14: Chapter 14 Beast Tide

At this moment, night was just beginning to fall.

The streetlights were brightly lit.

A transparent protective barrier instantly enveloped the entire outer area of Biyun Market.

Seeing this, Market Master Liu Yunfei finally wiped away his cold sweat with lingering fear.

After swallowing a Qi-Nourishing Pill used for Foundation Establishment, he landed to regulate his breathing.

Soon, the patrol team responsible for the market's security arrived.

"Elder Liu, what is this?" The leader of the seven flashed a token and cupped his hands.

The others fanned out, guarding him in the center.

"Something went wrong in the Secret Realm!" After regulating his breathing, Market Master Liu Yunfei's pale face finally recovered some color.

"We were ambushed! Hall Master Liu is still fighting a bloody battle!" As Market Master Liu Yunfei spoke, his eyes even grew slightly moist.

Every single person who went to the Secret Realm wanted nothing more than to expand their territory and make a name for themselves!

All the direct descendants had gone!

But what did they get in return!

"Mobilize everyone immediately to go to the edge of the market and guard the grand Formation."

"At the same time, conscript all Loose Cultivators in the market who have combat capability, offering rewards according to wartime standards."

The captain immediately nodded, "Yes!"

Without another word, Market Master Liu Yunfei flew toward the Fusheng Sect garrison mansion in the core area.

The few people who witnessed this scene from the side felt an indescribable shock in their hearts.

"Oh no, it might be a beast tide!" Market Master Chen's face was extremely grim.

"Let's go, back to the mansion first."

Without any delay, everyone immediately returned to the mansion.

The Communication Jade Talismans had already sent out messages.

As soon as they entered the Chen Family Talisman Workshop, all the Elders and consultants had arrived.

Most of the Elders' cultivation bases were at the Late-stage Qi Refining, while one consultant was at the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment. Normally, he didn't need to worry about the workshop's affairs, only needing to take action for the workshop at critical moments, and he received over a thousand Spirit Stones in annual retainer fees.

Market Master Chen quickly recounted what he had just seen and heard.

Chen Xuan and the other two waited on the side.

Everyone fell into silence.

Biyun Market had experienced quite a few beast tides in its history.

Most occurred when the Yao Beasts of the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range multiplied to a certain extent; when resources became insufficient, they would expand outward.

Naturally, they targeted Biyun Market, which possessed a Spiritual Vein.

If the Fusheng Sect's reinforcements did not arrive in time and the market fell, human lives would be like grass.

"Consultant Wang, if the market's Formation is breached tonight and the Yao Beasts enter the market, please take the children and break out."

"The rest of the Family's elderly and young will go to the tunnels to take refuge and seal the entrance."

Consultant Wang nodded.

Any Family must pass down its hope as a Legacy.

"Elders of the Family, let us defend the market together and live or die with it."

Their ancestors had lived here for generations; the market was their root.

Without the market, so what if they escaped?

They would be no different from Loose Cultivators. To them, they might as well just die!

Just as everyone was arranged, the Formation barrier in the sky began to flash with bursts of brilliant light.

As expected, it was a beast tide; the Yao Beasts were attacking the market.

Alerted by this, the mobilized patrol guards of the Fusheng Sect also quickened their pace.

Market Master Chen and the others, carrying all their stockpiled Talismans, headed to the front lines along with the Family Elders.

At a time like this, the influential families of the market had nowhere to hide.

If they fled, the Fusheng Sect had plenty of ways to deal with them!

This was already a common occurrence in history.

Consultant Wang sat in the hall, glanced at the three teenagers, and then put a mana-restoring pill into his mouth, closing his eyes to rest.

He wrapped it in his magic power without refining it, so he could refine it at any moment to deal with emergencies.

This was also the first time Chen Xuan and the other two had encountered such a crisis. Both girls subconsciously drew closer to Chen Xuan.

Chen Qiuyu, who had never experienced slaughter, hugged Golden Roar tightly, only relaxing slightly upon feeling its body heat.

In their hands, all three of them held several Golden Light Mantras and Light Evasion Talismans; at a critical moment, these could save their lives.

"Brother, what about Mother and the others?" Wang Lingxue asked in a low voice.

Ever since Chen Xuan became wealthy, the Family had also bought two Communication Jade Talismans.

