Forty Millenniums of Cultivation Chapter 3521: Side Story: city of trapped beasts (Ⅹ)

"Go, safeguard the youth, and see our purpose through!"

Yang Yi gripped Ding Bell's arm tightly as he shouted.

Ding Bell reached out to take the children; her hands, smaller than those of the adults, were trembling. She was still so young.

Suddenly, a surge of profound strength and resolve flooded her spirit.

"Don't worry, Uncle!"

She straightened her posture and gave her word to the two Union soldiers with everything she had. "I swear I will guide them to the mining technical school safely. I won't let a single hair be harmed!

"I, Ding Dong, will complete this mission even if it costs my life!"

The two Union soldiers surely heard her vow.

A smile, more vibrant than blooming flowers and warmer than their own blood, spread across their faces.

Without another word, the blind soldier and his one-armed comrade leaped toward a hidden firing position.

Standing together, they unleashed their shotguns, prepared to vent their final sparks of fury and honor into the relentless Beast Tide.

Yang Yi hurried Ding Bell and the three children through the monster-infested streets of the city.

High above, a shimmering crystal battleship cut a path through the smoke-filled sky with a roar.

It was an aging Hammerhead-class light patrol boat.

The vessel was a patchwork of repairs, scarred by deep claw marks and pitted by the corrosive acid of monsters.

It was clear that after thirty or fifty years of service, its technical specs and hull integrity were no longer fit for frontline combat. It had been relegated to patrolling the wilderness between cities and crystal mines, guarding the crystal tracks and merchant caravans.

In this crisis, these battered patrol boats were the only reinforcements the Union could mobilize quickly.

Yet, as this ancient vessel dove into the heart of the city and the Beast Tide in a near-suicidal charge, it radiated the majestic aura of the spirit. The friction of the crystal caused it to glow like a golden blade fresh from the forge as it soared over the heads of countless monsters.

The beasts occupying the city became as frantic as ants on a hot griddle.

Several gryphons screeched and lunged at the patrol boat, only to be snared by the ripples of its defensive array and obliterated by crystal magnetic cannons.

Monsters grounded on the streets with long-range abilities craned their necks, opening their maws to spit fireballs, acid, and toxic vapors at the ship.

The veteran patrol boat endured like a seasoned warrior; beneath its worn exterior lay a frame of tempered steel that shrugged off minor damage with indifference.

More monsters sensed the approaching storm of war.

They growled in agitation, gathering into a massive wave intended to consume everything in its path.

The roar of the crystal battleship served as a signal.

Aside from Yang Yi and Ding Dingdang, many other survivors emerged from their shelters, sprinting toward the mining technical school.

Most were children.

The brave—the Cultivators, the Union soldiers, and the capable civilians—had mostly perished while shielding them during the peak of the slaughter.

Those who hadn't died were gravely wounded and unable to move, yet they offered the children an escort of brilliant flames and thunderous battle cries.

Suddenly, the ruins of the city, which had been smothered by the silence of the Beast Tide in the dead of night, sparkled with light once more.

The pride of humanity shone like the stars, turning this crimson hell into a place of blinding radiance.

Ding-dang pushed forward with the children, running with reckless abandon.

Monsters and corrupted plants occasionally lunged from the shadows, their gaping maws letting out terrifying shrieks.

But in the very next instant, hidden human firing points would strike them down with relentless force.

Exposing themselves in the process, these human positions would then be swarmed by fearless monsters and devoured.

Often, the final act of the defenders was to detonate a crystal bomb, consuming both themselves and the enemy in a brilliant sphere of fire.

As the children advanced, new human firing points would roar to life just in time, lighting the way and guiding their escape.

Ding Jingdong glanced back; the position she had just left had already vanished beneath the overwhelming sea of beasts.

She realized she never even learned the names of those two uncles.

All she knew was that they were the Union Army!

"Watch out!"

Yang Yi jerked her back forcefully.

The ground ahead of Ding Bell collapsed, revealing a sinkhole several meters deep.

The young girl turned pale, realizing she had nearly made another fatal error.

It felt as though she had been making mistakes the entire journey.

Fortunately, the adults had been unconditionally patient, constantly aiding and rescuing her.

Yang Yi hoisted Ding Bell onto his back.

However, his expression grew grim.

The resistance was simply too thin.

Only three patrol boats had arrived in the first wave, and these outdated vessels couldn't cover every sector.

A vast number of monsters had deciphered the humans' plan.

Ghost Wolves, Flaming Rats, Black Armor Scythe Beetles, Great Horn Demon Pigs, and Scorpion Griffins—all manner of horrific beasts closed in, drawn by the scent of fresh blood and the sound of children crying.

Seven or eight Ghost Wolves blocked their path ahead.

To the left, a dark tide of Flaming Rats and Demon Pigs surged forward.

Within the ruins to the right, the cold glint of a Scythe Beetle's blade flickered.

Above, two Griffins let out blood-chilling screeches as they prepared to dive.

