Beyond the soaring towers of Tianzhen City and the meticulously managed territories of the Ten Halls, the outer rim of the Realm of the Heavenly Spear Alliance awakened to its own rhythm—one shaped not by ancient bloodlines or legendary Hallmasters, but by wandering cultivators, displaced beastkin, and the quiet resilience of the common soul.
The Outer Zone—the first line of defense against the unpredictable wilds—began as little more than a loose ring of four fledgling towns: Tharnholt to the north, Elorome to the south, Mistvale to the east, and Ashveil to the west. Each of these settlements had been promised stability and protection. Yet peace, it seemed, required more than promises.
From the first dawn after Tianzhen's declaration as capital, caravans flowed into the Outer Zone. They came with hopes, memories of ruined homes, and dreams of sanctuary. Some were rogue cultivators longing for a second chance. Others were scholars, farmers, craftsmen—or simply the lost.
But not all who came bore pure intent. Some were spies. Some were fugitives. Others sought to exploit the fragile order for personal gain.
Su Mengtian knew this. And so, before brick met mortar, he convened a summit in the Grand Council Hall of the State of Records.
"We must build the spine before we form the flesh," he told the assembly of generals, architects, and civil leaders. "The outer towns are the skin of our body—closest to the world's chaos. If they rupture, infection spreads inward."
He then unfurled a map—drawn in fine calligraphy by Yueying's hand—showing the defensive outline surrounding the four towns. "This," he declared, tapping along the borders, "will be our shield: a uniform patrol system, rooted in loyalty and balance."
Thus, the Border Patrol Units were born.
Formed as an elite extension of the SkyRanger Battalion, the Border Patrol Units were charged with guarding the perimeter between wildland and sanctuary. These weren't mere soldiers. Each unit blended combat scouts, aerial riders, earthbind trackers, and diplomatic mediators—capable not just of fighting intruders, but diffusing tension and verifying settlement applications.
Captain Tervael, a hawk-eyed veteran from the western front, was appointed Commander of the Patrol Forces. Known for once taming a rampaging thunderbeast without drawing his blade, Tervael embodied precision and restraint.
Under his command, patrol routes were designed to loop outward from each town in an interlocking cloverleaf formation. Every unit reported not only to local garrisons in the towns but directly to the State of Records. Their uniforms were etched with twin emblems: the SkyRanger's blazing spear, and a new sigil designed by Yueying herself—a horizon rising behind a pair of clasped hands, symbolizing vigilance through unity.
Tharnholt, nestled near frozen ridges and wind tunnels, became the first test site. As the northernmost town, it faced frequent raids by snowborne beasts and smugglers seeking to cross through ancient mountain paths.
Su Mengtian personally journeyed there, arriving in silence, dressed in traveler's garb. What he saw confirmed his fears: checkpoint walls still half-built, tempers flaring in overcrowded quarters, and locals clashing with recent arrivals.
He summoned a town meeting—unprecedented.
On the central dais of Tharnholt's main square, he stood before hundreds.
"Some of you knew war. Some of you fled it. But now, each of you shares this truth: you stand on the edge of the Alliance. That edge must not break."
He then announced the installation of the first Border Patrol command post outside Tharnholt: a four-tiered tower reinforced with seal-carved stone and skybound beacons that could signal Tianzhen instantly.
"The light from this tower," Mengtian said, "will not only ward off beasts. It will tell every soul watching from the dark: this realm guards its people. Always."
Tervael's units deployed within hours.
The changes were swift.
Night raids declined by seventy percent within the first month. Traders, once fearful, extended routes toward Tharnholt. Refugee intake grew manageable, thanks to a new verification ritual instituted by the Tower of Order and Judgement—an illusion-based truth echo that verified identities without pain.
Encouraged, the Alliance expanded the model.
In Ashveil, where the dry cliffs of the west saw constant sand-spirit incursions, Border Patrol towers were modified to include elemental dampeners and wind-resistant designs. Local smiths were contracted to forge lighter armor adapted for desert skirmishes. The influx of trade—especially in rare minerals—turned Ashveil from a border risk to a growing hub of economic activity.
In Elorome, the southern verdant lowlands saw a different challenge: smuggling, especially of forbidden beast eggs and relics. Su Mengtian authorized the creation of specialized detachment under Tervael's command—code-named "Silent Bloom"—trained in tracking spiritual residue and capturing contraband without causing public panic. With their help, three underground smuggling rings were dismantled within two weeks.
And in Mistvale, the eastern most settlement perched along mistswept cliffs and fog valleys, Tervael himself led a campaign to chart the once-invisible rogue passageways. Working with Kai Chan of the Hall of Echoes, they installed Echo-ward stones along the cliffs—devices that pulsed soft vibrations when cloaked entities passed nearby.
But as progress surged, so did tension.
Each town, fueled by its success, began demanding more autonomy. Town leaders wanted larger trade rights, their own local militias, and even the right to host inter-Hall events.
In response, the Grand Council Hall once again convened.
Hallmaster Rao Lin of Valor was first to speak. "We trained these towns to be safe. Not sovereign. If they grow too bold—"
"They are not growing bold," countered Baojin of Aegis. "They are growing proud. That's the seed of lasting peace."
Su Mengtian stood and raised a hand.
"They must grow," he said simply. "A wall that never breathes becomes a coffin."
And thus, he introduced the Outer Town Charters.
These new Charters outlined three major policies:
First, Autonomous Civil Councils:** Each town could elect a local council to govern non-military affairs—education, trade, healthcare, construction—under the oversight of the State of Records.
Second, Town Guard Units:** Separate from Border Patrol forces, towns were permitted to form their own local guard squads. Their training, however, would be overseen by the SkyRanger Academy.
Third, Annual Unity Festival:** Every town would host a rotating festival, sponsored by a different Hall each year, to promote inter-settlement and inter-Hall cultural exchange.
The Charters passed.
For the first time, the Alliance's strength was not just in celestial techniques or elite bloodlines—but in the ability to empower the smallest voice.
In Tharnholt, a young ex-rogue cultivator named Vessan was elected as the first Outer Council Leader. In his inaugural speech, he said:
"Here, I was not judged for my past. I was given a future. I will guard it with all I am."
Yueying watched his speech through the lightglass mirrors from Tianzhen's Library of Treasures. Su Mengtian stood beside her.
"They're no longer looking up at us," she whispered. "They're standing beside us."
Mengtian nodded. "That's the only way this lasts."
From four scattered outposts, the Outer Towns rose like stars in formation. Their towers lit not only the darkness beyond—but the path inward, toward the realm's beating heart.
The Rise of the Outer Settlements was not just a matter of territory.
It was the promise of a new kind of legacy.
—And the Heavenly Spear Alliance was ready to defend it with both blade and bond.