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With the wilderness filled with wild beasts and monsters, no one dared to step foot far from the village. The dangers that prowled and circled the village were what kept merchant caravans away from these parts. Eventually, the trading routes no longer came this way, leaving Oststern to fend for its own. After all, Oststern had nothing unique to boast of except for the remarkable destitution that the situation had forcibly thrust the villagers into. No one else ever came here anymore, save for an army detachment that would come each year for its periodic conscription. The gains for coming this far weren’t exactly anywhere close to justifying the losses after all.

Encompassing barely seven hectares of barren and effete lands limited Oststern to only one kind of crop known as Summer Millet that has a low requirement towards soil fertility, high yield, and helps the villages to stay full. That has been what kept the people fed here. Few ever planted anything else; they lacked the seeds and means to foray into other types of agricultural activities and the yields were not good enough despite all the hard work, stymying the production of other food types other than Summer Millet.

If it was not for the richness of Spiritual Qi in the atmosphere of this dimension that had helped to ensure a physical constitution that so many on Earth would have died for, the villagers would have long succumbed to malnourishment.

The only other reason that a tiny little human settlement like Oststern could survive was because of the conscription. The men who were drafted into the armies rarely survive the frontlines, making it a morbid way for the village to maintain its population without overwhelming its brittle and delicate food supply system and allowing the rest of the village to survive.

Next came the major event and conundrum of human reproduction in human settlements like Oststern: marriage.

With the bane of having any internal unions among the villagers as apparent as day, the young people in Oststern would participate in matchmaking activities organized by the military. Armed detachments would arrive to escort men and women of marriageable age and cart them off like wares to be sold to arrange for nuptials within the shortest possible duration.

All in all, life in the Battlefield of Chaos really was difficult, to say the least, by Li Mu’s reckoning.

But the hardships weren’t exactly confined only to humans. According to Li Mu’s new poultry “friend” Colombo, life has always been hard for everyone on the Battlefield and it’s not only the humans receiving the shorter end of the stick.

It is the harsh and unyielding conditions of the Battlefield that has called for the need for such a difficult and anguished way of survival.

On the human side, it was the military that provided some form of martial law governance.

Military, or more aptly put, the armies of the warlords.

By “military”, it refers to the collective made up of the armies of seven warlords. They were once the nine legions sealed in here so many years ago and even though there have been the occasional and internecine squabbles, the military has been chiefly united in their cause to aim their weapons at the enemies instead of themselves.

At the very least, the military has been doing very well in protecting the common folk. Even the stupidest of the warlords understood full well that the military needed their sustenance that could only come from the people.

But that was not all. The other thing that has ensured the survival of humankind on the Battlefield up until today was none other than the Trees of Eternity.

Because humans could only settle where Trees of Eternity grow.

Trees of Eternity could dispel away all things dark and foul, even the blackness of night itself. The magical trees were said to have been grown by a supreme human being who had brought back the seeds of these mysterious trees from the realm of the gods. It was this act of generosity and kindness which had been the instrument of humanity’s enduring continuance and hence many hailed this unknown being as the Father-God of Humanity here on the Battlefield.

Trees of Eternity in larger cities could grow up to several hundreds of meters tall with crowns that could span several kilometers and a Tree of such size and girth could easily cast a shroud of protection and illumination that could stretch even farther. No wonder people called Trees of Eternity “Divine Trees”, especially with the prosperity that usually accompanied these bulwarks that have kept humanity safe from the terrors of the outside.

The main seats of the seven warlords each have more than one giant Tree of Eternity.

It was the size and lushness of a Tree of Eternity that determines how big a human settlement would be and how prosperous it would become.

The Tree of Eternity of Oststern might have aged enough, but it was not growing well. Instead, its deteriorating health meant that both the village’s safety and prosperity were being compromised; the lands there became arid and rugged, prompting people to leave for greener pastures elsewhere.

To say nothing of the fact that seasons in the Battlefield of Chaos were not like Earth. Instead of Earth’s four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, they have only summer and winter here on the Battlefield.

Like summer on Earth, summer in the Battlefield usually lasts three to four months, allowing for ample time for the growth and harvest of crops, followed closely by storage in the granaries. But winter on the Battlefield is three times longer. Places without the protective shroud of the Trees of Eternity would become so bone-chilling that even a martial champion would find himself in danger of freezing to death in such inclement weather.

Food grown in the summer needs to be stocked up for the winter. Without enough food, people could die of starvation, which was oftentimes a major cause of death for peasants suffering from privation in many tiny villages and hamlets on the Battlefield.

Thus, Trees of Eternity were crucial to the continuance of humanity both as an umbrella of refuge and a blessing for prosperity. But there was something else.

Trees of Eternity bear fruit.

Fruits that have infants inside.

Fruits of the Trees of Eternity usually take a month to ripen.

And the infants that pop out of the fruits take twenty months to mature into adulthood. By then, they would begin to unlock the memories of their former lifetimes and gain strength and power. These “progenies” of the Tree of Eternity are known as the Chosen Ones and would usually join the military where they would advance quickly up the ranks to become high-ranking commanding officers.

But Trees of Eternity only bear fruit once every blue moon erratically and unpredictably.

Despite however they look—either tall and strong or dead and withered—some Trees of Eternity just failed to yield any fruits. Some could look like the biggest and tallest tree ever, but they might only be bearing fruits only once every year while certain trees in some remote parts of the Battlefield enjoy yields as frequently as several times per year. A few were even said to have produced several fruits simultaneously.

