Inside the Spatial Rift, Xiaobai’s words echoed in Mu Chen’s mind, filling him with emotion. ’That’s right,’ he thought. ’Xiaobai’s true identity is the Land Beast God. In that case, the place I’m standing right now is on the head of a god!’
「Xuanling Empire」
"Elder Mu, what did you say? A Beast Tide is coming in two days?"
In a secret chamber beneath the Library Tower of the Imperial Academy, three men and one woman stared grimly at a white-haired elder seated at a desk. The elder’s expression was just as solemn.
"That’s right. Listen closely. This Beast Tide will be terrifying. With my help, the Xuanling Empire might have easily weathered this calamity. But unfortunately, for reasons I cannot disclose, I am forbidden from intervening this time. I can only watch from the sidelines! Xuan Yin, as the ruler of this nation, you must immediately formulate a defensive strategy. The Xuanling Empire is situated at the very edge of the Dynasty, which means we will have to bear the brunt of the Beast Tide’s fiercest assault! If we cannot hold, the consequences will be unimaginable! Therefore, you must send reinforcements to the border cities immediately. Speed is of the essence!"
"Wu Changqing! You are a Guardian Elder of our Xuanling Empire. In the coming days, you will lead the three remaining Elders to the four corners of the Empire. Do everything in your power to evacuate the elderly and the young, and organize the adults to resist the Beast Tide’s invasion! Remember, you must quell the inevitable panic as quickly as possible! The people will be thrown into chaos the moment they hear about the Beast Tide. I trust in your abilities!"
After saying this, Elder Mu turned to one of the men and the woman. "Lingyun! Wu Kui! Di Cang and Qin Garden are still in the Sacas Dynasty. In the Imperial Academy, you two command the most authority in the inner and outer circles. I now command you in my capacity as the former dean of the Xuanling Empire’s Imperial Academy! Immediately lead the academy in an evacuation from the Xuanling Empire! Head toward the interior of the Dynasty. You have two days! How far you get will depend on your leadership! Those students are the elite and the very foundation of our Xuanling Empire! If the Xuanling Empire falls and they are slaughtered by the Magical Beasts, then the Xuanling Empire will be no more! Remember my words!"
"Although I can already see the Xuanling Empire’s final outcome, I still hope you will fight for the sake of humanity! After all... this is a pact established by our ancestors and the ancestors of the Magical Beasts! It is another contest between Magical Beasts and humankind!" Elder Mu’s voice was heavier than ever before. His usually languid face now looked majestic and imposing. The aura of a superior being emanated directly from the elder, completely overwhelming the four people beside him. And these four were none other than the most representative figures of the Xuanling Empire: Xuan Yin, Wu Changqing, Lingyun, and Wu Kui!
"Yes!"
There was no panic, no fear. On the faces of the four, besides defiance and solemnity, there was only urgency! An urgent desire to go and make arrangements for the coming crisis! Because they were running out of time!
’Another contest between humans and Magical Beasts?’
Leaving the secret chamber, Xuan Yin muttered to himself with a frown. At his side, Wu Changqing gritted his teeth and said, "From what Elder Mu said, I’m afraid it will be truly difficult for the Xuanling Empire to defend itself this time. Without Elder Mu’s help, the only Elders the Xuanling Empire can truly field are myself and the other three. If only Di Cang and Qin Garden were here, we would at least have two more Venerable Realm experts! But now... sigh!"
"There’s no time to worry about that. I’ll gather the students of the Holy Hall now. In any case, the sooner we evacuate, the better the children’s chances of survival will be." Wu Kui clenched his fist, then turned and flew toward the Holy Hall. Although his daily duties at the Holy Hall merely consisted of drinking tea near the Tower of Calamity and maintaining order for the students entering it, in his heart, he truly loved the Xuanling Empire, loved this academy, and loved the children in it even more!
SWOOSH!
Without waiting for a response, Wu Kui leaped into the air and vanished into the sky. Lingyun watched his retreating figure, and an image of when she first sent the students from the Holy Hall and Demon Castle to the Sacas Dynasty flashed through her mind. ’If I hadn’t been worried that Mu Chen wouldn’t know the way back to the Xuanling Empire, I might not have returned! And if I hadn’t returned, the Xuanling Empire would have been short one organizer! Coming back... was the right decision!’
"Wait! Instructor Ling Yun! I remember you also hold the position of an Elder in the Huayang Sect. Since that’s the case, could you possibly request reinforcements...?" Xuan Yin gritted his teeth and finally voiced the thought he had been suppressing.
Hearing this, Lingyun gave a bitter smile. "Let’s not even mention that the Huayang Sect already expelled me from the sect after I killed Elder Fei Yun. Just based on the five years I spent there, I can tell you that those self-serving cowards who only look out for themselves would never dare to stand against the Beast Tide. So, Your Majesty, you should give up on that idea."
"Sigh..." Xuan Yin sighed and waved his hand. "You’re right. I wasn’t thinking clearly. The Huayang Sect isn’t one of the Xuanling Empire’s powers. I was just grasping at straws."
