Eternal Country

Yi Tianxing activated his Yin-Yang Eyes, and in an instant, strands of Yin energy were forcefully drawn from Chen Xuerou's body, flowing directly into his eyes.

"So cold!!"

Chen Xuerou felt her entire body freeze in a split second. The chilling cold was terrifying—like suddenly plunging from the heat of midsummer into the depths of winter. The bone-deep cold made her shiver uncontrollably. But that cold quickly began to dissipate. She could see Yi Tianxing's eyes turning black and white, radiating a mysterious, compelling force, as if a divine Yin-Yang diagram was swirling within them.

In the blink of an eye, all the chill in her body vanished without a trace.

Her once pale complexion gradually gained a healthy flush of red.

"It's done. The Yin energy in your body has been removed. It won't cause any further problems. I'm going to check out the pit—stay here and don't wander off." Yi Tianxing gave her a nod when he saw the color return to her cheeks.

His innate Yin-Yang Eyes were what the cultivation world referred to as an Innate Fate Aperture—a type of Fate Aperture awakened at birth, requiring no cultivation to manifest and capable of unleashing formidable power even before reaching the Fate Aperture Realm. This was essentially an innate divine ability.

In the pre-cataclysm modern world, such individuals were referred to as Espers—those who had awakened some extraordinary ability, either naturally or through some form of stimulation.

Some were born with their Fate Aperture already awakened, like Yi Tianxing, while others triggered them later in life, usually under extreme emotional or physical stress. Regardless, only those who had Fate Apertures could awaken these powers. Ordinary people needed to cultivate special methods to form them over time.

These were the foundations of divine powers, magical arts, Taoist techniques, black magic, or shamanic rituals.

Fate Apertures could be awakened—through trauma, intense experiences, or by consuming rare and miraculous herbs or treasures. If one had the latent Fate Aperture within, it could be drawn out.

Controlling fire, manipulating lightning—these were examples of innate abilities.

Yi Tianxing had cultivated his innate Yin-Yang Eyes to a certain level, and the number of Yin-Yang Locks within them continued to increase, their power constantly evolving and strengthening.

He was certain that there were many Espers around the world—some backed by governments, others hiding among civilians. He had once personally witnessed a wind-wielding Esper battling another who could control fire—the fight had been intense.

But that was a story for another time.

Without hesitation, Yi Tianxing dashed toward the pit.

With the passage of the ghostly army earlier, all the surrounding monsters had been slaughtered. Their corpses littered the ground, and the rest of the beasts and creatures had fled in fear. Now was the perfect opportunity—nothing was in his way.

Yi Tianxing ran at full sprint, covering the distance in just a few breaths before diving into the pit.

It was filled with corpses.

And from those corpses floated willing force beads—some white, some green. Scattered among them were glowing orbs, each containing various items.

But Yi Tianxing didn't stop for any of these.

His gaze was fixed on one object: the strange treasure left behind, still glowing with divine light even amid the lingering black Yin aura. The ghostly soldiers hadn't taken it.

Swish!!

He rushed to the glowing orb containing the treasure, grabbed it without hesitation, and shoved it into his backpack.

"Second treasure acquired."

Yi Tianxing's heart settled. He had achieved his goal for this trip. Everything else now was just extra profit.

"Looks like I've hit the jackpot this time."

He looked around at the monster corpses strewn across the ground, elated. So many willing force beads, obtained without a fight—this was a fortune beyond imagining. Had he tried to earn them through battle, it would've taken untold effort and time.

Without delay, he began gathering every willing force bead and glowing orb he could find.

This was a windfall—free loot.

Yi Tianxing didn't bother counting—he just picked up everything in sight, like a farmer harvesting a rich crop.

"Let's go back."

Once he had collected all the treasures, he wasted no time returning to Chen Xuerou.

"Alright!"

Chen Xuerou agreed without hesitation. In a world overrun by monsters and bloodshed, sticking close to Yi Tianxing was her best shot at survival. There was no way she'd pass up this lifeline.

Caw, caw, caw!!

As they made their way back, they encountered some monsters along the way. But unless the creatures appeared in large groups, Yi Tianxing dealt with them quickly and mercilessly. He struck cleanly, and each time, he ripped out their souls, refining them into his growing Yin-Yang Locks.

