At that time, many in Savage Village were half-believing, half-doubting what the little brat said.
Even the well-traveled village chief, who had journeyed through various places in his youth, had never seen the emblem of a golden double-headed eagle.
Regarding the mysterious figure who appeared and saved the little brat, they even doubted whether such a person truly existed.
It wasn't until one day, when an envoy from the great human city of Pingyan arrived bearing a banner with a golden double-headed eagle, that this mystery was solved.
From the Pingyan City envoy, the people of Savage Village learned that the mysterious person who had saved the little brat was actually an envoy from the Imperium.
A company commander belonging to the Imperium's military department, the Raven Guard Warband. This person's deeds were not limited to saving the little brat; they also turned the tide, saving humanity from peril.
When Granny Yu, the guardian of Pingyan City, was ambushed and killed, and numerous foreign race powerhouses sought to enslave humanity, it was this mysterious person who acted, instantly slaying the Four Saints.
With a mere flick of the wrist, they annihilated the allied forces of the foreign races.
Saving humanity from the crisis of enslavement and extinction.
More importantly, they used mysterious weapons to instigate infighting among the powerful races, eliminating many foreign races in one fell swoop and establishing humanity's dominant position.
"Why can houses be built so high?" Savage Village's chief, Manyun, craned his neck, looking at the towering stone buildings that reached into the clouds, filled with nothing but awe and reverence. The power of that mysterious empire was truly astonishing.
Such magnificent buildings were completed in a very short amount of time.
Making the people of Savage Village's eyes widen in disbelief. The speed was too fast.
One must know that it took them several months just to polish stones to build a small stone house. The Imperium seemed to build such grand structures more easily than they built small stone houses. Those strangely shaped fellows with steel embedded in them were truly amazing.
Manyun even doubted if there was any problem in this world that could stump these guys.
It was as if they possessed a mysterious power, capable of turning decay into wonder and creating incredible miracles.
As the people of Savage Village marveled, a radiance appeared on the horizon and quickly expanded.
A cultivator from Pingyan City, riding a flying sword, appeared before them.
After descending, he put away his flying sword and landed directly beside Manyun.
He took out a document from his sleeve and handed it to Manyun. The top of the document was stamped with the Holy empire's double-headed eagle emblem. This emblem signified that the document was issued by Imperial officials acting on behalf of the Holy Emperor's authority.
Below the emblem were dense, fly-head-sized characters.
"These are the house numbers assigned to everyone in your Savage Village. You have three days to get used to life here, and then you will serve the Holy Emperor," the cultivator said calmly.
His Taoist robe was embroidered with a palm-sized double-headed eagle emblem.
Pingyan City already had Imperial personnel stationed there, and most cultivators had been incorporated into the Imperial structure, required to serve the Holy Emperor.
In any case, as long as they were human, they had to swear allegiance to the Holy Emperor.
Manyun took the document, his eyes wide.
His eyes darted around, staring intently at the characters on it.
His expression was as if he had encountered some terrifying beast.
After a moment, he managed to squeeze out a sentence.
"We don't know how to read, how can we look at this?"
In this world, humans also had their own writing system.
But the problem was, even in a cultivation world, those who could read were ultimately a minority.
Savage Village was just a remote village.
Naturally, no one there could read. They did understand some runes, spells, and the like.
Because these things were for saving lives.
It concerned the life and death of a village.
But literacy, in the eyes of the people of Savage Village and others, was equivalent to being useless. To learn to read??
A pure waste of time.
Better to seize the time to train a bit more, so that if they encounter any sudden situations, they can escape in time, and at least not be cornered by the enemy.
Stuck in a predicament with no way to heaven or hell.
Hearing Manyun's words, the cultivator shook his head.
He pointed a finger, performing the legendary Enlightenment Impartation, transmitting basic characters and their meanings to Manyun.
So that he could find his village's living area.
It was evident that the cultivator was skilled and familiar with doing this kind of thing, having clearly encountered many similar situations. The work of eradicating illiteracy is arduous and has a long way to go!!
Currently, this is just the most basic literacy. According to the Imperium's standards, they are still considered illiterate.
Only by having a basic understanding of advanced subjects like the fundamental structure of the multiverse, the connection between the real universe and the warp, and the theory of cosmic evolution can one be considered to have truly entered civilized society. To complete such an eradication of illiteracy, it would likely take two or three generations for Savage Village. The cultivator didn't care about these things.
After all, by the Imperium's standards, he was also considered illiterate.
Not even knowing the basic structure of the multiverse, weren't they still from primitive tribes!!
After completing all of this, the cultivator ascended into the air, transforming into a streak of light, and went to deliver documents to the next village.
Old Village Chief Manyun watched the cultivator leave, then lowered his head to look at the document again, now able to barely understand some parts.
