Chapter 38: Overwhelming Like a Tide [Third Update]

“According to intelligence from the Bureau, the main thrust of the beast tide is directed toward University Town, ten kilometers away. Over five hundred Master Heart-Whirl cultivators have already gone there to defend. Our mission is to hold this elevated bridge. Some monsters will inevitably slip through the net—if any manage to infiltrate the city, panic will surely ensue.”

Zhou Yingying addressed Yang Dai and the others, who all nodded in agreement—there was no room for objections. The group dispersed to rest on their own.

Yang Dai kept his shadow thralls at his side, dozens of them clustered around him like a small army, providing a sense of reassurance.

Time slipped by, the sun rising ever higher. After a brief rest, Yang Dai wandered to the edge of the overpass and looked down. The river ran red, with corpses of both humans and monsters drifting with the current. Along the riverbank, every ten meters stood a trial-taker on guard.

Many monsters could swim, so the defensive line stretched far. Determining where the main force of the beast tide would strike depended on the Bureau’s trial-takers.

Since the apocalypse began, many satellites had lost signal; anywhere outside human habitation was now a dead zone. The cause remained an unresolved mystery.

Modern cities, unlike those of old with their towering walls, were wide open and easily traversed; this made the Bureau’s intelligence all the more crucial. With the right information, many troubles could be averted, and so the Bureau’s trial-takers enjoyed better treatment than those in the Combat Division, who only carried out missions that had already been scouted.

One look at the river and Yang Dai could tell there had been brutal fighting throughout Taihe City the previous night.

The overpass was a decent spot—narrow, easy to defend, hard to attack, much safer than the squads along the riverbank. River monsters were often deadlier than those on land.

Yang Dai tore his eyes away and went back to the pigeon spirit for more rest.

…

At ten in the morning, Yang Dai and the others suddenly spotted cultivators flying on swords from afar. They descended rapidly, shouting, “Retreat at once! Everyone, take cover!”

Yang Dai and the others were momentarily stunned—retreat, or hide?

The next instant, their faces changed dramatically. At the horizon, a black cloud rolled across the sky, as if to swallow the sun—countless demon birds, a living tide so vast that even Yang Dai felt a chill down his spine.

“Retreat! Hide, now!” Zhou Yingying shouted, spinning around. Yang Dai did not hesitate, turning to run with his shadow thralls close behind.

Missiles shrieked up from within Taihe City, streaking toward the airborne swarm. Thunderous explosions rocked the sky; the blasts were so powerful that smoke and fire blanketed half the heavens. Mangled bodies rained down into the forests and rivers. Yet there were simply too many demon birds—they burst through the smoke and pressed on toward the city.

As he ran, Yang Dai rapidly drew his shadow thralls back into his soul space, leaving only Marshal Tianpeng, the pigeon spirit, Tian Bu Zhong, and Bai Wei by his side.

Missiles kept flying. In the chaos, Yang Dai glimpsed fighter jets roaring by and cultivators soaring on their swords.

This sector had become the beast tide’s primary assault front—but now the battle raged in the sky.

Being cultivators, Yang Dai’s group moved with incredible speed, clearing the overpass in less than half a minute.

A roar echoed behind them. Yang Dai glanced back to see Marshal Tianpeng pinning a giant eagle to the ground, its sharp fangs piercing the beast’s neck.

Terrified, Yang Dai picked up the pace.

But soon, demon birds were already swooping over his head—far too fast! Many were flying even faster than the fighter jets.

Realizing he couldn’t risk heading back to base, Yang Dai veered off toward a service station beneath the overpass. Zhang Han and the others seemed to have the same idea and were even faster.

Yang Dai quickly drew Tian Bu Zhong and Bai Wei back into his soul space, then leaped onto the pigeon spirit’s back, directing it telepathically where to fly.

The pigeon spirit surged ahead, instantly outpacing Yang Dai’s teammates.

Within ten seconds, it brought him to the service station. Yang Dai slipped into the alley between the main building and the restrooms, positioning the pigeon spirit beside him and ducking under its wing for cover.

Hiding was difficult—better to use the pigeon spirit as a shield.

He dared not enter the building itself; if it collapsed, he’d be buried alive.

As for Marshal Tianpeng, Yang Dai could sense he was drawing closer. He should be fine.

Just to be safe, Yang Dai summoned Liang Zixiao to stand by his side. Liang Zixiao swept his spiritual sense outward, his face paling as he whispered, “This beast tide is monstrous—there must be a demon king leading them. I never imagined such a terrifying world among the Outsiders. Even in the Great Xia Dynasty, it’s rare to see a beast tide of this scale.”

Yang Dai shrugged helplessly. “The Great Xia Dynasty has its immortal sects and so many land-bound gods—what demon king would dare make trouble?”

The pigeon spirit’s wings were broad enough to hide two people with ease.

Yang Dai began to worry about his family.

If the Bureau decided that Taihe City was about to fall, Wind City would certainly evacuate. Even if the evacuation was early, the sheer number of people could make it dangerous.

But for now, he had to focus on his own survival.

Soon, Marshal Tianpeng caught up. Yang Dai quickly drew him into his soul space along with the pigeon spirit and Liang Zixiao, then tried to enter the Deep Domain—only to fail. Frightened, he immediately released the pigeon spirit and Liang Zixiao again, returning to their previous arrangement.

Who controlled the Deep Domain and Earth? The rules of battle seemed so strange—there was no room to exploit even the smallest loophole.

The bombardment above continued, mingled with the sinister beating of demon wings—a nerve-wracking symphony.

Yang Dai’s plan proved wise; no demon birds took notice of the pigeon spirit, and he remained hidden and unharmed.

For two full hours, the heavens were a storm of chaos.

During that time, both Yang Dai and Liang Zixiao trembled with fear—yes, even Liang Zixiao was afraid. What prodigy of the Ghost Abyss Sect had ever witnessed such a spectacle?

Using his spiritual sense, Yang Dai probed beyond the pigeon’s wing. His range was limited, but enough to see that the sky was now empty of living things. Yet the air was thick with smoke and demonic miasma, casting the world into a grim twilight, as if a storm were about to break.

Still uneasy, Yang Dai kept hiding. He summoned two shadow thralls, sending them underground to reconnoiter.

Half an hour later, Tian Bu Zhong and Bai Wei returned.

Tian Bu Zhong reported gravely, “Within a hundred miles, corpses are everywhere—mostly monsters.”

Bai Wei added, “The encampment you mentioned has already evacuated—there was clearly fierce fighting, but now that the beast tide has passed, it should be safe to go out.”

Yang Dai drew a deep breath, feeling he understood the apocalypse more deeply now.

Just that morning, he’d felt everything was under control. Who could have anticipated how quickly it would all change?

The memory of that overwhelming tide still made his scalp tingle.

Even if he hurried back to Wind City, he might run into the beast tide along the way—it was too dangerous. For now, he could only trust that the authorities would safely evacuate the city’s residents.

Yang Dai said, “Let’s go. Keep collecting souls, and let’s try to break a thousand shadow thralls. Help me judge the monsters’ cultivation levels.”

Liang Zixiao and the others nodded. The pigeon spirit stepped aside to clear the way.