The clash between Chen Tian's attack and the Shadow Evil Spirit's technique erupted with an explosion, sending both of them staggering back from the blast wave.
As the explosion subsided, the Shadow Evil Spirit's form dissolved into black energy that drifted towards the sky, its body fragmented. Chen Tian's form flickered intermittently. The final collision of their energies indicated that Chen Tian had emerged victorious.
The Shadow Evil Spirit let out a hearty laugh, "Kid, you're good. I look forward to your arrival in the myriad worlds. I will also fulfill my promise and give you this information."
A ball of light shot from the Shadow Evil Spirit's palm, landing before Chen Tian. Chen Tian clasped his hand around it, and his form vanished from the game world.
In the real world, at the Northern Fortress, Chen Tian awoke from his meditation in his room. He touched his head and sighed, "This time I've gone too far. I can't enter the game for half a month, and my recovery speed will slow down."
"Never mind, half a month is enough time for me to resolve this issue of the Evil Spirit Tribe's invasion."
Chen Tian made his decision. Since he couldn't enter the game, he would deal with the external affairs first. He opened his door and headed towards the barracks.
The fortress was garrisoned by a large number of warriors and guards, whose duty was to defend it. If the fortress fell, the cities behind them would also be in jeopardy. Those who came here were essentially people who had cast aside their fear of death.
The barracks, which originally housed tens of thousands of people, now had less than thirty thousand, and less than fifty thousand including the wounded.
The barracks area was larger than the central city. Ordinary cities lacked the space for such a large population. Moreover, with residents having left, the extra space could be utilized.
Chen Tian arrived and observed the orderly barracks. Guards in uniform stood watch.
As Chen Tian's figure appeared in the barracks, an outer guard respectfully asked, "Greetings, sir. May I ask what brings you here?"
"Take me to see the injured."
"Yes, sir!"
Chen Tian's command was not to be defied. Obedience was paramount for soldiers.
Under escort, Chen Tian arrived at the medical area, which was crowded with people. Warriors, cultivators, and others lay prone on the ground, a dense throng.
The entire room would have been insufficient if it hadn't been expanded.
Additionally, medical personnel and cultivators were busy tending to the wounded. Medical personnel treated warriors, while cultivators treated cultivators. Chen Tian watched the busy scene.
Chen Tian felt a pang of pity. Judging by the current numbers, the guards wouldn't be able to hold the fortress. Chen Tian decided to try a different approach.
First, he would heal the wounded, and then consider other matters. At least the numbers would be partially replenished.
Chen Tian made a gesture with his hand, and a green light bloomed, enveloping the entire room. Everyone stopped their actions, and the cultivators looked at Chen Tian in astonishment.
This life force, this wood element energy, what kind of life was this!
The green light shone upon everyone, and their wounds began to heal. Even the cultivators felt the hidden ailments within their bodies disappear.
"Incredible, truly incredible!"
"Even our Alchemy Elders might not be able to achieve this!"
"Unimaginable! Who is this person?"
The cultivators looked at Chen Tian, unable to discern his origins.
"Now, all recovered wounded, gather in the plaza in three minutes. I have something to tell you. This applies to all you cultivators as well."
Chen Tian's majestic voice, vast as the sea, echoed throughout the fortress. Three minutes later, the entire barracks was filled with cultivators, warriors, and soldiers, numbering over ten thousand.
"Sir, what are you calling us here for?" asked Wang Kai, the commander, with a puzzled expression.
Chen Tian did not reply. He made a gesture, and immense spiritual energy surged from his body.
The spiritual energy enveloped the entire fortress, making it appear like a celestial realm.
The cultivators felt this spiritual energy; it was so pure, purer than when they cultivated. This spiritual energy was even more refined than that of their cultivation world.
Under this spiritual energy, cultivation felt like three days of progress in one.
Chen Tian opened his hands and made a motion. The vast spiritual energy converged, and the gaseous spiritual energy condensed into droplets of water.
"Spiritual energy condenses into mist, mist condenses into water. This is spiritual energy water, its energy purity is thirty times that of normal spiritual energy."
The cultivators' eyes widened. What kind of ability was this, to generate spiritual energy and turn it into water?
What kind of being was this young man before them?
Chen Tian made the spiritual water droplets hover in the air. Then, with a stomp of his foot, a deep pit appeared.
He cupped his hands together, and countless drops of spiritual water flowed into the pit, gradually filling it.
Soon, a pool of spiritual energy water appeared before them.
Chen Tian lowered his arms and said calmly, "This is the Spiritual Energy Pool. Spiritual energy is what cultivators need for cultivation. This pool water can help you embark on the path of cultivation. Of course, your martial arts realms will not disappear."
"Now, everyone enter the pool to cultivate. If you have any questions, ask the cultivators beside you. I will tell you the cultivation techniques tomorrow. As for you cultivators, after you finish in the pool, come find me in the west. I will be waiting there."
