Beast Tide Strikes (2)

Bang! Bang!

At that moment, the Beast Tide set its sights on Ziyang Mountain.

Roar! Roar!

The demon beasts roared and began attacking Ziyang Mountain.

The Wind Howling Wolf roared, spitting out a wind blade that struck the grand array.

The Lightning Rabbit opened its mouth and spat out a bolt of lightning at the grand array.

Then came the Fanged Boar, spitting black water arrows at the grand array.

Beasts gathered in swarms, assaulting the Mountain Protection Array on Ziyang Mountain. Each individual attack was weak, but when thousands upon thousands of demon beasts joined forces, they carried a heaven-shaking, earth-moving might.

Ziyang Mountain itself trembled.

The grand array swayed, seeming as though it might collapse at any moment.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The demon beasts continued their assault. An unbroken stream of spells bombarded the array, making the grand array shake as though it were about to break apart.

Yet purple radiance flickered, forcefully dissolving one danger after another.

Lu Xuanji watched this scene, his heart wavering.

Once the Mountain Protection Array was breached, the two million mortals and more than a thousand cultivators on Ziyang Mountain would all become the demon beasts' blood feast.

"Lineage cultivators, take command of the array eyes and guard against any unexpected developments!"

At that moment, the Great Elder's voice rang out, cold and merciless.

"Without orders from the Lineage, no one is to act rashly!"

Lu Xuanji returned within the Cave Dwelling, sat upright on a Dao Platform, and circulated his true qi.

The Dao Platform began to operate.

Every cave dwelling on Ziyang Mountain was an Array Node. Under normal circumstances, the Spirit Vein supplied cultivators with spiritual energy for cultivation, but at this moment, it became an endless source of spiritual energy supporting the array's operation. The third-grade Ziyang Grand Array began to run.

As the array operated, a purple barrier rose and enveloped Ziyang Mountain. Rune after rune flickered and shifted, resisting the demon beasts' onslaught.

Bang! Bang!

The array operated with violent resounding crashes.

Lu Xuanji felt uneasy and worried.

The Beast Tide came once every hundred years. It was almost unavoidable.

In the eyes of demon beasts, humans were peerless delicacies. Devouring humans could awaken their intelligence, accelerate their cultivation, and was tantamount to a supreme medicinal treasure. Whenever the Beast Tide erupted, it was a grand holy feast for demon beasts, a time for them to gather and dine.

Seven days later, seeing that the array could not be broken, some demon beasts gradually dispersed to attack other weaker areas in search of blood food.

Sensing that the number of demon beasts outside was decreasing, Lu Xuanji heaved a slight sigh of relief.

Ziyang Mountain was safe for the time being.

But it was not truly secure.

The demon beast horde below Ziyang Mountain was not incapable of breaking through Ziyang Mountain. It was simply that doing so would exact an enormous price. Rather than spend such a price here, they might as well attack Spirit Mountains with weaker defenses.

Still, they had to beware of the demon beasts turning back for a second charge.

"The Beast Tide is truly terrifying. I wonder how many Rogue Cultivators and Foundation Establishment Families were destroyed in it this time." Lu Xuanji felt uneasy, worrying about the Purple Mansion Ancestors and Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Lineage who had gone to war, as well as his father, who had joined the battle.

Ziyang Mountain possessed a third-grade grand array capable of withstanding attacks from Purple Mansion cultivators. Even if a Golden Core Ancestor struck, it would take some time to wear it down.

However, maintaining the Ziyang Grand Array required consuming the Spirit Vein's power.

Keeping the grand array running for too long would exhaust the Spirit Vein, perhaps even destroy it.

Huddling atop a Spirit Mountain and defending passively was little more than a slow death.

Whenever the Beast Tide came, the Danyang Sect led Purple Mansion cultivators and Foundation Establishment Cultivators to intercept the high-level demon beasts. Those high-level cultivators stopped large numbers of high-level demon beasts at the front, leaving the Beast Tide mostly composed of low-level demon beasts, with mid- and high-level ones scarce. Only then could humanity hold out in one Spirit Mountain after another and preserve itself.