At any rate, Li Mu and Colombo’s arrival had breathed new life into Oststern.

But news of their arrival would have to wait until the next visit of the military for the annual conscription of fresh troops. More so, since the Chosen Ones often require time to reach full maturity, there was hardly any need to hurry.

On the other hand, the dressing that the villagers of Oststern did to the Tree of Eternity with the scraps from the calabash gourd that Li Mu and Colombo came from had helped to restore the Tree to its former glory. Once again verdant and healthy, the Tree’s influence slowly rejuvenated the lands around the village.

Inundated by the joy of a rich harvest because of the Tree’s revival, the entire village was elated.

While Li Mu and the golden chicken Colombo enjoyed being revered as the harbingers of glad tidings.

“We have another month until winter strikes. With the great harvest this year, we no longer have to risk venturing outside to forage for wild produce and game. Finally, a safe and secured winter for all.”

Feng pronounced happily at dinner to the rest of his family.

“That’s great!” Quipped Xing Yan, still carrying the golden chicken as she jumped heartily in her chair.

Now old enough to slowly learn the ways of the world, Xing Yan and her mother had both watched and waited with fear and trepidation at how the men of the village had to sortie out into the frigid snow to scavenge for food. Some had gone only to not return at all. Xing Yan and her mother, despite all their anticipation and prayers for Feng’s return that did not go unanswered, were the lucky ones. Others were not.

Feng was the captain of Oststern’s scavenging hunt and one of the village’s three best men. Even so, being one of the strongest men in the village hunt did not prevent him from being so badly injured during their scavenging attempt last winter that he stayed in bed for almost six months and Xing Yan could still remember how her mother was practically in tears every day out of distressing concern for Feng’s wellbeing

“Yeah,” Feng’s wife added, “It’s great that no one has to venture out into the danger again this winter

Li Mu cradled the bowl of coarse millet as he nibbled at the food.

He had reached the Void-breaking Realm by now. With much of his power regained, plus his study and training of the combat techniques he had picked up from Molderad, his combat strength, added with the Four-Blade God Killing discipline, had long outstripped what he could formerly do when he was still on Earth.

But no one knew about this. Li Mu had intentionally kept his power hidden, leaving only subtle hints that he might be on par with Feng in strength.

He did not even need to eat, yet still he joined the Fengs for meals every day, setting at their table to talk to them.

The cozy familial warmth of the Fengs could do him a lot of good, especially to his mind and behavior, and the Xiantian Skill discipline.

Oststern was a tight-knit community despite the privation that it suffered, and this reminded him of Randeng Temple.

Nevertheless, despite his successful recovery, Li Mu was not hurrying to leave.

He needed to know more about the Battlefield, and he could use more progress with his cultivation.

Searching for the fragments of Wang Shiyu’s psyche and soul was not a battle but a war. And for it to be successful, Lu Ye would need all the tools he could get his hands on both his knowledge of the land and power. Since Chosen Ones would be given a fast track up the military ladder of preferment, he might as well make good use of his position and authority instead of searching for the proverbial needle vainly in the haystack.

Three days later.

“Oh, no! The summer millet fields are infested with pests!”

Waves of panic rushed through the entire village like wild bushfire.

No one saw this coming. Just when Oststern was expecting a bountiful harvest, the sudden coming of the pest infestation caught everyone unaware that by the time they had managed to get rid of the problem, they had lost much of this summer’s harvest.

“Good Heavens, are we cursed?!” The village headman whimpered amid tears.

He was not alone. Many more of Oststerns inhabitants were already shedding tears.

Without enough food and with the first snow of winter coming in just a few weeks, the villagers of Oststern braced for the worse. Many faces they were still seeing today would be gone.

“We’ve lost more than two-thirds of the harvest. There’s nothing else we can do. We’ll need to scavenge for as much food as possible before winter comes,” said Feng grimly, standing up to address his fellow villagers. “We need to act fast. Who’s with me?”

Feng’s wife was on the verge of sobbing with little Xing Yan firmly in her arms like she was gripping onto her daughter for hope.

“Please, Daddy! No! I don’t want you to go out there! It’s dangerous out there in the wild! You cannot be hurt again!” Xing Yan wailed when she finally caught on.

Even a three-year-old knew how dangerous it must be to scavenge for food in the wilderness.

Men stood up, more than thirty of the young, lean, and strong men. Each of them wore pensive and somber looks, knowing the perils that awaited them.

“Those without wives,” said Feng, “Stand down.”

That left twenty-five men still standing.

“Those who are married but have not yet fathered any children,” said Feng again, “Stand down.”

Sixteen men.

“Those whose children are still younger than three,” said Feng again as he repeated, “Stand down.”

Four sat down, reducing the number to twelve.

Feng peered at one of the twelve. “You don’t even have a wife, Mo. Get your ass back on your chair!”

“No, sir! I’m going! I’m just a lonely guy and I’m not afraid of dying! I’m going out there to get food with you guys!” Insisted one of the younger men hotly.

“My kid’s just a couple of months shy of three years old! I’m going as well!”

“So am I! The more men we have, the more food we can find!”

“I’m lame and half-blind, Feng! Let me go! I’ll do what I can! At least I can help to carry some of the load!”

So many were eager to go.

Even if it meant stepping beyond the boundaries of the Tree of Eternity’s protection into certain death.

Li Mu stood aside and watched the man bickering to join the scavenging hunt, feeling moved by their resolve and fortitude. Even in difficulties, here he was, seeing how these people were willing to give their literal all—even their own lives—for the sake of their community’s survival. “What great men,” he mused.