Chapter 94: Reinforcements Finally Arrive
Chapter 94: Reinforcements Finally Arrive
“Kill!”
“Hold the line!”
“Wipe out these beasts!!”
Once the chain reaction of the Chain Sacrificial Detonation Array vanished completely, Warzone Three Ninety-Seven faced an unprecedented wave of assault.
Dense fire rain plopped down like dumplings into a boiling pot, thudding endlessly into the earth.
Lu Hangzhi had to break his contemplation of the Seven-Seven Sword Formation, throwing himself wholly into the brutal, desperate battle. He replenished his Magic Power while simultaneously controlling seven Artifact Flying Swords overhead, weaving a deadly sword net.
Forty-nine swords swung.
The swords moved like dragons, their aura overwhelming.
Most Monster Beasts hadn’t even landed before Lu Hangzhi had raked through them two or three times in mid-air.
Even so, the endless flood of incoming beasts showed no sign of stopping.
“They’ve gone mad!”
“Why are there so many?!”
“Keep an eye on the other warzones!”
“HOLD YOUR GROUND!!
Cheng Fei from the Southern District, Qi Yuanfeng from the Northern District, and Lin Lang from the Western District bellowed until their throats were raw, not daring to slacken for a moment.
Their numbers had plummeted from the original ninety-seven to less than sixty-seven, their defensive perimeter shrinking steadily.
They stood atop a mountain of Monster Beast corpses as varied waves of beasts scrambled and charged from every direction towards the Matrix Tower.
“It’s not that I don’t want to break out. It’s that there’s just no way to do it.”
Frustration knotted Lu Hangzhi’s brow.
He had intended to gather everyone after the Chain Sacrificial Detonation Array and coordinate an organized breakout. But before he could, after the array activated, the onslaught from the Demon Realm intensified brutally. It gave them no moment to catch their breath. In their current state, even a slight shift in their defensive line might open a fatal gap. Retreating wasn’t an option.
Damn it!
What in the world is going on?
Had these beasts all gone rabid?
Lu Hangzhi couldn’t tally how many beasts he had slain, but in just this period, he must have dispatched eight hundred, if not a thousand – all Ninth Grade Demon Beasts.
No one had the time or chance to clear the battlefield. The corpses of Monster Beasts piled higher and higher, threatening to bury the Matrix Tower entirely.
“I’m out of Magic Power!”
“Same here.”
The constant high-intensity battle drained their reserves. Fellow Cultivators around him were hitting rock bottom one after another. The situation teetered on the brink.
“Those who can’t hold on, get inside the Matrix Tower! Someone in there will hand out Elixirs. Return to the fight as soon as you recover.” Lu Hangzhi shouted.
Nangong Jun was inside the Matrix Tower, dispensing pre-prepared Spirit Honey. The group quickly restored their vigor and rushed back into the fray. Against the odds, they steadied the defense line, holding the beasts back without letting them breach it.
He didn’t know how long the slaughter lasted.
Lu Hangzhi felt he had become a machine of killing, operating tirelessly and ferociously…
Behind him stood the veiled girl and Qi Yuanfeng.
Both gazed at Lu Hangzhi’s back, their expressions a mix of awe and reverence.
The latter’s clothes were completely soaked in beast blood, stained dark crimson. But since the fight began, Lu Hangzhi hadn’t moved back a single step.
The interwoven sword net overhead, covering the Northern and Eastern Districts, was actually the safest and most secure part of the entire warzone…
“Where did he learn that sword technique?”
“It’s terrifying!”
“Thank goodness Hangzhi’s here. Otherwise, the Eastern District would’ve fallen ages ago, and our Northern District too, long gone.”
“You’re absolutely right.”
Inside the Matrix Tower, Revered Qin focused on dealing with the Soul-Concentrating Demon Beasts that broke into the warzone.
Although the Matrix Tower’s energy waned by the minute, handling Early Spirit Concentration Stage or mid-stage beasts wasn’t too taxing.
As time crawled on.
Revered Qin shouted encouragement:
“Everyone! Hold fast!”
“Our reinforcements are almost here!!”
