Chapter 174: Bewildered Alien People

We're late.

Outside a city captured by the insect tide, everyone's mood was quite heavy.

Although they rushed over right away, they were still too late.

After the insect tide broke through the city's City-Protecting Grand Formation, it slaughtered the entire city in a short time.

"There are still people inside; everyone charge in and save as many as you can."

Five Realms Grand Master Huang Huan said in a deep voice.

"Good!"

Numerous cultivators were filled with fighting spirit.

The flying vessel sped toward the city.

Before it got close, dense flying insects swarmed toward the flying vessel.

"Swish swish swish~"

"Boom—"

"Boom~"

Various attacks struck, sweeping those flying insects away completely.

"Kill!"

Immediately after, the many cultivators on the flying vessel charged into the city.

Lu Xun and two Five Realms cultivators rushed to the front.

He went all out, killing the insects with extraordinary speed.

However, since the city had fallen, Lu Xun did not use Fireball Technique in densely built-up areas.

Inside those buildings, many people were often hiding.

His Fireball Technique is too powerful, easily causing friendly fire.

The other cultivators each went all out.

"Careful, they are Five Realms."

"Leave it to us; you deal with the others."

Five Realms War Bugs have arrived.

The two Five Realms cultivators went over to fight.

After Lu Xun swept through, he did not join the battle.

With his current strength, even a fully powered Five Realms War Bug could be killed.

But that would be too taxing and incur significant loss.

Now is not the time to show off.

So Lu Xun's focus remains on eliminating the insects hunting humans, to save more people.

In Lu Xun's past nineteen years, not counting this time, Lan Xing has entered the Ancient Road Node three times total.

Of those three times, two went relatively smoothly; although there were some losses, there was no major catastrophe.

Several years ago, that time Lan Xing likewise suffered a major catastrophe, causing Lu Xun's parents to die.

That time, Rong Cheng's losses were not small, but compared to the cities nearly wiped out, they were actually small.

Even though Lu Xun is now extremely strong, seeing tens or hundreds of thousands of humans killed still makes his mood very heavy.

Actually, with the current total population and city capacity, it's entirely possible to cram everyone into a few mega-cities.

However, without control of these medium and small cities, the East's grip on the interior would weaken.

The alien people's invasion is all-encompassing.

Besides sending people to cause trouble, they also introduce extraterrestrial animals and plants to conduct ecological invasion.

If species and ecological invasion are ignored, many places on Lan Xing will gradually become identical to the alien people's planet.

If such places become numerous, they will have a disruptive impact on Lan Xing's environment.

That's not good for humanity.

"Good thing, we saved some people."

"Phew, at least the trip wasn't in vain."

A few hours later, the battle ended.

Their efforts were not in vain.

In this city, about half of the people were rescued.

After the city walls were retaken, the defenders began to redeploy heavy weapons on the walls for the city's defense.

The insect tide's main targets are the various major cities.

Among the insect tides faced by medium and small cities, the strongest are usually Five Realms War Bugs, and Six Realms War Bugs rarely appear.

Intelligent Bugs are smart; if not pressured, large cities might send Six Realms or stronger experts to support medium and small cities.

Lan Xing also cannot send all Six Realms and above forces out; it always leaves some personnel for defense.

Therefore, after this large-scale insect tide is resolved, even if insects continue to come, the city's defenders still have plenty; as long as the City-Protecting Grand Formation is restarted, it can hold them off.

Many cultivators came to help.

"Everyone, cheer up, go help, repair the City-Protecting Grand Formation sooner, and we can relax sooner."

All the able-bodied youth in the city were mobilized.

They were mainly responsible for transporting materials.

"Senior Sister, do you know formations?"

"Hmm, I know a little of everything; that way, if I accidentally get trapped in a formation, I won't be completely helpless."

Ran Bing was also helping.

She had some experience with formations.

As for Lu Xun, since Bai Ling had been fully devoted to refining pills lately and hadn't studied formations much, he was still a novice in the way of formations.

The city's great protective formation is actually not too difficult a formation.

Such formations, as long as you set up some formation bases along the city wall with sufficient energy to support them, can last a long time.

The strength of a formation depends on many factors, such as the skill of the person laying it, the grade of the formation implements, etc.

In the previous insect swarm, many formation bases relying on the city wall were severely damaged; now the key to repair is these formation bases.

Many hands make light work.

With everyone's cooperation, the repair progress was quite fast.

"This is called a formation pattern, a kind of spirit pattern; the formation on the city wall mainly works through the formation pattern."

Ran Bing held a pen and was drawing formation patterns on the repaired city wall.

"Most cities nowadays mostly use the Nine Palace Power Pattern; it's the easiest spirit pattern to draw and also the easiest to repair. The method is simple: divide the wall into individual nine-palace grids, then draw vortex-like spirit patterns inside each grid, and you can construct a spirit power diversion network."

Ran Bing drew while explaining the knowledge of spirit patterns to Lu Xun.

The way of Immortal Cultivation is vast and profound, with many side branches.

Pills, formations, artifacts, puppets, and other side paths each have their own unique merits.

To a certain extent, these several side paths cannot be separated from spirit patterns.

For example, pills have pill patterns, weapons also have spirit patterns, and formations also need formation patterns.

Puppets need not even be mentioned.

Spirit patterns are like circuits in electrical appliances; without circuits, appliances are junk.

"Do you want to try?"

After drawing for a while, she handed the pen to Lu Xun.

"Good."

Lu Xun indeed wanted to try.

Because this Nine Palace Power Pattern really looks quite simple.

The city wall had been divided into individual nine-palace grids; just drawing vortex-like spirit patterns inside each grid would do.

