226: Danger at Luoxia Mountain

The Luoxia Mountain Range is located on the southwestern border of the Dragon Kingdom.

The terrain is steep, the forests deep, and the moss slippery; since ancient times, it has been sparsely populated and filled with a sense of mystery.

At this moment, within the mountain range, the originally clear sky was shrouded by a roiling mass of reddish-black evil clouds that had appeared out of nowhere.

Sunlight struggled to penetrate, leaving the valley dim as if night had arrived early.

A bloody, foul stench and an indescribable, eerie aura permeated the air.

It made one want to retch and feel deeply unsettled.

The outskirts of Luoxia Mountain.

The Luoxia City Spiritual Energy Bureau had established a temporary defensive line here.

But the suffocatingly oppressive atmosphere weighed heavily on everyone's hearts like a slab of lead.

On the temporary defensive line, various instruments flashed with piercing red lights.

Ear-piercing alarms wailed one after another, sounding like a countdown from the Grim Reaper.

A large number of fully armed Spiritual Energy Bureau Agents looked grave as they formed several defensive lines, tightly blockading every path leading deep into Luoxia Mountain.

Fine beads of cold sweat covered their foreheads, and their knuckles turned white from gripping their weapons so tightly.

A thick sense of unease and panic filled the air.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the distant peak—the main peak of Luoxia Mountain—which was completely shrouded in an eerie reddish-black light barrier.

Just one hour ago.

What had originally been monitored as abnormal spatial fluctuations and assessed as a Rank 4 'suspected Demon Cave' had undergone a sudden and drastic change without warning!

That dark red spatial rift, which had been flickering and slowly rotating...

...suddenly jolted violently, like a pool of water struck by a massive boulder!

Immediately after, an indescribable, cold, chaotic, and boundless surge of malicious energy...

...erupted fiercely, like a slumbering ancient Vicious Beast suddenly awakening!

“Buzz—!!!”

Accompanied by a hum that struck the Soul, an incredibly powerful reddish-black energy field...

...instantly expanded outward from the rift like an overturned giant bowl!

It completely enveloped the entire main peak of Luoxia Mountain and the surrounding several kilometers!

The speed at which the field formed was extreme.

At that time, several reconnaissance teams happened to be performing preliminary scouting missions on Luoxia Mountain.

They didn't even have time to react before being mercilessly swallowed by the suddenly formed energy barrier!

“Zzzt—!”

Only a short, sharp burst of static came through the communication channel before they lost contact completely.

All detection signals and vital signs monitoring disappeared at the same time!

That team, along with their equipment, seemed to have been completely erased from this world, leaving no trace behind!

What was even more despair-inducing was that this field was unimaginably sturdy.

Whether it was the Spiritual Energy Blasts launched by the Spiritual Energy Bureau Agents or the small Barrier-breaking Rune Bombs they carried...

...when they hit the light barrier, they couldn't even stir a single ripple; they were easily absorbed and vanished into nothingness!

It was like an impassable chasm, coldly isolating the inside from the outside.

Those inside couldn't get out, and those outside couldn't get in.

Communications were cut, detection was useless, and their fates were unknown!

“Reporting to Captain Wang! The third and fourth evacuation teams have completed the evacuation of all residents in the eastern district of Luoxia Town!”

“They are currently moving toward the designated assembly point!”

A young Special Agent reported to the commander on the scene, Wang Tieshan, Director of the Luoxia City Spirit Energy Bureau.

Wang Tieshan, Director of the Luoxia City Spirit Energy Bureau, was a dark-skinned, resolute-looking man in his late fifties.

At this moment, every wrinkle on his weather-beaten face seemed etched with heavy anxiety.

He stared intently at the red field, his fists clenched so hard they creaked.

Wang Tieshan, Director of the Luoxia City Spirit Energy Bureau's voice was hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing together:

“Good! Tell all evacuation teams to speed up!”

“We must ensure that not a single civilian remains within five kilometers of the mountain base!”

“Yes!” the communicator replied, turning to convey the order.