At least he could recognize which district and which number.
Manyun read it once and decided to take his villagers to the living area arranged for them by the Imperium. The men of Savage Village were all incredibly strong, their muscles bulging. Their bronzed muscles were like sections, moving like snakes or pythons.
Hunting in the wilderness and dense forests, if they didn't have some skill, they would have long become prey for those savage beasts. The people of Savage Village had lived there for many years, long accustomed to coexisting with danger.
But if you were to ask them if they were willing to live in such a dangerous environment?
Most villagers would shake their heads.
Because it was too dangerous.
Once a mistake was made, they would be killed.
If food couldn't be replenished, starving to death wasn't an uncommon occurrence. The vegetation around Savage Village was very lush.
Savage beasts were numerous.
Logically speaking, food should not be scarce.
However, the lives of the people of Savage Village were very difficult.
Most of the time, their diet consisted of some coarse wheat cakes, wild fruits, and pitifully little meat. The savage beasts in the mountains were very dangerous, possessing various fierce and powerful treasure techniques by nature.
Every time they went hunting in the mountains, someone might lose their life.
If they had a choice, no one would choose to hunt in the mountains.
Because that meant bloodshed and sacrifice.
Food was extremely precious to a primitive tribe and could not be wasted in the slightest. The promises made by the Imperium were quite appealing.
Ample food, a safe environment to grow up in, the only thing required in return was loyalty to the Holy Emperor.
Coupled with the guarantee from the ruler of Pingyan City, this great human city.
All the tribes chose to trust this mysterious force that used the double-headed eagle as its emblem. They all set off from their original gathering places, migrating to the designated cities, preparing to serve the Holy Emperor.
Many villages and tribes did not know who the Holy Emperor was.
Nor did they know where Terra was?
They didn't understand the relationship between the Terra Council and the military expedition, let alone the complex Imperial departments. Their loyalty was not pure.
It was merely for a better living environment.
However, in this regard, it was illogical to demand more from them.
Without offering benefits that could move people's hearts, no one would sacrifice their life for a ruler they had never seen. The Imperium must do well enough.
Only then can these primitives develop a sense of belonging towards it.
At that time, they will understand that loyalty itself is the greatest reward.
Understanding that their lives are the currency the Holy Emperor uses to exchange for humanity's future.
By then, they will accept such a fate with pleasure.
After verifying the document, they were allowed to enter the great city under the watchful eyes of the tech-priests and the Imperial Guard. The constructed great city was magnificent and vast, with different areas like residential zones, factory zones, commercial zones, and trade zones meticulously planned by wise men skilled in calculation.
It was absolutely the most theoretically efficient layout.
Located in the very center was the newly established space-time channel device. This device would open a passage between two realms, initiating the prologue to the grand war between the Imperium and the Immortal Realm. The overpasses in the great city were wider than the entire area of Savage Village.
Standing on one side of the road, you couldn't even clearly see the other side.
Walking on such roads would make one doubt oneself.
Doubting if they had stumbled into the kingdom of giants.
"Are they building roads for those savage beasts? Such a wide road?" Manhu exclaimed in amazement, "My goodness, it's more than enough for a hundred Fire Savage Bulls to run side by side."
The other people from Savage Village were also filled with amazement. This great city was too magnificent; they walked within it as tiny as ants.
How many people did the Imperium plan to accommodate here!!
They heard that everyone settling in this great city was to serve the expedition.
After some effort, Manyun led his clansmen to find the living area assigned to them.
All residential rooms were built according to Imperial colonial standards, equipped with complete living facilities.
For Manyun, Manhu, and others who had long lived in the primitive era, it was truly like Granny Liu visiting the Grand View Garden, finding everything new and strange.
Manyun allocated rooms to his clansmen according to the numbers on the document. The first was Manhu. The room was very spacious. He had a wife and child, so he was assigned a family residence, which was just enough to meet his, his wife's, and his child's needs.
"This is too beautiful." Manhu touched the gleaming marble wall, stars almost appearing in his eyes. The house he had polished in Savage Village was nowhere near this beautiful.
All the room doors were open. They walked straight in.
As soon as they walked in, they heard a voice coming from the room.
Pulsating light outlined the form of a small sprite in the room.
"Hello, I am your household manager. I will provide you with some basic knowledge and teach you how to use these technological creations so that you can better utilize them."
"Chief, come quickly, a little person popped out here, this guy isn't a ghost, is he!!"
Manhu shouted loudly.
Forcing Manyun, who was in the middle of assigning rooms, to stop his work.
Many clansmen also rushed over.
Looking at the person floating in the air, they all showed expressions of shock.
"Is this the legendary divine soul? This guy's cultivation must be very high, otherwise, how could he appear like this without a physical body?"
"It must be a great expert from the Imperium."
"Quickly, bow before the Great Power."
