had excelled academically; those with poor grades stopped studying early on. At this moment, all three fell silent as they walked on, quietly observing, taking in their surroundings. This small Battle Heaven City gave them an entirely different feeling. Southern Fist watched in silence as well. The small city was diminutive, nowhere near as bustling as Heavenly Star City. Yet through these buildings, one could almost envision how happy and contented Battle Heaven City had once been. Living in peace, working in contentment, happy and fulfilled. Perhaps such a city was truly worth protecting by the soldiers outside, wasn't it? If chaos erupted in Heavenly Star City, how many soldiers would be willing to lay down their lives to defend it? As the three walked along, the clamor outside the city and the serenity within formed two completely separate worlds. I protect you out here; you live in peace and contentment in there, creating a beautiful and harmonious life together. Perhaps that was truly what the ancient civilization had been like! At this moment, Li Hao thought of Liu Long. He thought of a day when the Night Patrollers received baskets, fruit, and local specialties. No one knew who sent them, and no one cared—only Liu Long ate an apple, his face beaming with joy. Looking at the outside of the city once more, if the army beyond the walls won their battle and returned in triumph, would the city's inhabitants—if they were still here—greet them with flowers and applause, offer them good food and fine drink, and welcome them with warm hospitality? "A truly... captivating feeling!" Li Hao murmured inwardly. Perhaps such a feeling was meaningful, even delightful? Who knew! In any case, he had never experienced it, nor had he ever harbored such thoughts. Southern Fist was also lost in thought. He remembered many years ago, not long after becoming a martial master, he had slain a rampaging tiger without thinking much of it. In the end, the local villagers had brought him mounds of food and drink, along with fine wine. He had drunk to his heart's content, feeling exceptionally exhilarated. Back then, what had the villagers called him? A valiant warrior? A hero? Or... a chivalrous hero? He had forgotten! It was too long ago; who could remember? He only recalled that on that day, the wine had tasted so sweet! Yet in that tiny village, where could they have found such delicious wine?