Chapter 196 - 195: Li Zixuan and Li Qinghe Take Action; the Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique Shows Its Might

"We won!"

"We survived!"

Atop the city walls, people threw their arms around each other’s shoulders, looking down at the roaring Star Beasts below with ecstatic smiles on their faces.

The clouds parted in the night sky, revealing the moon.

Below the city walls,

the ground was littered with the dead and injured Star Beasts. Severed limbs and mangled corpses were strewn everywhere, forming a veritable pool of blood.

The stench of blood drifted through the air,

lingering in everyone’s nostrils.

"Don’t let your guard down, everyone! Prepare to clean up the site!"

The Commander, carrying his Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needle, walked alongside several high-ranking Police Chiefs. An undeniable smile played on his lips. "After the cleanup, it’s time for everyone to take a vacation and relax a little."

"Yes, Commander!"

Two squads of officers stood at attention and saluted before dispersing with smiles on their faces. The atmosphere was clearly much less tense.

Now that the King Level Star Beast was dead,

all that remained were some ordinary Low Level Star Beasts.

Forget getting past the Li Family’s City Defense Array; a single pass of the thermal cleansing system would be enough to serve these beasts a "hot meal," not to mention Elder Li’s Sword Qi slicing them to bits...

’Tsk, what’s that?’

...It’s basically a sliced barbecue platter!

After that whole process, the aroma of cooked meat would waft up from below the wall. Everyone’s mouths were already watering!

Who would have any mind left to stay on guard?!

The Beast Tide was over!

The news spread through the crowd, quickly becoming a consensus. People slung their arms over each other’s shoulders, and joyous laughter echoed across the city wall.

They had survived the calamity. The shadow of death had receded!

"Hey, after the Beast Tide is done, wanna go grab a bite? Smelling these beasts is making me..."

"Hey beautiful, can I get your contact info?"

"Go get an autograph! Elder Li is right there! Anyone want to team up and go?"

"..."

’Is it really over?’

Lin Mofeng remained silent, calmly walking through the crowd to stand alone on a battlement, his gaze fixed on the distant Da Li Mountain Range.

No one was paying attention to the outskirts.

’But I have this inexplicable sense of crisis.’

’After becoming a Grandmaster, I’ve vaguely touched the threshold of the Power of Laws. Even if it’s just a superficial understanding, it still resonates with the Celestial Dao.’

Invisibly, the world seemed to shift around him.

Lin Mofeng looked up at the stars in the night sky, still wary of the roaring beast tide below the city.

At that moment,

"Grandmaster Lin?"

Someone called out to him from behind...

Several Star Police officers approached, holding paper and pens. They stopped in front of him with nervous smiles and offered him a blank sheet of paper.

"Grandmaster Lin, could you please give us your autograph?"

"An autograph...?"

Lin Mofeng was bemused. He took the pen and paper. "Right now?"

"Yes, sorry to bother you. It’s just that we don’t usually get to see you..."

The Star Police officers scratched their heads, a little embarrassed. "After today’s battle, we probably won’t see you again. Don’t take it the wrong way, we’re just ordinary people..."

"It’s fine."

Lin Mofeng shook his head as he signed his name. "We’re all brothers defending the city."

"Yeah!"

"Is that all? Any more?"

Lin Mofeng smiled and handed back the signed paper. His gaze passed over the officer’s shoulder, and he glanced idly toward the distant mountains.

The moonlight was cold... the edge of the forest rose and fell...

Suddenly!

The shadow of a giant bird leaped into his vision...

It was speeding toward the city’s defensive border!

’This is...!’

Seeing this, Lin Mofeng’s pupils shrank. An intense aura instantly erupted from him.

A tyrannical killing intent!

BOOM!

The officers in front of him jumped, terrified!

"Grand... Grand... Grandmaster? If you don’t want to sign... it’s... it’s fine..."

"GET OFF THE WALL!!!"

Lin Mofeng’s eyes were locked on the dark shadow. Ignoring the officers, he dropped the signed paper and shot into the air, his premonition becoming reality!

