That night, the mining cave continued its intense excavation of Spirit Stones.
Wang Hong, however, was not engaged in mining. Instead, he was busy roasting a leg of a second-tier Demonic Beast. The flames from the spirit charcoal below rose, crisping the meat above as its aroma filled the entire room.
Using a small knife, Wang Hong sliced off a piece of meat and tossed it into his mouth. With a few chews, the outer layer was crispy while the inside remained tender, and the flavor filled his mouth.
Just as he was about to enjoy another piece, a resounding bell suddenly echoed. In haste, he flicked his sleeve, extinguishing the spirit charcoal.
However, he couldn't bear to waste the freshly roasted meat; after all, he had only taken one bite.
Grabbing the roasted meat, he hurriedly headed outside.
The ringing bell signaled the imminent Beast Tide attack, and everyone who heard it needed to assemble immediately at the designated location.
Arriving at the assembly point in a rush, Wang Hong found nine solemn Golden Core Cultivators standing on a high platform. Below them were over a hundred Foundation Building Cultivators.
Finding a spot to stand, Wang Hong suddenly remembered he was holding a large piece of roasted meat.
Deciding it was inappropriate to hold it in such a serious situation, he took out a large leaf, intending to wrap it up and store it in his Storage Bag. Who knew how long the upcoming battle would last?
One of the Golden Core Cultivators on the platform, a chubby man, wrinkled his nose, quickly spotting the roasted meat in Wang Hong's hands.
He vaguely remembered this Disciple of their sect. With a mere thought, he appeared beside Wang Hong.
Wang Hong, in the process of wrapping the meat with a leaf, suddenly felt a massive shadow blocking his light.
Looking up, he saw a chubby man with soft features staring at him seriously. It was Uncle Song, a Golden Core Elder from the Qingxu Sect.
"Respects to Uncle Song!" Wang Hong quickly bowed.
"In the midst of a great battle, you still have the leisure for such unrelated matters. Do you understand the gravity of your actions?" Song Wei sternly questioned.
"I acknowledge my mistake and ask for Uncle's forgiveness!" Wang Hong replied with genuine fear. He thought his actions, though not dignified, wouldn't warrant the attention of a Golden Core expert.
"Hand it over, confiscate it!" Song Wei extended a serious hand.
Wang Hong obediently handed over the roasted meat wrapped in the leaf. Without a word, Song Wei walked away.
By this time, all the Foundation Building Cultivators had gathered. After several recent battles, their numbers had dwindled to less than two thousand.
"Fellow cultivators, just now, the scouts brought news. Beast Tide is charging in our direction, ready to crush our Boundary City. Jin'an City has already fallen. If Boundary City falls too, this place will become the Demon Clan's domain, leaving no refuge for our human race.
"We, cultivators, will either become their food or be captured as slaves, akin to pigs and dogs. This battle not only determines our fate but also the success or failure of the entire human race.
"For our people, we shall honorably fight to the death!" declared the Golden Core cultivator on the high platform with fervor.
Below, many Foundation Building Cultivators were stirred up, clenching their fists, their faces flushed. They also joined in the loud cheers.
After boosting morale, the Golden Core Cultivators proceeded to assign tasks to everyone. Each Foundation Building Cultivator was then given a mid-grade Spirit Stone to restore their Spiritual Power.
These past two days, they had been tirelessly mining spirit ore day and night, collecting a considerable number of mid-grade Spirit Stones, enough for each person to receive one.
Wang Hong couldn't escape this time either. He ascended the city wall to join the battle. The mortality rate for defending cultivators on the city wall was quite high.
Once the assignments were made, everyone hurried to their respective positions.
When Wang Hong reached the city wall, there were already five Qi Cultivation Cultivators waiting there. These five were assigned to follow him and be under his temporary command.
"Respects, senior!" The five greeted Wang Hong upon his arrival.
"No need for excessive courtesy. Since you're following me, I'll give you a little benefit. I have a few bottles of high-grade first-tier Spirit Wine. I'm selling them at a low price, only three hundred Spirit Stones per catty. Each person can buy one catty."
This was more of a gift than a sale. Even in Azure Void City, the price was five to six hundred Spirit Stones per catty.
"Thank you, senior!" After expressing their gratitude, the five began searching for Spirit Stones on their persons.
In the end, only three managed to gather enough Spirit Stones. The other two even turned their shoe insoles inside out but couldn't gather the required three hundred Spirit Stones.
Finally, Wang Hong agreed to accept items in exchange. He cheerfully pulled out a pile of things from his Storage Bag, laying them on the ground for Wang Hong to choose.
With so little to offer, Wang Hong wasn't particularly interested, so he randomly picked a few items. In return, he gave each of them a catty of Spirit Wine and then assigned them to guard their respective positions, waiting for the arrival of the Demonic Beasts.
At this moment, six Flying Boats had already engaged in battle with the Beast Tide. Following the previous strategy, they avoided the forefront and attacked the Demonic Beasts from the side. This time, each side had three Flying Boats.
On one of the Flying Boats, Song Wei, the chubby man, sat cross-legged in the cargo hold, enjoying the confiscated roasted meat from Wang Hong. Occasionally, he took a sip of Spirit Wine, also purchased from Wang Hong at Qingxu Tower.
Hundreds of Spiritual Weapons flew from these Flying Boats into the midst of the Beast Tide, creating splashes of blood.
However, the Beast Tide this time was too massive. Including the fist-sized flying birds, their total number exceeded a million.
The chaos caused by the side attacks of the Flying Boats was like ripples in a river, unable to change the overall trend of the Beast Tide.
Although unable to halt their advance, the six Flying Boats stubbornly held onto the side of the Beast Tide, fervently slaughtering Demonic Beasts in an attempt to alleviate the pressure.
On each Flying Boat, Foundation Building Cultivators held a mid-grade Spirit Stone, manipulating Spiritual Weapons to kill Demonic Beasts while simultaneously absorbing their Spiritual Energy, sustaining themselves for a longer duration.
When the Beast Tide reached under the city wall, tens of thousands had already been slain by the Foundation Building Cultivators on the Flying Boats.
The vanguard of the Beast Tide crashed into the city wall with undiminished speed, violently colliding with it. The impact shook the wall intensely, causing the forefront Demonic Beasts to bleed from their heads.
Wang Hong stood on the city wall, seeing the Beast Tide below. He immediately summoned the Golden Seal and smashed it fiercely downward.
This blow killed three first-tier Demonic Beasts. Simultaneously, he used the Binding Spirit Rope, specifically targeting the second-tier Demonic Beasts.
Any beast caught by the Binding Spirit Rope would be followed by a strike from his Golden Seal, shattering their heads.
However, being a Foundation Building Second Layer cultivator, Wang Hong was simultaneously controlling two Spiritual Weapons, one of superior grade and one of mid-grade. This led to rapid consumption of his Spiritual Power. If not for his exceptionally vast dantian sea, he wouldn't be able to control them for more than a few strikes.
Despite his profound foundation and considerable Spiritual Power, each time he used both Spiritual Weapons to kill a second-tier Demonic Beast, he needed to take a sip of second-tier Spirit Wine to replenish his Spiritual Power.
Despite others conservatively hiding their Spirit Wine and only drinking it in critical moments, Wang Hong believed that everyone had different thoughts, and their preferences couldn't be forced upon them.
[Read at /shanefreak, and heartfelt thankyou for your support!]