I built a safe house in the eerie night.

Darkness descended as expected, like thick ink splashed, swallowing every inch of light and land in Changyin Mountain.

Without the faint protective glow of the altar, Baiye Village was plunged into complete darkness, devoid of any light.

However, the village did not fall into panic.

The elderly, women, and children stood quietly in front of their houses, their faces no longer showing the fear and confusion of the past, but rather a calm trust.

The able-bodied men, holding various modified, rudimentary tools, stood guard attentively, their eyes all fixed on the figures on the high platform.

Jiang Ning stood on the edge of the observation platform, leaning slightly forward, his eyes pressed against the observation device, carefully scanning the dark, surging outline of the mountains and fields in the distance.

Behind him, Yu Niu and Er Hu stood like two iron towers, each gripping a newly crafted Mingyan bone spear, the spear tips pointing diagonally at the ground, their muscles taut.

They are already fully armed and ready to go.

Wang Fu and Xiong Meng stood further back, their faces particularly solemn, and they remained silent.

The seven upgraded bone arrow towers in the village also stood majestically in the darkness, with purple light flowing eerily in the eyes of the skulls at the top of the towers, filled with cold killing intent.

At the forefront outside the village, the five "Devouring Flower" traps that Jiang Ning had set up that evening had now unfurled their thick, menacing petals, swaying slowly in the night breeze and emitting a putrid and strangely sweet stench of bait.

Further on, there was a row of barricades with sharp bone spikes, which reflected an invisible, cold light in the darkness.

Time passed slowly in the oppressive stillness.

Only the mountain wind howled tirelessly, traversing the wilderness, shaking the withered trees and making a whistling sound. Those swaying branches were shadowy in the darkness, like countless twisted and rampant ghosts.

"Young Master..."

From below the observation platform, Zhou Lei's deliberately lowered voice came: "All seven arrow towers are fully loaded with ammunition, and there are also a few canisters of ammunition for backup, which can be replenished at any time."

The boy now stands ramrod straight, and the timidity he showed a couple of days ago is gone from his face.

Since being entrusted with the important task of managing the arrow reserves by Jiang Ning, he has been full of confidence, and he is holding the heavy iron shovel tightly in his hand.

Jiang Ning stepped slightly away from the scope, his gaze sweeping over the seven arrow towers wreathed in purple light, and nodded slightly:

"Alright, keep a close eye on arrow consumption. Tonight... won't be easy. We can't let a single arrow tower stop firing!"

"Yes!" Zhou Lei replied, his chest puffed out, his voice still full of the solemnity of being trusted.

Jiang Ning squinted again, looking into the darkness in the distance. His gaze lingered especially in the direction where the strange child had appeared last night, and then unconsciously swept over the shadow of the ancient tree in the center of the mountain range, whose massive outline was faintly visible even in the darkness.

Jiang Ning exhaled heavily, letting out a breath of stale air.

We've done everything we could.

The only thing left is to face it.

The altar is the foundation upon which humanity stands in darkness.

Even a mighty city with a population of millions is built upon the foundation of an altar where holy blood is burned.

Without the protection of the altar, one is completely exposed to darkness and eerie perceptions, which has been almost synonymous with destruction since ancient times.

This is a fear etched into the blood of humanity, and also the greatest obstacle to the development of humanity.

Jiang Ning leaned closer to the telescope again, carefully calculating the most likely directions from which the strange tide would emerge.

But gradually, his brows furrowed.

Something's not right... It's too quiet!

Although it was night, the mountains and fields were unusually quiet. There was none of the usual rustling and howling that gradually grew louder as it approached; only the sound of the wind wailing could be heard.

This extreme calm before the storm cast an even heavier shadow over Jiang Ning's heart.

The dangers brewing in the unknown are often more agonizing than the overt turmoil.

"Young Master, why... is there still no movement?"

Wang Fu's extremely low voice sounded from behind, his voice somewhat tense.

Jiang Ning shook his head, remained silent for a moment, and then softly gave the order:

"Let everyone go back inside first, close the doors and windows, and no matter what noise you hear tonight, don't come out or make any sound."

Xiong Meng accepted the order and quickly walked down from the viewing platform, making several hand gestures to the villagers below who were eagerly waiting.

The villagers did not hesitate. Even those men whose fighting spirit had been ignited only glanced at the stage a few times before turning back to their houses without hesitation.

They understood that in tonight's crucial battle, trusting Jiang Ning and not causing trouble was the greatest support they could offer.

Xiong Qiuqiu was held tightly in her mother Du's arms. The little girl looked at her father's back on the viewing platform, her eyes filled with pride and worry.

She moved her lips as if to say something, but her mother, Madam Du, gently covered them and carried her back into the house.

The door was gently closed with a muffled sound.

"roar--!!"

A ferocious roar that ripped through the silent night sky suddenly erupted from the depths of the withered woods outside the village.

The dark mountains and fields seemed to be instantly activated by this roar.

"They're here!"

Yu Niu and Er Hu roared almost simultaneously, gripping their bone spears tightly, their eyes burning with intensity, like two ferocious beasts that had spotted their prey, staring intently at the surging darkness outside the village.

Jiang Ning had no doubt that if he gave the order, these two hotheads would dare to rush out... and be sent for free.

However, Jiang Ning's heart was still sinking.

