Chapter 104: Smoke and Fire Everywhere
Chapter 104: Smoke and Fire Everywhere
Only about twenty thousand people managed to escape from Huangtong Town in the end.
More than eighty thousand commoners and cultivators were devoured by demonic birds and beasts!
This heavy number, set against the backdrop of Huangtong Town’s blood-red sunset, weighed on the heart like a mountain.
“I received a message from the Two Realms Mountain’s Reinforcement Department. More than one hundred thousand monster beasts escaped from the Two Realms Mountain. Although many of them were hunted and eliminated along the way, quite a few still broke into mortal cities and low-level marketplaces. Many places fell in large swathes… Huangtong Town is just one of the many unfortunate cities.”
Revered Qin took a deep breath and sighed:
“However, fortunately, we handled the situation quickly and did not let the pack of monsters that attacked Huangtong Town push further in… Otherwise, it wouldn’t just be Huangtong Town. Further in, there are three marketplaces and two human towns, none of which have the ability to defend themselves.”
“…”
“Hangzhi, you’ve done quite well. If we had chosen to use Xuanxin Sect as the frontline and adopted a conservative defensive stance, all mortal cities and marketplaces under Xuanxin Sect’s jurisdiction would have been wiped out.” Revered Qin’s words made Lu Hangzhi feel a little better.
After a pause, Lu Hangzhi asked:
“Venerable One, how will the people who escaped from Huangtong Town be settled?”
“Don’t worry. I have already dispatched a team. They set off from Xuanxin Sect when I left. They will arrive here soon. Then, they will take over the settlement work here and escort Huangtong Town’s residents to nearby cities.”
“Thank you, Venerable One.”
“Speaking of which, I didn’t know you had already grown to this level—able to single-handedly wipe out a pack of High Insight Stage monster beasts and an Early Spirit Concentration Stage monster beast…” Revered Qin said with feeling, “Even I would find it troublesome to face so many monster beasts.”
“You flatter me, Venerable One. I just happened to have comprehended the first layer of the sword formation.”
“A Superior-Grade Spell Technique mastered to minor completion and perfection… It seems it won’t be long before you reach major completion in the ‘Seven-Seven Sword Formation’…”
“…”
Revered Qin looked around and said:
“There’s no time to waste. You continue with the scouting mission. Leave the cleanup work here to me. I’ll store the monster beast spoils here for you and give them to you when we return to the sect. By the way, the scales of this Pangolin Demon Beast are quite good materials for crafting magical artifacts. They are worth much more than a Ninth-Grade Internal Core.”
“Sorry to trouble you, Venerable One.”
“Go on.” Revered Qin nodded. “Huangtong Town is filled with broken corpses. To prevent them from being used by evil cultivators, we have to burn them all.”
Lu Hangzhi turned around, nodded to Qi Yuanfeng, and leaped onto the back of one of the Wind Thunder Cloud Leopards, resuming his scouting mission.
The two reunited again.
Lu Hangzhi sat upright on the Wind Thunder Cloud Leopard’s back, his expression serious.
Qi Yuanfeng had a strange expression, and the glances he occasionally cast at Lu Hangzhi seemed to carry a subtle meaning.
If their strengths were not far apart back at the Two Realms Mountain,
after the battle at Huangtong Town, Qi Yuanfeng realized that a huge gap had opened up between him and Lu Hangzhi!
Although Lu Hangzhi appeared to be only at the Seventh Grade peak, he actually already possessed the strength to confront and wipe out a large group of Insight High Stage monster beasts and an Early Spirit Concentration Stage monster beast.
You should know…
An ordinary Early Spirit Concentration Stage Venerable One might not easily defeat an Early Spirit Concentration Stage monster beast.
In other words!
Lu Hangzhi already had strength comparable to an Early Spirit Concentration Stage Venerable One… or even stronger!
With the scouting help of Qi Yuanfeng’s group of spirit beasts, they quickly spread a larger scouting net along the edge of Xuanxin Sect’s territory.
Within just half a day, Lu Hangzhi took action and eliminated three monster packs, but they were all small groups of less than a hundred. They didn’t encounter any large packs like the one at Huangtong Town.
Out of concern for the safety of mortal cities and marketplaces within their territory, the Xuanxin Sect Leader and the elders quickly discussed and arranged for more Spirit Beast Hall disciples, who brought spirit beasts to expand the scouting range in the border area, extending Qi Yuanfeng and Lu Hangzhi’s hundred-mile scouting range to over a thousand miles.
At the same time!
To prevent another tragedy like Huangtong Town, Xuanxin Sect arranged for fifty Ninth Grade cultivation elders to form teams, stationing them in the mortal cities and marketplaces in the rear to provide protection.
Over two days, Xuanxin Sect’s five lines of defense were successively assaulted by scattered demonic birds and beasts. They eliminated thousands of monsters, but there were no more large-scale monster swarms, and no casualties occurred.
However!
This time, the monster breakout caused massive panic and losses to the mortal cities and marketplaces below the Two Realms Mountain.
Even with experts from the Seven Great Sects leading teams to hunt and eliminate them day and night, news still frequently came back to the Two Realms Mountain and the major sects…
One marketplace and mortal city after another was slaughtered by monsters, and the death toll kept rising!
The higher-ups of the Reinforcement Department far away at the Two Realms Mountain were extremely worried, and the four Inspector Envoys frequently exchanged opinions.
Honglian was one of the attendees at the meeting, listening as the three Inspector Envoys worriedly rambled:
“Everyone! Think of something, come up with an idea!”
“If this continues, on the one hand, mortal cities and marketplaces will suffer heavy damage; on the other hand, more and more monster beasts are escaping our pursuit zones, and the Two Realms Mountain defense line will become useless! Then we will all become sinners of the human race! Infamous through the ages!”
