"It possesses the innate ability 'Thunderflash Escape.' Even if I rely on the power of my third-tier high-grade magical weapon, the Mountain-Cleaving Soul-Crushing Axe, to overpower it, it's unlikely I'd find the opportunity to heavily injure or kill it," Elder Yang said.
"Moreover, the Six-Winged Golden Butterfly is also nearing the mid-Purple Mansion stage. If it and the Thunder Roc join forces, even I would struggle to deal with them, let alone defeat them."
"Even if I manage to hold off these two beasts, there remain the Green Flame Fox and the Ice Python. Do you think you could kill them?"
Hearing this, Xu Daoyuan shook his head in slight disappointment and replied, "With my strength, I could certainly defeat either of them in single combat. But if faced with both Purple Mansion-level beasts simultaneously, I could only hold them off, not kill them."
"Just these four Purple Mansion beasts are not enough to make me afraid," Elder Yang continued, shaking his head.
"But with the Violet-Striped Wolf King unaccounted for, if we recklessly engage, we risk falling into an ambush and losing everything."
"For now, we should rely on the city's defensive formations and wait until we've determined the Violet-Striped Wolf King's whereabouts."
After the two elders made their decision and secured Tianxu Mountain's agreement, they began relying on Yuyang Market's defensive formations to hold the line.
When the demonic beast army arrived outside the city, the Purple Mansion-level beasts' eyes gleamed coldly. After a brief discussion, they began commanding the beast horde to attack the city's protective array.
Inside the city, the Demon-Slaying Sword Formation activated instantly. Streams of sword light shot skyward, transforming into a rain of swords that fell from above, slaughtering the demonic beast army until the ground was littered with corpses.
The Purple Mansion-level beasts showed no concern for the casualties among the lower-tier demonic beasts, instead continuing to drive the horde to assault the formation.
To these higher-tier beasts, the low-level ones were no different from wild animals. Their deaths meant little, as the entire purpose of unleashing the beast tide on human territories was partly to cull their numbers and prevent ecological collapse in their territories.
Using these lesser beasts to deplete the strength of human formations was seen as making the most of their resources.
To the Purple Mansion beasts, as long as the human city fell, the loss of countless low-level beasts was a worthwhile trade.
The demonic beast army's assault lasted more than half a month, with the Purple Mansion-level beasts continuously driving the lower-tier creatures to attack Yuyang Market.
The city's spiritual spring could not sustain the strain for long, forcing the defenders to rely on their own mana. Thousands of low-level cultivators took turns powering the formation.
Fortunately, with over five thousand cultivators alternating in providing spiritual energy and with Purple Mansion cultivators personally overseeing the array, the Demon-Slaying Sword Formation unleashed formidable power and managed to hold the line.
During the frenzied assaults of the past two weeks, the formation repelled the beasts dozens of times. Nearly half of the thirty thousand-strong demonic beast army perished, including dozens of Foundation Establishment-level beasts.
By the end, even the low-level beasts became too frightened to attack, no longer daring to charge the formation despite the Purple Mansion beasts' attempts to drive them forward.
Helpless, the four Purple Mansion-level beasts ceased their assault and instead surrounded Yuyang Market, seemingly waiting for the perfect opportunity to act.
"They've finally stopped attacking," someone in Yuyang Market sighed in relief as the demonic beasts paused their onslaught.
After half a month of continuous battles, the low-level cultivators in the city were spiritually drained and physically exhausted from repeatedly exhausting their energy.
If the beasts had continued their assault, the protective formation would have soon become inoperable, forcing the defenders to either deplete their spirit stone reserves or engage the beasts directly in a desperate battle.
The city had prepared a stockpile of one hundred thousand spirit stones specifically to guard against the Violet-Striped Wolf King or other high-level threats. Since the Wolf King had yet to appear, they dared not squander the stones prematurely.
Without using the spirit stones, engaging the beasts in direct combat would result in severe casualties, with many lives lost in the ensuing chaos.
"Take this opportunity to recover your energy and restore your cultivation," Elder Yang ordered, urging everyone to replenish their strength.
The demonic beasts surrounded the city without attacking for another month. Then, one day, shocking news arrived.
"The Violet-Striped Wolf King has reached Feng County?"
Inside Yuyang Market's main hall, dozens of cultivators gathered, their faces filled with shock.
A devastating message had just arrived from Feng County. The Violet-Striped Wolf King, leading an army of thirty thousand beasts, had bypassed the Tianyuan Mountains and launched a direct assault on Feng County.
Caught off guard, Feng County suffered catastrophic losses. Several second-tier spiritual veins were destroyed, and over ten Qi Refining immortal clans and one Foundation Establishment clan were wiped out overnight. More than a hundred thousand mortals became food for the beasts.
Now, the Violet-Striped Wolf King's forces had even surrounded Fengyang Market, bringing the crisis to a head.
"How is this possible?"
"How could the Violet-Striped Wolf King reach Feng County in such a short time?"
Among the crowd, Liu Juejian exclaimed in disbelief, her face betraying a hint of panic.
This sudden assault had dealt a devastating blow to her Liu clan. The family's ancestral grounds and stronghold were overrun by beasts, leaving most of the defending cultivators dead or wounded.
Fortunately, the mortal city was far from the family's stronghold, and the Wolf King, focused on Fengyang Market, had temporarily left it alone. The clan's mortal population was thus spared for now.
But if the beasts overran Fengyang Market, the Liu clan would have no chance of survival, and their mortal city would inevitably fall.
Unable to sit still, Liu Juejian stood and said loudly, "Everyone, Feng County is under attack, and as a cultivator of Feng County, I cannot stand by and do nothing. I ask the elders to allow us to return and join the battle."
Her words resonated with the other five Foundation Establishment cultivators from Feng County, who also looked anxious, clearly unwilling to remain idle.
Even Xu Daoyuan felt restless. As a Purple Mansion cultivator of the Xu clan in Feng County, he knew his family would suffer if Feng County fell, with millions of mortals at risk.
Turning to Elder Yang, he said urgently, "Daoist Yang, the calamity in Feng County is extraordinary. With your experience in handling beast tides, I hope you can quickly make a decision."
The crowd fell silent, their eyes on Elder Yang.
Elder Yang, three hundred fifty years old, sighed bitterly and said, "In the past, during beast tides, the Qingyang Sect would send four or five Purple Mansion elders to assist us."
"Now, with Dire Lion Ridge growing in power, even the Qingyang Sect struggles to protect itself and refuses to send a single Purple Mansion cultivator.
"If not for Elder Jiang's actions decades ago—breaking through Demon Wolf Mountain and killing two Purple Mansion wolves and two Purple Mansion rocs—we'd be in an even worse position now."
...
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I need POWAAA! Gimme Power Stones :D