"What the heck? This is a Great Power of the Imperium! Able to separate soul from body! This is at least a half-step Immortal level existence!" Man Yun's voice trembled.
What kind of concept was a half-step Immortal to Man Village?!
A village with one or two practitioners at the Cave Realm who had comprehended a precious technique was already the strongest village within dozens of miles.
A half-step Immortal was an existence they didn't even dare to dream of.
Hearing the village chief's words, everyone knelt down, hoping their previous disrespect hadn't angered the Great Power of the Imperium.
**I am merely a Domestic Assistance System, serial number 9527. My purpose is to help humans in backward worlds better integrate into the Imperium, not a cultivator.**
The system spoke, attempting to explain that it was not the Great Power the Man Village people believed it to be.
But who in Man Village had ever seen such a sight?
A person's phantom just floated in the air like that. If it wasn't a ghost, then it was a Great Power capable of separating soul from body.
"A bunch of ignorant bumpkins," a mocking voice came from behind them. The Man Village people, who had stubbornly insisted the Domestic System was a Great Power no matter how it explained, turned their heads with ugly expressions upon hearing this voice. They found that the one speaking mockingly was their old nemesis, Shi Village.
Shi Village was a village near Man Village. There was no blood feud between the two sides, but there were many conflicts.
Everyone disliked the other.
Each village had its own hunting range. The hunting ranges of Man Village and Shi Village were demarcated very close to each other. The people of the two villages often argued and even fought over prey.
If it weren't for the rule set by Pingyan City that human villages were not allowed to engage in secret death duels, they would have become mortal enemies long ago.
Even now, having moved here, the people of Shi Village still looked down on Man Village.
"What did you say?" Man Hu, a hot-tempered man, stood up and shouted angrily.
"Saying you're ignorant," a strong man from Shi Village walked out from the crowd. He was very robust, his muscles bulging. Standing there, he naturally exuded a sense of intimidation. When he spoke, his voice was loud and clear: "You even kneel to a domestic system, thinking it's some Great Power. What a joke. I say, you guys should just stay in the mountains. The Holy Emperor is too benevolent to even let useless trash like you in here."
The people of Man Village were so angry their lungs almost exploded.
If Shi Village had a better background, this matter might have just passed.
But they all came from the same shithole!
Just because they arrived a few days earlier, they were acting so smug!
"And you're very useful, are you?" Man Hu roared, clenching his fists, looking ready to fight at the slightest disagreement. The man from Shi Village casually took out a document and placed it in front of Man Hu.
"Do you know what this is? Bumpkin. This is a conscription order stamped by the Imperium's military department. The conscription officer said that the men of Shi Village are all excellent, strong and powerful, the finest soldiers. If there were more of us, we could even form our own regiment and serve the Holy Emperor."
"You guys in Man Village are probably destined to be manual laborers. Are you as brave as us in Shi Village? Are you as fearless of death as us in Shi Village? By then, the men of Shi Village will all be on the battlefield killing enemies, and everyone will know how mighty and unstoppable the men of Shi Village are."
"Bullshit!" Man Hu was furious and shouted loudly, "The people of Man Village are a hundred times braver than you in Shi Village, and a hundred times more fearless of death. Just you watch, the Imperium will conscript us too. By then, you'll know how formidable Man Village is. Trash like you aren't fit to compare with us."
The people of Shi Village showed a hint of a mocking smile, put away the conscription document, and turned to leave.
Man Hu and the others, however, found it hard to calm down.
Being mocked and looked down upon by their perennial rivals made them very uncomfortable.
"We must also send our best people to join the army," said Man Yun, the village chief. "This is for the honor of the village. We absolutely cannot let those damned guys look down on us."
"I'll go," a tender voice sounded.
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice; it was the little kid.
He raised his chubby little hand and said in a milky voice.
"You're too young, don't mess around." Man Yun had a few women take the little kid away, then discussed with Man Hu and the others who to send.
Living in the Savage World, every village was very tough and would not admit to being weaker than others.
A village had to be tough enough for others to know you were not to be trifled with, so they wouldn't come and steal your prey.
Survival in the Savage World was very cruel.
Strength determined everything.
If you were weaker than others, they could take your food and women.
Even if the Imperium wasn't so savage, having long struggled in the Savage World, the people of Man Village didn't understand profound knowledge, but they understood the principles that applied everywhere.
If you were the most valuable, you would be first in line when things were distributed.
How could the people of Man Village admit they were inferior to Shi Village?
If the other side had ten people joining the army, Man Village would send fifteen, just to show the Imperium. Their value was greater than that of other villages.
Great Luo Immortal Palace.
Looking out from the main peak, there was an overwhelming green tide, countless in number. The disciples of Great Luo Immortal Palace suffered heavy casualties, and the survivors had retreated within the formation on the main peak.
