Chapter 354 - 167: Jiangbei Defense Line, Taking Shape

Chapter 354: Chapter 167: Jiangbei Defense Line, Taking Shape

Ghost Objects could survive under the sun.

That was not a good sign.

It meant this area was on the verge of being overrun.

Even if it was reclaimed in time.

If it could be overrun once, it could be overrun a second time.

"Eternal Night Hall..."

Sitting on his bed and gazing out the window, Shao Qiu silently repeated the name. It was an immensely powerful organization with countless factions in its ranks, responsible for building and maintaining all the defense lines across the entire Eternal Night Continent.

One could say...

...it was the Eternal Night Hall that had protected the entire Eternal Night Continent.

But now, with the situation on the frontlines so dire, the Eternal Night Hall’s attention was stretched thin.

He had heard the name before.

Back before the Mortal Realm was formally established, when the Domain Lord was asking the Elders for suggestions on a name for their faction, Wang Mazi had proposed "Eternal Night Hall." Shao Qiu hadn’t been there at the time; he had not yet joined the Mortal Realm.

Wang Mazi had mentioned it to him in passing sometime later.

He had sounded a bit wistful, saying that while "Mortal Realm" was a good name, "Eternal Night Hall" would have been far more imposing.

"Pavilion Master."

A Dark Pavilion member beside him asked in a low, anxious voice, "Should we return to the Mortal Realm immediately and report this news?"

These past few days, he had been quite happy.

As an official member of the Mortal Realm, a major power, no one dared to bully him when he was out and about. He had thought life could continue on peacefully like this, until they were ordered to the Guandong Plain.

Only then did he learn the true state of the Eternal Night Continent.

The No. 7 Defense Line was not the continent’s primary front.

It was just a secondary defense line.

But if even a secondary line had suffered so horrifically, one could only imagine how brutal the fighting was on the Eternal Night Frontline, where the Ghost Tides were even larger.

In a war like this...

...the role the Dark Pavilion could play was extremely limited, and a sense of powerlessness washed over him. He wanted to do something, but there was nothing he could do. Even if he fought with his life on the line, he could kill one or two Ghost Objects at most before being swallowed by the Ghost Tide.

To a massive Ghost Tide numbering in the tens of millions, he wouldn’t even make a ripple.

He wasn’t afraid to risk his life.

He was just afraid that risking his life would be useless.

"..."

Shao Qiu glanced at the subordinate beside him, pausing for a moment before speaking softly, "Don’t be anxious. The pressure on the defense line only skyrockets during the rainy season. This one has just passed, and it will be several months until the next. It’s highly unlikely the No. 7 Defense Line will fall during this period."

"Xiaoyi, Xiao Er."

"You two will leave immediately, return to the Mortal Realm, and report the news. Let the Domain Lord know in advance so he can be prepared."

"The rest of us will remain on the Guandong Plain for the next few months to gather more intelligence—for instance, the specific details of how the No. 7 Defense Line fell during the rainy season, and the approximate scale of the Ghost Object forces at the time."

"Why was it breached?"

"Was it because the Ghost Tide was too numerous, or was there a Great Ghost leading the charge?"

"The Dark Pavilion..."

"...is not only responsible for assassinations but also for intelligence gathering. This is our duty."

"At dawn tomorrow, you will join the No. 7 Defense Line with me to observe things up close."

Dawn broke quickly.

The two Dark Pavilion members, Xiaoyi and Xiao Er, had already mounted their Skeleton Horses and begun the journey home to deliver their report. Meanwhile, Shao Qiu led the remaining members out of the city in disguise.

They headed for the No. 7 Defense Line, which was only a few hundred meters from the city.

"..."

Shao Qiu gazed at the No. 7 Defense Line before him. It stretched out of sight in both directions, a thirty-meter-high bastion standing by the sea. Looking up at it was incredibly intimidating.

The entire defense line was like a colossal, crude ruler...

...slammed down upon the coastline.

It cleaved the safe zone from the Ghost Tide Zone.

Looking at the City Wall, one could easily distinguish the old sections from the new. The pristine parts were repairs made after the No. 7 Defense Line had fallen. Atop the wall, he could see rows of turrets.

On the ground, jets of pale, cold fire would occasionally erupt without warning.

A wooden stake was planted nearby.

No one went near it.

The ground was stained black with Ghost Blood. He didn’t know what it was, but he guessed it was a contaminated area left behind by a certain type of Ghost Object after its death, similar to a Meat Worm Ghost. However, the corrosive green liquid that erupted from a Meat Worm Ghost upon death faded quickly, whereas the traces left by this type of Ghost Object lingered indefinitely.

The body of the wall was covered in claw marks of varying depths, acid pits, and scorch marks.

Shao Qiu’s expression shifted slightly as he looked at the claw marks. They were on the *inner* side of the defense line. Normally, the inner face of the City Wall shouldn’t have this much damage.

The color difference between the old and new sections of the wall was obvious.

The City Wall was fitted with numerous "hanging baskets" that could be raised and lowered quickly. They were identical to the Mortal Realm’s High-speed Rail system, though these were the lowest grade—Level 1—used by the City Defense Army to ascend and descend, and to transport supplies.

At that moment, people were continuously hoisting all sorts of Ghost Stone Weapons up to the top of the City Wall.

At the foot of the City Wall...

...the Ghost Object remains and the soldiers’ bloodstains from the great battle two months ago had been crudely cleared away. But the earth was still soaked a strange, purplish-black color. Rows of tents and Wooden Houses were clustered at the base of the wall.

A long line had formed, with many people waiting. The City Defense Army was recruiting.

Hardly anyone in the area was speaking.

A foul stench hung in the air—it was hard to tell if it was the smell of the seawater from beyond the defense line or the reek of death from too many corpses. It was utterly nauseating.

Shao Qiu led his Dark Pavilion members and joined the queue.

Soon, it was their turn.