The setting sun was the color of blood as its last rays faded behind the mountains.

Zhang Yanhe watched the Demon Beast tide retreat once more, and the taut string in his heart finally slackened. Long sword in hand, he slumped against the battlements, gasping for breath.

It had been over ten days since the Demon Beasts launched their first attack. They had gone from facing the enemy on a single front to being besieged on all sides, repelling over a dozen ferocious assaults.

Although they had killed or wounded over a hundred thousand Demon Beasts thanks to the city’s formidable defenses, a glance at the overall situation revealed that the outlook remained grim.

Neither the Thunderous Demon King nor the Black Dragon Demon King had made an appearance.

The other Great Demons rarely joined the fray, so in all this time, the defenders had only managed to slay two and severely injure one.

The one who had been severely injured but survived was Golden Armor, a Great Demon of the Profound Armor Race.

After being severely wounded in a trap set by Niu Dazhuang, Golden Armor had seized a moment when both sides were focused on the attack and defense to mysteriously vanish from the battlefield, leaving not a single trace behind.

When the Thunderous Demon King learned of this, he flew into a rage. He had hoped to devour Golden Armor and augment his own power. He never imagined it would slip away so quickly. ’No wonder it survived the past few wars,’ he thought. ’That’s what you call a professional.’

Later, when the Thunderous Demon King’s assault failed, he followed the advice of a subordinate Great Demon and requested reinforcements from the Black Dragon Demon King at the rear.

The Black Dragon Demon King never expected that brainless oaf to take Luoxia City on his own. After receiving the request, he dispatched a contingent of Demon Beasts as reinforcements and strongly demanded the Blood Demon Sect join the battle.

With these reinforcements, the Thunderous Demon King immediately ordered a siege on all four sides, grinding down Luoxia City’s foundations day and night. The strategy had been quite effective, but taking the city in one final battle would depend on the Blood Demon Sect’s schemes.

The Thunderous Demon King raised his massive head, gazing at the behemoth of a city shrouded in a curtain of light. A flicker of anticipation lit his eyes. ’The Blood Demon Sect... they should be ready to make their move by now!’

Just then, the Silver Moon Grey Wolf, who served as his strategist, approached and said respectfully, "My King, some of my kin, while out foraging, discovered several Human Race factions secretly funneling supplies to Luoxia City. What are your orders, My King?"

The Thunderous Demon King’s voice boomed like thunder as he raged, "Those humans are like ants! They should thank their lucky stars I haven’t already sent my army to exterminate them. They ought to be cowering in their corners, struggling to survive.

"And now they dare to provoke me? Silver Moon, I command you to take your clan and sweep away all those ants. Don’t let a single one escape!"

The Silver Moon Grey Wolf was secretly overjoyed. ’What a cushy job!’ he thought. ’Aside from Luoxia City, there isn’t a single Purple Mansion Cultivator in all of Bian and Ling Provinces.’

’Doesn’t that mean these vast lands are free for the Silver Moon Grey Wolf clan to dominate?’

He hastily bowed his head to accept the command.

Before long, a pack of over ten thousand Silver Moon Grey Wolves, led by the Great Demon Silver Moon, bypassed Luoxia City and swept toward the rear of Bian Province and into Ling Province.

Luoxia City attempted to intercept them, but the Silver Moon Grey Wolf clan moved like the wind, rendering the defenders’ efforts mostly futile.

Zhan Tianxia had no better solution for this. After all, the border was simply too vast to defend every point.

All Luoxia City could do was stand firm like a nail, pinning down the main force of the Beast Tide. As for that splinter pack, he had already sent out word. The various powers in Bian and Ling Provinces would have to fend for themselves...

Night fell, and a hush descended over Luoxia City. Only the Law Enforcement Disciples of the City Lord’s Mansion patrolled tirelessly.

Since the war began, malicious individuals had often tried to incite unrest, but their attempts never lasted long. The moment they reared their heads, they were quashed by the Law Enforcement Disciples led by Zhuang Yuechan. As a result, the city remained remarkably stable.

Zhuang Yuechan led a small team of Law Enforcement Disciples on patrol down the main street.

Her expression was somewhat haggard, her usual gentle grace replaced by a sharp competence.

Although she hadn’t been on the front lines fighting Demon Beasts, maintaining stability in such a massive city had consumed a great deal of her energy.

A petite young woman on the team looked at Zhuang Yuechan’s weary eyes and couldn’t help but speak up. "Senior Sister, you haven’t had a proper rest in over ten days. This is just a routine patrol; we can handle it. You should go back and get some sleep."

"That’s right, we’ve got this. You should go rest, Senior Sister," another chimed in.

Zhuang Yuechan shook her head grimly. "My brothers and sisters, our elders and seniors are shedding their blood on the city walls. They aren’t resting, so what right do I have to rest?

"Say no more. Concentrate. The hours after nightfall are the most dangerous."

Seeing her firm resolve, the others said no more, and the patrol fell silent.

Just as Zhuang Yuechan led her team past a corner, a dark shadow slowly materialized from the ground behind them...

The night was unexpectedly quiet, with no disturbances reported anywhere. While this was undoubtedly good news, Zhuang Yuechan felt a sense of unease. She had a nagging feeling that something was about to happen.

As they passed an inn, she stopped and turned to her team. "I’m going upstairs to visit a friend. You all rest here for a quarter of an hour. Make sure you don’t wander off alone."

With that, Zhuang Yuechan went up to the second floor and knocked on a door.

The person who opened the door was Xu Yunhe. Luoxia City had been put on lockdown not long after his arrival.