After a lengthy explanation, Luo Jianxing finally wiped the cold sweat from his brow as the leaders of several mercenary groups finally retreated and departed.
This was more taxing than fighting a six-star anomaly.
"What's going on? I vaguely heard someone calling you crazy."
Gou Ping’an, who had just returned from outside, looked at Luo Jianxing playfully, though a hint of confusion was in his tone.
Luo Jianxing briefly explained the situation and added,
"It's much easier to kill these anomalies that come to us than to venture into the anomaly realm ourselves. These aren't just anomalies; they're experience points! What do you say, can we just hand these experience points over to others?"
Luo Jianxing then elaborated on their monster-slaying and leveling experience.
It had taken them over half a year to advance from zero to the initial stage of Six Awakenings, but the mysterious value required for the Six Awakenings promotion was more than ten times that of the previous level.
Under normal accumulation, it might not be enough to meet the requirements for mythological promotion in two or three years.
But if there were experience packages delivered to their doorstep, couldn't they accumulate mystery several times faster?
Gou Ping’an agreed with this.
Luo Jianxing needed to engage in close combat with anomalies, and the process looked quite dangerous. His own fighting style was more stable. He only needed to stand on the tall, sturdy city walls and remotely control his awakened ability, 'Mental Avatar,' to fight the anomalies.
As long as it was a siege, Gou Ping’an wouldn't be at any risk. No one preferred this kind of static monster-slaying environment more than him.
"However, if there were strong awakened individuals assisting in the defense, wouldn't our defenses be even more impenetrable?"
While the speed of accumulating mystery through monster-slaying might be slow, Gou Ping’an valued the sense of security in his life more than the experience packages.
Hearing his words, Luo Jianxing shook his head.
"You're too cautious. At our Oasis, we have Lord Xing, Lord Yiluoxi, and that mysterious Lord Zhenshou guarding it. Isn't that enough to be impregnable? With our lineup, how can we lose!"
Of course, he knew these words wouldn't convince Gou Ping’an, so he invoked the authority of their mentor.
"This is what the mentor requested. The mentor said we must defend the Oasis with our own strength, to glorify our name of Xin… Burning Fire."
After all, anomalies not officially killed by Xin Huo were not counted towards mission statistics.
What could Mentor Fang do? He could only try his best to demand his soldiers work 007.
…
During the cataclysm, the passage of time was particularly slow. People seemed to count the number of anomaly wave attacks and live in fear.
The Shattered Sea was undoubtedly one of the more heavily affected areas. Even though the Oasis was not close to the interdimensional zone, it still suffered continuous onslaughts of anomalies.
"The 146th anomaly wave!"
Number Three, an Oasis still without a name, stood on the rudimentary city wall, reaching out to touch his pupils.
Instantly, a rotating golden, mysterious pattern appeared in his pupils, aiming at a giant silhouette roaring in the distance. The next moment, with a "pfft," black and red blood sprayed out like a burst water pipe. The giant silhouette seemed to be sliced dozens or hundreds of times in an instant, each blow fatal. It shattered into countless bloody fragments amidst the splashing blood, tumbling to the ground.
Qianqiu wiped his sweat and directed his gaze at another terrifying giant silhouette, killing the anomaly with his 'gaze' in the same manner.
The surrounding students looked at him with admiration, but only Qianqiu knew his predicament.
"Almost out of mana!"
"Weak skills can't kill these anomalies, and strong skills… I only have single-target skills!"
"Mentor, oh mentor, if your reinforcements don't arrive soon, we'll be in grave danger, precariously balanced, and on the verge of collapse."
Qianqiu was communicating with his mentor through the internal communication system. Although his description was a bit exaggerated, the situation at Oasis Number Three was indeed more severe than at the other two locations. If it continued, there would likely be casualties.
The defensive facilities here were very simple. Perhaps the Yin Sha Pavilion never intended for this to be a long-term base. Before Xin Huo took over, the most valuable things in the entire base were the data. Other facilities and equipment were cheap; discarding them all wouldn't result in much loss.
