Chapter 78: Chapter 78

Li Shuning stood atop the ancient city walls gazing into the distance, yet did not spot a single demon or monster, nor feel any hint of their presence. Where had those demons and monsters gone?

Li Shuning recalled the Spirit Monsters lurking in the village over a decade ago, always feeling there was something she didn’t know.

Thinking it over, Li Shuning quietly dispatched the Hovercar, activated the invisibility cloaking, and flew out of Lishui City.

Three days passed, and those demons and monsters seemed to have abandoned Lishui City, never appearing again.

Inside the city, there were rumors that Li Shuning was overly worried about nothing.

However, Chairman Liang and others greatly trusted Li Shuning, and a person of her strength had no need to lie.

In the past, she mentioned formidable presences among the Spirit Monsters, so there must have been some.

Perhaps they were planning something big?

As such, the patrols did not relax but rather increased their shifts.

However, Li Shuning noticed that within Lishui City, there were a few more Cultivators above the Foundation Establishment level.

It seemed that the Foundation Establishment Pill had already been used up.

But in any case, the more power in Lishui City, the more hope there was.

Two more days passed, yet all was still calm.

Li Shuning’s expression remained heavy with concern.

She quietly sought out Chairman Liang, informing him that the demons and monsters were likely to attack the city that night.

Chairman Liang was shocked but believed the information must have come from Li Shuning’s master, so he immediately began making arrangements.

Li Shuning had discovered some things through the images transmitted from the Hovercar’s detector, indicating they should be coming that night.

Returning home, Li Shuning retrieved over fifty talismans from Li Fu and then set up a Talisman Array outside the villa.

However, ordinary people couldn’t discern what Li Shuning had done; once the array was set, those talismans mysteriously vanished.

Remembering Gao Fei’s obedience and significant contributions over the years, Li Shuning decided to visit the Gao Family.

"Gao Fei, the great battle is just days away, and whether Lishui City can hold is still in question. If it cannot, retreating to the inner city is inevitable. The real lasting battle will begin then. If you want more security, you can move to my parents’ place where I’ve set up some things."

Gao Fei felt somewhat touched: "Thank you, Master Li. I will soon move there with my wife and children."

Li Shuning returned home, and after a short while, Gao Fei’s family, along with two servants and two of Gao Fei’s trusted aides, showed up.

Even though Gao Fei brought a few people, Li Shuning didn’t mind.

If Gao Fei had brought the entire Gao Family, she wouldn’t have said anything, but her impression of Gao Fei would have certainly worsened.

Gao Fei indeed understood discretion well.

The patrols seemed somewhat lax today, with many people drifting off to sleep. Fresh chapters posted on N()velFire.net

At 2 a.m., many were already in deep slumber.

However, at that moment, the ground seemed to shake, and those on the ancient city walls immediately sounded an alarm through a loudspeaker.

The next moment, a dozen individuals approached on Flying Swords, with Li Shuning among them, already prepared.

Other Magicians also emerged from buildings near the walls.

With one command from Chairman Liang, countless mechanical crossbows were raised and fired into the air.

In the next moment, countless plate-sized spheres appeared in midair, forming a circle and emitting bright light.

Suddenly, the night near the walls became as bright as day.

Everyone gasped for air.

Countless demons and monsters had reached the riverbank, appearing fierce and formidable.

Looking beyond, they seemed endless.

When did the demons and monsters multiply so much? Where did they all come from?

Just then, a young Magician approached Chairman Liang and whispered a few words.

Chairman Liang gasped, yet still quietly conveyed to Li Shuning and others, "Our neighboring city, Jiao Hai City, was breached the day before yesterday. Apparently, the demons and monsters suddenly increased ten days ago."

"The demons and monsters on our side disappeared, while Jiao Hai City saw a sudden increase, and now here as well..."

Chairman Liang didn’t need to finish for Li Shuning and others to understand his point.

Li Shuning had known all along. She sighed internally, realizing how difficult survival in this world truly was. These demons and monsters were clever enough to unite and first pick the easy targets.

Li Shuning, with a heavy expression, replied, "Chairman Liang, have you prepared everything I mentioned?"

"Rest assured, Master Li, everything has been arranged."

As the words fell, there was activity across the river from the city walls.

Countless demons and monsters leaped into the river, heading toward the ancient city walls.

Those on the walls remained still.

Li Shuning narrowed her eyes, observing the advancing demons and monsters reach the base of the walls, with many already in the river. She suddenly soared on her Flying Sword, hovering above the water.

With a flick of her hand, she unleashed a barrage of thunderbolts into the river.

The next instant, the demons and monsters standing in the river convulsed violently.

At that moment, the city’s electricity went out entirely.

Li Shuning had Chairman Liang draw countless electrical wires into the river.

Earlier, Li Shuning had used a spell to break those wires open; with the resulting electrical leakage in the water, the effect was profound.

Crucially, Li Shuning had also blocked the upstream and downstream flows, turning the river into still water, in which she had dispersed some substances.

These substances were obtained with difficulty from the association’s warehouse, formulated to inflict severe damage on demons and monsters.

Evidently, this strategy was highly successful, as countless demons and monsters fell into the water and could not rise again.

Some demons and monsters, staggering, attempted to return to the riverbank.

Li Shuning would not let them escape, swiftly eliminating all the still-moving demons and monsters.

Many demons and monsters entered the river, but due to their massive builds, the entire river was filled with their corpses.

Soon, numerous demons and monsters advanced rapidly, stepping on the bodies of the fallen and, having applied some protective measures, the electric currents caused them no harm.

Chiefly, they cleverly avoided contact with the river water.

Li Shuning returned to the top of the city walls, knowing that the straightforward tactics were now over, and it was time for a direct confrontation. The previous unexpected strategy had dealt heavy losses to the demons and monsters, especially those at the forefront who were notably powerful. Killing them in that manner was a great achievement.

On the ancient city walls, countless people started chanting spells and launching attacks.

The demons and monsters were overwhelmingly many, while the Cultivators were few. Fortunately, Li Shuning had previously crafted Qi Nourishing Pills, ensuring that everyone’s True Yuan wouldn’t exhaust too rapidly, or else this battle would have been unwinnable.

Li Shuning soared into the sky on her Flying Sword, wreaking havoc outside the city.

Other Foundation Establishment Cultivators with Flying Swords also took to the air to assist.

Those without Flying Swords stayed on the walls, reinforcing any weaknesses as needed.

PS: Xiao Qing has posted a collection thread in the book review section. Feel free to share your favorite background character names or preferred story types there, mwah~