A Beast Tide, the Fleet Comes to the Rescue
"This is amazing! It's truly incredible!" Gu Lin exclaimed, his beard trembling with excitement. "It's extremely pure, and the quality is better than any Fallen Star Iron I've ever seen!"
He looked up into the depths of the valley and saw that the closer he got to the center, the larger the Fallen Star Iron became, and the denser the stellar power was.
"This mine can be mined for at least several decades!" Gu Lin murmured. "With it, how many Spirit Treasure can the Artifact Hall refine?"
Zhi Qianshu laughed from the side, "Since Elder Gu thinks it's a good idea, let's get started right away! Our tribe's warriors can also help with mining and transporting goods; we have enough manpower!"
"Alright! Then I'll have to trouble you, Chief!"
Immediately, everyone got busy.
The array masters set up defensive and warning arrays around the valley, the guards cleared out the surrounding wild beasts, the disciples of the Artifact Hall explored the veins and planned the mining area, and the warriors of the Biyuan Tribe helped set up tents and transport supplies.
Everything is proceeding smoothly.
Gu Lin had even begun to plan that after the first batch of Fallen Star Iron, he would first forge a new sword for the sect leader, and then upgrade the spirit cannon barrels of the fleet.
But no one expected that the peace would only last for two days.
Late on the third night, urgent alarms suddenly blared throughout the mine camp.
"Enemy attack! It's wild beasts! So many wild beasts!"
Zhi Qianshu, covered in blood and pale-faced, rushed into the main tent. "Elder Gu! It's terrible! A beast tide! A massive beast tide! It's rushing this way!"
Gu Lin suddenly stood up, his heart sinking.
What was bound to happen has finally happened.
The night was as dark as ink, and the earth trembled slightly.
Gu Lin and Zhi Qianshu rushed out of the tent and climbed to a high place to look into the distance. They saw a dark mass on the western horizon, surging in like a tide.
Countless scarlet beast eyes gleamed in the night, accompanied by deafening roars that shook the earth.
"So many?" Gu Lin gasped.
The beast tide was far larger than expected, stretching as far as the eye could see, and included many fourth and fifth-tier wild beasts.
Especially the three fifth-tier wild beasts at the head, their aura was terrifying, comparable to Spirit Transformation Stage cultivator.
"How could a beast tide suddenly erupt?" Gu Lin asked sternly.
Zhi Qianshu's expression turned grave. "It's a meteorite! The stellar aura from its fall attracted wild beasts from the depths of the Great Wilderness! They're after the Fallen Star Iron!"
Gu Lin's heart sank.
He brought a small group: fifty law enforcement disciples plus dozens of the Artifact Hall and formation masters, totaling no more than a hundred people.
The Biyuan Tribe only has a little over two hundred warriors capable of fighting.
With such a small force, they simply couldn't stop such a massive beast tide.
"Pass down the order: everyone retreat to the valley entrance and activate the defensive array!" Gu Lin decisively ordered. "Immediately send a message to the sect requesting reinforcements!"
"Yes!"
The order was relayed swiftly.
Everyone sprang into action. The guards and tribal warriors deployed their defenses using the valley's terrain, while the formation masters activated the defensive array with all their might.
Soon, a semi-circular light shield rose up, protecting the entire mining camp.
Boom!
The vanguard of the beast horde slammed into the light shield with a deafening roar.
The light shield shook violently, and the array patterns flickered erratically.
"Hold on!" Gu Lin roared, personally taking to the field and unleashing a large hammer that smashed a fourth-tier wild beast that had leaped onto the light barrier.
Zhi Qianshu also led the tribal warriors, using bows and spears to attack the approaching wild beasts.
But the number of wild beasts was simply too great, wave after wave, fearless and ruthless.
The light from the defensive array dimmed at a visible speed.
"Elder! The formation won't last much longer!" the formation master shouted urgently.
Gu Lin clenched his teeth.
The sect is more than 5,000 li away from here. Even if reinforcements arrive quickly, it will still take time.
They must hold out until reinforcements arrive.
"Elder Zhou, you lead the Enforcement Disciples to guard the left flank! Leader Zhi Qianshu, you guard the right flank! Artifact Hall Disciples, prepare Thunderfire Bombs!" Gu Lin commanded hoarsely.
