Tower of Heaven

When Neurics adapted to the cultivation methods of other known species, their instinctive qi control had the chance to evolve to a further level.

They began to cultivate as well. Gwin and Yonnis led by example, standing out as the strongest members of their race from the start.

The entire Igni Neuric Race got into the routine of cultivating when they could. Progressing through stages came easily, as they already had the qi to do so. They only needed to refine their connections to the Heavens, and they could break through.

They were an impressive race that drew attention from all over the continent, yet, none of them understood what their true goals were.

The creation of the city wasn't done on a whim, nor was the declaration of independence. They were all exquisitely planned maneuvers made when key projects were completed.

First off, the city itself. The world was soon to find out that it was not just a place for people to live, but also a moving fortress covered in weapons of all kinds.

Massive ballistas lined the huge outer walls. Each one had the ability to gather and store qi that turned every bolt into a catastrophe.

Traps lined the ground. They were not disposable, but could be constantly activated as long as the world was still filled with Spiritual Energy. In terms of fortifications on the city itself, it was practically inviolable.

However, that was not the end of the Neurics' creations.

When they first declared independence, they were met with strong refusal from all sides. The continent did not need another main influence. In order to shush them, many of the surrounding kingdoms and empires sent subtle threats through carrier pigeons and messengers.

Only, they realized that all of their efforts were being wasted. No average influence could stand up to them anymore.

This realization was easy to make when the living fortress, Shinnhaven, stormed into their territories while backed by a fleet of spiritual boats and flying ships equipped with even more heavy artillery.

Their innovation came to a point where even Atlas hadn't seen some of their inventions before. He was able to see many great things over the next few thousand years.

After all, the continent would be at war for another 4000 years before it regained any semblance of peace.

It started with a siege on the mortal influences. So as to bring more area into their empire, Gwin and Yonnis took control over every surrounding territory until their borders connected with their direct enemies.

Even those were mere obstacles in their path. What truly created problems…

"Cultivators."

"Yes. I told you about them before. They are a very persistent people."

Gwin nodded with a sigh.

They knew they would be facing cultivators and cultivation sects because Yonnis made it expressly clear that these were their main enemies.

However, even Gwin never expected the extent to which their battles would go. The seemingly inexhaustible numbers of those cultivators made the siege warfare of the Neurics practically useless, as they would run out of materials and qi before the sects ever ran out of people.

"If we were going to massacre people from the start, then we could do that, but that won't bring this continent under our control. We are taking this place and making it into our Holy Land where the Shinnim is absolute. Needless slaughter will only turn people against us."

For this reason, they didn't know how to properly respond to the cultivators.

It was roughly a thousand years into the warring period when they finally stopped fighting and found a middle ground with those sects.

The ownership of this continent would be decided through the use of proxies. Rather than waging an all-out war where people were dying endlessly, it was better for them to send out their best fighters to battle for the continent's ownership amongst themselves.

Surprisingly, public opinion was on the Neurics' side. Despite starting their conquest, they didn't change the way they treated the common people.

They continued to provide artifacts to the market at more affordable prices than their competitors, and what really turned the tide in their favor was their treatment of secondary professions.

Because of them, the alchemists, formation masters, and smiths who were discriminated against throughout the continent found a place where they could belong.

So many markets flourished because of their influence, and all of the esoteric medicines and items that used to be too expensive were lowered in price as more people started to produce them.

Compared to the sects, who remained separated from the secular world and did nothing to help it, the Neurics were much better.

The fact that they were from a new and mysterious race stopped mattering entirely.

Once the treaty was created, the combat that destroyed the continent ended and was replaced by a martial tournament that took place every decade. Through it, the Neurics could rule the continent without using all of their resources for war.

However, they were not satisfied with their achievements. It felt like a hollow victory to allow these sects to toy with them and force them into compromises.

It was true that the leaders of those sects were dangerous people that even Yonnis couldn't face directly, but they were only individuals.

In front of the entire race of Igni Neurics, even they could be defeated.

There were still three thousand years remaining before the wars in this continent ended. Three thousand years…

Wasn't it too long to be a war against the influences on the continent? It was impossible for wars to last for thousands of years without any changes taking place.

While the Neurics were dealing with the sects in their territory, they came across a secret. In the center of the continent, there was a strong signature of energy. They sent their people underground to investigate it, and when they came back, it was revealed that there was a corpse of an Ancient Dragon residing there.

It was what gave the beasts of this continent so much potential, and as it melded into the world itself, it became the foundation of the continent.

The Neurics decided not to touch it. They closely guarded it instead, knowing that the continent would wither and die if it were removed.

The problem stemmed from the fact that they were not the only ones who sensed its energy before they hid it. The elders of those sects felt it as well, and in a bid to remove the Igni Neurics from the world entirely, they spread the information to all corners of the world.

The corpse of an Ancient Dragon.

An Ancient Dragon, an entity that was inherently at the level of an Immortal and was an impossible existence in the Mortal Realm.

In the Mortal Realm where they were, news of this Immortal Ancient Dragon spread to all of the strongest forces.

And those forces did not plan to leave such a rumor alone.

All of this took place two hundred years after the peace treaties were established. Over the next ten years, the continent was invaded by countless spies who verified the veracity of the rumors.

When the people who owned them received the confirmation they decided, it was obvious what happened.

The Igni Neurics faced a threat unlike anything they'd ever seen before.