An invasion from the Abyss? I, a demonic cultivator, laughed.

Chapter 214 Two Thousand Rise to Power
I will deal with all the hungry ghosts by myself!
Chu Xiu's words caused the generals to exchange bewildered glances, all of them seeing suspicion in each other's eyes.

Although Chu Xiu displayed astonishing strength, this was a tide of hungry ghosts!
Once they start to surge, there will be hundreds of thousands of hungry ghosts, including many large ones, and there may even be humanoid high-ranking hungry ghosts!

That creature has a body harder than steel, can remain unharmed in the center of a grenade explosion, and moves at a speed like a phantom. Only a martial arts master like Liang Zhan, who has cultivated martial arts to the extreme, can fight against it!
Even though Chu Xiu had already demonstrated amazing skills, the generals still didn't believe him when he said he would face the tide of hungry ghosts alone.

After all, having strong combat power is one thing, but being able to endure it is another. Even ants can kill an elephant if there are enough of them.

"This person seems to know very little about this place, and doesn't even know the road to the front line. He probably has never actually seen the Hungry Ghost Tide, but has only heard about it from others."

Liang Zhan thought to himself.

At this moment, Chu Xiu's image in his mind was that of an ascetic who was not worldly-wise, who, despite possessing powerful Buddhist supernatural abilities, was not familiar with the outside world.

"This person possesses astonishing supernatural powers, which may be the source of his confidence. However, no one has ever been able to fight against the tide of hungry ghosts alone, not even the reincarnation of Buddha. Although this person easily defeated the Third Elder, the tide of hungry ghosts is endless, and it is unknown whether he has enough magical power."

Moreover, this wave of hungry ghosts far surpasses any they have ever experienced before, both in scale and intensity! Even historical records have never documented such a dense gathering of hungry ghosts, which is why Liang Zhan is so nervous.

"Whether this person has absolute self-confidence or is blindly arrogant, I must protect him. If he dies, there will be no one to deal with the Buddhist sect's accountability."

If Chu Xiu is alive, he can take the blame for injuring the Third Elder if the matter is investigated. But if Chu Xiu dies, many people will likely be implicated.

"Let's take him to a small passageway first, so he'll have a sense of the terror of the hungry ghost tide, and then we can make a decision," Liang Zhan thought to himself.

As he pondered, the flying corpses sped past the defensive lines, and a massive camp appeared before them.

At the very front of the camp were rows of concrete brick walls, each twenty meters high and ten meters thick, which blocked the entire Giant's Road. The walls were covered with a large number of weapons, including modern machine guns and primitive crossbows.

Each wall is about fifty meters apart, and heavy weapons, artillery, mortars, and watchtowers with crossbows mounted on them are placed there.

On these siege weapons and city walls, a large number of soldiers are on guard. These soldiers are armed with large bows, their muscles are bulging, and they are clearly heavy archers with a certain foundation in martial arts and years of training.

There are six sections of these walls, covered with scratches and newly filled gaps, clearly indicating that they have been destroyed and repaired countless times in battle.

The seventh wall is under construction, showing that the people here have never stopped strengthening their military. However, it is not yet fully completed and only has a rough outline. About three hundred meters away from the seventh wall, on an open space, there are eighteen giant cannons with intricate inscriptions and inlaid with energy relics. These must be the legendary Vajra Heavy Cannons.

Further on was the barracks where the soldiers rested.

Liang Zhan pointed to the largest building in the barracks: "Sir, that is where our front-line command post is located."

Chu Xiu grunted in response, and the flying corpse descended at lightning speed. The commotion alerted the soldiers below, but they breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Liang Zhan.

"General!"

"Take me to the monitoring room."

"Yes!"

The group entered a sealed room, which was about 300 square meters in size. The room was filled with various display screens and radar-like monitoring instruments.

"Senior, look, this shows the activity frequency of hungry ghosts."

"For some reason, the activity of the hungry ghosts has suddenly intensified at an alarming rate in the past few days. We suspect that something may have happened deep within 'Paradise Lost,' which may lead to an unprecedented attack on us."

"My advisors predict that the total number of hungry ghosts may reach one million! The number of large ghouls will exceed one thousand! And the number of high-ranking ghouls will also reach an astonishing double digit!"

Liang Zhan looked solemn, hoping that Chu Xiu would back down after hearing the enormous number.

As if afraid that he was unaware of the true strength of the hungry ghosts, Liang Zhan added: "Hungry ghosts have amazing physical abilities. Even the most ordinary hungry ghost requires several well-trained soldiers to kill. Large hungry ghosts must be dealt with using heavy weapons. As for high-ranking hungry ghosts, they are difficult to injure unless they are top-notch martial arts masters. And such martial arts masters are only a handful in our army."

Chu Xiu nodded, also knowing what was going on.

Based on the descriptions in the book, he roughly judged the combat strength of these abyssal monsters.

