Chapter 138: The Beast Tide [3]
*thoom* The city's main gate trembled under the force of the oncoming spirit beast horde, a thunderous rumble filling the air as thousands of feet pounded the earth.
The sky was a pale blue, but the ominous cloud of dust and debris raised by the beasts stained it with streaks of grey.
The walls, though towering and reinforced, seemed almost too small against the incoming tide of creatures.
Every guard and the cultivators from the sects in the Northern Bei Kingdom standing in the defensive lines knew what was at stake.
"Ready yourselves!" The captain of the guard, a grizzled man with a scar running down the side of his face, yelled out orders.
His armor gleamed under the sunlight, a mix of gold and steel, as his eyes swept over the battlefield as the first ranks of beasts surged forward.
Massive arachnoid beasts, their bulbous bodies glistening with black chitin, skittered forward on eight segmented legs, their jaws snapping hungrily.
Their eyes, too many to count, glowed with eerie green light as they closed in.
Alongside them were serpentine creatures with wings that shimmered like oil on water, their elongated bodies slithering through the dirt before launching into the air.
Other beasts, like armadillo creatures covered in jagged spikes, rolled forward in tight balls, their sheer weight and momentum smashing into anything in their path.
As the beasts drew closer, "Release the first wave!" the captain shouted and immediately, the cultivators lining the walls and gates sprang into action.
A wave of flame erupted from a group of fire cultivators belonging to the same sect and with a roar, the flames swept across the ground, setting the earth ablaze and incinerating the front ranks of the spirit beasts.
The arachnoid creatures screeched as the fire scorched their exoskeletons, their legs twitching as they collapsed into smoldering heaps.
But more kept coming, their numbers seemingly endless.
To the left, a cultivator raised her arms high, and a torrent of water surged from her fingertips. *woosh*
The water twisted and danced in the air, forming a massive wave that slammed into the advancing beasts with tremendous force.
*THOOM* The serpentine creatures with their slick wings were caught in the surge, their bodies flailing helplessly as they were swept away and drowned beneath the rushing tide.
The water then froze, turning into icy spikes that pierced the remaining beasts as they struggled to climb over the frozen barrier.
Meanwhile, on the ground, a cultivator planted his feet firmly and let out a deep growl.
The earth beneath him rumbled in response, and with a violent crack, massive stone pillars shot up from the ground.
These stone columns erupted beneath the armadillo-like beasts, their spikes shattering against the sheer force of the pillars.
Some of the beasts were impaled, while others were thrown back, tumbling into the horde behind them and causing a brief moment of chaos among the advancing monsters.
But the onslaught didn't stop and the beasts pressed on, trampling over their fallen as they charged.
From the walls, archers fired arrows as flaming arrows lit up the sky, leaving trails of fire in their wake as they struck the beasts below.
And still, the beasts came.
As powerful as the cultivators were, the sheer volume of beasts was staggering.
The ground shook as the larger spirit beasts—monstrous creatures with thick, impenetrable furs—began ramming against the stone pillars and the walls.
Cracks formed in the earth where the armadillo beasts smashed into it, their spikes gouging deep into the ground.
The arachnoid creatures, undeterred by the flames and ice, began scaling the stone walls, their legs clicking rapidly as they ascended toward the top.
"Fall back!" the captain of the guard shouted, his voice hoarse from battle.
*woosh* He swung his sword, unleashing a wave of lightning that arced through the air, striking multiple beasts at once.
The creatures convulsed and collapsed, their bodies smoking, but more took their place.
"We need more reinforcements!"
"Has the reinforcements from the capital here yet?"
"WUUUUAARGHH!" At this time, a thunderous roar echoed from the mountains, cutting through the din of battle.
Every head turned toward the sound, and a collective gasp of horror swept through the ranks as the source of the roar came into view.
A massive, centipede-like creature, was slithering down from the peaks, its body was covered in gleaming black scales, each segment rippling with energy.
Hundreds of legs, each ending in a sharp claw, propelled it forward at terrifying speed.
Its eyes—dozens of them—glowed with a sickly green light, and its jaws snapped hungrily, drooling venom as it bore down on the battlefield.
The cultivators' hearts sank seeing this terror. The horde of smaller beasts had been overwhelming enough, but this?
"W-Was this the beast that started the whole beast tide?"
"We are fucked..."
"Let's retreat..."
*swish* However, at this time, a gust of wind flew past them and everyone turned to look at the beautiful woman's silver hair fluttering in the wind.
"W-Who is that?"
*woosh* A sharp, nearly invisible aura rippled from Jin Wei's body and her fingers gripped around the hilt of her sword as white energy began to gather along the blade's edge.
The gathered energy crackled like lightning, radiating a sharp, cutting presence that seemed to slice through the very air around her.
Her blade shimmered under the morning sun, and the centipede's segmented body shifted, hundreds of claws digging into the earth as it prepared to strike.
With the grace of a leaf caught in the breeze, Jin Wei moved, her body... a blur as she shot forward like an arrow shot from a bow.
Her speed was such that the onlookers barely registered her movement until she was already beneath the beast.
*clang*
The beast struck first, its massive tail lashing toward her, sharp legs and venomous stingers aimed to skewer her where she stood.
*swish* Jin Wei's sword flashed in response, meeting the attack with a deafening clash.
*clank* Sparks flew as steel clashed with hardened scales and the force of the blow sent a gust of wind rippling outward, but Jin Wei's stance didn't falter.
Her feet remained firm, her sword unwavering.
"WOAH!" the onlookers were dumbfounded as she looked so cool and graceful.
Chen Zin who was amidst the crowd smiled "The only thing she is good at is... sword."
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