Chapter 1160: Considered Supreme in Sword Dao
“City Lord, terrible news! The third reconnaissance squad reported that great demon kings have appeared outside the city and that a beast tide may be imminent!”
“What did you say?!” City Lord Zhang’s pupils contracted sharply. He shot to his feet so abruptly that he flipped the table.
”Summon the garrison commander and the two deputy city lords at once...”
The arrival of great demon kings and the impending beast tide quickly alarmed all the higher-ups in Muxue City.
The atmosphere in the city lord’s discussion hall was as heavy as leaden clouds. Even the servants pouring tea and water moved with extra caution, fearful that a slight misstep would incur the wrath of the personages present.
“According to the third reconnaissance squad leader, the decrease in demon beasts outside Muxue City is due to them being summoned by the great demon kings? And there’s not just one great demon king—among them are the Frost Elephant, the White Snake, and two others that weren’t clearly identified?” Vice City Lord Yao was deeply shaken.
“Is the intelligence accurate? Why isn’t the third reconnaissance squad leader here to report in person?”
“He collapsed from his injuries right after relaying the information to the guards at the city gate. What, do you have a way to wake him, Vice City Lord Ma?” Garrison Commander Gongsun asked with narrowed eyes, catching the hostile edge in Vice City Lord Ma’s tone.
“How could that be possible? Those are four great demon kings! The Frost Elephant leading them has ravaged the icy plains for a thousand years, trampling countless Fusion cultivators to death. It’s said to have reached the Advanced Fusion Stage long ago. How could a mere reconnaissance squad possibly have escaped?
“In my opinion, this squad leader may be a spy bought off by another city. He fabricated false intelligence to deceive us and throw us into disarray!”
Commander Gongsun bellowed in rage. “Nonsense! Are you suspecting the people I’ve chosen are not trustworthy?”
The tension in the discussion hall grew thick. The two Fusion cultivators looked as though they might come to blows at any moment.
The city lord, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke. His authority in Muxue City was absolute. It could even be said that he had single-handedly built the city. “Enough, Little Ma. This matter is likely true. Although demon beasts lack spirit intelligence, the Frost Elephant is an old demon at the Advanced Fusion Stage, after all. It’s not surprising that it possesses some cunning.
“Letting the squad leader escape was probably deliberate. Its purpose was to provoke us by letting us know of this in advance.”
Everyone fell silent. The city lord’s words were as good as a final verdict, no different from the lid over the coffin. Though all five present were Fusion cultivators, the idea of facing four great demon kings and a beast tide that feared no death still left them feeling utterly overwhelmed.
“Now that things have come to this, we have no choice but to fight,” the city lord rose and declared gravely. Muxue City is my life’s work. I can’t just abandon it.
“Place the entire city on high alert! Vice City Lord Ma, rally cultivators from all the sects, academies, and gangs in the city. Regardless of cultivation level, all must join the battle!
“Commander Gongsun, mobilize the garrison and put the entire city on high alert.”
Orders were issued one after another. Although the battle had not yet begun, everyone could feel the tension of an approaching storm.
“Vice City Lord Yao, take a few men to scout the enemy and ascertain the scale of the beast tide. Remember, do not approach the great demon kings!”
“Yes!”
~~~
Amidst the blizzard, Vice City Lord Yao set off on his perilous mission. He led a few of his bolder confidants, making the journey completely in silence.
His subordinates trembled in fear. Although they were courageous, they were not sacrificial soldiers. If the four great demon kings detected them, even Vice City Lord Yao would struggle to protect himself, let alone protect them.
“Lord Yao, should we send a few Nascent Soul cultivators to scout things out instead? Maybe we shouldn’t go ourselves.”
“Nonsense! What could Nascent Soul cultivators possibly discern? Are you trying to desert your posts? If the cities fail to survive this beast tide, you and I may have a chance to escape, but what about our wives, children, and elders? Are you going to abandon them?”
In truth, Vice City Lord Yao was also afraid. But what use was fear? They would have to face the beast tide sooner or later. Gathering intelligence early and preparing in advance could give them a better chance of survival, no matter how slim it was.
“But...”
“Shush! We’re approaching the beast tide!”
His subordinates were so petrified that they dared not make a sound. They crept closer, their eyebrows gradually furrowing as their hearts pounded with dread.
This beast tide was so unusually quiet that it sent chills down their spines.
Mustering their courage, they drew nearer. They witnessed a scene so unbelievable that their hearts seemed to slow by several beats.
Piles of demon beast corpses lay heaped like mountains. Heavy snow had nearly buried the bodies, masking the stench of blood. The demon beasts’ eyes remained wide open in death, as if they had encountered a terror beyond words.
“W-was there an internal strife between the great demon kings?” one confidant stammered. Even he found the question absurd.
What kind of existence slaughtered these demon beasts, and is the other party still here?
At that thought, their hearts seemed to leap to their throats, and they dared not even breathe.
They landed quietly and gingerly scanned their surroundings, fearful of alerting that fearsome enemy.
Several colossal silhouettes blocked their path. The north wind swept past, dispersing the icy mist shrouding those figures. Upon recognizing them, they felt a chill shot from the soles of their feet straight to the crowns of their heads.
They were the corpses of the great demon kings.
“Look! That’s the Northern Whale King that swims through the snow! It’s said to be a collateral branch of the Kunpeng Tribe. It has been cleaved in two!”
“That’s the Sword-Toothed Tiger King! It once launched a beast tide that destroyed Yong’an City, which was guarded by two Fusion cultivators. That was how Vice City Lord Ma fled here to Muxue City!”
“That’s the White Snake King! Legend says its concealment arts are unparalleled; even Fusion experts have died from its ambushes!”
Suddenly, a confidant dropped to the ground with a thud, trembling as he pointed at the enormous silhouette before him. “T-the Frost Elephant great demon king has been beheaded!”
Even in death, the Frost Elephant great demon king continued to exhale frigid mist, a testament to how terrifying it was when alive. Yet no matter how fearsome its legends, it lay dead in the icy lands outside the city today.
Vice City Lord Yao plucked up his courage to examine the wounds, his expression growing increasingly solemn.
The wounds were as smooth as a mirror. Be it the lesser demons or the Frost Elephant, all had been severed by a single stroke of the sword.
“They... can be considered supreme in the Dao of the Sword.”
~~~
“Please go save Teacher Lu! He must still be alive!” The students remained at the city gate, frantically pleading with the guards.
The guards exchanged bitter smiles. A Foundation Establishment cultivator encountering Gnawing Demon Rabbits? How could he possibly survive? By the time these children have run back, this Teacher Lu has likely been gnawed down to his bones.
Even if they had the ability to rescue him, with a beast tide imminent and strict orders from above that no one could leave the city without the commander’s token, they couldn’t go even if they wanted to.
Fang Zhige had initially been confident in Teacher Lu, but he turned ashen at the news of the beast tide. No matter how powerful Teacher Lu is, he can’t possibly survive a beast tide. Even the Nine Ghost Alliance would be like a mantis trying to stop a carriage against such a force.
Gong Che looked toward the snowy plains beyond the city and suddenly exclaimed excitedly, “Look! Is that Teacher Lu?!”
Fang Zhige shook his head. “How is that possible...”
“Students, your teacher is back.” Lu Yang carried a sack full of spoils—all rabbits.
“Although there were a few too many enemies, fortunately, I had even more life-preserving methods and managed to survive by sheer luck,” Lu Yang said, still looking shaken by the ordeal.
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