With that, Chen Tian departed. Some warriors inquired about cultivation, and the cultivators answered them.
Everyone looked at the pool water with fervor. Becoming a cultivator meant having an extended lifespan!
How could this not make them ecstatic? Martial arts cultivation, even at its peak, only granted a lifespan of a hundred years. But cultivators, even those four or five hundred years old, would not show outward signs of aging as long as they did not exceed a thousand years.
This was something all warriors envied. Longevity was paramount. Rank and strength could be forgone, but without life, there was no cultivation.
If life was gone, what was the point of cultivating?
*Splash! Splash!*
Countless people, including cultivators, plunged into the pool, cultivating together in the spiritual water.
Chen Tian arrived at the open ground in the west, his face turning pale. He had depleted his origin energy from the cultivation world to create this spiritual energy pool. Otherwise, with the spiritual energy levels in China alone, the universe could be destroyed and such a pool would never appear.
China's spiritual energy was too thin, and spiritual energy could not be generated on its own. Chen Tian could only create a pure spiritual energy pool by depleting his cultivation origin.
Chen Tian sat cross-legged, recovering his injuries and strength. The first step was complete. The next step needed to be taken within a few days. The Evil Spirit Tribe's invasion was imminent, and with their current means and strength, they would not be able to withstand it.
This was the only method Chen Tian could think of.
"Huu!"
It seemed he should avoid depleting his origin next time. His fusion progress would decrease, and his strength would plummet. He wondered if his opponent would be the same in their next encounter.
Chen Tian sighed.
He slowly stood up, clenched his fists, and slammed them onto the ground. The earth rumbled, and pillars emerged from the ground. Chen Tian went to the first pillar and placed his hand on it. Something flowed from his arm into the pillar.
Soon, the entire pillar began to glow, its patterns intertwined with the light, seemingly different from before.
The earth pillars became more radiant and harder. Chen Tian moved to the next pillar, touching each one. There were over a hundred pillars in total.
Chen Tian nodded in satisfaction.
"I hope you don't disappoint my expectations."
Chen Tian murmured and resumed his meditation to recuperate.
At night, cultivators flew from the west, their figures landing on the ground. There were over twenty thousand of them.
Chen Tian opened his eyes at this moment, his imposing aura and gaze striking fear into the cultivators.
Chen Tian exhaled and said, "I have placed cultivation methods and legacies from another world on these pillars. You may try to obtain them."
"To protect this fortress, you must become stronger. In a few days, your current strength will not suffice. Improve yourselves."
Chen Tian closed his eyes, his mind racing with calculations. What he was calculating remained unknown.
Upon hearing about cultivation methods and legacies from another world, the cultivators became excited. Who wouldn't want to become stronger?
They all rushed towards the hundreds of earth pillars. The moment they touched the pillars, streams of information entered their minds, and entirely new cultivation methods appeared.
The night passed without incident. Chen Tian meditated all night. The light on the earth pillars faded, and the spiritual energy pool dried up. Chen Tian opened his eyes as the sun rose.
Chen Tian observed the meditating crowd without disturbing them, returning to his room.
He slept for a while, and as night fell again, Chen Tian's voice resonated throughout the fortress, "Everyone assemble in the central plaza!"
At his command, crowds of people moved in an orderly fashion towards the central area.
At the center, Chen Tian stood in the sky and extended his finger. Countless beams of light entered everyone's bodies.
Chen Tian said indifferently, "The cultivation methods I've given you allow the fusion of different powers from two worlds, thus creating new strength. Now, cultivate diligently. You have only a few days left, and I hope you can grow stronger."
"Yes, sir!"
The voices of tens of thousands of people echoed through the fortress like thunder.
Chen Tian's figure vanished. He reappeared in his room, his steps unsteady, almost stumbling.
A figure walked over and supported him. Chen Ling asked with concern, "Brother, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, little sister. It's just that my origin energy has been heavily depleted."
"I'll be fine after a few days of rest."
Chen Tian's second step was complete. If the third step could also be completed, the success rate of defending the fortress would increase by thirty percent.
However, even with a thirty percent increase, according to Chen Tian's calculations, without this, their chances of victory would not even be one-tenth, let alone thirty percent. To Chen Tian, this was enough.
At least these people had the capital to contend with the Evil Spirit Tribe.
Seeing the weakened Chen Tian, Chen Ling looked distressed.
Chen Tian's efforts to help them had consumed the origin energy of three worlds, reducing his own fusion progress and significantly weakening his strength.
Chen Tian could recover his origin energy, but it would not happen overnight.
"Brother, what about the Evil General? You are too weak now."
Chen Ling asked the crucial question. The key to this battle's victory hinged on the Evil General and Chen Tian.
If Chen Tian won, the enemy would retreat. If Chen Tian lost, the fortress would fall!
The depletion of his origin energy caused Chen Tian some discomfort, but it was not a major issue, as he was no longer the Chen Tian of the cultivation world.