He dipped a bit of spirit ink and began to draw.

"Success."

Not long after, Lu Xun successfully completed one nine-palace grid.

"Impressive."

Ran Bing sincerely praised.

Though simple to say, ordinary Immortal Cultivators need many attempts to succeed.

Lu Xun, however, succeeded on the first try.

"Meow~"

Lu Xun was about to finish speaking when Xiao Bai in his pocket suddenly let out a cat's cry.

Lu Xun's brow twitched.

Without a word, he activated the Red Armor Shield.

The crimson shield instantly rose up, protecting him and Ran Bing within.

"Boom!"

As the Red Armor Shield had just risen, a human figure suddenly appeared and struck it in one blow.

Upon that blow, the Red Armor Shield instantly dimmed.

"Hmph!"

Lu Xun's spiritual power surged, actually forcing the Red Armor Shield to brighten again.

"Boom boom boom~"

That human figure turned into a sky-filling afterimage and launched a frenzied attack.

Lu Xun's Red Armor Shield was shaken violently by the blows, yet he stubbornly held it up.

"Fifth Realm!"

Ran Bing's expression changed slightly.

The one attacking Lu Xun was actually a Fifth Realm cultivator.

"Shadow Clan person!"

Lu Xun saw more.

This is a Fifth Realm Shadow Clan person.

In the way of assassination, the assassins of Help Mulberry are far inferior to Shadow Clan people.

These fellows are natural-born assassins.

Just the fact that they can turn into shadows and approach silently without a sound makes them impossible to guard against.

If it weren't for Xiao Bai's timely warning, Lu Xun would hardly have noticed.

Of course, he wore a seven-grade treasure robe on his body; this Fifth Realm Shadow Clan person might not be able to kill him.

The Shadow Clan people's attacks were as dense as a sudden storm.

Lu Xun's Red Armor Shield kept dimming under the blows, but no matter how dim it became, it would quickly recover.

"How can it not be broken!"

The Fifth Realm Shadow Clan person was somewhat dumbfounded.

Lu Xun is merely a Third Realm cultivator, but he is actually a Fifth Realm cultivator.

Taking on a Third Realm cultivator as a Fifth Realm cultivator— isn't that as easy as catching something with your hand?

Even if Lu Xun has a trump card, he won't last long.

Who would have thought, Lu Xun didn't use any other trump card; he simply blocked him with the Red Armor Shield, leaving him helpless.

They were sent to Lan Xing, and in their own races they are actually not considered geniuses.

Geniuses belong to the Starry Sky Ancient Road.

Running to another Spirit Star to stir up trouble like this is too dangerous; no race would be willing to send their geniuses out.

Like this time Lan Xing sent a suicide squad to Yao Xing to rescue people, they used older cultivators.

Even if geniuses signed up, the higher-ups would not agree.

Didn't expect that, huh?

Lu Xun sneered.

These days, his strength has improved again.

Perhaps stimulated by Lu Xun's act of going out, Chu Youqing deeply felt her strength was lacking, unable to fight alongside Lu Xun.

So, Chu Youqing studied and trained diligently every day, aided by the pills Lu Xun gave her, she broke through another layer yesterday, pushing Lu Xun's Immortal Cultivation Third Realm—that is, the Condensed Yuan Realm—up two layers.

Previously, when Bai Ling's pill‑crafting attainment reached the Third Grade Holy Tier, it likewise brought an increase in cultivation, giving Lu Xun a return.

These days Bai Ling has been frantically crafting pills, her strength has improved again, once more giving Lu Xun a return.

Now, Lu Xun has reached thirty layers in the Condensed Yuan Realm.

His spiritual power is still in mist state, but in quality and purity it already rivals the spiritual power of a Fifth Realm Immortal Cultivator.

Moreover, the quality of his Red Armor Shield is quite high.

Even if a Fifth Realm Master wanted to break the Red Armor Shield's defense, it would still require some effort.

The Shadow Clan excels at sneak attacks; their frontal combat ability is naturally reduced, so breaking the Red Armor Shield is not that easy.

"So what if they're geniuses? Break them!"

The Fifth Realm Shadow Clan disciples, refusing to believe it, increased their offensive.

"My turn!"

But how would Lu Xun just let him attack?

With a thought, Lu Xun sent dozens of flying swords charging forth.

These flying swords are extremely sharp; even that Fifth Realm Shadow Clan cultivator dare not ignore them.

He turned into a sky‑filled shadow, hoping to confuse Lu Xun.

"Damn it!"

But immediately, the Fifth Realm Shadow Clan cultivator was dumbfounded again.

Lu Xun actually identified his true form, and all the flying swords locked onto his true form.

"Ding ding ding~"

The Fifth Realm Shadow Clan cultivator's Fifth Realm cultivation wasn't given for nothing.

Seeing that confusion wouldn't work on Lu Xun, he decisively chose a forceful attack.

Wielding blades in both hands, alternating attack and defense with extreme speed, Lu Xun's flying swords could do nothing against him.

Ran Bing was also attacking, but her threat to the Fifth Realm Shadow Clan cultivator was lower.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh~"

Then, a barrage of immensely powerful arrows came flying.

Then another foreign race person appeared.

That was a double‑winged foreign race person who, holding a strong bow, launched an attack from several hundred meters away.

His bow was no ordinary bow; a single shot could pierce straight through even an old‑era tank.

"Foreign race person!"

"They're coming for Lu Xun—quick, inform Senior Huang and Senior Zhang!"

The commotion of the battle startled the cultivators nearby.

"Whoosh!"

A signal flare shot up into the sky.