A gray shadow dragged a series of afterimages from the mountains, flashing at high speed to the front of the outer wall.
"The leading edge of the Beast Tide is about five kilometers from here. At their speed, we have thirty seconds left at most." King Mask, draped in a gray cloak, stood beside Zuo Qing with one hand resting on the hilt of Yi Yuan at his waist. His aged face was solemn.
"Thirty seconds..."
Zuo Qing looked at the battered pass wall behind him. The cold wind swept across the cracked earth, kicking up dust and sand. Before the empty outer wall, only the two of them remained.
"Will that be enough?" King Mask asked.
Zuo Qing was silent for a moment before answering with certainty, "It will."
The moment his words fell, several figures in dark crimson cloaks climbed over the Chennan Pass outer wall. Facing the direction from which the Beast Tide was charging, they stood with their backs straight.
"Chennan Pass Defense Line Five: Night Watchmen Miao Su, Hong Ying, Wen Qimo, Molly, and Chen Lu are in position!"
Miao Su's firm, ringing voice was the first to sound through the communications channel.
Then, more and more dark crimson figures climbed to the top of the outer wall. Some stood tall and straight, some looked exhausted, and some were covered in blood, but their eyes still shone with an unprecedented light.
"Chennan Pass Defense Line Four: Night Watchmen Guang Qingsheng, Zhao Kun, Han Qing, Huang Yuande, and Jiang Liu are in position!"
"Chennan Pass Defense Line Two: Night Watchmen Yuan Gang, Zhang Zhengting, Li Xiang, Ren Ding, Cao Xinghai, Hong Yufei, and Fei Zuo are in position!"
"Chennan Pass Defense Line Nine..."
"..."
One voice after another came through the communicators. The channel, once steeped