Wang Tieshan, Director of the Luoxia City Spirit Energy Bureau called him back, his eyes bloodshot, and added:

“Wait! Notify logistics and the medical team to prepare for receiving casualties...”

“If, if anyone is still able to come out from inside...”

His voice grew lower and lower, the last sentence almost inaudible, carrying a deep sense of helplessness.

Luoxia City was just a remote, economically average small city.

The scale of the Spiritual Energy Bureau Branch was limited, with no more than two hundred standing Special Agents.

Among them, the core members who had reached the Third-Tier or above were few and far between.

Faced with such a terrifying event that completely exceeded their understanding and ability to cope...

All they could do, besides blockading, evacuating, and reporting for reinforcements, was wait in despair.

Lack of strength, shortage of manpower, and a dearth of technology... all kinds of shortcomings were fully exposed at this moment.

The entire camp was shrouded in a gloom of sorrow.

Every face was written with unease, bewilderment, and deep fear.

The Vice-Captain walked up to Wang Tieshan, Director of the Luoxia City Spirit Energy Bureau and lowered his voice, his tone heavy:

“Director, reinforcements from the General Bureau and the Provincial Capital will arrive in three hours at the earliest...”

“But the energy readings of this field are still slowly rising. The things inside probably won't wait that long...”

How could Wang Tieshan, Director of the Luoxia City Spirit Energy Bureau not know?

He closed his eyes in pain and took a deep breath of the air mixed with anxiety and dust.

Just then—

“Beep, beep, beep! Beep, beep, beep, beep—!!!”

A burst of alarms, far more urgent and piercing than before, suddenly exploded from the direction of the energy monitor!

The technician in charge of monitoring bolted up from his chair, his face instantly turning as white as paper:

“R-report!”

“Massive high-energy life reactions detected inside the field! They are rapidly approaching the edge! The numbers are incalculable!”

“Energy Rank... minimum Third-Tier, generally Fourth-Tier, and... and multiple Fifth-Tier reactions!”

“What?!” Wang Tieshan, Director of the Luoxia City Spirit Energy Bureau suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils shrinking!

The air at the scene seemed to be sucked dry instantly; everyone froze in place, their minds blank.

Third-Tier and Fourth-Tier were common?

And multiple Fifth-Tiers?

If such an army of Demonic Evils rushed out of the field, with the few personnel of the Luoxia City branch, it would be like an ant trying to stop a carriage!

Let alone stopping them, they probably wouldn't last even a minute before being completely overwhelmed!

The entire Luoxia City would be turned into a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood!

Wang Tieshan, Director of the Luoxia City Spirit Energy Bureau almost roared his orders, the veins on his neck bulging:

“Everyone! Maximum Alert!!!”

“All combat personnel! Get to the front line!”

“Unlock all Talismans and ammunition! Even if we die, we die at our posts!”

“Activate all defensive Formations! Fast!”

The orders were like a clap of thunder, jolting the dazed crowd awake.

The Special Agents rushed to their posts in a frantic yet determined manner.

Pale blue spiritual energy shields lit up layer by layer, and various enchanted weapons were aimed at the field.

Everyone's heart leaped into their throat; the shadow of death had never been so clear, so close!

Almost the very second after the defensive Formation had been hastily formed—

“Riiip—!”

A massive, hundred-meter-long rift was suddenly torn into the edge of that incredibly sturdy red field!

From within the rift, a nauseating stench and Demonic Qi as thick as ink surged out!

“Roar—!!!”

“Awoo—!!!”

Ear-deafening roars, filled with endless slaughter and greedy desire...

...erupted from the rift like a tsunami!

Immediately after, a dark, hideous torrent of Demonic Evils...

...poured frantically out of the rift like the waters of the River Styx bursting a dam!

Leading them were over a dozen massive Demonic Evil leaders exuding terrifying Fifth-Tier pressure.

Behind them were hundreds of Fourth-Tier and Third-Tier Demons.

They were like a black tide, instantly submerging the mountain land outside the field!

Their crimson eyes lit up in the darkness, greedily locking onto the scent of the fresh human lives ahead.

“So much flesh! So many Souls!”

“Kill them all! Leave no one alive!”