Ordinary hungry ghosts are probably around the level of advanced mortals, meaning they are completely incapable of being contended with by ordinary people, but can still be quickly eliminated by firearms.

Large hungry ghosts possess physical attributes approaching those of the ferocious rank, but due to a lack of corresponding skills and combat methods, they can be dealt with by high-level warrior-rank awakened beings. However, the presence of numerous other hungry ghosts in the battle formation can conceal this fact.

Given the size and destructive power of large hungry ghosts, even a high wall made of concrete would be instantly smashed open with a huge gap. Therefore, large hungry ghosts are always the priority targets for elimination whenever they appear. Those huge crossbows made of hungry ghost fascia are specifically prepared for them.

As for the final high-ranking hungry ghosts, they should possess the strength of the peak of the ferocious rank, with the best among them even approaching the general rank! Furthermore, because they are in humanoid form, they have almost no weaknesses and even possess many talents and traits that are difficult to deal with.

For each high-ranking hungry ghost, the entire army camp needs to be on high alert and plan carefully. Once they charge into the formation, it is very likely to cause a chain reaction of defeat.

Fortunately, each time a wave of hungry ghosts appears, there are usually only two or three high-ranking corpses. With the help of Liang Zhan, a martial arts prodigy who is rare in decades, and a group of military experts, they can barely cope.

“A million hungry ghosts, thousands of large ones, and more than ten high-ranking ones! This is indeed almost the limit that the soldiers here can handle. No wonder Liang Zhan is so nervous that he returned to the rear before the great battle to receive the Buddhist elders and seek more weapons.”

"but."

"This level is still too low for the End difficulty," Chu Xiu said, his eyes flashing.

Just as he was pondering this, a bright red light suddenly flashed in the monitoring room, followed by a piercing alarm that rang in everyone's ears!

"The tide of hungry ghosts is coming!"

Liang Zhan gave a low shout and stepped forward to quickly input commands in front of the monitor, seemingly trying to find the direction of the hungry ghost invasion, but he suddenly froze a second later.

On the monitor screen, countless rapidly moving red dots appeared simultaneously!
It wasn't just one or a few surveillance radars, but all of them showed red dots, like a tide spreading from an endless sea, instantly engulfing the surveillance. All that could be seen was a sea of ​​bright red!
"This, this is!"

Liang Zhan's eyes widened, and almost the next instant, the emergency communication phone in the monitoring room rang!
"Uncle Chen, what's the situation at the front?" Liang Zhan grabbed the bag and asked anxiously.

But the answer that came over the phone made everyone freeze!
"Hungry ghosts! Hungry ghosts are everywhere! They're charging towards the camp all at once, as if led by someone!"

“They’re in every passage, there are so many! Large ghouls, high-ranking ghouls, there are many of them!”

Liang Zhan's face was solemn as he roared behind him, "All troops on alert! Send all the training soldiers to the city walls! Prepare all the heavy artillery pieces, and load the three under repair with explosives!"

"Yes!"

Everyone responded in unison. Although the senior generals looked fearful, they did not panic. They quickly went out to gather their subordinates, while Liang Zhan grabbed a walkie-talkie and hurriedly ran out of the command post toward the tallest command tower nearby: "Uncle Chen, activate the anchoring device and determine the number of high-ranking hungry ghosts!"

Even in emergency situations, he made a quick judgment.

Ordinary hungry ghosts, no matter how numerous, cannot break through the multiple concrete walls in a short time. Even large hungry ghosts will be slowed down by the others, giving everyone enough time to react. Only high-ranking ghouls! Each one is capable of directly destroying the defense line and must be intercepted in advance!

The anchoring device is a Buddhist treasure specially bestowed by the Buddhist community to mark powerful beings. It can reveal the number and approximate location of powerful beings in the vicinity the moment it is activated.

"Uncle Chen, how many high-ranking ghouls are there in total?" Liang Zhan asked anxiously.

However, he was met with a series of unsettling gasps.

"Uncle Chen?" Liang Zhan realized something was wrong. The Uncle Chen he was talking about was the battalion commander of the vanguard battalion and the second-best martial arts expert in the army after himself. He was a veteran of many battles and could remain calm even in a one-on-one duel with a superior hungry ghost.

But at that moment, he could clearly sense the panic of the person on the other end of the walkie-talkie.

Urged on by him, a bitter voice finally rang out: "General, there are... there are."

The voice on the other end trembled, and for a moment, no words came out.

Liang Zhan looked uneasy and quickly asked, "How many exactly? Could it have reached double digits?"

"General, there are two thousand in total."

".How many?"

As Liang Zhan listened to the voice coming from the walkie-talkie, he momentarily doubted his own ears.

"General, it's not double digits, it's two thousand! Two thousand high-ranking ghouls!"

Uncle Chen's voice trembled, even cracking slightly, and Liang Zhan froze on the spot.