Xin Huo had been developing this place as their base.
However, the time was short, and it was far from the main headquarters. The defense line of Oasis Number Three remained rudimentary. The elites stationed here from the organization's headquarters were far fewer than those at the Burning Fire Mall. Even with the commander deploying all the 'former assassins' and 'training camp students,' Qianqiu still felt immense pressure.
Why? Because he was bearing more than half the pressure alone.
Killing these anomalies one by one was troublesome. Qianqiu would rather face a world-ending anomaly than ten or twenty natural disaster-level anomalies.
After repelling another wave of attacks, Qianqiu unscrewed the lid of his thermos and drank several large gulps of the Water of Life before heading to the underground area of the central tower.
Since the organization took over, the underground area had undergone the biggest changes, with tens of football fields worth of space being opened up.
With anticipation, Qianqiu arrived at a hall with extremely high clearance, accessible only to the elites of the organization's headquarters.
At the far end stood a silver gate, over ten meters wide, surrounded by mysterious patterns.
The gate had been erected not long ago and connected to the mysterious headquarters. Today, reinforcements from the headquarters would emerge from here.
Taking another sip of the Water of Life from his thermos, Qianqiu's eyes gleamed.
The ancient silver gate slowly opened, and as if five-colored light emanated from within, a figure with a cat-like stride appeared in the light.
Huh???
Upon clearly seeing the leading reinforcement, Qianqiu froze.
What kind of black cat was this!
With its head drooping, its face was filled with resentment and sorrow. Its eyes, looking at him, held four parts ill-will, three parts melancholy, and three parts helplessness.
He could actually see such distinct expressions on a cat!
"Meow—!!"
…
…
Oasis Number Two, Xing Huo Oasis.
The area of the Oasis had expanded several times compared to a few months ago, but the urban construction had not kept pace. Outside the city walls were still vast tracts of undeveloped wasteland.
These wastelands were filled with enormous and ferocious anomalies.
They made the ground tremble. Withstanding the palm-sized lightning bolts, fireballs, seed bombs, and other skills flying from the distance, they advanced step by step towards the city walls.
Closer! Even closer!
The tiny figures on the city walls gradually became clear in their truck-sized eyes. And the fragrant human scent wafted from the town, making the anomalies even more agitated, their monstrous mouths leaving streaks of saliva.
Until, a figure tens of times more terrifying than them appeared.
Red silk like blood stained the sky and the earth. The seemingly soft ribbon could easily tear apart the indestructible bodies of natural disaster anomalies.
In a short moment, peace returned outside the city walls.
An Jianyou remained neither happy nor sad, retracting her red attire as if she had completed a daily task and disappearing back into the netherworld.
With her power, she alone was enough to protect the entire Great Oasis. There was no issue of consumption that other mythological beings worried about.
However, An Jianyou usually did not act.
When everyone was working hard to accumulate mystery, why would she snatch their targets and missions?
An Jianyou took small sips through her straw, basking in the gentle and warm sunlight filtering in from outside the window. Her mood was as bright as the radiant light.
"Another beautiful day~"
……
"It's getting worse and worse."
In front of the Starfall Fortress, with its towering hundred-meter-high majestic walls, a fierce siege battle had just concluded. The defenders were fortunate enough to witness the noble and great His Majesty Bolarzem take action, their expressions fanatical.
At that time, this lord stood at the front of the fortress, simply spreading his arms. The splendid stellar trajectory spanned across the entire sky. The next moment, meteors rained down, continuously striking the enormous and terrifying anomalies, smashing them into mincemeat.
In front of the fortress, there were still many craters formed by the impact of falling meteors.
This was the power of mythology!
Long live His Majesty!
The fervent cheers from outside converged, forming a roaring sound like a tide. People were overjoyed. However, Bolarzem, who had just returned to the fortress castle, was not in a good mood.
It was because the disaster was becoming more intense. Today, even he, a mythological being, had to take action to prevent the natural disaster anomalies from piercing several large holes in the giant walls of Starfall Fortress.
