“What? Demonic Beasts have been discovered? And the Western Military Leader Qian Yuan died in battle?"
Ye Qingyu was incomparably shocked.
"Thats right. All four gates of the city have already been locked shut early in the morning. It is said that in the wilderness of the mountains, there are already signs of a demonic beast tide forming. The Western Military Leader Qian Yuan went to the mountains to investigate. However, during midday, one of his personal guards came back and said they encountered demonic beasts in the western mountains. Military Leader Qian Yuan died in battle!" Tang San had a completely serious face. "News of this has already started spreading throughout the city. Right now people are in an anxious, panicked state. Everyone is remembering the demonic beast horde five years ago that nearly completely destroyed Deer City."
The demonic beast horde five years ago had become the nightmare of the people in Deer City.
It was also Ye Qingyu's nightmare.
Because his parents had died in the battle to protect them against the demonic beast horde.
At that time, the demonic beast tide came exceedingly strangely.
The area fifty miles or so surrounding Deer City was the outer areas of the Deer Mountain Range. The terrain was much flatter, and there was lush greenery. Because it was close to Deer City, it was named the Deer Mountain Range.
Although Deer Mountain could somewhat be called as a towering mountain with precipitous ridges, it was absolutely not a dangerous area at all. There would often be merchant groups, escort companies and explorer parties that entered into the mountain range to kill demonic beasts, harvest Spirit herbs, and explore and obtain the natural resources. It could be called one of the hunting areas that was within the region of Deer City.
Within Deer Mountain, there had never been the existence of a demonic beast horde of such a scale.
But five years ago, in the time of just one night, there was an inexplicable and countless demonic beast horde that rushed out like a tsunami from the Deer Mountain Range. It was said that if you looked out from the perspective of the city walls, you would see all sorts and types of demonic beasts rushing out like a flood, completely shrouding the skies. It had completely enveloped Deer City.
The civilian army had fought and defended for ten days and ten nights, expending all their resources and taking heavy losses in the process.
When the city was about to be broken, the demonic beast horde had inexplicably retreated.
It was like the retreat of a tsunami. In less than a moment's time, the demonic beast tide that was madly besieging the city and killing everything, completely retreated. It was as if there was some sort of power controlling them. There was not even the slightest of hesitation at all in their retreat.
Afterwards, the army of Snow Empire as well as many sects investigated the reason behind this demonic beast horde.
But they were unable to find any clues whatsoever.
There was nothing strange at all within Deer Mountain.
The millions of demonic beasts that retreated was like thin snow on a scorching day. They completely disappeared in the air. They left no trace behind and just inexplicably vanished.
One must know that a demonic beast was a lifeform that was extremely low in level within the Demon Race. Their level of intelligence was between wild beasts and intelligent lifeforms. They possessed a certain power naturally, and had the ability to kill, but generally speaking, they had extremely low intelligence. Apart from being suppressed by demonic beasts with higher bloodlines, when demonic beasts met other species of beasts, they would attack each other. They would definitely not cooperate with each other; they were a type of race that could only bring destruction.
Therefore in theory, such demonic beasts could not launch such a strange offense.
It was impossible for them to suddenly appear, then disappear again.
Only an intelligent lifeform army, like the Human Race or the army of the Demon Race, could join up and form such an offence.
Furthermore, there was not any reason, cause or prior signs to them appearing and disappearing.
This matter had always remained a mystery.
But even after a long time passed, there was still no one who could find out any clue. And since the demonic beasts did not appear again, people gradually grew less and less concerned.
The army did not bring this topic up again.
In these years, there were continuously merchant groups, explorers, hunters and such entering Deer Mountain. But they did not encounter any large scale demonic beast horde, and did not have too great a loss. It seemed that everything had returned to normal.
But who would have thought there would be signs of a demonic beast horde after five years.
Even Qian Yuan had died in battle.
Ye Qingyu had seen the power of this Western Military Leader. At the beginning, he had joined forces with Chen Jiuxing to attack the female sword immortal Wang Jianru, but completely lost. But the strength he demonstrated was at least above the twenty Spirit springs level. He could be counted as a top level expert within Deer City.
With Qian Yuan's strength, to head for and investigate the strange incident, he did not go to do battle, but in the end, he could not even escape with his life and died within Deer Mountain?
Could it be that the strange matter five years ago was about to descend upon Deer City once again?
Countless questions flitted past Ye Qingyu's heart.
As they spoke, there was the panicked sound of the alarm outside. The chaotic yuan bell outside the entrance of the main City Lord's Residence began ringing, sounding out nine times. What followed after was the alarm of the White Deer Academy. It also let out nine rapid rings.
Then all the alarm bells within the residences of the military leaders sounded out at the same time, all nine times.
“The bells are all sounding out nine times!”
Tang San’s expression paled.
He was a person who had experienced the terrifying disaster five years ago. At that time, he was not even eleven. Because he was a servant, when the matter was at it's most desperate, he was given a sword and armour, and also went up the city walls of Deer City to fight. He was able to witness the terrifying scene of the demonic beast horde shrouding the sky and sun.
