28: Demon Siege

The bloody scent of the Rotting Bone Forest had not yet dissipated from Lin Jingyu's clothes when the city walls of Border Wasteland City, built from massive black stones and covered in marks from blades and axes, came into view.

However, before he could approach the city gate, an unusual, murderous aura assailed him!

On the city walls, the torchlight was several times denser than usual, illuminating half the sky in a fiery red.

The usually lax guards were now in gleaming armor, swords drawn, arrows nocked, each with a tense expression, as if facing a formidable enemy.

The air was thick with the heavy scents of sulfur, rust, and a faint, unsettling, foul stench.

“Woo—woo—woo—”

A low, urgent horn blast, like the wail of a dying giant beast, suddenly rang out from the highest watchtower on the city wall, tearing through the twilight's tranquility! It instantly spread throughout the entire city!

“Beast tide! It’s a beast tide warning!”

“Quick! To the walls! Nock the rune crossbows! Prepare the fire oil!”

“Damn it, why is it early?!”

The city wall instantly erupted into chaos!

Shouts of alarm, roars of anger, the clang of metal, and heavy footsteps mingled together, forming a chaotic torrent.

The once orderly city defense, amidst the mournful horn blasts, revealed a hint of haste and panic.

Lin Jingyu paused, his brow slightly furrowed.

A beast tide? How coincidental.

He looked towards the depths of the wilderness; on the horizon, a heart-pounding dark red tide, like boiling foul blood, surged forth!

Accompanied by a dull, thunderous rush and countless sharp, piercing roars!

The true threat was not within the city, but in the wilderness outside, swallowed by darkness and beast roars!

He no longer hesitated, his figure flickered, Phantom Step activated, leaving three afterimages to confuse onlookers, his true body already like a phantom, sweeping through the chaotic city gate tunnel, and in a few leaps, he landed on the thick city battlements.

His heavy body landed, and the black stone beneath his feet let out a dull groan.

On the city wall, the commander responsible for this section of defense was Zhao Tianhao, the leader of the Desolate Camp.

This Border Wasteland man, known for his ferocity, was now covered in sweat, hoarsely shouting commands: “Hold steady! Hold steady! Rune crossbowmen! Target three hundred steps ahead, unleash a volley! Fire!”

“Buzz—whoosh whoosh whoosh—!”

Dozens of heavy crossbows, flickering with faint runes, roared simultaneously! Arm-thick metal crossbow bolts tore through the air, carrying sharp shrieks, and fiercely plunged into the vanguard of the surging dark red tide!

Puff puff puff puff!

Dull thuds of flesh being pierced and tragic wails instantly erupted! Dozens of “Bloodthirsty Boars,” shaped like wild pigs with outward-curving tusks and dark red bristles covering their bodies, that were charging at the front, were impaled by the powerful crossbow bolts, tumbling and falling, then trampled into meat paste by the surging beast horde behind them!

Dark red foul blood instantly stained the ground.

However, this small casualty was merely a drop in the bucket for the massive beast tide!

“Roar!”

“Hiss ga—!”

More Vicious Beasts followed closely, breaking through the sparse coverage of crossbow bolts, like a breached dam, violently crashing into the city wall!

There were “Shadowblade Leopards,” incredibly fast, shaped like cheetahs, their claws and teeth gleaming with metallic cold light. They nimbly clung to the vertical wall, their sharp claws digging into the cracks, rapidly climbing upwards!

There were Earth-Shaking Rhinoceros, massive in size, with skin as rough as rock, and heads bearing huge battering horns. They roared, madly smashing their terrifying single horns against the heavy city gates and the base of the city wall, emitting dull “thump! thump! thump!” sounds, each impact causing the entire section of the wall to tremble slightly!

And countless “Bone-Corroding Flying ants,” completely black with only scarlet compound eyes, rose into the air like a black cloud, emitting a skull-numbing buzzing sound, attempting to cross the city wall and swarm the panicked people within the city!

“Get down!” a Meridian Opening Realm Seventh Level centurion roared, infusing his long saber with Qi and blood, the saber's glow surging over a foot, as he fiercely slashed at a Shadowblade Leopard that had just reached the battlement!

“Clang!” Sparks flew! The Shadowblade Leopard’s sharp claws were as hard as refined iron, blocking the blade! Its other claw, carrying a foul wind, flashed like lightning towards the centurion's throat!

The centurion’s pupils constricted, and he hastily leaned back, the sharp claw tips scraping past his iron helmet, leaving an ear-piercing screech and several deep white marks! It sent a cold sweat down his back!

“Ah—!” A soldier’s scream came from nearby. A Earth-Shaking Rhinoceros’s single horn violently struck the city wall's base, the immense force shaking several crossbow-wielding soldiers above, causing one to lose his footing and fall from the battlement, instantly engulfed by countless gaping bloody mouths below!

“Fire oil! Burn those flying ants!” Zhao Tianhao’s eyes were bloodshot as he drew his saber and cut down a Shadowblade Leopard attempting to leap up, its foul demonic blood spraying all over his face.

