NOVEL WEB Chapter 342: Night Of The Dead (4)
Another one of the guards took action, his blade sliced horizontally in a flash of steel. The attack cleaved the remaining zombies cleanly in half from a distance. Yet, to everyone's surprise, their bodies continued to writhe. The lower halves, nothing more than waists and legs, staggered forward, while the severed upper bodies clawed desperately at the ground, dragging themselves onward with bloody hands.
"Hmph, unholy things. Die already!" the first guard, the one who fought barehanded, snarled. He stepped in without hesitation, his fists blurring through the air. One devastating punch after another crushed the crawling corpses into pulp, leaving nothing but mangled remains behind.
After finishing the zombies, he turned to the trio. His voice was low but steady.
"Stay close to us, ladies. We'll carve a path through. We don't know what's behind this attack, but your safety is our top priority."
Su Xiaoli, Huang Xue, and Xue Qiang exchanged quick glances and nodded, tightening their grips on their weapons. Their muscles tensed, their eyes sharp, ready to move at a moment's notice.
The unarmed guard took the lead, while the remaining four formed a tight protective circle around the girls, ensuring no enemy could reach them without killing them first. Together, the group of eight soared into the night sky, heading toward Starlight City's outer gates.
However, the danger wasn't limited to the ground. The zombies, grotesquely animated by the dark spiritual qi, had also taken to the skies. Dozens of them, cultivators whose strength ranged from the Spirit Severing to the Return To Void realms, hurled themselves at the fleeing group.
Though the guards' formation held firm, repelling every attack and keeping Su Xiaoli, Huang Xue, and Xue Qiang unharmed, the relentless onslaught slowed their advance. The sheer number of enemies pressed in on all sides, making it impossible to break free from the city's boundaries.
The unarmed guard's expression darkened. "How can there be so many of them? Starlight City isn't even part of the main battlefield; it shouldn't have fallen this quickly!"
Among the Seven Planets, only Green was considered unstable. The other planets had, for the most part, maintained a fragile peace. Attacks had certainly occurred from time to time, even after a faction secured dominance over a planet, but a disaster on this scale, where a major city was overwhelmed in mere moments, was unheard of.
Although the guards couldn't grasp the full extent of what was happening, they all understood one thing clearly: this was no random event. It could only be the work of the Four Demon Venerables' cults.
Only they possessed the audacity and strength to strike a city protected under the banner of the Intergalactic Council, and only they could sow such devastation with such terrifying speed.
An ominous laugh rolled through the sky, chilling the air. Not far from the embattled group, a cultivator cloaked entirely in shadow-black robes hovered beside the chaos, his gaze fixed on them like a butcher eyeing helpless cattle.
"Who?!" the unarmed guard barked, snapping his head toward the source of the laughter.
Beneath the hood, a wicked grin stretched across the newcomer's face, his teeth gleaming in the dim red light. "Escape?" he mocked, his voice thick with malice. "There is no escape. Every soul in this city will be sacrificed to my Nightmare Demon Venerable!"
A shudder passed through the group of eight. It wasn't the cruelty in his words that unnerved them; it was the overwhelming pressure radiating from him.
The man was at the Transcending Tribulation realm!
The guards' expressions darkened as the weight of the situation settled over them. They knew, with certainty, that the moment a Transcending Tribulation expert appeared, survival was no longer an option. Worse yet, where were Starlight City's own Transcending Tribulation cultivators? This was their city, but despite the ongoing chaos, none had emerged to defend it.
"We'll buy as much time as we can. You three need to escape, and don't look back!" The unarmed guard's voice was steady, but his body was already bracing for the inevitable. As death loomed closer, his face momentarily softened, a final flicker of peace crossing his features. "Please, tell the Senior Array Master to take revenge for me."
Su Xiaoli was stunned by his words. She had expected fear, or at least hesitation, but these guards were resolute. Despite the clear threat of death, none of them showed a hint of retreat. Instead, they were fully committed to fulfilling their duty. She felt a pang of conflicted emotion.
On one hand, she knew she was powerless against a Transcending Tribulation expert. On the other hand, abandoning these loyal, honorable men to their fate felt unthinkable.
But life, as it often does, offered her no choice. Just as the Nightmare Demon Venerable's expert prepared to strike, another voice rang out behind them.
"Cheng Dong, be careful with your words. Half of the lives here will go to my Soulsucker Demon Venerable!"
The group froze, turning to face the newcomer. A grotesque figure emerged, his body was monstrous, with two heads and a terrifying presence. His cultivation rivaled that of the Nightmare Demon Venerable's Transcending Tribulation expert, and the appearance of this new threat shattered any remaining hope of escape.
Facing just one Transcending Tribulation expert, the guards had at least entertained the possibility of sacrificing themselves to ensure the girls' escape. But two? It was impossible. The odds were stacked against them; this was no longer a battle for survival, but a massacre.
—
Meanwhile, in another place on Red, Feng Fan let out a heavy sigh of relief. "Finally, finished with all five fortresses on this planet. Time to move on to the next planet."
He glanced at Xue Feng, who stood quietly behind him, but to his surprise, Xue Feng's expression was grim, a shadow of worry clouding his features.
"Senior Feng, it's an emergency. Your wives have gone to Starlight City with five guards, but the city is under attack by the cultists! It's in chaos, and because similar attacks are happening across multiple cities on the seven planets, reinforcements won't reach them in time."
Feng Fan's eyes widened in shock. "What?!" His breath caught in his throat, and his heart clenched with fear. Xue Qiang, Huang Xue, and Su Xiaoli were in danger.
His cultivation flared violently, and behind him, a desolate, blood-soaked battlefield materialized, marking the eruption of his fury. "Show me the way!" he commanded, his voice dripping with anger.