CHAPTER 60: WAVE OF BEASTS (3)

The grotesque sound that echoed through the forest until it reached the city seemed to reverberate in everyone’s mind. As if it wasn’t just heard but felt. A sound that made the heart tremble and the Qi stir slightly.

"W-What was that?"

"That... was that sound from a beast? No, that can’t be a beast."

"What the hell is coming now?"

On the wall, the archers exchanged terrified glances. Kyrian kept his eyes fixed on the darkness beyond the treeline.

His fingers still gripped the bow firmly, but a chill ran down his spine.

’Whatever it is that screamed, I don’t think it will fall to arrows.’

After the scream, the chaos in the beast tide took on a new tone. The land beasts that hurled themselves against the walls suddenly went mad.

They began pushing one another, biting, and smashing their own bodies against the moss-covered stones of the wall.

They seemed desperate, as if something even more terrifying was driving them forward.

"They’re getting even crazier!"

"Why are they attacking each other?!"

Kyrian heard those around him murmuring. He didn’t answer, after all, he had no idea what was happening either.

But his eyes were fixed on the forest, trying to see what was hidden by the trees.

It was then that another roar rose. No, it wasn’t just one. But the merging of several.

It was strong, stronger, and more terrible than the roar of those other beasts in the tide. The sound ripped a groan from the weaker ones, who covered their ears.

From the forest, trees were torn aside. Five shadows then surged forward, their enormous bodies larger than any of the other beasts present. Emerging under the light of the full moon.

Five massive beasts, each different, but all exuding a terrible pressure that crushed the freshly regained morale of the archers staring at them. It was a natural pressure exerted by those of higher cultivation.

An old man near Kyrian paled. His eyes widened with knowledge and horror.

"They are... the five kings of the forest..." he whispered, his voice a thread of terror.

"The Stone Bear of the Valley... the Shadow Serpent of the dark swamp... the Great Steel-Horned Deer of the pine forest... the Six-Armed Monkey of the cliffs... and... and the Iron-Spiked Beast that lives in the ancient caves..."

"They truly are the five beasts. But why? They never leave their domains! They rule different parts of the forest! Why... why the hell are they here together?!"

The confirmation struck like a blow. Kings of the forest. They were beasts with strength in the Qi Liberation realm. Creatures that no one in Misty City dared to provoke. And now they were all here.

The beasts did not wait.

The Stone Bear roared and charged, its muscular body crushing smaller beasts in its direct path to the gate. The Shadow Serpent slid along the shadows of the walls, its form briefly vanishing only to reappear already above the ramparts, causing instant panic.

The Great Deer lowered its head, and its antlers glimmered under the moonlight before firing projectiles of pure Qi, sharp as blades, against the wall.

The Six-Armed Monkey scaled the wall with frightening speed, smashing and hurling archers into the air.

Master Liu shouted, his voice amplified by Qi cutting through the chaos.

"Patriarchs! With me! Keep them away! We cannot let them enter!"

Liu, Patriarch Mu, Li, and Chen leapt forward. Their cultivations erupted, fully unleashed.

Waves of Qi collided with the Stone Bear, halting its charge and forcing it back a step. But not even injuring it.

They split up, each trying to contain one of the beasts of the Qi Liberation realm. But it was clear from the start. Beasts of the same realm were naturally stronger, more resilient, and more ferocious.

The fight would be pure survival.

Kyrian saw it all unfold in seconds. But it was the fifth beast he paid attention to.

The Spiked Beast. A quadruped beast covered in natural metallic plates from which long, sharp, black spikes grew. Its red eyes didn’t fix on the gate. But on the section of the wall where Kyrian stood.

It didn’t run. It simply contracted, like a monstrous porcupine, and then released.

Hundreds of small metallic spikes, each imbued with Qi, flew toward the wall like a storm of darts.

It didn’t seek a specific target but rather to destroy everything.

"PROTECT YOURSELVES!" someone shouted.

Kyrian acted immediately. His Qi flowed through his eyes. With his low cultivation, it would be impossible to protect himself if a spike touched his body. It was no longer time to spare his Qi.

Suddenly, a massive ice barrier appeared in front of him. Deflecting some spikes while others shattered the ice and pierced the barrier.

The impact was tremendous, but the ice shield held. The beast’s attack was spread out and not focused on him, so Kyrian completely defended himself.

But he couldn’t protect the others, nor the wall itself.

The spikes struck the stone structure. The wall, already battered by the beast tide, trembled violently.

With a crash that drowned out all other sounds, a large section of the wall, precisely where Kyrian stood, collapsed.

Stones, wood, and bodies fell into the city below.

Kyrian was hurled forward by the collapse. He twisted midair, landing nimbly among the rubble and dust. The bow was lost, leaving only his sword still firm in his hand.

He coughed, dust filling his nose as he looked around.

The city’s defense was now irreparably compromised. The fall of the wall opened a giant breach.

And then, the smaller beasts, driven by madness, began advancing even more, rushing through the debris and following the scent of blood, leaping among the stunned surviving soldiers.

The battle had changed. Now there was no longer a line of defense to hold. Now it was about surviving in the streets of the city.

Kyrian rose, his gaze just in time to see the Iron-Spiked Beast advancing toward the breach it had created.

Its red eyes fixed on Kyrian. Knowing he was the one who had survived. Kyrian prepared himself, his heart still calm.

But in his mind he knew. It was madness to think of facing such a being now.

Before, he thought he would definitely be nearly invincible against those in the Qi Accumulation realm as he advanced stages. Perhaps, using intents, even those at the beginning of the Qi Liberation realm might not necessarily be opponents.

But he realized he was wrong. The gap in strength between great realms was truly terrifying.

It was at that moment that a figure suddenly appeared atop the rubble.

It appeared beside Kyrian, who was staring at the approaching beast.

Kyrian looked and immediately recognized him. He wasn’t too surprised.

It was Old Wang.

He wasn’t wearing elaborate armor, only his blacksmith clothes. Now stained with soot and the blood of beasts he had slain along the way.

He wasn’t holding a sword or another weapon, but a heavy blacksmith’s hammer. Which seemed to shine with a soft metallic glow.

Definitely also a low-level treasure, like Kyrian’s sword.

The old man’s posture was no longer hunched, but the impatient expression he always wore was still there. He glared at the beast with a furrowed brow.

The Iron-Spiked Beast stopped, sensing the change, staring at the small being that appeared.

Sensing the power that now radiated from the old man. Kyrian already knew the moment he saw him. He, too, was in the Qi Liberation realm.

And now Kyrian could feel that the old man’s Qi seemed even more refined than Master Liu’s and the patriarchs’.

Old Wang spat on the ground, raising the hammer and pointing it toward the beast.

"You damned beasts. Why did you crawl out of your holes?" the old man growled, his voice harsh.

"Brat! Go to the gate with the others. Your strength will be more useful there than here." Old Wang said, looking at Kyrian.

And then he turned to the beast, which suddenly roared, seeming to challenge the old man.

Old Wang charged to meet it. Moving with incredible speed. The beasts in his path were utterly crushed.