Within Tang San's memories, the sound of the bells ringing in Deer City was exactly the same as the beginning of the demonic beast horde. It was namely the City Lord's Residence, White Deer Academy as well as the bells of the residences of the four main military leaders sounding out at the same time.
Ye Qingyu's expression also changed.
Everything Tang San remembered was also deeply imprinted into his mind.
The apocalyptic event five years ago was something that everyone would recall within Deer City.
"You stay within the household and look after everyone. Close the doors to the residence and don't let anyone in." Before Ye Qingyu had even finished his words, he had turned into a ray of light that shot into the sky, heading towards the direction of the western gate.
Tang San did not dare tarry, and began arranging matters.
……
Xiu!
Ye Qingyu's figure landed above the entrance to the western city gates.
"Who is it?"
"Ah, it's Marquis Ye!“
"We pay our respects to the Marquis!"
There was the nervous and tense greetings from the soldiers above the gate.
"It's fine. What's the situation?" Ye Qingyu said this as he looked outside the gate.
"The warning from the frontlines say that there is a large quantity of demonic beasts that are appearing within Deer Mountain. It is forming a flood, and is nearing the city. It's most likely... the disaster that happened five years ago is about to descend again," a middle aged officer wearing a battle robe said, his voice somewhat weak.
The first reaction of anyone when they heard the words demonic beast horde, was that their minds would be drawn to the matter five years ago.
Boom!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Vast auras, began appearing from all directions within Deer City.
Light after light shot into the sky, causing the earth of the entire Deer City to shake. It was as if there was a terrifying energy that was about to break through the earth. Amber lights broke through the sky. Above Deer City, there were lines after lines of light like a net that completely enshrouded Deer City.
Then they saw an amber light barrier like coloured glass, protecting the city within it.
[Million Knots of Earth and Glass], the formation array.
This formation array that was concealed below the city, was said to have connected with the veins of the Earth. Normally, it would be in a slumbering state and would absorb the energy floating within the world constantly. When it was activated, it could protect the entire city within, able to defend against all external attacks. It was one of strongest lines of defence of Deer City.
The last time Ye Qingyu saw this formation was when the whole city had come out to capture the female sword immortal, Wang Jianru as well as Song Xiaojun.
The formation had appeared once again.
Under the shine of the pale yellow light, the entire huge city was enveloped under such a strange light. It seemed only this type of light could give the lifeforms in the city a sense of security.
Very quickly, on the horizon, there was a great number of panicked figures.
In these years of peace, there were some villages and houses that were constructed outside the city walls. There was a small number of people that lived outside the city. When they heard the rumours of demonic beasts appearing, they instantly panicked. They could not help but madly flee towards the city. Apart from civilians, there were also merchant groups, explorer groups and martial artists. They all madly fled for their lives.
From far off, a dust cloud shot to the skies.
The earth began to shake.
Ye Qingyu's vision was exceedingly good. He could already see an endless demonic beast horde arriving like a flood from far off, roaring and howling. It's speed was extremely rapid. Everywhere it went, the skies fell and the earth collapsed. Everything was being destroyed.
This was a demonic beast horde.
This was only the forefront of the demonic beast horde, but its power was already frightening.
Light flickered.
Xiu!Xiu!Xiu!
Wen Wan and Hon Kong, as well as the other experts of the city, appeared on the city walls.
The expression of the two was somewhat grim. Seeing Ye Qingyu there, they gave a greeting, then the two exchanged a glance. There was a strange light flashing in their eyes, but they did not say anything.
Following after, the City Lord Qin Ying as well as the other three military leaders also appeared.
The demonic beast horde rose from the west. The western city gate would therefore become the point at which defences would be heavily focused and gathered.
"Close the city doors."
There was a compassionate expression that flickered in Qin Ying eyes as he said such words.
"But... Lord, the people outside have not entered yet. What should we do?" an officer urgently enquired.
"Close the gates. The demonic beast horde is in front of us. If we don't, everything is finished. We must think of the greater good. Close the city gates, activate the formation array..." Qin Ying bit his teeth. "As the City Lord, I must choose to protect the greater number of civilians!”
From far away.
The roar and cries of the beasts sounded.
Heaven and Earth shook under the rampage of the demonic beast horde.
Those people running in a panic were like ants under a gigantic wave. Their speed was frightfully slow. One could only watch as they were engulfed by that terrifying beast horde. The roars and cries shook the heavens as they fell in despair, some hugging their children and wives as they hopelessly screamed and cried....
These people numbered in the thousands.
But compared to the vast beast horde, it was pitifully small.
The city gates of Deer City was two layered. The first layer was easily opened and closed, and would normally be open at dawn and closed at night. It was to guard against normal danger. The next layer was made and casted out of heavy steel, with formation arrays inscribedon it. It was hard to open and shut, and would waste a lot of time to operate. Normally, it would be in a openedstate that would only close at a crucial moment. Once it was shut, the entire city could be called impenetrable. It was impossible to break through in a short period of time.
Qin Ying told them to close the city gates, he naturally meant the gates of the second layer of defence.
Once the city gates were closed, the thousand or so people would definitely die.