Return to Wushan Town

In the winter of Yulan Calendar year 9999, at the end of December.

Wushan Town, in the south of the Fenlai Kingdom.

Unlike the upheaval in the royal capital, the little town remained as peaceful and tranquil as ever.

Three days remained until the Yulan Festival of the ten-thousandth year of the Yulan Calendar.

The entire town was immersed in the joy of the coming ten-thousand-year celebration. Every household was decorated with lanterns and streamers, people came and went in the streets, and laughter and cheerful voices filled the air.

No one knew that a catastrophe that would sweep across the entire Holy Union was quietly approaching.

In the east of town stood the old Baruch residence.

Two figures stood in the courtyard, watching the celebrating crowds in the street, each with a different expression.

One was a handsome youth with an upright bearing, though a trace of lingering weariness showed between his brows.

He was Linley Baruch.

Beside him stood a young man in black robes, his bearing as imposing as a mountain and his gaze as deep as the sea.

Haoyue Bolei.

Several days had passed since they had attempted to assassinate Clayde and fled the Fenlai Royal Capital.

Over the past few days, the two had made their way south, eventually choosing to return to Wushan Town.

The most dangerous place was the safest place.

Who would have thought that two criminals wanted throughout the kingdom would hide in Linley's hometown?

"Whew..."

Linley let out a long breath. Looking at the familiar faces in the street, he smiled for the first time in a long while.

"I'm finally home."

He had lived here for more than a decade, from childhood onward.

His childhood was here, his memories were here, his father was here, and so were his familiar neighbors.

But now, things had changed.

His father and younger brother had left, his mother's vengeance was only half complete, and he himself had become a criminal wanted by the kingdom.

"Don't think about it too much."

Haoyue patted him on the shoulder, his voice calm.

"Rest for a few days. We'll talk after things have quieted down."

Linley nodded.

He knew Haoyue was right.

As things stood, they really did need a place to rest and recover.

Days of fleeing and training had left him exhausted in body and mind.

Over the next two days, the two stayed at the old Baruch residence.

Linley disguised himself and occasionally went out to buy things. Whenever he met someone he knew, he hid his face with his cloak, and no one recognized him.

Haoyue, meanwhile, spent most of his time training in seclusion at the old residence.

As a warrior, he had already reached the threshold of the ninth rank.

He only needed to take one more step to officially become a ninth-rank warrior.

At that point, with his Tiger-Striped Warrior transformation, he would reach the Saint-level even without the Heavyweight Striker, and his vitality would rise another level as well.

But-

Haoyue stood at the window, gazing gravely at the clouds on the horizon.

He knew full well that something momentous would happen tomorrow.

January 1, Yulan Calendar year 10000.

The Day of Destruction.

The great tide of magical beasts that would sweep across the entire Holy Union would erupt in full that day.

Dylan would emerge, and countless beasts would charge forth.

The Fenlai Kingdom would bear the brunt of it. Countless cities would be destroyed, and lives would be devastated.

Though Wushan Town was remote, there was no chance it would be spared.

In the original story, Wushan Town had been utterly destroyed in that catastrophe.

It was also on that day that Linley had lost his hometown forever.

"Big brother Haoyue, what are you looking at?"

Linley came over and followed Haoyue's gaze, but all he saw were the clouds glowing in the evening sky.

"Nothing."

Haoyue looked away and turned to Linley.

"Linley, there's something I need to tell you."

His tone was graver than ever.

Linley's heart stirred.

Seeing Haoyue look so serious again, he knew something major must have happened.

"Go ahead, big brother Haoyue."

Haoyue fell silent for a moment, then slowly said, "In one day, on the Yulan Festival of the ten-thousandth year of the Yulan Calendar, a great disaster will strike."

"A great disaster?" Linley froze. "What disaster?"

"A great tide of magical beasts."

Haoyue's voice was low and clear.

"Millions of magical beasts will pour out of the Magical Beasts Mountain Range and sweep across the entire Fenlai Kingdom, and even the whole Holy Union."

"Corpses will litter the land, and blood will flow like rivers."

