Chapter 197: Chapter 196: If the Jianghai Sword God Won’t Act, Then Destroy Jianghai City

「Meanwhile.」

On the main border battlefield below,

a bloody battle raged in the sky, and another at the foot of the city walls!

A vast Beast Tide surged forth, crashing relentlessly against the edge of the City Defense Array.

Mountains of beast corpses piled up below.

Savage beasts trampled over a sea of blood and corpses, clambering to the peak and ramming the Star Curtain with their bodies until their skulls shattered.

Brains and blood splattered everywhere.

Not even death could make them rout!

ROAR—

Sky-shaking roars ignited a savage bloodlust. Countless Star Beasts fell.

But soon, they surged forward again...

Again and again, they slammed their bodies into it!

After countless repetitions, the City Defense Array was on the verge of collapse, emitting a toll like the death knell of a mountain temple!

"Imbalance detected at the northern corner! We need men to meet the enemy!"

"Star Beasts dropping from the sky in the west!"

"Remote rocket clusters, loading—"

Deafening roars echoed from the city wall, which bustled with figures wielding guns and cannons. The artillery fire lit up the night sky above the ramparts.

An orange-red glow spread across the clouds.

The quiet midnight began to boil over...

People took their positions with guns, unleashing a curtain of fire.

BOOM—

The cannons roared like a thunderstorm,

but it was far from enough!

With the appearance of the Emperor Level Star Beast, the cannons’ effectiveness had begun to wane. The beasts marched forward, a black tide crashing against the shore and exploding into waves of flesh and blood...

On the wall, everyone looked down at the horde before the Array, a bitter feeling in their hearts.

It couldn’t be helped...

’There are just too many!’

More and more Star Beasts were swarming the front.

After several rounds of fiery culling, the weaker Star Beasts had long since died. The ones that could now withstand the main cannons and reach the barrier... were all the elites among Star Beasts.

Even if they couldn’t break through the City Defense Array, the toll from their repeated impacts could not be underestimated!

The Array was limitless.

But man has his limits...

As the core of the Array that sustained it, Li Daoming’s Spiritual Power was being massively consumed. After the Black Peng’s devastating attack, the members of the Li Family who could still stand on the wall and defend the Array were few and far between.

Right now, the one standing beside him...

was only Elder Li!

CRACK—

Fissures appeared one after another, only to be repaired.

In just a few seconds, the City Defense Array had teetered on the brink of collapse several times!

"There are too many Star Beasts..."

Li Daoming’s fingers traced a blurry array line. His Spiritual Power was depleted, his mind hazy. He looked at Elder Li beside him and asked:

"How much longer can you last?"

"It’s fine..."

Elder Li said grimly, steadying his breath and avoiding eye contact. "The people of Jianghai are behind us. The city cannot fall. A Swordsman’s will is constant. This old man can hold on!"

"It has been hard on you."

Li Daoming flicked his fingertips, mending a fading section of the array line. The dizziness in his mind intensified.

He opened his mouth, but in the end, some things were better left unsaid.

In truth.

’Maintaining the Array isn’t a question of whether one can endure it!’

’As the Array’s core, I’m bearing immense mental pressure that’s draining me dry. There’s no guarantee I won’t go mad in a moment and become an imbecile!’

’And what’s worse...’

’Once I go mad, what will happen to Jianghai?’

’This City Defense Array will instantly collapse, and thousands of Star Beasts will pour into the city. I’m afraid all of Jianghai will become a feast for the Star Beasts!!’

But just as he was thinking this.

Suddenly!

A commotion came from the city wall!

The clang of steady footsteps rang out.

Elder Li and Li Daoming followed the sound and their pupils contracted. They witnessed a magnificent and unforgettable scene.

By the crenellations.

At the edge of the wall, several Star Martial Artists, armed with swords and spears, leaped down from the wall in unison. They fell like an army descending from the heavens, charging into the ferocious Star Beasts below!

"Blade-Induction Battle!"

They formed a human wall.

Coating their blades with Star Force, they provoked the Star Beasts, luring them away from the Array’s front to lessen the pressure on the City Defense Array.

It was an act of sheer madness!

But...

More and more Star Martial Artists on the wall descended to the front lines, voluntarily sharing the pressure on the defensive Star Curtain and dispersing the concentrated assault of the Beast Tide.

Waves of Star Beasts scattered, chasing the decoys into the distance like shooting stars vanishing into the mountains.

With Lin Mofeng fighting with all his might in the sky, they could no longer just sit and watch from the sidelines. One after another, they joined the city’s defense.

...The battle to defend Jianghai was far more brutal than anyone had imagined!

Though a million men stand against me, I will go.

......

「Meanwhile.」

High above in the endless night sky,

the starlight was dim.

VMM!

Li Zixuan stood firm in midair, gripping her longsword. The sea of clouds in the sky was clear and empty, not a single wisp of vapor remained.

She had unleashed three strikes of the Sword Drawing Technique.

An Emperor Level Martial Arts technique like this was immensely powerful.

But at the same time!

The consumption was just as immense!!

After just one strike.

The Star Force in her body receded like an ebbing sea, instantly draining more than half her reserves...

’Even for a Sword Dao genius like me, I can’t handle using it too much. It’s hard to be like Master, drawing his sword as easily as drinking water.’

"Zixuan, can you still hold on?"

Li Qinghe cautiously surveyed their surroundings while manipulating the Big Dipper Array. "That Emperor Level Star Beast has hidden itself. We can’t let our guard down."

"This is some kind of Emperor Level Secret Technique. The bastard is trying to wear us down to our deaths..."

