I established the Eternal Immortal Clan by taming beasts.

Three days, five days, seven days.

The beast tide camp outside Chuyang City was like a tireless meat grinder, launching an attack every other day, each time more ferocious than the last.

Crimson-maned lions, armored rhinoceroses, thunder-roaring beasts, golden-striped leopards, and blue-horned rhinoceroses... those troublesome tribes that the Blue-faced Fox King had arranged to be at the front of the procession surged toward the city wall in waves, like black tides crashing against the dark blue light barrier time and time again.

Their claws scraped across the wall with a piercing sound, their fangs gleamed coldly in the firelight, and their pupils reflected the outline of the city, yet they could never truly reach the top of that wall.

Each time the tide recedes, it leaves behind new corpses, new blood, and new broken bones at the foot of the city walls.

The mountains of wreckage exuded a strong stench of blood in the twilight, attracting flocks of carrion-eating crows that circled overhead like an ominous dark cloud.

During the lulls between each offensive, the logistics troops would rush down from the city to clean up the battlefield.

They moved swiftly and had a clear division of labor: some were responsible for peeling off intact animal hides, some for collecting intact claws and teeth, some for cutting up animal meat, and some for collecting demon cores.

These monsters are all top-quality materials, from their claws and teeth to their fur, from their bones to their flesh.

Animal hides, after being tanned, can be used to make spirit armor and leather goods; claws and teeth can be used to forge spirit weapons and talismans; bones, after being ground, are excellent fertilizer for spirit fields; and animal meat, cut into small pieces, is an indispensable source of meat meal in spirit beast feed.

These are all excellent spoils of war!

……

On the city wall, the garrison has already rotated five times today.

Lin Xuanjing's voice changed from clear and bright to hoarse.

"The second wave is coming, open the gap in the south section." His voice rang out in the communication array, brief and clear.

The array patterns on the city wall flickered violently according to the predetermined plan, their light dimming and cracks spreading, yet each time they managed to reactivate at the last moment, like a lamp about to go out but refusing to go out.

The defending troops withdrew, filled positions, and blocked according to the predetermined rhythm. Swordsmen and shieldmen took turns advancing, archers and crossbowmen took turns firing, the wounded were quickly dragged off the city wall, and the reserves immediately filled the gaps.

Even though it was just "acting," some cultivators were actually injured or even killed, and Chuyang City was being worn down little by little.

"This is the seventh round." Lin Xuanqing's voice came from the communication array, his tone was calm, but with a hint of imperceptible fatigue. "The Green-Faced Fox King has started to send up those clans that are truly not convinced by him. Today's wave is the Red-Maned Demon Wolf and the Iron-Bone Bear, both troublemakers from the Central Mountains. He is clearing out his inventory."

"Understood," Lin Xuanjing replied, his gaze falling on the gathering beast tide.

The red-maned demon wolves' manes were like burning flames, and the Ironbone Bear was even more robust than the Ironbacked Grey Bear, with its dark gray bone patterns clearly visible under its fur.

This offensive will last longer and result in greater losses.

……

On the city wall, after repelling the last of the "suicide" troops, Lin Xuanjing took advantage of a break in the rotation to whisper to Lin Xinqing on the other end of the communication array: "How's the fighting going at Tingfeng Pass?"

"The main force of the beast tide along the Tingfeng Pass has completed its encampment." Lin Xinqing's voice came from the array plate, carrying a hint of barely suppressed sharpness. "Two days ago, the main force of the Burning Sky Crimson Ape had already surrounded Tingfeng Pass, and the vanguard had begun probing attacks. According to scouts, the Burning Sky Crimson Ape personally commanded the central army, and several ape kings were supervising the battle in front of the pass. The formation was very impressive."

"Alright, our plan is almost complete." There was a hint of relief in Lin Xuanjing's voice, a sense of relief that came when the long standoff finally came to an end.

Sure enough, late on the seventh night, Zhihei's voice came from the communication array in the command room, carrying a long-suppressed sense of relief:

"The fighting has broken out at Tingfeng Pass. The main force of the Burning Sky Crimson Ape has launched a full-scale attack, and the array patterns on the pass walls have been activated at maximum power. Both sides are giving it their all. Our plan has succeeded!"

At the same time, the Blue-Faced Fox King also received the same message in the beast tide camp.

He sat on a stone stool in the tent, with a rough animal hide spread out in front of him, on which the distribution of Chuyang City's defense line was scribbled with claw marks.

That was what he had observed and deduced through repeated sieges over the past few days. The direction of every array pattern, every weak point of the city wall, and the rotation pattern of every garrison were all clearly marked on it.

