Chapter 249 - 245: Army at the Gates
Chapter 249: Chapter 245: Army at the Gates
After arriving in the cave on the Martial Arts Continent, Ye Xing once again opened his Qiankun Bag and put away the Purple Light Group Teleportation Gate.
If he hadn’t put the Purple Light Group Teleportation Gate away, it would have remained visible inside the airplane restroom on Earth. After all, the gate was a two-way passage. It allowed travel back and forth, from the Martial Arts Continent to Earth and from Earth back to the Martial Arts Continent.
Although the airplane restroom door was locked and it was unlikely anyone would enter, he couldn’t afford to take any chances. This wasn’t like the old well back home; the difference in security was too great. It was safer to put the gate away.
As the Purple Light Group Teleportation Gate was stored in the Qiankun Bag, the light inside the cave instantly dimmed. Ye Xing immediately took out his phone, swiped the screen, and turned on the flashlight function.
A beam of white light immediately shone out from his phone’s camera, and Ye Xing followed the cave passage until he reached the Training Room.
The moment he left the cave and entered the Training Room, Ye Xing heard the thunderous sound of drums from outside, a deep and heavy booming.
"BOOM!" "BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!"
The drumming was relentless, the sound shaking the very sky. Even from the distant Training Room, Ye Xing could hear it clearly.
’The army is at our doorstep. It seems Ouyang Xu’s forces have already reached the city walls! They’re so fast!’ Ye Xing’s eyes flickered, and he immediately opened the door.
The Gale Leopard was standing guard right at the entrance to the Training Room. It was crouching with its eyes half-closed. Though it looked lazy and on the verge of sleep, its immense Demon Power would allow it to awaken instantly if anyone dared to approach.
Ye Xing had given a command that no one was to come near while he was in seclusion, and had even tasked the Ninth-level Demon Beast, the Gale Leopard, with guarding the Training Room’s entrance.
Seeing its master, Ye Xing, emerge, the Gale Leopard happily trotted over to him.
"Gale, let’s go! To the City Lord’s Mansion!" Ye Xing immediately jumped onto the Gale Leopard’s back.
"ROAR!"
The Gale Leopard let out a roar, kicked off with all four paws, and in an instant, transformed into a streak of green wind, racing toward the City Lord’s Mansion.
Under Ye Xing’s meticulous care, which included a lavish investment of Gold Coins, various medicinal herbs, and Spirit Pills, the Gale Leopard’s Cultivation had grown deeper by the day, striding toward the Peak of Level 9. The Gale Leopard was a Demon Beast naturally skilled in speed, and as a Level 9 Demon Beast, its running speed was not much weaker than some experts who had just entered the Innate Realm.
"THUMP!" "CLATTER, CLATTER, CLATTER!"
"CLATTER, CLATTER, CLATTER!"
Its powerful limbs struck the ground with incredible agility, covering several yards in a single leap.
The wind howled in his ears as the shops and pedestrians on both sides rapidly receded into the distance.
However, it was obvious that there were far fewer pedestrians on the streets today than usual. With a great battle looming, who would be in the mood for a stroll? The faces of many passersby were etched with deep tension.
Many of the residents within White Cloud City were family members of the Great River Gang who had moved here. It could be said that the life and death of White Cloud City were inextricably linked to them. If White Cloud Manor grew stronger and more prosperous, their standard of living would naturally rise with it. However, if White Cloud City were to be breached, they would become refugees, or worse, be slaughtered in the chaos of war.
The news that Grand General Ouyang Xu of Red Sun Province was leading a large army to attack White Cloud City was currently known only to the upper echelons of White Cloud Manor; it had not been made public. Therefore, the common people didn’t know who was attacking their city. But listening to the deafening drums and the murderous shouts from outside the walls, everyone in the city felt an immense, suffocating tension and worry.
「At this moment, inside the City Lord’s Mansion’s conference hall.」
The leaders of White Cloud Manor were gathered together, their anxious discussions creating a chaotic din.
"This is maddening! The enemy is already at the gates, why hasn’t the Gang Leader come out yet!"
"Exactly! That Ouyang Xu’s momentum is terrifying. Tens of thousands of his troops have completely surrounded our White Cloud City."
"If they were just ordinary soldiers, it would be one thing, but this is Ouyang Xu’s personal army! They’re battle-hardened elites, and every single one of them has the Cultivation of a Martial Artist..."
"An elite army like that has strong individual combat skills and also knows how to fight in formation. Their combat power is formidable. If our Great River Gang members face them head-on, I’m afraid we’ll collapse at the first touch."
