Fantasy: I, the Great Celestial Venerable of the Dao

He nodded gravely, his voice hoarse yet clear, echoing throughout the hall:

"Master Dao Xuan, fellow Daoists."

Everyone knows about ordinary beast demons.

What we really need to be wary of are the core combat forces under the Beast God's command.

According to our clan's records, the Beast God had thirteen totem demon generals under his command.

Each of them was ruthless and violent, and their strength was all at the Great Perfection of the Upper Clarity Realm!

The strongest among them, though not having truly reached the Taiqing realm, are enough to contend with those in the Taiqing realm thanks to their innate supernatural abilities and immortality!

Everyone frowned. Thirteen demon generals at the Great Perfection of Shangqing—this was a terrifying force capable of sweeping away most major sects.

The Grand Elder paused, his tone becoming even more solemn: "However, above these thirteen demon generals, there are also four demon kings!"

These four demon kings are terrifying beings born from the malevolent essence of the beast god.

Based on scattered ancient records, it is speculated that they... have probably already truly reached the Taiqing Realm! Their strength is unfathomable!

The Four Great Demon Kings of Taiqing!

This news sent a chill down the spines of all the powerful figures present.

In the Taiqing Realm, every single individual is capable of influencing the course of a battle.

There are four opponents on the surface, plus a beast god whose strength is unknown and could very well surpass that of an ordinary Taiqing...

"But perhaps the most terrifying thing is not these top experts."

The elder added finally, a hint of helplessness on his face.

"But it is the countless, inexhaustible tide of beasts!"

Their sheer numbers are enough to overwhelm everything; even the strongest individual, once caught in their embrace, will eventually be exhausted.

Human wave tactics are always one of the most unsolvable and brutal tactics on the battlefield.

Just as everyone was processing this suffocating information

"Report—!!!"

A scout disciple scrambled into the main hall, his voice shrill and distorted with extreme fear:

"Master Qi! Seniors! The beast tide! The vanguard of the beast tide has arrived!!!"

The air inside the hall froze instantly.

Dao Xuan slowly rose from the main seat, his face expressionless, devoid of joy or sorrow, only a frozen stillness.

"Let's go," he said calmly, his voice clearly reaching everyone's ears.

"Gentlemen, come with me to see what kind of apocalyptic catastrophe we are about to face..."

He took the lead and walked out of the hall. Behind him, more than three hundred top experts from the cultivation world followed closely, like a silent tide.

The group quickly climbed the towering and incredibly wide Zhennanguan city wall.

On the city wall, various defensive formations that had been set up in advance lit up one after another, forming layers of colorful light shields.

The massive ballista was tightened, and the rune-infused bolts were aimed at the valley below.

Tens of thousands of cultivators stood atop the wall, gripping their magical artifacts tightly, their faces pale yet filled with determination.

"Buzz—Buzz—Buzz—"

The deep sound was like the simultaneous flapping of wings of millions of bees, or the frantic pounding of the earth's pulse.

It came from a very far distance, growing louder and louder.

Immediately afterwards, the incredibly solid city wall beneath my feet began to tremble noticeably and continuously!

At first it was subtle, then it became obvious, and finally even the crenellations of the city wall swayed slightly!

Everyone's eyes were fixed on what was ahead.

At the horizon, a boundless, thick, ink-like black line slowly emerged.

With an aura of annihilation, it swept in, overwhelming and surging forth!

Tens of thousands, millions, or tens of millions?

The beast tide is coming!

A sense of oppression, almost tangible, permeated the city walls at this moment.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the shadow that was surging in from afar like a black tide.

Heavy breathing!

His knuckles turned white from gripping the magic weapon so tightly.

There are too many, far too many!

As far as the eye could see, everything was covered by endless beasts and demons.

Some of the younger disciples were already deathly pale, and their bodies trembled slightly involuntarily.

Although they were cultivators, they had never seen such a scene that seemed like the end of the world.

However, standing at the very front of the crowd was Dao Xuan Zhenren, the head of the Qingyun Sect and the leader of the righteous alliance.

At this moment, however, his gaze did not fall on the despairing tide of beasts.

His Taoist robes fluttered, his face was calm and composed, but his eyes pierced through the overwhelming demonic aura.

It was firmly locked onto a direction in the far distance.

There, a force that made even him feel a chill was approaching at an alarming speed.

"They're here."

Dao Xuan's lips moved slightly, his voice not loud, but it clearly reached the ears of the top experts behind him.

Wan Jianyi, Tian Buyi, Master Shuiyue, and the others felt a chill run down their spines and followed Dao Xuan's gaze.

In less than half an incense stick's time, the distant horizon suddenly darkened.

A demonic aura, far purer and more violent than the beast tide below, swept across the heavens and earth.

Even the light seemed to be swallowed up by it.

Amidst the increasingly frenzied roars of countless beasts, a colossal beast, as large as a mountain, descended from the sky.

It was the ancient ferocious beast, Taotie!

On the broad back of the Taotie, a young man leaned lazily.

His face was so handsome it was almost otherworldly, his skin was so white it was almost translucent, but his eyes were blood-red.

All the beast demons, including the Taotie at his feet, were merely insignificant accompaniments to him.

This person is none other than the Beast God!

The Beast God's gaze swept casually across the city wall before finally settling on that figure.

A wicked smile curved his lips slightly, and his voice, though not loud, resonated clearly deep within everyone's soul:

"Haha, what a Dao Xuan! I never imagined that someone like you could appear in this world today."

The voice carried an air of indifference that looked down upon the world.

Dao Xuan Zhenren remained calm, his body circulating pure energy, which dissolved the invisible soul impact into nothingness.

He spoke in a clear voice, calm yet equally resounding for miles, a stark contrast to the arrogance of the Beast God:

"Oh? Then I must thank the Beast God for the praise."

The Beast God looked at the tall figure on the city wall, his smile deepening, but he said nothing more.

The meaning behind that smile was cold and cruel.

He gently raised his finger.

"roar--!!!"

The next moment, all the beasts and demons in the world seemed to receive the final command and roared to the sky in unison!

The sound coalesced into a tangible sonic wave, slamming into the defensive light shield of the city wall and creating ripples.

The already restless beast tide has completely boiled over!

Rumble—!

Without a declaration of war, without any unnecessary words, the tide of destruction began its most direct attack!

The earth trembled violently as countless beasts and demons surged forth, sounding the war drums of attack.

Despite the Beast God's sudden attack, the people on the city wall remained extremely solemn, but not flustered.

Their long-term preparations and Dao Xuan's overall planning have long enabled them to develop an effective response system.

"Charge!"

At a command, countless array patterns already engraved on the city wall lit up instantly.

A colossal spiritual barrier radiating a soft yet resilient light.