“ROAR!!”
The fighters’ morale surged spectacularly.
The reinforcements had indeed arrived.
Despite the ferocious beast assault, the Reinforcement Department had dispatched a significant number of Spirit Coalescence Elders this time. Honglian personally led a twenty-strong spirit-concentrating squad like a blazing battle knife thrust deep into Section Four, rescuing Yuding Sect’s ingenious Master of Formations, Gu Jingfeng, who was perilously close to running dry on Magic Power.
“That little brat hadn’t managed to break out?”
Elder Honglian cursed silently under her breath before declaring firmly, “Team, follow me! Target: Warzone Three Ninety-Seven!”
“Honglian?”
One member sounded surprised.
Without looking back or even pausing to think, Elder Honglian announced, “Listen to me. The people in Three Ninety-Seven are equally vital.”
“Quick and decisive! No dragging this out!”
“Yes!”
They soon reached their destination… and were stunned by the sight before them: Warzone Three Ninety-Seven was nothing but piles of Monster Beast corpses, mountains upon mountains, forming a truly grand and tragic scene.
It was hard to imagine how long the battle must have raged, how savage it must have been, to slaughter this many beasts…
The Monster Beast attacks still came relentlessly!
But before the eyes of these Spirit Coalescence Elders, several dozen young male and female Cultivators stood resolute atop the mountain of corpses. They formed an indomitable defensive line, their expressions unwavering, refusing to yield. Above Warzone Three Ninety-Seven, the dazzling clash of Flying Swords and flickering Art Techniques continued unabated, completely unaware that reinforcements had entered their warzone.
“…Hisss.”
The group of Spirit Coalescence Elders, Elder Honglian herself included, were all utterly overwhelmed by the visceral, monumental grimness of the scene.
Then…
“Rescue them!”
They exclaimed in unison.
They simply couldn’t fathom how this group of young Cultivators, barely out of their teens or in their twenties, had survived a siege of such ferocity.
A wave of understanding washed over Elder Honglian, mixed with profound relief:
“That kid Lu Hangzhi… at least he didn’t recklessly lead a breakout charge… These beasts… truly… there are just too overwhelming.”
The Spirit Coalescence Elders attacked simultaneously. Powerful waves of Heaven and Earth Power crashed down repeatedly into Warzone Three Ninety-Seven, sweeping the battlefield ruthlessly clean.
The pressure crushing Warzone Three Ninety-Seven instantly lessened dramatically!
“Reinforcements!”
“Our reinforcements have finally arrived!”
“That’s great! We’re all still alive.”
“So incredible… all Spirit Coalescence Elders! We’re saved!!”
Everyone’s spirits lifted instantly, their morale grew strong as they swiftly cleared the battlefield alongside the Elders.
Lu Hangzhi sent a mental message to Elder Honglian:
“Thank you for rescuing us, Elder.”
“You’re welcome.”
Elder Honglian nodded gravely at Lu Hangzhi.
She could tell that Lu Hangzhi’s “Seven-Seven Sword Formation” had reached a minor mastery level. His true strength was somewhere between Peak Ninth Grade and Spirit Concentrating. While his cultivation level hadn’t caught up yet… his real power could already be described as Half-Step Spirit Coalescing.
A fifteen-year-old Half-Step Spirit Coalescence… his future potential was limitless.
“Elder Honglian.”
“Esteemed Elders, Qin Huai thanks you all for your righteous assistance.”
“Only Revered Qin and Revered Gu remain in the entire Fourth Zone, all others have fallen. That alone shows your strength and contribution to Two Realms Mountain. This is the least we could do,” Elder Honglian said.
The other Elders nodded in agreement.
“Indeed!”
“Revered Qin’s position is truly spectacular.”
“Unforgettable, truly unforgettable!”
“I am ashamed,” Revered Qin replied.
Lu Hangzhi looked up, frowning slightly.
After Elder Honglian and the others entered the war zone, the number of Monster Beasts descending into this area had noticeably dropped sharply.
And it wasn’t just this war zone; the same was true for other zones. It seemed…
“Is it… ending?”