The surrounding firing points were being systematically surrounded and snuffed out by the monsters.

Yang Yi had no other options.

Ignoring his injuries and burning through his remaining life force, he pushed his spirit fire to the absolute limit. He fired his blasting arrow guns with both hands, carving two lines of thunderous fire through the air.

Ding Jingdang also gripped a blasting arrow gun, fighting alongside Yang Yi.

This time, the recoil didn't knock her down.

Even though the force cracked the skin of her hands and made her eyes and teeth ache—drawing trickles of blood—the girl kept her eyes wide and her spirit unbroken.

"Don't be afraid!"

She yelled as she fired, perhaps to bolster her own courage or to comfort the three children huddling behind her. "So many people gave their lives so we could survive. We have to live. This is our mission!"

The duo intensified their fire.

Carried by the guns, the monsters fell in heaps, piling up like small mountains.

But this only drew more attention from the horde.

From every direction, the monsters closed in like crashing waves, threatening to swallow the world whole.

Just as their ammunition ran dry and they prepared to switch to chainsaw swords, a distinct human roar echoed from the sky.

"Uncle Yang, look!"

Ding Bell's eyes widened as six streaks of light cut through the heavens.

Those were six flying swords launched from the crystal battleship. They locked onto the densest clusters of monsters around them and plummeted downward.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The six flying swords embedded themselves deep into the earth. Intricate spiritual lines flared, connecting them into a lethal sword formation.

Lightning-fast sword shadows flickered within the array, tearing through the monsters' bodies and leaving them riddled with cracks.

The murderous light in the monsters' eyes froze instantly.

Then, driven by internal pressure, the beasts literally burst apart along the lines of the sword strikes!

Following the swords, six paratroopers descended from the sky.

They slammed into the ground around Yang Yi and Ding Bell like flaming meteors, kicking up massive clouds of dust.

Before the dust could settle, they unleashed devastating fire upon the monsters scattered by the sword formation.

Only elite military commandos carried the six-barreled rotary cannons, weapons far more powerful than standard blasters.

Though there were only six of them, their combined firepower created an overwhelming momentum that forced the Beast Tide back.

Yang Yi and Ding Bell finally saw them clearly: the leader of the six was a Cultivator clad in gleaming crystal armor.

The other five soldiers were equipped with advanced gliders and offensive magical treasures, bristling with weaponry like five walking arsenals.

"Lieutenant Wu Yi of the 338th Special Forces Brigade, Thunderbolt Commando. Are you Ding Bell?"

The lead Cultivator checked his wrist-mounted Crystal Brain and walked toward the girl.

Yang Yi realized immediately that they must have used the tracking chip in Ding Bell's Crystal Brain to find their location.

He stepped forward to identify himself and explain the situation.

"You are Yang Yi, the officer who brought her all this way?"

Major Wu Yi paused, scanning Yang Yi. "Understood. Officer Yang, you are welcome to join us in escorting these children to the mining technical school. Xie, give him a weapon!"

Yang Yi wanted to explain that his body was mangled and his psionic reserves were empty, making him unfit for more combat.

But the memory of the one-armed and blind soldiers—and all the civilians who had fought to the last breath—choked the words in his throat. He couldn't say it.

Wu Yi didn't wait for a response. He tossed aside Yang Yi’s empty blaster and shoved a six-barreled rotary mortar into his arms. He ordered his squad to move the children out first while he and Yang Yi held the rear.

"A Cultivator must always stand where the danger is greatest!"

Wu Yi spoke as if explaining to Ding Bell, but his eyes were on Yang Yi.

The Beast Tide surged again.

Yang Yi had no choice but to open fire alongside Wu Yi.

Another desperate, bloody struggle ensued.

The waves of beasts attacked repeatedly, only to be shattered and forced back again and again.

By the time the monsters finally retreated, leaving behind nothing but gore and bone, the defenders were down to their last half-belt of ammunition.

Huff... huff...

Yang Yi exhaled deeply. His mouth was filled with blood from the weapon's recoil, and his teeth felt loose in his gums.

He wanted nothing more than to collapse in this field of corpses and sleep for days.

But he couldn't.

He had a destiny to fulfill.

"Let's go, Major Wu!" Yang Yi urged.

Wu Yi nodded and gave him a thumbs-up. "Well done. You've brought no shame to those who practice the Dao."

Yang Yi managed a weak smile and stumbled toward Ding Bell.

Suddenly, the sharp "click" of a six-barreled rotary cannon being readied echoed behind him.

Yang Yi's smile vanished.

Slowly, painfully, he turned his head. He saw Wu Yi, expressionless and cold, aiming the dark muzzle of the gun directly at his forehead.

The air turned frigid.

The small fires flickering among the ruins seemed to freeze under the weight of the killing intent radiating from both men.

"Do you want to know why I came to rescue Officer Yang and Ding Jingdang?" Wu Yi asked in a low voice.

