9: Chapter 9 The Beast Tide Arrives

Before dawn had even arrived, Qin Luoxi's warning formation exploded.

Blue formation runes suddenly lit up on the ground at the valley entrance, immediately shifting into a blinding red light—a top-level intrusion warning!

At that same instant, Zhao Linger bolted upright from her sleep, covering her ears with both hands. The instincts of a Spirit Sound Master allowed her to hear the surging low growls of a Savage Beast herd in the distance—there were so many of them, and they were less than three miles away!

"They're coming!" Zhao Linger's voice was choked with tears, yet it was exceptionally clear. "So many... so many Savage Beasts! They're coming from the north!"

Wang Sheng rushed out of the Chiefs Tent. Golden runes lit up in his palm as he grabbed the bone horn left behind by Shi Gen and blew it with all his might. The low sound of the horn echoed throughout Mist Valley.

Two minutes. All sixty-two girls assembled within two minutes. No one was late; fear had made them more united than ever before.

Wang Sheng stood on high ground, surveying the group, his voice steady as iron: "Everyone, listen to my orders! Murong Xue, lead the combat team to defend the front of the valley entrance. Xiao Yuqing, provide support from the high ground.

Frost Mage Lin Shiyun, set up frost traps on the high ground behind the valley entrance; freeze the passage once the enemies enter range.

Su Mengyao, control the spirit vines to seal the flanks. Zhao Linger, provide support from the rear with sound waves. Shen Xun'er, prepare Moonlight Blessing in the rear. Hua Jieyu, prepare medical support.

I will coordinate from the center—wherever there is a problem, I will go!"

No one hesitated, no one questioned. Sixty-two figures moved rapidly in the faint light of dawn, each taking their position.

Murong Xue stood at the very front of the valley entrance, clad in silver armor and holding a spear. Her brown ponytail was perfectly neat, and her resolute face was as cold and sharp as a blade.

The silver armor clung to her fit, tall frame, outlining curves of her chest and hips that were full yet possessed a sense of power. She looked like a statue of a silver war god.

Frost Mage Lin Shiyun stood on the high ground, eyes closed in concentration. Her silver-white hair drifted like snow, and when her icy blue pupils opened, coldness overflowed.

Beneath her slender, graceful figure, the stunning proportions of her waist and hips were faintly visible under her mage robes. Her cold, beautiful face was now filled with the focus of a hunter.

Su Mengyao crouched on the flank, pressing her hands to the ground. Her emerald-green hair hung over her shoulders, and her jade-colored eyes were slightly closed.

Her plump, soft figure crouched among the vines and flowers, and the fair, tender ankles beneath her skirt shimmered with a soft luster in the faint light.

The first light of dawn had just begun to paint the sky when the Beast Tide arrived.

The Savage Beasts pouring out of the northern forest were overwhelming: Iron-Backed Wolves, Savage-Horned Deer, Giant Spiny Lizards, and even several Savage Armored Rhinoceroses the size of small hills!

The hooves and claws of dozens of Savage Beasts made the earth rumble; they were more than ten times stronger than the nine Iron-Backed Wolves from the first time!

"Hold your ground!" Murong Xue's voice pierced through the dawn.

A Savage Armored Rhinoceros slammed into the valley entrance barricade, shattering wood and sending giant stones flying!

The barricade was forcefully smashed open! A pack of Iron-Backed Wolves surged in through the gap, their fangs glinting with cold light.

Murong Xue thrust her spear out; the golden spear tip pierced the throat of the first Iron-Backed Wolf. She pulled the spear back and swept it across, the shaft smashing the skull of the second Savage Beast.

Sparks flew as the Savage Beasts' claws struck her silver armor, but the Holy Light Knight's Shield of Light flowed over the surface of the armor, blocking the sharp claws from reaching the silver plating.

Xiao Yuqing drew her bow from the high ground; her spiritual power arrows never missed, accurately striking the Savage Beasts in the eyes.

Her dashing short hair flew in the morning breeze, and the lines of her arms tensed into beautiful curves as she drew the bow. Her heroic and dashing figure beneath her sports vest made her a true warrior in this moment.