"Well..." Seeing Xuan Yin’s dejected back, Lingyun shook her head. "Forget it. Since you have already asked, Your Majesty, I will make a trip to the Huayang Sect. Even though I was expelled, they should still give me enough face to hear me out."
Xuan Yin grunted in surprise, "Hm?" His expression then turned to one of great joy. "Then I’ll have to trouble you. At a critical time like this, every extra person adds to our strength, and gives our Xuanling Empire a greater chance of survival."
Lingyun nodded. She could see that Xuan Yin was truly doing everything in his power for the Xuanling Empire. ’His mind must be in turmoil right now,’ she thought. For the sake of the Imperial Academy, and even more for the Xuanling Empire, Lingyun bid Xuan Yin farewell and immediately headed for the outer circle. Compared to the Holy Hall, the outer circle had far more students, and their cultivation as Martial Artists was much more varied. Trying to organize all of them by herself would take a huge amount of time. She had to find someone—Zhun Cang!
...
On the Central Continent of the Extreme Martial Continent, within a peach garden that resembled a paradise, an exceptionally handsome man held a flute, his brow relaxed as he gazed at a small pavilion in the middle of a distant lake. From within the pavilion, a light and elegant melody drifted out. Through a wind-blown curtain, the moving silhouette of a graceful figure could be faintly seen. Although her face was obscured, her fingers were long and slender, plucking the strings of the zither before her as smoothly as flowing clouds and water. Hearing the music, the man chuckled and raised his flute, slowly beginning to play along.
’My sister’s mood has improved greatly ever since she learned that Mu Chen is coming to save her. And if I calculate the time, it’s about when the Magical Beasts and humans have their contest for territory again. Every time, the Magical Beasts’ assault reaches the central regions of the Extreme Martial Continent. I wonder how it will be this time?’
’The Xuanling Empire... that guy’s homeland. It will probably be completely devoured by the claws and fangs of the beasts this time. It’s a good thing that kid is currently in the Sacas Dynasty for the imperial tournament; otherwise, I’d have to go over there and save him.’
As he mused silently, the man’s gaze once again drifted toward the horizon. This man was none other than Qin Shang, the one who had saved Mu Chen from He Yunfeng two years ago.
...
「Two days later...」
Luofeng City, on the border of the Xuanling Empire.
The Mu Family had received the message from the Empire two days prior. As one of the most remote towns on the edge of the Xuanling Empire, Luofeng City would absolutely be the first target for the Magical Beasts!
"Patriarch! Mr. Wang is here to see you!"
Mu Gu Tian, who had been frowning in thought in the Mu Family’s main hall, was startled by the report from outside. He quickly said, "Hurry, show him in." As he spoke, Mu Gu Tian also rose swiftly and walked to the entrance of the hall. The moment he stepped outside, he saw the Head of the Wang Family, Wang Mo, rushing toward him in a flurry.
"Old Gu!" Seeing Mu Gu Tian standing at the entrance, Wang Mo shouted directly.
Mu Gu Tian immediately went out to greet him, saying, "Brother Wang, how many times have I told you? This place is your own home. You don’t need to have the servants announce you next time you visit."
Wang Mo forced a smile. "One must not neglect propriety. But I’m not here to discuss that this time. Regarding the upcoming Beast Tide, Old Gu, what are your plans?"
"What are my plans?" Mu Gu Tian shook his head. "If this were an ordinary Beast Tide, we might be able to fend it off with reinforcements from the Empire. But judging by the tone of the envoy sent from the Imperial Capital, this Beast Tide is no small matter! I fear it’s not something we can withstand. Therefore, I plan to move the younger members of the family into the secret underground chamber and have them stay there until the Beast Tide is over."
Wang Mo nodded repeatedly upon hearing this. "Old Gu is right, I was thinking the same thing. It seems our time is up."
Mu Gu Tian chuckled. "I say, Brother Wang, since when did you become so afraid of death? That doesn’t sound like you."
Wang Mo said helplessly, "I was just sighing about the situation. But when the time comes, if we truly have to fight the Beast Tide, the Wang and Mu Families must combine our strength and defend a single position. Otherwise, if our two families act alone, I’m afraid we’ll easily be pushed aside by the reinforcements from the Imperial Capital."
"I’ve already passed down orders to that effect. You can rest assured, Brother Wang."
While the two patriarchs were discussing their plans, the atmosphere in Wanfeng Garden was entirely different. Within Bifeng Garden, a man and a woman stood before a doorway. The middle-aged man had his arms around the beautiful woman’s shoulders, whispering softly to her. Needless to say, these two were none other than Mu Chen’s parents, Mufeng and Bi Wan.
"Brother Feng, I just heard the servants passing a message. They said a massive Beast Tide is about to erupt in the Xuanling Empire."
The middle-aged man helped the beautiful woman down the steps from the doorway and replied with a smile, "Yes, I heard it’s on a very large scale. I’m afraid the Xuanling Empire might not survive."
"Then Chen’Er and Bing’Er... they’ll be safe, won’t they?" As a mother, Bi Wan thought of her two children at every waking moment. This was especially true after the marriage between Mu Bingling and Mu Chen was arranged; Bi Wan had come to regard both of them as the most important people in her heart.