“Actually… when you get down to it, it’s still a manpower problem!”
“Exactly! This time, Mystic Light Stage monsters broke through the defense line, destroyed the Four Great Marketplaces of the Two Realms Mountain, and caused the deaths of more than one hundred thousand elite cultivators! A hundred thousand people! This is the most severe loss since the Two Realms Mountain defense line was established!”
The Northern District Inspector Envoy had a hot temper and was so anxious he seemed about to burst:
“What’s the situation at the Two Realms Mountain now? Everyone in the Reinforcement Department has entered the War Zone! The people sent over by the Seven Great Sects are rebuilding the Four Great Marketplaces and simply don’t have extra strength to join the pursuit operation! Those who joined the pursuit were ambushed by monsters several times and suffered heavy losses… What a mess!”
“Most importantly, the escaped monsters directly threaten the dozen or so sects below the Two Realms Mountain. We plan to recruit personnel again from the Seven Great Sects and the major sects to handle this matter, but distant water can’t quench a nearby fire, and the nearby areas simply don’t dare to pull people out.”
“Alas.”
The three Inspector Envoys sighed repeatedly.
Suddenly.
The Northern District Inspector Envoy’s gaze fell on Elder Honglian, who sat calmly, and he said:
“Lord Honglian.”
“Elder Zuo.”
Honglian nodded in response.
Now her status was different; as an Inspector Envoy, she was on equal footing with the three men present and didn’t need to be humble.
Elder Zuo frowned and asked:
“What’s the situation in the south that you’re responsible for? Why have I never heard you mention it?”
“That’s right, Honglian. You are now the Inspector Envoy for the entire Southern City, and you’re also responsible for the pursuit of monsters that escaped south from the Two Realms Mountain. You mustn’t slack off just because the Two Realms Mountain is in this state, or because it’s your first appointment. If you really can’t manage, tell us, and we’ll ask the Immortal Lords of the Seven Great Sects for help.”
“Honglian thanks the three lords for your concern.”
“Although Southern City Marketplace was destroyed, Lord Baimei sealed off the underground passage outside the marketplace before he died, so there were no incidents of monster harassment or attacks. Reconstruction work is proceeding in an orderly manner, and progress is fairly smooth… As for pursuing the escaped monsters, I follow up every day, and so far the number of monsters eliminated exceeds ten thousand.”
“…”
The three lords were immediately stunned!
“You eliminated over ten thousand monsters?”
“Impressive progress!”
“The estimated number of monsters escaping in each direction is roughly that figure. Doesn’t that mean the pursuit mission in the south is nearly complete? Haha, Honglian, which Venerable One did you send to handle the monster pursuit? In the west, which I’m responsible for, smoke and fire are rising everywhere. Those evil cultivators are practically wishing for more deaths so they can refine Soul Pearls and craft ghostly artifacts. I truly wish I could wipe out that whole bunch. Why don’t you send your people to the west to help me discipline those bastards.”
“Sorry,” Honglian replied. “Although the monsters in the south have been contained, one major threat remains unresolved! That is a clustered group of Soul-Concentrating Demon Beasts. I’m afraid I can’t declare the southern pursuit mission concluded.”
“I see.”
The three Inspector Envoys all showed expressions of deep thought.
A cluster of Soul-Concentrating Demon Beasts is indeed a big problem!
But…
Compared to a cluster of Soul-Concentrating Demon Beasts, the current chaotic situations in their respective areas, with smoke and fire everywhere, were clearly more troublesome than a stable southern front.
The meeting ended. Honglian rubbed her brow and stood up to leave.
Just as she stepped out of the room, someone approached her!
“Have you found something?”
“At Revered Qin Huai’s request, we mobilized four Flying Boats and a team of twelve Spirit Coalescence Elders to search the entire south. Not long ago, we finally discovered traces of the Soul-Concentrating Demon Beast cluster’s movement.” The person spoke very quickly. “Among this group of monsters, there was actually a Late Concentration Stage monster beast skilled in Illusion Arts disguise. If not for Revered Qin actively requesting aid and asking us to immediately dispatch elders skilled in tracking, the south might have faced a major disaster!”
Honglian’s gaze sharpened:
“Make it short. Where are they heading?”
“Xuanxin Sect!”
“What did you say!”
Honglian stopped in her tracks, showing astonishment.
The person answered:
“Our search team traced the Soul-Concentrating Demon Beasts’ trail all the way to near Xuanxin Sect. At that time, this monster group had already broken through Xuanxin Sect’s defense line and were only a hundred or so miles from Xuanxin Sect. I have already urgently notified Revered Qin Huai of this news and instructed the search team to rush to Xuanxin Sect for support!”
“They only have twelve people, they’re outnumbered and far from a match for that Soul-Concentrating Demon Beast cluster! Immediately prepare a Flying Boat, assemble thirty Mind Focusing Cultivators, and apply to the Reinforcement Department for three Matrix Towers. Come with me to Xuanxin Sect!”
Honglian stated decisively.
“You don’t need to go personally…”
“There’s no need to hesitate. Qin Huai did me a great favor this time. It was his strong support that helped me secure my current position as Southern City Inspector Envoy. I can’t stand by when he’s in danger. If Lord Baimei were still alive, he wouldn’t stand by either.” Honglian said word by word, “Now that the Two Realms Mountain is initially stabilized, and the Immortal Lords of the Seven Great Sects are personally stationed there, nothing will go wrong! Instead, I’m worried about those escaped monsters outside the Two Realms Mountain. Once they take root in the Barbarian Continent, they could very likely become the biggest hidden danger to the Two Realms Mountain and the Human Race in the future!”