Scalding fire oil was poured down, followed by lit arrows!

Boom!

The area beneath the city wall instantly turned into a sea of fire!

The climbing Shadowblade Leopards and crashing Earth-Shaking Rhinoceros let out painful roars, rolling and struggling in the flames.

The Bone-Corroding Flying ant swarm in the air was also scorched by the flames, their burnt wings falling like black rain, emitting crackling sounds and a burnt smell.

However, the flames could only obstruct them temporarily.

More Vicious Beasts, treading on the corpses and charred remains of their kin, surged forward even more frantically!

The city wall, under the continuous impact of the Earth-Shaking Rhinoceros, had already begun to show fine cracks!

Although a portion of the flying ant swarm was burned away, the subsequent black cloud still blotted out the sky!

The soldiers’ sword-wielding arms began to ache, the speed of reloading the rune crossbows became slower and slower, and the scalding fire oil was almost depleted.

A feeling of despair, like a cold venomous snake, began to creep into the hearts of every defending soldier.

Zhao Tianhao’s tiger's mouth was split, his sword-wielding hand trembled slightly, and his heart turned cold as he looked at the boundless beast tide below. Border Wasteland City, was it going to... Just as the defense line was crumbling and the soldiers were falling into despair—

“Hmph!”

A cold, metallic snort, like a clap of thunder, exploded on the chaotic city wall!

Everyone’s gaze was instantly drawn to it!

At the highest point of the city wall's battlement, a towering figure, like a mountain, had appeared at some unknown time.

The afterglow of the setting sun cast a long, demon-god-like silhouette behind him.

He was shirtless, his bronze muscles rippled like a Dragon, gleaming with a dark gold luster in the firelight, full of explosive power.

It was Lin Jingyu!

His eyes were indifferent as he scanned the surging beast tide below and the swirling cloud of flying ants in the air, as if looking at a group of annoying ants.

“Lin... Lin Jingyu?!” Zhao Tianhao recognized him, and his eyes instantly erupted with an unbelievable light, which was then replaced by even deeper shock.

He had received secret reports from Owl and Falcon, knowing that this person had killed Corpse Demon General Luosha in the Rotting Bone Forest!

But that was just a rumor! Now, seeing this figure, like a humanoid Vicious Beast, with his own eyes, and feeling the undisguised, hot and heavy oppressive aura emanating from him like a furnace, he truly understood that the scout's report was not exaggerated in the slightest!

Bone Forging Realm? No! This aura was far more powerful than an ordinary Peak Bone Forging Realm! Could it be... he really could?!

Lin Jingyu completely ignored Zhao Tianhao’s shock.

His gaze locked onto the densest swarm of Bone-Corroding Flying ants in the air, which were attempting to cross the city wall and attack the women and children within the city.

“Noisy!”

He let out a low roar, his right arm muscles suddenly bulging, veins protruding like coiling Dragons! Dark golden Qi and blood instantly surged to his fingertips!

There were no fancy Moves, just fingers held together like a sword, pointing into the cloud-like swarm of flying ants, a mid-air strike!

“Star Shattering Finger!”

Chii—!!!

A destructive beam of light, condensed to the extreme, imbued with dark gold patterns, and with dazzling silver-white starlight bursting from its tip, tore through the twilight air, emitting a sharp shriek that pierced eardrums! Its speed was so fast that it left only a fleeting streak of light on everyone’s retinas!

Puff puff puff puff puff—!!!

Like a red-hot steel needle piercing thick rice paper!

That condensed finger glow instantly plunged into the densest center of the flying ant swarm!

Immediately after, a dazzling silver-white light exploded within the ant swarm! Like an invisible shockwave, it spread wildly, centered on the point where the finger glow landed!

Visibly, the cloud of Bone-Corroding Flying ants that covered half the city wall’s sky had its central area forcefully wiped away as if by an invisible giant hand!

Countless flying ants didn't even have time to scream before they were directly vaporized and annihilated in that silver-white light!

The flying ants at the edges were torn to shreds by the violent shockwave, falling like a foul-smelling black rain!

With just one finger!

That skull-numbing, immensely threatening swarm of Bone-Corroding Flying ants was instantly cleared out over a large area!

The remaining flying ants seemed to be choked by invisible fear, emitting chaotic and terrified buzzing sounds, no longer daring to approach the city wall, scattering like headless flies!

On the city wall, a deathly silence fell.

All the soldiers who witnessed this scene, including Zhao Tianhao, had their mouths agape, eyes wide, as if they had witnessed a myth descend! What kind of finger technique was that?! One finger... annihilated a swarm of demonic ants?!

“Ding! Killed Body Refining Realm Third Level Bone-Corroding Flying ant ×73! evolution points +219!”

“Ding! Killed Body Refining Realm Seventh Level Bone-Corroding Flying ant ×58! evolution points +232!”

...System notifications frantically flooded Lin Jingyu’s mind, and the evolution points total rapidly increased.

