Chapter Seventy: The City Forsaken by Heaven (IV)

Arriving at the eastern city gate, what greeted Ji Mo’s eyes was a stretch of city walls that, though somewhat dilapidated, still possessed a breathtaking grandeur. Judging by the imposing outline of the tower, which had withstood countless years and remained steadfast, it was not difficult to imagine the awe-inspiring splendor this city must have boasted in its prime.

The tower rose nearly fifty zhang high, and was more than twenty meters wide, its length extending along the perimeter of the city. The gate faced directly east, and was ten zhang wide. Two ancient bronze doors, mottled with age, stood open. The gate itself was crowded with people, and the towers at either end were also packed.

The thunderous sound from beyond the walls made the ground tremble beneath their feet, yet Ji Mo saw no fear or panic on the faces around her. Most were quietly excited and full of longing, like someone who had lived in darkness suddenly glimpsing a shaft of light through a crack, feeling a primal joy and desire from soul to body.

“Immortal, let’s go up!” When they reached the gate, Mo Fan looked toward the highest point of the tower and spoke to Ji Mo.

“Alright!” Ji Mo glanced up at the spot, about one hundred and sixty meters above the ground. She estimated that if she leapt with all her strength, she might barely make it. With a silent assessment, she nodded.

Receiving her approval, Mo Fan said no more. He tensed slightly, then leapt upward, his legs moving as if treading on air. In an instant, he landed atop the wall.

Ji Mo was quite surprised; Mo Fan clearly had no spiritual energy in his body, yet he leaped so effortlessly from the ground. Could the gravitational pull here be different from her world? Pondering this, Ji Mo mimicked Mo Fan’s movements and jumped upward with little effort. She did rise, but before she reached twenty meters, she began falling fast. In midair, she tried to kick for leverage.

Whoosh! There was nothing beneath her foot to push against, and her descent grew faster. Fortunately, she had anticipated this. As she neared the ground, she quickly somersaulted in the air and summoned the White Jade Flood Dragon Whip. Using the whip to strike the wall, she generated another burst of force, leapt again, and finally landed beside Mo Fan. Even so, her body wobbled a few times as she stood atop the wall.

Mo Ming turned to her with a look of mild surprise. Ji Mo felt her face flush; she wondered how many people had witnessed her awkward display. Still, her skin was never thin, and she quickly composed herself, finding a bold excuse: You’ve all seen my abilities—if I can’t fulfill your wishes, don’t blame me!

Neither Mo Fan nor the residents of the City of the Forsaken knew Ji Mo was shameless enough to use her lack of cultivation as a shield for failing their expectations. If they could read minds, they might have lost all faith in this immortal who had descended from the heavens. Fortunately, they could not, and their attention was drawn to what lay beyond the tower; apart from Mo Fan, none noticed Ji Mo’s embarrassment.

Outside the tower stretched an endless desert. At the farthest point her eyes could reach, waves of black surged forward, carrying a rumbling thunder as they rolled toward the city. The very wall on which Ji Mo stood, indeed the entire City of the Forsaken, was shaken by the trampling steps.

The silent desert was slowly awakening under the onslaught of these creatures, dust billowing to obscure the sun and sky. Their forms had not yet appeared, but the force of their charge was enough to seize one’s heart, leaving little room for resistance. At least, as Ji Mo watched, her confidence in the towering wall beneath her feet vanished; she no longer believed such a barrier could withstand the beasts’ onslaught.

Of course, this was Ji Mo’s personal opinion. The residents of the City of the Forsaken evidently did not share her doubts. As the footsteps grew nearer, the longing and joy on their faces only deepened. Their speed was astonishing; in less than half a cup of tea’s time, Ji Mo was able to see the creatures clearly.

It was a horde of beasts—an endless tide of monstrous animals, each about three zhang tall, similar in size to the Giant Bear Ji Mo had encountered by Blue Moon Lake. Judging by their momentum and the vast, dark cloud of dust, there must be tens of thousands of them.

She swallowed hard and glanced at the city’s defenders: elderly, weak, sick, and disabled; women and children were everywhere. Though each harbored a terrifying energy, could such forces withstand the beast tide? Ji Mo was deeply concerned; if they failed, she herself would likely end up as food for these giants.

Yet her worries proved needless. When the beasts were about two thousand meters from the gate, the residents of the City of the Forsaken let out a unified cry. Tens of thousands leapt from the gates and walls, rushing to meet the oncoming horde.

The collision was swift; countless beasts and defenders clashed in a scene so visually overwhelming that Ji Mo involuntarily closed her eyes, unable to bear the brutality.

Yet the sounds that reached her were mostly the howls and cries of the beasts—little came from the humans. She opened her eyes in astonishment: the residents were felling the giant beasts with a few punches and kicks, while the creatures were unable to inflict any real harm. In short, these monsters had no other fate than slaughter before the city’s people.

In less than an hour, the beast horde—numbering at least a hundred thousand—was wiped out by the residents. Ji Mo stared in stunned silence, and Mo Fan explained, “This is only the first wave of the beast tide. These giants are all low-level monsters. The second, third, fourth, and fifth waves are yet to come. The beast tide lasts ten days, two waves per day, each stronger than the last. From the fifth day onward, our people begin to suffer casualties.”

“When the beast tide ends, the City of the Forsaken will lose about fifty thousand people, a casualty rate of twenty to one. That’s why we’re growing increasingly anxious. If the immortal hadn’t appeared, after a few hundred years more, all our people would perish in the tide.”

“Elder Mo... but my abilities are much weaker than your defenders. Those monsters your people kill with a few blows—if it were me, I’d barely handle one at best. How can I be of any help to you?” Ji Mo stammered, tongue-tied.