But currently, only eight major cities, including the Starfall Capital and Starfall Fortress, remained intact. The other small oases had suffered heavy losses.
They had connected these eight major cities into a unified whole through a special ritual, with Starfall Fortress serving as the gateway to this entity. As a result, the other seven major cities suffered very minor damage, at the cost of Starfall Fortress facing slightly stronger disasters.
For this reason, Bolarzem personally came here to oversee it.
However, he was also unsure how long the disaster would last or if the severity of the cataclysm would continue to increase.
These were the things that gave him a headache.
"Lord Ancestor, we have received another message from the rear. Count Herle's territory and Marquis Abner's territory are requesting support. What do you think..."
The lord of Starfall Fortress stood respectfully to the side, tentatively asking.
Bolarzem raised his hand, and the letter flew to him. However, he glanced at it and immediately threw it away.
"Foolish!"
"This disaster now poses a threat to our very foundation. Only by uniting our strength can we minimize our losses. Now, I don't even have enough defenders at Starfall Fortress. Where would I get the strength to support these oases?"
"Moreover, I have already stated clearly: consolidate our forces and firmly defend the eight oases. Since they are unwilling to part with their scrap metal, let them perish with it."
The Starfall lord gave a wry smile.
Those small oases might be scrap metal in your eyes, but to these counts and marquises, they were the lifelines of their families!
The Starfall lord naturally wouldn't say these words. He had brought this up before the ancestor today because someone had paid him a considerable sum to do so. But no matter how large the sum, he couldn't afford to lose favor in the eyes of the ancestor.
"I will sternly admonish them."
"Yes, after all, they are our subjects. If they are willing to retreat into the eight oases, we should dispatch an elite team to support them… If they withdraw earlier, there would be no problem!"
Bolarzem was quite displeased.
The Starfall lord couldn't respond to this, so he changed the subject. "Lord Ancestor, some of the larger oases are also pleading for our assistance, saying that if we could dispatch some elites, they are willing to pay a huge price for it."
"These larger oases include the Blackrock Alliance, the Wave City State, the Scorching Flame Great Oasis, Storm City, and Sword Flower City… Among them, the Blackrock Alliance is willing to pay the highest price."
The Starfall lord presented the letters.
These larger oases had indeed spared no expense, especially the Blackrock Alliance… Bolarzem knew the reason very well. The Blackrock Alliance was the weakest among the major oases. If it weren't for the extension of the lifespan of the Blackrock Alliance's leader a while ago, the entire Great Oasis might only have one Six Awakening being guarding it.
Too weak.
He hadn't expected the Blackrock Alliance to offer so much. Not only a large number of anomaly crystals and rare treasures, but also 50% of the oasis's future output for a hundred years.
Bolarzem was slightly tempted.
He shook his head. "Supporting these larger oases is too risky. We don't even know how long the cataclysm will last. These… all decline the offer."
"Of course," he added, "if one day a large oasis can no longer hold on and prepares to evacuate, we can bring a few talented individuals to our Starfall City."
This was not only the most beneficial choice for Starfall City but also the safest and most stable option.
Time passed, and ten more days flew by.
The disaster showed no signs of stopping; instead, it became increasingly fierce. The mentally strained defenders had been fighting for over ten days, and their condition was starting to decline. The consumption of potions, items, and anomaly crystals was like a floodgate opening, draining rapidly.
Under these various pressures, Bolarzem had already taken action several times in recent days.
He was also increasingly grateful that he had chosen the most secure strategy at the beginning.
"Compared to this, the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce must be in a panic now. This is the bitter fruit of their arrogance."
As the situation grew more urgent, Bolarzem had to act about once every two or three days due to the onslaught of anomaly waves.
He was annoyed, but when he thought of the mythological empress of the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce having to act frequently earlier, facing much greater pressure than him, Bolarzem's annoyance immediately eased.
He found a way to relieve his stress.
Taking advantage of his free time, he decided to check on the situation at the Burning Fire Mall.