Two thousand?
Two thousand high-ranking ghouls?
In that instant, countless thoughts flashed through his mind: Had he misheard "twenty" as "two thousand"? Could Uncle Chen have made a mistake? Was there a problem with the Buddhist artifact?

But in the next instant, all those thoughts vanished, for he had already ascended the command tower.

Looking out from this towering structure, which is a hundred meters high, one can see the hungry ghosts surging in like a dark tide.

Liang Zhan had never seen such a massive tide of hungry ghosts. The vast Giant's Road was completely blocked by the rushing hungry ghosts, and at the end of the Lost Paradise, there was still a continuous stream of hungry ghosts pouring in from the passage!
Of course, what made Liang Zhan most desperate were those small black dots floating in mid-air.

Those tiny black dots floated in the air, densely packed like a black filter. Upon closer inspection, they turned out to be handsome humanoid creatures, each over three meters tall, including both men and women.

However, compared to normal humans, there was an unnatural bloodlust in their eyes. They looked at the humans in the distance as if they were looking at delicious roast chickens.

Liang Zhan froze on the spot as if petrified. Even with his composure and calmness, despair, fear, and helplessness appeared on his face at this moment.

Liang Zhan's face was ashen, but he still gritted his teeth and pressed the communication button on the command tower, his voice hoarse as he said, "Fire."

Although the soldiers below were all pale-faced, they still carried out the orders as if by muscle memory.

The next moment, deafening cannon fire resounded throughout the entire position. Specially made howitzers blasted into the horde of hungry ghosts, instantly sending flesh and limbs flying. The Vajra Heavy Cannon unleashed incredible power, with each shell wiping out all creatures within a 20-meter radius, leaving a large crater in its wake. Even large hungry ghosts, some over ten meters tall, could not withstand the power of the Vajra Heavy Cannon.

However, these fierce artillery attacks had no effect on the superior hungry ghosts hovering in the sky. The high-speed flying shrapnel grazed their skin, making a sharp metallic clang, and then they were ejected. They looked at the humans below, and their faces showed an extremely human-like mockery and ridicule from the superiors.

This scene plunged everyone into utter despair, and some soldiers even began to flee.

It wasn't that Liang Zhan was lax in military discipline, but rather that the despair under the pressure of so many superiors could directly destroy a person's mind. Faced with such extreme terror, those with weak wills would rather commit suicide on the spot than have the courage to confront it.

"General, what should we do?"

A trembling voice came from the communicator from his lieutenant.

"Have everyone hold their ground. Fleeing now will only hasten your death. Don't worry about the cannon's cooldown period; unleash the maximum firepower. Then, send a message to the main city as quickly as possible, requesting the reincarnation of the holy monk."

"Dispatch the Celestial Dragons to completely destroy the Giant's Path."

Liang Zhan's labored voice rang out, and the moment his words fell, the other side fell into a deathly silence.

The lieutenant knew what this meant: even if the Heavenly Dragon could successfully destroy the Giant's Path, the soldiers who remained to guard it would inevitably perish with it.

But at this moment, they had no other choice.

Liang Zhan turned to Chu Xiu and said, "My lord, you should also leave quickly. If possible, please give my adjutant a ride on your mount."

"The sooner the information is disseminated from this location, the greater the chance of preventing this disaster."

Liang Zhan's voice was urgent; at this moment, he had completely forgotten about Chu Xiu having to deal with the Hungry Ghost Tide alone.

Faced with such a massive horde of hungry ghosts, even the most powerful human would appear insignificant. Not to mention Chu Xiu, even that reincarnated holy monk, no, even a hundred reincarnated holy monks, would not be able to withstand it!

However, just as he anxiously turned around, he was slightly taken aback.

Because Chu Xiu, who was standing next to him, showed no fear on his face. Instead, he was looking at the horde of hungry ghosts not far away with great interest, as if he was looking for something.

What Liang Zhan didn't know was that in the ten seconds it took him to give the military orders, Chu Xiu had already scanned all two thousand superior hungry ghosts on the other side, completely determining the enemy's strength.

"Two thousand high-ranking hungry ghosts, among which more than one hundred have reached the general level, and there are even several kings."

"This barely meets the difficulty level of the End Dungeon!"

Knowing what was going on, Chu Xiu looked towards the center of the distant sky, where a figure with extremely handsome features, seemingly the leader of the hungry ghosts, was surrounded by a group of high-ranking hungry ghosts. His eyes showed no fear, but rather a flash of excitement.
"With so many monsters, I wonder how many good items they might drop."

"Good stuff?"

Liang Zhan was completely stunned upon hearing this.

Chu Xiu glanced at him indifferently and did not reply.

The next moment, to Liang Zhan's incredulous gaze, he took a step forward.

In an instant, a dazzling golden light enveloped the entire camp.

(End of this chapter)