Chapter 412: An Unfortunate Settlement
When Wuhan's emotions got the better of him, they started to resonate with the world. The angrier he got, the higher the effect they had on the area around the sect.
The terrain around the sect started to shake, and the mountains started to crack on the surface, but the cracks were not that deep and were barely visible. Anything that had consciousness in the 1-mile radius of the sect started to feel the effects of the changes in the area around them.
Any Spirit Beast with the cultivation of Rank 3 or below did not even have the chance to fight back before they gave in to their primal urge to slaughter everything in their sight.
They did not feel any hunger, they did not feel any fear of the strong beasts, and crossed the boundaries of the inner section of the forest. The only thing they were feeling was the boundless killing intent.
The moment these weaker beasts crossed the boundaries of the inner section, they met their fated end. All of them were either swallowed whole, ripped apart, smashed, pulverized, or painted all over the ground.
Even then, the rest of the beasts did not stop from mindlessly charging forward. Their eyes only stopped flaring with killing intent only when they were gouged from their bodies.
*Boom!*
Not all of these beasts charged into the inner section of the forest; some who were fortunate moved out of the forest. But that did not mean they were out of danger and they were not the only ones in danger.
Some of these beasts made their way towards the capital city of the Feng Empire while the rest moved in different directions. The beasts who moved in the direction of the Capital City alarmed the guards on patrol.
"All Guards! Charge and Kill These mindless Beasts!" The head of the guards gave his orders to the rest of the guards under him. Each one of those guards was in the Foundation Establishment Realm, corresponding to Rank 3 Beasts!
"ARGHH!" All the guards charged forward and slashed the beasts in groups before the one-sided battle came to an end. Unaware of the dangers brewing in the depths of the forest, they all started to celebrate their victory over the beasts.
While the guards were enjoying their victory, the other beasts moved closer to the settlements established by humans. Most of the people living in these settlements were no different than mortals. Since none of them had talent for cultivation, they were living together under the protection of a few cultivators.
One of such cultivators was the chief of that place.
"Mom, what is that?" One of the kids playing outside the boundaries of the settlement pointed at the huge puff of smoke that rose in the air. Hearing the words of her child, the woman who was playing along with the child raised her head and saw the dust flying in the air.
She was shocked to see such a scene and could not make out what the smoke was. Since she was a mortal like her son, her eyes could not see that far in the distance.
But… when she realized that whatever it was coming in their direction, a bad feeling started to arise in her heart. She immediately picked her five-year-old child in her arms on instinct and ran towards the settlement with all of her might.
"HELP!! Guards!!!" While running, she screamed at the top of her lungs. The look of horror on her face scared the child in her arms. But the woman did not have time to care about anything besides their safety.
Even though she was running at her full strength, she was not getting much closer to the gates. The helplessness of being a mortal started to dawn on her, but even then she refused to give herself to despair for the sake of surviving, for the sake of her child's safety!
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*Screeech!*
"Help!!" The woman's voice grew horrified when she started to hear the sounds of something heavy stomping followed by a screeching cry of a beast.
If her voice did not reach the ears of the guards, then the roars of the beasts reached their ears. They turned their heads in the direction of the woman running towards them with a pale and horrified face while tightly holding her child in her arms.
*ROAR!*
Hearing the loud roar, they looked behind her and their eyes widened, "Oye… what the hell is that…."
The guard spoke in despair as his eyes landed on the same puff of smoke coming in their direction, but unlike the woman, they could see it. The guards saw that it was not just one beast but a small horde of beasts running in their direction.
"Rank… Rank 3 Beast!!" Seeing the size and aura emitting from the beast, one experienced guard at the first stage of the Qi Condensation stage screamed in despair. He was the strongest guard in the group and also the oldest.
"What… What should we do about her…?" One of the guards snapped out of his daze and looked at the woman staggering in their direction. Even though she was on the verge of collapsing, she used all of her remaining will to continue running towards them.
The rest of the guards looked at the woman as well. They realized that at the speed she was running, sooner or later she would be swallowed by the beasts unless they did something.
"Close the door!" The same old man who was in the Qi Condensation stage suddenly ordered the guards. Hearing his order, the rest of the guards looked at the man in horror. "What are you doing? She is about to die anyway. We can use her to buy some time for us to close the door."
Seeing the reluctant look on their faces, the man raised his voice and argued. Seeing their resolve faltering, the man added, "If we don't close the door till the Chief gets here, no one will survive! One person for many is not a pointless sacrifice."
His words hit the guards directly in their hearts. They all had their families and they did not want their families to die. With a look of resolve in their eyes, the guards moved to close the huge wooden gates of the small settlement.
While they were rushing to save their lives, high up in the air, under the concealment of the clouds, a woman dressed in ice-colored robes silently watched everything unfold. Although her expression was hidden because of the white mask on her face, her nails were grinding against her hard skin.