"You?"

The three Great Master Level Powerhouses all looked at Ling Chen, their eyes revealing a touch of surprise, which quickly turned into ridicule.

"Young man, this Gu Huo Bird is too much for even us three to handle. You, a mere Martial Artist, dare to spout such nonsense? Step back immediately," a Great Master Level Powerhouse scolded.

"A mere Gu Huo Bird? I can kill it with a flick of my finger," Ling Chen stated calmly.

"Arrogant!"

"Ignorant fool!"

The faces of the two elderly Great Master Level Powerhouses darkened. In their view, Ling Chen was incredibly arrogant.

Without a word, Ling Chen moved, lightly landing on the city wall.

"Lend me your bow," Ling Chen said, looking at a Guard not far away.

"Oh... okay." The Guard didn't know what Ling Chen intended to do but handed over the Bow and Arrow nonetheless.

Taking the Bow and Arrow, Ling Chen immediately locked onto the Gu Huo Bird in mid-air. He drew the bow, nocked an Arrow, and aimed.

SWOOSH!

Ling Chen pulled the bowstring to its full extent and suddenly released it. The Arrow shot out violently, heading straight for the Gu Huo Bird in the sky.

HISS!

The Arrow, still mid-flight, was met by a gout of black breath from the Gu Huo Bird. It was instantly corroded into molten iron, completely dissolved.

"So, that's your skill, little guy?" one of the elderly Great Master Level Powerhouses sneered, his face full of mockery.

The next moment, the Gu Huo Bird let out a piercing screech and dived towards Ling Chen.

"Like a moth to a flame, overestimating his own abilities," the other elderly Great Master Level Powerhouse laughed dismissively.

"Prepare to intervene. We can't just stand by and watch him die," the Third Level Great Master waved his hand. He wasn't the type to watch someone perish. Seeing Ling Chen as a promising young man, he was willing to lend a hand and save his life.

But just as his words faded, Ling Chen's body had already shot forward, surging upwards as he unleashed a fierce sword thrust.

The Gu Huo Bird could sense Ling Chen's cultivation level and paid him no mind. It opened its beak and sprayed out an intensely cold black breath. The black breath billowed in mid-air, freezing the atmospheric water vapor into Ice Crystals that scattered downwards.

"Break!"

A sharp light flashed in Ling Chen's eyes as he swiftly infused True Qi into his sword. His Sword Intent erupted to its peak. He thrust out his Cloud-hidden Sword, and a sharp sword qi shot forth.

The air tore like cloth. Ling Chen's sword qi doubled in length in mid-air, piercing straight through the Gu Huo Bird's black breath and slamming into the creature's body.

SQUELCH!

The sword qi tore through the air, piercing everything in its path. To the astonishment of the onlookers, it struck the Gu Huo Bird's body directly, running it clean through.

"What?"

Witnessing this, the three Great Master Level Powerhouses were all stunned, their faces etched with disbelief.

THUD!

The Gu Huo Bird's colossal body plummeted from the sky, crashing heavily onto the ground outside the city and kicking up an enormous cloud of dust.

"He killed the Gu Huo Bird with a single sword strike?" The two Great Master Level Powerhouses who had been mocking him moments before now stared at each other in utter amazement.

This Exotic Beast, which had just been giving three Great Masters such a headache, was killed in an instant by a young man whose cultivation hadn't even reached the Grand Master level.

"This youth is unfathomable. He must be the top genius of some major sect." The Third Level Great Master's expression turned solemn, his opinion of Ling Chen completely transformed.

On the city wall, only Tian Dan's expression remained unchanged, showing no surprise. He had previously seen Ling Chen effortlessly slay the Blackwater Mysterious Snake, so killing the Gu Huo Bird now was hardly astonishing.

The general guarding the gate breathed a sigh of relief. "That's excellent! With the Gu Huo Bird dead, the pressure on the west gate will be significantly less." Compared to the vast Beast Tide, the threat of a single Third Grade Exotic Beast was far greater than that of a thousand ordinary Exotic Beasts. This was especially true for flying creatures like the Gu Huo Bird; if it hadn't been killed and had managed to enter the city, it would undoubtedly have caused a terrifying disaster.

However, Ling Chen had an ominous feeling. This Beast Tide... I'm afraid it's not just a natural disaster. It feels too premeditated.

Currently, Ling Chen's Cultivation Technique was at the 'Boundless Sword Qi' stage of the 'Sword Heart' Realm. This allowed him to sense impending fortune or misfortune to a certain extent. If he could elevate his Realm to the 'Clear Heart Sword' level, he would truly be able to predict disasters and foresee events as if he were a prophet.

Meanwhile, outside the main gate, Elder Geng had just sent the Fire Eye Golden Ape flying with a single palm strike. Although he hadn't managed to kill the beast, he had successfully repelled it. However, in the process, Elder Geng had sustained multiple injuries, and it was apparent that his True Qi was severely depleted.

The Beast Tide had been temporarily repelled, its offensive momentum greatly diminished compared to the initial assault. However, the city's defenders and warriors had suffered heavy casualties. Moreover, more than half of the city wall's defensive structures had been destroyed, with large sections collapsed.

Sheathing his Cloud-hidden Sword, Ling Chen gazed into the distance outside the city. There, astonishingly, dozens of black dots suddenly appeared. Just as I thought, it wasn't going to be that simple.

Narrowing his eyes, Ling Chen could see them clearly. These individuals were all riding Flying Monsters, numbering perhaps eighty or ninety. Each one exuded a powerful aura and moved with agility, clearly top-tier Experts.

Recognizing the unique insignia on their clothes, Ling Chen's pupils constricted slightly. It's people from the Demonic Sect. This group was composed entirely of elite Experts from the Demonic Sect.

Among them, Ling Chen spotted the figures of 'Tiger King' Xu Chao and 'Soul Hooker' Mei Ji. This is bad. It seems the Demonic Sect deliberately instigated this Beast Tide.

Ling Chen's mind was clear as a mirror; he quickly understood the implications. This situation is definitely not a simple coincidence.

Nearby, Tian Dan stared at the rapidly approaching Flying Demonic Beasts, a grave expression in his eyes. "Who are those people?"

"Two of the Ten Outstanding Talents of the Demon Sect are here," Ling Chen observed, his gaze fixed on the figures atop the Flying Monsters. It then settled on Demon Young Master Chu Tiange. "I don't know who the young man in black at the front is, but his strength is definitely not simple." From Chu Tiange, Ling Chen sensed a dangerous aura.

Tian Dan's face turned grim. "East Desolation City is guarded by Elder Geng. Even the Ten Outstanding Talents of the Demonic Sect shouldn't be able to break in so easily, right?" he said, a note of uncertainty in his voice.

Ling Chen glanced at Elder Geng in the distance. "It's hard to say. Prepare to flee." Given the Elder's current condition, it will be very difficult for him to resist this aggressive group of Demonic Sect Experts.

East Desolation City is likely to fall.

Realizing this, Ling Chen decided not to linger. Both Mei Ji and Xu Chao recognize me. If they spot me, escape will be impossible.

Just as Ling Chen was about to slip away quietly, Mei Ji, from atop a Flying Monster, caught sight of him. A strange, enchanting smile spread across her bewitching face.

The moment Mei Ji spotted him, Ling Chen's heart sank. Damn it! A sense of foreboding washed over him.