Chapter 339: Is the Beast Tide in Ashtown Related to the Cave?

Jiang Yun issued the command.

Lei Qing did not hesitate at all.

His burly figure took a step forward.

Charred black cracks faintly appeared on the ground beneath his feet.

He swung his right arm.

A burst of blazing lightning suddenly exploded within the Void Realm!

“Thunder Beast, come out and get to work!”

Boom!!!

A bolt of purple-blue lightning, as thick as a water vat, crashed down from a crack in the Void Realm!

Within the lightning...

...a massive creature slowly solidified its form.

Its back was humped like a hill, and its mane was composed of countless fine, pulsing electrical arcs; with every breath, lightning snakes snaked around its body.

A pressure surpassing the Gold Rank erupted.

On the other side...

Liu Qingshuang did not say a word.

She simply raised her right hand slightly.

And lightly pointed her index finger forward.

The movement was as light as touching a snowflake on a winter windowpane.

However, with that single point...

...the world suddenly turned freezing cold!

The Void Realm trembled like ripples on water.

An ice-blue stream of light spread out from her fingertip.

Like ink entering clear water...

...it instantly saturated half the sky.

Within the stream of light...

...a Luan bird gracefully emerged.

Its wingspan reached over ten zhang; its entire body was not covered in ordinary feathers, but was formed from piece after piece of crystal-clear ice crystals!

Every ice feather reflected cold, rainbow-colored crystalline light under the setting sun.

Its long tail feathers trailed a three-zhang-long ice-blue ribbon of light; everywhere it passed, the air frosted over, the ground froze, and even the charred embers left behind by the fire were instantly covered in a thin layer of frosty white.

Profound Frost Heavenly Luan.

It possessed Eclipsing Moon Rank potential.

The Luan bird let out a clear cry.

The sound was like ice cracking.

It did not even look at the Flame Prison Lizard King that was currently fighting with the Lava Giant Puppet.

Those ice-blue vertical pupils locked directly onto something further away.

The Profound Ice Python, which was coiled in the shadows of the ruins, covered in ice-blue scales, and waiting for an opportunity.

Amethyst Rank.

Same attribute.

The Profound Frost Heavenly Luan's wings vibrated slightly.

Zhao Zhao leaned against a broken wall.

A faint, half-smile hung on the corner of his mouth.

He watched Lei Qing and Liu Qingshuang take action one after another, his gaze lingering on Jiang Yun's back for a moment, and a faint snort escaped his nose.

He did not move.

He did not even let his beast enter a combat state.

He just leaned there lazily.

As if watching a spectacle that had nothing to do with him.

In the center of the plaza.

Xiao Jianshan was controlling the Lava Giant Puppet.

Firmly resisting another violent collision from the Flame Prison Lizard King.

The wound on his left shoulder had split even wider due to the continuous exertion; blood flowed down his arm into the gaps between his fingers and dripped onto the charred ground.

“Old Li! Hold on!”

He roared hoarsely.

Just as he finished speaking...

Boom!!!

A bolt of purple-blue lightning, like the spear of a Heavenly God...

...pierced through the battlefield from the rear flank!

The lightning was unerring.

It struck directly onto the Flame Prison Lizard King's back, which was covered in lava scales!

“Roar!!!”

The Flame Prison Lizard King let out a shrill, miserable howl.

Its scales, which were strong enough to withstand the punch of the Lava Giant Puppet with only shallow marks...

...under this strike...

...were torn apart like thin paper!

Scales flew everywhere!

A mist of blood exploded!

A charred, deep-to-the-bone gash, half a zhang long, extended from its spine all the way to its flank!

Purple-black beast blood gushed out.

Before it even hit the ground, it was scorched into foul-smelling black smoke by the lightning!

At the same time...

An extremely cold storm, capable of freezing bone marrow, swept in from the other side of the battlefield!

Wherever the storm passed...

...ice spikes actually condensed in the cracks of the ground.

The smell of char and blood in the air seemed to be instantly sealed away.

