A second day passed, then a third, and then a fourth. People constantly perished, and the defenders’ numbers dwindled from their initial tens of thousands of cultivators to barely two thousand. Despite that, there seemed to be no end to the corpse kings flooding in towards the defenders from all directions.
Lu Yin could not understand just where all of these corpse kings were coming from. He thought back to what he had seen in Aeternus Nation, and he felt that the corpse kings that he was currently fighting against must have been modified, as there was no other way to account for such numbers.
A corpse king could truly live forever, and with the passage of countless years, Lu Yin did not dare to even imagine just how many corpse kings had to exist.
Lu Yin retreated to the middle of the defensive circle, allowing others to take his place. He had already been fighting for five consecutive days, and he was beyond exhausted.
There was a clang, and a long sword fell down from the void, and stabbed into the ground, where it stood firm. The Envoy swordsman had appeared, and he sat down in exhaustion and stared off into the distance with a look of despair on his face.
“Nobody’s coming to save us, are they?” asked Lu Yin.
The swordsman glanced at Lu Yin and asked, “What’s your name?”
“Long Qi,” replied Lu Yin. At this time, there was no longer a need for him to hide his fake identity.
“I’m Che Zhan,”1 the swordsman replied.
Lu Yin felt puzzled for a moment. Che Zhan?2
“Everyone in the Star Alliance hates the four ruling powers. My Che family was once a family in the Middle Realm, but because we expressed our dissatisfaction with the four ruling powers at some point in time, our family was exiled to this battlefield. As for me, since I was the only Envoy in the Che family, I was forced to join the Star Alliance. Honestly, I despise all of the four ruling powers to the point of disgust,” Che Zhan explained.
Lu Yin stayed silent.
“However, you’re different.” Che Zhan openly smiled as he looked at Lu Yin. “I saw you turn back even when so many others were running towards the teleportation device after hearing General Xia Yan’s order. You’re someone from the White Dragon Clan, and you have such an amazing talent that there’s no way you didn’t receive the evacuation orders. However, you turned back for us. What was going through your mind at that moment?”
Che Zhan was very curious.
Lu Yin looked past Che Zhan and towards Zhou Tang, who was peacefully leaning against a stone wall. “I wanted to save him.”
Che Zhan was unfazed by this response. “I can see that much, but why?”
Lu Yin’s eyes flickered uncertainly, and he did not answer.
Zhou Tang looked over towards the two who were talking and stared straight at Lu Yin.
“He’s a former retainer of the Lu family, but as for you, you’re from the White Dragon Clan,” Che Zhan pressed, clearly confused.
Lu Yin shrugged. “Not everyone from the four ruling powers is bad.”
Che Zhan laughed and looked over at Zhou Tang, who was also laughing. For someone who had been so incredibly dispirited when Lu Yin had first seen him, Zhou Tang was able to show his carefree side even after having unleashed the matchless force of his aurelian force. His smile was comforting, and it soothed everyone else’s hearts.
At that moment, someone in the distance shouted, “Hey, Che-fellow! What the hell are you laughing at? I’m about to be done in here!”
Che Zhan stretched out his hand to grab the hilt of his sword, and he stood up as he said, “I’m coming, I’m coming. What’re you rushing me for? We’re all going to die sooner or later no matter what.”
He then turned to look back at Lu Yin. You really are different from the others in the four ruling powers.”
With that, he leaped forward and yelled, “Your old man’s coming!”
Lu Yin smiled softly. Of course he was different; he was not actually a part of the four ruling powers.
Lu Yin shifted his focus back to Zhou Tang, and asked with open curiosity, “Is aurelian force the highest level of battle force?”
Zhou Tang had a rather peaceful expression on his face. “Do I look like someone who’s reached the peak?”
Lu Yin was stunned. Sure enough, Zhou Tang’s battle force could not compare to the strength of someone who had survived five tribulations, and that was even after the man had surpassed his limits. He could not compare to Semi-Progenitors, and there were still Progenitors above those powerhouses.
“I’ve heard of you,” Zhou Tang commented as he met Lu Yin’s eyes, “The acting Gate Master of Humility’s Gate. You’ve made quite the name for yourself.”
Lu Yin smiled bitterly. “I’ve also offended quite a few people.”
“Why were you so intent on saving me?” Zhou Tang asked.