"Wushan Town will be caught up in it too."

Linley was stunned.

A great tide of magical beasts?

Millions of magical beasts?

How could that be possible?!

"Big brother Haoyue, how... how do you know?" Linley stared at Haoyue in disbelief.

It sounded like a fantastic tale.

"Don't ask how I know." Haoyue shook his head. "You only need to know that everything I've said is true."

Linley looked into Haoyue's eyes.

There wasn't the slightest hint of a joke in them.

He knew Haoyue wouldn't joke about something like this.

"Then... what do we do?" Linley's voice tightened.

Wushan Town was his hometown!

So many of the townspeople he had grown up with-were they all going to...

"We have to leave," Haoyue said gravely. "But not by ourselves."

"You mean..."

"Tell everyone in town and have them evacuate with us," Haoyue said firmly. "We can't stay in Wushan Town. Staying here means certain death."

Linley fell silent.

Tell the whole town to evacuate?

That was easier said than done.

On what grounds?

Was the whole town supposed to abandon their homes and leave on his word alone?

Who would believe him?

Besides, he was still a criminal wanted by the kingdom.

If his identity were exposed, the consequences would be unthinkable.

"I know what you're worried about." Haoyue could see Linley's concerns. "But this is the only way."

"The end is near, and lives are at stake."

"Even if there's only a one percent chance, we have to try."

Linley raised his head and looked into Haoyue's determined eyes. The hesitation in his heart gradually faded.

That was right.

Those were living, breathing human lives.

How could he stand by and watch them die?

"Okay!"

Linley nodded firmly.

"I'll go!"

That afternoon.

The Wushan Town office.

Old Potter, Luorui, Roger, and several other town elders had all been invited there.

When they saw Linley take off his cloak, they were all stunned.

"Linley?!"

"Is it really Linley?!"

"You... weren't you studying in Fenlai City? Why are you back?"

Everyone spoke at once, both surprised and delighted.

Linley was the pride of Wushan Town!

He had entered the Ernst Institute and had a boundless future ahead of him.

Linley looked at these familiar elders. Their news really was out of date, and he felt a jumble of emotions.

He took a deep breath and slowly began:

"Grandpa Potter, Uncle Luorui, Uncle Roger... everyone."

"I came back today because I have something very important to tell you."

"In one day, on the Yulan Festival, a tremendous disaster will strike Wushan Town."

"I hope you'll immediately organize everyone in town to evacuate north, as far as possible."

When he finished, the room fell silent.

Everyone exchanged looks, seeing confusion and bewilderment in one another's eyes.

"A disaster?" Luorui frowned. "Linley, what kind of disaster are you talking about?"

"A great tide of magical beasts," Linley said gravely. "Millions of magical beasts will pour out of the Magical Beasts Mountain Range. Wherever they pass, nothing will be left alive."

"Wushan Town will be completely destroyed."

"What?!"

Everyone's faces changed.

"A great tide of magical beasts? Millions of them?" Old Potter shook his head. "Linley, did something go wrong with your training? How could something like that happen?"

"That's right, Linley," Roger also urged him. "The Magical Beasts Mountain Range is over a thousand li from Wushan Town, and the Fenlai Kingdom's army guards the area. How could a great tide of magical beasts reach us here?"

No one believed him.

Or rather, no one wanted to believe him.

Their lives were going along just fine. Who would want to believe such nonsense about a devastating disaster?

Linley had anticipated this reaction.

He turned to look at Haoyue.

Haoyue gave a slight nod.

The next moment-

"Buzz-"

An invisible force spread outward in every direction, with Linley at its center.

Seventh-rank Earth Element magic: Gravity Spell!

In an instant, the gravity throughout the hall tripled!

"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

Several unprepared townspeople were pressed flat to the ground, unable to move.

Old Potter, Luorui, and the others also felt their bodies sink, their faces turning pale.

"This... this is..."

Old Potter stared at Linley in horror.

He could feel that his body seemed to have grown ten thousand jin heavier. Even lifting a finger was incredibly difficult.

This was magic!

"Whoosh-"

The gravity vanished in an instant.