Just as Lu Hangzhi was puzzled, Elder Honglian and the others also noticed this anomaly, exchanging confused looks.
“It seems that even without our intervention, Revered Gu and Revered Qin, you could have held out until the Monster Beast attack concluded.”
“Sigh.”
“Truly admirable, truly admirable.”
“Please, esteemed Elders, do not say such things,” Revered Qin said sheepishly.
Only the Epiphany Stage Cultivators sighed with relief. The prolonged battle had nearly drained them of energy. With the sudden easing of pressure, they immediately sat down without caring about their image.
“Revered Qin, you have endured this battle. We can all see everyone is exhausted! The Reinforcement Department has also dispatched new personnel to take over. Why not descend the mountain with us?” Elder Honglian proposed.
“That might be best,” Revered Qin agreed with a bitter smile.
“I have completely drained the energy of this Matrix Tower. I truly have no face to stay here any longer.”
“The Elder replacing you will be overjoyed, as they’ll get to keep the Magical Artifact prototype of the Matrix Tower…” Elder Honglian chuckled.
“Haha…”
The Elders all smiled faintly, thinking the Venerable One taking over would be incredibly lucky.
However.
At that very moment.
Elder Honglian seemed to receive a message from the Reinforcement Department. After listening intently, her face changed drastically.
“Everyone! Descend the mountain immediately!”
“What’s wrong?”
“What happened?”
People gradually noticed Elder Honglian’s altered expression and intense emotional turmoil, and began asking questions anxiously.
Lu Hangzhi also sensed the strangeness here. He turned to look and listen.
They heard Elder Honglian say:
“Just a short while ago, Two Realms Mountain’s four great Marketplaces were besieged by Monster Beasts. Casualties were numerous beyond count. Now, all four Marketplaces have been destroyed. Lord Baimei… fell in battle… outside the Southern City Marketplace.”
“What?!”
“It can’t be…”
“His Lordship was!!”
The group refused to believe it, faces turning pale. They immediately pulled out Messaging Talismans to contact the Reinforcement Department.
Soon…
Confirmatory messages came back.
Lord Baimei encountered a Mystic Light Stage Monster Beast at the Southern City Marketplace. He used the forbidden technique “Years,” killing the Snake Demon. After uttering a few final words, he passed away peacefully.
“This isn’t true!”
“With our rear destroyed, countless Monster Beasts loose… All this still requires His Lordship to oversee personally, to command and arrange the aftermath! How could he…”
The group of Spirit Coalescence Elders lost their composure, minds in disarray.
Lu Hangzhi’s brows furrowed deeply.
He hadn’t expected the situation to deteriorate to this extent.
Two Realms Mountain’s four great Marketplaces destroyed…
The rear lines were practically wiped out by the Snake Demon’s Monster Beast army! Now, the Demon Realm only needed to organize one large-scale invasion to stretch Two Realms Mountain’s defenses thin, riddled with holes and vulnerabilities.
Furthermore!
Though the beasts attacking the Marketplaces were repelled, countless Monster Beasts had still scattered widely.
This was the first time Monster Beasts from Two Realms Mountain had escaped into the Barbarian Continent…
No one knew what devastating consequences this might bring.
This was really bad.
Lu Hangzhi felt deeply troubled.
“His Lordship’s sacrifice is Two Realms Mountain’s loss, a tremendous loss for the Human Race. I share your profound grief, Esteemed Ones. Perhaps it’s best if you descend the mountain first. We will wait here for the relief force. Once they arrive, we will descend as well,”
Revered Qin suggested.
Elder Honglian and the rest didn’t hesitate. They decisively turned and rapidly retreated from Warzone Three Ninety-Seven alongside Gu Jingfeng, disappearing from sight swiftly.
“Alright!”
Revered Qin said.
“Times at Two Realms Mountain will only grow harder from now on. Everyone, clean up the battlefield. Collect the spoils and Monster Beast materials.”
However…
Heaps of Monster Beast corpses like small mountains did nothing to lighten the heavy weight in Lu Hangzhi and the others’ hearts.