Chapter 22: Ready for Battle

‘There will come a time when we need to deal with them,’ thought Zhang Shen, his mind swirling with murderous intent. However, now wasn’t the right time for action, so he quietly suppressed his desires.

Wang Jing was deeply irritated, and not just about the incident involving Wang Kun. It was also due to Jiuchuan City’s dismal performance in the grand competition. Members of his family had suffered a significant defeat, which clearly indicated something was amiss.

However, Wang Jing was helpless. He knew exactly why things had turned out this way.

“Damn it, hasn’t it been stated clearly? We, the Wang family, gained nothing from that secret place, just a single flower, and a few leaves. Why can’t they understand?”

Since then, the Wang family had earned the animosity of many people, but they were like those who had to swallow a bitter pill, they had grievances, but couldn’t voice them.

“It must be a conspiracy. These people have colluded to manipulate the competition roster.” Wang Jing’s heart was ablaze with rage.

Indeed, this was the case. The participants from the other six cities had conspired to control the roster, thereby suppressing the Wang family under the guise of the secret location incident.

Jiuchuan City had shown excessive strength in recent years, naturally inviting suppression.

The grand competition among the seven cities was brief, leaving a battlefield stained with blood and scattered with bones, after which everyone returned home.

Only Jiuchuan City faced total defeat, leaving amidst curses and grumbles.

The other six cities had casualties, but on the whole, they were content. The loss incurred by the premature unsealing was compensated fully at the expense of the Wang family.

Simultaneously, Zhang Shen, who had showcased his prowess, had elevated his perceived threat level among the other six cities.

Zhang Shen was acutely aware of this change. He could perceive the thinly veiled murderous intent in the gazes cast his way, thanks to his Innate Stage physical senses. Suppressing his thoughts, Zhang Shen feigned ignorance.

Upon their return, the three advanced training classes were also canceled. Preparations had to be made for the imminent beast tide.

“Since the establishment of Hongyuan City, we’ve survived four beast tides. Each time we’ve lost many family members. The most perilous instance left our three families with only a single Innate Stage protector. We were on the brink of annihilation.”

Zhang Tianlong recounted the experiences of previous waves. His own siblings had perished during these occurrences.

To counter this impending beast wave, the three families gathered all their members for joint training. A command center was established to foster synergy among the warriors.

Late-stage Acquired powerhouses like Zhang Shen were assigned to various teams, not to command specifically but to serve as top-tier powerhouses within the groups.

When faced with spiritual beasts leading the horde, individuals like Zhang Shen, who was in the late stages of Acquired, were tasked with charging into the horde to decapitate them.

However, a beast wave was not like the usual one or two clusters of beasts they typically encountered. These beasts converged into a single area, launching wave after wave of relentless attacks. This was the terrifying aspect of a beast tide.

Without teammates, should one get engulfed by the beast wave, they wouldn’t stand a chance of eliminating the leaders. Even ordinary beasts could overwhelm and kill an Acquired Stage martial artist.

Each team comprised at least five martial artists at the Acquired 7th Layer. Only by pooling their strength could they break into the beast worde. The teams they led could also play a significant role.

As the days passed, everyone living on the fringe of the Endless Wilderness knew the beast wave was imminent.

Increasing numbers of beast hordes began to appear. The tribes and villages within the jurisdiction of Hongyuan City were the first to feel these changes. The mortality rate of hunting teams soared. The constant roars of beasts outside the city walls kept everyone on edge.

“The beast wave is coming. Hurry! Send the children and pregnant women to Hongyuan City. Except for a few who will stay to protect them, everyone else must prepare for a final stand,” the experienced elders decided.

They couldn’t afford to abandon everything they had and flee to Hongyuan City. Moreover, Hongyuan City wouldn’t accommodate all of them. The limit was to accept a portion of children, women, and family members.

“Those left behind form the first line of defense against the beast wave. They also serve as points for resupply and rest for our Hongyuan City in the face of the beast wave.”

From atop a high mountain, Zhang Shen watched as the children and pregnant women were led by Hongyuan City personnel to an area behind the high walls.

Alongside him, a dozen martial artists in the Acquired 3rd and 4th Layer were on high alert, preparing for any beast hordes that might appear.

Zhang Shen had retrieved a piece of white jade lotus root from his storage bag and swallowed it, pondering on the strategic layout of Hongyuan City.

“Split into six directions to safeguard the territory of Hongyuan City with six large teams,” he planned.

Each team was to be led by two Innate powerhouses, a number of late-stage Acquired fighters forming the core, early and mid-stage Acquired warriors acting as support, and those at the Human Limit serving as expendable soldiers and cleaners of the battlefield.

This arrangement seemed sufficient.

In the realm of warriors, trenches and other such defensive structures had lost their significance. Moreover, when confronting a tide of low-ranked beast waves, there had been no need to fear talismans and formations used by other warriors.

“The earth veins of the Endless Wilderness have been damaged, making resources scarce,” he thought. Apart from the resources salvaged from the locations where strong warriors had fallen, naturally cultivated resources were barely adequate for martial artists to enhance their cultivation levels, making talismans a rare commodity.

Everyone despised the beast tide in the wilderness, yet its absence would also pose a problem. The flesh and blood of low-rank spiritual beasts and animals were the most consumed resources for cultivation among the local warriors.

“Every situation has its pros and cons. Ultimately, one’s personal strength is what truly matters,” Zhang Shen had mused. “Numerous families and towns have been swallowed and erased by demon waves in the past.”

After checking his status panel, his physical progress had already reached 16% of the Innate 2nd Layer.

“The White Jade Lotus Roots indeed lives up to its reputation as an Innate-grade tonic for body strengthening. It has significantly boosted my strength in such a short time,” he had remarked.

Zhang Shen had estimated the remaining white jade lotus root. “This is enough for me to reach the perfect state of the Innate 4th Layer. After that, I’ll have to rely on those valuable Innate grade pills.”

Despite the waste in consuming such potent pills directly without aiming to enhance his cultivation level, he had acknowledged the necessity given his relative weakness against the impending beast wave.

The Zhang family’s Bright Moon Technique, as well as the techniques from the Lin and Ye families, could only cultivate up to the Innate 5th Layer. However, among the families that had vanished in past beast waves, many had late-stage Innate warriors.

“We must not be complacent,” he had reminded himself.

Suddenly, a member of the Ye family rushed over. “Beast horde, there’s a beast horde. A beast horde is charging from the front.”

“Calm down,” Zhang Shen had reassured his frantic companion. “Leave two people to continue protecting the evacuating children and pregnant women. The rest of you, follow me.”

Leading the charge toward the indicated direction, he was soon joined by over a dozen people emerging from the surrounding dense forest. When Zhang Shen encountered the beast horde, his eyebrows twitched. He had sensed four demon beasts within this horde.

“Typically, there’s only one spiritual beast in a beast horde on the outermost edge of the Endless Wilderness,” he noted. This had suggested an ominous truth, the beast tide had begun.

“You all deal with these wild pigs. Be cautious, there are at least four spiritual beasts within,” he had warned.

Having said this, Zhang Shen had plunged into the horde of wild pigs, his aim to eliminate the most imminent threat first.