Chapter 160: Chapter 158: Shortcomings [Request for Subscription]

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

From the ramparts of Zhenyue Immortal City, thousands of arrows fired simultaneously.

On each “Demon-Hunting Divine Crossbow,” spiritual light shimmered, and under the cultivators’ control, it launched bolts of certain death.

Although the power of the “Demon-Hunting Divine Crossbow” can severely injure a Tier Three High-Grade Demon Beast, in actual combat, few cultivators would aim at Tier Three High-Grade Demon Beasts.

Because Tier Three High-Grade Demon Beasts are not only faster and harder to hit, even if pierced, unless struck in critical areas like the head or heart, they can still fight through the injury and launch attacks. These wounded beasts pose a greater threat to the defending cultivators than those that are uninjured.

Therefore, all crossbow mechanism operators, including Zhouyang, aimed their bolts at the large Tier Three Lower Grade Demon Beasts or Tier Two Upper Grade Demon Beasts in sight.

These large-bodied beasts, although not particularly strong in cultivation, can inflict damage to the city walls comparable to some Tier Three High-Grade Demon Beasts. However, they lack the defensive and survival capabilities of those Tier Three High-Grade Demon Beasts. A single bolt can bring them down or cause grievous injuries.

Given the current density of the “Beast Tide” beneath the walls, a beast collapsing incapacitates it instantly, even if not dead, it gets easily trampled to death by subsequent beasts.

However, the number of demon beasts is overwhelming!

The beasts killed and toppled by Zhouyang and others were like mere splashes in a surging tide, unable to alter the broader situation.

To truly diminish the “Beast Tide” which numbers in the hundreds of thousands, the cultivators’ magic and magical artifacts are what can be relied on.

“Prepare the first round of spells!”

“Release!”

“Prepare the second round of spells!”

…

Zhouyang’s body glowed with golden light; the protective magic “Qianyang Golden Light” had been unleashed. He had temporarily ceased operating the “Demon-Hunting Divine Crossbow” and turned to command his team to cast spells.

The “Beast Tide” will not end in one wave; the higher-tier demon beasts directing it from the shadows will continually send low-tier demon beasts to deplete the defending cultivators’ ammunition. Only after they exhaust their bolts will the true main force of the “Beast Tide” appear.

Weapons like the “Demon-Hunting Divine Crossbow” cannot be exhausted in the initial offensive, or they will not withstand the attack of the true main force of the “Beast Tide” later.

With city walls over a hundred yards high as a barrier, most Tier Two Demon Beasts cannot climb the walls of Zhenyue Immortal City, but once these beasts reach the base of the walls, they can attack the cultivators on the walls with released spells.

Therefore, as Zhouyang and others directed spells and magical artifact attacks downwards, dazzling spells of various colors rose upwards from below, landing on the walls and on them.

Fortunately, the walls of Zhenyue Immortal City were forged from refined iron and “Profound Steel Stone” with a magic-repelling attribute, even spells as high as Tier Five won’t easily shatter or knock them down. Zhouyang and the others, being on the walls, did not worry about being buried alive by the walls collapsing from the demon beasts’ spells.

Moreover, the walls were over thirty feet wide, giving them ample space to maneuver and shift positions, thus avoiding being targeted by concentrated attacks from the beasts below.

However, even so, when spells from some Tier Three Demon Beasts hit the rampart, it was inevitable that some Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators couldn’t dodge in time and were killed on the spot.

In less than half an hour of combat, Zhouyang’s team had already lost two members, with several others wounded and in need of treatment.

But at this point, Zhouyang had no time to attend to them, as with more and more demon beasts reaching the city walls, some Tier Three Demon Beasts and Tier Two Upper Grade Demon Beasts skilled in climbing and jumping had gradually made their way onto the walls through various means.

Although there was no explicit order that not a single demon beast should enter the city, the instinct of the cultivators defending the walls was to slay any beast that climbed atop the walls.

Besides, even if they did not kill these beasts, the beasts certainly wouldn’t spare them.

Zhouyang did not intend to reveal his “Qianyang True Flame” divine technique in such a public setting, so he could only use his magical artifacts to attack the beasts reaching the walls.

Without using his trump cards “Qianyang True Flame,” “Qianyang Celestial Sword,” and “Godslaying Needle,” his attack methods were somewhat beneath his identity as a Fourth-Layer Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Whether the “Red Profound Golden Light Sword,” the “Vermilion Bird Ring,” or the “Poisonous Fire Flying Fork,” they were all Tier Three Lower Grade. In usual duels, these magical artifacts, coupled with his trump card killing moves, were no problem to use.

But now, with the trump cards reserved, the attacking effectiveness of these artifacts was certainly inadequate.

If it were a cultivator like Dong Jianping, who had been in Foundation Establishment for many years, even if the artifact attacks were insufficient, he could make up for it with spells.

However, although Zhouyang has been in Foundation Establishment for over twenty years, he hasn’t truly learned any Tier Three Magic that can be used in battle. Most of his time has been spent on improving cultivation and Artifact Refining Skill, leaving no time to slowly cultivate those Tier Three Magic spells suitable for combat.

