Demon Tide, Beast Shadows

Fang Yan's heart tightened. He suppressed the excitement of his breakthrough and quickly ran towards Li Jianguo's temporary command post.

Inside the command post, the atmosphere was heavy. Li Jianguo stood before a large holographic map, his brow furrowed. Chu Feng, Lin Mengyao, and Li Hao were also present, their expressions equally serious.

"General, what happened?" Fang Yan asked as he entered, his voice deep.

Li Jianguo turned around, pointed to a red dot on the map, and said gravely, "We just received news from the front lines. In Black Wind Canyon, about fifty kilometers from here, a large number of Dark Demon Race traces have appeared. There are at least tens of thousands of them, and among them are many experts from the Bone Refining Realm and Qi Transformation Realm!"

"What? Tens of thousands?" Fang Yan's pupils contracted. "Why would they gather so many people all of a sudden? Are they seeking revenge for us killing that Profound Connection expert?"

"It's highly possible," Li Jianguo nodded. "But things are probably not that simple. According to the images sent back by the scouts, these Dark Demon Race seem to be advancing in an organized and disciplined manner, not like a hastily assembled revenge party. What's even more troublesome is..."

He paused, his tone growing heavier. "The images also showed quite a few Exotic Beasts, like Black Wind Leopards and Ironclad Bears. They seem to be controlled by dark energy, becoming unusually ferocious, and are acting together with the Dark Demon Race."

"Exotic Beasts?" Fang Yan's heart sank. Black Wind Canyon was named for the Black Wind Leopards that inhabited it, and with the thick-skinned Ironclad Bears, this undoubtedly added immense difficulty to the defense.

"Black Wind Canyon is our only passage to the rear supply base. If it's occupied by the Dark Demon Race and these ferocious Exotic Beasts, our supply line will be completely cut off. The consequences would be unimaginable," Li Jianguo said with a hint of anxiety.

"Then what do we do now? Send troops to reinforce immediately?" Chu Feng asked urgently.

Li Jianguo shook his head. "We just went through a major battle, and our troop strength has suffered significant losses. Moreover, most of our soldiers are exhausted. The chances of winning if we rush out now are slim."

He looked at Fang Yan, a flicker of expectation in his eyes. "Fang Yan, you just broke through to the Great Martial Master realm, and you've even grasped the nascent form of a domain. Your strength has greatly increased. I hope you can lead an elite squad to Black Wind Canyon ahead of time to stall the advance of the Dark Demon Race and the Exotic Beasts, buying time for our subsequent reinforcements."

Fang Yan didn't hesitate at all and immediately replied, "No problem, General! I guarantee the mission will be completed!"

"Good!" Li Jianguo nodded. "I've selected a hundred Martial Masters with Blood Essence above 5.0 for you, along with Chu Feng, Lin Mengyao, and Li Hao, to form an assault team. Your mission is not to fight them head-on, but to utilize the terrain advantage to delay them as much as possible, waiting for reinforcements to arrive. Be especially careful of those controlled Exotic Beasts; their hides are very tough, and ordinary attacks will have little effect."

"Understood!" Fang Yan and the other three responded in unison.

Soon, one hundred elite Martial Masters were assembled. Fang Yan put on his specially made combat suit, held the Little Black Sword, and stood at the forefront of the formation.

"Brothers, Black Wind Canyon is our lifeline. We absolutely cannot let the Dark Demon Race and those Exotic Beasts occupy it!" Fang Yan's voice was loud and firm. "Although the enemy is numerous, we have the confidence and determination to complete the mission! Let's go!"

"Let's go!" The hundred Martial Masters shouted in unison, their morale soaring.

The team boarded hover tanks and sped towards Black Wind Canyon. The hover tanks were very fast, and in less than half an hour, they reached the vicinity of Black Wind Canyon.

Fang Yan ordered the tanks to stop, and everyone disembarked to infiltrate the canyon on foot. Black Wind Canyon had treacherous terrain, with towering cliffs on both sides and only a narrow passage in the middle. It was indeed a place easy to defend and difficult to attack.

"Chu Feng, lead twenty men to ambush on the cliff on the left side of the canyon. Use arrows and fireballs to attack the enemy, prioritizing the elimination of the Dark Demon Race archers," Fang Yan quickly assigned tasks. "Lin Mengyao, lead twenty men to ambush on the right cliff. Use your Flowing Water Sword Technique to harass the enemy, and be careful to avoid attacks from the Exotic Beasts. Li Hao, lead thirty men to set up traps at the entrance of the canyon. Set up more tripwires and spike traps specifically for the Exotic Beasts to slow down their advance. The remaining thirty men will follow me to ambush behind the giant rocks in the middle of the canyon, waiting for the best moment to focus on striking the Dark Demon Race leaders from the Qi Transformation Realm."

"Yes!" The three immediately accepted the orders and quickly led their respective teams into ambush positions.

