Future City.
3:00 AM.
As Li Xingchen controlled the artillery on the city walls and fired upon the Dawn Army, flames erupted into the night. The signal for the attack had been officially sounded.
Following Feng Qi's lead, the warriors of the Dawn Army charged toward Future City without hesitation.
Li Xingchen's final act of launching the missiles had completely shattered Black Shadow's plan to maintain its moral high ground against the Dawn Army.
Previously, the majority of citizens from other cities had sided with Future City.
But this time, at least in terms of public perception, Future City had lost a significant advantage—even though, technically, Star City was the aggressor.
By firing first, Future City had obliterated the last remaining hope of those who wished for a peaceful resolution.
As they neared the southern entrance of the city, Feng Qi turned to Mu Qing, who was running beside him.
"Mu Qing, this passage won't allow us to quickly funnel all our troops into the city. Take the Third and Fourth Corps and breach the western gate. We'll regroup in front of the Institute of Technological Research!"
Mu Qing nodded without hesitation. She immediately grabbed the communicator strapped to her right arm and issued her command.
"Old Li, Commander Ying, take your forces and follow me to breach the western gate!"
At the same time, Feng Qi turned his gaze to the left, where Prajna Corps Commander Zong Ming was leading his forces.
"Commander Zong, take your troops and break through the eastern gate!"
"Understood!" Zong Ming responded without delay and immediately activated his communicator to begin issuing orders.
Within moments, two large forces split off from the Dawn Army, heading toward the east and west gates of Future City.
This tactical division was meant to maximize efficiency in getting troops inside.
The main southern passage leading into Future City was wide, but not wide enough to accommodate the full force of the Dawn Army all at once.
On either side of the main road lay a moat filled with toxic substances, designed as a defensive measure. There were many ways to bypass it—bridging it with debris, air-dropping soldiers over the walls, or even draining parts of the moat.
But all of these methods would be too slow.
The objective of this assault was simple: capture Future City in the shortest time possible, regardless of the cost.
Opening multiple entry points into the city was the best solution.
At the same time, forces that had been secretly monitoring the situation from the outskirts of Future City immediately relayed intelligence back to their respective factions.
Victory City.
The bustling commercial district, usually filled with vibrant neon lights, was now eerily quiet.
Citizens anxiously followed the unfolding events, their gazes fixed on the massive screen outside the city's central skyscraper. Aerial footage from high-altitude drones displayed Future City in flames.
When they saw Future City initiate the attack by launching missiles, the crowd erupted into chaos.
Shocked expressions filled every face.
Winterfell.
The snow-covered streets of the main city were desolate.
At this hour, all residents remained indoors, glued to their televisions, breath held in anticipation, hoping for a miracle.
The sudden outbreak of hostilities between Star City and Future City had drawn the attention of citizens across all major cities, and Winterfell was no exception.
Outside the Winterfell Supreme Council Hall, protesters who had previously been demonstrating against their own government's inaction had suddenly gone silent.
Their eyes were fixed on the massive screen displaying the live battlefield feed.
The chilling wind bit through their coats, their faces red from the cold.
But they no longer cared.
All eyes were on the Star City forces advancing toward Future City.
Until now, many had still held onto a glimmer of hope.
A hope that this war could be avoided.
But the moment the missiles rose from Future City's southern wall and detonated ahead of the Dawn Army's march, their last shred of optimism was shattered.
A massive shockwave spread from the impact sites, sending rippling tremors through the camera feeds.
Many watching instinctively clenched their fists.
They knew there was no turning back now.
Similar scenes played out across other cities.
The last illusions held by the citizens of the Five Great Cities were ruthlessly destroyed by cold, hard reality.
Throughout history, the people of the Five Great Cities had been taught the same narrative—that they shared a common heritage, a unified humanity, and that only together did they form a complete home.
They couldn't understand why this war had begun.
They refused to accept its inevitability.
To them, a war between Star City and Future City meant the complete fragmentation of humanity's final sanctuary.
A civil war, like those recorded in the pre-Calamity era, where factions had fought for dominance while the world burned around them.
With external enemies still looming, humanity should have been united.
Not fighting among themselves.
Anger.
Grief.
Outrage.
The cries of countless people filled the streets of every major city.
Future City – South Gate.
The rain intensified, pounding against the armor of the advancing Dawn Army.
Through the downpour, the warriors charged through the city gates and into the streets of Future City.
What greeted them was a fully mobilized city defense force.
Summoned by urgent distress calls, the elite defenders of Future City had arrived.
Through the rain, their black spirit-powered armor gleamed ominously.
These were battle-hardened veterans, radiating an unshakable presence of steel and blood.