The Profound Ice Python, which was about to take to the air to evade...

...had only just twisted its body halfway.

The ice-blue stream of light had already reached its body!

It was not just being frozen.

It was an instantaneous stagnation.

The Profound Ice Python's cold snake eyes still held an expression of mixed shock and fear.

Its body, covered in ice-blue scales, maintained a half-airborne posture.

It was frozen in mid-air like that.

Turning into a lifelike ice sculpture.

The sunlight shone at an angle.

The ice sculpture reflected a cold and silent light.

Xiao Jianshan was stunned.

He maintained his forward-punching posture.

The Lava Giant Puppet also stopped in place.

Its raised right arm hung in mid-air, having forgotten to descend.

His lips twitched slightly.

But no sound came out.

Fierce Tiger Li held the fallen Iron Spine Azure Wolf.

He also forgot his grief.

His bloodshot eyes were wide and round.

Looking at the ice sculpture frozen in mid-air not far away.

Then he turned his head toward the direction where the lightning had not yet completely dissipated.

The Thunder Beast was retracting its single horn, which was surrounded by dark purple thunderclouds, letting out a snort as electrical arcs crackled and splattered.

The Profound Frost Heavenly Luan lightly folded its wings.

Gracefully landing beside Liu Qingshuang.

The ice-blue ribbon of light trailing from its tail feathers slowly descended.

Beneath its claws...

...was the Flame Prison Lizard King, its life force completely gone and its body covered in a thick layer of ice crystals.

Amethyst Rank First Order?

Dead!

Fierce Tiger Li subconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

His throat felt tight.

He had guarded this border town for a full nineteen years.

From a twenty-year-old team member...

...to a forty-three-year-old Captain.

In those nineteen years...

...he had seen the nightmare of Amethyst Tier Fierce Beasts passing through too many times.

Those were terrifying existences that required the strength of the entire town, the sacrifice of the lives of at least three to five team members, and the Mayor personally risking his life just to barely drive them away.

Not kill them.

Just drive them away.

And right now...

...these two young people who looked no more than sixteen or seventeen years old.

One...

...with a single bolt of lightning, heavily injured the Flame Prison Lizard King.

The other...

...with a single freezing strike, instantaneously killed the Profound Ice Python.

From start to finish...

...it hadn't even exceeded... Fierce Tiger Li difficultly rolled his eyes.

And glanced at the Mayor.

Xiao Jianshan did not speak.

The blood from his left shoulder was still flowing down.

He seemed unable to feel it anymore.

He just stood there.

His gaze moved back and forth between Lei Qing and Liu Qingshuang.

Finally, it landed on the youngest youth standing beside Captain Wang.

“M-Mayor!”

Captain Wang's voice broke the deathly silence.

He stepped forward quickly.

And grabbed Xiao Jianshan's swaying arm.

Jiang Yun also moved.

He walked a few steps to Fierce Tiger Li's side.

And squatted down.

His gaze swept over the fallen Iron Spine Azure Wolf.

Peak Gold Rank 9.

Comminuted fracture of the left hind leg.

Three deep-to-the-bone lacerations on its back.

Heavily injured.

Its aura was as weak as a candle in the wind.

He did not speak.

He pulled a Medicinal Pill with a faint green luster from his robes.

This was one of the rewards he had obtained from clearing the Trial Tower.

“Healing Pill, Gold Rank.”

He handed it to Fierce Tiger Li.

“Give it to him; it can save his life.”

Fierce Tiger Li stared blankly at the Medicinal Pill.

Gold Rank.

In the provincial capital, it might not be much.

But in this border town...

...it wasn't exactly a common Medicinal Pill either.

His Adam's apple bobbed.

He wanted to say thank you.

His lips moved, but he didn't say it.

He just took it with both hands.

“Mayor! Captain!”

Captain Wang's voice carried the raspiness of a survivor.

“Are you two okay?!”

Only then did Xiao Jianshan seem to snap back to his senses.

He took a deep breath.

Forcing himself to pull away from the shock of the scene just now.

“...I'm fine.”