He thought, using a descendant of a certain bloodline as an anchor, he cast his gaze.
…
…
The situation at the Burning Fire Mall seemed unfavorable.
Since the day before yesterday, the shelling had barely stopped. The number of anomalies attacking the oasis ranged from a few dozen to tens of thousands.
The number seemed small, but it forced the defenders to remain vigilant, wearing down their energy and eroding their condition.
The two epic flying ships, which had been rescuing people everywhere, no longer sailed. They were docked in the port of the West City.
The hulls were covered in traces of anomaly bites and energy splashes, bearing scars or having achieved great victories.
It was evident that Burning Fire was indeed under pressure.
At this moment,
In front of the mall's defense line, a majestic city wall stood tall on the ground. The thick, silver-gray wall was covered with gnarled, thick brown roots, like veins growing inside and outside the wall, or like hundreds of meters long giant pythons coiling around the massive wall.
Within these thick brown roots, tiny particles could be seen surging, connecting the entire city wall and the surrounding land into a unified whole. No matter how powerful the energy impacts from the distance, like a storm, this majestic giant wall did not waver in the slightest.
Since the construction and activation of the Myriad Wood Root Wall, no matter how earth-shattering the noise outside, the ground within the city barely trembled.
However, the continuous operation of such a grand epic ritual consumed an immeasurable amount of anomaly crystals.
"When will this disaster finally subside?"
"Can the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce hold on?"
"It seems the anomaly waves are getting fiercer."
The strong individuals watched, their hearts uneasy.
The surging anomaly waves seemed to be not striking the majestic city wall, but rather, incessantly pounding their hearts.
Approximately two months had passed since the disaster first emerged. From sporadic attacks by mutated anomalies on the oases at the beginning to today…
"The attacks of sporadic anomalies are almost continuous. Today, there have been 26 anomaly waves with scales exceeding a thousand, the largest of which involved tens of thousands, and a considerable number of high-star anomalies were among them."
A mercenary group leader tallied.
On the fourth day, several mercenary group leaders gathered again.
"Today, there have been a total of 32 anomaly waves with scales exceeding a thousand. That Burning Fire Empress was also forced to act twice."
The mercenary group leader speaking had barely slept for several nights, and his pupils already had some bloodshot veins.
The seventh day.
"The number of anomaly waves with scales exceeding a thousand is still rising. Everyone, this is not looking good."
The mercenary group leader speaking had more bloodshot veins in his eyes. "Due to the continuous attacks of the anomaly waves, our condition is declining, let alone the Burning Fire soldiers who are directly facing the waves."
"If this continues… no, after fighting for so many days, the strength of those Burning Fire soldiers must have declined significantly!"
"But the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce is too arrogant. They still refuse to let us participate in city defense, only allowing us to do some auxiliary work at most."
Several mercenary group leaders frowned.
The one with bloodshot eyes often observed from a high vantage point and was well aware of the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce's predicament.
"Perhaps they refused initially, making it difficult to back down now, but it's coming soon."
"I've counted. Today, more than twenty Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce powerhouses were injured. The anomaly wounds they sustained mean their contamination levels will worsen, and their condition will further deteriorate… and over these past few days, hundreds of Burning Fire soldiers have been injured. Some have sustained anomaly wounds twice or thrice, and I fear these people will not be able to hold on."
This was also a problem faced by other forces.
Resisting a single anomaly wave was not difficult, but wave after wave, without pause, awakened individuals were starting to buckle.
Awakened individuals were not made of iron, but anomalies were!
Within the Burning Fire Mall, many mercenary groups were on high alert, ready to take over from the Burning Fire soldiers and begin a new round of defense.
However, not everyone wanted to defend the city for Burning Fire. Some wanted to leave, and others even wished to see the mall fall.
A chamber of commerce boss instructed his trusted aides, "When the city falls, the three of us will leave lightly. With fewer people, we might not attract the anomalies' attention."
Some awakened individuals had a strange gleam in their eyes.