Frost Mage Lin Shiyun pushed her hands forward, and an icy blue cold energy surged out, triggering the frost traps! The limbs of three Savage-Horned Deer were frozen solid by ice.

Her continuous output of frost rays sealed half the passage into a frozen river, causing the following Savage Beasts to slip, trample each other, and fall into chaos.

Her silver-white hair danced in the ice mist, and snowflakes drifted in her icy blue pupils. Only her fingers were trembling slightly—a sign of high-load spellcasting.

Su Mengyao's spirit vines erupted from the ground, entangling the Giant Spiny Lizard that had charged into the valley and binding it tightly.

The Giant Spiny Lizard broke some of the spirit vines as it struggled, but more vines surged from all sides to wrap it into an immobile bundle. Fine beads of sweat broke out on Su Mengyao's forehead, yet her jade-colored eyes carried a gentle smile.

Zhao Linger's sound waves transformed into invisible blades, piercing the eardrums of the Savage Beasts; the low-level Savage Beasts became dizzy and disoriented, their attack rhythm thrown into chaos.

Zheng Liuli compressed spirit fire into spheres and threw them into the herd, blasting a group of them over. Chen Siqi's twin ponytails stood up, and lightning leaped and connected among the Savage Beast herd.

As the battle raged on, the earth suddenly trembled.

A Savage Armored Rhinoceros walked out from behind the herd, crushing everything in its path. Its size was three times that of a normal Savage Armored Rhinoceros, and its entire body of dark gold carapace reflected a cold metallic light in the morning sun.

A fist-sized Savage Beast crystal core shone brightly between its two horns—a mid-level crystal core!

Savage Armored Rhino King. Barbarian Warrior Tier 3.

It let out a low growl that shattered the rocks beneath its feet, and the low-level Savage Beasts immediately retreated to clear a path. Its dark red vertical pupils locked onto Wang Sheng.

Wang Sheng met it head-on, golden light flaring brightly in his palm. The Savage Armored Rhino King charged with its horn, moving as fast as a small, mobile hill! Wang Sheng raised his Shield of Light to block it head-on.

"Boom!" A massive force struck him; he was pushed back five meters, plowing two deep trenches into the soil beneath his feet, his arms numbing!

"So tough!" Wang Sheng counterattacked, striking the Savage Armored Rhino King's carapace with a Holy Light Slash. The golden light blade collided with the dark gold carapace.

Sparks flew everywhere, leaving only a shallow mark! The hardness of the carapace far exceeded his imagination.

The Savage Armored Rhino King, enraged, charged repeatedly. Wang Sheng dodged flexibly, but his stamina was depleting extremely fast. The giant horn grazed his clothes, and the fierce wind scraped his cheeks, stinging with pain.

"Murong Xue, coordinate with me!"

Murong Xue lunged from the side, her holy light spear thrusting toward the Savage Armored Rhino King's underarm, where the carapace was thinner!

The spear tip pierced half a foot in, and the Savage Armored Rhino King let out an earth-shaking roar, violently shaking its head.

"Bang!" Murong Xue was struck by the side of the giant horn and sent flying through the air! She tumbled to the ground and knelt on one knee, a dent in the chest of her silver armor, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth.

Her fit figure swayed slightly, but she gripped her spear tightly.

"Murong Xue!" Wang Sheng's pupils contracted, and he let out a roar.

At that moment, something exploded within his chest. It wasn't anger; it was the instinct of a Holy Light Warrior, the fury of a protector, and the brand seared into his soul that said, "My kin has been hurt."

Golden light flared brightly from both his fists, and his Power of Holy Light surged!

Wang Sheng took a step forward, his speed so fast he became a blur. He grabbed the Savage Armored Rhino King's giant horn, and golden holy light poured along the horn into the Savage Armored Rhino King's body, like magma pouring into an ice sheet!