Lin Mofeng chimed in, back-to-back with the Commander, his eyes fixed on their surroundings. "Everyone, be careful. Don’t fall into its trap."

....

Bathed in starlight,

the surroundings were still pitch black...

Nothing could be seen more than ten meters away, as if they were in a dark abyss.

The Emperor Level Star Beast flipped its body, its feathers weaving through the roaming night. Ethereal and nimble, it became an intangible specter, lurking within the black curtain.

Neither fast nor slow.

It was just waiting for the right moment,

flickering in and out of existence.

Everything within this Domain was its kill zone.

’These humans are dead for sure!’

......

......

Within Jianghai City,

"According to the latest frontline reports, the scale of this Beast Tide is being re-evaluated as... Hell Level... All citizens..."

The car radio crackled intermittently.

The host’s voice was hoarse,

and tinged with the verge of tears.

BEEP—

Traffic on the roads came to a halt. People got out of their cars in unison, looking toward the city wall. Raging flames shot into the sky, brightening the night.

The state of Jianghai’s battle had long since reached everyone’s ears through various broadcasts.

It tugged at the hearts of every citizen in the city. More people organized themselves, with women, children, and the elderly taking to the streets to pray for the soldiers on the front lines...

"Be safe... may our ancestors protect you, keep you safe..."

"You have to win!!"

"Jianghai will prevail!!!"

The people prayed for one another.

In the face of disaster, people were as insignificant as blades of grass.

Now, the appearance of an Emperor Level Star Beast meant this Beast Tide had escalated, far surpassing the level of any natural disaster in Jianghai’s history.

Jianghai’s defenses were crumbling bit by bit with the passage of time!

Just then.

WHOOSH—

A fierce wind suddenly swept through the streets!

People looked up.

Overhead.

More Star Martial Artists were rushing toward the city wall. As light as swallows, they skimmed over the tops of the highway overpasses, all gathering towards the outside of the city.

Some wore armor and helmets, others held homemade cannons or crude, poor-quality short swords...

"Brothers! Everyone, get ready!"

"A fight to the death outside the walls! Tonight, it’s for all the citizens!!!"

"Jianghai will prevail!"

These Star Martial Artists marched shoulder to shoulder, shouting in unison.

They were a group of ordinary people.

They were of all ages—pot-bellied middle-aged men, young students, people from all walks of life...

They were just Loose Cultivators who had once shrunk back in fear, hiding in the corners of their rented rooms... avoiding Jianghai’s call to arms.

But now,

spurred on by the brutal scene at the city’s outskirts, they all rushed towards the city gate.

...

...

「Fuhai Villa Complex.」

Unlike the noisy city center, the streets here were quiet. A few patrol teams walked past outside, maintaining order and preventing anyone from breaking in.

Inside the house.

The television screen flickered, broadcasting the live scene.

"Master, aren’t you going to make a move yet?"

On the sofa.

Xiaobai was curled up in Qin Yang’s arms, tilting her head to look at him. "Your two apprentices have entered the Domain. They might die, you know!"

With that, she turned her head to look at the TV.

On the television,

the battle between humans and beasts raged at the foot of the wall, but the sky above was engulfed in a boundless, silent darkness. Li Zixuan had thrown herself into that pitch-black Domain and had long since vanished from the camera’s view.

There was no longer any sign of life...

"I can’t see anything. This seems to be that Great Peng’s Secret Technique Domain?"

Xiaobai hopped off the sofa, walked up to the screen for a look, and flicked her tail. "Master, your two silly apprentices have entered the Domain. If you don’t act soon, in a moment they’ll be..."

Before she could finish.

"Don’t be hasty."

Qin Yang slowly opened his eyes, soothing Xiaobai’s anxiety, his voice still calm. "Wanting to kill my disciples is not such a simple matter."

.......

「Meanwhile.」

High in the sky.

WHOOSH—

The air currents were chaotic, with visible ripples in the wind.

’A bunch of ants, as expected.’

The Black Peng floated above the four of them, as if it had transcended their level. Its eyes were filled with mockery as it looked down on them.

After that last bit of exertion,

’these humans have already reached their limit. They’re about to fall out of the sky.’

’And I haven’t even used my full strength yet!’

"Weak Human Race!"

The Emperor Level Star Beast spread its wings, its yellow eyes narrowing to focus on Li Zixuan. Inwardly, it breathed a sigh of relief.

’I have to admit,’

’that human’s sword draw was truly impressive just now!’

’It was so sudden, I almost fell for it!’

’But no matter how powerful the Martial Arts, it still needs a foundation of Star Force to support it.’

’With my strength at the Late Stage of Grandmaster, and relying on my vast Star Force, I can wear you down to death! The situation is becoming clear now. The scales of victory are tipping—almost completely to my side.’

’But still, why is that Sword God still hiding?!’

The Black Peng circled in the air, sensing the surrounding auras, its brow slightly furrowed.

’There aren’t any powerful auras...’

’I came here with a mission to kill the Sword God and eliminate this future threat to the Divine Sect, but he hasn’t even shown himself.’

’If this drags on any longer, my patience will run out.’

"Fine, fine! Since he won’t come out, I’ll just play you all to death!"

The Emperor Level Star Beast began to contract its Dark Realm, about to crush Li Zixuan and the others...

...

Just then.

An indifferent voice echoed across a thousand li.

It suddenly resounded in its ears.

"Stop playing around."

"Venerable?!"

The Emperor Level Star Beast was startled and quickly pulled back its power. The voice echoed in its ears once more.

"No need to hold back..."

"Since the Jianghai Sword God refuses to show himself, kill them all!"