I built a safe house in the eerie night.

As night falls, fear is an eternal theme in this world, and tonight is no exception.

Outside the village, eerie roars echoed incessantly, as if countless wild beasts were awakening and gathering madly.

Jiang Ning stood on the viewing platform, the night wind whipping his blue robe and tousled hair.

Beside him, Wang Fu, Xiong Meng, Yu Niu, and Er Hu stood on the platform, equally solemn.

Everyone squinted, staring intently at the mountains and fields outside the village, ruled by deep darkness.

The viewing platform offered a higher vantage point, and the shadowy, surging silhouettes in the darkness made their hearts pound and their palms sweat.

Below the observation platform, the other men, holding simple tools, stood in a loose line, their eyes wide open, staring intently at the outside of the defensive line.

Some people couldn't help but swallow, some trembled slightly, but no one backed down, and no one looked away.

Standing together, behind Jiang Ning's gaze, they seemed to have gained the courage to face the darkness.

Even Zhou Lei, unusually, stood at the front of the crowd, clutching a heavy iron shovel in his hand.

He stood ramrod straight, his lips pressed tightly together, and his eyes held not only fear but also a surge of suppressed hatred.

However, his trembling hands, gripping the shovel handle tightly, betrayed his fear.

After the wooden house was upgraded and reinforced, elderly people and women squeezed into the gaps, holding their breath as they peered out.

Their faces were filled with worry, and they prayed silently, hoping to get through the night safely.

But for people both inside and outside the house, their greatest reliance and hope at this moment is no longer the faint light of the altar that provides protection.

Instead, on the viewing platform, stood a figure in a blue robe who appeared somewhat slender yet upright in the night.

"Woo! Roar—!"

A sharp, low growl blended into a terrifying wave.

A chilling, eerie wind swept in first, whipping up fallen leaves and sand in the village open space, making everyone's clothes flutter and their skin feel tight and numb.

Jiang Ning's eyes narrowed, and he leaned forward slightly, getting closer to the observation device on the observation platform.

The field of vision instantly zooms in, magnifies, and becomes clear.

He saw it: from the dark mountains and fields in the distance, and even from the nearby grove of dead trees, a large number of dark figures were emerging like sewage bursting from a dam.

The first wave of strange tides!

A rough estimate puts the number at least in the hundreds!

However, this time the bizarre composition is quite balanced.

Half of them are "monsters and ghosts" with bizarre shapes, disgusting tumors on their bodies, relatively slow-moving but with greater brute strength, and they mostly crawl out of dead forests.

The other half are humanoid creatures, on all fours, with exceptionally swift movements, called "Wandering Ghosts." They are like fleas in the night, coming from the distant mountains and fields.

Today, these two kinds of strangeness have merged into a filthy torrent.

The goal was clear: Baiye Village, which exuded humanity and a faint spiritual light.

Jiang Ning slowly moved the observation device to focus on the defense line area closer to the village.

When his gaze is focused, his senses come to mind.

Through observations at the Observatory, he also formed his own judgment.

The two outermost Tier 1 Bone Arrow Towers alone cannot withstand the onslaught of this monstrous tide.

However, the range of the three Tier 2 Bone Arrow Towers can perfectly cover the impact path, and once they enter the range, the concentrated fire efficiency is extremely high.

Jiang Ning deduced that this wave of strange tides should not be able to break through the initial defensive line composed of the Devouring Flowers and Arrow Towers on the outside, and most likely it will not be able to get close to the Bone Barricades.

That is, the two outer level one arrow towers may have to withstand attacks from a small number of stragglers.

"So this is the purpose of the Ghost Observation Platform..."

Jiang Ning still sighed with emotion.

While the observations may not be absolutely accurate, providing crucial information and tactical predictions is already quite good.

He stepped back from the observation post, regained his naked-eye view, and looked out at the rapidly approaching black wave composed of countless twisted figures.

