A direct confrontation would be unwise, but how to deal with the situation still required careful thought.
Yi Tianxing pondered silently, his mind racing as countless ideas clashed and collided in his thoughts. In the brief moment when the Prince of Fortune was devoured by the ogre, a plan had already taken form in his mind.
"This method is risky, but it's the best option I have right now. It may be dangerous, but it's a risk worth taking."
His gaze sharpened. Yi Tianxing concealed himself once again within the weeds, his eyes scanning the cages scattered around the camp. Inside them were human prisoners—some dressed in noble robes, others in plain clothing, including adult men, frail women, the elderly, and even young children. All of them, without exception, were trapped like lambs awaiting slaughter.
At any moment, they could be dragged out by these man-eating monsters, tossed onto the fire, and devoured alive.
This was the cruel reality of this era—there were no absolute protagonists.
"In the past, humans were powerful, raising pigs and sheep for slaughter at will. All creatures were food for us. Now, the monsters rule, and humans have become the food. The heavenly way is ever-changing, all beings strive to survive. Only through self-strengthening can we endure."
A sudden realization bloomed in Yi Tianxing's heart.
The Eternal Continent was clearly not limited to the human race. The ogre tribe before him proved that. If there were small tribes, there would surely be large ones—and many other races coexisting in the same world. Between races, there was little need for reason. The struggle for survival alone was enough to fuel bloody battles. Mercy had no place here.
Just as ogres saw humans as food, so too did humans view pigs and sheep.
He had to grow stronger—fast—and establish a solid foundation.
The urgency in his heart intensified rapidly.
"If anyone can save me, I'll serve as a slave or a beast of burden—I just don't want to be eaten alive by these monsters," a pale, mustached man muttered, despair clouding his eyes. He didn't want to die. He had seen with his own eyes that even those who took their own lives were still pulled from their cages, roasted over flames, and devoured.
Even death couldn't escape being eaten.
He still clung to the hope of a miracle. But if the moment came, he'd end it himself to avoid the agony of being consumed alive.
"Who would've thought that a scholar like me would end up eaten by monsters? It's a disgrace to literature, a shame to the sages," another robed scholar said bitterly, filled with despair.
Everyone reacted differently to the prospect of being eaten. No one could remain calm. Anyone indifferent to life and death was either a fool or completely numb.
They all silently prayed, calling out to gods and demons alike, begging for salvation from this living hell.
Whoosh!!
Just as the ogres laughed and danced, feasting on the corpse of the Prince of Fortune, a piercing sound split the air. It wasn't subtle, and the ogres—with their keen hearing—immediately turned toward it.
Looking up, they saw a stream of light fall from the sky, landing squarely in the middle of the camp.
It was a strange, crystal-like cube, resembling a magical cube.
"What is that?"
"It fell from the sky!"
"I've never seen anything like it before. Too weird."
"Could it be some heavenly treasure? Did the heavens make a mistake and drop it here?"
Even the human prisoners noticed it. Though they couldn't tell what it was, it clearly wasn't something ordinary.
Naturally, the ogres noticed it too.
They crowded around the cube, eyes fixed on it. One of them reached out to grab it—
Swoosh!!
The moment its hand touched the cube, strange vortexes swirled to life on its surface, glowing with a crystalline light. In an instant, the glow expanded, enveloping the surrounding ogres. And then—
The light receded.
The ogres inside the glow vanished without a trace. The crystal cube remained, pulsing with a dreamlike brilliance.
In a blink, only one ogre remained in the entire camp—the massive one, clearly the chieftain.
"DIE CHACHA!!"
Seeing his tribe vanish, the ogre chief roared in fury, grabbed a large stone, and hurled it at the cube. The stone shattered on impact. The cube remained perfectly intact.
Clang clang clang!!
A soul-rattling sound echoed through the air. From the void, black iron chains—like spirit snakes—slithered through the space, shooting toward the ogre and coiling around its limbs and body.
The ogre's soul was strong. Even the spiritual shock of the Yin-Yang Chains couldn't harm it for long. It recovered almost instantly.
Crack!!
Muscles bulging and churning, the ogre flexed with terrifying strength, shattering the Yin-Yang Chains in a burst of raw power. The links flew in all directions.
Yin-Yang Chains: Especially effective against evil spirits and the undead, but less effective against living beings with great physical strength.
"Kill!!"
With a shout, a cold gleam shot through the air—a steel war spear. Yi Tianxing emerged from hiding, gripped the spear, and stepped forward with explosive power. Each stride covered several meters, the force cracking the ground beneath his feet.
The spear shot toward the ogre's heart like a meteor chasing the moon.
True Qi surged through the weapon, power flooding his arms—
The spear screamed through the air.
But the ogre, a true warrior, reacted swiftly. Roaring in rage, it grabbed a massive iron sword embedded in the ground and swung it backward in defense.
BOOM!!
The war spear clashed with the giant sword in an earth-shaking collision. The impact rippled through the camp. Yi Tianxing's raw physical strength had now reached nearly 2,000 jin (about 1,000 kg), augmented by the ever-increasing power from his Gourmet Cells, and further boosted by True Dragon Qi.
The clash was deafening. Many prisoners were knocked unconscious by the shockwave alone.
"Such power... easily more than 4,000–5,000 jin. The ogre's sword contains a strange energy—possibly True Qi—but still weaker than his brute strength."
Both Yi Tianxing and the ogre staggered backward.
The ogre retreated with heavy steps.
Yi Tianxing, however, dissipated the force step-by-step into the ground, cracking the earth beneath him.
This ogre was likely as strong as a 4th or even 5th level Sea of Gods cultivator—perhaps stronger.
"Kill!!"
"DIE CHACHA!!"
Recovering simultaneously, both combatants roared and charged again.
Swish swish swish!!
Yi Tianxing's war spear stabbed forward—nine strikes in an instant. True Qi channeled into the weapon, producing nine spear shadows, each targeting a vital point on the ogre's body. Real and illusory strikes blended together.
A brutal, unyielding aura surged forth from the spear.
Shattered Jade Spear Technique – "Jade Radiance Over Nine Provinces"– First time used in real combat. Eight spear shadows manifested, confusing the enemy. Despite their slight illusion, they were fast, fierce, and deadly.
Power. Speed. Precision.
All concentrated in that one moment.
The ogre hesitated slightly upon seeing the nine shadows, then howled and swung his giant sword in a deadly arc, aiming to kill Yi Tianxing before the spear could strike.
Ogres were taller than humans, and their weapons longer. This swing, if landed, would kill Yi Tianxing before his spear reached the target.
A longer weapon held the advantage.
With brutal combat instincts, the ogre opted for a life-for-a-life tactic—by far the most effective response.
Its battle sense was terrifying.
But just then, as the iron sword slashed down—
Yi Tianxing's right hand moved.
In it, a Tang saber appeared and slashed out—not directly, but in a circular motion. Not just one circle, but a series of circles, drawing arcs in the air like flowing silk.
Tai Chi Saber Technique:– Incorporates the spiraling force of Tai Chi, blending flexibility with power.– Once a traditional martial art, now enhanced with True Qi, its potential had transformed entirely.
The saber clashed with the ogre's sword. Size and weight weren't on Yi Tianxing's side—
But the strange, spiraling energy that coiled around the saber created something far more dangerous...