The battle was raging fiercely.
Wild beasts were constantly being slain, their corpses piling up like small mountains in front of the battle lines.
However, the defensive array was also riddled with cracks and could break at any moment.
Low-level wild beasts have already crossed the edge of the light barrier and rushed into the camp, causing considerable casualties.
The warriors of the Biyuan Tribe were even more valiant, fighting to the death even when wounded.
They had dealt with wild beasts for generations and knew that when faced with a beast tide, there was no way to retreat.
"Chief, can we hold out until reinforcements arrive?" a young tribal warrior, covered in blood, asked, panting heavily.
Zhi Qianshu slapped him on the shoulder and said in a deep voice, "Yes! We definitely can! Sect Leader Li won't abandon us!"
Even so, he wasn't entirely confident.
The beast tide was too strong, and there were also three fifth-tier wild beasts lurking in the back, watching intently, but they didn't make a move.
Once they move, the formation will likely break instantly.
Just then, a strange buzzing sound suddenly came from the sky.
Immediately afterwards, a thick beam of spiritual light ripped through the night sky, shooting from afar and striking precisely the densest part of the beast horde.
Boom!!!
A massive explosion rang out, flames shot into the sky, and dozens of wild beasts were instantly blasted to pieces.
The beast tide offensive was momentarily halted.
"Reinforcements! The sect's fleet!" Gu Lin was stunned at first, then overjoyed, and shouted, "Hold on! The fleet has arrived!"
The spirits of everyone in the camp were greatly lifted.
In the distance, thirty-six warships, arranged in neat formation, slowly approached in the night sky like steel behemoths.
The ship's hull shimmered with spiritual light, and the spirit cannon at the bow continuously charged, firing beams of spiritual light in succession, exploding into bursts of deathly sparks amidst the beast tide.
"It's the First Fleet! It really is the First Fleet!"
The disciples were so moved that tears welled up in their eyes.
The arriving fleet was none other than the First Fleet of the Luozhen Sect.
In the flagship's command center, fleet commander-in-chief Chen Feng stood before the porthole, his face ashen.
"Pass down the order: the escort ships spread out their wings and use their scatter cannons to clear out the low-level wild beasts; the main battleships charge their main guns and aim at those three fifth-level wild beasts!"
"Yes, sir!"
The order was given, and the fleet formation changed rapidly.
Thirty-three Spirit Transformation- level escort ships spread out to both sides, unleashing their full firepower with their spirit cannons, pouring down like a torrential rain.
Low-level wild beasts fell in droves, and the advance of the beast tide slowed down sharply.
The three Dao Union- class capital ships raised their bows and began charging their main guns.
The massive cannon barrel emitted a blinding light, and terrifying energy condensed at the muzzle.
Main gun fully charged!
"Emission!"
Boom!!!
Three incredibly thick beams of spiritual light shot out simultaneously, like three giant dragons, heading straight for the three fifth-tier wild beasts behind the beast tide.
Sensing the danger, the three fifth-tier wild beasts roared and unleashed their defenses, their bodies enveloped in thick spiritual light shields.
The main guns of a Dao Union- powered battleship, unleashing a full-force attack, are not so easily blocked.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three loud explosions rang out in succession.
The aura collided with the protective shield, unleashing a blinding light.
The protective shields of two fifth-tier wild beasts shattered instantly, their bodies pierced by the spirit light cannons, and they died on the spot.
The remaining one was also severely injured, let out a mournful cry, and turned to flee.
"Trying to run?" Chen Feng sneered. "Fleets, focus fire and take it down!"
Countless beams of spiritual light shot simultaneously at the wounded fifth-tier wild beast.
Amidst screams of agony, the last fifth-tier wild beast also collapsed into a pool of blood.
With their leader dead, the beast horde immediately fell into disarray.
Without the support of high-level wild beasts, the low-level wild beasts instinctively felt fear and began to scatter and flee.
"Activate the formation! Attack!" Gu Lin immediately gave the order upon seeing this.
The defensive formation opened, and the law enforcement disciples and tribal warriors seized the opportunity to rush out and hunt down the fleeing wild beasts.
The fleet advanced slowly through the air, its spirit cannons precisely targeting any that slipped through the net.
With the strong support of the First Fleet, this sudden beast tide was completely dissipated in less than an hour.