His voice was very soft, carrying the weakness of excessive blood loss, and also some kind of indescribable, complex emotion.

“I won't die.”

Fierce Tiger Li also shook his head.

He stuffed the Medicinal Pill into the Iron Spine Azure Wolf's mouth, his rough palm gently stroking his old partner's gradually stabilizing breathing.

“I can still hold on...”

After a pause.

He asked the question he was most concerned about right now.

“Captain Wang... what about the people on South Street?”

Captain Wang nodded vigorously.

“They were all transferred to the Town Hall basement last night! Not a single woman, child, or elderly person was left behind, and the young and middle-aged men are taking turns standing guard; currently... currently there are no reports of casualties!”

When Xiao Jianshan heard this...

...his body, which had been as tense as a bowstring...

...finally relaxed slightly.

He gave a small smile.

The hideous old scar at the corner of his mouth twitched, and combined with his blood-covered body, that smile was indescribably pathetic.

But it was heartfelt.

“Good! It's good that the people are safe...”

Then.

He raised his head.

His gaze bypassed Captain Wang.

And landed on Jiang Yun, Lei Qing, Liu Qingshuang, Xiao Chen, and that figure by the broken wall in the distance who had never approached.

“You all...”

He chose his words carefully.

“...which lord sent you as reinforcements?”

Captain Wang spoke immediately.

His voice carried an unconscious pride.

“Mayor! These are the Prodigy students of Sky Dome Academy! They've accepted a Special Grade mission and came specifically to support our Ash Town!”

Sky Dome Academy.

Prodigy students.

Special Grade mission.

Special support.

After Xiao Jianshan finished listening...

...his first reaction wasn't relief.

It was confusion.

He stared blankly at these few young people.

The oldest one... looked to be no more than twenty-five or twenty-six.

The girl whose beast frozen the Profound Ice Python...

...looked even younger.

And the one standing beside Captain Wang... he wasn't even many years older than his own son who had just started high school.

“Support?”

Xiao Jianshan murmured the word.

He did not hide his emotions.

Or rather...

...he no longer had the energy to hide them.

“The Academy... sent some students to support us?”

He said this very softly.

There was no blame.

There was no disappointment.

It was just... stating a fact.

Captain Wang opened his mouth.

He wanted to explain something.

But he didn't know where to start.

After all,

Who could have imagined it?

Just thirty seconds ago,

He also thought this group of students would probably suffer a loss.

A pack of Gold Rank fifth and sixth-order Vicious Beasts,

Those weren't the same rank as the ones kept in the academy's Colosseum.

Those were savage creatures that truly fought on the wasteland, their claws stained with human blood.

And then,

In less than two breaths,

He watched with his own eyes as those Vicious Beasts, which had almost caused the entire town's destruction,

Were all insta-killed by one person... Captain Wang took a deep breath.

He turned sideways and raised his hand,

Pointing at the calm, reserved youth beside him.

"Mayor."

His voice was solemn.

"This is the Sacred Student of Sky Dome Academy!"

"He is the leader of their team."

Xiao Jianshan's gaze followed his finger,

Landing on Jiang Yun.

A handsome appearance and a steady aura.

He lacked the flamboyant, sky-high Battle Intent of Lei Qing,

And the thousand-mile-repelling coldness of Liu Qingshuang.

He just stood there quietly,

Like a bottomless ancient well.

Xiao Jianshan was an Amethyst Rank First Order Beast Tamer.

Having been the mayor of a frontier town for twenty years,

He had seen many people.

He had also seen too much cowardice disguised as composure,

And arrogance disguised as humility.

But he could not see through the youth before him.

His calmness was not a deliberate suppression,

Nor a pretense of depth.

It was truly... unruffled.

It was as if the feat of lightning and ice just now, insta-killing two Amethyst Tier Fierce Beasts,

In his eyes,

Was nothing more than a natural and expected occurrence.

Xiao Jianshan's lips twitched.

He wanted to say,

Tell your team members to be careful.

