"Ring, ring, ring! Ring, ring, ring! Ring, ring, ring!!!"
At five in the morning, the urgent ringing of her bedside alarm jolted Huo Wu awake. She hurried through washing up and breakfast, then left her tent before the sky had even brightened to queue with the others for assignments. Everyone received a different task for rebuilding Heaven Dou City.
Three full days had passed since Yang Ming's battle with Pope Bibi Dong and Bo Saixi, the Grand Consecration of Sea God Hall. During that time, the military had taken charge of all food supplies, and everyone had been assigned a mandatory quota of work.
After their last meeting with Yang Ming at the teahouse, Huo Wushuang had led some of the teachers and students from Blazing Fire Academy to enlist. They were still fighting on the front lines, laboring alongside the main army to take the Spirit Hall Empire's Jialing Pass. Although the Spirit Hall Empire had lost Pope Bibi Dong, it had not lost its ability to resist. Spirit Hall's holy maiden, Qian Renxue, had taken over the reins of the empire and was now gathering all her forces, determined to resist to the bitter end rather than surrender.
As a condition of that arrangement, Huo Wu had remained in Heaven Dou City, far behind the front lines, right up until now.
Amid the surging crowd, Huo Wu collected her rebuilding assignment and left the camp.
Her camp lay twenty kilometers west of Heaven Dou City, and she was now heading east.
Along the way, steep rock faces stood within arm's reach, while lush, beautiful mountain forests stretched beyond them. There were broad, level official roads, but also rugged mountain paths blocked by landslides and mudflows. Rushing, roaring rivers accompanied her, and the ceaseless sound of footsteps lent vigor