"We shouldn’t be too pessimistic. We have our own advantages. We can rely on the thick walls of White Cloud City. A direct assault won’t be easy for them."
"That’s true. Besides, we still have that batch of weapons the Gang Leader gave us! We’ve all seen those weapons, and we’ve all witnessed their power firsthand!"
"Yes, they’re terrifying Hidden Weapons! Probably even more powerful than the legendary Hidden Weapons of the Tang Sect."
At the mention of those Hidden Weapons, everyone in the hall was filled with awe.
"Right! If used properly, they could easily slaughter even a Qi Condensation Stage Martial Artist!"
"With Hidden Weapons like these, our chances of victory are definitely not small. It’s just... with the Gang Leader absent, I still feel a bit uneasy."
"Sigh, why did the Gang Leader have to go into seclusion at such a critical moment!"
"Should we go and try to hurry him along again?"
"It’s useless. The Gale Leopard is guarding the Training Room. The Gang Leader must have given it instructions. We can’t get in at all."
The leaders in the conference hall were pacing around like ants on a hot pan. Just as they were arguing—
"SWOOSH!"
A sudden gust of wind swept through the hall. With a flash of a green shadow, a green-furred Gale Leopard appeared majestically in the hall, exuding a surging Demon Power.
Seated on the Gale Leopard’s back was a young man in green robes. His aura was completely restrained, making it impossible to discern his true Cultivation, and his calm gaze swept lightly over everyone in the hall.
"Gang Leader!" "The Gang Leader is here!"
"Your subordinate greets the Gang Leader!"
Everyone in the hall hurried forward to pay their respects. Overjoyed, they had found their backbone, their expressions now filled with excitement.
"Mm, you may all rise. The one attacking our White Cloud City this time is the Grand General of Red Sun Province, Ouyang Xu. He is an Innate Realm expert with monstrous power, one of the top figures in all of Red Sun Province. As the saying goes, no one acts without a motive. Ouyang Xu is attacking our White Cloud City for the treasure in my hands, which is worth over a million Gold Coins. If we cannot hold them back and White Cloud City falls, not only will this million Gold Coins be lost, but we will likely face the destruction of our city and the death of our people."
Pausing here, Ye Xing scanned the crowd and noticed looks of panic and tension on many faces.
After a moment, Ye Xing’s voice suddenly rose as he said gravely, "Since ancient times, the victors become kings and the losers are vanquished. Failure means our city will be destroyed and our people will perish. However, if we successfully repel Ouyang Xu’s attack... just think about it. Millions of Gold Coins, once we put them to use—"
"Millions of Gold Coins!!!"
The eyes of everyone in the hall lit up, their gazes turning fiery and their breathing growing heavy.
"Millions of Gold Coins could buy us a powerful Innate Realm Demon Beast, and with the money left over, we could equip every single person here with a High-tier Demon Beast! Without a doubt, the power of our White Cloud Manor would skyrocket. Combined with the prestige of having faced Ouyang Xu head-on, we could leap to become one of the top factions in the Southern Tang Country in less than half a year."
"There are only two paths before us. One is to compromise and surrender. We hand over the treasure and hole up here in Sunset City to develop slowly. Perhaps in a few years, or even a decade, we might become a state-level power. The other path is to take a gamble. If we succeed, we will rise rapidly, become a top-tier power in the Tang Country, and our might will shake the four corners of the land!" Ye Xing’s voice was deep. "So I ask you now: are you afraid? Do you dare to take this gamble!"
"We dare!" "We dare!" "We dare!"
"Let’s risk it all!" "Fuck it, let’s kill them!"
"We’ll kill anyone who stands in the way of our rise!"
The atmosphere in the hall instantly ignited. Everyone was brimming with fighting spirit, eager to charge onto the battlefield at once.
"Ma Feng, what’s the situation outside now?" Ye Xing asked.
"Reporting to the Gang Leader, Ouyang Xu’s forces are stopped outside the city. They seem hesitant about something and haven’t started their attack yet," Ma Feng said. "They just sent someone in, saying they want to negotiate with the Gang Leader!"
"Oh? Ouyang Xu wants to negotiate with me?" A cold smile touched the corners of Ye Xing’s mouth. "Heh, interesting. Come with me. Let’s go out and meet him."
The moment he finished speaking, he spurred his mount forward, riding the Gale Leopard out of the conference hall and galloping toward the city gate. The others in the hall quickly followed.