AWB Chapter 307 The Beast Tide Arrives!
Chapter 307 The Beast Tide Arrives!
Half a month later, the sky above Qingluan Valley was unusually heavy.
Chen Jinshu stood on the stone steps in front of the bamboo house, gazing at the low-hanging, grayish-yellow clouds on the horizon.
The clouds didn't seem to be naturally formed; they looked more like a mixture of some kind of power and demonic energy, slowly spreading in this direction.
"Master." Qingheng flew out of the bamboo forest, her small face unusually solemn.
"The aura of demonic beasts in the miasma forest to the west is getting stronger. I just went to investigate and found at least seven or eight second-tier demonic beasts wandering around the edge of the forest, and there is also a third-tier aura, but it hasn't shown itself yet."
Upon hearing this, Chen Jinshu's expression turned solemn. She closed her eyes and sensed for a moment, her divine sense spreading out like a net, crossing the purple bamboo forest, crossing the Four Symbols Maze she had set up, and extending all the way to the edge of the miasma forest.
The spiritual energy in the air had become murky, carrying a fishy, foul odor—the unique smell of a large gathering of demonic beasts.
Moreover, this aura continues to surge in from even more distant directions.
"A communication talisman." She sensed something and reached out her hand.
Qingheng immediately took out a pale yellow jade talisman from her bosom and handed it over.
Chen Jinshu took it, lightly touched the talisman with his fingertip, and the jade talisman warmed slightly. After a moment, a hurried voice came from inside:
"Master Chen! Flowing Sand City is in dire straits! The beast tide has breached the first outer defense line! Alliance Leader Sand Scorpion requests your immediate assistance!"
The voice belonged to Tie Yan, the bald, burly man from the Sand Scorpion Alliance.
Chen Jinshu held the communication talisman and remained silent for three breaths.
"Understood. I'll be there as soon as possible," she replied, putting away the jade talisman.
Qingheng looked up at her: "Master, are you going to Liusha City?"
“The beast tide is quite large. If Flowing Sand City falls, the next target will be Azure Phoenix Valley.” Chen Jinshu turned and walked towards the stone house.
"We can't just guard our own doorstep."
When Xiyue saw her master approaching, she looked up, her azure eyes asking, "Master, has something happened outside?"
"The beast tide is coming."
"Liusha City has requested reinforcements. I'll take Jiang Yi and Youxi with me. You and Qingheng will stay and guard the valley."
"I want to go too!" Qingheng jumped up immediately.
"Master, my cultivation has almost recovered, and I can be of help!"
“Someone needs to guard the valley,” Chen Jinshu explained. “Although the Four Symbols Maze Formation has been set up, if a true master of breaking the formation is encountered, you will need to reinforce it with your Green Vine Domain.”
tide Yue's cultivation is still shallow; if she encounters a powerful enemy, the two of you will need to work together to hold her off.
Qingheng opened her mouth, but finally nodded sullenly: "Alright... then Master should come back soon."
"Hmm." Chen Jinshu stood up, walked out of the stone house, and called out towards the valley entrance, "Jiang Yi! Yan Shuo!"
A moment later, two streaks of red and blue light flew in from outside the valley and landed in front of her.
Jiang Yi was dressed in a slightly worn gray cloth outfit, with the Yanhuang Sword hanging at her waist; Yan Shuo looked at her expectantly.
The two of them were much more composed, clearly showing that their hard training over the past few days had not been in vain.
"Senior, when we were patrolling outside the valley, we discovered a large number of monster footprints in the southeast direction, which are probably heading this way." Jiang Yi's voice was urgent, but his tone was still relatively calm.
"Great! And there are more and more of them!"
“I know,” Chen Jinshu said, stroking her fingertip across the storage bag, and a small gray banner the size of a palm appeared in her hand.
With a gentle tremor, the ghostly figure flew out from the banner. In the morning light, the ghost appeared somewhat transparent, but its eyes, flickering with will-o'-the-wisps, revealed excitement.
"Master! Is it time for war?" Youxi rubbed her little hands together, looking eager to go.
"Don't be too happy yet." Chen Jinshu tossed the military spirit banner back to it.
“Outside Liusha City, there are hordes of demonic beasts, at least three of which are at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm or above. Although your border guards have an advantage in battle formations, you must not underestimate them.”
Youxi took the banner and held it in her arms like a treasure: "Don't worry, Master! I haven't even learned to walk yet, but I've already learned how to fight!"
"Yan Shuo, your cultivation has not yet recovered, so stay in the valley to assist Qing Teng for now!" Chen Jinshu said, glancing at Yan Shuo, whose body had not yet fully recovered.
"Okay!" Yan Shuo nodded, though he was disappointed. He knew he shouldn't become a burden at this time.
Chen Jinshu didn't say anything more. With a light tap of his toes, the Azure Phoenix Chasing the Moon Shuttle transformed into a streak of green light and hovered three feet off the ground.
She stepped onto the shuttle, with Jiang Yi following closely behind, while Youxi transformed into a gray shadow and slipped into his sleeve.
