Beast Tide Descends

As Jiang Ming stood there in silence, the Xu father and son understood that he had spoken the truth and was not lying. Xu Kai clenched his teeth and shouted angrily, "Young master, so what if she is the Nalan Clan's second miss? The forces of our Border City are not to be underestimated either!" Yet Jiang Ming turned a deaf ear to them and walked straight toward Nalan Yu, gently undoing the ropes around her.

The moment Nalan Yu regained her freedom, she threw herself into Jiang Ming's arms like a bird returning to the forest, weeping softly as tears fell like pearls from a snapped string.

Jiang Ming gently stroked her hair and comforted her in a soft voice. "Don't be afraid. I'm here." Then he raised his head, fixing the Xu father and son with a resolute gaze as he said coldly, "Remember this: only I get to bully my people."

Xu Kai's face turned livid with rage upon hearing this. Grinding his teeth, he said, "Young master, you'd best think this through. Azure City is far from here—its whip cannot reach this far. And the Xu Clan's influence in Border City is no weaker than the Nalan Clan's!"

"Father, why waste words with him? I want that Catgirl behind him too." Xu Fan stared at Jiang Naicha with a lecherous look in his eyes.

Feeling that burning gaze, Jiang Naicha's body trembled involuntarily. She clutched the corner of Jiang Ming's clothes tightly and shrank farther behind him.

Within Jiang Ming's senses, every cultivator of the Xu Clan had gathered around. Even most of the city guards had come over, surrounding Jiang Ming and the others in the center.

"Brother, there's a road to heaven, but you refuse to take it. Hahaha, I'll gladly take your women—" Before Xu Fan could finish speaking, a muffled bang rang out. His head exploded instantly, red and white matter splattering everywhere.

"No!!!" Xu Kai watched his son die before his very eyes, his eyes splitting wide with fury. His gaze, bloodshot and fixed on Jiang Ming, brimmed with hatred as he unleashed the full aura of the Ninth Layer of the Core-Gathering Realm. The immense pressure made even the surrounding air grow heavy.

Suddenly, an even more powerful pressure emerged.

That pressure was like a towering mountain crushing down upon everyone, making it impossible to breathe. Xu Kai's eyes widened as he stared at Jiang Ming in disbelief, his face filled with terror and despair. His body began to shake, and he spat out a mouthful of blood that stained the front of his robe.

Jiang Ming looked at them expressionlessly, his gaze cold and unwavering. Golden light flickered within his eyes, blazing as fiercely as burning flames. Under his gaze, the temperature within the City Lord's Manor rose sharply, as though everyone had been thrown into a furnace.

Xu Kai was closest to Jiang Ming. Crimson flames suddenly ignited over his body, raging fiercely and swallowing him whole in an instant. He struggled in agony, but the merciless flames devoured his body. Before long, he had turned into a handful of black ash.

Xu Fan's corpse was likewise engulfed by flames, ultimately becoming a pile of black remnants.

Afterward, the cultivators and soldiers who had entered the City Lord's Manor met the same fate one after another. Raging fire erupted from their bodies, flames licking at their skin and plunging them into endless agony. Though they struggled desperately, none could escape the doom of death, all turning into handfuls of fresh black ash.

Yet under Jiang Ming's deliberate control, those flames did not harm Jiang Naicha and Nalan Yu in the slightest. Even the buildings of the City Lord's Manor remained completely unharmed.

At that moment, viewed from outside the City Lord's Manor, the residence seemed to be enveloped by a crimson barrier, appearing especially strange and sinister.

Outside the City Lord's Manor,

Wu Jie looked at the crimson sight before him, unable to keep worry from rising in his heart. Recently, only people from Azure City had arrived. He had seen the breathtaking beauty of the two women, and he also knew the young city lord's vile nature all too well.

He could only hope that the city lord was all right. The beast tide was approaching; without the city lord's strength, Border City would surely fall.

The crimson radiance quickly receded. Before long, Jiang Ming emerged from the City Lord's Manor, followed by Jiang Naicha, who was supporting Nalan Yu.

"Young master, may I ask what happened?" Wu Jie still clung to a shred of hope, but he had not even dared approach that crimson heat. Even the city lord, at the Ninth Layer of the Spirit-Gathering Realm, would likely have struggled to withstand it.

"Your young city lord forcibly took my maidservant, and you're asking me what happened?" Jiang Ming countered. His golden eyes shone with an intimidating light. He did not believe that this city-defense general, whose guards were spread throughout the city, knew nothing of it.

"This..." Wu Jie was rendered speechless. He did know of the young city lord's actions, but defending the city required the city lord's aid. Faced with the city lord's indulgence, he could only turn a blind eye.

"I beg that you do not take offense, young master. The city lord is Border City's strongest expert. I truly have the will but lack the strength." Wu Jie wore a helpless expression as he took out a storage pouch. "This is a small token of my sincerity. I hope you will not disdain it."

Jiang Ming glanced at the storage pouch. How shabby. Who does he think he's looking down on? "Keep this trash for yourself."

"Thank you, young master!!" Wu Jie awkwardly put the storage pouch away.

"I implore you, young master, to put aside past grievances and help us resist the beast tide!" Wu Jie suddenly dropped to his knees.

"Oh? And what can you offer?" Jiang Ming asked with a half-smile.

"Everything in Border City. Whatever the young master wants, you may have!" Wu Jie said solemnly.

"Everything under the heavens in Central Province belongs to the Jiang Clan. Can you represent the Jiang Clan?" The corners of Jiang Ming's lips curved upward.

Wu Jie shook his head. "The Azure Region is such a backwater that the Jiang Clan cannot even be bothered to govern it. Besides, young master, you are a person of the Azure Region."

Jiang Ming laughed. "When did I ever say I was from the Azure Region?"

"Uh..." Wu Jie was stunned for a moment, then gritted his teeth. "No matter who you are, young master, as long as you help us, Border City will be yours."

"I can help defend the city!" Jiang Ming said with a smile. Everything belonging to the Jiang Clan belonged to this imperial son.

"Thank you, young master!!" Wu Jie immediately began kowtowing.

Jiang Ming's mouth twitched. This city-defense general truly knew when to bend and when to stretch.

"Bad news! Bad news, General! The beast tide is here!" A soldier ran over. Seeing Wu Jie kneeling in worship, he froze for a moment before coming to his senses and reporting.

Wu Jie immediately rose to his feet. "I beg the young master to help!"

Jiang Ming nodded and took the lead toward the city wall.

In the distance, yellow sand filled the sky, and the vibrations of the ground could be felt even from here.

"The demonic beasts near Border City are mainly Sand Scorpions and Sand Lizards. The strongest among them are third-rank. In the past, the city lord and I dealt with them," Wu Jie said as he walked beside Jiang Ming.

Border City's defenses had always relied on its sturdy walls. These walls were built from a special ore, so hard that only cultivators of the Core-Gathering Realm could break through them. However, that did not mean Border City could sleep easy on a high pillow. During countless beast tides, the demonic beasts had still brought immense pressure upon the city.

Jiang Ming gently stroked Jiang Naicha's head, then took a single step forward and stood steadily in midair before Border City. His figure was tall and resolute, like an unshakable mountain.

Jiang Naicha's eyes shone with admiration and excitement as she watched the radiant young man before her without blinking. At that moment, Jiang Ming became the center of attention, and everyone's eyes focused on him.

"Who is he? What's he going out front for?" someone asked curiously.

"No idea. He doesn't look like he's from Border City. Maybe he's reinforcements," another person guessed.

"I know. The general brought him back. I even saw the general kneeling before him and begging him for help," a soldier revealed cautiously.