Two incense sticks' worth of time!
No matter which choice he made, Tan Quanming's heart would never know peace again.
The others in the helicopter fell silent, too.
Black Scale King lounged leisurely in his palanquin, waiting patiently. Hundreds of thousands of demon beasts lay prostrate on the ground, turning the desert beyond the city black.
"Mayor, let the citizens decide!"
The pilot suddenly spoke up. He couldn't bear to see Tan Quanming carry all the pressure alone.
Tan Quanming could only sigh. "Connect to the citywide broadcast."
Broadcast stations had been set up in every district of Xiwan City. Over the past half-month, the broadcasts had all been restored to normal. It was only thanks to the broadcasts that the whole city had been able to unite so quickly.
A man beside him, wearing headphones, nodded and picked up a work case by his feet. Inside was a dense array of electronic equipment, and a tablet was built into the inside of the lid.
He began connecting to the citywide broadcast.
Before long,
the broadcast stations in every district of Xiwan City emitted a buzz. Then Tan Quanming's somber voice came through. "Citizens, this is Tan Quanming. I have grave news to announce."
"Black Scale King has brought hundreds of thousands of demons and is waiting outside the city. We can either fight or surrender. If we surrender, we'll have to send him one hundred people every day to serve as food."
"Black Scale King's army is too strong. Although we've begun cultivating, we're no match for them."
"I'm leaving the choice to you. Whether we fight or surrender, I'll respect the decision of the majority, and I'll follow it too. Even if we fight to the death, I won't retreat!"
"You have five minutes. After that, I hope everyone who wants to surrender will go to the nearest broadcast station. Each station will announce its decision."
The entire city fell silent!
Tan Quanming's voice was heavy and tragic, plunging everyone into fear and despair.
On the roof of a five-story apartment building in Xiwan City, a man sat cross-legged with a bronze saber resting across his knees. A dragon was engraved along its spine. It was one of the treasures left behind by the Xuanyuan Human Emperor: the Dragon Cry Blade.
That man was Zhu Tienan!
Zhu Tienan slowly opened his eyes, exhaled a breath of stale air, and gazed toward the north of the city. "The Demon Army is attacking the city. The great culling has arrived," he murmured.
In his view, the Xuanyuan Human Emperor had sent Xiwan City here for no reason other than to make its people saviors of the Desolate Ancient Human Race.
Saviors were always few and far between.
The Xuanyuan Human Emperor's actions were a great sifting of the sands!
Only those who survived deserved to be chosen by fate.
He rose with his blade in hand, ready to leave at any moment.
He wouldn't throw his life away for Xiwan City. In such a desperate situation, there was no saving it.
Still, he wanted to wait a little longer. He could always leave once the fighting started.
What if a miracle happened?
Elsewhere,
Zhang Manting and her family were gripped by panic, while Nan Xiaopao paced back and forth in the living room.
The scene was so much like the one at Baiqiao University. But compared with the Red Blood Snake King, Black Scale King was stronger, and the crisis now engulfed the entire city.
"Get ready to run. Even if we surrender, we won't live much longer," Zhang Manting said through gritted teeth. She was decisive, at least.
One hundred people a day meant three thousand a month, and that was only the minimum. What if Black Scale King changed his mind?
"Run... where? The city is surrounded by demons..."
Zhang Manting's father slumped down in front of the sofa, his face drained of life and his voice numb. He was clearly on the verge of breaking down.
Nan Xiaopao said nothing. Her thoughts were consumed by Su Yi. With the Demon Army at the gates, what if Su Yi ran into them? That would be trouble.
Su Yi was strong, but could he take on hundreds of thousands of demon beasts?
And Black Scale King was even stronger than Old Lord Qiyang.
Time trickled by.
Oppression and despair spread through Xiwan City. Hardly anyone could be seen walking the streets.
The soldiers in the north of the city were drenched in cold sweat. Their hands tightened around their guns, their eyes fixed on the distance as they feared the demon beast army might erupt into action at any moment.
The helicopter had landed outside the city, too. Tan Quanming stood before the hundreds of thousands of demon beasts, his back unyielding. He looked a little stooped, yet carried the bearing of a single man holding the pass against ten thousand foes.
Some people had little strength, but their spirit was mighty!
"Do you think these mortals will surrender?"
Black Scale King propped his cheek on one hand and yawned, asking nonchalantly.
The Red-Haired Rabbit at his feet snorted. "Of course they'll surrender. That's human nature. Sacrificing a small portion of their people to save everyone else is an easy choice for them."
Black Scale King smiled faintly, his smile utterly cruel.
Just then, a figure appeared on the road north of the city.
He wore a white shirt and black jeans, and held a sword in his hand. He walked at an unhurried pace.
It was Su Yi.
His expression was calm as he looked ahead, his right hand gripping the Zhouwu Sword. It trembled faintly.
Though he possessed the strength of a hundred dragons, he was still mortal.
He could feel nervous. He could feel afraid.
But Xiwan City faced such a crisis. He felt he had to step forward.
Usually, he always looked out for himself. But today, it was no longer about one person's life or death.
It was about the survival of a race!
The people of Xiwan City had become a people of their own. In the Desolate Ancient, they were the only ones who had come from Earth.
"Fight, then! Fight! If I walk away, I'll never be able to live with myself!"
"Everyone has to go wild once in their life!"
"A man should live without shame in his heart!"
Su Yi murmured to himself, trying to steel his nerves. Sunlight glinted gold along the Zhouwu Sword, and a strange force seeped into his palm.
A haughty pride rose from the depths of his soul,
sweeping away all his fear.
Before long, he had walked out of Xiwan City. The soldiers stationed by the city noticed him, and a middle-aged man hurriedly shouted, "Kid! Get back here! Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
The middle-aged man's son was about Su Yi's age. In his eyes, Su Yi was just a child, and he couldn't bear to see him walk to his death.
But Su Yi ignored him and kept going.
"What's he trying to do?"
"He's holding a sword? Could it be...?"
"Is he crazy? He actually wants to challenge the demon beast army!"
"Ha, the young still have some fire in their blood."
"I don't buy it! We might as well fight those bastards to the death!"
Watching Su Yi stride forward, the soldiers felt the fire in their blood stir.
Better to die fighting than live as slaves!
One after another, soldiers walked out with their guns and followed behind Su Yi.
The people in the helicopter noticed them, too.
"Who's that?"
One of the bodyguards asked in shock. Su Yi looked so young and clean-cut, giving the impression of someone harmless to people or animals. Yet with the whole city in danger, he had walked out beyond the city walls, stirring people's hearts with the force of his courage.
Tan Quanming heard the commotion behind him and instinctively turned around.
The moment he saw Su Yi, he panicked and shouted, "What are you doing out here, kid? Get back!"
Su Yi didn't move. "I came out to slay demons," he said softly.
Slay demons!
Those two words brimmed with killing intent. They roused hundreds of thousands of demon beasts, frightening them into rising to their feet. Like a black tide surging upward, they made even the earth tremble.
Su Yi's gaze startled Tan Quanming. He had never seen eyes so resolute.
It was as if no one could stop Su Yi from moving forward.
"Hm? This aura..."
Black Scale King gave a startled exclamation from inside the palanquin, a thoughtful look coming over his face.
The first update of the day, at dawn.
Before you continue