"Qingheng, Xiyue, keep an eye on the house." Chen Jinshu glanced back at the valley shrouded by the Four Symbols Formation and instructed again, "If we can't hold it, retreat into the depths of the earth vein caves to save our lives."
"I know! Master, please be careful on your journey!" Qingheng stood at the entrance of the valley, waving her little hand, her blue eyes filled with worry.
tide Yue stood behind her, her hands clasped in front of her chest, the Soul-Suppressing Beads on her wrist gleaming with a pale blue luster in the morning light. Her lips moved, but she ultimately said nothing.
Without further hesitation, Chen Jinshu turned around, transformed into a streak of green light, and sped off towards the direction of Liusha City.
……
Outside the city of quicksand, it was now a living hell.
When Chen Jinshu arrived, he could see from afar that on the city wall built of yellow sandstone, spiritual light was flashing, and the light of various talismans and spells intertwined to form a colorful but blood-red light curtain.
Beneath the city walls, swarms of monsters surged forth like a tide. Some were climbing the walls, some were ramming the gates, and some flying monsters hovered in the air, constantly swooping down to attack the city.
The air was thick with the stench of blood, mixed with the stench of the monsters and the sulfurous aura, making it almost impossible to breathe.
"Goodness gracious..." A ghostly flame peeked out from Jiang Yi's sleeve, its head flickering as it looked at the scene before it. "This is even more lively than the ancient battlefield we saw before!"
"Stop watching the show," Chen Jinshu's voice turned cold. "Prepare to make your move."
She maneuvered the shuttle, circling from high above to above the city wall.
Below, dozens of cultivators stood on the city wall, most of them pale-faced and bruised, clearly having been fighting for a long time.
At the foot of the city wall, Tie Yan of the Sand Scorpion Alliance was wielding a giant axe, splitting a third-tier demon beast that had climbed up in two. He himself was also sprayed with black blood, making him look like a blood-soaked man.
"Master Chen is here!" Someone saw the blue light in the sky and immediately perked up.
Chen Jinshu did not land, but instead sat down cross-legged in mid-air.
The Azure Phoenix Chasing the Moon Shuttle automatically adjusted its posture, hovering in mid-air, its body trembling slightly, forming a light blue protective shield.
She took out the Star Moon Guqin and placed it horizontally on her lap.
"Jiang Yi, go down and reinforce the city wall. Youxi, use the Military Soul Banner to protect the east side of the city wall; there are the most monsters there."
"Yes!" Jiang Yi replied, and leaped off the shuttle.
While he was in mid-air, the Flame Emperor Sword was already unsheathed. Its crimson light pierced the sun like a rainbow, and with one strike, it beheaded a third-tier early-stage demon beast that was about to pounce on the city wall.
He rolled as he landed, dissipating the impact, and then, without pausing, slashed at another demonic beast.
A ghost flew out from his sleeve and stuck the military spirit banner in his hand into the city wall.
The banner fluttered in the wind, and amidst the surging black light, dozens of illusory figures of border guards emerged from the banner, forming a battle formation in mid-air. Their fierce aura blocked all the flying beasts that attempted to attack from the east.
The monks on the city wall were greatly encouraged when they saw the arrival of reinforcements.
But Chen Jinshu knew that this was only a temporary relief.
Her divine sense had already swept across the battlefield, and she discovered that among the monsters outside the city, there were at least four late-stage Golden Core cultivators.
Especially that "Iron-spined Rhinoceros".
This beast was five zhang long, its entire body covered in gray-black scales, with a row of iron-like bone spurs protruding from its back. Its head resembled that of a dragon, yet possessed the ruggedness of a rhinoceros, and its pair of blood-red eyes shone like burning embers in the gray-yellow sand.
At this moment, it stood in the center of the monster horde, its head lowered, and two thick streams of white breath coming out of its nostrils.
Every time it lowers its head to strike, the ground shakes violently, and a visible, earthy-yellow shockwave spreads out, sending those early-stage Golden Core cultivators who try to approach flying backward and coughing up blood.
"Tieyan! Stop it!" A hoarse roar came from the city wall.
Tieyan leaped off the city wall in response. While in mid-air, his muscles bulged and his body shone with a bright yellow light.
He gripped the axe with both hands and delivered a powerful, heavy slash, aiming fiercely at the Ironspined Rhinoceros's neck.
clang--!
A deafening clang of metal clashing rang out.
Iron Rock's giant axe, powerful enough to cleave through a third-tier demon beast, struck the Iron-Spine Rhinoceros Dragon's neck, leaving only a shallow white mark.
Iron Rock himself was instead shaken so badly by the recoil that his hand was split open, and blood dripped down the handle of the axe.
The Iron-Spine Rhinoceros let out a deep roar, then suddenly shook its head, its single horn pointing directly at the iron rock.
Tieyan blocked with his axe, but was sent flying along with his axe, crashing heavily into the city wall and creating a deep dent in the sandstone.
"Tieyan!" someone exclaimed.
Chen Jinshu frowned slightly. Her divine sense detected another powerful demonic aura rapidly approaching the battlefield.
"Poison Flame Bat King!!"
Then they saw a giant bat with a wingspan of ten zhang, its body wreathed in eerie green poisonous flames.
