The speed of the gnolls was clearly their racial advantage—swift and agile, with lightning-fast reflexes. Their speed was their weapon, and in warfare, it turned into a terrifying form of destruction. In melee, you couldn't even hit them, while they could strike you with precision, leaving you unable to block effectively. This disparity was a fatal flaw in direct combat.
This gnoll army was not going to be easy to handle.
"A swarm of snakes... this is practically a tide of venomous serpents. How can there be so many of them? It's terrifying, truly terrifying. No one knows just how deadly their venom is. Even cultivators might not be able to withstand the poison. The key issue is the sheer number—uncountable venomous snakes."
"For me, snakes are the most disgusting creatures on Earth. When they swarm like this, even arrows might not be enough to stop them. There are just too many."
The snakes slithered by in endless waves—slick, fast, and wriggling ominously. The larger ones were somewhat easier to deal with, but the smaller ones? Once they launched an attack, tracking their movements would be nearly impossible. It was like facing a flood or a swarm of beasts.
A conventional army facing such a serpent tide would be utterly annihilated.
Even on the city walls, countless civilians and even seasoned soldiers couldn't help but have their pupils contract in fear.
Dread filled the air.
Only three enemy armies had appeared, but the pressure they brought was already like a mountain crashing down.
Many foreign cultivators gasped inwardly, a chill running down their spines.
ROAR!!
Within the serpent swarm, countless venomous snakes suddenly parted as a giant azure python emerged before everyone's eyes. When people saw its body, gasps of horror followed. It was hundreds of meters long. When it reared up, it was like a mountain towering over the land.
This was undoubtedly a colossal behemoth.
Its cold, icy eyes stared at Xuanhuang Town, not attacking immediately.
Beasts and foreign races had a keen sense of danger. From within Xuanhuang Town, they could sense a powerful threat—a force that could potentially kill them.
Although confident in their own strength, none among the invaders were willing to be the first to strike. Everyone knew that the first to attack would suffer the fiercest retaliation.
"Humans, surrender the treasure. It does not belong to your kind."The two-headed ogre's bloodthirsty gaze bore down on Xuanhuang Town. Though it spoke from thousands of meters away, its voice thundered across the sky. There was a unique psychic resonance in the voice, making its meaning clear to all.
"Hmph. If we hand it over, would you even withdraw?"Yi Tianxing spoke coldly.
"Surrender the treasure, and you may keep your corpses intact. Refuse, and once the city is breached, all humans will die, and their corpses will become our feast."The Frostfang Gnoll King sneered.
"I've said it before: if anyone wants the Xuanhuang Jade, they'll have to come and take it from my corpse. If you lack the strength, then prepare to die by my hand. You want me to hand it over? In your dreams!"
Yi Tianxing let out a cold laugh and flatly refused.
Trying to take the Xuanhuang Jade from him? Pure fantasy.
"Courting death!"Rage flashed in the eyes of the two-headed ogre, furious at having been humiliated.
"Enough talk. If you want war, then come at me. Either I die, or I kill you."
Yi Tianxing's voice dripped with disdain.
One word—war.
With both sides confronting each other, there was no more room for negotiation.
"So bold... he's openly challenging the beast and foreign armies. Is he truly fearless?" someone murmured in awe.
"Why does it feel like my blood's boiling? I want to fight these beasts right now! Damn satisfying! You think our Human Race is just fodder? If you want our treasures, then pay with your lives!"Another man gripped his weapon and shouted.
"A cowardly general leads a cowardly army. Only a tiger can lead a force of fierce beasts. No wonder Xuanhuang Town is so brave—it all comes from him."A middle-aged man surnamed Jia mused to himself, eyes glittering as he looked at Yi Tianxing.
The surrounding beast and foreign armies didn't attack. They were waiting—waiting for the right moment.
But Yi Tianxing had no intention of waiting.
If there's going to be a battle, then let's fight. He would defeat them head-on and not give them any time to gather their strength.
His gaze shifted to the azure python. Instinctively, he felt it had a strong connection to the yellow python he had previously slain.
He waved his hand, and a bloody stench filled the air.
Suddenly, a massive serpent head appeared before the crowd.
It was the head of the yellow python, severed from its body.
One could still see the unwillingness and fury in its dead eyes.
PUFF!
He picked up a long spear, hoisted the serpent head, and impaled it on the city wall.
"A huge snake head!"
"That's the yellow python Yi Tianxing killed outside the Immortal Tomb. Why is he revealing it now?"
The sudden display caused an uproar of confusion.
ROAR!!
The azure python let out a terrifying shriek. The snake tide became restless.
Its eyes locked onto the severed head, and tears began to fall—followed by a surge of fury and hatred. With a howl, the snake king let out a blood-curdling cry.
HISSSSS!!
The entire snake tide suddenly moved as one, no longer hesitating. They surged forward like a flood toward Xuanhuang Town. Agile and savage, venomous fangs glinted ominously in their mouths.
"Damn it. The Azure Python King has made its move."The two-headed ogre grunted.
"Fine. Let the snakes go first. Let's see what tricks these humans have up their sleeves."The Frostfang Gnoll King chuckled coldly. He still sensed a threat from within the town, and now he could observe from a safe distance.
On the city walls, the soldiers' faces were grim as they tightened their grips on their weapons. Archers readied their bows, preparing to unleash a deadly rain of arrows.
The Divine Machine Battalion soldiers held their mechanical crossbows at the ready. Their arrow quivers were full.
Their gazes were cold as they watched the incoming tide of snakes. As soon as they entered range, a storm of bolts would follow.
Some snakes slithered into pit zones previously dug around the city, but because many were small, they moved quickly and didn't trigger traps with significant force.
However, larger pythons also surged in. Their massive bodies slithered across the terrain with thundering momentum.
Snakes neared the walls in droves.
BOOM!!
Suddenly, a massive python triggered a trap beneath it—a deafening explosion followed. At the same time, crimson flames and frigid cold erupted from the ground.
🔥❄️ The combined power of fire and ice exploded together, producing a destructive, chaotic force. When the two elements clashed, their energy magnified exponentially, unleashing devastation far beyond either on its own.
The massive python was caught in the blast, its body torn apart by the rampaging energy. Flesh and blood flew everywhere.
The scattered fire and ice spread to the nearby snakes. Many were instantly consumed by flames or frozen solid.
The ice sealed their life force instantly, killing them on the spot.
In a radius of ten meters, the battlefield became a hellscape of fire and ice.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
And it wasn't just one explosion.
Multiple traps were triggered in succession, each detonating with ice and fire. Each blast tore giant pythons apart and vaporized the serpent tide. They were either burned to ash or frozen into sculptures.
The snake tide was thrown into chaos—death and carnage reigned.
HISSS!!
Many cultivators atop the wall inhaled sharply at the sight, their faces filled with horror. No one had expected such terrifying traps hidden underground.
The ferocity of the serpent tide had been shattered in an instant.
The dense explosions gave birth to an overwhelming wave of interwoven fire and frost, enveloping the battlefield.
It was like a realm of ice and fire, a world forged from pure destruction.