From the moment Mouse-Erosion drove a horde of a million rodents to swarm the rice fields, Yi Tianxing had already guessed this could be a desperate, underhanded tactic by the foreign races—unwilling to let Xuanhuang City grow unimpeded. Direct confrontation was too costly, so now they resorted to covert sabotage, assassinations, and insidious plots. The aim was simple: slow down the rapid development of Xuanhuang City.
To shake the people's morale, to shake the very foundation of their society.
The rodent calamity failed to undermine Xuanhuang City, thanks to the scarecrows swiftly resolving the issue. Even Mouse-Erosion had been captured and thrown into the Celestial Prison. Now, a new wave of assassinations had begun. This "Three Kills a Day" tactic—if not quickly ended—would cause a huge blow to public morale, weakening the people's faith in the city.
"They treat killing as a game. If I don't play along properly, wouldn't that be a bit too lenient?" Yi Tianxing's eyes gleamed with a cold glint. His expression was grim.
Not long after, Zhang Yue arrived at the City Lord's Mansion and swiftly recounted the events in detail.
"This has exceeded your capacity," Yi Tianxing said calmly. "The assassin is from a foreign race, highly skilled in stealth and murder. It's not your fault you couldn't catch him. From now on, focus on reassuring the citizens. Above all else, we cannot allow panic to spread. Though the killings have enraged the people, repeated assassinations will quickly drain their morale."
Yi Tianxing knew this righteous fury was a powerful, but fleeting force. It stemmed from the people's innate bloodline and sense of justice. But once it calmed, any recurrence of the "Three Kills a Day" would lead to a different outcome: fear. Fear would spread, and trust in the city would crumble.
They needed to locate and eliminate the assassin—quickly—to prevent further incidents.
"Yes!"Zhang Yue responded, face shadowed with frustration. He said nothing more and turned to leave.
He had witnessed the killer take down innocent civilians in front of him and had still been unable to detect a single clue. If it happened again, he knew he likely wouldn't fare any better. Solving the case felt nearly impossible. In a way, being relieved of the task was a blessing.
But deep down, Zhang Yue was filled with bitter frustration.
"I'm still not strong enough,"he muttered to himself, gritting his teeth.
The shame turned into fuel—a burning desire to grow stronger.
…
Before long, Huang Chengyan and the others also arrived at the City Lord's Mansion, naturally concerned about the assassin. Despite their theories and suspicions, no one had yet identified a clue. Yi Tianxing, however, remained calm and dismissed them all.
"This matter, I will personally handle."
Because of their faith in Yi Tianxing's capabilities, the others complied and left.
"They really don't want me to live in peace. Fellow Daoist Tianxie, I'll leave this one to you. I was looking forward to enjoying some golden wheat delicacies tomorrow."Yi Tianxing muttered aloud.
A voice answered back:
"Rest assured, I'll give our little friend a good game. Though I'm not strong yet, I can borrow your power at any time. When I do, I'm no different than you in strength. Plus, with my innate talents, these petty tricks won't matter."
Suddenly, Yi Tianxing's shadow rose from the ground and took his form, wearing a wicked grin that gave off a subtle, unsettling feeling.
This was his Shadow Self—Yi Tianxie.
Though his cultivation wasn't high—having only recently been born—this was intentional. If he hadn't suppressed it, he could have rapidly advanced by devouring the countless desires and negative thoughts present in the world.
However, Yi Tianxie was waiting—waiting to finalize a cultivation technique truly suited to himself. Only then would he fully advance. For now, his cultivation was kept within the Divine Sea Realm, using the Scripture of Forgetting the Self as its core.
Yet even at this suppressed state, his strength wasn't to be underestimated.
Yi Tianxie had awakened a unique innate life aperture—Evil Shadow (Xie Ying).
Inside this aperture was a godly ability:Shadowbound Unity (Xing Ying Bu Li).
This meant the bond between the original and the shadow self was unbreakable. The main body was the shadow. The shadow was the main body. Even if Yi Tianxie's own cultivation was weak, he could still borrow Yi Tianxing's full strength instantly.
This was the true marvel of a shadow self—a natural counterpart to the main body.
Yi Tianxie grinned with anticipation.
"Go. The killer's ability to strike without being seen—and to use the exact same weapons the victims carried—means it's highly likely he manipulates shadows. The murder weapons were likely shadow projections of the victims' own arms. If you find him, we may gain something far more valuable than just revenge."Yi Tianxing said meaningfully.
"Heh heh…"
Yi Tianxie chuckled and vanished into thin air—disappearing like a shadow.
"Time… I still need more time."Yi Tianxing murmured to himself as he stepped into the Core Realm.
He stood before the Fate Pool of Qi.
The pool, already more than half full, was an astonishing sight—spanning 81 zhang (approx. 270 meters). The blood-red waters churned, and a golden-scaled dragon-serpent—the Spirit of National Fortune—swam freely within.
Sensing Yi Tianxing's arrival, the creature joyfully nuzzled his chest. Yi Tianxing smiled and patted its head, sending it back into the pool.
The pool had filled rapidly after the submission of towns and villages across ten thousand miles of territory. The Qi of the Human Race in those areas was now sustaining Xuanhuang City. Every policy, every military victory, every new citizen—it all fed this Qi Pool.
Especially now, the red Qi signified that each increase came at exponentially higher cost than before. But the flow never stopped.
Soon, the pool would be full—and that would mark a new milestone: Xuanhuang City would be qualified to ascend once more.
"Qi still needs time to accumulate. But the rate of Willpower Pearls and Demonic Thought Pearls has exploded."
Nearby, massive piles of black Demonic Thought Pearls had already accumulated. Willpower Pearls, by contrast, were immediately sent to the Supreme Artifact Embryo, and the Money Tree had grown to dozens of meters tall, glowing with divine radiance.
As it swayed, pearls naturally dropped from its branches.
Yi Tianxing gathered the Demonic Thought Pearls for minting Eternal Coins, then looked toward the Supreme Artifact Embryo.
With countless Willpower Pearls absorbed daily, the embryo had grown rapidly. Though it only gained tens to hundreds of square meters per day, over time, it had become mostly solid—approaching completion.
Once finished, it would be fused completely with Xuanhuang City.
"Soon. Once the Supreme Artifact is complete, foreign races will never again infiltrate so easily. That will mark the true evolution of Xuanhuang City."
Yi Tianxing was waiting for that day—and it was not far off.
Eternal Coins were already deeply rooted within ten thousand miles, accepted by all. A recent event even led foreign races to start using them as currency. He could sense it—the Eternal Coin was beginning to circulate across all races.
And every circulation brought Willpower.
"To speed things up, Eternal Coins must circulate even further. The current stock among the foreign races is limited. Worse, since Eternal Coins aid in cultivation, all races will hoard them. If they get used up, their value as currency will vanish. Looks like… it's time to accelerate the opening of cross-race trade."
But opening trade with the foreign races wasn't as easy as declaring it.
If only enemies showed up… then trade could turn into catastrophe.