It flew in from behind the horde of demonic beasts, opened its mouth and spewed out a stream of poisonous flames, which poured down like a green waterfall onto the cultivators on the city wall.
"Shangxian: Soul Suppressor!"
Chen Jinshu plucked the strings with both hands.
"Ding-dong--!"
A solid sound wave spread out and struck the poisonous flame precisely.
The poisonous flames exploded in the air, turning into a sky full of green mist, but ultimately did not fall onto the city wall.
The Flame Bat King let out a sharp screech, seemingly enraged by the attack.
It turned around, flapped its wings, and pounced straight at Chen Jinshu.
"Be careful, senior!" Jiang Yi shouted from the city wall. The crimson light on the Yanhuang Sword shone brightly, and a three-zhang-long crimson sword aura soared into the sky, slashing straight at the belly of the Poison Flame Bat King.
scoff!
The sword's energy slashed a foot-long wound across the Bat King's abdomen, and dark green blood spilled onto the city wall, sizzling and corroding.
The Poison Flame Bat King cried out in pain, letting out a shrill scream, but it pounced on Chen Jinshu even more frantically.
Chen Jinshu's expression remained unchanged as he plucked the strings repeatedly.
"Knock knock—! Ding ding!—"
The music changed from deep and somber to rapid and urgent, like a torrential downpour striking banana leaves. Dense sonic blades shot out like a sudden rainstorm, completely blocking the Poison Flame Bat King's attack routes.
"Roar!"
Suddenly, the Iron-Spined Rhinoceros Dragon let out a deafening roar and charged out from the horde of monsters.
With its head bowed, it aimed its single horn at the city wall and rammed into it with overwhelming force!
boom--!
The entire city wall trembled violently.
Spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the yellow sandstone wall, and gravel fell down in a flurry.
The cultivators on the city wall lost their footing, and some fell off the top of the wall, instantly being overwhelmed by the surging tide of demonic beasts below.
"The city gates are about to fall!" someone shouted in terror.
Chen Jinshu's heart sank, realizing something was wrong. If the city walls were breached, Liusha City would have no defenses left.
When the monsters flood into the city, even with a thousand methods, it will be difficult to reverse the defeat.
She took a deep breath, placed both hands on the strings at the same time, and her fingertips trembled slightly.
"The Prelude to the Celestial Stars and Moon"
"Ding-dong—!"
The sound of the piano rang out, but it was different from before.
This time, the sound of the zither carried a desolate and distant meaning, as if it came from the heavens above, or as if it came from the depths of hell below.
The moment the music spread, the air within a hundred feet seemed to freeze, even suppressing the roars of the demonic beasts.
The Iron-Spined Rhinoceros suddenly stopped moving, and a trace of confusion flashed in its blood-red eyes.
Its head, which had been held high, slowly lowered, as if suppressed by some invisible force.
“Roar…” It let out a low, confused roar, but its body remained still.
The cultivators on the city wall were stunned at the sight, but then hope ignited in their eyes.
"Quick! Now!" someone shouted.
Seizing the opportunity, the Sand Scorpion Alliance cultivators unleashed a barrage of spells, talismans, and magical artifacts upon the Iron-Spine Rhinoceros Dragon.
However, the dragon's scales were so thick that ordinary attacks could not break through its defenses.
Tieyan struggled to his feet from the crater in the city wall, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but he still grabbed the giant axe, let out a low roar, and pounced on the Iron-Spine Rhinoceros once more.
I'll chop you to pieces!
He leaped up, channeling all his spiritual power into his arms. The giant axe shone with a brilliant yellow light, and with immense force, he slashed fiercely at the gap between the Iron-Spine Rhinoceros's left foreleg and its breastplate!
Click!
With a crisp crack, a gash about a foot long was finally cleaved open in the Ironspined Rhinoceros's scales, and dark red blood gushed out.
"Roar--!"
The Iron-Spine Rhinoceros let out a painful roar, violently swung its body, and sent Iron Rock flying again.
But this time, its movements were noticeably slower.
Seeing that the situation was not good, the Flame Bat King let out a sharp screech, as if giving an order.
From the horde of monsters, dozens of smaller monsters emerged and stood in front of the Iron-Spine Rhinoceros Dragon, covering its slow retreat.
"Trying to run?" A cold shout came from the city wall, and a gray shadow darted out like a ghost, rushing straight for the Poison Flame Bat King.
That gray shadow was none other than Youxi. It held the Military Soul Banner, and with a wave of the banner, dozens of illusory images of border guards' souls transformed into invisible spears, shooting towards the Poison Flame Bat King.
With a flap of its wings, the Poison Flame Bat King unleashed a protective burst of poisonous flames, deflecting all the spears.
In the blink of an eye, the Grim Reaper had already rushed in front of it. With a flick of its little hand, a cloud of gray-black mist shot out from its palm and rushed straight at the Bat King's face.
The Flame Bat King let out a sharp screech and staggered backward, a flicker of fear in its eyes.
The mist seemed to have some restraining effect on it, preventing it from confronting it head-on. (End of Chapter)