The upheaval shook heaven and earth; the thunderous noise pierced the clouds and split stone.
Limited by their cultivation, Xuanxu and the other Daoists could extend their spiritual perception only a short distance and knew nothing of the situation in the Commandery City. Yet even from hundreds of miles away, they could see the light shooting into the sky and hear the earthquake-like rumbling.
"Disaster!"
"Truly, when the roof leaks, the rain falls all night."
Although they did not know what had happened in the Commandery City, such an upheaval at this critical juncture could only spell disaster, not good fortune. A moment's thought told the Daoists as much. Perhaps the demons pouring out of the mountains were connected to the trouble in the city, seeking to coordinate an assault from within and without to bring down Fengyang Commandery.
The worse things grew, the less they could afford to panic, and the more firmly they had to hold the line and keep the enemy out. No matter what, they could not let the Demon Race leave the mountains, even if their bodies were smashed to pieces, even if their brains and blood splattered the earth. Otherwise, countless lives would be plunged into misery, with untold dead and wounded.
Xuanxu commanded in a deep voice, "All disciples, heed my orders! The safety of countless common folk rests on our shoulders. Hold the grand formation at all costs. Better to die than let a single demon pass through Floating Cloud Mountain. Give them no opening whatsoever!"
The resolve to face death without flinching burned still more fiercely around him. He fixed the Great Demon charging into the formation with an icy gaze, his murderous intent laid bare.
"We obey your command, Sect Master—Senior Brother!"
The other Daoists answered in unison.
At that