Lu Yin casually responded, “We’re about to die, so why bother asking such a question?”Zhou Tang furrowed his brow. Just as he was about to ask another question, he observed Lu Yin’s face and saw complicated emotions as well as something else hiding deep in the youth’s eyes. The kid was right; there was no meaning in asking that question at this moment, and it was fine to not receive an answer. At the very least, Zhou Tang had been able to see the shadow of his young master in this Long Qi.
Lu Yin had not expected Zhou Tang to completely drop his questions, especially since Lu Yin had not even put any thought into his attempt to brush the Envoy’s question off. With Zhou Tang dropping his own questions, how was Lu Yin supposed to ask about matters concerning the Lu family?
“Retreat! Move back!” Someone shouted at the top of his lungs from afar. The defensive circle formed by the defending humans shrank yet again. Everyone’s faces betrayed the despair that they were feeling, and many even looked at their dead comrades with envy, as they had been spared the agony of such despair.
Lu Yin stood up and prepared to move. He was among the most powerful fighters remaining, and if he utilized his full strength, he would most likely be the most powerful person present until Zhou Tang recovered his strength.
“Are there really no humans in the New World?” Lu Yin asked as he glanced at Zhou Tang.
Zhou Tang solemnly replied, “There are. There is one troop of humans who publicly asserts their presence as the City Wall down here. They are the Perennial World’s foothold in the New World, and they are also humanity’s hope of reclaiming the New World. The city is the reason why the New World has not completely fallen to the monsters yet.”
Lu Yin looked away; was there really only one army? In that case, then where were the Upper Three Gates? He had been absolutely certain that it stood in the New World.
Unfortunately, even if Lu Yin learned of the Upper Three Gates’s exact location, there was no way he could use them to return. More monsters were still waiting on the other side of the Upper Three Gates, and in numbers sufficient enough to completely overrun the Sixth Mainland.
Ten days passed, and Lu Yin and the others continued to retreat. Only a few hundred fortunate survivors remained, and they were still surrounded by countless corpse kings.
If this situation persisted, all of them would die in less than half a month.
Lu Yin stared at the innumerable corpse kings that were still charging towards them from the distance. It looked like he was plotting something.
At this moment, Che Zhan’s voice rang out, “Everyone, follow me.”
Lu Yin turned to look at the Envoy, and Che Zhan continued, “All of you, hide underground!”
Everyone in the group had become numb and were merely awaiting their deaths, so no one paid any attention to the man.
Che Zhan roared louder, “Even if you’re about to die, it’s better to kill more monsters before you go! Do it for the sake of the Perennial World, your family, and your friends! You guys are all cultivators—don’t you have a backbone?”
His words roused the spirits of the survivors even though it was not anything that was even close to a motivational speech. However, in such desperate times, these words were what people needed to hear.
With the help of two Star Alliance Envoys blocking the corpse kings, the survivors slowly made their way underground.
Zhou Tang descended as well.
Che Zhan moved over next to Lu Yin and said, “We’ve already talked things over, and everyone will take turns guarding the entrance to the underground section. For people who own power vessels, they’ll be more effective against the monsters if they’re used in a coordinated manner rather than aimed in various directions.”
The man looked straight at Lu Yin and as his eyes filled with a murderous intent, declared, “Even if we’re going to die, we’ll be dragging down more of those monsters along with us!”
Lu Yin nodded. “Of course.”
“We’ll stand guard first, so you head on in.”
With Che Zhan and a few others standing guard, Lu Yin moved underground.
Although they referred to their destination as underground, they were actually entering a crack that had formed when the metal plains of the second forward basecamp had crashed into the New World. That particular piece of metal had been incredibly tough, and even Enlighters would struggle to leave a scratch on it.
After more than half a month of fighting in the New World, the humans had only encountered three corpse kings with the strength of an Envoy. The average strength of the monsters in the New World was much lower than those that had attacked the second forward base camp, which meant that the survivors were practically safe so long as they stayed underground.
Everyone was exhausted beyond their limits, and no one had any energy to make conversation. Each of them leaned against the walls while gasping for breath.
After Che Zhan entered the fissure, another man moved out to take over defending the entrance and was instantly confronted by countless corpse kings.
“I know that all of us are destined to die here, but if there somehow happen to be a lucky few who make it through this alive and even see the day when the New World is reclaimed by humanity, please erect a memorial here. As I await that day, I’ll fight to my death right here!” The man who stood at the entrance yelled loudly while facing the mass of corpse kings.
Lu Yin did not know the man’s name, and he had only heard someone else address the man as Brother Hong. He was another Envoy from the Star Alliance.
