Organizing Defense, Resisting Ferocious Beasts Together

The night wind still blew, carrying the scent of burnt grass and wood. I sat by the ruins, knees slightly bent, Flowing Abyss resting across my lap. The spirit beast lay at my feet, its ears twitching occasionally as it stared out into the darkness.

That last battle had taken too much out of me. The bandage on my left arm was damp, the wound untreated, but I could still move. I closed my eyes, extending my spiritual sense once more. Within a ten-mile radius, it was quiet. No large auras were approaching, nor were there any traces of that dark energy flashing by.

But I knew it wouldn't end like this.

I opened my eyes and looked down at the knife in my hand. One person couldn't defend this place alone. Last night, I'd gotten lucky, killing the pack leader before they could surround me. What about next time? What if ten, twenty, or even more came? What if the person behind all this decided to act themselves?

I couldn't wait.

"I can't carry this burden alone anymore," I said softly, turning to the spirit beast. "I need to find people I can trust."

It looked up at me, its eyes brightening as if it understood. I stood up, tucking the remaining jade slips and medicine bottles back into my robes, making sure they were secure. Then, I began walking west along the valley's edge.

The first stop was a crevice on the north slope. A wood spirit lived there, entirely green, like a small tree spirit. Half a month ago, a pack of Shadow Wolves had surrounded it, and I'd casually cut them down, saving it. It hadn't said a word then, only nodded.

Now, I stood outside the crevice and called out, "I'm looking for help to defend the valley."

A few moments of silence passed from within, then the green shadow slowly moved out, standing in the moonlight, its branches swaying gently.

"The fierce beasts will come again," I said. "I might not be able to get here every time. Are you willing to help defend it?"

It didn't answer immediately. After a while, it nodded slightly, extending a thin branch to point towards its root base. "I can entangle their legs."

That was enough. I noted its location and continued on.

The second stop was a dirt pit beneath the east cliff. A rock lizard hid there, its gray-brown skin almost indistinguishable from the earth. When the earthquake split the ground last time, it had almost been buried, but I'd used Flowing Abyss to pry open the rocks and pull it out.

It poked its head out when it heard my footsteps, its eyes fixed on the knife at my waist.

"I want to build an early warning network," I said. "You can feel ground vibrations earlier than anyone. As soon as you detect anything unusual, knock three times on the ground."

It blinked, its tail tapping the ground twice, indicating understanding.

The third stop was a misty area deep in the southern forest. The mist cicada usually remained invisible, only emitting a faint hum when its wings vibrated. It had once been trapped by poisonous miasma, and I had saved it with a Calming Heart Pill.

I stood at the edge of the forest, placing my palm on a tree trunk and channeling some spiritual power into it. Moments later, a short, three-wing-beat sound echoed through the air.

"From now on, if anyone spots trouble, you'll be the one to relay the message to everyone," I said. "Fast, accurate, and no mistakes."

There was a pause in the mist, followed by a clear, responding sound.

The fourth was a little demon by the stream, its semi-transparent body looking like it was formed from water bubbles. It only knew a little water manipulation, not even enough to create waves, but it could guide water flow to a specific location. During the mountain fire, it had risked injury to divert the stream and extinguish a section of the fire line.

When I found it, it was hiding behind a rock, with burn marks on its body.

"Can you still hold on?" I asked.

It raised its face and nodded, its voice weak, "I can put out fires, and I can make the ground slippery."

"Then stay," I said. "Don't fight recklessly, just protect yourself."

The last one was the feathered bird. It had originally built its nest on a high cliff, but a ferocious bird had taken over, and it had been exposed to poisonous mist. I gave it a pill, and it survived, never straying too far.

I found it on the cliff top. It was perched on a broken rock, its feathers not yet fully grown.

"You can fly the highest," I said. "From now on, patrol the sky every half hour. If you see anything unusual, give an immediate warning."

It opened its beak and let out a hoarse cry, then spread its wings and flew up, circling once before landing back in its spot.

Five people, and all had agreed.

I returned to the original stronghold and began dividing the areas. The wood spirit would guard the north slope entrance, setting up tripwires with vines; the rock lizard would be on the east cliff for early warning, responsible for detecting movement first; the mist cicada would be the central communicator, connecting everyone; the stream demon would guard the water source, ready to control fires at any time; the feathered bird would take turns on high-altitude watch.

I myself would be stationed within the central barrier, Flowing Abyss never leaving my hand, my spiritual sense covering the entire valley.

The materials weren't enough, so I had to make do. I took out a tattered fragment of a spirit gathering array diagram that the System had rewarded me with, something I'd won from a quiz before and never used. Now, I buried it in the ground as the array core. I also found seven angular stones and arranged them in a circle according to Zhen Yuanzi's teachings, using the terrain to guide the flow of spiritual energy.

This array wouldn't last long, and its power wasn't great, but at least it would help the barrier hold for a little longer, giving us time to react.

"The outer tripwire array will disrupt the enemy, the middle layer traps them, and I'll be the main defense in the inner layer," I explained to the spirit beast as I set it up. "You stay with me in the core, ready to strike at any moment."

It let out a low growl and lay down beside me.

Day was breaking. I hadn't slept. Everyone else was in position. The wood spirit's branches had already quietly extended to the path; the rock lizard had burrowed underground; the mist cicada had hidden itself in the morning mist; the stream demon was soaking in the shallow water, ready to act; the feathered bird made its final pass over the valley, nodding three times upon landing.

I sat down cross-legged, Flowing Abyss resting on my knees. My spiritual sense spread out, connecting to everyone's location. As soon as they made any move, I would know immediately.

Just then, the System suddenly popped up a notification:

[Detecting complex defensive needs, activating 'Array Synergy' preliminary question bank.]

I ignored it. Now was not the time for quizzes. The real test had not yet arrived.

On the distant mountain ridge, the sky had just begun to show a sliver of gray-white. The wind poured in from the valley entrance, rustling the tattered cloth strips and the tassels of Flowing Abyss.

The spirit beast's ears perked up.

I opened my eyes and looked towards the north slope.

The wood spirit's branches suddenly tightened, as if it had grabbed something.

At the same time, three dull thuds echoed from the east cliff.

They're here.

The feathered bird suddenly took to the sky, the flapping of its wings rapid and chaotic.

The stream demon leaped up, and the water began to converge towards the valley entrance.

The buzzing of the mist cicada cut through the air like a straight line, heading right for me.

I gripped Flowing Abyss and stood up.

The first signal had been triggered, and everyone was in position. I hadn't given an order, but they all knew what to do.

The wind grew stronger.

The blade glinted, a cold, dazzling light.

The soil on the north slope began to loosen, something was climbing its way up.