They were unlike any other veterans Wang Zhan had encountered before. Perhaps the old soldiers in Oceania still retained some warmth and kindness. But for these old men, who had lived through turbulent times and the better part of their lives, they were not as easy to talk to as those other veterans. More often than not, they ignored any inquiries. This was despite the fact that the people before them were their descendants, or one could say, rooted from the same tree. Even their own children and grandchildren, upon seeing them, had no choice but to rush over respectfully and with full reverence to greet them.

"Father, why have you come out?"

"Mother..."

"Grandfather! What brings you here?..."

This was the irrefutable stature ascertained by their power and status.

Simultaneously, in a blink of an eye, an enormous wave of reunions was taking place across Quan State. One should know that these old fellows had disappeared from Quan State for so long that people had almost forgotten their existence. But for every family, heritage, or faction, it was only such powerful Martial Artists, content to remain obscure, who were capable of truly supporting a large family or a faction. They were the pillars of their own families. And this was the so-called foundation of all lineages, regardless of size. It was also this backing that allowed these lineages to face an avalanche or the Beast Tide without fear. Because, as long as they were present, those places were the most suitable and livable—warm in winter and cool in summer—for these opportunist, gibbon-like men who thrived under their protection.

Of course, if not for being compelled by circumstances back then, these old fellows who remained could only, through various coincidences, have temporarily or permanently lost their qualification to return to the battlefield. Forced to retreat to the Federation for survival, perhaps the only thing their considerate descendants could honor now would be an unknown, solitary tomb hidden somewhere. On the other hand, if they were still on the battlefield, then presently, perhaps one of the divine seats at the apex of the Federation would belong to them. They would have become powerful figures, standing at the peak of the Federation, bestowing blessings upon all future generations.

However, under the rule of survival of the fittest, the weak had long perished on the road. Only the strongest were qualified to survive the chaotic, bloody, and lawless battlefield. Therefore, at this moment, these men, who had experienced the vicissitudes of life with most of their own lives already faded, showed little affection even when facing their own children or grandchildren, merely giving a slight nod of acknowledgment.

They answered:

"In this tranquility, I've been inspired to take a stroll..."

"I heard about the Beast Tide coming. I might not be able to hold on much longer; I want to take one last look..."

Chuckling, one said, "It's truly been too long since I've seen the Federation's Sun! To think that after so many years, it's still as brilliant as ever. Truly enviable!..."

However, no matter what reasons they gave for their actions at this moment, there was one common and conspicuous trait among these formidable old fellows: their eyes—having witnessed the world's changes, the whites somewhat turbid, reflecting the ravages of time—were now all fixed in one direction. There lay a section of Quan State City's wall that should have been insignificant, but now, it truly represented the future of Quan State!

After hearing the words of their ancestors and noticing their gazes, some of the younger generation were immediately moved. They felt it necessary to ask some questions to ease their slight unease and wavering hearts, or, to put it another way, to prepare for a rainy day. Therefore, after fawning over their elders, they cautiously asked these old men, who were like their Sea-Stabilizing Divine Needles:

"Grandpa, in your opinion, what are the chances of the State Governor winning?"

"Father, what the State Governor did was too strange! We are truly worried. You rarely come out; do you think we need to prepare in advance?"

Without a doubt, these ignorant juniors were all deeply worried. There's an old saying that when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. Therefore, facing such unpredictable circumstances, they had long been prepared to retreat but hadn't yet made up their minds. What they needed now was simply to seek their elders' opinions and, ideally, their support. No matter what, their ancestors might be eccentric, but they possessed the strength and confidence to back it up.

However, it was rather evident they had miscalculated. Because these men standing before them were their forefathers. They weren't ordinary people who had only lived twenty, thirty, or even forty or fifty years. They hailed from a barbaric and desolate world, having fought their way through one war after another, surviving by sheer grit! So, just imagine: even in the heart of the battlefield, even when facing a beast that nearly smashed their spleens and almost killed them in a single blow, these old-timers had never bowed their heads nor bent their backs!

For them, if they hadn't been so fiercely unyielding back then, they wouldn't have ended up in their current state. They were undeniably powerful Martial Artists; the weakest among them was a level 7 Grandmaster, and the strongest was a Martial King Realm Martial Artist. Yet now, they could only live like cripples, appearing ferocious and terrifying, and no longer showed themselves before the people of the Federation.

Therefore, they became increasingly aware: These useless descendants! Just because a few beasts in the distance look fierce and formidable, they want to kneel and surrender, to flee in disarray before the battle even begins?

In this case, it was clear that for these ignorant descendants to gain their approval was harder than ascending to the heavens.

Hence, facing these descendants who were contemplating fleeing without a fight, the old-timers didn't reprimand them. Instead, with growing understanding and resolve in their hearts, they all chuckled and said, "Those who want to run, go ahead! We old folks are nearly dead; we can't help you much. Of course, if you want to stay, we'll try our best to see if we can help you survive…"

Naturally, these were the words of the more kind-hearted old-timers. Regardless, they still cherished their kinship and offered two choices: either flee, severing all ties from then on; or stay. If they stayed, these old relics, like the speaker, would do their utmost to preserve some seeds for their lineage, for the concept of family legacy still lay deep in their hearts.

But for others, facing such choices or tests, their hearts were already as unyielding as iron, making their decisions far simpler than the previous group's. In fact, even now, though those standing before them were their own children or grandchildren, sharing the same blood in their veins, the only response these elders wished to give was an almost instantaneous, thoroughly cold stare that sent a chill down the questioners' spines, making them fear they had angered their forefathers.

Only then did these old folks tell them, "If you want to go, then go! We old folks can't walk, nor can we crawl. Whether or not Quan State City gets into trouble, our final resting place is here."

Who knew what horrors these old men had faced? Born on Earth during the later years of the Dark Ages, they confronted unimaginable terrors daily: the myriad disasters of Earth's Dark Ages, the savage plundering by internal human factions, and the relentless, rampaging Beast Clan. They had fled from east to west, from west to north, some even from north to south. Countless clan members had perished on that journey; countless friends and relatives had vanished. And now, in the present era, although beasts still ran amok, these descendants before them—now deferential where they once might have been arrogant—were no longer the kin they remembered. A comfortable environment, abundant resources, the allure of the martial path, and the prevalence of individual might within the Federation had all contributed to their flawed judgment of the current situation. They even began to think this was the most difficult trial they would ever face!

However, only these old-timers knew that this was actually the best situation these juniors could hope for. At the very least, they still had a towering, great city before them, capable of shielding them from the storms raging outside.

So, throughout Quan State City, amidst the panic and frantic confusion, surprisingly, not a single elder agreed with them. Consequently, the younger generation—those who had witnessed the Federation's rapid prosperity over just a few decades—almost believed: Have these old folks all been fooled by State Governor Jin Botao? Have they gone berserk? By what right do they think we should accompany the entire Quan State City to our deaths?

However, regardless of their choices, no one paid them any further attention. Because the old folks had already seen through them. These people are all like useless mud that won't stick to a wall; the only difference between them is whether they are the thick or thin kind.

So, right away, the old-timers, their expressions varying—some calm, some serene, a myriad of countenances—said, "As it happens, I came out today wanting to take a walk on the city walls. I wonder if any of you would care to accompany me?"

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