Cultivating in Different Professions

Chapter 207: Chapter 143: Holding the Line

”A Tier Three—Demon!”

Xie Zuowen stood on the walls of the Inner City, somewhat dazed.

By design, the Inner City of Wuling City was built on higher ground than the Outer City, and its walls were also a great deal taller.

Standing on the Inner City walls, one could naturally see the scene outside the city as well.

Although the distance was great, making ordinary demons look like ants, the Tier Three Demon’s mountain-like body still exuded a suffocating pressure that could be felt even from so far away.

”My—My Lord, a Tier Three Demon! What are we going to do?”

The general beside him stammered in a panic.

A Tier Three Demon was comparable to a True Essence Realm Martial Artist. There wasn’t a single person in Wuling City who could be its opponent.

Moreover, a Tier Three Demon’s intelligence was no less than a human’s. Once it commanded the other demons to attack the city, it would be a cataclysmic disaster for Wuling City!

”What are you panicking for!”

Xie Zuowen said in a low voice, ”The Inner City walls have been specially reinforced. Even a Tier Three Demon can’t breach them that easily.”

”Besides, we still have Profound Weapons.”

Hearing the words ”Profound Weapon,” the general finally calmed down a little.

”It’s a pity that no one in Wuling City can currently wield the Five Flames Heaven-Shaking Bow. Otherwise, a Tier Three Demon could be annihilated with the flick of a finger!”

The general said with a sigh.

”The Five Flames Heaven-Shaking Bow is powerful, but only a Martial Artist who has undergone nine blood transformations can unleash its true might,” Xie Zuowen said. Wuling City had no such martial artist, so naturally, no one could use the Five Flames Heaven-Shaking Bow.

”But even without the Five Flames Heaven-Shaking Bow, Wuling City still has the Siege Crossbows. It won’t be difficult to hold off one Tier Three Demon.”

Xie Zuowen said gravely, ”Send someone to summon City Lord Luo and Captain Wan of the Taiping Bureau. Have them request reinforcements from Jingzhou. Tell the men to prepare for battle. Once the Outer City falls, we will be the last line of defense.”

...

”A Tier Three Demon?”

On the wall of the Outer City, Su Mu stared at the mountain-like demon in the distance, a look of shock on his face.

He had seen his fair share of demons. At least several dozen Tier One Demons had died by his hand, not to mention hundreds of unranked ones.

But this was the first time he had ever seen a Tier Three Demon.

’Just looking at its size, you can tell it’s not something to be trifled with.’

Of course, in reality, a Tier Three Demon Beast was indeed not to be trifled with.

”This is going to be trouble.”

Su Mu muttered to himself.

He had emptied the coffers of the wealthy merchants and gentry in the four districts of the Outer City and pulled strings through Luo Anning just to painstakingly acquire 200,000 Demon-Breaking Crossbow Arrows.

Wuling City was located near the Daxing Mountain Range, so it maintained a year-round stockpile of Demon-Breaking Crossbow Arrows to guard against Demon Tides. A crucial task of the Inner City’s Refining Bureau was to produce these arrows, and a large portion of Wuling City’s tax revenue was also used to purchase them from other places.

Even with all that, Wuling City’s total stockpile of Demon-Breaking Crossbow Arrows was only about a million.

It sounded like a lot, and in truth, it was.

When he first stockpiled the 200,000 Demon-Breaking Crossbow Arrows, Su Mu had thought victory was in the bag.

After all, even accounting for misses, if it took an average of twenty Demon-Breaking Crossbow Arrows to kill one demon, then 200,000 arrows should be able to take down ten thousand demons.

Even with the poor aim of the Outer City Martial Artists, twenty Demon-Breaking Crossbow Arrows were more than enough to kill a Tier One Demon.

But now, it seemed that not only were 200,000 arrows not enough, but even tripling that amount would be a wasted effort.

Demon-Breaking Crossbow Arrows were effective against Tier One Demons, but they were already strained when facing Tier Two Demons. It would likely take hundreds of arrows to kill one.

As for a Tier Three Demon, the arrows would probably feel no different from a tickle.

No amount of Demon-Breaking Crossbow Arrows could deal with a Tier Three Demon.

The Demon-Breaking Crossbow Arrows were inadequate, and so was Su Mu’s own strength.

At the end of the day, he was just an ordinary Blood Transformation Realm Martial Artist.

Even though he had reached the Body Tempering Limit and awakened Physical Divine Techniques.

Even though he had undergone ten blood transformations.

Even though he had comprehended a Triple Realm Intent.

He still couldn’t deal with a Tier Three Demon at his current level.

Forget a Tier Three Demon; he wasn’t even a match for a Tier Two Demon right now.

A Tier Two Demon was already a powerful existence comparable to the Rebirth Realm.

’I’m just a Taiping Captain. This shouldn’t be my burden to bear,’ Su Mu thought to himself.

’A Tier Three Demon has appeared. Of course we have to ask the Inner City for reinforcements now.’

’Are they really going to make a bunch of Bronzes fight a King?’

”Senior Brother Zhong? Why are you guys still here?”

Su Mu turned his head and saw Zhong Guizheng and the others staring grimly at the Tier Three Demon outside the city.

”Perfect. When you go back to the Inner City, tell the Bureau and the City Lord’s Mansion to hurry up and send reinforcements to the Outer City.”

”We can handle Tier One Demons, but a Tier Three Demon... the Outer City can’t possibly hold,” Su Mu said.

”I’m afraid the Inner City won’t send anyone,” Zhang Chenchen said gravely.

With a Tier Five Demon Tide, the Outer City was already doomed. The Inner City would not expend its strength to protect it.

Zhang Chenchen knew very well what choice the higher-ups in the Inner City would make.

Abandon the Outer City, let it wear down the Demon Tide as much as possible, and then concentrate all their forces on defending the Inner City.

In fact, Zhang Chenchen also felt this was the best choice under the circumstances.

Facing a Tier Five Demon Tide, some sacrifices had to be made. There was no other way.

”Have Junior Sister Luo pull some strings,” Su Mu said. It was impossible to expect the Inner City to send people voluntarily, but he had connections in high places.

”Junior Brother Su, this Demon Tide has very likely reached Tier Five. The Outer City... it can’t be defended.”

Zhang Chenchen hesitated for a moment before speaking in a heavy tone, ”I can persuade the Inner City to allow all the Body Tempering Martial Artists from the Outer City to enter and help defend it. Their families can come in as well.”