380: Chapter 380 Reputation

Although the beast tide was suppressed by the world-suppressing monument, the remaining low-level Erosion Beasts, driven by madness, continued to charge the city walls without fear of death.

A section of the eastern wall was covered in cracks from repeated impacts, letting out an overwhelmed groan as if it were about to collapse completely.

Chi Wanhe's figure flashed, appearing atop that precarious section of the wall. With a light wave of her delicate hand, a sharp astral wind swept away a large swath of the lunging Erosion Beasts.

Unfazed, she flipped her hand and took out dozens of ordinary Low-Grade Spirit Stones. Her fingertips glowed like a brush, quickly sketching complex runes upon them. Then, with a graceful toss of her jade-like hand, the Spirit Stones were precisely embedded into the cracks of the wall like raindrops!

The moment the Spirit Stones were embedded, the runes upon them suddenly flared to life! Countless fine golden light rays burst from the stones, acting like nimble golden threads to stitch the hideous cracks together.

Subsequently, a faint, constantly flowing golden light membrane formed over the surface of the wall.

A ferocious Erosion Beast slammed hard into the light membrane. With a "sizzle," it let out a miserable howl and was sent flying back, emitting black smoke.

"This... this is simply turning stone into gold! Turning the mundane into the miraculous!"

Gongsun Lie's tiger-like eyes widened, staring in disbelief at the city wall that had been restored to its original state in an instant, appearing even sturdier than before.

Meanwhile, Qin Zhaoxue stood in the Void Realm. The phantom of a massive pill cauldron shrouded half the sky. Countless Medicinal Pills, emitting a refreshing medicinal fragrance, turned into streaks of light and fell upon every injured Cultivator.

The wounds on the Cultivators healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and their consumed Qi was rapidly recovering.

On the other side, Lin Xiwei waved her Formation Flags. A massive trapping and killing formation covering several miles instantly took shape. The Erosion Beasts that charged into it were like creatures stuck in a quagmire, their movements sluggish, and were easily harvested by the Moonshadow Sect Disciples.

The surviving Cultivators on the city walls looked at this group of Moonshadow Sect members, who possessed heavenly methods and appeared like gods and immortals. Their eyes filled with tears of emotion, and no one knew who was the first to shout:

"Long live the Moonshadow Sect!"

The waves of sound quickly gathered into a sea! Under the Moonshadow Sect's overwhelming assault, in less than an hour, the remaining beast tide was completely routed, leaving a mess all over the ground.

Shi Qingxuan killed the last Body Integration Stage Erosion Beast and descended to the city wall. Gongsun Lie, Liu Chongshan, and others hurriedly stepped forward to pay their respects.

She waved her hand and looked sharply at Liu Chongshan.

"This seat asks you, did you previously seek aid from the Yunyan Sect and the White Rock Holy Land?" Liu Chongshan's face was pale. Under Shi Qingxuan's pressure, he struggled for a moment before saying bitterly:

"Reporting to Sect Leader Shi... Seven days ago, when the Erosion Beast Tide first began to take shape and a vast pressure came from the depths, we sent out the highest-level distress jade talismans. One day, two days... for a full seven days, we watched until our eyes were strained, but... but there was no news at all."

He looked up, his voice trembling with grief and indignation as he said,

"Were we... was our Water Rock City abandoned?!"

Now that the crisis was resolved and a Holy Land's Sect Master was before him, he wanted to ask clearly.

As soon as these words were spoken, it was like a giant boulder thrown into stagnant water. The surrounding soldiers who had survived the disaster were instantly in an uproar!

Gongsun Lie snapped his head toward Liu Chongshan, his eyes filled with shock.

Low curses began to spread through the crowd, and feelings of doubt and anger grew silently.

Shi Qingxuan's face instantly darkened to the point where it could drip water.

Seeing this, the White Rock Holy Land Elder behind her immediately stepped forward and explained sharply:

"Do not speak nonsense! The Holy Land cares for all Sects; why would it abandon any place? It must be that the distance is great, or the transmission was interfered with by erosion qi, causing a delay!"

Another Elder also hurriedly chimed in: "Exactly! The Holy Land would never sit idly by!"

Just then, the sound of dozens of objects breaking through the air arrived. A woman at the head of the group drifted down.

She wore a moon-white brocade robe embroidered with silver thread in subtle patterns of craggy rocks. A black jade belt was tied at her waist. Her posture was upright and her steps steady, exuding an air of dignity and elegance.

Her face was fair and clear, and her jet-black hair was meticulously tied into a simple single-blade bun, fixed only with an elegant white jade hairpin.

Her gaze swept the surroundings. It was obvious the battle had already ended. Seeing that everything seemed fine, the woman breathed a sigh of relief.

