"RUN!" A childish voice tore through the forest, filled with panic. But the warning came a little too late. A massive shadow exploded from the shrubs ahead, scattering leaves and twigs in every direction. The beast stood over half a meter tall, its body shaped like a rat but bloated to monstrous size. Greasy gray fur covered its rippling muscles, and finger-long fangs jutted from its mouth like twin daggers. Its red eyes locked onto the children. The Wild Ash Rat had found its prey. Without hesitation, it lunged forward, its claws digging into the earth as it gave chase. "Yun Jie, I thought you said there were no ranked demonic beasts in this area of the forest!" Yun Yue's complaint came out in hushed, desperate breaths. Her small legs pumped furiously, barely leaving footprints on the ground as she struggled to keep pace with her brother. Yun Jie wanted to cry. His chest burned, his legs trembled, and regret flooded his mind like poison. He shouldn't have come to the Black St

The talisman shone faintly in Yun Kai's palm, its paper edges were rough against his calloused fingers. It was a high-level Mortal Script Blood Chasing Talisman, rare as a phoenix feather in the Verdant Cloud Kingdom. Its price was enough to bankrupt lowborn nobles and leave commoners weeping. Only the Kingdom's guards wielded such treasures to hunt fugitives or beasts, tracking them through blood's unerring call. Yun Kai's lips twitched, a ghost of a smirk crossing his face. He'd "borrowed" a few from a guard's stash, a small rebellion against the palace's suffocating schemes. He knelt, blindfold snug against his eyes, and scooped a drop of the Wild Ash Rat's blood from the forest floor. The coppery tang stung his nose as he pressed it to the talisman's crimson center. Then he infused Qi into the talisman, sparking the script to life. The talisman erupted in a blaze, flames licking the air like a hungry beast. It shot forward, trailing fire and the reek of blood, searing a path t

Yun Kai's feet pounded against the forest floor, his breath coming in controlled bursts. Behind him, the reinforcements gave chase immediately they spotted him, their voices carrying through the trees like hunting hounds closing in on prey. "After him!" "Don't let him escape!" "Whoever he is, he's seen too much!" Their cultivation bases were higher than his. He could feel it in the way their Qi signatures pressed against his senses, heavy and threatening. They were early Blood Condensation at minimum. Some even at peak Blood Condensation. He couldn't fight them directly. But he didn't need to. Minutes into cat and mouse chase, Yun Kai's senses picked up something else. A distinct sharp and metallic smell. It was blood. Fresh blood, but almost fading. The smell was mixed with the familiar wild musk of a predator. The Saber-tooth Panther. Yun Kai's lips curled into a grim smile beneath his blindfold. The beast's trail was faint but unmistakable, leading deeper into the f

The moment the effect of the ripple faded, a 'ding' sound resonated in the head of every living thing in the Desolate Martial World.Everyone froze. Cultivators mid-strike in a fight. Merchants mid-sale in the market. Children mid-laugh. Even the beasts in the forests went still.The sound came from inside their minds, impossible to ignore or block out. Confusion rippled across the world like a second wave, followed quickly by panic.[DING!!! The Era of Wars and Kingdom Building has been activated][Muahahahaha... You mortals that look like ants, I am the First World King! I hate to look at you weak humans living a quiet and peaceful life. From now on, this world shall be bound to the cycle of warfare. Every land will become a battlefield. Every soul a contender for dominion. Kingdoms shall rise, Empires shall fall, Dynasties shall be destroyed. Struggle! Struggle hard, become stronger, and use it to entertain me. Only by continuously strengthening yourself and building a lasting empi

The golden light expanded outward like a wave, washing over the entire clearing. Yun Kai's sensory bubble lit up with the energy, tracking the transformation happening around him. Where there had been empty grass and dirt, structures began to materialize. Wooden buildings rose from nothing, their frames solidifying in seconds. A central hall, larger than the others, appeared at the heart of the clearing. Smaller houses sprouted around it like mushrooms after rain. The light faded, and silence fell. [Congratulations to player Yun Kai on successfully establishing the Desolate Martial World's first village and becoming an example among players. Please name your village.] Yun Kai thought for a moment. The name needed to be meaningful, connected to the land. "Spiritrock Village," he said aloud. Since he was in the area of Spiritbone Mountain, which was a small part of the main Blackrock Mountain range, the name felt appropriate. Spiritrock. A combination of both. [Player has success