The light from the lamps flickered in his amber eyes. He remained silent for a moment, then rolled up the animal hide and handed it to the Gale Bat King behind him.

"Send the order! All units prepare; tomorrow marks the start of our general offensive."

Before dawn the next day, the beast tide camp outside Chuyang City surged once again.

The difference this time is that the demonic beasts in the front row have been replaced by the core forces that the Green-Faced Fox King has always kept.

Lava lizards, iron-backed bears, blue-eyed toads, and the most elite tribe among the six demon kings.

They stood in neat rows, without roaring or commotion, only a silence so intense it was almost oppressive, like the stagnant air before a storm.

"They're getting serious now." Lin Xuanqing's voice came from the communication array, carrying a hint of solemnity as if the battle had finally arrived. "This round, there won't be any more leniency."

"Okay, I'll proceed according to plan and let them 'break through'." Lin Xuanjing's voice was hoarse but firm.

After five hours of fierce fighting, the array patterns on the city wall began to "overload" according to the predetermined rhythm.

The light suddenly surged, like the last flicker of light from a dying person, then flickered violently, cracks spreading wildly from the base of the array, emitting a piercing buzz, like a dying wail.

The surface of the light shield was covered with dense cracks, as if it could collapse at any moment.

The cultivators guarding the city walls began to retreat in "fear." Some shouted something, some dropped their weapons and ran away, and some dragged their wounded companions and staggered backward. The scene was so chaotic that it looked like a real rout.

The Blue-Faced Fox King stood on the low hill, his gaze fixed on the collapsing array pattern, the direction of the city reflected in his amber pupils.

His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of every demon king: "Everyone, launch a general attack!"

This time, six demon kings personally went to the front line.

The Lava Lizard King charged ahead, its scales glowing red-hot. Each step it took left a charred footprint on the ground, burning a charred mark on the array pattern of the southern section of the city wall. The flames spread along the cracks in the bricks, scorching the spirit patterns carved into the stone until they were dim and lifeless.

Ironbacked Bear King followed closely behind, smashing the crenellations above the city gate with a single palm strike, sending shards of stone flying and dust billowing everywhere;

The Azure-Eyed Toad leaped into the air, spewing out a chilling emerald light from its mouth. This covered the city wall with a layer of slippery frost, causing the cultivators who were still trying to hold their ground to slip and their formation to become briefly chaotic.

On the city wall, the defending troops retreated layer by layer according to the script of "retreat".

Some were "knocked down," some were "dragged away," and some shouted, "We can't hold on any longer, retreat!" Their voices were filled with just the right amount of fear and panic.

Lin Xuanjing stood on the city wall, piercing a steel-backed bear that had climbed up with a single spear thrust, then retreated in the process. His spear drew a cold light in the night sky, and his figure disappeared into the smoke on the city wall.

"boom!"

With a loud bang, a torrent of demonic beasts surged into Chuyang City through a three-zhang (approximately 10 meters) breach in the southern city wall.

The Blue-Faced Fox King stood on the low hill, watching the beast tide surging into the city. The firelight burning on the city walls was reflected in his amber pupils, and a smile slowly appeared on his lips.

A large number of demonic beasts surged into the gate, letting out deafening roars, as if they had already won the entire war.

They trudged through rubble and ashes, rushing toward the buildings that were faintly visible in the firelight, but the scene inside the walls surprised them.

Where was the envisioned camp of human cultivators? Where were the defending troops who should have been retreating after their defeat? Behind that city wall, instead of the chaos and disarray one might have imagined, lay an eerie emptiness.

Then, the Lava Lizard King was the first to react, abruptly stopping in its tracks, its tail sweeping a charred trail across the ground.

His dark red, vertical pupils swept around, then his pupils suddenly contracted: "Wait... where are they?"

The Iron-Backed Bear King also noticed something amiss and stopped its pursuit.

His massive frame stood like a silent mountain in the night, but at this moment, this mountain was turning its head uneasily, sniffing the unusual scent in the air: "It's too quiet."

"Why is it so empty? Aren't there a large garrison?" A red-maned lion demon king's voice was filled with confusion. More demon beasts stopped and looked at each other, and the commotion in the beast horde spread outwards like ripples.

"Retreat!" The Blue-Faced Fox King's voice suddenly rose in volume on the low hill, but the demonic beasts that had surged into the walls didn't even have time to turn around—

Countless beams of light shone simultaneously.

On the city wall, Lin Xuanqing's voice came from the array plate, clear and cold, like the sound of the first icicle breaking in winter: "Close the net."

"boom--!"

Several array-like light curtains rose from the ground, their golden, dark blue, and emerald green spiritual lights weaving into an impenetrable net that sealed off all the demonic beasts that had surged into the pass within the pre-set encirclement.