Everything returned to normal.

Linley slowly lowered his hand and calmly swept his gaze over everyone.

Then Linley used the Wind Element magic Levitation Spell to float in the air, giving off a powerful, oppressive presence.

"You don't have to believe what I just said."

"But I, Linley Baruch, can tell you very clearly-"

"A day from now, a great calamity will strike."

"If you believe me, pack your things and come with us."

"If you don't, I won't force you."

"But when the time comes, don't blame me for not warning you."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unquestionable authority.

Everyone fell silent.

Having witnessed Linley's strength with their own eyes, no one dared turn a deaf ear to his words anymore.

A magician who could fly! Not one of the magicians they had seen in the city could fly. That meant Linley was a powerful magician.

Magicians like that were usually legendary figures!

Would someone like that bother playing such a joke on them?

"Linley, is everything you said... true?" Old Potter asked, his voice trembling.

"Absolutely." Linley nodded firmly.

Old Potter, Luorui, and Roger exchanged looks, each seeing the gravity in the others' eyes.

"All right!"

Old Potter slammed his hand on the table.

"I believe you!"

"I'll go tell everyone in town to pack their things and prepare to evacuate right away!"

With Old Potter taking the lead, the others followed suit.

After all, it was better to believe it than dismiss it.

What if it was true?

Over the following days, all of Wushan Town sprang into action.

Although most people were skeptical, the strong urging of Old Potter and several other elders got them started on the urgent preparations for evacuation.

Food, water, clothes, bedding...

Everything they could take was being packed.

Even so, the voices of doubt never stopped.

Some of the younger people, in particular, scoffed at it.

"What magical beast tide? I bet that kid Linley couldn't make it in Fenlai City anymore, so he came back to fool us."

"Exactly. Why can't we just enjoy the ten-thousand-year festival? Why stir up trouble for nothing?"

"If you want to leave, go ahead. I'm not going. I'm still waiting to watch the New Year's Day fireworks."

Remarks like these were everywhere.

Linley simply turned a deaf ear to them.

He had said what needed to be said.

He had done what needed to be done.

Whether they listened was their own choice.

Haoyue didn't concern himself with it either.

January 1, year 10000 of the Yulan Calendar.

The Yulan Festival.

Early morning.

The sky was just beginning to brighten, but the streets of Wushan Town were already bustling.

Today was the ten-thousandth Yulan Festival, and also the legendary Day of Destruction.

Most of the townspeople had already packed their belongings and evacuated.

But a small number of stubborn people had chosen to stay.

They wanted to celebrate the festival.

In their view, Linley's words were simply too alarmist.

The magical beast tide and the impending disaster were all just scare stories.

Inside the old Baruch residence.

Haoyue's eyes snapped open.

"They're here."

He rose and walked to the window.

On the distant horizon, a faint black line was moving.

It was advancing at tremendous speed, an awe-inspiring sight.

Linley came over as well and followed Haoyue's gaze. His expression changed drastically.

"That's..."

"The magical beast tide," Haoyue said in a low voice. "It's here a little earlier than I expected."

Linley's face turned deathly pale in an instant.

It had really come!

Everything Brother Haoyue said... was actually true!

"Quick!"

Haoyue made an immediate decision.

"Go organize the townspeople's evacuation at once. The ones who stayed are all young people. Take them and run north, quickly!"

"What about you?" Linley asked.

"I'll go hold them off for a while."

Haoyue's voice was calm, but it carried an unwavering determination.

"What?!" Linley was stunned. "No! Brother Haoyue, there are millions of magical beasts! How can you possibly hold them off by yourself?"

"I didn't say I was going to stop them all." Haoyue shook his head. "I'm just going to buy a little time."

"Don't worry, I know my limits."

"If I can't beat them, can't I still run?"

With that, Haoyue patted Linley on the shoulder.

"Go. The townspeople need you."

Linley looked at Haoyue, his lips moving. In the end, he nodded firmly.

"Brother Haoyue, be careful!"

"Don't worry."

Haoyue smiled faintly.

The next moment, he shot forward and sped southwest.