Chapter Forty-Five: Predators Beneath the Moonlit Night

Night had fallen.

Wang Xiao received a message from Yanhuang City.

Just as darkness descended, strange creatures appeared outside Yanhuang City. Their arms were like scythes, their mouths sharp and pointed, their bodies pitch-black and imposing. They varied in size, but even the smallest stood more than three meters tall. Their numbers were not great—a hundred or so—but no one dared underestimate them.

These monsters crouched in the distance, as if waiting for something.

Wang Xiao went to the battle department and summoned Yang Ming and Ike.

"Go scout around. If you notice anything, don’t act rashly."

Yang Ming nodded and dashed off toward one direction.

"Yes, Lord," Ike replied.

Wang Xiao began communicating with Little Bone, instructing it to stay alert and be ready to activate the protective shield at any moment.

"Even Yanhuang City is experiencing trouble. I suspect we’ll see some movement here as well."

Along the way, Wang Xiao searched meticulously, leaving no corner unchecked, but strangely, he found no trace of any odd creatures.

"Anything?" Wang Xiao asked.

Ike reported, "No suspicious organisms found."

"Same here," Yang Ming said.

Wang Xiao scratched his head. "If there’s nothing, let’s head back."

After Wang Xiao and his companions returned, a crimson light flashed across the sky.

...

Yanhuang City.

"Have those creatures made any moves?" Fang Shengli put down his pen and asked.

"None at all. Should we take the initiative?" a young man inquired.

Fang Shengli glanced at him, "Are you confident?"

The young man boasted, "No problem. They're all fourth-tier."

"Oh? How many fourth-tier do we have?"

The youth replied proudly, "Including myself, there are now five hundred and forty-two fourth-tier experts."

Fang Shengli shook his head, "Still too few. Yanhuang City has the largest population in the entire Eastern Region."

"At present, the population has reached three hundred thousand, but there are fewer than a thousand fourth-tier warriors."

The young man protested, "We could be called the strongest city."

Fang Shengli chuckled, "Strongest? Have you heard of Infinite City? Their conditions are much better than ours."

"According to Wang Xiao, they have fewer than three thousand residents, but more than two hundred are fourth-tier."

"Except for children, their weakest are all peak second-tier!"

"Do you understand what this means? It means that, if war comes, everyone can fight!"

The young man was stunned. Such a small city, yet so formidable.

And it was said that Infinite City’s Lord, Wang Xiao, was on the verge of breaking through to the sixth tier.

He was undoubtedly the top figure in the Eastern Region!

Seeing the young man’s shaken demeanor, Fang Shengli sighed, "Take a dozen men and probe those creatures for their true nature."

The youth shed his earlier pride and shouted, "Yes, Commander!"

Fang Shengli nodded with satisfaction. Young people must not be too reckless.

"Let’s hope we get through this safely."

...

Giant Tiger City.

"Lord, we should retreat! The brothers can’t hold out!"

"Retreat? Where would we go? Can you outrun those beasts?" Zhu Yan roared.

There weren’t many monsters before him—fewer than twenty. Their level wasn’t high, only third-tier, with the strongest barely at the peak of third-tier.

Giant Tiger City’s population was about a thousand; facing these dozen monsters should have been easy.

But a bizarre sight occurred. Even when these monsters were chopped into pieces, they reassembled themselves.

They couldn’t be killed! That was the truly terrifying part.

Giant Tiger City had more than eighty third-tier warriors, but now fewer than ten remained!

Though these monsters were only third-tier, their speed rivaled that of fourth-tier.

When Giant Tiger City’s third-tier fighters tried to retreat, it was already too late.

The monsters pounced on them, their sharp jaws tearing through armor without effort.

Blood sprayed, city walls shattered, crowds panicked.

Giant Tiger City was lost.

Zhu Yan, wielding a golden broadsword, swung it ceaselessly.

He was the last one fighting.

The others were either swallowed whole or lay lifeless on the ground—a scene of utter misery.

"Come on! Come on!" Zhu Yan felled a monster with a swing, his eyes wide with anguish.

The blood on the ground was quickly absorbed, and the monster stood once more.

Its sunken eyes glowed crimson; green saliva dripped from its sharp jaws.

Its head was triangular, its sides lined with barbs, its body curved forward.

"Die!" Zhu Yan raised his blade high and struck fiercely. A blue flame surged from the hilt, enveloping the blade.

Ssshh—

The blade sliced open the monster’s chest, the blue fire burning relentlessly.

The creature shrieked and rolled on the ground.

Soon, it stopped moving—it did not rise again.

Zhu Yan saw hope. He charged wildly at the monsters.

But upon seeing him, they avoided him, turning to slaughter the remaining citizens.

Zhu Yan was desperate. He ran back and forth, but to no avail.

It was over.

Only a handful—just over ten—survived in Giant Tiger City.

That was thanks to Zhu Yan’s frantic rescue efforts.

He sat heavily on the ground, "I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!"

As he spoke, the burly man began to cry.

There was no relief for having survived, only endless hatred.

The survivors comforted Zhu Yan. Without their city lord’s valiant defense, they would all have perished here.

After a long while, Zhu Yan stood up, his eyes red.

"Let’s go. We’re heading to Infinite City! Brother Wang will take us in."

He raised his golden blade, flames licking the steel.

Zhu Yan and his companions left their former home, now a sea of fire.

He didn’t want the people of Giant Tiger City to be defiled after death by those monsters.

Though exhausted, they dared not pause, advancing swiftly.

Only by reaching Infinite City quickly could they hope to survive.

Zhu Yan believed Wang Xiao would welcome them, for he had once been part of that group.

Previously, Wang Xiao had invited him, but Zhu Yan had refused.

He believed, as a fourth-tier expert, he should build his own city.

Now, that city was destroyed. He longed for revenge, but knew he lacked the strength.

Yet he believed that man would succeed.

He had intended to merge Giant Tiger City into Infinite City before this crisis, but for special reasons, he never got around to it.