The Flame Prison Lizard King is Amethyst Rank First Order,

The Wind-Rending Eagle Falcon is Peak Gold Rank 9,

And there's that lurking Profound Ice Python... He wanted to say,

Vicious Beasts are different from tamed beasts.

They fight year-round, and their life-risking techniques are far more ruthless than those of beasts kept by academies.

He wanted to say,

It's good for young people to have sharp spirits,

But the battlefield is no child's play.

He had lived for over forty years,

And had seen many Geniuses,

But even more Geniuses who died young.

However, before his words of warning could be spoken,

BOOM!!!

A dull, massive sound came from behind him.

Xiao Jianshan turned back in horror.

The Profound Frost Heavenly Luan was gently retracting its right wing.

Beneath its claws,

Was the ice sculpture containing the frozen Profound Ice Python.

At this moment,

Countless fine cracks appeared on the surface of the ice sculpture.

Crack!!!

Crack crack!!!

Crack crack crack!!!

The next moment,

The ice sculpture shattered.

Along with the Profound Ice Python inside,

Everything shattered into a floor full of ice crystals.

Under the sunlight,

Those crystal-clear fragments shimmered with a cold light,

Like a floor of broken glazed cups.

At the same time,

The Thunder Beast shook its neck.

The mane formed by electric arcs on its back gave a gentle shake.

The Flame Prison Lizard King, which was heavily injured on the ground and still struggling in its death throes,

And the Wind-Rending Eagle Falcon, which had been intimidated by the Dragon's might and hadn't had time to escape,

Were both swept by a spreading circular arc of lightning.

The bodies of both Vicious Beasts stiffened simultaneously.

And then,

They collapsed with a loud thud.

No more sound.

Xiao Jianshan did not speak.

Fierce Tiger Li did not speak either.

Captain Wang's mouth was wide open,

Almost forgetting to close it.

In the square,

The few Gold Rank Seventh Order and Gold Rank Eight Vicious Beasts that were lucky enough to survive until now,

Watched as the three leading Amethyst Tier and two Peak Gold Rank 9 beasts,

In less than a minute,

All turned into corpses.

They let out terrified whimpers.

No wailing.

No counterattack.

They didn't even dare to look at the Thunder Beast again.

They scattered and fled.

The fastest to escape was a Gold Rank Eight Shadow-Wind Wolf.

It turned into a gray shadow, desperately dashing toward the depths of the ruins.

The next moment,

The Thunder Beast snorted.

An arc of lightning, like a whip, accurately struck its back.

The gray shadow exploded into a cloud of blood mist in mid-air.

The remaining few,

Without exception,

Hadn't even fled twenty zhang,

All executed!!!

From the moment Lei Qing and Liu Qingshuang took action,

To the complete clearing of all Vicious Beasts on the field,

It took... less than thirty breaths.

Xiao Jianshan slowly retracted his gaze.

He looked at Jiang Yun again.

This time,

He no longer concealed the complex emotions in his eyes.

Awe!!

Shock!!

And... a hint of fear that even he didn't want to admit.

He had lived for forty-three years,

Climbing step by step from the Bronze rank to Amethyst Rank First Order.

In this remote frontier,

He was already a Peak combat power above ten thousand people.

He thought,

That he could at least see the backs of those truly great figures.

At this moment,

He looked at this sixteen years old youth before him,

And suddenly felt,

That back,

Was much further away than he had imagined.

So far that he couldn't even see the outline clearly.

"Sacred... Sacred Student..."

Xiao Jianshan spoke,

His voice even raspier than before.

He changed his way of address.

"Just now... this Xiao misspoke."

He didn't explain what misspoke meant.

Everyone present understood.

Jiang Yun shook his head slightly,

His tone calm.

"The Mayor is overstating it."

"We are just completing a mission; this is all part of our duty."

Part of our duty.

When Fierce Tiger Li heard those words,

He looked down at the dying Iron Spine Azure Wolf in his arms,

Then at the pile of ice crystal fragments not far away,

And suddenly didn't know what to say.

