Chapter 244: The City Falls

What's going on?!

Qin Ming and Elder Xu rushed out of the shop; when they reached the street and saw the scene beyond Canghai Xiancheng, they were stunned into silence.

A third-rank beast king!!!

And countless beast beasts were relentlessly assaulting the outer city's heavenly array.

More worrying still, the third-rank superior array of Canghai Xiancheng, under the lead assault of the Devouring Sky Rat King,

was beginning to emit black smoke from its blue shimmering barrier, with signs of imminent rupture.

Zong! The city defenders continuously hurled vast quantities of spirit stones into the array's core to amplify its power.

The section of the array previously corroded by the Rat King's demonic energy flickered with blue runes and instantly began to heal.

At that moment,

a sharp whistling sound came from beside Qin Ming; two familiar figures hurried past, rushing outward.

"Comrade Lü!" he called out.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the two figures in midair paused—Lü Liang and his disciple Lü Wanjun stopped.

Lü Liang turned to Qin Ming. "Comrade Qin, what are you doing here?"

"Sigh! You've come at the worst possible time!"

"Comrade Lü, the outer city is extremely dangerous—how can you still..." Qin Ming saw their determined posture and knew they'd be no match for the beast king even if they went.

Lü Liang chuckled bitterly. "Heh! This is the bread I eat—I've enjoyed all the benefits Canghai Xiancheng has offered."

"Now that disaster has struck, I cannot retreat. Danger or not, I must stand my ground."

"Enough—the situation is urgent. I'll go ahead first. Comrade Qin, be careful."

With that, Lü Liang took Lü Wanjun and used the array's power to instantly teleport out of the core zone, heading for the outer city's defenses.

Boom! Suddenly!

A massive shadow engulfed the sky above Canghai Xiancheng, completely blocking out the sun; everyone instinctively looked upward.

There, a colossal fireball, like a miniature sun, grew larger in the eyes of the cultivators below—by the time it neared the city's zenith, its diameter exceeded a hundred zhang. Simultaneously, countless fireballs, like meteorites trailing long tails of flame, tore across the heavens and rained down upon the city.

Qin Ming, witnessing this apocalyptic spectacle, nearly lost his composure.

'Damn bad luck!'

'What a terrible time to show up!'

'I hope Canghai Xiancheng's third-rank array holds!'

Even Elder Xu, the pseudo-Jin Dan cultivator from Xuanxi Valley, paled at the sight of the colossal fireball above.

If the third-rank array broke, Canghai Xiancheng would lose all defensive capability—consequences unimaginable.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Two terrifyingly potent aura trails shot up from Canghai Peak, hovering in midair.

Qin Ming squinted—there stood Canghai True Person Nanlan Xi, alongside another unknown Jin Dan Ancestor.

This man wore a gray robe, with white hair and a youthful face, eyes gleaming with sharp light; the magical power radiating from him was at least at the peak of early Jin Dan.

"It's our sect's Xuan Yu Ancestor!"

Elder Xu beside Qin Ming recognized the Jin Dan Ancestor who had appeared with Nanlan Xi.

Clearly, Xuan Yu Ancestor was one of the two Jin Dans sent by Liang's Xuanxi Valley to aid Wei.

As the colossal fireball in the sky neared its fall,

in the blink of an eye,

Canghai True Person drew forth an array disc and swiftly formed a complex spell.

Zong~ The heavens trembled; the spiritual energy of Canghai Peak's third-rank superior spirit vein transformed into visible five-colored light, flowing endlessly into the city's array.

"This is Canghai True Person forcibly enhancing the third-rank array's power using the forces of heaven, earth, mountains, and rivers!"

Qin Ming exclaimed in awe.

Then,

countless terrifyingly potent runes flashed and darted across the array's barrier.

The previously pale blue barrier enveloping the city suddenly expanded, deepening and solidifying in hue.

Boom! Boom! As the fireball rain from the sky struck the third-rank array's barrier,

deafening explosions echoed through the heavens.

Blinding light bursts erupted midair, blinding all who looked.

The entire city shuddered violently under this earth-shattering impact, causing several buildings to collapse.

"Is this really an attack from a third-rank beast king?"

"I'd believe it's a fourth-rank transformed demon! Cough! Cough! Cough! What?! The beasts are back?!"

"Weren't they all driven back into Beiming Mountains?"

"This was clearly premeditated!"

Outside the city, dust cleared.

Three towering beast shadows, dozens of zhang tall, appeared before everyone's eyes! Besides the Devouring Sky Rat King, there was also the Earth-Shaking Bear King and a deer-like great beast—all radiating power beyond ordinary beast kings.

"Two more third-rank early peak beast kings!"

Qin Ming finally saw the two beast kings clearly.

As the ground's violent shaking gradually subsided,

the cultivators inside the city saw the third-rank array still standing firm after the assault—relief poured out in sighs.

Qin Ming himself had been terrified by the apocalyptic force, nearly activating Blood Teleportation to flee.

Fortunately, Canghai True Person had appeared to stabilize the array.

Had anyone else held the array, it would have shattered under that celestial meteor strike.

Meanwhile, Nanlan Xi and Xuan Yu Ancestor also spotted the three third-rank beast kings—especially when they saw the third-rank Deer-Horned Beast King, their expressions turned grim.

It was obvious—the apocalyptic celestial assault had come from this beast's hand. In the next instant,

the three beast kings moved again, unleashing their heavenly demonic power to bombard the city's array relentlessly.

Especially the Devouring Sky Rat King's black beams, which possessed uncanny destructive power even against high-rank seals.

Each time it spat black light, the barrier where it struck dimmed further.

Crack!

Finally, a fissure appeared on the third-rank array.

Crack! Crack! Crack! A rapid series of shattering sounds erupted.

The blue barrier in the northwest corner shattered like glass.

Boom! Puff!

Moments later, a gaping hole tore open in the northwest corner of the outer city's blue barrier.

Canghai Xiancheng, standing firm for centuries, now revealed a fatal flaw under the combined assault of the three beast kings.

Instantly, countless beast beasts surged through the breach like a tidal wave.

The city defenders, overwhelmed, could no longer hold—trampled and torn apart by the flood of beasts.

"Ahh! Disaster! The city's array has been breached!"

"Run for your lives!"

"Ahh!"

"..."

The scattered cultivators gathered in the outer city descended into chaos.

The two True Persons of Canghai Xiancheng were now locked in battle with the three beast kings outside.

Apocalyptic spells exploded beyond the city, their shockwaves instantly vaporizing nearby cultivators and beasts into ash.

Qin Ming's scalp prickled—he'd already decided to flee, ready to bolt at any moment.

Elder Xu and the others had also drawn teleportation talismans, prepared to retreat at the first sign of collapse.

"Young Master Qin, if the city falls completely and things turn dire, come with us—we'll escape via the city's teleportation array!"

Elder Xu said to Qin Ming with grave expression.

"That's right! Three third-rank beast kings launching a surprise attack—perhaps even the two True Persons can't hold them off," Xu Jing added, pale-faced.

Qin Ming nodded decisively, grateful: "Then Qin Mou thanks Elder Xu and Comrade Xu!"

These days, few still think of others when fleeing.

Truly considerate! And with Canghai Xiancheng's teleportation array, they could likely escape far beyond the beast tide's reach—relatively safe.

With an escape route secured, Qin Ming's pounding heart steadied slightly.

Inside the city, as countless beasts flooded in,

heart-rending screams echoed endlessly.

Wave after wave of cultivators inside the city rushed into battle.

(End of Chapter)