Those light curtains rose from the inside of the city wall, completely blocking the entrance, and lit up from all directions at the same time, like an invisible cage descending from the sky.

The demonic beasts at the forefront crashed into the light barrier with a dull thud, the sound of bones shattering clearly audible, and blood bloomed into dark red flowers on the golden light wall.

The guards who had been lying in ambush in the woods, behind rocks, and in tunnels all appeared at the same time.

Arrows rained down, and spirit soldiers swarmed like a forest, calling out the names of the trapped monsters one by one.

Every arrow pierced the monster's eye socket, throat, and abdomen with precision, and every magical weapon pierced its vital points with accuracy.

The demonic beasts at the forefront roared and fell to the ground. The demonic beasts behind tried to retreat but were blocked by their companions. More arrows shot from the rooftops from all directions, pinning them to the ground.

This was a precise interception that allowed about 20% of the demonic beasts to pass through, which just happened to block the gap without exceeding the encirclement range.

The monsters that had been let in realized they had been tricked and began to frantically attack the light barrier. However, the strength of the formation far exceeded the level of "Chuyang City" in their understanding. Their claws and fangs left white marks on the light barrier, but they could not tear through the thin layer of spiritual light.

The defenders rained down arrows in volleys, firing simultaneously from the high watchtowers, the boulders, and the breaches in the city wall, their crossfire covering the entire besieged area.

The trapped monsters struggled in the rain of arrows, their screams, roars, and the cracking of bones mingling together like a symphony of purgatory.

Outside the city, the demonic beasts who were still watching witnessed their kin rushing in and disappearing in the firelight inside the city.

First, their escape route was blocked by a golden light barrier, then they were covered by a dense rain of arrows, and finally they turned to ashes in flames and spiritual light.

Those scenes peered through the gaps in the city wall, like a burning inferno.

A chorus of panicked howls erupted from the herd. Some began to retreat, some scattered to the sides, and some stood still, turning around in bewilderment.

The Lava Lizard King was at the forefront, but it was the first to turn around.

His dark red vertical pupils reflected the horde of his kin being slaughtered. His scales burned red like lava. With one claw, he tore apart the formation of a guard squad that was trying to flank him from the side. The scorching claw wind forced two guards back, and then he led his people to charge toward the breach.

The Ironbacked Bear King followed closely behind, its massive body like a moving iron wall, blocking all the arrows that followed. The arrows struck its dark gray fur with muffled "thuds" and left shallow wounds.

The Azure-Eyed Golden Toad King spat out a beam of azure light, melting a small gap in the array's light barrier. It then squeezed towards the exit, leaving a trail of azure slime behind it.

The demon kings of various races were also swept away from the battlefield in the retreating torrent. Some were still wounded, some had already died, and some ran faster than anyone else, as if they were not the ones who had charged forward towards the city wall just now.

That night, the beast tide camp was filled with wails of agony.

After each tribe tallied their casualties, it was found that almost all the demon beasts that had charged in had been wiped out, and only the elites who had retreated with the demon king in time had returned alive.

When the casualty figures for each race were reported, the surviving demon kings finally realized that the city that seemed "about to collapse" really had a problem.

They finally understood that the Blue-Faced Fox King wasn't simply eliminating dissidents, but had truly seen through the city's formidable defensive capabilities.

Inside the tent, the Blue-Faced Fox King sat on a stone stool, listening calmly to the wailing sounds coming from outside.

"The defenses of Chuyang City are stronger than expected, but we have already depleted most of Chuyang City's manpower." He infused the beast bone with spiritual light, his voice steady and clear, "Demon Emperor, I need reinforcements. Or at least, I need time."

The messenger beast bone shattered in his claws, turning into a faint wisp of spiritual light that merged into the night wind and drifted towards Listening Wind Pass.

As the wisp of light dissipated, the Blue-Faced Fox King turned around and looked at the six demon kings in the tent.

The firelight danced in his amber pupils: "Everyone, our act is over. Next, we will continue the 'siege,' but there's no need to rush. We'll 'break through' Chuyang City after we've finished fighting the Demon Emperor."

"Haha!" The Ironback Bear King was the first to laugh out loud. His laughter was as loud as thunder, and it made the tent tremble slightly.

"Good!" The Lava Lizard King laughed, a hint of pleasure flashing in its dark red vertical pupils.

After all the demon kings left, only the Blue-Faced Fox King remained in the tent.

The light from the lamp flickered, casting his shadow on the tent, sometimes long, sometimes short.

A voice came from the shadows of the tent: "Are you sure the Crimson Ape will send reinforcements as you want, instead of giving you time as you told them?"