Their melee weapons pulsed with dark energy, casting eerie glows in the rain, as if the elements themselves recoiled in fear.
Feng Qi decisively activated Blood Source Transformation.
A surge of vitality erupted within him, rushing through his veins like tidal waves, washing over his body.
As his heartbeat accelerated, his body expanded rapidly. Countless fleshy tendrils sprouted from his skin, intertwining and weaving together to form fresh layers of muscle and tissue.
In the blink of an eye, he had transformed into a towering, four-meter-tall crimson giant.
Faced with the Future City soldiers standing their ground in defense, he forcibly suppressed the compassion in his heart.
They weren't in the wrong.
But this battle line could not be stopped.
The warriors following behind him were momentarily stunned by his transformation, but they quickly regained their composure.
He had long since disclosed some of his secrets to the Dawn Army and the residents of Star City.
If he wanted the battle to continue progressing, this was the best option.
Only by doing this could Star City's warriors and citizens truly follow him forward without hesitation.
The reason was simple.
He had once analyzed that it was nearly impossible for Domain infiltrators to penetrate Star City's military command structure.
The military was a special institution, built upon strict principles and objectives since its inception.
If an order from the higher-ups ever contradicted the fundamental mission of protecting humanity and defending Star City, soldiers would refuse to obey it.
For example, if the military leadership commanded their forces to massacre the civilians of Star City, such an order would never be carried out.
The chain of command itself would resist it—the order would be blocked, questioned, and ultimately rejected by mid-level officers, junior commanders, and even the rank-and-file soldiers.
Every action of Star City's military had to follow the "principle."
This was why Domain Creatures could infiltrate organizations like Tiger Soul Research Institute or other civilian institutions but found it extremely difficult to corrupt the military for their own gain.
Now, Feng Qi faced the same challenge.
Choosing to declare war on Future City was no small matter.
He had to give the people of Star City—and every warrior willing to fight for the Dawn Army—a justification.
And that justification had to be so compelling that they would believe in it without doubt.
Otherwise, why would they be willing to draw their blades against fellow humans?
Thus, the first thing he did after sealing Star City was reveal the truth to its citizens and soldiers.
That was why, when other cities protested the war, Star City's people stood firm.
Because from the moment he told them the truth, he had gained their unwavering support.
War was not a game.
Behind every war was a deep and complex logic—it was not something driven solely by blind passion.
From following Old Mist's sacrificial timeline, he had learned many things.
One of the most important lessons was this:
Before making any decision, one must carefully calculate the potential consequences from every angle.
This included the progression of the battle itself.
Had he not chosen to reveal the truth and simply declared war, he wouldn't just have failed to gain support—he likely would have been executed as a traitor before the war even started.
The warriors who followed him needed a reason.
The people of Star City needed a reason to stand by him.
Now, as Feng Qi unleashed his Blood Source Transformation, the soldiers of Future City's defense force watching him had expressions of grim certainty.
"So it's true."
Before the war began, they had not understood why Star City was launching such an aggressive attack.
From a historical perspective, Star City had contributed significantly to Future City's growth.
The two cities had supported each other countless times and could rightfully be called "brother cities."
Even the subway system connecting both cities, which took immense manpower and resources to build, was a testament to their cooperation.
To Future City's defenders, they also needed a reason to fight.
And Black Shadow had given them one.
Just as other cities had broadcasted their own narratives, Black Shadow's explanation was simple—that Star City's Super Virtual Reality Game harbored a massive hidden danger.
According to Black Shadow, the game was a tool secretly created by Domain forces, capable of subtly influencing the human psyche and taking control of their minds.
Star City's decision to declare war was a direct result of being manipulated by unseen Domain forces.
Now, as they saw Feng Qi transform into a crimson behemoth, their belief in this explanation was only reinforced.
Their resolve to defend Future City solidified.
The rain grew heavier, drenching the battlefield in sheets of water.
Feng Qi clenched his massive fist.
A crimson aura erupted around him, coiling like mist. Dark green flames surged to life, crackling with raw power.
He took a deep breath, gathering his strength.
Then, with a single punch, he tore through the rain, his attack howling like a dragon's roar and a tiger's bellow combined.
A shockwave erupted.
The sheer force sent a dozen enemy soldiers flying backward, their bodies twisting midair before violently crashing into the ground.
Several vomited blood on impact, their spirit-powered armor bending inward from the brutal impact.
"Kill!"
The battlefield erupted into carnage.
From a high-altitude perspective, it looked like two tidal waves of steel colliding at the center.
The battle lines twisted and churned, thousands of figures locked in relentless combat.
