Chapter 83: The Tide Turns!

Although Yi Shen had cleared out this wave of monsters, there were still several strongholds along the entire frontline under attack. The most vital area, closest to the Moonlight Domain, was now the key battle zone.

At least a thousand monsters and fifty to sixty elites were launching assaults on the front. On the human side, the main force held by Jingbei Industries and the teams from the official martial arts academies were bearing the brunt. This time, the Moonlight Mirror Entity appeared again, but instead of Zhao Weimin's reflection, it manifested as three characters with no prior record.

Other defensive zones were also sporadically attacked. After gathering his spoils, Yi Shen did not join the other battlefronts. Technically, he was still a wanted man, so there was no need to join the chaos.

His thoughts now centered on how to take advantage of this opportunity to eliminate An Qing. If, previously, the incident with his parents left An Qing merely a prime suspect, now the act of guiding monsters to attack from An Qing's circle had crossed Yi Shen's bottom line.

Yi Shen had once thought that, no matter how rotten An Qing was, he wouldn't jeopardize the safety of all Jingmen for his schemes. Seeing An Qing lead so many in defense, Yi Shen had considered being merciful in the future. Yet, this was only the second wave of attacks, and An Qing was already playing dirty tricks.

Yi Shen cast a glance at An Qing’s defense line. With his recent attribute enhancements, he felt confident he could now kill An Qing. However, charging in directly would likely draw reproach and coordinated attacks from most other explorers.

After a brief pause, Yi Shen let out a cold snort and vanished into the night sky.

Since An Qing sought to shift the disaster eastward, luring the monsters to attack others, Yi Shen could do the same—draw a massive horde and force them to defend.

The matter of Peach Blossom Dock needed resolution. Even if the monsters failed to finish An Qing, Yi Shen could step in later as needed.

Three o’clock in the morning.

This battle lasted longer than expected, with both sides escalating their efforts. At first, the fighting was over ten kilometers from the Peach Blossom Dock’s defenses, but as it stretched, the conflict gradually spilled toward them.

Everyone was under heavy pressure, especially Jingbei Industries, which diverted the monsters to other areas after resisting the first assault. However, this strain lasted less than half an hour before some zones began to notice things growing strangely unusual.

“What’s going on? Who is that?”

“Not sure, looks like a mage!”

“That mage—what spell is that? Meteor Firestorm?”

“No, it’s not Firestorm. Firestorm isn’t that fierce.”

“His output alone is equal to our whole squad. The monsters are shifting away?”

Not everyone recognized the Shadow Mage, but as defensive guilds observed, they noticed that the once-intense monster onslaught was now split down the battlefield’s center by a floating mage, greatly relieving their burden.

Though the frontline stretched longer, the pressure was more evenly distributed, making things easier for every team. Yi Shen wasn’t deliberately slaughtering monsters but rather herding them, occasionally casting earth spells to alter the terrain and redirect the monsters.

These creatures had a certain intelligence, knowing where strength was concentrated and where defenses were weak. Soon, the pressure shifted steadily eastward.

Sometimes Yi Shen would venture deep into the monster horde to lure the elites’ fire. Within minutes, over two or three hundred monsters surged toward An Qing’s hilltop stronghold.

Not only that, but Yi Shen sped and blinked swiftly, reaching the easternmost defensive zone. Here lay Blood Butcher and several smaller guilds, where monster numbers were already sparse.

Yet even a small swarm was valuable, and Yi Shen drove them all toward An Qing’s hills, forcing a concentration.

Using elite monsters as markers, the ordinary creatures gradually followed, forming a terrifying monster legion.

“What’s happening?”

“What’s ahead? Why are so many monsters coming?”

At this moment, An Qing’s group hadn’t realized someone was directing the monsters. Most of their information said a Shadow Mage was helping clear the monsters.

The sudden influx threw An Qing’s team back into battle readiness.

But this wave was much fiercer than anticipated. In just one confrontation, over a dozen elites charged in, accompanied by a special Mirror Entity.

“Hold the line! Defend the slope!”

“Don’t let the monsters through!”

“Defend? Who can defend this! Retreat! The monsters are back!”

“Zhao Nanxing’s squad has already withdrawn. They want us to cover, but we’re retreating too!”

An Qing was bewildered, still unsure what had happened. In the first clash, Old Hei’s team was thrown into chaos. Some folks with An Qing in Peach Blossom Dock were non-combat support staff, though their levels weren’t low, and quickly lost their composure, fleeing for their lives.

The sheer number of monsters threatened to flatten the hills. Yi Shen hadn’t expected his maneuvers to snowball the monster horde, forcing him to cast blizzards to slow them down lest the swarm spiral out of control.

Yet, An Qing’s defenses were far weaker than Jingbei Industries, letting the monsters run rampant.

“Trying to escape?”

Yi Shen saw An Qing preparing to flee under his squad’s cover.

Spotting the isolated An Qing, Yi Shen unleashed several wide-area earth spells. The terrain shifted, blocking An Qing’s route.

Around An Qing were about thirty allies, mostly his close associates. When Yi Shen descended before them, they mistook him for a special monster, startled.

With chaos behind and most teams retreating, if Yi Shen delayed them by just two or three minutes, they’d likely be overwhelmed by the monster onslaught.

“What do you mean by this?”

The first to speak wasn’t An Qing, but Old Hei, the acting leader. In formal combat, even the guild master deferred to the squad captain’s commands.

After this battle, Old Hei saw through An Qing’s true caliber. He’d never cared to meddle in Peach Blossom Dock’s affairs, but now, given a choice, he’d never side with An Qing again.

Now that Yi Shen blocked their escape, Old Hei, as temporary captain, had to step forward.

“No particular meaning.”

Yi Shen’s gaze swept the group. At least seven or eight by An Qing’s side were on Yi Shen’s blacklist, with four or five he had dirt on.

(The chapter ends)