"If the city falls, we might be able to loot the Grand Mall, and then escape the anomalies in the chaos… I know the coordinates of an uninhabited oasis. Perhaps it won't be attacked by anomalies there."
Moreover, several mythological gazes occasionally appeared in the sky above the Burning Fire Mall.
Bolarzem mused, "The waves faced by the Burning Fire Mall are indeed fiercer, and the anomalies' recovery power is also stronger. If this trend continues, this mall has a high probability of… falling!"
From the perspective of Starfall City, he hoped the Burning Fire Mall… would disappear.
On the tenth day,
The mercenary group leader with bloodshot eyes spoke, "Today, for several times, powerful anomalies have rushed onto the city walls. I swear, tomorrow, at the latest tomorrow, the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce will have to lower its pride and ask us."
On the thirteenth day,
The mercenary group leader with bloodshot eyes spoke, with a hint of admiration, "Although the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce is arrogant, their resilience is also admirable."
"Indeed. They have been defending the city for over two months, especially in the last half month, facing only high-intensity battles. Yet they can still hold on without any errors. This alone makes them far superior to the younglings in my mercenary group."
Unwavering will, the conviction of victory… The Burning Fire soldiers displayed too many shining points.
The leaders were silent, the leaders were in awe.
But no matter how much they admired them, people had their limits.
On the sixteenth day,
"How is it that I feel like the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce's soldiers have no limits?"
The mercenary group leader with bloodshot eyes spoke with a hint of confusion.
Clue one: The siege waves are becoming more fierce.
Clue two: The condition of the defending soldiers is declining.
But the answer presented before them was a stable defense, as solid as gold.
It was a joyous occasion that the mall had held, but at this moment, this leader felt it was unscientific.
"This… is unreasonable!"
…
Hotel,
Kailios gazed into the distance, lost in contemplation.
The city seemed on the verge of falling, yet it also seemed unshakable.
Should he contact the Island Lord? But if he did, and then the mall was still standing steadily a while later, wouldn't it be a waste of the Island Lord's power?
This deputy island lord fell into deep thought.
…
On the city walls,
Luo Jianxing was handing over defense duties to a junior member of the organization.
"Yo, you look so rosy-cheeked. Did you… succeed in breaking through?"
"By chance, by chance."
Ye Luo cupped his fists, his smile difficult to conceal. "Thanks to the blessings of all my elder brothers and our mentor, I succeeded in one attempt and reached Six Awakenings. My condition is excellent now, so the next part is up to me."
Luo Jianxing showed envy.
He couldn't help it. After all, he had failed twice when breaking through to Four Awakenings, and failed once when breaking through to Six Awakenings.
Being caught up by 'newcomers' who joined dozens of batches later was quite embarrassing!
No.
He wouldn't rest for now. Fight! Fight more! Fight until the anomalies disappear!
…
Starfall Cave, Starfall Fortress.
Rumble—
Streaks of meteors traced brilliant trajectories across the sky, falling into the dense anomaly wave, followed by brilliant explosions of light.
After finishing these, Bolarzem returned to the castle and was about to continue his daily cultivation when he suddenly remembered that he hadn't observed the Burning Fire Oasis from afar for several days.
A few days were but a blink of an eye for mythological beings.
But at this time of cataclysm, a few days were quite long, enough to change many things.
Perhaps the walls of the Burning Fire Oasis were already riddled with holes, or even breached. After all, even their Starfall Fortress walls had a few breaches after fighting thus far.
Bolarzem closed his eyes and then suddenly opened them.
His gaze spanned across space and descended upon the sky above the Burning Fire Mall, looking at the majestic giant wall.
The giant wall…
Awakened individuals jumped down from it, shouting as they charged towards the incoming anomaly wave.
And, before the anomaly wave could reach the city wall, it was completely annihilated, a wave of tens of thousands.
Bolarzem: "???"
Wait, something seems off.
The soldiers of the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce not only didn't decline in condition, but they were getting stronger as they fought?