September arrived, and Lin Chenxing broke through once again, reaching Advanced Battle General Level. Gao Zheng and He Qishun also made breakthroughs.
After firearms stopped working, news came that shattered the base's quiet.
According to the Exploration Team's observations, the monsters in the mountains were behaving strangely. Some had begun gathering.
"Looks like another Beast Tide is coming," He Qishun said at the Base High-Level Meeting after hearing the report.
Gao Zheng said with concern, "I suspect this Beast Tide could be far worse than the last one. Before, they appeared almost once a month, but this time, more than four months have passed without one. Just imagine how many monsters will have gathered by now."
As one of the base's main combat forces, Peng Tianwen had recently joined the Base High-Level Meeting. He was too young and inexperienced to have a vote, but he was allowed to ask questions. "Then why don't we go kill the monsters ahead of time?"
He Qishun shook his head with a smile. "Killing them would certainly reduce their numbers, but it would also delay the Beast Tide. By the time it came, the monsters would have built up far greater strength than they have now. We definitely can't grow stronger as quickly as they gather. We've tried that approach before."
Peng Tianwen tilted his head slightly, looking as if he understood.
Just then, Guo Qichang said impatiently, "We've survived so many Beast Tides already. Why worry about this one? Sure, we won't have firearms this time, but with Tianwen's ability, as long as the monsters don't exceed Advanced Battle General Level, he can cut them down like wheat."
His point made sense. If Peng Tianwen used his ability skillfully, not a single monster would get away. And even if Advanced Beast Generals appeared, Gao Zheng, He Qishun, and Lin Chenxing could take them on. By that reckoning, victory seemed certain.
Ma Tianxing agreed with Guo Qichang, but he believed it was always better to be cautious. "Remember, even Hehe County's outpost, which was much stronger than us, has vanished. What if a Lord-level Monster shows up near our little base?"
Guo Qichang didn't respond, but he thought that if a Lord-level Monster had been interested in a small place like Xingyan Base, it would have come long ago. Why wait until now?
As the meeting went on, everyone agreed that a Lord-level Monster was unlikely to appear. But how would they hold off a large number of Beast Generals?
The base had only four Advanced Battle Generals. Although some Intermediate Battle Generals had broken through this month, there were still only nine of them, along with twenty-four Primary Battle Generals. Compared to the monsters of the Taihang Mountains, their strength was merely passable.
At last, three days later, the Beast Tide arrived.
Just as they had predicted, no Lord-level Monster appeared. But six Advanced Beast Generals did, and one of them gave off an aura far stronger than the others, as if it were only one step away from Lord-level.
It was the wolf they had been guarding against for so long. It had changed tremendously since they had first encountered it. Back then, it had been only slightly larger than other wolves, with dark-red markings on its body, scarlet eyes, and a faint red tinge at the tip of its tail.
Now the giant wolf was nearly four meters long and about 1.8 meters tall. Dark-red markings coiled across its body like clouds, and its tail had turned completely red.
The giant wolf howled. Nearly a thousand monsters behind it surged forward, charging toward the base's walls.
On the walls, all the Warriors stood fully armed, waiting for the order.
A short Martial Artist standing at the front stepped forward. It was Peng Tianwen. A dozen or so jade-like bamboo leaves floated up around him, swiftly reaping the lives of the monsters leading the charge.
The giant wolf watched, a glint passing through its eyes. It gave another soft howl, and a pig-shaped monster, seven or eight meters tall, began lumbering forward.
The monsters in its path were crushed underfoot without a second thought.
As Gao Zheng looked at the beast, relevant information came to mind. It was an Adamantine Bristle Boar. Its fur was impervious to blades and spears, and it had only two weaknesses: the insides of its ears and its belly. The bones inside its snout had been reinforced, so attacking its brain through its nose was impossible.
But the Adamantine Bristle Boar's belly usually hung all the way down to the ground. Unless it was flipped over, there was no way to slash it open from underneath. That left only its ears as a weak point.
To reach its brain through the ear canal, an attacker had to strike when its ears were raised. The rest of the time, they were covered.
Not wanting the Adamantine Bristle Boar to interfere with Peng Tianwen, Gao Zheng signaled Guo Qichang to intercept it. Guo Qichang fought with his fists and shield, focusing on holding his ground rather than dealing damage, making him well suited to fighting a tough-skinned monster like this. Although he was only an Intermediate Battle General, he merely needed to hold it off. He could also use the pressure to try to force a breakthrough.
Another Advanced Beast General, a catlike monster, came out right after. Lin Chenxing went straight to meet it. Among the monsters still behind, it was the most fragile, and fighting it would let him make use of his other body—his clone.
The base had far fewer Advanced Battle Generals than the monster horde. If every Advanced Beast General required one of them to fight it, the base was certain to lose. To guard against a sudden attack from the giant wolf, Gao Zheng stayed atop the wall, keeping his eyes fixed on it.
He Qishun and the remaining eight Intermediate Battle Generals each moved to intercept the other three Advanced Beast Generals.
Unexpectedly, the giant wolf still made no move. It simply watched in silence as Peng Tianwen slaughtered every Beast Soldier that came within a hundred meters of the base. Quite a few Junior Beast Generals had died as well.
By then, Peng Tianwen could no longer keep going. He collapsed on the wall.
Perhaps the giant wolf felt that the time was right. At its howl, the eyes of all the monsters began to glow with an eerie red light. They no longer seemed to fear death.
The giant wolf sprang into action, pouncing straight at Guo Qichang, who was fighting the Adamantine Bristle Boar.
Gao Zheng had been watching the giant wolf the whole time. He leaped from the wall at once and rushed toward Guo Qichang.
A spear appeared behind Guo Qichang, blocking the giant wolf's sweeping claws.
The giant wolf quickly retreated, then turned and dashed toward He Qishun.
Watching its movements, Gao Zheng felt a flicker of anger. He also gave the giant wolf a name at last: Blood Demon Wolf.
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