Among them were even old veterans with Cultivation stronger than Ruan Changfeng’s, yet their faces were filled with the same deep apprehension.
"They conquer cities and strongholds, stuffing themselves with merits, and then leave us to deal with the trouble they’ve stirred up. Forget asking the Immortal Descendants to help—even the ones who were supposed to be defending the city have fled."
"It’s like we’re the unwanted stepchildren."
Everyone grumbled endlessly, yet not a single person mentioned retreating.
The situation now was different from the one back at Yongzhou Pass.
They could retreat then because numerous Immortals were stationed in the Border Region, actively hunting Demons to earn merit and curry favor with the Immortal Sects.
But now, they were protecting the city’s citizens.
The General had strictly forbidden any retreat. Even if the Group of Demons ultimately conquered the county, they would have to do so over the dead body of the last constable from the Demon-slaying Bureau.
"Chang Yi, I said I’d introduce you to the General, but it doesn’t look like we’ll get the chance now."
Ruan Xiangling glanced at the boy nicknamed Blackhead beside her. "You scared?"
"Not scared."
Just as Chang Yi finished speaking, thunder CRACKED across the sky.
He trembled and quickly corrected himself. "Okay, maybe a little."
"Hahaha!"
All the Vice Generals burst into laughter, which helped to dispel some of the fear in their hearts.
But before the laughter could fade,
the sky suddenly changed.
A thick curtain of clouds, the color of blood, rolled in like a massive tide, easily crushing the web of interwoven Golden Light.
The grand formation, composed of over a thousand Captains, hadn’t even lasted a single breath!
The boundless Demon Qi blotted out the sky.
It made the already dark and gloomy sky feel even more oppressive.
The thunder and lightning ceased abruptly, and a dead silence fell over everything.
...
The smiles on the faces of the many Vice Generals vanished, instantly replaced by a deathly pallor.
They had expected the Demons to retaliate viciously.
But they had never imagined it would be on such a terrifying scale.
The overwhelming pressure gradually made it difficult for everyone to breathe.
Even the Core Formation Cultivators were so hard-pressed, to say nothing of the Captains at the Foundation Establishment Stage. Though they desperately gritted their teeth and fought to hold their ground, their once-orderly ranks began to waver and fall into disarray.
"Alright, alright... I admit it. Anren Prefecture has only been stable all these years because this Group of Demons was actively restraining itself."
Ruan Xiangling managed a stiff smile.
Everyone knew Demons hid in the mountains, but who could have imagined there were so many.
Her fingers flew, cycling through several different Formulas, but she still had no idea what kind of Magic Technique could possibly counter the terrifying scene before her.
In an instant, Wuyang County descended into utter chaos.
Cries and wails filled the air.
"Everyone... let’s try to die with a bit of dignity."
Listening to the sounds from inside the city, Ruan Changfeng licked his lips, no longer sure what orders to give.
He stared at the advancing red clouds as their menacing shadow rapidly swallowed the city.
The warrior licked his lips and roared hoarsely, "KILL!"
At his roar, over a thousand Captains drew their Demon Slaying Sabers.
But the dazzling silver light didn’t even last for a few moments before it was swallowed by the encroaching shadow.
Just as despair began to set in among the constables, the red clouds in the sky suddenly halted their advance.
At the empty city gates,
a young man in a Flowing Cloud Sword Robe slowly emerged.
He walked through the disarrayed ranks of Captains, past the trembling Armored Spirit Horses, and came to a stop, alone, at the very front of the crowd.
"Senior Brother Lin!"
Ruan Xiangling exclaimed in surprise.
She never would have imagined that after what happened last time, he would still be willing to get involved in Anren Prefecture’s troubles.
But how could one person possibly change a situation like this?
The Group of Demons had come seething with killing intent to avenge their comrades. Why would they be intimidated by a mere Flowing Cloud Sword Robe?
"Shh!"
Ruan Changfeng suddenly grabbed his sister’s arm, signaling for her to be quiet.
The crowd of Vice Generals and Captains stared at the demon cloud in the sky, their expressions a mixture of shock and uncertainty.
The very moment the Yu Family’s Mountain Master had stepped forward, the overwhelming Demon Qi that had been pressing down on them had slowly ground to a halt.
’What in the world is happening?’
Lin Shu stood ramrod straight, the hem of his robe fluttering in the wind, his right hand resting casually on the hilt of the sword at his waist.
He hadn’t unleashed his aura, let alone started forming any Formulas.
And yet, the demon cloud had simply stopped, inexplicably, in mid-air.
Then, his next action made the jaws of the Vice Generals and Captains drop.
"The sixteen counties of this prefecture—Wuyang, Zhong Mountain, Furong, and all the rest. I will protect them."
Lin Shu raised his gaze slightly, looking toward the distant, dark sky.
His voice was clear and calm, holding no trace of a threat.
The Vice Generals who weren’t familiar with the young man couldn’t even fathom what he was doing.
This was a tactic typically used by legendary seniors, whose sheer reputation was enough to intimidate a demon horde into retreating, thus avoiding greater losses.
Although Lin Shu was a Mountain Master, he had only arrived in Anren Prefecture a short time ago.
He had only entered the Demon Mountain once, and on that occasion, he had returned in utter defeat.
’Would the Group of Demons be afraid of *him*?’
In the next moment, their eyes went wide.
Before their very eyes, the roiling red cloud, after its brief pause, began to recede back toward the mountains.
The raging tempest quietly subsided.
The demon cloud, now like a crimson mist, began to dissipate at a rate visible to the naked eye.
The sky once again became clear and serene.
"It’s... it’s over?"
Ruan Xiangling accidentally bit her tongue.
In all her time with the Demon-slaying Bureau, she had never witnessed such a bizarre scene.
With the Group of Demons slowly retreating, the looks of grim resolve on the faces of the Vice Generals and Captains now seemed almost comical.
"Senior Brother Mountain Master, what was that?!"
Ruan Changfeng leaped off his horse and rushed to the young man’s side, staring in disbelief toward the mountains.

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