If it weren’t for the Soul Suppressing Bell and Profound Water Shield he carried, which are top-notch Defensive Spiritual Artifacts, facing the attacks from multiple Demon Beasts simultaneously, he might not have been able to protect his own life.

The awkward situation he faces now is unknown to Dong Jianping. Dong Jianping sees that he clearly has Upper Grade and Middle Grade Defensive Spiritual Artifacts, yet continues to use several Tier Three Lower Grade Spiritual Artifacts to attack without casting even one Tier Three Magic, which makes him very frustrated while fighting against the Demon Beasts.

In his anger, he couldn’t help but shout angrily through voice transmission: “Fellow Daoist Zhou, the Demon Beast siege isn’t something to be taken lightly. Now is not the time to keep secrets. If you keep hiding your true abilities, don’t blame Dong for breaking the agreement!”

According to their agreement, the Demon Beasts slain in battle would be split, six parts to him and four to Zhouyang.

But given the current situation, Dong Jianping has already slain two Tier Three Lower Grade Demon Beasts, while Zhouyang, apart from those killed earlier with the Demon-Hunting Divine Crossbow, has barely managed to deal with one. How could he not be upset?

“Fellow Daoist Dong, forgive me. Zhouyang has only recently broken through to the Fourth-Layer Foundation Establishment, so I haven’t had time to change my Magical Artifacts. We can temporarily set aside the prior agreement; Zhouyang will not take more than his share of the spoils!”

Zhouyang took a deep breath and actively explained the reason through voice transmission, foregoing the previous agreement on spoils of war.

He couldn’t really use those cards that shouldn’t be lightly shown just because Dong Jianping urged him. To Zhouyang, surviving the Beast Tide siege and leaving Zhenyue Immortal City alive is the most important matter.

Seeing this, despite Dong Jianping’s inner frustration and gloom, he found it difficult to say more and had to continue to muster his spirit to fight against the Demon Beasts scaling the city walls.

Gradually, as time passed, the city wall of Zhenyue Immortal City became gradually piled up with a large number of corpses of Demon Beasts and cultivators, making the once spacious city wall crowded.

At this time, Zhouyang had no time to care about the state of his subordinates, only attacking the Demon Beasts scaling the city wall with all his might, striving to contribute his part to defending the city.

The fierce battle made his Magical Power consumption more than twice as fast compared to fighting humans in magical combat, and after merely one hour, he had less than half of his Magical Power left, with a faint sensation of swelling and pain coming from his meridians due to excessive output of Magical Power.

During this hour, he slew as many as three Tier Three Lower Grade Demon Beasts, with two additional Tier Three Middle Grade Demon Beasts seriously injured by him, which escaped his area and were slain by other cultivators.

“Everyone, be careful, flying Demon Beasts are coming!”

Suddenly, a cold shout suddenly echoed from the city wall, that was the voice of Jia Yunzhen, the leader of the third guard squad on the city wall.

Upon hearing this chilling shout, Zhouyang’s mind cleared, and he quickly turned to look outside the city.

Just outside the city wall, among the wilderness, various colorful flying Demon Beasts were turning into streams of colorful lights, rushing towards the city wall.

There is an Anti-Sky Array inside Zhenyue Immortal City, with its effects preventing flying for anything up to Tier Five flying Demon Beasts, let alone these high-tier avian Demon Beasts, within the Immortal City. However, they could easily fall onto the city wall and attack the defending cultivators there.

According to past experience in coping with Beast Tide, when flying Demon Beasts attack, it marks the final move of the first wave of Beast Tide assault.

Simultaneously, this is the most dangerous moment for the defending cultivators.

Screeching cries of birds could be heard piercing the sky. As the avian Demon Beasts flew over Zhenyue Immortal City, they were suppressed by the Anti-Sky Array, falling like dumplings.

At this point, Zhouyang and the other surviving cultivators on the city wall seized the opportunity to strike these fallen birds fiercely.

Zhouyang hurled the Vermilion Bird Ring just as a Tier Three Middle Grade Demon Beast, the Sword-beaked Crane, was falling, trapping its beak. Then, his Divine Sense activated the Red Profound Golden Light Sword, which flickered across the crane’s long neck, beheading it instantly.

Getting a chance to easily slay a same-tier Demon Beast like this only happened once. If the Sword-beaked Crane hadn’t panicked after falling due to the Anti-Sky Array’s suppression, his Vermilion Bird Ring would have been caught by the Demon Beast’s quick pecks, causing him to gain nothing.

Just after dealing with the Sword-beaked Crane and preparing to confront another Tier Three Demon Beast, a cry for help came into his ear.

“Please, Fellow Daoist Zhou, lend me a hand, and I shall surely repay generously!”

Following the voice, he saw Dong Jianping being pressured by a Tier Three Upper Grade Demon Beast, the Eagle Lion Beast, while his two Qi Cultivation Stage children stood behind him.

“Fellow Daoist Dong, don’t worry, Zhouyang is coming!”

Zhouyang gathered his spirit, immediately directing his Flying Sword to attack the Eagle Lion Beast, simultaneously tossing out the Soul Suppressing Bell to cover Dong Jianping’s two juniors, allowing them to face the enemy without worries.