"Awooo!" The Savage Armored Rhino King let out an unprecedented shriek, and cracks spread across its dark gold carapace like a spiderweb. It shook its head frantically, but Wang Sheng's hands clamped onto the giant horn like iron pincers, not moving an inch.

He released one hand and slammed his fist into the cracks—one punch, two punches, three punches!

Each punch carried scorching holy light, and each punch made the cracks go deeper! The Savage Armored Rhino King's carapace shattered piece by piece in the golden light, revealing the fragile muscle tissue inside.

"Holy Light Slash!" With the final punch, a golden light blade shot from his fist, piercing through the crack in the Savage Armored Rhino King's carapace and exiting out its back!

The Savage Armored Rhino King's massive body stiffened, the light in its dark red vertical pupils quickly fading, and it collapsed with a crash, making the earth tremble.

Once the Savage Armored Rhino King was dead, the remaining Savage Beasts scattered and fled, disappearing into the forest in the dawn. The battle was over.

The smell of Savage Beast blood filled the air above the campsite, and a small section of the Lingxi River was dyed red, but the fluorescent grassland still emitted a faint green glow in the morning light. Here, they were still alive.

System notifications popped up one after another: "Killed 47 Savage Beasts, obtained 47 Savage Beast crystal cores (including 1 mid-level), and a large amount of Savage Beast skin and meat."

"Power of Holy Light significantly increased during battle. Level up: Barbarian Warrior Tier 1 → Barbarian Warrior Tier 2. Holy Light Slash power +20%."

Wang Sheng walked over to Murong Xue and crouched down, his gaze falling on the corner of her mouth and the dented silver armor.

He reached out to check her injuries, but Murong Xue waved him off: "Just surface wounds, it's nothing." Her voice was hoarse, but her tone was as tough as ever.

Wang Sheng didn't speak, only staring at the bloodstain on her resolute face, his brows furrowed tightly.

Murong Xue's heart skipped a beat; the way this man genuinely cared for people was more dazzling than the holy light itself.

She turned her head away, not wanting him to see the slight flush rising on her ears.

Hua Jieyu and Shen Xun'er joined forces to cast healing spells; green light of life and silver-white moonlight intertwined to envelop the wounded.

Murong Xue's injuries recovered first, and the other three girls scratched by Savage Beasts, along with one who had sprained her ankle, also quickly healed.

Frost Mage Lin Shiyun walked over and handed Wang Sheng a bottle of chilled spirit water. She didn't speak, her face still wearing its usual cold expression, but her action of handing him the water was gentler than any of her previous actions.

Her cold fingers lightly brushed against his as they exchanged the bottle, then immediately retracted.

Wang Sheng took the spirit water and took a gulp; it was ice-cold going down his throat, but it warmed his heart.

Zhao Linger rushed over and hugged Wang Sheng's arm, her baby face full of admiration: "Chieftain, you were so cool! You punched right through that big guy!"

Her petite body hung on his arm, the curves of her devilish figure pressing against it, and the soft sensation was impossible to ignore. Wang Sheng rubbed her head, between laughter and tears.

Shen Xun'er watched from the side, the corners of her mouth curving up; the tenderness in her eyes and the flash of small pride were impossible to hide.

Wang Sheng looked at the chaotic battlefield and his exhausted but bright-eyed kin. An unprecedented surge of pride swelled in his heart—they were stronger than he had imagined, and he was also stronger than he had thought himself to be.

The system popped up another notification: "Ding! Successfully repelled the Beast Tide for the first time, achievement unlocked! Reward: Tribal Core Building Blueprint · Chiefs Tent (Permanent Version)! Please choose a name for the tribe within 24 hours to complete the formal establishment of the tribe!"

Wang Sheng looked at the golden blueprint that had appeared out of thin air in his hand, the blank flag on the roof of the tent waiting to be named.

His gaze swept over everyone on the battlefield: Shen Xun'er, Murong Xue, Frost Mage Lin Shiyun, Su Mengyao, Zhao Linger, Hua Jieyu...

Sixty-two faces, some exhausted and some exhilarated, looked like little flags in the morning light. It was time to give this tribe a name.