He exhaled softly, his words carrying a resolute coldness:

"They're here."

As soon as he finished speaking, the roars from the wilderness outside the village suddenly rose in intensity, becoming even more frantic and intense.

A thick, eerie aura rose into the sky, making the already overcast sky even darker and more gloomy, creating a suffocating atmosphere.

"roar--!"

The few monsters at the forefront had already stepped into the cleared open area outside the village.

Their crimson or pale eyes were fixed on the front of the defensive line, on the few Devouring Flowers that were emitting an alluring scent, and they roared as they pounced.

But just as their limbs left the ground and they were about to pounce,

"call out--!"

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Three sharp, tearing screechs erupted from behind the village's defensive line.

This is the first salvo from the three Tier 2 Bone Arrow Towers!

The arrow was no longer the previous snow-white color, but rather a stream of light shrouded in dense purple energy.

It moved so fast that it left only three fleeting, blinding trails in the night, too fast for the naked eye to catch.

"Pfft!"

"boom!"

The monster at the very front was the first to be attacked.

The arrow pierced precisely into the largest tumor on its chest, unleashing terrifying power that not only blasted a bloody hole in its chest but also tore half of its bloated body to shreds.

Blood and bits of flesh were scattered everywhere!

The other two purple arrows also succeeded, pinning two menacing monsters to the ground. The arrows were three-tenths of an inch deep in the soil, their tail feathers still trembling.

"Damn! That felt great!"

Jiang Ning couldn't help but gasp and clench his fists.

"Oh my god..."

On the viewing platform, Wang Fu and the other three also gasped almost simultaneously, stunned by the terrifying destructive power that far surpassed that of the previous night.

The battle reached its climax the moment the eerie creature stepped into the range of the arrow tower.

The first wave of monsters, like an enraged swarm of bees, ignored the tragic deaths of their companions and mindlessly surged towards the village.

The three Tier 2 arrow towers came online, their skulls atop the towers gleaming with purple light, firing at an incredibly fast rate, reaping the eerie creatures charging ahead with one purple arrow after another.

In the blink of an eye, dozens of eerie howls echoed as they fell, their corpses piling up on the path of the charge.

However, the number of bizarre occurrences is simply too great.

Although the second-tier arrow tower has a fast firing rate, there is still a very short energy replenishment interval after each shot.

It was this fleeting gap, coupled with the bizarre, relentless frenzy, that allowed the subsequent monsters to successfully reach the forefront of the village's defenses and rush towards the five Devouring Monster Flowers.

"roar!"

"Sizzle!"

One by one, they ferociously pounced and clawed at the thick petals.

The five Devouring Flowers were not to be outdone. They suddenly opened their blood-red maws and each swallowed the nearest monster whole.

It then began to chew vigorously, while its petals contracted, entering a defensive state to withstand the other strange attacks from the surrounding area.

At the same time, the other four Tier 1 arrow towers in the village, including the two outside the defensive line, also opened fire with all their might.

Although the arrows were not as powerful or fast as those from the second-tier tower, their sheer number created a considerable rain of arrows, which poured densely onto the area where the strange creatures were most concentrated.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—"

"Pfft pfft pfft...!"

The sound of arrows piercing the air, the sound of flesh being torn apart, and the eerie, dying screams...

The sounds outside the village created a cacophony that contrasted sharply with the deathly silence above and below the Ghost Observation Platform inside the village.

Jiang Ning was able to maintain a calm state of mind, and he was confident in his defense system.

But the villagers behind him were mostly drenched in sweat and pale-faced.

This was the first time they had truly set foot on the land of darkness, the first time they had been so close to experiencing the despairing sheer number and madness of the eerie tides.

This was also the first time I had such a direct experience of the terrifying power of these "monster" defensive towers built by Jiangning.

They were both terrified and relieved. They gripped their tools tightly, clenched their teeth, and seemed to be working together with the arrow tower to blast those monstrous things to pieces.

