In Scarlet Flame City at the northwest border of the Tianyuan Region.

The Scarlet Flame City belonged to the Chiyun Prefecture, which was located at the Tianyuan Region border, and it acted as a gateway into the region. Therefore, it had become the five top forces’ focus in the war.

At the beginning of the war, the five top forces’ armies rushed towards the Chiyun Prefecture, but the Tianyuan Region’s army waiting there very quickly defeated them. However, that didn’t stop the top five forces. They soon recovered with the support of many powers, and fierce battles continued to break out on the Chiyun Prefecture’s border. It was unknown how many experts died in the war, and their blood filled the air.

Scarlet Flame City was a major city in Chiyun Prefecture, and so fierce battles broke out around it every day.

A tremendous Genesis Qi light barrier shrouded the entire city, and countless obscure Genesis Runes continuously flowed around it, emitting powerful and dangerous waves of Genesis Qi. The city walls were heavily guarded, and soldiers patrolled them endlessly as experts stood on the tall city towers and scanned the distance for any sudden eruptions of Genesis Qi.

The city was well defended.

As a result of the war, the atmosphere in the originally bustling Scarlet Flame City had become depressed, and the figures shuttling back and forth wore tensed expressions and emitted murderous intent.

A tall dome building stood in the north of the city, and people frequently came in and out. It looked particularly lively and was no different from the popular places in Scarlet Flame City before the war. Three words were engraved in showy and bold writing on the top of the dome building.

“War Service Hall.”

The inside of the hall was buzzing with activity.

A team covered in a strong smell of blood walked in from time to time, but that didn’t draw much attention. Many simply swept an unsurprised glance over them.

The teams marched to the center of the hall, took out a copper mirror and left it on the counter.

A person in black behind the counter received the copper mirror and folded one hand in a seal. Specks of light rose from the mirror. They were Spirit light fragments. When one’s Spirit was destroyed, it would turn into light fragments.

The light fragments fell on the copper mirror and turned into an illusory face.

It was the enemy killed.

“One hundred war credit points for an initial Heavenly Sun expert.” The man in black took out a jade seal and gently pressed it on the copper mirror. The number 420 flashed on the mirror.

The copper mirror’s owner put away the copper mirror with a satisfied grin.

“Brothers, let’s go for a drink and relax.” He laughed and led the team behind him to another area of the hall. It was the resting area where teams that had just returned from their missions could rest, chat loudly and exchange information.

In the resting area.

Ye Bingling, Yi Qiushui, Mu Liu and others were seated around a table in the corner.

“I heard from my grandfather today that another dozen people from the Four Pavilion were killed,” Yi Qiushui said slowly, looking a little upset.

Ye Bingling, Mu Liu and the others clenched their fists, then lifted their cups of wine and gulped them down with melancholic expressions.

“Crimson Cloud Sword Sect, Tri-Mountain Alliance and the others all deserve to die. We should have removed them from Hunyuan Heaven long ago!” Frost covered Ye Bingling’s pretty face, and killing intent flashed in her eyes.

The Four Pavilions’ members were considered Divine Dwelling stage elites in the Tianyuan Region. Therefore, they shouldered many responsibilities in the war, and the price they paid was the loss of their people every day. Moreover, many were people whom Yi Qiushui and Ye Bingling knew.

They finally realized the cruelty of war.

The others didn’t speak, but the killing intent in their eyes was undisguised.

Many people were drinking and cursing in other parts of the resting area. The majority scolded the Tri-Mountain Alliance, and some sobbed bitterly while clasping a wine bottle.

Amidst the clamor and noise, an angry voice rang out, “Hmph, we are fighting with our lives, but the little grand elder used closed-door cultivation as an excuse to avoid the war!”

“Who says he isn’t!? Grand elder Chi Jing and Zhuan Zhu are also supreme sovereign Cang Yuan’s official disciples, but they have accompanied supreme sovereign Cang Yuan to many tragic massacres and have been through countless brutal battles. They have done outstanding military service. It was only because of them that the Tianyuan Region now has its current territories. But that little grand elder is too lucky. He said he’s going into closed-door cultivation, but he has disappeared for more than three months. Even Zhao Mushen and the others have completed their breakthrough. Would he really not have finished?”

“I think he's afraid of joining the war, fearing an accident will happen!”

“His identity is superior to ours. Who could take responsibility if something happens to him?”

Cold sneering voices rang out one after another, each one filled with resentment, jealousy and anger.

“Hmph, it’s hard to say whether his identity is true and perhaps grand elder Chi Jing told him to pretend to be supreme sovereign Cang Yuan’s disciple to reassure the citizens. Otherwise, how could supreme sovereign Cang Yuan pay any attention to him?”

The hall echoed with laughter.

Yi Qiushui’s face turned livid when she heard those words. “Those Heavenly Sun experts have gone too far!”

They naturally had heard the rumors, but they didn’t take it seriously before. It was now getting worse, and coupled with the immense pressure they had been under in the war, they couldn’t control themselves anymore.

She stood up and directly walked over to the group of Heavenly Sun experts laughing. “You dare insult a grand elder in public?”

The Heavenly Sun experts turned their heads and swept a glance over her. They didn’t dare to scold her because they recognized she was Yi Yan’s granddaughter. They all lowered their heads.

It was then that a burst of laughter sounded behind them.

“Miss Qiushui, we fight with our lives every day, and we might not be able to sit here tomorrow. So, it isn’t a crime to say a few words, is it?”

Yi Qiushui turned to see several Heavenly Spirit Sect experts sitting there, and the one in the center was the former chief pavilion master Li Qingyue.

When the others heard his words, their expressions grew serious, and their temper flared. They turned around and continued their previous topic. Li Qingyue was right. They might not survive tomorrow, so who cared who they offended?

Seeing everyone ignore her completely, Yi Qiushui clenched her fists, and her body trembled in fury.

However, amidst the noise, a slender young figure walked into the War Service Hall.

The hall suddenly went silent, and the laughter and banter suddenly stopped when that figure appeared. Everyone cast indescribable gazes at the familiar face.

The laughing Heavenly Sun experts also stopped abruptly, each wearing a different expression because the figure that had walked into the hall was the person they were mocking.

It was Zhou Yuan, who was nicknamed ‘little grand elder’.