What was that sound?
Everyone tensed up. The sound had seemed to ring right beside their ears, making their scalps prickle.
The Four Elders of Great Wei were in an uproar.
"It really is her... the Bat Queen!"
The goateed cultivator stammered, his eyes filled with terror.
The female cultivator spoke up. "Let's go. This mission is doomed to fail."
The Great Wei ruler had sent them not only to recruit Su Yi, but also to seize Xiwan City. But now, it seemed the ruler of Great Wei had been dreaming.
Great Wei wasn't strong enough to swallow up Strange City!
"Wait a little longer!"
Another cultivator spoke. The Four Elders of Great Wei had no hierarchy among them; each was as close as a brother to the others. His words helped the other three calm down.
The Bat Queen hadn't even appeared yet. If they ran now, how humiliating would that be?
"Shriek! Shriek! Shriek—"
"Caw! Caw—"
Just then, a chorus of shrieks rang out from the west of the city, as if countless bats and birds were shrieking together.
They looked toward the sound. A vast, dark mass swept in from the horizon, stirring up thunder that shook the heavens.
"Demons are coming! Demons are coming!"
"Oh my god, what's that sound?"
"It's coming from the west! Hurry and look—what is that?"
"How terrifying! Is that an army of bird demons?"
The satellite that had just taken to the sky transmitted the images to Xiwan City's official website, plunging the entire city into panic.
Peace had not lasted long. The crisis had come again.
"We can't fight them. We'd better retreat."
At that moment, Feng Long's voice suddenly rang in Su Yi's mind.
Even Feng Long said they couldn't fight. That meant the enemy was beyond the Nascent Soul Realm!
Su Yi's heart sank as he struggled to decide. If he left, Xiwan City would surely be plunged into ruin. The Demon Race had always been cruel to humans; to them, people were nothing but food.
"What are you thinking about?"
Nan Xiaopao tightened her grip on Su Yi's hand and asked with concern.
Su Yi considered his words. "This enemy is no ordinary foe."
He didn't explain further, but Nan Xiaopao understood what he meant.
"Should we run?"
Nan Xiaopao asked considerately. She understood the pressure on Su Yi, but he had risked his life for Xiwan City time and time again. He had already done more than enough.
She cared more about Su Yi than everyone in the city.
Su Yi didn't answer. He was still hesitating.
With the Divine Shadow Legion, he could help Xiwan City overcome this crisis—but what about the next one?
In the days ahead, forces from all over would gather here. Even if he stayed, he'd be in grave danger.
"Let's see what happens first."
Su Yi sighed. It wasn't that he had a saintly heart. He simply felt they all came from Earth and were all Chinese. If he could save them, he should.
Meanwhile, the army of bats and demon birds had reached the skies above Xiwan City. Beneath the rolling thunderclouds, they looked like demons roaring in the heavens.
Most of the bats were as large as eagles, while the other demon birds were even bigger. One Golden-Feathered Vulture had a wingspan of thirty feet and hovered in the sky like an airplane.
This Demon Army far outnumbered the one led by the Black Scale King last time. There were at least a million of them.
Anyone who saw this would feel utterly powerless.
When city lord Tan Quanming saw them, he collapsed to the ground, his face deathly pale. He muttered to himself, "It's over... It's over..."
Zhang Yicheng, standing behind him, was trembling too, overcome by the urge to turn and run.
"Oh my god... We're done for..."
"Abandon the city! Let as many people escape as can!"
"Why are so many demons attacking us again? Did we offend them somehow?"
"Damn it! We haven't had enough time to cultivate. This is a freaking death dungeon!"
"Does the Xuanyuan Human Emperor really expect us to be saviors? He's just messing with us!"
Everyone was panicking. The cries of women and children rang out from every corner of the city.
Although they had embarked on the path of cultivation, their cultivation was too weak. They were still helpless against an army of demons.
Just then, thousands of bats parted, revealing a seductive and sinister figure.
She was a woman with a pair of bat wings growing from her back. Though she had taken human form, her transformation was incomplete; her hands were still shaped like bat claws. Her blood-red hair whipped wildly in the air, and her face was bewitchingly beautiful. She wore a long skirt made of snakeskin, and her eyes were vicious.
The Bat Queen!
She was a peerless Great Demon, more fearsome than the Black Scale King and Laojun Qiyang!
Looking down at Xiwan City, she said, "Hand over the Qiling Holy Body and worship me as your master. Then you can live."
Her voice rang throughout the city, reaching every corner.
They wanted them to submit again!
Everyone's hearts sank. Since arriving in the Desolate Ancient, whom had they ever offended?
They had always been treated as prey, toyed with at will. It infuriated them, but left them feeling powerless too.
In the Desolate Ancient, there was no such thing as law.
Only the strong preyed on the weak!
"She wants me?"
Nan Xiaopao frowned. She wasn't afraid, but she was furious.
Su Yi stared at the Bat Queen and asked in his heart, "If you took action, could you defeat her?"
"No. Your body can't withstand the power needed to defeat her."
Feng Long answered without hesitation, sending Su Yi's heart sinking to the bottom.
Just then, the Four Elders of Great Wei appeared in front of them.
The goateed cultivator spoke first. "Su Yi, come with us. The one up there is the Bat Queen. She commands a Demon Kingdom. Xiwan City can't be saved!"
The other three chimed in, all urging Su Yi and Nan Xiaopao to go to Great Wei.
Even if they fled now, they would be hunted down.
Su Yi didn't agree. Instead, he asked, "If I drive off the Bat Queen, can you take in Xiwan City?"
The Four Elders of Great Wei fell silent.
Meanwhile, Su Yi sent a message in the Emperor Su Sect chat in his mind.
Emperor Su: Xia Tianyi, Devil Lord Qingyan, how do you compare to the Bat Queen?
Black Tiger Emperor: The Bat Queen? What, have you taken a fancy to her?
Demon Wolf Star: I've reached Strange City and seen the Bat Queen. That woman's such a show-off!
Devil Lord Qingyan: The Bat Queen? How could she compare to me?
Xia Tianyi: Two strikes at most.
One had to admit that Devil Lord Qingyan and Xia Tianyi were the two biggest show-offs in the Emperor Su Sect. They were brief, yet so arrogant they had no friends.
Su Yi relaxed as soon as he saw their replies.
He opened his eyes and asked after a moment's thought, "If you can't protect Xiwan City, do you know any righteous sects or Fierce Tang?"
He would have to leave sooner or later. Before he did, he had to find a protector for Xiwan City, at least until the citizens grew stronger.
"Hmph. Fierce Tang is overbearing. They'll surely exploit Xiwan City. As for the righteous sects, I know an elder from Qingyi Sect. I can send them a message, but..."
The goateed cultivator hesitated.
Qingyi Sect was a righteous sect. Even Luoshui Sect's affiliated forces couldn't compare to it, and even the Seven Dynasties had to show it respect.
Su Yi immediately said, "If you can persuade them, I'll owe Great Wei a favor!"
He couldn't trust the demonic path. The righteous sects might not truly be righteous, but at least they wouldn't openly massacre the citizens of Xiwan City.
Third update, bonus chapter~~
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