"How the hell are they entering the city?!" Huang Yin eximed with shock and confusion written on her face.


    She gazed into the distance, where the cacophony of battle echoed through the city''s once-tranquil streets.


    The diligent efforts of her and Su Yen to uncover how the Blood Whisperers had been infiltrating the city had, thus far, yielded no definitive answers.


    "n master…" Elder Ma interjected with an urgent tone. She was keenly aware of the dire situation unfolding within the city''s walls.


    This was the first time the Barren Land had faced such an overwhelming onught of Blood Whisperers.


    Their numbers had multiplied beyond imagination, appearing in hundreds from every conceivable corner, rendering the city''s defenses almost futile.


    Huang Yin turned to face the rmed elder and sighed, the weight of their situation bearing heavily on her shoulders.


    "Where are my niece and my brother?" she inquired, her voice tinged with deep concern.


    "Sis, we''re here and ready to join the battle," Huang Guo dered as he strode into the main hall, d in his formidable Bronze Metal Armor. His demeanor exuded confidence, even in the face of impending peril.


    Beside him walked Huang Ruo. Her once-mischievous smile had vanished, reced by a solemn countenance. Even a child could sense the gravity of the situation bearing down on the barrennd.


    Now, the call to arms had been heeded by every n and family, sending their men to the front lines to defend their homnd. Huang Yin observed her brother and niece''s determined resolve.


    "You must be careful. You and Elder Ma should head to the center of the city to quell the uprising," Huang Yin instructed with an unwavering tone.


    She then turned her stern gaze toward Huang Ruo. "Ruo, you stay by my side at all times," shemanded.


    In front of the main gate of Jade City, a relentless and horrifying battle raged on.


    Thousands of soldiers fought valiantly against the Blood Whisperers, their expressions etched with solemn determination.


    A transmission had been ryed through the general Spirit Comms, designating this as a Threat-1 battle—an encounter that could bring the entire barrennd to the brink of destruction.


    As such, the enemy had to be stopped at all costs.


    The battle had now reached its zenith, a life-and-death struggle, with the determination to take down as many adversaries as possible.


    "Shields up!" Zimo shouted, leading his men to hack through the encroaching Blood Whisperers with unyielding determination.


    His call prompted hisrades to respond swiftly, forming a stalwart shield line that protected them from the relentless strikes.


    Their breaths grew erratic, and their bodies were drenched in sweat, yet their gazes burned with unwavering resolve and unyielding pride.


    "Push back!" Zimomanded, his voice a rallying cry to his troops.


    The hundreds of soldiers grunted in unison, straining against the ceaseless assault of the Blood Whisperers, attempting to drive them back.


    The shing sounds of des filled the air as the Blood Whisperers attacked the shield continuously, with relentless ferocity.


    Cracks began to snake across the once-imprable shield, and the soldiers'' mouths oozed blood from the strain.


    "Hold your ground!" Zimo shouted with solemn determination. The importance of their position was evident.


    If they were to fall, the Blood Whisperers would have unobstructed ess to the unprotected streets, leading to unimaginable ughter.


    Zimo and his men were staking their lives on defending this vital position.


    As the battle raged on, the ceaseless assault of the Blood Whisperers took its toll. Crack after crack appeared on the beleaguered shield until, atst, one section gave way.


    The shield shattered into countless pieces, and the soldier carrying it tumbled to the ground, his right arm''s bone protruding through the broken skin.


    He cried out in agony, blood gushing from his mouth as he teetered on the brink of unconsciousness.


    Even in his delirium, he could perceive the imminent, deadly sword strike from a Blood Whisperer aimed at his exposed neck.


    With a deep sigh, he closed his eyes, epting the impending embrace of death.


    A deafening boom resounded through the battlefield, the very air trembling under the weight of an unseen force.


    Soldiers and Blood Whisperers alike were seized by a suffocating pressure, their breaths stolen from them. Before the Blood Whisperers could even register the approaching doom, a devastating palm strike plummeted from the heavens.


    In one fell swoop, the colossal palm obliterated the entire horde of Blood Whisperers, leaving behind a vast crater that marred the battlefield.


    The surviving soldiers, including Zimo and his men, watched in awe as the destructive power swept away their relentless foes.


    "Continue your hard work," a cold,manding voice reached their ears, sending a shiver down their spines.


    Could it be the n master, Huang Yin?


    Zimo lifted his head, his gaze fixated on the retreating figure of Huang Yin. In that moment, he felt a profound respect for the power she wielded.


    Deep within his heart, he made a solemn vow: one day, he too would reach such heights of power.


    His men, relieved at the unexpected intervention, breathed easier. Zimo, still reeling from the shock of their salvation, refocused his troops.


    "Quickly recover your strength. They may reappear at any moment," Zimomanded.


    Huang Yin knew her actions could only serve as a temporary reprieve. They couldn''t permanently quell the Blood Whisperers. Her intervention was meant to grant her soldiers a brief respite.


    In the Eastern Barren Land, the situation was dire.


    Su Ming, despite not being a Foundation Building realm fighter, had led a battalion of soldiers to defend the city and its neighboring towns.


    His power at the Peak Qi Refinement stage 8, coupled with the protection of the Bronze Metal Armor, made him a formidable force against the Blood Whisperers.


    After each death, however, the Blood Whisperers transformed into wisps of ck smoke and vanished.


    To their horror, they soon reappeared, fully rejuvenated. Even previous attempts to employ fire against them had proven futile; they effortlessly passed through the mes.


    A soldier approached Su Ming with urgency, fending off a Blood Whisperer before delivering his message.


    "General," he panted, "there''s a request for reinforcements from Longshan Town. What are your orders?"


    Su Ming, disying unwavering resolve, contemted the dire situation. With decisiveness, he issued his orders.


    "You and the other generals must hold this city," he instructed. "I will head to Longshan Town."


    ****


    In the heart of the Willow City in the Western Barren Land, a sinister and unholy ritual was poised to begin. Deep within an underground chamber shrouded in secrecy, a prominent and famous n prepared to enact a dark and malevolent ceremony.