Fang Yan hid behind a huge rock, observing the situation outside the canyon through a gap. Soon, the sounds of dense footsteps, roars, and the growls of Exotic Beasts could be heard from a distance. A dense mass of Dark Demon Race appeared in their sight. On both sides of their formation, dozens of massive Black Wind Leopards and Ironclad Bears followed. The Black Wind Leopards had black fur and were extremely fast; the Ironclad Bears were covered in thick shells, appearing indestructible.

"They're here!" Fang Yan's heart tightened, and he gripped his Little Black Sword.

When the vanguard of the Dark Demon Race and a few scout Black Wind Leopards entered the canyon entrance, Li Hao immediately ordered the traps to be triggered.

"Boom!"

With several loud explosions, the ground at the canyon entrance instantly collapsed. Dozens of Dark Demon Race and two unsuspecting Black Wind Leopards fell into the traps, their bodies pierced by the spikes within.

"Damn humans!" The Qi Transformation Realm Dark Demon Race leader roared. He was tall and had two curved horns on his head. "Charge! Take the canyon at all costs! Let these beasts clear the way!"

Several Dark Demon Race behind him immediately blew strange horns. Upon hearing the horns, the Black Wind Leopards and Ironclad Bears became even more ferocious. They roared and charged into the canyon, trampling over the traps, attempting to carve a path for the Dark Demon Race.

"Archers! Fireball!" Chu Feng shouted.

The Martial Masters on the left cliff immediately shot arrows and cast fireballs. Arrows and fireballs rained down on the Dark Demon Race and Exotic Beasts. The arrows only caused superficial wounds on the Black Wind Leopards; the fireballs left only scorch marks on the Ironclad Bears' shells, unable to penetrate.

"It's useless! These beasts' hides are too thick!" a Martial Master shouted.

Lin Mengyao also led the Martial Masters on the right to attack. Her agile sword techniques continuously struck down approaching Dark Demon Race, but when facing the charging Ironclad Bears, they could only temporarily evade.

Although the Dark Demon Race were numerous, they couldn't spread out in the narrow canyon and were ambushed, suffering heavy casualties for a time, greatly slowing their advance. However, the ferocious Exotic Beasts posed a huge threat to the human forces, especially the Ironclad Bears, which charged wildly. Several Martial Masters had already been sent flying by them and were severely injured.

Seeing this, the Qi Transformation Realm Dark Demon Race leader's eyes flashed with ferocity. He suddenly leaped forward, lunging towards Chu Feng on the cliff, and shouted, "Black Wind, go!"

An exceptionally large Black Wind Leopard received the order. Its speed suddenly increased, and it charged towards Chu Feng's position like a black lightning bolt.

"Careful!" Fang Yan shouted, and at the same time, he leaped up, his Little Black Sword imbued with Profound Ice True Qi, thrusting towards the Qi Transformation Realm Dark Demon Race.

"Clang!"

With a loud crash, the Little Black Sword collided with the Qi Transformation Realm Dark Demon Race's claws, sending sparks flying.

Fang Yan felt a surge of immense force, his arm going slightly numb. He knew that although the Qi Transformation Realm Dark Demon Race was weaker than those in the Profound Connection Realm, they were still not easy opponents.

At the same time, the giant Black Wind Leopard had already reached the edge of the cliff and leaped up, pouncing towards Chu Feng. Chu Feng's expression changed drastically, and he immediately swung his sword to block.

"Swoosh!"

The Black Wind Leopard's sharp claws raked across Chu Feng's shoulder, leaving several deep bloody gashes. Chu Feng cried out in pain and stumbled.

"Chu Feng!" Lin Mengyao shouted, wanting to help, but her path was blocked by an Ironclad Bear.

Li Hao's team was also locked in a desperate struggle. Although the traps had caused considerable casualties to the Dark Demon Race, the Exotic Beasts ignored them and continued to charge into the canyon.

Fang Yan and the Qi Transformation Realm Dark Demon Race fought for dozens of rounds, gradually falling into a disadvantage. The opponent's strength and speed were superior to his, and the dark energy was bizarre and constantly eroded his Profound Ice True Qi.

"Kid, your death is imminent!" the Qi Transformation Realm Dark Demon Race sneered. The dark energy on his claws condensed into a black claw, and he swiped towards Fang Yan's chest.

Fang Yan's heart grew anxious, and a flash of inspiration suddenly struck his mind. He remembered the Profound Ice Domain (nascent form) he had just comprehended.

"Profound Ice Domain, activate!"

Fang Yan roared, and the Profound Ice True Qi within him surged out madly, forming a white domain about ten meters in diameter around him. Within the domain, the temperature plummeted, and the moisture in the air instantly condensed into ice crystals.

As the Qi Transformation Realm Dark Demon Race's claw entered the domain, its speed slowed significantly, and the dark energy on it was constantly eroded by the ice crystals.

"What is this? A domain?" The Qi Transformation Realm Dark Demon Race's expression changed drastically, his eyes filled with disbelief. He hadn't expected a human in the Great Martial Master realm to have comprehended a domain.

Fang Yan seized this opportunity, unleashing the full power of his Blood Essence and mental energy. The Profound Ice True Qi on the Little Black Sword became even more condensed, and he thrust the sword towards the Qi Transformation Realm Dark Demon Race's chest.