He had already made up his mind earlier—to cling tightly to Yi Tianxing's leg and follow him. Only by following such a powerful figure could one hope to survive this chaotic world. Since the decision was made, he planned to see it through to the end.
"My ma always said, when you join the army, eat the emperor's grain, be loyal to the court, follow your general, don't overthink—and you'll stay alive. If you pledge allegiance, don't be half-hearted. That's the way to rise in life."
Wang Dahu recited his mother's words in his heart.
That's what he was taught, and that's what he did. Now, he remembered those teachings all the more clearly. Since he had chosen to follow Yi Tianxing, he would do so with complete devotion. In time, trust would follow, and with it, a chance to make something of himself. He firmly believed that he wouldn't be treated unfairly.
In this age of chaos, he saw things clearly—left on his own, his chances of survival were slim.
Now, seeing Yi Tianxing once again display miraculous abilities—conjuring a mansion and an archway from thin air, announcing the founding of a village—he didn't hesitate to pledge his loyalty.
This move earned him a second glance from Yi Tianxing, which filled Wang Dahu with secret joy.
"Now this is an interesting man." Huang Chengyan also took note of Wang Dahu, nodding slightly to himself. The ability to decisively align oneself and pledge loyalty in such early stages—such people were bound to leave a mark on Yi Tianxing. He would not forget such acts easily.
At the moment, among all the soldiers, Wang Dahu had made the strongest impression.
As Wang Dahu stepped forward to pay respects, the surrounding soldiers and civilians followed without hesitation, bowing and declaring:
"Greetings, Village Chief! From today, we are all of Xuanhuang Village. This will be our home."
"Amazing! Xuanhuang Village—this will be our home from now on." Some of the villagers were so moved that they trembled.
"Xuanhuang Village. This is what we must protect. Even if it costs us our lives, we will not let it fall." a soldier said, clenching his fists tightly, his eyes filled with resolve.
Huang Chengyan simply gave a slight bow, stroking his beard and nodding approvingly. A home in the chaos of this world—such a thing was rare. With a home came purpose and hope—something to live and fight for.
"Elder Huang, once everyone has eaten, please organize the adult men to cut wood and begin building homes. Assign a few soldiers to guard them while they work—no one knows what dangers lurk beyond. As for the women, they can dry the rat skins; we can use them for warmth at night. This is just the beginning of Xuanhuang Village, so I must ask for your help in many things." Yi Tianxing said with a smile.
"No need for such courtesy, Village Chief. I am but one of the many in this village. Without your shelter, I would've perished out there long ago. While I may not be able to do everything, these basic matters are still within my ability," Huang Chengyan replied with a respectful nod.
"We also need to take stock of any skilled individuals among the villagers. The village is in ruins, and we'll need talent from every field to build our Xuanhuang Village together," Yi Tianxing added.
"I was just about to bring that up," Huang Chengyan nodded again.
"Very well, I'll leave this to you, Elder Huang," Yi Tianxing said with a smile before turning and returning to the mansion.
This mansion had come naturally with the Village Establishment Token, a miraculous gift in itself. The grade of the token determined the quality of the mansion, and this one—born of a Platinum Village Establishment Token—was of the highest tier.
However, it was still just an empty shell—basic structures, no furnishings. It would take time to slowly fill it in.
Passing through the front yard, he entered the main hall—equally bare, save for a single chair at the top.
Yi Tianxing walked over and sat down—his figure suddenly vanishing in a swirl of light.
When he reappeared, he stood within a mysterious space. The surroundings were vast and empty, save for one feature: a small pool, roughly three zhang across. At its center, a faintly glowing spring bubbled up, seemingly connected to a mysterious, otherworldly source. Wisps of gray mist swirled upward, condensing into droplets of gray liquid, which then fell into the pool.
At the moment, only an inch of gray fluid had collected at the bottom. The pool itself was nine feet deep—roughly three meters. Within the shallow liquid swam a tiny golden carp, no more than a fry, but active and lively.
Yi Tianxing gazed at the small golden carp. A strange, intimate resonance stirred in his heart. This little creature was bound to him by some profound connection.
Splash!
The golden carp seemed to recognize him, leaping with joy, stirring the surface into ripples, then leaping from the pool to examine him, its eyes full of delight and admiration.
"So this is the Fate-Pool of Providence… and the spirit of fate—the Golden Carp."
Yi Tianxing took a deep breath, stunned by what lay before him.
When he used the Village Establishment Token, knowledge had flooded into his mind. The token didn't simply grant the right to build a village—anyone could build one with tools and manpower. But what it did grant… was a sacred treasure—the Fate-Pool of Providence.
That was the pool before him.
This mystical pool was the heart of the entire village. It gathered and condensed the invisible power of fate, infusing it into the waters of the pool. The golden carp, meanwhile, was the Fate Spirit, born from his own blood essence, bonded to him from its creation.
This meant that the fate energy within the pool was tied to Yi Tianxing—it was his. This was the fate of Xuanhuang Village.
As the Master of Fate, and Village Chief of Xuanhuang, Yi Tianxing would receive a threefold increase in his cultivation speed—a tremendous advantage.
Highlighted Technique/Concept: Fate-Pool of Providence (气运天池)Fate Spirit – Golden Carp (气运之灵——金鲤鱼)Effect: Accumulates the fate of the village, grants the chief triple cultivation speed. Fate can be used to evolve the village into a town, and so on.
"To increase fate, the village must grow—more people, more talent, more prosperity. Fate isn't something you get for free. Once the Fate-Pool fills completely, it can transform—and with it, the village can evolve into an ancient town, granting even greater benefits."
Yi Tianxing's eyes gleamed. This was the path of cultivating fate.
The benefits were simply too vast.
"This must remain a secret for now. The Fate-Pool and its spirit are known only to the village chief. If the village were destroyed, this path would end. There would be no second chance."
Fate was power. The people were the foundation. Peace and prosperity were fertile soil. Fate was the fruit.
"The ruler grants the people a land of peace; the people return to him their fate."Fate is… the will of the people.
He watched as the gray liquid slowly gathered at the bottom of the pool. It was a slow process. The Fate Spirit had to be nurtured—not with food, but with fate. Only then could the golden carp grow and evolve alongside the village.
"Right now, I have no real talent, no capable aides. If Li Zhilin hadn't scattered his forces, he could've helped… but who knows where he is now. Still, with Heaven's blessing, unless he's done something stupid or met something truly terrifying, he should still be alive. He must have heard about the founding of Xuanhuang Village. We'll reunite one day."
Yi Tianxing had a soul contract with Li Zhilin. He could sense that the man still lived. As for whether he would survive in the long term, that depended on his own ability—no one could help with that.
"Man must rely on himself."
"Right now, the village has nearly a thousand people, but it's chaotic. We need to record everyone, build shelters… that takes time—and above all, it takes talent. Without people who can manage and organize, issues will arise eventually."
Huang Chengyan was clearly one such talent. His calm demeanor and ability to organize without panic were rare.
"But he hasn't given his all. He hasn't truly acknowledged me yet. People with real ability don't give their loyalty lightly. He's helping now because he lives here and must survive. Could he be that famous scholar of legend?"
Yi Tianxing suspected Huang Chengyan might be someone noteworthy—but in a world where countless realms had fused, it was impossible to be certain. Anyone could share a name.
Still, it was clear—he was holding back. If he had been truly loyal, he'd already be taking initiative instead of waiting for instruction.
But if he really was that kind of great talent—no amount of talk would win him over easily. That he was helping at all was already a pleasant surprise.
Yi Tianxing had never believed that he could simply walk into a room and have great talents fall to their knees in devotion.