Jiang Ning remained standing at the very front of the viewing platform. The night wind, carrying a strong, eerie, and pungent stench of blood, swept over his face, making his stomach churn.

But he forced himself to adapt, forced himself to face it.

"If even I'm afraid, what will give courage to the people behind me?"

Jiang Ning gritted his teeth and silently chanted in his heart.

Although this body only possesses a meager cultivation level of Qi Refining Level Two, if thrown into the treacherous tide below, it probably wouldn't last more than a few breaths.

But so what?

My strength lies not in this, but in building.

These buildings, which are now engaged in rampage and slaughter, were all built by me.

Every monster that was shot was as if I had killed it with my own hands!

"They should fear me, not the other way around!"

With his mind made up, Jiang Ning straightened his already upright spine, raised his head even higher, and stared intently into the darkness at the surging tide.

Behind him, whether it was the people on the viewing platform or the people below, witnessing his posture, they were instantly infused with an invisible power, their chests involuntarily straightened, their fear gradually disappeared, and courage took its place.

At this point, the main body of the first wave of strange tides had all surged into the village's territory.

All seven arrow towers were firing at full power, especially the three second-tier towers, which frequently triggered a burst firing probability, shooting out two purple arrows at once, resulting in astonishing clearing efficiency.

Unfortunately, there are just too many strange things going on.

They trampled over the corpses of their companions, like a tide that knows no fear, rushing forward with all their might.

The five Devouring Flowers at the front were forced into a passive defensive posture after swallowing a monster.

Under the onslaught of numerous strange creatures, cracks began to appear on the thick petals, and it seemed that it could not hold on for long and could only devour one more at most.

Even more troublesome was that about seven or eight incredibly fast wandering monsters, with their agility, dodged most of the arrows and rushed to the two outermost level one arrow towers.

They began to pounce and ram against the wooden walls protecting the arrow tower, sending wood chips flying everywhere.

Several others attempted to charge the bony barricades, and although they were blocked and injured by the sharp bony spikes, they still posed a threat.

Jiang Ning's eyes sharpened. "This is only the first wave. The outer arrow towers cannot be destroyed so quickly; they must be protected."

He turned his gaze to the central second-tier arrow tower in the village, which had the most powerful firepower and the best field of fire.

As he focused his mind on the arrow tower, the "Target Lock" option quietly appeared on the [Heavenly Craftsman] interface, providing control options for the tower.

"Hmm... the Tier 2 arrow tower also has a manual aiming assist function!"

Jiang Ning was overjoyed.

Even if one cannot completely control whether to fire or not, being able to guide attacks to prioritize targets designated by oneself is a huge tactical breakthrough.

Jiang Ning immediately used the interface to adjust the "priority target" of the central second-tier arrow tower to the wooden wall of the outer left-wing arrow tower, targeting the few elusive monsters that had slipped through the net.

The moment the command was issued—

"Whoosh! Whoosh whoosh!"

The central second-tier arrow tower received the highest command, its body trembled slightly, and the purple light in the skull's eye sockets suddenly turned to the left.

Then, as if they had eyes, several streaks of purple light tore through the night sky and shot precisely at the wandering monsters that were destroying the wooden wall.

"Pfft! Pfft!"

Two of the arrows were fired in quick succession, piercing through two side-by-side wandering monsters.

In just a few breaths, the threat under the left-wing arrow tower was completely eliminated.

Without pausing, Jiang Ning once again manipulated the central arrow tower to turn and lock onto the other strange creatures under the right-wing arrow tower.

The purple arrows shot out again.

The threat from the right wing also dissipated.

The two level-one arrow towers on the outer perimeter are safe for now.

"call......"

Jiang Ning breathed a slight sigh of relief and turned his gaze back to the main battlefield ahead.

The first wave of monsters is rapidly decreasing in number due to the continuous attacks from the seven arrow towers and the delay caused by the Devouring Monster Flowers.