Chapter 95

Chapter 95: Going Out of the City to Meet the Enemy

Yun Xi refined the White Magnolia Hairpin first. After refining it, she pinned it into her bun. As for the Cloud? Flying Boat, it was for escaping. She only left a spiritual imprint on it, then stored it in her storage ring.

She touched the ruby stud on her ear. It was a Qi Induction gift from Uncle Feng, and she had never taken it off since entering the sect. The defensive bracelet from before had helped her a lot too, but now that her cultivation had improved, it was no longer enough.

“Spirit stones really are good things. This time was too rushed. If I’d stayed in Bao Hua City a few more days, maybe I could’ve picked up some good stuff.”

She had barely finished sighing when Master Feng’s voice transmission came through.

“All disciples, assemble in the courtyard immediately.”

Yun Xi stood up at once. Dian Dian did not even need to be called – it climbed back up along her robe on its own and returned to her arms.

After all the Hao Ran Sect disciples at the outpost gathered together, they were split into two lines: Qi Refining Stage and Foundation Establishment Stage. Then Master Feng, who guarded the outpost, spoke.

“Bao Hua City is under attack by a beast tide. The city-protecting grand array has already been activated. People from the City Lord’s Manor are holding off the first wave. They’re all First and Second Rank demon beasts – just a large number of them. It’s the perfect time for you to get some practice.

“The City Lord’s Manor issued a mission today to repel the beast tide. Martial Nephew Sheng has already gone to the City Lord’s Manor to accept it. What you’re being given now are the storage pouches supplied by the City Lord’s Manor. Put the demon beasts you kill into these pouches, and you can exchange them at the City Lord’s Manor for spirit stones and heavenly materials and earthly treasures.

“The total number of demon beasts killed by all Hao Ran Sect disciples will determine our group ranking on the kill list. The number each of you kills will be counted in the individual ranking.

“Before the sect’s reinforcements arrive, we must drive back the first wave of the beast tide. Cultivation is like rowing upstream. I hope you seize this opportunity. The key to a breakthrough may well be found in battle.”

While Master Feng spoke, palm-sized storage pouches were already being handed out to everyone. The crowd quickly pricked their fingers to bind them, then hung them at their waists.

Seeing everyone calm, Master Feng waved his hand.

“Move out!”

Then the group left the Hao Ran Sect outpost. As they departed, the isolation and protective formation around the outpost activated. Without a sect identity jade token, no one could enter. It was also a form of self-protection.

Yun Xi stayed close to Mu Ning Zhu. She only knew this one person well so far. Qin Tong Shuang and Long Dao Yu were both Qi Refining Stage disciples, walking behind them.

Inside Bao Hua City, cultivators hurried everywhere. Some wore sect robes too, and like them, they were probably cultivators who had come to support the city. Everyone’s destination was the same – the North City Gate facing the Bao Hua Mountain Range.

Yun Xi felt tension hanging in the air. The closer they got to the North City Gate, the stronger the stench of blood in the air became. Injured cultivators also moved against the flow, passing them in the opposite direction.

Yun Xi finally felt a bit of reality settle in. She really was going to face the beast tide head-on.

“Junior Sister Wei, don’t be nervous. When we fight later, stay behind me,” Mu Ning Zhu said softly, seeing Yun Xi’s little face set far too seriously.

Yun Xi nodded immediately and replied in a low voice, “Thank you for looking out for me, Senior Sister. I’ll take care of myself. I just reached Foundation Establishment, so this is a good chance to stabilize my cultivation. Nothing tempers a person like real combat.”

She was not saying that only to sound good. Her cultivation had advanced again and again because she had devoured the soul of a cultivator who tried to possess someone. It was basically forcing growth.

While improving her cultivation, she also had to strengthen her body so her physical strength matched her soul. Otherwise, the danger of her body collapsing had not been fully resolved. Resisting a beast tide was the perfect opportunity.

When the group reached the top of the North City Gate wall, they saw the battlefield of the beast tide.

As far as the eye could see, there were low-tier demon beasts. They crazily leaped and tore at the cultivators fighting them, attacking purely on instinct.

The cultivators did not back down either. All kinds of techniques exploded inside the beast horde. Brilliant spells burst like fireworks, dazzling and harsh on the eyes. Every strike that landed carried off some demon beasts.

But human cultivators had limited spiritual reserves. Before their spiritual energy ran dry, they would cover each other and withdraw back into the city-protecting grand array. Still, some failed to retreat before their spiritual energy was exhausted. They were surrounded and killed by demon beasts, and the scene was extremely bloody.

The smell of blood clung beneath Yun Xi’s nose. Looking at the carnage in front of her, she felt like vomiting, but she circulated her spiritual energy once and suppressed the nausea.

At that moment, Sheng Yu Hong called out loudly, “Qi Refining Stage disciples, prepare yourselves. The ones striking the protective grand array are First Rank demon beasts. You will form teams of nine and go out of the city to meet them in battle.”

“Yes!” the Qi Refining Stage disciples replied at once, then began forming teams. They usually chose fellow disciples they had worked with before, so they would have better coordination in a fight.

Yun Xi exchanged a look with Qin Tong Shuang and Long Dao Yu, signaling them to be careful and come back alive. Both of them nodded solemnly, then followed the City Lord’s Manor guards leading the team down from the wall and officially stepped onto the battlefield.

Right now, only First Rank demon beasts were striking the city’s protective grand array: Flame Rabbits, Earth Dragon Chickens, Five-Inch Snakes, Skylark Beasts, and other demon beasts with weak killing power. But they had overwhelming numbers, so they chose to win through sheer quantity.

If human cultivators failed to coordinate well, they could easily be trapped in an encirclement. That was how “ants can bite an elephant to death” happened. So even though these demon beasts were not strong individually, no one could be careless.

A Nascent Soul True Lord sat in Bao Hua City. As long as no high-tier demon beasts entered the field, the True Lord would not make a move. It was an unspoken rule.

At this moment, Sheng Yu Hong was speaking quietly with Master Feng.

“Martial Uncle Feng, how long will this beast tide last?”

“It should end soon. All our high-tier cultivators went deep into Bao Hua Mountain. Once they figure out the exact situation of the new secret realm, they will make a deal with the great demons in the depths of the Bao Hua Mountain Range. When that happens, these frightened demon beasts will retreat back into the Bao Hua Mountain Range.”

Only then did Sheng Yu Hong relax. He was also afraid the people he brought out would suffer too many casualties and damage his reputation in the sect.

Yun Xi’s divine sense was stronger than theirs, so she heard every word of their conversation. She relaxed too. Luckily, it was not a prolonged war. Otherwise, she was genuinely afraid she would not be able to endure it.

Then she focused on the fellow disciples fighting, especially Qin Tong Shuang and Long Dao Yu.

Qin Tong Shuang’s ice techniques flowed smoothly, and she was good at group attacks. But after unleashing a big move, she would retreat into the team to recover spiritual energy and harvest the results. When her spiritual energy recovered, she would strike again.

Long Dao Yu poured spiritual energy into his sword and worked with fellow disciples to kill First Rank demon beasts. His sword emitted a faint, eerie glow that looked extraordinary. Wherever it went, demon beasts were either dead or injured. But he was clearly running out of steam. Once his spiritual energy was drained, he immediately swallowed pills.

The Qi Refining Stage cultivators who had just entered the battlefield were all very fierce. The cultivators who had not withdrawn from the battlefield yet shook their heads in secret, not optimistic about this fighting style.

Still, the newcomers eased their pressure. Just then, a voice rang out abruptly.

“Second Rank demon beasts have appeared!”