Was a shield to be discarded just because it was damaged? On the battlefield, there was no time to swap for a new one. All one could do was desperately hold the line. That was why Master Lu chose a different path: he didn't integrate talismans directly into the shield, but rather into the beast hide covering its surface. When infused with true qi, it could unleash the same power—the beast hide itself acted like a large talisman.
Even if the hide was damaged, there was no need to worry. One could just replace it with another piece.
It could be considered a new form of shield—one might even say it was just "borrowing a layer of skin." But in practice, it worked exactly like a real shield, and could still unleash immense power.
For maximum defense, Master Lu embedded only [Golden Shield Talismans] (金盾符) into the hide. When activated, these created a layer of golden protection around the wielder—an exceptionally durable barrier that was hard to penetrate.
Now, rows of these shields formed a shield wall, standing like an indestructible golden barricade, forcibly holding back the rain of arrows.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
But those bone war arrows were incredibly powerful and numerous. Under the relentless assault, beast hides tore apart, and the golden glow from the talismans faded and shattered.
Some arrows pierced right through the shields, impaling the soldiers behind.
Blood sprayed. The scent of gore filled the air.
No matter how strong the trump card, it couldn't block every single attack. The onslaught from the skeletal archers was too fierce.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Even so, those on the walls didn't waver. Even when hit and falling to the ground, not one screamed. Their eyes were wild, brimming with bloodlust, as an overwhelming will to fight surged.
Ballistae on the wall counterattacked without hesitation.
Massive bolts shot through the air like lightning, slamming into the undead horde, smashing skeletons into fragments. The scene was devastating and awe-inspiring.
Each round of bolts cut down the skeleton army like wheat.
Then, the archers loosed another volley.
Talisman arrows rained down like a storm.
Thousands upon thousands of undead skeletons collapsed beneath the barrage.
The battlefield was filled with murderous silence.
The skeletons felt no fear. They had only one goal: scale the walls and overrun the village.
Despite the barrage, they pressed on, stepping over bones to reach the wall.
Crack!
At the base of the wall, the skeletons didn't use tools. Instead, they extended clawed hands and stabbed directly into the wall, their white bony fingers digging in like climbing hooks. Each hand and foot gouged deep holes, allowing them to scale the wall like spiders.
Their speed was astonishing.
It wasn't just one or two skeletons—all of them climbed this way. Using their hands and feet to ascend, not ladders.
And attacking enemies hugging the wall was incredibly difficult. Especially with skeleton archers ready to snipe anyone who leaned over the edge. It was a terrifying method of siege.
"Such troublesome foes. These skeletons are not easy to deal with," Yi Tianxing muttered, a serious expression on his face.
This was far from an easy battle.
"If they climb up, it will be a huge threat to both the soldiers and civilians on the wall. Our entire defensive setup could collapse," Yang Ye said grimly.
Once it turned to melee, it would be a brutal struggle of flesh against the undead—facing monsters that knew no fear. The pressure was immense.
"If they want to get up here, they'll have to ask my permission first," Yi Tianxing said coldly, stepping forward.
Unknowingly, his eyes began to shimmer with black and white light.
Clatter!
Black-and-white [Yin-Yang Chains] emerged in the air, rattling with crisp, soul-shaking sound.
✅ [Innate Yin-Yang Eyes – Yin-Yang Chains!]
✅ [Yin-Yang Rings]
In a flash, nine chains shattered, transforming into 729 black-and-white Yin-Yang Rings. Each ring radiated divine light.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Hundreds of Yin-Yang Rings flew downward toward the wall.
They seemed to have eyes, homing in on the climbing skeletons. As soon as a ring touched one, it slipped straight through as if it were a mirage.
But on closer look, the soul fire within each skeleton's skull was suddenly ensnared by a black-and-white ring. In an instant, it was yanked clean out of the body.
The body collapsed, bones shattering on impact.
The skeletons met their nemesis in these rings—their soul fire forcibly extracted.
The 729 rings reformed into nine full Yin-Yang Chains, each imprisoning strands of soul fire, then returned to the Yin-Yang Dimension.
Inside the Innate Yin-Yang Divine Diagram, the flames were refined instantly, becoming streams of pure black-and-white energy, which flowed into Yi Tianxing's Yin-Yang Shears, sharpening their killing aura.
The chains reappeared almost instantly, again transforming into a storm of rings that reaped skeletons like wheat.
From atop the wall, all one could see was flashes of black and white—and then skeletons fell, silently, like death incarnate had descended.
The sight ignited passion and reverence in the hearts of soldiers and villagers alike. Their fear was swept away, and their fighting spirit soared.
"HAH!!"
At that moment, Huang Chengyan stepped forward, the vast righteous energy (浩然正气) within him churning. He took a deep breath and let out a powerful shout.
✅ [Righteous Roar]
✅ [Haoran Righteous Energy – 浩然正气]
A mighty blast of energy surged from his mouth, saturating the village in a wave of pure, radiant yang energy.
Clatter!
The skeletons near the wall instantly froze—like ice under scorching sunlight.
Their soul fires were shattered on the spot.
Skeletons dropped like dumplings. Even the bone birds circling above fell like rain.
"What immense righteous energy—that's the power of the Confucian path. It's a natural bane to spirits and undead," Master Lu gasped.
The Haoran energy resonated with the surrounding world, boiling with overwhelming purifying force.
The one shout obliterated tens of thousands of undead, easing the crisis at once.
But after releasing it, Huang Chengyan staggered, his face pale.
"Uncle Huang!" Cai Yan rushed to support him.
"I'm fine, just drained. My righteous energy is depleted. I just need rest," Huang Chengyan said, shaking his head. "Zhaoji, it's too dangerous here. You should go."
"Uncle Huang, the soldiers and people are all here on the wall. How could I leave? This is my home. I must defend it with all I've got," she replied firmly.
Gazing out at the still-approaching skeleton army, her eyes glinted with unwavering determination.
She would not flee.
Swish!
With a thought, a White Jade Immortal Zither (白玉仙琴) appeared before her.
Cai Yan sat down, the zither on her knees.
Ting… tang…
Her ten fingers danced across the strings. A melodious tune flowed into the air like a mountain stream.
The music struck like thunder.
Out of place, yet mesmerizing.
"What's going on? Who's playing music at a time like this?"
"But the melody… it's beautiful. What kind of instrument is this? It's incredible—it echoes across the entire village!"
"It's Lady Cai—it's her!"
In that instant, all eyes turned toward Cai Yan.