Wang Hong raised the Golden Seal, bringing it down with force. A two-tier demonic ape, towering over a zhang in height, wielded a massive stone club and swept it horizontally towards the Golden Seal.
With a resounding "bang," the Golden Seal was sent flying several feet away, crashing down and crushing a few first-tier Demonic Beasts.
Undeterred, Wang Hong lifted the Golden Seal again, infusing it with greater Spiritual Power. The Golden Seal enlarged once more, descending upon the demonic ape.
The demonic ape raised its stone club once more, attempting to block the Golden Seal's descent. The collision generated a tremendous sound, and fine cracks appeared on the stone club.
As Wang Hong smashed the Golden Seal down again, the stone club shattered completely.
Facing another strike from the Golden Seal, the demonic ape surprisingly countered with a single-handed punch. A sharp "crack" echoed, signifying a broken arm. The demonic ape, displaying fear on its ugly face, retreated among the Demonic Beast group.
Realizing it couldn't confront the Golden Seal head-on, the demonic ape hastily sought refuge within the swarm of Demonic Beasts.
Wang Hong, unwilling to let it escape, pursued with the Golden Seal, smashing it down once more. The demonic ape, with only one functional arm remaining, desperately raised it to block the Golden Seal. Another "crack" rang out as the remaining arm was rendered useless.
As Wang Hong prepared for a final pursuit, a large hole appeared in the formation shield on the adjacent city wall. Over a dozen Demonic Beasts had already infiltrated.
The city's Large Formation, already strained by continuous attacks from third-tier Demonic Beasts and precise strikes from second-tier ones, exhibited cracks in the Light Shield. Despite the cracks, the Large Formation quickly healed itself through the circulation of Spiritual Energy.
This time, however, the cracks were substantial. Over twenty Demonic Beasts managed to penetrate before the Large Formation repaired itself and closed the breach.
Among the infiltrating Demonic Beasts, four were second-tier, and the rest were first-tier.
Once inside the Large Formation, these Demonic Beasts climbed the city wall. Despite the efforts of cultivators defending on the wall, only ten first-tier Demonic Beasts and one second-tier were slain. The remaining dozen or so Demonic Beasts reached the top of the wall and attacked the Qi Cultivation cultivators stationed there.
Chaos ensued in this area as the cultivators on the wall, already at the end of their strength, struggled against the ferocious Demonic Beasts. In a short time, several cultivators fell victim to the beasts.
While a Foundation Building cultivator engaged one of the second-tier Demonic Beasts, the other two, a six-legged beast covered in scales and a lion-tiger hybrid, targeted Wang Hong. The six-legged beast seized a Qi Cultivation cultivator, tearing them in half with a single motion, while the lion-tiger beast bit into another cultivator's waist, shaking its head forcefully until the unfortunate cultivator was ripped in two.
Losing two allies in an instant, Wang Hong had no time to pursue the demonic ape. He wielded the Golden Seal, smashing it towards the six-legged Demonic Beast. Simultaneously, a three-zhang-long rope shot out from his Storage Bag, entwining itself around the lion-tiger beast.
The lion-tiger beast extended its foreleg to kick at the Binding Spirit Rope, only to have the rope entangle its leg. The Binding Spirit Rope moved like a snake, winding its way up the leg and securely tying a knot.
With the lion-tiger beast subdued, Wang Hong focused on dealing with the six-legged Demonic Beast, which proved to be much stronger than the earlier demonic ape.
Its two front legs effortlessly blocked the Golden Seal, showcasing the beast's ability to withstand the power of a middle-grade Spiritual Weapon with its physical body.
After blocking a strike, the Demonic Beast swiftly closed in on Wang Hong, relying on its experience to gain an advantage in close combat with humans.
Unfazed by the approaching Demonic Beast, Wang Hong stood his ground. His current weapon of choice was a massive club, and he swung it at the oncoming creature.
The Demonic Beast blocked the attack with its front legs, producing a loud "bang." The tremendous force behind the twenty-thousand-jin club, combined with Wang Hong's strength, sent the Demonic Beast retreating over twenty zhang.
Wang Hong swiftly closed the distance and delivered another blow, causing the Demonic Beast to retreat once more. The relentless assault bewildered the Demonic Beast, an experience it had never encountered before.
Onlookers, including nearby cultivators, were astounded. Who was the true Demonic Beast here? The creature's resilience surpassed that of typical Demonic Beasts, even rivaling body-refining cultivators.
Wang Hong's figure flickered, relentlessly pursuing the bewildered Demonic Beast. After dozens of strikes, the Demonic Beast finally collapsed, motionless.
By this time, the cultivators had already slain the remaining first-tier Demonic Beasts that had climbed the city wall.
The Binding Spirit Rope had nearly subdued the lion-tiger beast, which was now barely clinging to life.
Wang Hong retracted the Binding Spirit Rope, and its black surface emitted a faint red glow, having absorbed a considerable amount of demonic energy and essence blood. The absorbed energy could replenish a cultivator's expended Spiritual Power in a short period, reducing the overall consumption during battle.
Wang Hong had successfully killed the two second-tier Demonic Beasts and stored their bodies in his Storage Bag.
In this brief period, of the eighty individuals he led, five had perished, and several were wounded. The extended battles had drained the Spiritual Energy of the cultivators.
As time passed, numerous cracks appeared in the formations, allowing Demonic Beasts to breach the defenses regularly. Cultivators from all sections rushed to support and eliminate the intruders beneath the city wall.
Although fewer Demonic Beasts managed to climb the wall later on, the increased frequency of breaches exhausted the Spiritual Energy of the defending cultivators. Fatigue set in, evident in their pale faces and profuse sweating.
At this critical juncture, over a dozen late Foundation Building cultivators arrived along the city wall. Among them, Wang Hong spotted Shen Jian, the manager of Qingxu Sect in Jin'an City.
These cultivators distributed small bottles of one-tier Spirit Wine to every cultivator. While not abundant, the Spirit Wine was a lifeline in the current crisis, offering a chance of survival.
The wine was part of Jin'an City's accumulated stockpile, but with tens of thousands to distribute among, each person received only a small amount.
Several hours later, the frequency of large cracks increased, prompting Wang Hong to strike down another second-tier Demonic Beast that had infiltrated the Large Formation.
Suddenly, a loud roar echoed through the air, causing the entire city to tremble. Accompanying this, the city's Large Formation disintegrated into scattered points of light.
The city's Large Formation had been breached!
[Read at /shanefreak, and heartfelt thankyou for your support!]