Stepping Forward When the Heavens Fall

Chen Xia has become the most dazzling presence in the Logistics Department.

He's renowned throughout the department for three things: his reputation, chess skills, and alchemy, making him quite the celebrity.

Nearly every cultivator in the Logistics Department has played chess with Chen Xia and won against him, though their victories somehow felt hollow.

True, they won, but their horse piece did die at the beginning.

Fortunately, it was just a small joke, so no cultivator took it too seriously - they could always capture someone else's horse piece instead.

After all, smiles would eventually find their way to their faces.

"If I'm afraid to capture Chen Xia's horse, can't I just capture someone else's?"

This became known as the classic horse-trading mentality.

The cultivators got along well with Chen Xia, mainly because he wasn't pretentious and could chat with anyone.

Moreover, his status was significant, and there were many benefits to being on good terms with him.

Chen Xia is now the alchemy master of the entire Logistics Department, with even Alchemy Saints having to follow in his footsteps to learn.

These days, alchemists often carry around a set of woks and spatulas, occasionally stir-frying herbs when idle, claiming they're studying the Chen-style Alchemy Dao.

Of course, they couldn't truly master it, but they did improve - at least their cooking got much better. They could even publish a book now, titled "Alchemy: From Beginner to Master Chef."

This wasn't Chen Xia's fault though; it was their own issue. Chen Xia had become almost mythical in the eyes of many alchemists.

But this was due to his own abilities - he could create superior-grade elixirs with ease, just casually stir-frying with his spatula, and out would come the perfect medicine.

Even Great Emperors personally came to ask Chen Xia to refine medicine for them.

Chen Xia's approach was straightforward - he'd make medicine if you provided the materials and spirit stones. His prices were reasonable, so the Great Emperors were happy to seek his services.

Tian Sen the Great Emperor had even visited three times, each time requesting different medicines.

Chen Xia agreed each time, completing the refinement in just two steps, leaving Tian Sen the Great Emperor stunned. After a long while, he asked Chen Xia curiously:

"Are you really not a Five-Path cultivator?"

Implying that Chen Xia must have an additional path in alchemy.

"It's just a hobby," Chen Xia casually waved off.

This "hobby" made him an honored guest of most Great Emperors. Not just ordinary ones - even Three-Path Great Emperors would greet him with smiles, respectfully addressing him as "Master Chen."

His prestige couldn't be higher.

Chen Xia's fame grew even greater when he brought back the ninth Great Emperor's head from the left battlefront wall - that was his real merit!

The second battle at the frontline erupted thirty years later.

Chen Xia returned to the battlefield, this time not waiting for anyone. He raised his celestial sword projection and charged to the very front, showing no intention of retreat, spilling the blood of countless Dark Remnants.

His sword light remained brilliant in the sky, a gleaming line that refused to fade.

This battle stretched on for an extremely long time, with Chen Xia fighting at the forefront alone for seventeen years.

When he first returned to the city walls, his blue robe had lost all its original color, covered in blood and reeking of death.

He had lost count of how many Saints he'd killed and how many Great Emperors he'd crossed swords with. While the hand holding his celestial sword remained steady, his other hand trembled.

He had spent the longest time fighting on this battlefield and had killed the most enemies.

When he returned, his killing intent was so strong it surprised even the Great Emperors, who gave him extremely high praise:

"As fierce as he is reckless!"

Though Chen Xia had returned, it didn't mean the battle was over.

It continued endlessly, with no end in sight.

Perhaps this was what war truly was - a war between cultivators.

Chen Xia thought this as he changed his clothes and cleaned off the bloody smell, planning to rest for a few days to recover his blood essence and spiritual energy.

So he began wandering along the city walls.

He spoke most often with the half-dead Saints and Heaven Mending Realm cultivators, most barely clinging to life with shattered souls. Even if sent back to the Logistics Department, they couldn't be saved, so they just lay on the walls waiting for death.

Some of these dying cultivators stared blankly, as if using their final moments to reflect on their lives.

Others wept quietly, saying they didn't want to die, wanted to continue cultivating, wanted to reach higher realms, that they still had tens of thousands of years to live.

"That's a bit too negative," Chen Xia would comment, appearing heartless, yet as he turned away, he would let out an almost imperceptible sigh.

"Ah."

Among these dying cultivators, there was a special type - those who smiled carefreely, knowing they would die but still asking for a cup of celestial wine to drink, declaring they wanted to fight more, full of heroic spirit.

These were the hundred faces of dying cultivators. Chen Xia was powerless to help - even superior medicines couldn't heal a Saint's shattered soul, not even Imperial medicines could.

He stood on the city wall, gazing around casually.

Emperor Tianhe walked to his side, hands covered in blood, and spoke plainly:

"This is what battle is like. Nothing can be done about it. Don't watch too much, it'll affect your Dao heart."

"My heart is hard, I like watching these things," Chen Xia replied casually, arms crossed.

"You're just putting on a tough act," Emperor Tianhe shook his head.

"By the way, what's your relationship with Tian Sen the Great Emperor? Why do you both have 'Tian' in your names?" Chen Xia asked curiously.

"No relationship, just a coincidence," Emperor Tianhe denied, then continued:

"You should rest well. We don't know how long this battle will last. The Dark Remnants seem determined to push this battle line back, so..."

Emperor Tianhe didn't finish speaking, believing Chen Xia would understand, then turned to return to battle.

Ten days later.

A blue-robed figure stood atop the city wall, his celestial sword projection gleaming.

He had fought for seventeen years and rested for merely seventeen days before returning to the frontlines at a speed no one expected, continuing to fight at the forefront.

This was war, this was the frontline.

When the Heavenly Dao falters, someone must step forward.

Chen Xia never expected he would become such a person.

He often asked himself:

Had he done well enough?

The gloomy world.

No answer came.