The blade pierced into the man's throat as blood gushed out. The cultivator gagged, eyes wide with shock.
Yun Lintian whispered, "Even a mortal can kill... if he strikes first."
The man collapsed with a thud.
Yun Lintian pulled the dagger out and scanned the surroundings vigilantly.
He began to move cautiously along the ruined city's outskirts, keeping to the shadows as the battle raged in the skies above.
The golden-armored general clashed with the city's defenders, their divine power shaking the heavens.
But the true horror unfolded on the ground.
Yun Lintian witnessed the raw nature of desperation—humans and cultivators alike turning on each other. Some robbed, some killed, some simply tried to survive. A guard stabbed his master for a pouch of spirit stones. A mother shielded her child while another woman clawed at her for supplies.
This... is the truth of survival.
He had seen tragedies before, but never so stripped of pretense. It was brutal, tragic—yet understandable. When death loomed, morality crumbled.
A group of thugs blocked his path, their blades bloody. "Hand over what you've got, or die like the rest."
Yun Lintian's fingers tightened around his stolen dagger. He had no cultivation here, but he had centuries of battle instinct.
Yun Lintian sidestepped, slashing one man's throat. He twisted, driving the dagger into another's ribs. The last thug hesitated—just long enough for Yun Lintian to kick a broken sword into his gut.
He didn't linger. The battle above was intensifying.
The golden-armored general, now surrounded, suddenly laughed. "You think you can stop the inevitable? Fools!"
Five figures descended, each radiating auras Yun Lintian recognized—
Yet these were not the Primordial Gods themselves—only their mightiest generals, wielding fragments of their masters' power.
The city's defenders paled.
The battle reignited, a cataclysm of divine laws. Entire districts vaporized under the shockwaves. Yun Lintian sprinted for cover, but the devastation was too vast.
A beam of solar fire lanced down—
The world turned white. Pain. Then darkness.
The serpent's laughter slithered into his ears. "You survived the rats, only to die like one!"
Yun Lintian opened his eyes, his expression icy.
He sat before the wooden box, staring at it. His mind raced through countless scenarios, each ending in failure.
Without my cultivation...
He couldn't outrun the city's lockdown. The gates sealed too fast.
Staying inside is just as deadly.
The stray attacks from the True Gods' battle would vaporize him no matter where he hid.
The serpent watched with amusement, its golden eyes gleaming. "Struggling is pointless. Admit defeat."
Yun Lintian ignored it.
There had to be a way.
He touched the box again.
Soon, the familiar scene unfolded—the bustling city, the World Tree, Old Man Li's warning.
This time, Yun Lintian didn't waste a second. He sprinted for the gates immediately.
The result was no different from before—the gates sealed before he could reach them. Trapped again.
On second attempt, he tried scaling the city walls.
In the end, the barrier repelled him. Broken bones. Death by falling.
On the third attempt, he hid in the Celestial Pavilion's basement, hoping its sturdy construction would protect him.
At the end, a stray attack vaporized the entire district. Instant death.
On the fourth attempt, he disguised himself as a city guard, blending into their ranks.
However, without a cultivation, he was quickly spotted and killed.
On the fifth attempt, Yun Lintian begged Old Man Li for help.
Unfortunately, the old man smiled sadly and said. "Some fates cannot be changed."
The teahouse collapsed on them…
As Yun Lintian woke up in the real world, his face was filled with helplessness. Without cultivation, it was truly impossible for a mortal to survive the battle between gods.
While Yun Lintian was fully aware of this, he had never felt it before. This was the first time he truly experienced the saying "when gods fight, mortals suffer".
"Hehehe!" the serpent's laughter was relentless. "How many times will you fail before accepting the truth?"
Yun Lintian's hands clenched.
There must be a pattern. A flaw.
He replayed every death in his mind. The gates. The walls. The pavilion. The guards. Old Man Li.
Every time, without fail, it had tried to protect the city. Even weakened, it resisted.
He touched the box again.
Yun Lintian quickly returned to the Sacred City of Origin. This time, he didn't run. Didn't hide.
He walked straight to the World Tree's roots and placed his hand against its bark.
"Help me," he whispered.
The tree shuddered. A single silver leaf drifted down—
And the world changed.
The serpent's voice echoed, no longer mocking.
"To survive the storm... sometimes you must stand at its eye."
The serpent paused for a moment and continued. "However, it comes with a price."
The moment Yun Lintian's hand touched the World Tree's bark, an immense pressure descended upon him. It felt as if a mountain had been placed on his shoulders, crushing his mortal body to its limits. His vision blurred, his bones creaked, and blood trickled from his nose.
"Foolish boy! Get away from there!" Old Man Li's voice rang out from a distance, filled with urgency. "The World Tree's presence will shatter your mind!"
Yun Lintian gritted his teeth and refused to move.
If I can endure this...
Above, the sky tore open once more. The golden-armored general descended and attacked the city. The guards rose up to meet him and he was forced to retreat. Then, the five divine generals appeared—each wielding the power of their respective Primordial Gods.
"By the decree of Heaven, this city shall fall!" the golden-armored man roared, raising his halberd.
Divine energy clashed, reducing entire districts to dust. The earth quaked, the air itself burned, and yet—
The World Tree stood firm.
Its silver leaves shimmered, forming a faint barrier around its roots. Yun Lintian, though barely able to breathe under the pressure, remained untouched by the destruction.
A fracture split the World Tree's trunk…