The Beast Tide continued. After a month, it began to recede.

Foundation Establishment Cultivators went out to investigate and found that the Beast Tide had retreated ten thousand li away.

About ten days later, all the demon beasts had withdrawn back into the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.

The Beast Tide was over.

Yet the land was covered in devastation. Many towns and Spirit Mountains had suffered catastrophic destruction, countless humans had become blood food, and many cultivators had perished as well.

Under the Great Elder's command, Ziyang Mountain began evacuating people in an orderly fashion. The two million mortals gradually departed and returned to their original homes.

One flying boat after another rose into the air, escorting the mortals away.

The many cultivators all let out sighs of relief.

The Beast Tide was over. They had finally endured it.

Amid the ruins, the land began to recuperate, and some human towns slowly regained their vitality.

Returning to his cave dwelling, Lu Xuanji sensed the Spirit Aperture.

Hardly any spiritual energy leaked out from within the Spirit Aperture.

In order to maintain the Mountain Protection Array, the Spirit Vein on Ziyang Mountain had been severely depleted. It needed time to recover; for the next five years, cultivation was out of the question.

Ten days later, the Jiaolong appeared in the skies.

But now, the Jiaolong was somewhat battered, swaying unsteadily.

Several familiar faces were missing from the flying boat.

When they had set out, there had been one Purple Mansion Ancestor and twelve Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Yet upon their return, only five Foundation Establishment Cultivators remained. Purple Mansion Ancestor Lu Fuming's face was pale. After offering only a brief greeting, he hurried away.

Amid the crowd, Lu Xuanji saw his father.

"Father!"

"Son!"

Seeing his father, Lu Xuanji cried out in delight.

His father smiled as well, though his expression was somewhat weary.

"My son is dead? Impossible!"

"Father, how could you die!"

"Husband, wuwuwu!"

At that moment, Lu Xuanji heard the cries of some clan members. Their relatives had died in the calamity of the Beast Tide.

The greater one's power, the greater one's responsibility.

Within the Lineage, in order to support a single Foundation Establishment Cultivator, many low- and mid-level cultivators had to sacrifice and scrimp. Foundation Establishment Cultivators enjoyed supreme authority, but when the Lineage faced danger, they also had to charge at the forefront.

Just as with this Beast Tide, mortals and low-level cultivators could hide on the mountain, within the Mountain Protection Array, but Foundation Establishment Cultivators could not.

Foundation Establishment Cultivators had to charge at the forefront.

At the front lines, they intercepted high-level demon beasts and eased the burden on the Spirit Mountains.

His father said nothing more and went straight back to the courtyard.

His mother began cooking.

Before long, five dishes and three bowls of Spirit Rice were ready.

As he ate the Spirit Rice, his father said, "At the front lines, the attacking demon beasts came without end. There were Purple Mansion Demon Beasts and Golden Core Demon Beasts. The fighting was bitter..."

His father rambled on about the front lines and the war.

War claimed lives.

In the battle at the front lines, the Lu Clan had lost five Foundation Establishment Cultivators, while the remaining Foundation Establishment Cultivators had all suffered injuries of varying severity. Of course, the Demon Race had suffered no small number of casualties as well.

"Father, can't we avoid fighting? Can't there be peace? Can't we simply farm in peace and manage our businesses?" Lu Xuanji asked, a trace of worry flashing through his eyes.

"No one likes war. If several Foundation Establishment Cultivators die on the battlefield, the Lineage's vitality is damaged. Even if they are merely wounded in battle, they need several years of recuperation to recover their strength... But we have no choice."

His father looked somewhat melancholy. "Resources are limited. To compete for resources, the Demon Race must wage war against the Human Race. The Demon Race needs humans as blood food to awaken intelligence, strengthen its origin, and speed up evolution. The Human Race must also hunt demon beasts, using their inner cores to refine Foundation Establishment Pills; their hides and fur can be used to make talismans; their bones can be forged into magical artifacts."

PS: Seeking Monthly Votes, Seeking reward. The next chapter will be updated tonight.