They had already sent messages to their parents, but had not yet received a reply.

Their father was only at Qi Refining Stage 4, and their mother was only at Qi Refining Stage 3. If they encountered the beast tide, just four or five Yao Beasts could take their lives.

"I've already told Father and Mother to hurry to the residential area," Chen Xuan said.

If the market was breached, the side closest to the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range would be the most dangerous.

That meant the western side, which was the Qingshi Lane area where the Spirit Farmers lived.

As long as they entered the residential area, at least there would be others ahead to draw the fire.

Surviving even a bit longer meant an extra shred of hope.

A perfectly good New Year's Eve was instead paved with countless shades of bright red.

Boom! A massive explosion resounded.

The battle on the front lines had begun.

All the streetlights in the city were extinguished to fully power the Tier 2 Formation.

The Fusheng Sect Elders stationed in the market mobilized in unison.

From time to time, streaks of escape light could be seen flying across the sky.

In wartime, ordinary laws and regulations were simplified to the extreme.

"Junior Brother..."

"Hmm?"

"Mhm," Chen Qiuyu hummed softly. She just wanted to call his name to gain a sense of security in her heart.

The three kids hugged Golden Roar, resting back-to-back in the inner hall.

They didn't sleep all night.

Chen Xuan's parents, bringing Zhang Keer with them, also entered the Chen Family Talisman Workshop and went into the tunnels to take refuge with the ordinary people of the workshop.

Chen Xuan really hadn't expected them to remember this girl.

However, at this moment in the Zhang Family, Father Zhang was still in the Secret Realm, leaving only Zhang Keer and the Family servants, which was not safe at all.

This moment was unlike normal times.

According to past experience, if the worst-case scenario occurred, the market would be breached within a day.

In that case, Foundation Establishment Cultivators could still protect a few people and escape.

Everyone else could only scatter and hide in various cellars, tunnels, and shelters, praying not to be found.

Then, within a day, a large number of Fusheng Sect Cultivators would arrive, and some powerful figures would arrive even earlier, within half a day.

As long as they survived the first day of the market's Formation being shattered, there was a high probability they would live.

But as fate would have it!

Dawn broke.

The Fusheng Sect's reinforcements did not arrive.

Meanwhile, ear-piercing explosions echoed one after another.

The protective Formation of the market was tottering, already reduced to an extremely thin layer.

The collapse of Biyun Market seemed imminent.

However, the few who were originally terrified had now grown somewhat numb.

Even the two girls, who used to tremble at every loud noise, no longer shook.

It was simply too frequent; they had lost all expectations upon hearing it.

At this moment, the Tier 1 Defensive Formation activated within the Chen Family Talisman Workshop was still running.

But the courtyard was already empty.

The entire Talisman workshop was exceptionally empty, with only four people and one Gray Wolf quietly awaiting the outcome.

Seeing that it was dawn, Consultant Wang arranged for them to eat, then flew high into the sky, gazing out with a spiritual eye technique he had cultivated since his Qi Refining days.

Yao Beasts were everywhere on the western and northern sides of the grand Formation.

The southern and eastern sides were also gradually being encroached upon by Yao Beasts.

Even with tens of thousands of Loose Cultivators in the market responding together, they were somewhat at a loss.

Consultant Wang knit his brows tightly, yet he did not think of fleeing on his own.

First was the bond built over many years with the Chen Family Talisman Workshop.

Second, and most importantly, they had signed a contract; violating the oath would result in his death and the dissipation of his Dao.

Those Spirit Stones were not taken for nothing.

It was just that right now, there really seemed to be no chance of winning.

Just as Consultant Wang was frowning, a brilliant red light swept in from the horizon, crashing straight into the Tier 2 defensive grand Formation.

"A Golden Core Yao Beast!"

Countless Cultivators felt their hearts shatter with terror upon witnessing this earth-shattering sight!

Crack!

In just an instant.

The seemingly indestructible Tier 2 Formation shattered with a bang.

"Oh no!"

The faces of everyone relying on the Formation to resist the beast tide instantly turned deathly pale.

Right at this moment, a massive gourd emitting a hazy green light also flew in from the horizon, instantly attacking the red light!

"Prodigy, you court death!"