Her gaze narrowed slightly when it landed on the Moonshadow Sect members, but she quickly looked away. The woman stepped forward quickly and bowed respectfully and efficiently to Shi Qingxuan:

"Disciple Shen Yunjie has arrived late. I ask Revered Master for punishment."

The White Rock Holy Land Elder who had explained earlier saw the woman and his eyes lit up. He immediately pointed at Shen Yunjie and said:

"This is the Sect Master's head Disciple, Shen Yunjie! The fact that she personally led a team to provide reinforcements is ironclad proof that the Holy Land cares for all Sects and has not abandoned them! Had she not encountered a large force of Erosion Beasts on the way, she would have arrived in time!"

Looking at the steady and deeply cultivated Shen Yunjie, the indignant and questioning emotions of the crowd on the wall calmed slightly, and they reluctantly accepted the explanation.

However, sensing the Body Integration Stage aura from Shen Yunjie, Liu Chongshan felt cold and bitter inside.

The information they sent for help was a desperate need for a Void-Piercing True Emperor! A Body Integration Stage... even if she had arrived in time, what could she have done against the several Void Tempering Erosion Beasts that appeared later? It would have been nothing more than a drop in the bucket!

Shi Qingxuan didn't say much. She cast her gaze toward the distant Ten Thousand Miasma Demon Forest and said solemnly:

"This seat will go and investigate to see if there are any remaining hidden dangers."

With that, her figure turned into a streak of light and disappeared. Chi Wanhe watched the direction Shi Qingxuan left, recalling her previously livid expression and the question she just asked, and her heart suddenly stirred.

When she had asked her about the placement of the world-suppressing monument earlier, that unsightly expression... perhaps it wasn't entirely because of her?

...

In just seven days, the news of the great victory at Water Rock City spread like wildfire, sweeping through the eastern part of White Rock Province.

In street-side taverns and Sect tea rooms, Cultivators were all discussing it fervently.

"Have you heard? Once that world-suppressing monument of the Moonshadow Sect was set up, the erosion qi retreated miles away. It's more effective than the Holy Land's mountain-protecting formation!"

A middle-aged Cultivator slapped the table in amazement, causing a few drops of spirit wine to splash out of his cup.

The person opposite him lowered his voice and took up the conversation:

"Not just Water Rock City! I heard about Qingfeng City, they said they were hit by a beast tide there too and were on the verge of defeat.

It was the Moonshadow Sect's fleet passing by that easily resolved the siege! Talk about making it look effortless!"

Someone from a nearby table leaned in,

"Chixia City as well! They didn't even enter the city gates; they just laid a formation outside. When the beast tide hit it, it was like waves crashing against a reef—they just scattered on their own."

"And there's more!"

The middle-aged Cultivator from before grew more excited as he spoke,

"I heard from the people of Water Rock City that a female immortal from the Moonshadow Sect took a few stones, carved runes on them, and slapped them into the cracks of the city wall—and guess what? It was fixed instantly! Sturdier than if it were newly built! Simply divine skill!"

Someone countered: "Bullshit! Those were Spirit Stones! Not ordinary stones!"

"Aren't Spirit Stones a type of stone? Just tell me if it happened or not!"

"I guess... you're not wrong?"

The group burst into laughter.

"I heard Supreme Moonshadow slew the Demon Ancestor with a single sword strike three years ago. This time it's his Disciples who came; no wonder they have such heavenly means..."

"And that world-suppressing monument, if it could be spread throughout White Rock Province, perhaps we wouldn't have to..."

The laughter gradually died down, and someone sighed softly:

"Sigh, by comparison, the White Rock Holy Land... forget it, better not mention it."

Another person looked left and right, then whispered:

"What's there to not mention? I heard that in Cangtong City and Luoxia City to the north, they sent distress talismans for five or six days, and the Holy Land didn't even give a reply—it's said they've pulled back all their forces, leaving the cities on the outskirts of the Ten Thousand Miasma Demon Forest... to fend for themselves."

"More than just pulling back!"

A red-faced Loose Cultivator gulped down some wine,

"I saw it with my own eyes! Before the beast tide even arrived, the deacon stationed by the Holy Land in Songxi City ran off with his people! Leaving behind a city of old and young, they didn't even fully activate the city's protection formation!"

"Shh—keep it down, do you want to die?"

"What's there to fear? There are no Holy Land people here!"

The Loose Cultivator stiffened his neck, but his voice lowered anyway,

"...Anyway, I've come to realize that when it truly comes down to life and death, relying on anyone is worse than relying on yourself."

The crowd fell silent for a moment, their gazes turning in one direction as if by common consent.

"At least... there's still the Moonshadow Sect?"

No one knew who had whispered that sentence.

Public opinion quietly fermented. The name of the Moonshadow Sect was like a giant boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up massive waves in the hearts of the White Rock Province Cultivators, and its prestige climbed rapidly.