The next moment,

his voice thundered across the city wall—

"Everyone, watch out!! Enemy approaching from the northwest!!! All hands on alert!"

As his voice fell,

it was like the tolling of an ancient bell ringing in their ears!

All the relaxed defenders snapped out of their stupor and whipped their heads in that direction.

There, at the edge of the forest,

a black bird of prey drew near. It rode the wind, stirring the leaves of the trees. Scarlet blood and rustling bits of flesh and bone trailed in its wake, carried on the evening breeze.

An eerie sound spread across the wilderness...

A star of ill omen hung high in the sky, casting down a single ray of red light...

"A celestial anomaly, an ominous descending light... It’s an Emperor Level Star Beast!"

Lin Mofeng shouted to warn the crowd.

As his voice fell,

fear spread through the crowd like an ink stain. People stared at each other, stunned for a moment before disbelief set in.

’An Emperor Level Star Beast?’

’Here in Jianghai?’

’Doesn’t this mean the Beast Tide has reached Hell Level?!’

WHOOSH—

The crowd erupted like a tidal wave!

The Black Peng soared straight up, its flapping wings seeming to shatter the very air. In an instant, it crossed a vast distance and arrived at the edge of the city wall, its wings spreading to blot out the stars and moon.

SHING!

Its feathers shot out like a torrential downpour, bombarding the Star Curtain.

The next moment,

CRACK!

Spiderweb cracks visible to the naked eye appeared and spread rapidly across the surface of the City Defense Array. In a flash, the Array teetered on the verge of collapse, its Star Force thrown into imbalance.

Specks of starlight dissipated into the air.

"This is bad! Increase the Star Force output! Support the Array with me!"

Seeing this, Li Daoming flipped over the City Defense Array Map and raised a hand to the sky, his daoist robes rustling in the wind. Behind him, several Li Family elders raised their hands in unison, struggling to maintain the Array.

The next moment,

chaos began to spread through the crowd...

More people began to cry out in terror, their bodies trembling as fear consumed them.

After all, the entire defense had been planned around a King Level Star Beast, but now an Emperor Level Star Beast had arrived. How could they possibly survive under such oppressive power?

"Don’t panic!"

The Commander’s brow furrowed at the sight. He suppressed the crowd’s rising panic with a deep voice, then immediately turned and issued another order to his troops.

"Fire!!"

As his voice fell,

SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

In the darkness of night, a rain of Pear Blossoms bloomed!

They flew in unison toward the Emperor Level Star Beast that was attacking the Array. The volley erupted with the force of a shattering silver vase, unleashing an attack powerful enough to kill a King Level beast.

Rocket clusters on the walls roared to life, converging on the Star Beast. Floating cannons swiveled, and the lightning from the Killing Array instantly illuminated the vast sky!

However!

The next moment,

everyone looked up with anticipation.

What they saw was not the Black Peng falling from the sky.

Instead, the Black Peng soared out of the smoke, easily shaking off the assault. The Pear Blossom Needles rained down harmlessly below the city.

"It’s useless..."

On the wall, silver light fell like rain.

Watching the Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needles fall, the Commander’s face turned ashen. The members of the other teams lowered the hands that held their loaders.

It still wasn’t enough.

The difference in power was too great.

Faced with this level of power, the Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needle could at most deal with a King Level Star Beast.

An Emperor Level beast was clearly in a different league entirely!

CRACK—

The Array Patterns shattered. Under the bombardment of countless feathers, the City Defense Array teetered.

In just a few seconds, several of the Li Family’s defenders collapsed, their Spiritual Power completely exhausted, and fell to the ground.

The starlight grew weak,

as faint as smoke...

It looked as if the Array would shatter at any moment.

But just then!

"Everyone, fall back!"

A clear voice thundered from above.

Everyone looked toward the sound.

It was Lin Mofeng!

Lin Mofeng, wielding a weapon of Profound Iron, shattered the bricks beneath his feet and soared into the sky to engage the Black Peng. The two terrifying powers intertwined, moving like streaks of light.

