Shrouded by the Shadow of Death

"Weiwei." Lin Hao's expression was grave. "Listen carefully to what I'm about to say."

Seeing Lin Hao suddenly turn so serious, Jiang Weiwei was very curious.

"I sense a large horde of Fierce Beasts heading our way. From what I can tell, they're probably Hellhounds. There are about 260 of them." The first thing Lin Hao could do was sound the alarm. It was fortunate he had come with Jiang Weiwei; otherwise, these students would probably all die here.

"What?" Jiang Weiwei stared at Lin Hao in shock. She had no reason to doubt his abilities. But the sudden attack by so many Fierce Beasts left her utterly shaken.

"Weiwei, send a distress signal to the Fortress right now. The Hellhounds are still nearly half an hour away, so we can't escape in time. But we shouldn't choose this place as our battlefield, either. Luckily, we're not far from the edge of the forest—only ten minutes away. We need to move to open ground and prepare to meet them."

Jiang Weiwei didn't dare waste any time. Realizing how serious the situation was, she immediately sent a distress signal to Fortress Headquarters. Then she began organizing everyone to move quickly toward the edge of the forest. Fifteen minutes later, they all stopped in an open area.

"Why are we stopping? Aren't we going to keep running?"

"I don't want to die!"

"Why are we so unlucky? We ran into a Beast Tide!"

The students were panicking. After all, they were still freshmen who had never experienced a life-or-death battle. The instructors gathered around Jiang Weiwei to discuss their options, while the teachers organized the students and urged them not to panic. Ten more minutes passed, and even the instructors could sense danger drawing near.

"Students, we've detected a large number of Hellhounds coming to kill us. If we run, we'll only meet a dead end. If we fight, we still have a chance of survival. The Principal has already sent a distress signal to the Fortress. Rescue will arrive in half an hour, which means we need to hold out for twenty minutes."

Hearing this, the students' last shred of hope was snuffed out.

"Damn it, it's only twenty minutes! If we run, we die. If we stand our ground, we might actually survive. I'd like to see just how strong these Fierce Beasts are!"

"Right! Let's slaughter those beasts. My blade's thirsty for blood!"

With no hope left, the students' Battle Intent was roused instead.

"Everyone, form defensive formations in squads of five!" The instructors rapidly issued one order after another.

Once all the orders had been given, everyone stood ready. The weight of death pressed down on every student's heart.

Jiang Weiwei stood beside Su Xiaorui. The teachers and instructors were at the front, ready to withstand the first wave.

Lin Hao asked, "Weiwei, how strong are we?"

Jiang Weiwei's expression was grave. "Not counting the three of us, the ten teachers are all Silver High Rank, and the ten instructors are Gold Initial Stage."

Western Military Region Command.

"Reporting!" A sergeant hurried in, clutching a document.

"Chief, a distress signal has been received from eighty kilometers outside Vermilion Bird Fortress. It came from Jiang Weiwei, Principal of Shancheng Martial University. According to Principal Jiang's report, a large horde of Hellhounds was spotted fifty kilometers into Fierce Beast Forest and is heading toward them. There are estimated to be 260 Fierce Beasts. More than 500 freshmen from Shancheng Martial University are currently training in combat against Fierce Beasts near the edge of the forest. They're expected to encounter the beasts in half an hour. Principal Jiang also said she would stand with her students to the end."

Jiang Tianhai shot to his feet. Jiang Weiwei was his daughter! "Pass on my order. Have Jiang Hanhan, Commander of Vermilion Bird Fortress, lead the Vermilion Bird Legion in a rapid rescue operation. Make sure the Shancheng Martial University students are brought out safely. No mistakes. Anyone who disobeys will face military law."

"Yes." The sergeant saluted and withdrew.

"Weiwei, Lin Hao, Xiao Rui, you have to hold on." Jiang Tianhai's heart was heavy. If they weren't in the middle of a decisive counteroffensive against the Fierce Beasts, he would have rushed to Jiang Weiwei's side at once. But he couldn't leave. If he did, the Fierce Beasts' high-level fighters would exploit the opening, and the casualties would be immeasurable.

At Vermilion Bird Fortress, a curvaceous woman was tallying the casualties from the battle that had just ended. She was Jiang Hanhan, Commander of Vermilion Bird Fortress and a Demigod rank powerhouse.

"Reporting!"

"The Western Military Region Command has issued an order. A horde of Hellhounds is approaching our Fortress from eighty kilometers away. There are an estimated 260 of them, and their combat strength is unknown. Five hundred freshmen from Shancheng Martial University are currently training in the wilderness and are expected to encounter the Hellhounds in twenty minutes. Jiang Hanhan, Commander of Vermilion Bird Fortress, is ordered to lead the Vermilion Bird Legion in a rapid rescue operation. Ensure the safety of the teachers and students of Shancheng Martial University."

After hearing the sergeant's report, Jiang Hanhan furrowed her brows, then issued an order. "Assemble the entire Vermilion Bird Legion within one minute. Launch a rescue mission for the teachers and students of Shancheng Martial University immediately."

The teachers and students of Shancheng Martial University had formed their ranks and were quietly waiting for the Fierce Beasts to arrive.

Five minutes later, countless roars sounded from the forest, making everyone's scalps tingle. Lin Hao slowly opened his eyes. "Weiwei, I'll do my best to hold off their strongest fighters. Xiao Rui, stay here and protect Weiwei."

"Don't underestimate me. I'm the Principal of Shancheng Martial University, and I'm a Gold rank Ability User." Jiang Weiwei smiled, blooming like a hundred flowers. "Weiwei, don't!" Su Xiaorui cut in. "Your ability is a support-type one. You're not suited for close combat."

"Then we'll stick to the original plan," Lin Hao said quietly. "Xiao Rui, you're responsible for protecting Weiwei. Don't let a single Fierce Beast get near her."

Just then, a fierce gale suddenly swept in from ahead, nearly blinding everyone. When it passed, a doglike Fierce Beast appeared before them, as large as a Tibetan mastiff and covered in black fur. Its savage face looked like a demon from hell. A foul stench poured from its gaping maw, and drool dribbled from its mouth.

Everyone stared down the Hellhound in silence. Before long, there were two, then ten, then a hundred, then two hundred. The sight made everyone's scalps tingle, as a dense shadow of death pressed down on every heart. The Wu University students formed squads of five, shields clutched tightly in their hands.

"This is the moment when we fight for our lives! Students, show them the mettle of a martial artist!" The instructors and teachers rallied the students behind them. There was no way the handful of them could stop more than 200 Hellhounds.

The first wave of Hellhounds began its attack. The Wu University instructors and teachers, with their Gold and Silver rank strength, could barely stop a few dozen. More than a hundred Hellhounds charged toward the Wu University students behind them. In that first charge alone, dozens of people were sent flying into the air.