Lin Jingyu didn't even look at the fleeing flying ants, his gaze, like a cold searchlight, swept towards the beast horde below that was still frantically assaulting the city wall.

Especially those few massive Earth-Shaking Rhinoceros that were continuously ramming the city wall’s Foundation.

“And you annoying rocks!”

His figure suddenly leaped down from the battlement!

It wasn't a fall, but like a meteor, carrying immense force, he slammed fiercely into one of the most aggressive Earth-Shaking Rhinoceros!

“Dragon-Elephant Suppressing Prison Strength!”

Roar!

Vaguely, it seemed as if the roar of Dragons and elephants erupted within him! His dark golden Qi and blood instantly boiled, condensing a blurry phantom of intertwining Dragons and elephants behind him! Immense power poured into his right leg!

Boom—!!!

Like a divine punishment descending!

Lin Jingyu’s right leg, wrapped in dark golden Qi and blood, with muscles as coiled and hard as steel, like a giant battering ram, fiercely stomped onto the broad back of the Earth-Shaking Rhinoceros, which was covered in thick, rock-like skin!

Crack-crack-crack—!!!

A bone-shattering sound, grating to the teeth, echoed across the battlefield!

That Earth-Shaking Rhinoceros, weighing several thousand catties and renowned for its strength and defense, only managed to let out half a mournful cry before its entire massive body, like a clay figure struck by a giant mountain, collapsed with a crash!

The huge rhinoceros body was forcibly stomped into the hard ground, forming a bloody, mangled deep pit!

“Ding! Killed Bone Forging Realm First Level Earth-Shaking Rhinoceros! evolution points +1000!”

Killed in one blow!

Lin Jingyu used the force to spring high, landing on the head of another Earth-Shaking Rhinoceros! The rhinoceros looked up in terror, only to see a huge, god-like foot, covered in dark golden light, rapidly expanding in its vision!

Bang!

Like crushing a rotten watermelon!

The second Earth-Shaking Rhinoceros’s head instantly exploded! Red and white matter, mixed with hard bone fragments, splattered everywhere! Its headless corpse crashed to the ground!

“Ding! Killed Bone Forging Realm Second Level Earth-Shaking Rhinoceros! evolution points +1500!”

“Monster! He's a monster!”

“Run! Run quickly!”

The low-level Vicious Beasts assaulting the city wall below finally witnessed this method of slaughter, which was even more demonic than Vicious Beasts themselves!

The fear originating from the depths of their Bloodline instantly overwhelmed their bloodthirsty frenzy! The vanguard of the beast tide began to collapse!

Lin Jingyu was like a tiger entering a flock of sheep; every step he took was accompanied by a dull thud and the crisp sound of shattering bones!

Every simple punch, elbow strike, or knee strike sent one or even several low-level Vicious Beasts flying or exploding like rag dolls!

He didn't need to defend at all!

Occasionally, a Shadowblade Leopard's sharp claws would scratch his bare skin, only sparking a few embers and leaving a few fleeting white marks!

The dark golden glow of Indestructible Vajra Divine Art circulated beneath his skin, easily deflecting all attacks!

He was like a tireless, ceaseless storm of slaughter, carving out a bloody path paved with minced meat and broken bones through the surging beast tide!

Wherever he passed, Vicious Beasts fell in swathes like wheat!

On the city wall, the defenders watched dumbfounded, their blood boiling! The despairing gloom was instantly dispelled by this brutal slaughter!

“Kill! Follow Lord Lin and kill!” Zhao Tianhao was the first to react, his face flushed with excitement, roaring hoarsely, he led the charge, saber in hand, leaping down the city wall to attack the beast horde that had been terrified by Lin Jingyu and was beginning to scatter! Morale was instantly ignited!

“Kill!”

“Slaughter these beasts!”

The defending soldiers erupted in earth-shattering roars, as if invigorated, leaping down the city wall one after another, following the dark golden figure that was rampaging through the beast horde, launching a frenzied counterattack!

Lin Jingyu, however, had no time to pay attention to the soldiers behind him.

His gaze, like a cold blade, pierced through the chaotic battlefield, locking onto the shadowy area at the rear of the beast tide, where a dense black Qi swirled.

There, a terrifying Demonic Qi, far deeper, more violent, and carrying a strong bloody scent than that of Corpse Demon General Luosha... “Finally, something decent has arrived.” Lin Jingyu stomped on the head of a Shadowblade Leopard attempting a sneak attack, shook off the foul blood from his foot, and a cold, Battle Intent-filled arc formed on his lips, “Killing you should be enough to level up!”

The Yin Corpse Sect token in his embrace, stimulated by the dense Death Qi and demonic foul blood spreading across the battlefield below, suddenly stopped vibrating and instead emitted a strange, cold suction.

Traces of grayish-black Death Qi, residual resentment from Vicious Beasts, and even faint demonic power, imperceptible to the naked eye, slowly gathered as if drawn by an invisible hand, and were silently devoured by the token.

On the token’s surface, that twisted rune seemed... a shade darker than before.