The scene seen through the telescope was completely different from the expected image of the surging Kuroshio Current.

The number of the strange tides... is abnormally low.

Only a few scattered, low-level monsters, their forms twisted and contorted, swayed and let out intermittent roars as they staggered toward the village's defenses.

It didn't have the suffocating quantity and oppressive feeling of the previous few days at all.

"What exactly happened tonight?"

Jiang Ning's voice trembled slightly.

This unusual sight made him uneasy.

He abruptly moved the lens away, his gaze sharp as lightning, staring intently in the direction of Dongshan, a strange and inexplicable thought surfacing in his mind.

......

At the same time, on one side of Xishan Mountain, in Qingniu Village.

Liu Guan and his two henchmen huddled in a corner of a relatively intact mud house, the three of them squeezed in front of a narrow gap behind the door, holding their breath as they peered out.

The altar in Qingniu Village still burns steadily. The light emanating from the "holy blood" in the altar, though faint, is like a lighthouse, firmly enveloping the entire village and upholding peace in this boundless darkness.

This is now Liu Guan and all the villagers of Qingniu Village's greatest reliance.

"Ah Gou," Liu Guan asked his follower in a barely audible whisper, hiding himself completely in the shadows of the room.

"Are you sure you saw it correctly? That the altar in Hundred Pages Village was destroyed this morning?"

Ah Gou peered through the crack in the door, nodded firmly, and replied in a low voice:

"Don't worry, boss. The flames on their altar are completely black. Even with my Qi Refining Level 4 cultivation, they can't detect me. Besides, they can't see me from a great distance. I..."

"Shh-"

Liu Guan interrupted him, his eyes wide with anxiety, "Keep your voice down! If those things outside hear us, you want to die!"

Ah Gou shrank his neck in fright.

The other follower, who also had the cultivation level of the fourth level of Qi Refining, was no longer as fierce as he used to be under the dark oppression of Changyin Mountain. He was trembling and hugging his arms tightly.

A smug smile slowly spread across Liu Guan's face. "Good, without the altar... they definitely won't survive tonight!"

Ah Gou hesitated for a moment and whispered:

"But boss, their arrow towers seem to have gotten stronger, and they even have walls now..."

Liu Guan impatiently scolded:

"What good are arrow towers? In these mountains, not having an altar is suicide. Do you think his dilapidated arrow towers can withstand a whole night of ghost tides?"

"Where did he get so many resources? Just wait until tomorrow morning to collect the body. Just make sure it's not eaten up completely."

"Hehe, speaking of which, in the past, we really had to curry favor with Jiang Ning, that kid's master craftsmanship. But now, hmph, it's perfect to take advantage of his family's reward. It's a pity they're dead..."

As he was quietly calculating, the trembling henchman beside him suddenly tugged at Liu Guan's sleeve, his voice shaking uncontrollably.

"Boss, something feels off... tonight... how come there are so many of these things outside?!"

Liu Guan's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly moved closer to the crack in the door.

With just one glance, the smug smile on his face instantly froze.

Outside the village, on what was once a relatively peaceful, dark wilderness, countless terrifying, shadowy figures had suddenly appeared.

They roared and stirred, their scarlet and eerie green eyes forming chilling points of light in the darkness, slowly surging toward Qingniu Village.

The number far exceeds that of any previous night!

Liu Guan was stunned, his mind buzzing.

Wait a minute! The altar destroyed the village next door!

Why are they coming at us?!

"roar--!"

The terrifying roars merged into one, engulfing the area surrounding Qingniu Village like a tidal wave.

Filled with mad malice, it instantly dominated the three people behind the door, as well as all the villagers who were huddled in the protective aura, yet could still feel the terror approaching.

At the same time, in the distant city of Danhua.

Deep within the Jiang family mansion.

The main living room was lit by only a few dim oil lamps, whose light barely dispelled a small patch of darkness, but made the huge space seem even more secluded.

A slightly younger-sounding male voice broke the silence.

"Father, are we really going to just stand by and watch our sixth brother go, abandoning him? He still shares our bloodline..."

A long silence followed.

A calm and indifferent middle-aged man's voice slowly drifted from the shadowy figure at the head of the hall:

"His fate was sealed, and if he were to die, it would be an honor for the Jiang family to have done his part."

With the light slightly adjusted, one could clearly see a burly, dignified middle-aged man sitting in the main seat of the hall.

He was holding a teacup, gently stirring the floating leaves with the lid, his movements unhurried.

Standing below was a young man in brocade robes, whose features bore a five or six-point resemblance to the middle-aged man.

At this moment, the middle-aged man sitting on the seat, who had been like a tiger lying in wait, suddenly sharpened his gaze and shot it towards the darkness outside the hall.

"Thump...thump...thump..."

The crisp sound of footsteps approached from afar, striking the smooth stone floor at a measured pace, and sounded especially clear in the dim light.

A graceful and delicate young woman slowly stepped from the darkness outside the hall into the dim yellow light.

She was beautiful, with a subtle, alluring charm in her eyes and brows.

The beautiful woman's gaze swept over the unnatural-looking young man, lingering for a moment before she turned to the middle-aged man in the main seat with a sweet smile, her voice as soft as honey:

"Patriarch Jiang, the young city lord's health is deteriorating day by day. It seems you haven't fulfilled your promise. And how is your unfilial son still alive...?"