For most people in Great Xia, the Golden City Defense Line was a name they might hear only by chance, or a distant place they would never visit in their lives. But for most men of the Northlands, it was a holy land.
A holy land where they could win glory and build a legacy!
The Northlands had come into being when Di Yihai waged war against the Northern Desert Royal Court. His army crossed Jade Gate, crossed the desert, and carved out a new territory.
That territory stood isolated beyond the Nine Provinces. To survive, it depended on a constant flow of food and supplies from the Central Plains; at the same time, it had to withstand relentless attacks from foreign tribes, Wilderness People, Fierce Beasts, and a harsh natural environment. Like a nail driven into the far northwest of Great Xia, it held fast, guarding the gateway to the Western Regions.
And the crucial point that let that nail hold firm was the Golden City Defense Line.
Beginning at Lesser Heaven Mountain, a golden wall followed the mountains and rivers for thousands of miles, shielding the entire Northlands.
For centuries, countless men of Great Xia had fought there, drenched in blood. They had held back demons and monsters, Fierce Beasts and Wilderness People, and kept the Northlands secure.
The greatest dream of the Northlands' young men was to hone their martial skills, join the army at the Golden City Defense Line, slay a beast king or a Wilderness People general, and win glory and fame throughout the land.
As someone who had crossed over from another world, Pan Long did not share the average Northerner's burning desire to enlist at the Golden City Defense Line. But he had grown up hearing about it, and he too had longed