"I got in too!"
"Me too, I also have the clearance to pass through the portal!"
"That's great! Even though I'm not afraid of these undead, staying alive is always better than dying. We can go to another Human sanctuary, live and work peacefully—even if there are still dangers ahead, it's far better than our current situation."
Countless civilians rejoiced from the bottom of their hearts.
Nobody truly wants to die—not if they can help it. This age of chaos was also an age of opportunity. So long as you live, there's still hope.
General Valley made no attempt to stop them either.
They were all humans. If they could survive, that alone was a blessing. In truth, the civilians inside General City—even if they stayed—would only be able to resist for a short while through sheer bravery. Eventually, they'd be slaughtered.
In that sense, stepping into the portal was the better choice. Not only could they preserve their lives, but it also reduced the burdens of the army within General Valley. To put it bluntly, getting rid of such a huge burden was a relief. Everyone could move more freely.
"But why can't I get in?"
Suddenly, a man found himself stopped at the portal. While others passed freely, a barrier blocked his way.
His mind collapsed at that moment.
The portal allowed others in—but not him.
Why? Just why?
Yi Tianxing saw this but said nothing. Neither did anyone else. Regarding the clearance requirement, many people had already drawn their own conclusions. Those who understood didn't need explanations—those who didn't, simply didn't have the qualification.
A great number of civilians continued entering.
This was a genuine migration, complete with a mass of supplies. It was like moving house. They took everything useful, trying to carry as much as possible. Stepping into the portal meant embarking on a new journey—another kind of life.
It was unknown, but it was also filled with hope.
Not everyone made it through. Though the number was small, many still found themselves blocked outside the portal.
But that didn't stop the battlefield slaughter.
The undead army surged forward like a tidal wave.
More and more undead perished under the formation's power.
Snowflakes fluttered down from the sky. Then, sudden gusts of wind exploded forth, sweeping outward—countless wind blades raged within, slicing through the air. As they struck, undead bodies were slashed apart, their dry heads flying into the sky.
Moonlight flashed, forming into blades of cold silver that slashed outward.
The moment the blades landed, they destroyed even the soul fire within the undead. These moonlight blades carried a terrifying Taiyin force, making them unimaginably sharp—nothing could withstand their edge.
Then came strange flowers blooming into existence, manifesting in midair and drifting outward.
The petals exuded an enchanting fragrance—a scent that penetrated straight to the soul, causing a deep intoxication. One would rather sink into that floral intoxication and never wake.
Even though many undead lacked a sense of smell, the scent seemed to directly affect their soul fires.
Thud! Thud!!
Undead collapsed like drunks mid-charge. Their bodies wobbled and then fell, unable to rise again. The flame in their eye sockets dimmed significantly.
And it wasn't just a few.
Thousands—tens of thousands—fell like harvested wheat.
"This formation is incredible! It embodies the four forces of Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon—not only defensive, but devastatingly lethal. That floral scent can even intoxicate the undead. On a battlefield, that's the same as lying down to be slaughtered."—Song Yuting murmured in awe.
"Yes, it's powerful. But such an attack can't last long. The formation has already drained much of General Valley's foundation. The High Priest must have calculated this when launching the assault. Once the formation breaks, direct battle will favor the undead's numbers—they might just overrun the entire oasis."—Jiang Ni's eyes swept the battlefield calmly.
"Archers, ready! Target: undead army. Fire at will—loose!"
A general roared from the front of the archers.
The archers immediately obeyed, pulling out longbows and rune arrows, then firing without hesitation into the undead horde.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Arrows tore through the air like lightning.
Swiftwind Arrows, Piercing Arrows, Blazing Arrows, Frost Arrows—
All kinds of rune-infused arrows flew with devastating power. With so many undead, the arrows could not possibly miss. Every volley struck true.
Wave after wave of undead fell beneath the arrow storms.
"Loose again!"
Another volley.
"Loose again!"
More and more—wave after wave—until the battlefield became a rain of death. The once-precious rune arrows seemed cheap at this point—fired without restraint.
"Perfect timing. With the formation active, this is the ideal opportunity to harvest. I wonder how these undead soul fires taste..."—Yi Tianxing's eyes flashed with excitement.
Black and white divine light flickered in his eyes.
Clink! Clink! Clink!
Nine Yin-Yang Locks manifested out of thin air, emitting a clear and rhythmic clatter as they hovered in midair.
Then—
The nine locks shattered, transforming into 729 Yin-Yang Rings that flew across the battlefield like spirits.
Each ring bore mysterious black-and-white Dao patterns, brimming with profound truth.
The rings rapidly descended upon the fallen undead—those intoxicated by the floral scent and unable to resist. Each ring emitted a divine light, and a formless suction force spread out.
Soul fires were pulled straight from skulls—helpless.
They didn't even struggle.
Once drawn out, the soul fires were wrapped by the rings and flew toward Yi Tianxing—vanishing into thin air halfway.
They had entered the Yin-Yang Space.
Within, soul fires of all colors floated.
Immediately, the Innate Yin-Yang Divine Diagram absorbed them, spinning rapidly as it crushed and refined them into pure soul essence. This essence flowed into the divine techniques hovering within the space:
Yin-Yang Lock, Yin-Yang Shears, Yin-Yang Mirror!
These divine treasures, born from innate Yin-Yang force, now absorbed the essence at incredible speed.
Soul fire—one of the universe's most mysterious substances—was the perfect nourishment for evolving divine abilities. Its refined form was the essence of Yin and Yang itself—brimming with spirituality and potential.
To evolve any divine ability to a higher grade, it must acquire spirituality.
High-level divine weapons—even artifacts—required spirit and soul. Only then could they become true spiritual treasures.
Some legends spoke of cultivators summoning a Fire Dragon Spell, and the fire dragon would act on its own, attacking without needing command—like a real dragon. That's divine ability with spirit—not dead power, but living will.
Divine techniques reaching the Mystic Grade (Xuan Tier) required exactly this: spiritual awakening.
And soul fire was the ideal material for that.
Through refinement in the Divine Diagram, it became flawless—pure and safe, without a trace of danger.
If enough soul fire essence was gathered, the Divine Diagram could even birth new Yin-Yang divine abilities.
That was why Yi Tianxing never hesitated to hunt down vengeful spirits or undead—soul fire was too valuable.
As more soul essence fused into the divine treasures, they glowed more intensely, releasing profound Dao rhythm and stronger power.
Over seven hundred soul fires had been harvested.
Yi Tianxing's spirit resonated with joy.
The Yin-Yang Space expanded. The Divine Diagram grew in size.
"These undead soul fires are far stronger than ordinary ones. More energy, more power... This is perfect nourishment."Yi Tianxing's eyes gleamed.
Without hesitation, more rings shot out like lightning—harvesting wave after wave of soul fire from the battlefield.
With the Yin-Yang Rings' might, the fallen undead—especially the unconscious or shattered ones—were utterly helpless.
This was a one-sided slaughter.