Chapter 3: Fierce Battle (2)
Before heading to the Main Peak, the two male characters searched the grass shack inside and out. At last, they discovered a note from White Peach tucked away in a hidden corner.
“After I realized you two were missing, Fatty and I searched high and low, but to no avail. However, I believe you’re fine. Recently, Phoenix Mountain has also been attacked by Self-Exploding Beasts, and this place is no longer safe. So, Fatty and I decided to relocate immediately. Considering the Main Peak is still a major target, we’ve chosen a more discreet hiding spot. After seeing this message, please don’t worry about us and take care of yourselves. Looking forward to our reunion.”
Upon reading this, Luo Ying finally felt her anxious heart settle down. The male character was filled with emotion as well. In the past, he and Fatty could just use the system to send and receive messages to stay updated; now it felt like they’d returned to a primitive society where communication relied solely on shouting.
“Let’s go!” With that, they prepared to break through the airborne encirclement of the Fallen Species.
Although Wang Qianshan had previously led the Enforcement Hall to imprison them, as an elder of the Enforcement Hall, it was his duty. Moreover, the Sect Leader was indeed killed by her; Wang Qianshan hadn’t wronged her. So she couldn’t harbor any hatred towards him. On the contrary, Heavenly Sword Sect was in a precarious situation, and Wang Qianshan, as the oldest elder aside from the Sect Leader, was like a stabilizing pillar—his existence couldn’t be compromised.
“Whoosh…”
The flying swords zipped through the air like shooting stars. Soon, they attracted the attention of the Fallen Species floating around the Main Peak.
A swarm of mosquitoes-like beings rushed towards them in a dizzying mass that could make anyone with a phobia of dense crowds feel faint.
At the same time, after a month of tug-of-war, the remaining Heavenly Sword Sect disciples were nearly at their limit, both psychologically and physically, like water hitting the shore—about to run dry.
They had pretty much figured out how to deal with the Self-Exploding Beasts, but suddenly, a group of human-like creatures with mosquito-like mouths appeared out of nowhere a few days ago. They teamed up with the Self-Exploding Beasts to attack the already dwindling Heavenly Sword Sect.
What was even scarier was that any disciple captured by these large, insect-like beings returned days later looking just like the Fallen Species. Though they resembled their former comrades, they became bloodthirsty and savage, sometimes devouring their former allies right in front of everyone, almost causing an emotional collapse among the disciples.
If it weren’t for Wang Qianshan stepping in to eliminate the intruding enemies, the Heavenly Sword Sect might have already crumbled into dust.
Wang Qianshan captured a Fallen Species and tortured it with methods from the Enforcement Hall. He quickly learned of their origins. These human-like creatures, with their mouths resembling insect mandibles, were all cast-off oddities—self-defined as Fallen Species. They fed on humans, and when food was scarce, they even turned on each other.
The more humans they consumed, the stronger they became—a terrifyingly fast-growing species.
But when Wang Qianshan asked who was commanding the Fallen Species, this cowardly creature shook its head desperately, unable to utter another word. Soon, as if it had breached some taboo, its head exploded into a mushy mess.
Without a doubt, the addition of the Fallen Species was like pouring salt on the already wounded Heavenly Sword Sect. Now, not only did they have to combat ground enemies, but they also needed to fend off aerial attacks from the Fallen Species.
In just a few days, the Heavenly Sword Sect was on the brink of collapse.
One disciple approached Wang Qianshan, crying, “Elder, let’s break through! Maybe their target is just the Main Peak, not us!”
Wang Qianshan smiled wryly, “Escape? Where can we go? This is our root! If we lose our roots, what’s the difference between us and the dead?”
The Small Thousand World had a total of ninety-nine peaks, all far apart from one another. But at this moment, aside from the Main Peak, the rest had mostly turned to charred remains due to fires ignited by the Self-Exploding Beasts. The Small Thousand World, which once boasted a spring-like climate, now felt like a scorching summer.
Suddenly appearing rivers of lava and the ever-burning wildfires raised the internal temperature of the Small Thousand World by at least seven or eight degrees. And with the mysterious shutdown of the teleportation array, leaving the only safe haven—the Main Peak—was not an option, where could they possibly flee?
Were they to line up and jump into the lava river and commit s*icide?
The disciples were about to argue again when Wang Qianshan declared firmly, “No more talk! Resistance is d*ath, and fleeing is also d*ath. So let us make our deaths glorious; it wouldn’t be a disgrace to the ancestors of Heavenly Sword Sect.”
But that morning, a suffocating scene unfolded. The number of Self-Exploding Beasts pouring out of the lava river was more than triple the usual, and the Fallen Species had gathered all their forces—an overwhelming mass that blotted out the sky—easily numbering in the tens of thousands at first glance.
After such a long battle, fewer than a thousand disciples remained in the Heavenly Sword Sect. Even though they were seasoned elites and the last hope of the sect, they could barely hold out against day-to-day assaults; now, faced with an all-out offensive from the enemy, chaos ensued among them.
Wang Qianshan stood atop the Grand Hall of the Heavenly Sword Sect, personally overseeing the battle. He waved the battle flag and bellowed, “All disciples of Heavenly Sword Sect, today is the moment we seek justice! We may not be able to protect what our ancestors left us, but before we d*e, we must make the enemies pay a heavy price! We ask only that in the future, if any of our descendants stand upon the Main Peak and witness the traces left by our epic battle, that they give a big thumbs up to us for our courage! All we seek is to be guilt-free!”
At that moment, the remaining disciples either fell silent, became impassioned, or wept bitterly. Faced with the inevitable demise, the hidden fragility within them unwittingly surfaced, becoming the last straw that broke the camel’s back.
And just as Wang Qianshan finished speaking, a disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect stealthily leaped over the trench, riding a flying sword towards the densely packed Fallen Species in the sky.
“I surrender! Please don’t k*ll me! Don’t k*ll me!”
But as soon as he waved his arms, getting close to the enemies, he was swarmed by dozens of Fallen Species and turned into nothing more than a thin skin, even his bones dissolved into goo, completely drained.
“Ahahaha! Delicious!”
“Come on, come on, bring us a few more! We’re still not satisfied!”
“If you can deliver ten women, we might consider letting you live for another half an hour, haha!”
The Fallen Species roared in laughter.
Surrender meant d*ath, and not surrendering also meant d*ath.
At long last, the remaining ones finally grasped the dire situation they faced and picked up their last shred of dignity.