Part of their duty... these kids,

Had turned the tide of a town-destroying disaster,

So easily and nonchalantly.

Lei Qing walked back with large strides.

The Thunder Beast was by his side, its steps steady, and the electric arcs gradually fading.

"Sacred Student!"

He grinned, revealing a row of neat white teeth.

"It's done."

Jiang Yun nodded.

"Good work."

"Ha!"

Lei Qing waved his hand.

"This is nothing. That lizard's hide was quite thick, so I had to strike it with one more bolt of lightning, otherwise it could have been five breaths faster."

He spoke nonchalantly.

Fierce Tiger Li's eyelid twitched.

One more bolt of lightning?

Five breaths faster?

Liu Qingshuang also walked over.

The Profound Frost Heavenly Luan retracted its wings,

Turning into an icy blue stream of light that entered between her eyebrows.

She didn't look at the pile of ice crystal fragments,

Nor did she look at the mayor.

She only gave Jiang Yun a slight nod,

And then stood quietly to the side.

Just then,

Xiao Chen also returned from the direction of North Street.

His green robe was unstained by dust, and his aura was as steady as ever.

He nodded slightly to Jiang Yun.

"The Gold Rank beasts wandering the perimeter have been cleared; no traces of other hidden Vicious Beasts were found."

He paused.

"Three members of the North Street guard team have minor injuries; no one died."

Xiao Jianshan took a deep breath.

Another young man who had cleared all the surrounding Vicious Beasts in such a short amount of time?

Xiao Jianshan found it somewhat hard to believe.

He pushed away Captain Wang's support,

Stumbled a bit, and stood firm.

Then,

He cupped his fists,

And bowed.

"You Prodigies of Sky Dome Academy..."

His voice trembled slightly.

"On behalf of the three thousand seven hundred households of Ash Town..."

"I kowtow in thanks for saving our lives."

Fierce Tiger Li also struggled to get up.

The wound on his right leg split open, and blood seeped out again.

He was completely oblivious to it,

Standing side-by-side with the mayor,

Bowing,

And cupping his fists.

Behind them,

The surviving guard members supported each other as they stood up.

Everyone,

In the same motion,

Deeply bowed to these five young people,

Expressing their highest respect.

Jiang Yun took a step forward,

Gently supporting them with an invisible force.

"Mayor, Captain, there is no need for this."

He paused.

"Although the Vicious Beasts have been cleared, the mission is not yet complete."

Xiao Jianshan straightened up.

"The Sacred Student means..."

"South Street."

Jiang Yun's gaze crossed the ruins, landing on the southern part of the town.

There, the mist was thickening, and twilight was closing in.

Broken architectural outlines were vaguely visible,

And... further away,

That desolate area shrouded in heavy shadows.

"The Vicious Beasts in the town center have been removed."

Jiang Yun retracted his gaze.

"But if the root is not pulled out, tonight or tomorrow, there will be a second or third wave of Vicious Beast attacks."

Xiao Jianshan was silent.

Fierce Tiger Li was also silent.

They naturally understood this logic.

Ash Town had been adjacent to the Bone Burial Area for two hundred years,

And a beast tide of this scale had never broken out.

This was no accident.

There must have been some kind of abnormality at the source.

If it wasn't investigated,

And resolved,

Today's victory,

Would be nothing more than a one-day stay of execution.

Seeing their expressions,

Jiang Yun did not press them,

But only asked,

"Mayor."

"How did the Vicious Beast invasion begin?"

"Before it started, were there any signs?"

Xiao Jianshan and Fierce Tiger Li exchanged a look.

This look lasted a long time,

So long that even Lei Qing noticed something was wrong,

And even Zhao Zhao, who had been leaning against a broken wall, straightened up slightly.

And then,

Xiao Jianshan spoke.

His voice was very low,

As if he were afraid of disturbing something that shouldn't be disturbed.

"Lord Sacred Student..."

"The source of all this..."

He paused for a moment,

His Adam's apple bobbing.

"I'm afraid... it has something to do with that Cave..."