Chapter 3: Tremors in the Small Thousand World (Part 2)
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After learning that the oversized lava-spewing toads could self-destruct, the disciples dared not face them head-on, retreating like fast runners in a marathon and trying to slow them down with flying swords from a safe distance.
Unfortunately, these monsters were as tough as a tank with a penchant for self-restoration. Even if one or two exploded in the crowd’s assault, their buddies were totally unfazed, marching steadily towards the Main Peak of the Heavenly Sword Sect like they were late for a meeting.
The Main Peak was the heart and soul of the Heavenly Sword Sect,
centuries of teachings and legacies all boiled down to this very spot. Even if they lost the other ninety-nine peaks, the Main Peak must not fall into enemy hands.
Four hundred years ago, when the Monster King led his army to invade the Small Thousand World, the alarm horn of the Heavenly Sword Sect echoed again throughout the land.
All disciples gathered at the Main Peak and built multiple defensive lines in batches, based on elevation, on the peak.
Yes, after the Monster King incident, the Heavenly Sword Sect realized just how crucial it was to have some solid defensive lines when the going got tough.
As the horn blared,
massive stone walls suddenly rose from the ground, popping up like mushrooms after rain, sealing off all the paths leading up to the Main Peak.
This way, the disciples could focus on dealing with the airborne enemies.
But the opponents they faced this time were a bunch of self-exploding lava monsters, and who knew if these tall stone walls could withstand their charge.
In a flash, the disciples found themselves sweating bullets.
Wang Qianshan held command at the peak, delegating the other four elders to key positions, both to supervise and to serve as a pillar of support when the time was right.
As the enemy advanced with ferocity, he had already dismissed Luo Ying and the others locked away in their cells, not even bothering to interrogate them further.
Just as the disciples assumed their positions, the oversized lava toads finally gathered at the foot of the Main Peak.
Wherever they passed, the ground was stained with countless black marks, and trees and flowers behind them burned like they were auditioning for a disaster movie.
The entire Small Thousand World seemed to plunge into a fiery inferno; aside from the Main Peak, most mountains were enveloped in thick smoke, creating a scene reminiscent of an apocalyptic nightmare.
As the monsters prepared to launch their first wave of attack,
large boulders suddenly rolled off the city walls, using the steep mountainside to charge towards the toads.
“BAM BAM…”
The unfortunate monsters couldn’t dodge in time and were knocked away by the rocks, bursting into flames mid-air.
The remaining toads charged at the first line of defense like they were on a sugar rush.
Flying swords danced, arrows whizzed.
The disciples gave it their all, none daring to slack off when their lives were on the line.
“BOOM BOOM!”
A few monsters broke through the many defenses and slammed into the thick stone wall.
Then came the terrifying twist.
They fearlessly flipped the self-destruct switch, and three thunderous explosions shook the earth, causing the stone wall to wobble like it was at a bad karaoke bar. It looked like it was ready to crumble at any moment.
Seeing the situation going south, the elder in charge immediately shouted, “Fall back to the second line!”
The disciples breathed a collective sigh of relief and hopped on their flying swords, zooming towards the second line.
Unfortunately for some players who hadn’t quite mastered their flying skills yet, they had to resort to various flashy techniques, sprinting uphill like their lives depended on it.
After all, they were no different from NPCs at this point.
Getting touched by a toad meant instant termination.
The players left behind in the Small Thousand World were now regretting their life choices. They should have followed the guilds in Sky Sword City instead of getting trapped here, where d*ath by fire seemed imminent.
Just as the monsters breached the first line of defense, the elder in command spun around and invoked a high-level spell that made the ground erupt in swirling waves, dragging down the teetering stone wall and the newly arrived toads right down the slope in one go.
Cheers erupted from the disciples at the second line.
“Elder, you’re awesome! You’re a legend!”
This powerful “Summon Giant Waves” could only be used once every few hours, so timing was crucial.
And that moment was absolutely perfect,
as it swallowed about seventy to eighty percent of the monsters in a chilly deluge.
Water beats fire, and how could these magma-born beasts compete with that?
But just as the elder felt mighty proud,
the disciples’ cheers suddenly fell into a stunned silence, as if someone had hit the pause button.
Because at that moment, within the glowing red river of lava,
a swarm of monsters burst forth, looking like a legion of fire-breathing critters storming towards the Main Peak.
Everyone froze.
They’d just repelled one wave, and now a second truckload was crashing in—was there no end to this madness?
What on earth would it take to finally end the assault of these mysterious creatures? No one had a clue.
The four elders, excluding Wang Qianshan, gathered at the second line of defense. As the monsters began to scale the Main Peak, they commanded the disciples to unleash all manner of spells, flying swords, arrows, and artifacts.
In an instant, the battlefield became a dazzling tapestry of blade shadows and explosive sounds.
Killing the monsters wasn’t the hard part;
the real threat was their self-detonation before they bit the dust.
If even two or three managed to get close, they could deal massive damage to the defensive disciples.
Under such intense pressure, mistakes were bound to happen.
One oversized lava toad miraculously slipped past the bombardment, darting through the crowd like a shooting star.
Before the disciples could react, it blazed with red light and exploded with a “RUMBLE,” turning over twenty nearby disciples into mere ashes, while others had limbs blown off, bl**d splattering everywhere.
Wails and cries filled the battleground.
The rest of the disciples stood paralyzed with fear and trepidation.
Since joining the Heavenly Sword Sect’s inner circle, they had been regarded as beings almost akin to immortals in the eyes of the world, full of pride, determined to cultivate their way to eternal life.
But now, the Small Thousand World had turned upside down overnight,
and the monsters that appeared were overwhelmingly tough, far surpassing anything they were capable of handling.
Now their former companions lay dead before their eyes,
decades of hard-earned cultivation obliterated in an instant. Was it all worth it?
“d*mn it! What are you all standing there for? Defend!”
The elders shouted furiously.
The shock from seeing their comrades d*e so brutally finally snapped the disciples back to reality. The enemy was still out there and didn’t plan on leaving just because of one explosion.
Ahhhh, they didn’t want to d*e!
But alas, even a mere twenty-second lapse in firepower allowed dozens of monsters to rush to the second stone wall.
“BOOM!”
The wall blew out a huge hole, rocks flying everywhere, causing the disciples to stagger back with injuries and bl**d everywhere.
The disciples’ faces went as pale as a sheet.
At the Main Peak, only the last line of defense remained.