Then, midway through the journey, a shrill and piercing caw echoed from the skies. The sound was so jarring it made their blood run cold, stirring an uncontrollable sense of agitation.

"Careful, hide now!"

Yi Tianxing's expression changed. A wave of irritability struck him, but an even stronger sense of danger surged through his body. Without thinking, he dragged Chen Xuerou to crouch behind a nearby wall.

He looked up at the sky.

There, a flock of giant crows loomed over the city like a dark cloud.

"Crows? How can crows be that big?" Chen Xuerou gasped, covering her mouth in horror.

Each of the crows was as large as a roc, their wings spanning three to four meters. Their feathers gleamed with oily black luster, and their eyes were cold and unfeeling.

Countless crows filled the sky, blocking out the sun like an ominous eclipse. Darkness fell.

"Ah!!"

On a nearby street, a man was running for his life, chased by eight or nine wild wolves, each the size of a calf. But his desperate sprint caught the attention of the crows.

One crow's eyes glowed with dark light, and the man screamed. He collapsed instantly—lifeless.

"These crows… they devour souls. They're Death Crows—Nether Crows of Death!"

Yi Tianxing saw it clearly—at the moment of death, the man's soul was yanked from his body by an unseen force, flying toward the crow and getting swallowed like a delicacy. No matter how the soul struggled, it couldn't escape.

Awoo!!

The wolves chasing him saw the crows and whimpered in fear, trying to flee.

But a few more flashes from the crows' eyes—and the wolves dropped dead, their souls devoured as well.

Ocular Technique – Soul Devouring.

According to ancient texts, these crows were legendary creatures—Death Crows, harbingers of doom that fed on souls and thrived on death. Their terrifying eye technique, Death Stare, could kill with just a glance.

Even a single Death Crow was nightmarish. A whole flock? That was an apocalyptic force.

Compared to them, the green-skinned monsters and wild beasts were mere pests.

This was truly a cataclysm—the appearance of Death Crows meant even more terrifying beings would soon emerge.

"What do we do now?" Chen Xuerou's face turned pale. She had just witnessed the horror firsthand—people dying without knowing how. The terror of it was overwhelming.

"We wait. Don't move. If we're spotted, even I won't survive. Hopefully, they don't stay long." Yi Tianxing made the only choice he could.

He wasn't foolish enough to provoke a Death Crow—not now, not at his current strength.

Fortunately, the flock didn't seem interested in lingering. After a few harsh caws, they took flight again and vanished into the sky.

From the moment they appeared to their departure, only a short time had passed, but the city fell completely silent. The sounds of battle and death stopped as even the monsters cowered under the pressure of the crows' overwhelming presence.

Everything trembled beneath their aura.

"Stick close—we're moving."

Yi Tianxing took a deep breath and rushed toward his home at full speed.

The monsters, still paralyzed by fear, gave him a chance to make it back quickly.

Chen Xuerou followed closely behind. Though the stench of blood from the corpses made her nauseous, she pushed on. Survival came first.

They reached the upscale residential building where Yi Tianxing lived without incident.

"There's blood."

Chen Xuerou was panting, her face pale and glistening with sweat after the sprint.

At the stairwell, a few mutilated corpses lay on the floor. A wild wolf was devouring one of them.

Awoo!!

The wolf noticed them and lunged.

Yi Tianxing dropped low, raised his Tang Dao, and swung.

Slash!!

The sharp blade opened the wolf's belly, spilling blood and entrails. The beast died instantly with a whimper.

"Looks like monsters have already made it into the building. Stay behind me and don't leave my line of sight." Yi Tianxing decapitated the wolf, pocketed the willing force bead it left behind, and raced up the stairs.

Many doors were tightly shut.

Some had already been broken open, and the smell of blood leaked from within.

But Yi Tianxing didn't stop. He raced forward, fearing for his younger sister's safety. The closer he got, the more anxious he became.

Soon, he reached the door of his home.

"Thank goodness…"

Seeing the door intact, he let out a sigh of relief. The reinforced lock was untouched—no monsters had broken through.