The Month of Restoration – Long Chen and the Dragon Blood Legion's Efforts
Timeframe: After the Corrupt Path's Annihilation, Before the Battle with the 36 Monasteries
Location: Su Prefecture
The battle between the Righteous Path and the Corrupt Path had been the most devastating war Su Prefecture had ever and had always witnessed.
Even now many fields had been reduced to charred wastelands, forests had been set ablaze, rivers were contaminated with blood and corpses, and villages had been caught in the crossfire. Though the Dragon Blood Legion had emerged victorious alongside the Xuantian Monastery and Righteous Path with annihilation of Corrupt Path branch, the land itself bore the scars of war.
In the aftermath, Long Chen surveyed the destruction from atop a broken hill, his gaze heavy with sorrow. This was not victory—it was survival.
"We did not fight to see this land perish," he muttered. "Now, we rebuild."
Long Chen split the Dragon Blood Legion into specialized groups to restore as much of the prefecture as possible.
Clearing the Battlefield – Lu Fang'er, Meng Qi, and the Beast Tamers
The battlefield was strewn with the remains of countless fallen warriors, innocents and enemies alike. The foul stench of decay polluted the air, and the land itself had become a graveyard.
"Lu Fang'er Meng Qi—use your beasts to cleanse the land from evil. Let no trace of war remain."
Lu Fang'er and Meng Qi, led their powerful earth and wind elemental beasts across the devastated plains.
Gigantic earth-type spirit beasts dug deep graves, ensuring proper burials for the fallen.
Fire-type beasts purified the land, burning away foul toxins and corrupted path members' corpses.
Wind-elemental beasts blowing away the ashes high into the sky while allowing only the clean corpses of innocent and righteous warriors' corpses.
Water-elemental spirit beasts cleansed the battlefield, washing away the blood-soaked soil, restoring the rivers, and bringing life back to poisoned lakes.
The people of the Su Prefecture, once terrified of spirit beasts, watched in awe as these creatures aided in restoring their homeland.
A child clung to Meng Qi's robe, eyes wide with amazement.
"Big sister… these beasts aren't here to hurt us?"
Meng Qi smiled gently, patting the child's head while Lu Fang'er energetically replied, "No, little one. They are here to help us rebuild."
The once-feared battlefield slowly transformed from a land of death into a land of renewal.
Command from Long Chen
"Chu Yao, Xiao Hua—regrow the forests, heal the land. The battle must not leave this world in ruins."
Chu Yao and Xiao Hua, along with hundreds of wood element cultivators, set to work.
Xiao Hua's ancient wood energy spread like veins across the land, nourishing the soil and accelerating the growth of new life.
Chu Yao and her fellow healers traveled from village to village, treating not only wounded warriors but also injured wildlife that had been caught in the devastation.
Seeds that would have taken decades to sprout burst forth overnight, and entire forests regrew within days.
In one particularly devastated valley, a village elder fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face as he watched the first green shoots rise from the ashen soil.
"The heavens have sent their children to save us!"
Long Chen, standing beside Chu Yao, sighed.
"No, elder. We are merely fixing what was broken. But heavens--(sigh)"
For the first time in weeks, the scent of burning flesh and blood was replaced by the fragrance of blooming flowers.
Long Chen further commanded:
"Water cultivators, find the hidden springs. Cleanse the rivers. No one should suffer from thirst because of war."
Many of the natural water sources had been tainted by the bloodshed. The Corrupt Path's had poisoned lakes, leaving villages without drinking water.
Water cultivators, trained in purification techniques, removed the deadly toxins from the rivers.
Underground water sources were located and tapped, ensuring that entire towns could be sustained.
Water pathways were redirected to prevent future droughts.
A fisherman, who had given up hope, wept as he saw fish return to the once-dead river outside his home. The Village Chief said wkth tears in eyes:
"I thought our children would never see clean water again…"
Long Chen placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "Your children, the next generation, will live in a better world than we did."
Long Chen commanded, "Li Qi, Song Mingyuan—stabilize the land, fix the roads, and make sure no village collapses from the damage."
The battle had left massive craters and ravines, making many villages uninhabitable.
Li Qi manipulated the earth, filling in gaps, raising sunken fields, and ensuring stability.
Song Mingyuan created natural barriers, protecting villages from future landslides and earthquakes.
Roads that had been destroyed during the war were restored, ensuring safe travel for traders and farmers.
A young boy, holding a wooden sword, looked up at Song Mingyuan.
"Uncle, will you teach me how to do that?"
Song Mingyuan chuckled, ruffling the boy's hair.
"One day, when you're older, perhaps."
The war had taken much, but it had also given new dreams to the people.
Long Chen himself about to work said, "Guo Ran, take the majority of the Dragon Blood Legion and rebuild the prefecture."
With 70% of the Dragon Blood Legion following Guo Ran's lead, construction efforts became legendary.
Destroyed homes were rebuilt stronger than before.
Markets and town squares were reconstructed, allowing trade to resume.
Walls were reinforced, ensuring villages would never again be vulnerable.
Guo Ran, standing atop scaffolding, wiped sweat from his forehead.
"Boss, I swear, I'm working harder here than I ever did in battle!"
Long Chen laughed.
"Good. Maybe this way, you'll stop slacking off in fights."
Guo Ran grumbled but smiled, knowing that their work meant something far greater than any battle.
By the time the one-month mark arrived, 40% of Su Prefecture had been restored.
Cities flourished once more.
The people, once afraid, found hope in the warriors who had once been only legends.