Yang Yi narrowed his eyes and shook his head slowly.

"Because we've met before."

Wu Yi continued, "When Officer Yang was tracking a killer to Razor City, he followed protocol and reported to the authorities. Razor City was new and under federal control back then. I was the one who received him.

"We shared a name and got along well. We even promised to grab a drink once his mission was over.

"Even with your face wrapped in those bandages, I am certain of one thing: the deputy chief of the hunting squad from Nanwu City, the real Yang Yi, looks nothing like you.

"And the real Yang Yi would never have reacted to the name 'Wu Yi' with such a blank stare.

"So, who are you? Who is this 'Cultivator' pretending to be Officer Yang?"

The man who had been posing as Yang Yi blinked.

Looking at the shimmering crystal armor and the spiritual flame clearly superior to his own, the man's killing intent began to fade.

He let out a weary sigh, though he didn't seem entirely surprised.

He opened his mouth to speak, but struggled to find the words.

"If you won't talk, I'll guess," Wu Yi said, his gaze sharpening. "Officer Yang was a stranger here. He'd only been in the city a few days. Only a handful of us knew him.

"There's no reason for a friend to steal his identity.

"There is only one person with the means and the motive to kill Yang Yi and take his name.

"That would be the man Yang Yi was hunting. The wanted criminal, the 'Hyena' Zhao Lie.

"You are the Hyena!"

Confronted by the officer, the man finally smiled.

The mask of the disciplined hunter he had been wearing began to crack and fall away.

The persona of the lawman vanished like a receding tide, replaced by a sinister, fierce, and chaotic energy that filled his features.

If Ding Bell saw him now, she would never mistake him for a kind uncle from the hunting police.

He was a wolf now—a predatory, ghostly wild wolf.

No, not even a wolf.

He was a foul, murderous hyena that would scavenge a corpse just to stay alive.

"Believe it or not, I didn't kill Yang Yi," the Hyena said, his voice raspy.

"That fool chased me for seven years and never even grazed me. No wonder he stayed a lieutenant for so long. Why would I kill him? To have you send a smarter hunter after me? I'm not looking for trouble.

"The man was just unlucky. I was going to let him catch me so he could finally get his promotion, but the Beast Tide tore him to pieces."

"Is that so?" Wu Yi sneered. "The legendary Hyena, surrendering? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!

"Fine, let's say you 'surrendered' and Yang Yi died in the swarm. Why did you use his name to protect Ding Ding all this way?"

The Hyena was silent.

"The answer is obvious: you were running away," Wu Yi said, answering for him. "While everyone else is fighting and dying for a cause, you—a spineless coward—wanted to flee and save your own skin!

"You knew that as a wanted man and a Cultivator, you were dead meat if you tried to run through a city under siege alone.

"Then you saw us looking for Ding Dong.

"You realized she was your golden ticket. You could only escape by pretending to be her 'protector'!"

"Am I wrong, Hyena?"

The Hyena's face twisted into a mask of rage.

"Don't call me a coward!" he snarled. "I never expected to live forever on this path! I've eaten, played, and lived more than most—I've had my fill!

"But I can't die yet! Not today!

"Yang Yi told me my wife just gave birth to a daughter. I have to get home. I have to see if they're okay. I have to see what my daughter looks like!

"I told him if he let me see them just once, he could shoot me or cut me into pieces and I wouldn't fight back!

"He promised me! He gave me his word!

"But that idiot went and died!

"As a wanted man, I had no escape. No one would help me. They'd just throw me into the Beast Tide as cannon fodder! What else was I supposed to do?"

Wu Yi hesitated for a moment. The look on the Hyena's face made him inclined to believe the story.

But his disgust didn't fade.

"I see. A new daughter. You have to get home to your family, so your life is too precious to lose. How touching."

Wu Yi's voice suddenly turned into a roar. "What about everyone else? What about the thousands who died in this city? The Union soldiers, the Cultivators? Did they not have families? Were they not born of mothers? Were they not the hearts of their own homes?

"Do you think their loved ones aren't waiting for them to come back?

"Why is it okay for them to die but not you? Why should they be the cannon fodder while a rat like you uses their corpses as a bridge to survival?"

Wu Yi's spit hit the Hyena's face, but the man remained silent.

Wu Yi wasn't finished.

"Cultivators are the blades of human civilization. The blood of the strong must be shed for the weak—that is the law that should be burned into every Cultivator's soul."

Wu Yi spoke with cold precision. "I truly don't understand how scum like you ever managed to awaken a Spirit Root and become a Cultivator."

"If you're going to kill me, do it! Stop with the self-righteous crap!" the Hyena screamed, his face flushing red. "I fought my way out of the slums. I’ve seen how the world really works!

"That 'blood of the strong' and 'saber of civilization' talk is all a lie to keep people in line!

"The world is never fair. It’s the law of the jungle, and it’s always dark!

"The powerful people in charge can send thousands to their deaths with a single word. Even their dogs eat better than the poor!"