Many disciples who couldn't retreat in time were killed, and some even had their heads cut off and hung on flagpoles. The scene was extremely bloody and cruel.
Many disciples were filled with anger seeing their former friends suffer such humiliation after death.
But they could do nothing. The green tide was too strong; its strange protection rendered their many precious techniques useless.
Coupled with the polluted spiritual energy, it forced them into close combat.
From the start of this war, Great Luo Immortal Palace was at a disadvantage. They were forced to use their weakness to fight the enemy's strength. The several Palace Masters holding immortal artifacts saw this desperate situation and knew that this time they had no retreat. They had consumed too much power previously to send away those prodigies. This was also why they hadn't made a move before.
Overusing immortal artifacts could easily exhaust them. They had to recover a certain amount of power before they could use them again.
But the enemy clearly didn't give them this chance.
Great Luo Immortal Palace was destroyed by the opponent like a decaying force.
All the trump cards protecting the sect were played, but they couldn't stop the opponent for long.
Now was the most critical moment.
"As things stand, there is no other way. Only by seeking help from the immortal ancestors can we resolve our crisis."
The Palace Master of Great Luo Immortal Palace looked at the disciples who had suffered heavy casualties, feeling a wave of sorrow.
Who could have imagined that the once prosperous Great Luo Immortal Palace was now in ruins, with only one or two disciples remaining out of ten. The Palace Masters of other forces also felt a sense of sadness, a shared feeling of empathy like rabbits and foxes lamenting each other's fate.
If Great Luo Immortal Palace was destroyed, how could their respective forces remain unaffected?
Perhaps they were already in a precarious situation, weathering the storm, and could be annihilated at any moment. The suggestion of the Great Luo Immortal Palace Master was quickly adopted by the other Palace Masters. They all held immortal artifacts. The problem was that activating immortal artifacts was not an easy matter. The power and spiritual energy they had lost had not yet recovered.
Moreover, the spiritual energy was polluted, and the Spirit Realm had somehow become even more difficult to communicate with, making their recovery very slow.
At present, they could only seek help from the immortal ancestors in the Immortal Realm, to see if they could intervene in the Ancient Desolate Realm and create a glimmer of hope for them.
With several Palace Masters working together, communicating with the Immortal Realm was not difficult. The main hall of Great Luo Immortal Palace had an altar that could communicate with the Immortal Realm.
After injecting enough magical power, the altar erupted with light, forming countless chains of order that plunged into the void.
Just as they connected to the Immortal Realm, before the several Palace Masters could even ask for help. They received bad news.
Or perhaps, the most terrifying news in history.
"I was originally thinking of using a divine ability to contact you, but I didn't expect you to contact me first. Then I'll make a long story short. Several places in the Immortal Realm have discovered traces of activity by extraterrestrial daemons. All the immortal domains have reached a consensus and are preparing to cut off contact with the lower realms and sever the path to immortality. If this catastrophe can be overcome, the immortal path will be reopened."
"Our side is relatively remote, and the news has a certain delay. Other places have already begun to sever the immortal path. I will transmit to you a method of self-sealing. You can seal yourselves and live for a long time, waiting for the immortal path to reopen. This is all I can do. Your fortune or misfortune depends on yourselves."
As soon as the words fell, a magical seal flew out from the void and crashed into the mind of the Great Luo Immortal Palace Master.
It was precisely a method of severing one's foundation and sealing oneself, which could allow a cultivator to live for a very long time.
Just as the several Palace Masters were about to speak, the chains on the altar snapped, the light flickered, and it tried to reconnect, but found that it could not form the chains of order connecting to the Immortal Realm no matter what.
Presumably, the Immortal Realm acted swiftly, severing the connection between the Immortal Realm and all realms before cutting off the path to immortality, to avoid causing panic and preventing cultivators from trying to rush to the Immortal Realm before the path was broken, which might even attract the attention of extraterrestrial daemons and accelerate their invasion of the Immortal Realm.
It was also no wonder that the ancestor of Great Luo Immortal Palace was in such a hurry, not even having time to listen to them speak, and hastily bestowed the method. The several Palace Masters looked at the altar that had completely lost contact with the Immortal Realm, exchanging glances.
It seemed that the last glimmer of hope was gone.
"It seems we can only fight to the death," the Palace Master of Pure Yang Holy Land said bitterly. "But even with immortal artifacts, how long can we last against those monsters? As soon as our aura is exhausted, that will be the time of our defeat."
"Rather than making a desperate struggle like trapped beasts, it's better to fight to the death." A Palace Master reached out and pointed upwards, saying in a low voice, "Let's directly attack the opponent's world. We will burn our divine souls and combine our strength to unleash the strongest blow. Perhaps we can tear that world apart and leave a glimmer of hope for the living beings of this realm."