Villages that had been abandoned were now alive with laughter and prosperity.
Long Chen looked over the land they had saved, for this moment, as he watched the children play in fields that had once been battlefields, he allowed himself to believe in a better future.
"We are not just warriors," he said to his brothers and sisters. "We are the ones who bring change."
And with that, the Dragon Blood Legion prepared for their upcoming journey in life but right now with a heart filled with warmth and joy along with a Pride-- a feeling not in war by killing evil but feeling born as emotion by supporting and helping fellow people with no fear and just heartful thoughts and kindness.
After restoring the Su Prefecture and ensuring the survival of its people, Long Chen took an unprecedented step—one that would shake the foundation of the cultivation world. He chose to spread the Starry River of Sky Art to the common people, regardless of their cultivation aptitude.
This decision was unheard of. In most sects, cultivation techniques were reserved for the talented or those who had proven their worth through strict trials. Yet, Long Chen shared it freely, offering it to anyone with a sincere heart.
He stood before the gathered villagers, warriors, merchants, and even beggars.
"You may not be geniuses. You may not be born into great sects. But that does not mean you are undeserving.
This technique does not care for talent—it only seeks purity of heart."
Gasps echoed through the crowd. Cultivation was something only the privileged or the powerful or the talented had access to. Yet here was Long Chen, offering them something priceless.
Elder Tu Fang, could no longer stay silent and stepped forward, beside Long Chen, his face full of concern.
"Long Chen, are you not afraid of the consequences?"
Long Chen raised an eyebrow.
"Consequences?"
Elder Tu Fang folded his arms.
"You are spreading this technique as if you are the richest existence whose wealth will never drop. But what if someone backstabs you? What if your own kindness is used against you? What if these commoners turn on you one day?"
Ling Yunzi, the sect leader of the 180th Xuantian Monastery, also narrowed his eyes.
"Even within the monastery, it was you who first spread this technique. But to give it to the world so freely—have you thought this through?"
Long Chen smiled calmly, his eyes reflecting the starlit night above.
"Elder Tu Fang, Elder Ling Yunzi… I suppose you do not know the original story of this technique."
A moment of silence passed. The air itself seemed to shift as Long Chen's voice carried a deeper truth.
'The Origins of the Starry River of Sky Art.'
Long Chen looked up toward the heavens, as if recalling an ancient memory.
"This technique does not belong to me nor to my ancestors or others but to our ancestors--belongs to all of us.
It originates from an era even older than recorded history—from the Primal Chaos Era.
Both Tu Fang and Ling Yunzi stiffened. The Primal Chaos Era was a time shrouded in mystery, when gods, demons, and celestial beings walked the earth. Cultivation techniques from that time were beyond modern comprehension.
"To be exact," Long Chen continued, "it was created by the Starry Sky Sage—a man who sought to uplift all of humanity."
A wave of shock spread through the crowd (Dragon Blood Legion except few) The Starry Sky Sage?
"The Starry Sky Sage founded the Starry Sky Sect, the greatest sect in history.
Unlike other sects, it accepted anyone—regardless of talent, bloodline, or wealth."
Elder Tu Fang clenched his fists.
"That… that is impossible. No sect could sustain itself like that."
Long Chen shook his head.
"And yet, it did. The Starry Sky Sect thrived because the Starry River of Sky Art is different. It does not rely on talent, nor does it bow to bloodlines. It is a technique that is mastered by the purity of one's heart.
One must be free of evil intentions, free of corruption, and untainted by greed or malice."
A Cultivation Technique Beyond Manipulation
Long Chen let his gaze sweep over the people.
"Do you understand now?
Even the most talented genius cannot cultivate this art if their heart is impure.
Even the weakest commoner can master it if their soul is righteous."
He turned back to Tu Fang and Ling Yunzi, his smile unwavering.
"That is why I do not fear betrayal. The Starry River of Sky Art is not something that can be twisted or manipulated.
Those who attempt to abuse it will be cursed by the technique itself and will be cursed forever."
Tu Fang and Ling Yunzi exchanged a look. They had lived for centuries, had witnessed countless betrayals and bloodshed, yet they could not refute Long Chen's words as when they tried the technique first they felt an unknown feeling swell up a feeling of purity and humanity--pure and free from all evil.
Long Chen continued, his voice carrying the weight of destiny itself.
"Even though the Starry Sky Sect has fallen, its teachings remain. If we rebuild it, not as a sect, but as a belief—what do you think will happen?"
that moment, something changed within Elder Tu Fang and Ling Yunzi. They felt an unfathomable energy ripple through the air.
Both of them suddenly coughed, a trickle of blood appearing at the corner of their mouths.
"What… was that?" Tu Fang whispered.
Ling Yunzi's eyes widened in realization.
"Karma…" he muttered.
The moment they thought of Long Chen's words and tried to understand the deeper meaning, karma itself had punished them. The Starry River of Sky Art was not just a cultivation technique—it was a force of itself and needs to be reckoned with.
Both elders looked at each other, and then… they laughed.
"He truly is someone who can defy fate," Tu Fang said, shaking his head.
"Someone who can defy heaven and earth."
Long Chen simply smiled, his gaze filled with infinite determination.
"We are not bound by fate," he said softly. "We make our own path."
That night, beneath the endless stars, thousands of commoners began their journey as cultivators.
For the first time in history, the gap between mortals and cultivators was being erased as all became cultivators.
And in that moment, Long Chen did something even greater than winning wars—
He changed the fate of humanity itself... Well for those of Su Prefecture now... and who knows of how many in the future.