The marble-paved streets were soon drenched in pools of blood.
Every warrior of the Dawn Army had received only one order before the battle began:
Advance without regard for casualties.
Take Future City at all costs.
So they charged forward, throwing themselves fearlessly into battle.
And Future City's defenders did not retreat either.
The first day they became Future City's defensive soldiers, they had sworn an oath at the Heroes' Cemetery—to defend Future City with their lives, no matter the cost.
This battle was the manifestation of that oath.
Figures clashed, blades met in a flurry of sparks, and bodies fell amid the carnage. Neither side took a step back.
Even the relentless downpour failed to wash away the blood staining the ground.
The true brutality of war unfolded in all its intensity.
Upon arrival, Mu Qing and her warriors were immediately met with a barrage of artillery fire.
Future City's greatest strength had never been its cultivation achievements.
The advancements made by Victory City and Star City in cultivation sciences far exceeded anything Future City had achieved.
Technology had always been Future City's greatest weapon—a fact that had been set in stone since its inception.
Now, a rain of spirit-powered missiles and artillery shells illuminated the night sky, turning the battlefield as bright as day.
A hailstorm of gunfire and explosions blanketed the western gate's entryway.
Faced with this overwhelming firepower, many warriors at the forefront of the charge were cut down.
Yet, without hesitation, more soldiers stepped up, filling the gaps in the ranks and continuing their charge behind Mu Qing.
She reached the western gate and threw a punch forward.
A brilliant jade-colored glow burst forth, enveloping her entire body.
All of that energy contracted—then exploded outward in a single, devastating strike.
The sheer force sent shockwaves through the air, making the rain fly backward, the jade radiance crashing against the massive gate.
When Future City had originally built its four great city gates, the metal used had been supplied by Star City's military.
Historically, this metal was a rare material brought back from "Path of Ascension" by Tian Shu, which was later gifted to Star City's military headquarters.
According to the original historical trajectory, these metals would eventually be used in constructing the reinforced entrance tunnels of Star City's shelter—1,500 years into the future.
Its defensive capabilities were extraordinary.
But under Mu Qing's monstrous strength, the gate visibly caved inward.
As her power surged, the rate of collapse increased—the paint coating the surface peeling away as the metal structure buckled.
In the stunned silence of the city's defenders, a deafening explosion rang out.
The indestructible gate shattered and collapsed inward.
Immediately, the Dawn Army's warriors rushed through the breach, braving the relentless hail of enemy gunfire.
Mu Qing leaped onto the city walls.
Her figure flickered through the battlefield, and with each step, another spirit-powered cannon was crushed under her attacks.
At the same time, countless warriors followed her, scaling the walls to neutralize the enemy's technological weaponry.
Below, Dawn Army soldiers seized the opportunity to charge through the broken gate, meeting the City Defense Corps head-on.
The battle for the western gate had begun in full force.
At the eastern gate, the Prajna Domain Squad spearheaded the charge.
Unlike Mu Qing, they lacked the sheer destructive power to breach the gate head-on.
Instead, as Zong Ming led the charge, many soldiers ascended the walls, prioritizing the destruction of the city's defensive weaponry.
Their strategy was clear:
Disrupt the defenders' firepower. Minimize casualties. Then breach the gate.
Across Future City, three battlefronts erupted simultaneously—south, west, and east.
The storm raged on, as if the heavens themselves wept for the tragedy unfolding.
The battlefield was stained red—blood soaking the earth, mixing with rain.
Figures interwove in battle, each life as fragile as a candle in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.
Both sides fought with absolute conviction.
And it was that conviction that made this war even more brutal.
Under the darkness of night, Future City had transformed into a living hell.
Suspended high above the city, Black Shadow gazed toward the northern sector, his face betraying a flicker of exasperation.
Though the ones dying were humans,
These humans should have been dying for his plans,
Not for this meaningless war.
To Black Shadow, the City Defense Corps should have had greater value.
They should not have been wasted like this.
Shaking his head, he sighed.
Then, pulling out a communicator, he pressed the button and spoke coldly:
"Activate the War Machines."
"Understood."
Moments later, across multiple key locations within Future City, gigantic circular platforms began to rise.
Atop each platform, colossal war machines—tens of meters tall—stood ready.
They came in various forms, vastly different from the humanoid mechs often seen in movies and anime.
These were not designed for aesthetics.
They were not designed to resemble humans.
They were built for one thing only—war.
Massive steel monstrosities, their surfaces bristling with cutting-edge weaponry, lay coiled like beasts in the rain.
As blue lights flickered to life across their bodies, the machines awakened.
The battle was far from over.