: Beast Tide (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Mount Huoshi's peak.

Meng Kui's entire body surged with magical power. At this moment, he exerted all his strength, unleashing his skills!

He retrieved a treasure seal and hurled it forward. The seal, a treasure-grade artifact, rapidly expanded mid-air, transforming into a mountain peak that crashed down with a deafening roar.

The seal-mountain blocked the volcanic vent, forcibly stemming the gushing magma. In an instant, the magma flow halved, significantly relieving the pressure on Fire Persimmon Immortal City's front line.

Meng Kui then produced a treasure-grade gourd. He uncorked it and poured out a mighty river. The water cascaded like a waterfall, flooding into the volcano's summit. Steam billowed, spreading like a sea of mist.

This water was no ordinary river water; it was a special material Meng Kui had sourced from nature and refined extensively himself, reaching Foundation Establishment grade!

Sacrificing vast quantities of water, Meng Kui successfully slowed the magma's spread by another thirty percent. Once the gourd was empty, he stored both it and the seal away.

The seal, having blocked the magma eruption, was nearly half-destroyed on its surface. Meng Kui had no time to lament. Spreading his arms and waving his sleeves, he unleashed another of his signature skills.

Divine Ability — Sleeve Cosmos!

Instantly, his sleeves ballooned in size, their openings as large as houses, dark and deep. An incredibly powerful suction force erupted from within the sleeves. Vast amounts of magma were gripped by this force, converging into two torrents that flowed into Meng Kui's sleeves.

By diverting the magma at its source, Meng Kui single-handedly suppressed the flow by another thirty percent. Through his and the entire city's relentless efforts, the magma's advance slowed until, after reluctantly consuming the outermost buildings of the immortal city, it finally ground to a halt.

"We won, we won, we won!"

"Fire Persimmon Immortal City is saved! My home is saved!"

"Hahaha..."

Cheers filled Fire Persimmon Immortal City. Countless people leaped for joy, shouting and cheering in extreme excitement. However, a few still wore worried expressions, their faces dark.

Among them were Zhu Xuanji and Fei Si.

Zhu Xuanji's eyes flashed with golden light as he peered through Mount Huoshi's surface, trying to see inside. He knew well that the magma wasn't the biggest problem. The real challenge lay within Mount Huoshi—more precisely, the countless Blaze Beasts inside.

Roars... roars gradually drowned out the city's cheers and shouts.

Some people looked puzzled upon hearing this, but most quickly realized what was happening, their faces turning pale.

"Blaze Beasts!"

"Oh no! With the volcano shaking like this, the beast tide it triggers will be unprecedentedly terrifying!"

"What do we do? What do we do?"

Panic swept through the crowd once more.

A few breaths later, as the magma slowed, endless Blaze Beasts surged out from within, all enraged!

Who wouldn't be furious if their peaceful lives were suddenly turned upside down by an unexpected bombardment?

The Blaze Beasts charged towards the Magma Immortal Palace like a tide, targeting the source of the cannon fire. If their thoughts could be heard, it would be: Revenge, revenge, revenge!

Leading the charge were the Fire-Slithering Serpent packs. Their slender bodies resembled flowing flames, blending almost seamlessly with the magma, seeming omnipresent.

Close behind were the Fire-Moss Rat packs. These small but fiercely aggressive beasts swarmed forward in astonishing numbers, rushing towards the Magma Immortal Palace like a red river. The spherical light shield raised by Fire Persimmon Immortal City was being fiercely gnawed at by the rat swarm!

Among the rats, giant rodents the size of elephants acted as leaders. Each of these giant rats was a Golden Core-level existence.

The larger Flame-Treading Lizards, those at the Golden Core level, were as massive as small hills. Their limbs were thick, skin covered in hard crimson scale armor, tails burning with fire. Each roar could stir up a storm of flames.

The Flame-Treading Lizards hissed and roared, crashing towards the Magma Immortal Palace.

But the true kings among the Blaze Beasts were the Fire-Blend Demon Apes! These apes stood ten to twenty feet tall, covered in thick fur, almost entirely crimson red, blazing like fire.

The demon apes bared their fangs, eyes wide, bodies burly and robust. Many beat their chests, roaring, their cries shaking the heavens.

Among all the beasts, the demon apes possessed the highest intelligence, making them the most threatening group.

Besides these three main forces, there were also numerous Red Rock Demons. They emerged from the magma one by one, floating slowly in the air, surrounding the Magma Immortal Palace from above. These stone heads were densely packed, numbering in the tens of thousands, an unprecedented multitude.

The beasts knew the source of the cannon fire and targeted the Magma Immortal Palace for revenge. But the beast tide was too vast, and their enraged state caused many to lose rationality, charging blindly in all directions. A large portion headed straight for Fire Persimmon Immortal City.

