Dangerous Situation

The victory banquet in Black Wind City had yet to break up when a bloodstained communication jade slip tore through the air and landed in Elder Wu's hand. The spiritual energy fluctuations on the jade slip were chaotic. The instant it was unfurled, a line of scarlet writing stabbed at the eyes: "The Space-Time Rift is acting up! The Northern Border Three Passes have fallen! The Exotic Race's main forces are pressing in! The defensive lines of the six provinces are in urgent danger!"

Fang Yan came forward and brushed his fingers over the scorch marks along the jade slip's edge. They were traces of a rupture caused by overloaded spiritual energy. He raised his head and looked north. The vast territory from his memories now had only a shattered outline left—in the century since the Space-Time Rift had appeared, the Exotic Race had devoured ninety percent of the land like a surging tide. Now, humanity had only the six provinces of Yan, Shu, Jing, Ji, Yun, and Tai, along with five core cities built around spiritual ley lines, remaining. They hung like six lonely stars above an ocean of darkness and lost land.

"The northern border is the shield of the six provinces. Once the three passes fall, the Exotic Race's iron cavalry will be beneath Shuzhou City's walls in seven days." Elder Wu's voice held a rare gravity as he crushed the jade slip. "The Mystic Martial Pavilion sent word. All cultivators of the Martial King Realm and above are to rush to Shuzhou immediately. It is the granary of the six provinces. We absolutely cannot lose it."

At dawn the next day, the Vanguard Camp set out to reinforce the front. All they saw along the way were ruins and broken walls. The towns of old had been reduced to scorched earth, while the occasional refugees huddled in abandoned fortresses, their faces sallow and their bodies emaciated. An old woman held a barely breathing child in her arms. When she saw the armored soldiers, she tremblingly offered half a moldy cake. "Milord, please give us something to eat... The Exotic Race burned the village to the west again last night."

Fang Yan handed over the dry rations he carried, his heart tightening. He had once seen records of the splendor of a century ago: the fertile lands of the Nine Provinces stretching for a thousand li, cities running one after another. Now, only this tiny stretch of six provinces and five cities remained, every inch soaked in blood and tears.

When they reached Jianmen Pass on the border of Shuzhou, they found the place had already become a battlefield. Countless Exotic Race soldiers climbed ladders to attack the city. The human soldiers atop the walls had exhausted their arrows and now hacked at the enemy with broken blades. The four characters "Shuzhou's Shield" on the wall had been drenched in blood, then blackened by the smoke of cannon fire.

"They're the Ironbone Barbarians' siege troops!" Zhao Hu roared. Those Exotic Race soldiers stood more than a zhang tall, their bodies covered in iron scales. Every time the giant hammers in their hands came down, they smashed apart the bricks and stones of the walls. Farther away, several Winged Tribe cultivators with fleshy wings sprouting from their backs circled high in the air, occasionally diving down to reap lives.

"Master, take the elites and harass the Winged Tribe from the flank. Zhao Hu and I will lead men to reinforce the battlements!" Before Fang Yan had finished speaking, he had already circulated his true qi and leaped onto the wall. His long spear swept across, sending three Barbarian soldiers who had climbed onto the battlements flying. Prison Heaven Sword Finger shot out one after another, its finger swords piercing the sky and forcing back the diving Winged Tribe.

Elder Wu's figure turned into a blue afterimage and shot straight into the sky. The pressure of the Martial King Sixth Layer instantly spread out. He struck with one palm, the palm wind as sharp as a blade, killing two Winged Tribe cultivators on the spot. "You Exotic Race mongrels dare to run wild on human territory!"

When the soldiers on the battlements saw the reinforcements arrive, their morale soared. Li Gang led the soldiers on the right flank in pushing a battering ram, smashing apart the siege hammer mounted at the city gate. Zhao Hu swung his great saber, hacking a path through the Barbarian soldiers. Fang Yan, meanwhile, fixed his gaze on the Barbarian siege commander—a Martial King First Layer Ironbone Barbarian General. Black qi coiled around the giant hammer in his hands, and every blow contained destructive true qi.

"Human brat, once I break through this pass, I'll burn your main city to ashes!" the Barbarian General roared as he swung his hammer down. Fang Yan dodged to the side, then thrust his long spear toward its throat. The blow was blocked by the opponent's iron scales. Borrowing the force of the recoil, he retreated, then immediately circulated Prairie Fire Spear Technique. Spear shadows wrapped around the Barbarian General like fire dragons, forcing him back again and again.

"A weakness!" Fang Yan seized the instant his opponent changed breath. Spiritual energy gathered at his fingertip as he formed Prison Heaven Sword Finger. The fierce finger sword pierced through the gap in the giant hammer and struck the Barbarian General directly in the chest. The Barbarian General crashed to the ground, and the Barbarian soldiers below the battlements immediately fell into disarray.

Elder Wu finished off the last Winged Tribe cultivator and dove down. "The Exotic Race's main forces are still behind them. We must reinforce the defensive line as quickly as possible!"

By nightfall, the lights of Jianmen Pass had finally steadied somewhat. The soldiers repaired the walls while Fang Yan stood atop the battlements, gazing toward the direction of the Space-Time Rift. Black mist had shrouded that place all year round, with countless members of the Exotic Race lurking within it. Elder Wu walked to his side and handed him a deployment map of the six provinces. "These six provinces and five cities are humanity's last spark. We aren't guarding a city—we're guarding hope."

Fang Yan stroked the spiritual ley-line nodes marked on the map. Each main city had been built around a spiritual ley line, with defensive formations constructed upon it. Supplies were transported between the six provinces through underground passageways. This was the survival line humanity had built over a hundred years. He suddenly clenched his fists. "Master, we won't lose another inch of land. One day, we'll fight our way back to the Space-Time Rift and reclaim all the lost territory."

Approval flashed through Elder Wu's eyes. "Good lad. It's enough that you have that spirit. But the Exotic Race's true main forces have yet to move. They say that deep within the rift, Exotic Race Kings above the Martial King Realm are stationed there."

Just then, hurried hoofbeats came from the distance. A scout swung down from his horse, his expression panicked. "Commander! This is bad! The Space-Time Rift is acting up. An even stronger Exotic Race aura is drawing near. It seems to be... the Exotic Race Royal Court Troops!"

Fang Yan jerked his head up and gazed toward the lost land shrouded in darkness. The lights of the six provinces and five cities swayed in the night, as though they might be snuffed out by a gale at any moment. But he gripped the long spear in his hand tightly. Behind him stood countless soldiers fully armed and ready to fight, as well as humanity's last homeland.

"Pass on my order. Full military alert!" Fang Yan's voice echoed through the night wind. "Hold Jianmen Pass! Hold every inch of land!"

The torches atop the city walls whipped and crackled in the wind, illuminating the soldiers' resolute faces. The war to protect the remnants of their land had only just begun.