Chapter Seventy-Two: The City Forsaken by Heaven (VI)

“What’s wrong, Elder Mo?” Since Ji Mo had begun interacting with this old man, she had never seen him so flustered and shaken, and couldn’t help but be startled.

“There’s a change in the beast tide—I must go out and see!” Mo Fan said, turning and striding toward the exit.

“Wait for me, I’ll go with you.” Ji Mo hurried after him. She had eaten and drunk her fill here for several days, and she couldn’t very well hole up inside the temple like a tortoise now that trouble had arisen.

The two rushed toward the east city gate at breakneck speed. Mo Fan was truly anxious this time, moving far faster than before; Ji Mo pushed herself to her limit just to keep a distant pace behind him.

Fortunately, the distance from the Mountain God Temple to the city gate was only a few dozen kilometers. Had it been farther, Ji Mo was sure she would have already been left behind without a trace. But at this moment, she had no time for such reflections.

When they were still more than a thousand meters from the city walls, Ji Mo was nearly overcome by the overwhelming stench of blood, almost retching. After all, she was only a fourteen-year-old girl who had never witnessed such carnage; the sudden, intense odor made her face pale drastically.

There were no figures visible upon the city walls or gate, but outside, the sounds of slaughter thundered. The thick, cloying smell of blood drifted ceaselessly from beyond the walls. When Mo Fan reached their destination, his nose twitched, and the dark, wrinkled face grew unnaturally pale. Without hesitation, he leaped onto the ramparts.

Ji Mo forced herself to endure the discomfort and followed him up, only for the scene before her eyes to chill her heart and soul. On the wasteland outside the walls, endless beasts surged from every direction, their numbers so vast that “covering the sky and blotting the sun” seemed inadequate—though blotting the sun was not quite right, as this land had not seen the sun for countless years.

The residents of Heaven’s Abandonment City, unable to stray more than two kilometers from the walls, could only spread out along the ramparts, forming a human barrier within this range. They created a line stretching dozens of kilometers, blocking the beasts attempting to storm the city. Though the monsters were innumerable, only this direction permitted an assault; capturing the city in a short time was impossible.

Thus, both sides engaged in a brutal struggle. The roars of monsters mingled with human cries, flesh and limbs flying, blood soaking the wasteland beneath their feet. With the beasts holding a crushing numerical advantage, human casualties mounted swiftly. Ji Mo stood atop the wall, and in the time it took for a cup of tea, she saw human deaths surpass ten thousand. At this rate, within a day, the entire population of Heaven’s Abandonment City would perish.

Mo Fan’s face was drained of color. He muttered, “How could this happen? The beast tide that should have taken five days has all converged onto this one day? No, these monsters are even more numerous than the sum of the next five days combined.”

“Elder Mo, does this city have any defensive formations? If so, you must order everyone to retreat, close the gates, and activate the array. Otherwise, if this continues, all the residents will be wiped out.” Ji Mo, ignoring the elder’s muttering, spoke urgently.

She had eaten and drank here for five or six days, treated like a fairy; she feared even the slightest neglect. Now, with Heaven’s Abandonment City in dire peril, she felt too ashamed to stand by idly.

“Formations? None! I’ve never heard of any defensive array in this city. If we don’t want the beasts to overrun us, our only option is to fight them to the death outside.” Mo Fan shook his head.

No formation? Impossible! How could such a once-thriving city lack any defensive array? Ji Mo stared at Mo Fan in disbelief, but he had no time to concern himself with her thoughts. All his attention was fixed on the battle below the walls.

At that moment, the city’s inhabitants, hearing the bugle, poured toward the site. The city had a million residents; currently, only two hundred thousand fought outside. Those not yet on the battlefield, upon hearing the shrill horn, except for infants and the sick or elderly with no strength left, all rushed to join the fray.

They needed no organization or instructions; they automatically threw themselves into the fight outside, showing great experience. Seeing so many people arrive, Ji Mo’s heart eased a little: with so many residents, perhaps they could handle the beasts.

But clearly, her optimism was misplaced. The monsters outside exceeded all expectations in both number and strength. Two hours passed, and the city had deployed four hundred thousand fighters, with casualties already over one hundred thousand. Countless monsters had also died, but their numbers showed no end. Everywhere Ji Mo could see was thick with beastly shadows and dust.

Then she witnessed a scene that chilled her to the core. Before her eyes: a woman of about thirty and a little boy of seven or eight fought together against a leopard demon. They seemed to be mother and son, working in perfect harmony. Ji Mo could tell the leopard was a second-tier peak monster.

Individually, neither could match it, but together they held their own. The leopard, unable to gain the upper hand, grew furious, roaring repeatedly. Suddenly, a short black Windhound leapt from nearby, sinking its teeth into the boy’s right leg as he jumped to attack the leopard. Taken by surprise, the boy’s leg was caught.

He reacted instantly—not crying out in pain, but twisting as the Windhound had not yet severed his leg, using its grip to pivot and lightning-fast kicking its head with his left foot. Though only seven or eight, his strength was remarkable. The Windhound, a first-tier peak beast, had its head smashed by the force.

Yet, while the Windhound was killed, the boy’s right leg was bitten clean through. Losing a limb, his face paled, but he did not hesitate. He turned and rushed toward the leopard, which was now pinning his mother to the ground.