There were seven Envoys from the Star Alliance who had fallen down with the second forward basecamp, including Zhou Tang. At the moment, five of them were still alive.
Zhou Tang, Che Zhan, Brother Hong, an old woman who everyone called Matriarch of the Eastern Mountains, and a well-mannered middle-aged man whom everyone called Mr. Guo. They were the five surviving Envoys.
Brother Hong took something out of his cosmic ring and used it on the countless corpse kings standing outside the crevice where they had taken refuge. A terrifying shockwave exploded out, and the ground trembled for at least an hour.
Lu Yin glanced outside to see what was happening. The power vessel that Brother Hong had used clearly had not been stronger than the walnut-shaped power vessels that Lu Yin had used in the past, but it had lasted for a much longer amount of time.
There was a slashing sound, and Brother’s Hong abdomen was suddenly pierced through by a strange weapon. Che Zhan immediately shot forward, and he pushed Brother Hong back inside while moving to stand outside the entrance.
It was Che Zhan’s turn to stand guard.
Brother Hong had eliminated an endless number of corpse kings, and Che Zhan was responsible for clearing out the remnants after Brother Hong had accomplished his part. After both of them were done, the number of corpse kings near the crevice would drop significantly, and Che Zhan would be able to stand guard for a longer period of time. He would only use his own power vessel after the corpse kings had gathered again in sufficient numbers before attacking.
Matriarch of the Eastern Mountains took her turn after Che Zhan.
Lu Yin closed his eyes in order to rest. This was the last time that he would be able to rest peacefully. Once the Envoys used up the rest of their power vessels, they would be faced with an unending horde of corpse kings.
Perhaps it was time to summon Mister Mu. If Lu Yin left this place, then it he might also be able to take some people away with him.
“If it weren’t for Shenwu’s Sky, I wouldn’t be sitting here waiting for death. Just because I had a few disagreements with some of Shenwu’s Sky’s disciples, I was forcefully drafted to this battlefield. Seriously, what the fuck!” Someone spoke up and began an unrestrained rant that involved profuse cursing. Since the man was about to die, he intended to voice all of his suppressed grievances, especially those that he had not dared to speak of in the past.
Someone else quickly responded, “I pissed off the Wang family regarding the ownership of some resources. I should’ve just given it up! To think that I was so greedy as to fight them over some resources! I was so full of myself. It’s no wonder why those assholes said that I would never even get the chance to get revenge against them.”
“You’re wrong. The Wang family was stealing resources, as were all of the four ruling powers. My entire body was searched when I visited the Higher Realm, and on what grounds? Why are they allowed to do that? How is the Higher Realm any different from the Middle Realm in the past? Ever since the four ruling powers took control of the Higher Realm, they’ve come to see themselves as a level above the rest of us, but have they ever reached the same level as the Lu family? Not even the Lu family was so arrogant!” another person grumbled in a foul tone.
“To hell with the four ruling powers! Just how many people on this battlefield were forced to this place by those people? My entire family was exiled here, and all of them are most likely dead by now.” Someone else continued to air further grudges, and his eyes flushed red as he spoke of his grievances.
Those who had managed to survive for so long were not ordinary cultivators. At a glance, even the weakest among them was a Hunter at the very least. All of them were capable of suppressing their energy well, and all of them were able to keep themselves alive. There were also Envoys and Enlighters among them, and while everyone was wallowing in despair at the prospect of an unending battle, they had maintained their determination throughout all this. Still, with death just a step away, who could continue putting up a stoic facade while remembering their family and their life?
Both men and women spoke up. At this very last moment of their lives, nothing else mattered any longer. There were some who muttered to themselves, others who mourned, and even a few who cursed their hearts out while releasing all of the emotions that they had bottled up so far.
“Don’t let me get out of this place alive, or else I’ll surely crush the four ruling powers!” The man who had spoken up first suddenly yelled at the top of his lungs.
Immediately following that, another person echoed the first man’s sentiment. “Brother, count me in! I’ll exterminate the Wang family!”
“Count me in as well! All I did was peep at a female disciple from the Celestial Frost Sect while she was bathing, and yet they actually tossed me here to this battlefield for it! I’m going to slaughter the Celestial Frost Sect!”
Many people suddenly fell silent at that, as this person’s motivation for revenge was quite vulgar.
[1] Boring name. Means Carriage + Fight. ☜
[2] Just a play on words. Lu Yin is hearing Che Zhan = Rest + Stop. ☜