Grandmaster versus Grandmaster!

In that instant, the starlight in the sky blazed brilliantly!

A moment of respite had been created...

......

"Everyone, move now! Don’t waste the opportunity Mo Feng has bought us!"

On the wall, Elder Li watched the battle in the sky and shouted to those around him.

"Time is precious! Every second counts!!"

As his voice fell,

everyone’s gazes hardened once more as they raised their weapons.

After calming the crowd, Elder Li didn’t hesitate. He hurried back to Li Daoming’s side to help maintain the City Defense Array. ’Most of the Li Family’s Array Guardians have fainted,’ he thought. ’Without them to share the burden, I have to step in!’

"I appreciate the help!"

Li Daoming and Elder Li supported the Star Force together, their eyes fixed on the battle in the sky.

The situation in the sky was not optimistic.

The Emperor Level Star Beast was at the Late Stage of Grandmaster, far beyond what Lin Mofeng could handle alone.

Before long, he was clearly at a disadvantage...

Blood streamed from Lin Mofeng’s mouth and nose, his shoulders were riddled with feathers, and his face was deathly pale. The Black Peng circled him, searching for an opportunity to strike the killing blow.

"We can’t let this go on! We have to help him!"

The Chief Commander stepped onto a battlement, gathering his Star Force and preparing to fly into the sky.

But before he could even finish speaking,

Suddenly!

A frigid beam of sword light illuminated the heavens!

Sword-Opening Celestial Gate!

Li Zixuan, clad in white, shot into the sky with her sword. Like a white rainbow piercing the sun, she rode the wind straight up, ascending high into the night sky...

"Xuanxuan, be careful!"

Elder Li’s heart leaped when he saw this. He was tied down and could only watch helplessly from below.

"Don’t worry, Elder Li! I’ll protect your disciple!"

The Commander followed closely behind Li Zixuan, struggling to keep up as they shot high into the clouds. Behind them, Li Qinghe also flew up, holding the Little Seven-Star Celestial Array.

Three beams of starlight shot into the heavens.

"Qinghe, no!"

On the city wall, Li Daoming watched blankly as his daughter ascended into the sky, unable to stop her in time.

.......

「In the night sky.」

The moon was hazy, shrouded in ethereal clouds.

Four figures clashed in battle, stirring up a gale...

"A bunch of human ants!"

The Black Peng’s gaze swept over the group. It disengaged from Lin Mofeng for a moment and fixed its eyes on Li Zixuan.

"Junior Sister."

Lin Mofeng looked at her, equally surprised.

Up in the clouds,

Li Zixuan gripped the hilt of her sword and returned it to its sheath. Her sharp aura was completely retracted, her entire presence condensing to a single point as the thousands of strands of her hair fluttered in the wind.

’What is this...?’

’A sword draw?’

In the instant they were filled with confusion,

the next moment,

CLANG!

the blade left its sheath.

An ocean of cold light blossomed forth. A majestic wave of Sword Qi surged across the sky, slashing directly at the Black Peng.

The single strike parted the sea of clouds.

"Not good!"

The Black Peng was horrified. It instinctively shattered the void beneath it to barely dodge the attack, teleporting several dozen feet away.

’Danger!’

But before it could even recover,

BUZZ!

a sacred hum arose from an array!

Seven stars in the sky connected, casting down a vast seal.

It directly sealed off all escape routes in the sky. The Black Peng had nowhere to flee. It darted in every direction, but it was like hitting a wall; it couldn’t break free in the slightest.

"Where do you think you’re going!?"

Li Qinghe commanded the Array Map in her hand, activating the Little Dipper Array. She guided the Celestial Curtain to form the array lines, using the multitude of stars as a guide, and positioned herself to the north.

The Commander and Lin Mofeng took up positions to the west and south, respectively...

The Black Peng looked up and saw that to the east, Li Zixuan had sheathed her sword. She was focusing her spirit, already preparing her second Sword Drawing Technique!

Killing intent surged from all four directions, flooding the vast night sky. ’I have nowhere left to run...’