There was nothing more to say. Zhu Xuanji and the other Golden Core experts stationed at the front lines fought fiercely.

For a time, the battlefield reached a stalemate.

Ning Zhuo's cannon shot had truly stirred up a hornet's nest! He had thoroughly provoked the massive Blaze Beast colony within Mount Huoshi.

Meng Kui atop the peak also acted continuously, his Nascent Soul-level spells covering the area, exterminating many Blaze Beasts. But more beasts kept emerging endlessly from the magma, impossible to kill completely.

"Damn it!" Meng Kui cursed viciously, sensing the presence of a Nascent Soul-level life force within the beast tide.

It seemed to be a Fire-Slithering Serpent! Hidden within the magma, its aura flickered in and out. Precisely because this blade remained sheathed, the psychological pressure was even greater.

In Fire Persimmon Immortal City, the cheers had vanished. The citizens watched in horror as the massive beast tide spread towards them. The beasts were so numerous, they blotted out the sky! Against such a wave, an individual felt incredibly small and helpless.

Underground Secret Base, Designation D.

Boom... boom... boom...

Along with the battle above ground, this underground base shook intermittently.

Sun Lingtong and Yang Chanyu were hiding inside.

"The volcano erupted! Beasts are attacking the city!" Yang Chanyu hadn't cut off contact with the outside world. She was well aware of such a major event.

"Sun Lingtong, what exactly is going on?" Yang Chanyu looked at Sun Lingtong, her intuition telling her this matter seemed connected to the person before her.

Sun Lingtong rolled her eyes and spread her hands. "How would I know? Why bother about that?"

"Right now, the whole city is in chaos. Almost everyone is fighting with all their might to defend their home."

"This opportunity is rare and hard to come by! Let's think about where would be the best place to act?"

Yang Chanyu wasn't easily diverted. She narrowed her eyes, staring deeply at Sun Lingtong. "Why do I get the feeling you don't seem surprised at all?"

Sun Lingtong nodded. "Surprised? Of course I'm surprised! But what does that have to do with us?"

"We aren't from Fire Persimmon Immortal City. Even if the city falls, we can just pack up and leave."

"Now is when the major forces are at their weakest. If we're going to act, let's go big. What do you think about those merchants who just entered the city?"

Yang Chanyu remained unmoved. "Your continuous attempts to change the topic are really suspicious. Tell me, what exactly is your relationship with that Ning Zhuo?"

"I didn't realize it during the earlier Golden Core melee."

"But the more I think about it lately, the more something feels off. You set up so much—had me play a role, disguise myself, create a fake Demonic Scripture."

"Yet after the Golden Core melee, you didn't follow up with any treasure-stealing operation. The melee seemed more like a show."

"What about the big action, the grand scheme you talked about?"

"Why do I feel like our actions were just to clear Ning Zhuo's name and reduce the pressure on him?"

"After all, the earlier rumors were quite unfavorable for him."

Sun Lingtong rolled her eyes again. "Hey, you're overthinking it way too much!"

"I really wanted to act during the Golden Core melee too, but the fight didn't fully break out, did it?"

"Zheng Danlian's mechanical scythe was too fearsome! Even the Golden Core true inheritors of the Taiqing Palace had no power to resist."

"In that situation, how could I dare to attempt any big heist?"

Having explained this, Sun Lingtong added, "But this time, it's different with these merchants and the three great families."

"They are outsiders, after all. The artifacts and treasures they can carry are strictly regulated."

"Even if they have a Nascent Soul-level Cloud Whale, that behemoth is parked far outside the city and isn't suitable for catching us."

"I've found out: this merchant group plans to hold an auction soon. Among the items are many high-end cultivation resources."

"For example, there are three drops of the Water Virtue Supreme Treasure—'Supreme Goodness Like Water'!"

"Aren't you tempted hearing that?"

Yang Chanyu chuckled coldly. "Of course I've heard this news. But there are only three drops of 'Supreme Goodness Like Water'. If you want to steal them for yourself to cleanse our engagement contract, it's far from enough."

Sun Lingtong sighed. "Where did you get that idea? I—"

Just as she spoke, Sun Lingtong's expression changed drastically. She whipped her head towards a certain direction and shouted, "Who's there?!"

Yang Chanyu instantly went on high alert, gripping a treasure in her hand. But the entire underground base was empty, with no one in sight.

She looked puzzledly at Sun Lingtong.

Sun Lingtong murmured, "Was it a mistake?" She wasn't entirely sure either.

Then, her eyes flashed with a cold light as she said seriously, "But regardless, this Designation D underground secret base can't be used anymore. We need to relocate immediately!"

Yang Chanyu had no objections.

Before leaving, Sun Lingtong took a moment to set up numerous traps within the Designation D underground secret base.

(End of )