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For the residents of Safety Sky City, it was an ordinary day.
However, it was at this moment that the melodious sound of a flute came drifting from afar.
This flute music seemed to possess a special kind of magical power, both melodious and deep.
It was unknown who was playing it.
Soon after the flute music began, an inexplicable "rumble" followed closely behind.
This "rumble" started off quietly, resembling the sound of a drum.
But as time went on, it grew louder and louder until it was like the roaring of thunder, with Heavenly Thunder crashing down.
It wasn’t just the noise; the ground itself seemed to start shaking and trembling.
The morning breeze blew gently, as for those living in Safety Sky City.
Here, far from the Imperial Capital, the pace of life was frighteningly slow.
At this time, apart from a few people who had gotten up early, most of the residents were actually still asleep.
But as the noise outside grew louder and louder, no one felt sleepy anymore.
Including Xu Zimei, he walked out of his room to see what was going on.
"What’s going on outside? The noise is so loud."
"I don’t know, it seems like it’s coming from the fortress."
The people who walked out of the inn with Zimo were also discussing animatedly.
"The fortress? Could it be that there’s trouble from the Phoenix Perching Demon Forest?"
"Don’t talk nonsense. Ever since the fortress’s Defensive Array was built, it’s been a long time since we had any trouble."
Countless citizens came to the city walls, looking towards the north.
All they could see was dust rising in the north, as if billowing smoke from a wildfire.
Due to the distance, nobody could see clearly.
However, at that moment, several people were seen running over in a fluster from not too far away, apparently residents of Safety Sky City.
Before the people on the wall had a chance to ask, those who came in flustered from the outside had already started yelling.
"Monster Spirits have appeared, Monster Spirits are attacking us!"
"Quick, notify the City Lord, it will be too late if we delay any longer." 𝔫𝖔𝔳𝔭𝔲𝔟.𝖈𝔬𝔪
...
Following the shouts of those people, the residents inside the city started to panic.
Monster Spirits—everyone knew what that meant.
"No need, I’ve already been over there to check," just when everyone was in a panic, a man in a green robe emerged from a nearby house.
Coming out with him were several high-ranking officials of Safety Sky City, who had apparently been discussing something inside just a moment ago.
"City Lord Gao," seeing the appearance of the green-robed man, the surrounding citizens hurriedly greeted him.
Gao Zelong had a dignified expression, his eyebrows tightly furrowed, and an undispellable worry on his face.
"Everyone, given the urgency of the situation, I won’t hide anything from you."
Gao Zelong said in a resonant voice, "There’s a small breach in the Defensive Array at the fortress.
The Monster Spirits that were always in the Monster Forest have rushed out as if gone mad.
Our urgent priority now is to repair that small breach to prevent the Monster Spirits from breaking through again."
Hearing Gao Zelong’s words, the citizens around began to discuss among themselves.
"City Lord, just say what you need to. This is our homeland, we will naturally protect it."
"Right, let’s all unite and wipe out these Monster Spirits."
Seeing the resolve of the people, Gao Zelong’s emotions also stabilized somewhat.
He finally spoke about the solution.
Most of the guards have to stay to defend the city; there can’t be any slips here.
And Gao Zelong would lead the city’s residents who were Vein Practitioners in cultivation to the fortress to mend the Formation.
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This matter is highly dangerous, as we will certainly have to face the Monster Spirits, and casualties are inevitable.
After Gao Zelong finished speaking, he quickly began to assign tasks.
Xu Zimei had also planned to meet these Monster Spirits and see what they were like.
Finally, after all tasks were assigned, Xu Zimei realized that there were quite a few Vein Practitioners within the city.
There were more than three hundred people going to repair the Defensive Array.
Nobody dared delay, and after Gao Zelong gave instructions for the city’s safety, he led the massive crowd of citizens out.
The crowd didn’t dare to take the main roads, as that would mean coming face to face with the Monster Spirits.
If they did, the losses would be severe; their only objective was to repair the Defensive Array.
If they succeeded, those Monster Spirits would become sitting ducks.
...
When the crowd took a detour and arrived at the fortress, they were stunned by the scene before them.
Nearly a thousand Monster Spirits were lingering there, and the fortress itself was teeming with them.
Right now, they were destroying the fortress, and more Monster Spirits were continuously pouring out of a small opening.
"What in the world is happening?" Gao Zelong frowned slightly.
"As far as I know, the Monster Spirits are very timid by nature as long as their territory isn’t invaded.
How have they become so ferocious now?"
"So, do we still go?" someone next to him asked.
"Yes, I have already sought aid from the empire, and I estimate that it won’t be long before the envoy arrives," Gao Zelong said.
"But before that, we must defend the city, or Safety Sky City will be destroyed."
"City Lord, just give the command; we’ll obey," the person next to him nodded and replied.
"Later, a few Array Masters and I will go to the breach to repair the Formation; you all will form a circle around us as the center."
Gao Zelong thought for a moment and said, "We have inspected this breach, and it only requires a time of one to two incense sticks to repair.
This time, I am relying on you all."
With those words, Gao Zelong bowed deeply to all the people behind him.
"Don’t say that, City Lord. Our families and children are also in the city; we naturally won’t just sit and wait for death."
After discussing for a while, everyone cautiously approached the location of the breach.
Xu Zimei followed behind the team, looking ahead.
These so-called Monster Spirits actually looked similar to humans, except that their skin was dark blue.
Their ears were very sharp, and they all sported short hair.
They weren’t wearing clothes, and it seemed there was no distinction between male and female genders.
The strength of these Monster Spirits was not too strong, around the True Vein Realm, but their numbers were vast, obviously not easy to handle.
As the crowd neared, suddenly, the Monster Spirits ahead let out a piercing scream.
Following the scream, the surrounding Monster Spirits all swarmed over.
"We’ve been discovered," said Gao Zelong with a grim expression.
"Everyone, don’t engage in love for the fight, the enemy outnumbers us.
We must get close to the breach and form a circular defense."
"Charge!"
With Gao Zelong’s roar, he took the lead, with the might of the Emperor Pulse Realm surging around him.
He stepped through the air as he aimed to be the first to seize the breach.
And those following him also let out a roar and charged after Gao Zelong.
The Monster Spirits, caught off guard for a moment, were hit by a surprise attack by the crowd.
Some fell into disarray.
The crowd also quickly seized the position of the breach at the first opportunity.
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