劍問蒼天 - 第160章 隱者 - 翰墨軒

Xiao Yichen smiled faintly. "Then I'll go take a look over there." With that he left Lin Jinghong and walked off, intending to search He Yin City once more to be sure no civilians had been left behind—for if the beast demons attacked, they would surely perish. But he had gone only a few steps when a low murmur from Lin Jinghong came drifting faintly from behind him:

"Back... fire... back..."

Xiao Yichen paused and turned to look. Lin Jinghong stood frowning deeply, his face clouded with confusion, murmuring softly to himself. Xiao Yichen listened closely, but the words seemed muddled—something that sounded like "back" or the like.

Xiao Yichen raised an eyebrow. "Junior Brother Lin, what's happened at the back mountain?"

Lin Jinghong started. He looked up. "The back mountain? What back mountain?"

Xiao Yichen was taken aback in turn. "I heard you saying 'back mountain' over and over. I thought, since you've often gone to the ancestral shrine on the back mountain of Jietian Peak these years to tend and sweep it, that something must have happened there!"

Lin Jinghong looked a little embarrassed and said quickly, "No, no—I was just muttering to myself. I've worried you for nothing, Senior Brother."

Xiao Yichen smiled. "As long as all is well. Junior Brother Lin, battle is imminent—you must keep up your strength."

Lin Jinghong smiled and nodded. He was just about to speak when suddenly a cry of alarm came from somewhere in the distance, from a Qingyun disciple. Startled, Xiao Yichen and Lin Jinghong almost simultaneously leaped into the air and flew toward the sound.

The cry had come from the south gate of He Yin City, where several Qingyun disciples were making a final patrol. Now they stood as if facing a great enemy, talismans summoned, expressions taut. There atop the city wall stood a hideous beast with a lion's head and a wolf's body, its great eyes glaring fiercely, a low growl rumbling in its throat as it fixed its gaze on the Qingyun disciples. But it seemed to know these were no ordinary folk, and so for the moment it made no rash move.

Xiao Yichen and Lin Jinghong landed. By now other Qingyun disciples had hurried over as well. When they saw the creature clearly, all drew a sharp breath. Xiao Yichen exhaled slowly and said in a low voice, "A beast demon."

Suddenly a Qingyun disciple beside Lin Jinghong cried out loudly, "Outside—outside..."

The panic in his voice made everyone's hearts seem to leap into their throats. Almost in unison they looked toward the distance beyond He Yin City, in the direction the disciple was pointing.

Beneath the vast, black mass of storm clouds, on the horizon, rolling thunder approached; silent lightning split the firmament. The earth trembled faintly, and a deep rumbling seemed to seep up from the depths of the nine underworlds, yet it drove straight into the depths of the soul, echoing without end.

Countless beast demons gathered into a boundless, black, terrifying tide, surging forth from afar. Their rumbling was like rolling thunder, already drowning out the thunder of the heavens. The world turned desolate and lethal; lightning flickered like monstrous serpents gone wild. The murderous aura that oppressed the heart came rushing at them even from so great a distance.

Every Qingyun disciple was ashen. Xiao Yichen gritted his teeth and shouted, "Go! Go now—back to Canglan Mountain at once."

At his sharp cry, the Qingyun disciples dared not dawdle; one after another they summoned their immortal swords and soared into the sky. The lion-headed, wolf-bodied monstrosity atop the wall roared loudly, savage in appearance.

Lin Jinghong brought up the rear of the crowd, turning his head midair to gaze back. He saw only an endless, frenzied tide of beast-demons surging forward—the whole earth seemed already an ocean of vicious beasts, with not a trace of human presence left anywhere.

This catastrophe had finally reached its most critical hour!

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