Based on previous patterns, the monster lurking in the shadows would always fall silent after feeding. At least, until it grew hungry again, it wouldn't pose a threat—as long as its taboos weren't triggered. Chief among them: no one was allowed to leave Lushan City. Break that rule, and the creature would immediately sense it, kill them, take them away, and devour them.
Chen Sheng and Wu Guang stepped out from the courtyard and climbed up onto the city walls.
DANG! DANG! DANG!As soon as they reached the top, someone slammed an iron hammer against the warning bell, and its clang resounded throughout the entire Lushan City.
Even those whose spirits had been crushed by despair and fear were jarred awake by the sound. It was as if the bell also shook their willpower back into motion. Eyes that had long gone dull now regained a flicker of clarity, turning toward the bell tower on the city wall—where Chen Sheng, Wu Guang, and others stood beneath it. Doubt and confusion flickered across their expressions.
"Fellow townsfolk, brothers and sisters!" Chen Sheng's voice boomed out, amplified by true qi, reaching across half of Lushan City. Each word struck with power, drilling directly into the hearts of everyone present.
"No matter where we came from—north, south, even different eras—we are all one thing: human. We are of the Human Race. We have wisdom. We are not livestock penned up for slaughter. We are not pigs or sheep waiting to be devoured by beasts!"
"We are over two hundred thousand strong! No matter how fierce the monster is, how powerful the beast, it cannot devour us all! As long as we break out of Lushan City, we will have a chance to survive—a future that belongs to us!"
Chen Sheng's words carried a powerful, almost hypnotic charisma. Hearts long numbed began to stir. Among the crowd, people's eyes started to gleam with a new unwillingness to submit.
"He's right!" Wu Guang clenched his fist, shouting, "If we sit here and wait, we'll only die like animals. But if we fight—yes, we might die—but we might live too! Since death is inevitable either way, why not fight for our lives? We're human, not cattle!"
"My men have already dug tunnels into the city walls! Anyone willing to fight can now open these passages. You don't need to use the main gate! We've opened dozens of exits across the walls, and I don't believe that creature can seal every one of them! As long as you're not afraid to die—there's a chance to live!"
Chen Sheng roared with fervor:"We are the Human Race—how can we submit as mere blood food!"
"Anyone brave enough, follow me out! Only by escaping can we survive!"
THUD! THUD! THUD! All around the city walls, large openings began to appear, wide enough for a dozen people to pass through at once. Dozens of these escape holes appeared around the perimeter—turning the once-imposing city wall into a sieve. The sight was shocking.
And yet it worked.The citizens of the city, long listless and filled with dread, were visibly shaken. One by one, their expressions shifted.
"He's right! Why wait here to die? If we're going to die anyway, let it be with a bang! We fight!"
A wild voice howled from the crowd.
"Let's go! We're humans—we won't just sit here and wait to be eaten! Even if we die, at least we'll have tried!"
"We'll fight! That monster can't be that powerful. Even if it tries to kill us all, some of us will get away!"
"Charge! Whether we live or die—it all depends on today!"
Suddenly, the silent city came alive.
The long-extinguished flame of defiance flared up. No one hesitated anymore. When they saw the first few people rushing toward the tunnels, the rest surged behind them like a tide.
"Go! If we get out, we win!"
"Leave Lushan City, and we're safe. Run! Run!"
"If there's even a sliver of hope—we'll take it! Staying here is certain death! If dying means we fought to live, it's worth it!"
People grabbed wooden sticks, raised butcher knives, gripped shovels and hoes, shouldered poles and iron rods. Even dog-beating clubs were weapon enough. One by one, they rushed toward the opened passages.
In that instant, the entire city became a human tide—a flood of bodies surging toward freedom.
Chen Sheng and Wu Guang exchanged glances, but didn't descend just yet. As cultivators, it would be easy for them to escape the city by leaping over the wall.
They were watching.Watching to see how the hidden monster would react.This kind of mass exodus couldn't go unnoticed. If the creature truly appeared, it would no longer be an unseen threat. And once exposed, it could eventually be defeated.
BOOM—RUMBLE—Thousands of citizens stormed the exits, and the very ground trembled underfoot. Countless people surged through tunnels and out of the gates in a roaring wave.
What they had lacked before was a spark—someone to ignite their buried courage. Chen Sheng and Wu Guang had been that spark. They ignited the powder keg of resistance.
In silence we perish. In defiance we live.
It was that simple.
From every opening, waves of people poured out.
ROOOAAAR!!The sudden chaos startled the creature hiding in the dark. It faltered—but only for a second. A terrifying roar echoed across the sky above Lushan City.
CRACK!!Out in the open plains, the ground suddenly split apart—gaping fissures opened up. Holes appeared.
Many people didn't react in time and were instantly swallowed up. They vanished into those cracks amid screams.
But those underground traps, however fearsome, weren't enough to block every escape route. Compared to the flood of people, they were too few. While some were swallowed, more people escaped. The crowd kept pouring out, faster and faster.
"We made it! We really escaped!"
"It's real—we're alive!"
"Run! We're out of Lushan City! I'll never die at that thing's hands!"
People ran, almost disbelieving their own survival. How had they never thought of doing this sooner?
Their fear turned to blazing hope.
"We did it!" Chen Sheng's face lit up with joy. "The creature can't seal every exit. It's not as invincible as we thought. We still have a chance."
"Sheng, we can't stay. That creature's going to lose its mind," Wu Guang said grimly.
"Jump!" Chen Sheng ordered without hesitation.
They looked at each other, then leapt from the city wall without delay. For cultivators, the drop was nothing. They landed smoothly, melting into the fleeing crowd.
ROOOOAAAR!! Another furious howl tore through the air—and then, Lushan City began to collapse inward.
From the ground, a colossal serpent burst forth. Its scales were yellow, gleaming like polished bronze, and its lantern-sized eyes blazed with rage. This was no ordinary beast—it had intelligence. It knew the humans had rebelled and fled. That knowledge had driven it to a berserk fury.
This serpent was tens of meters long, its girth wider than two adult men standing side by side. It was a horrifying, monstrous creature radiating savage aura.
It lunged toward the fleeing people.
With one breath, it inhaled violently—stone and sand whipped up like a storm. People running ahead were caught mid-stride, sucked into the air and swallowed whole. The only sound they made was a single scream before vanishing into its gaping maw.
BANG!Its massive tail whipped through the crowd—bodies exploded, torn apart on impact. Houses crumbled. Blood filled the air.
The serpent moved like a monstrous flood, tearing through the streets.
"AHHH!!"Anyone in its path was torn to pieces or devoured, helpless before its might.
BOOM! Its tail slammed into the ground—and deadly stone spikes erupted from beneath. Dozens of people were impaled on the spot, their blood pooling rapidly. Screams of pain and terror echoed through the ruins of the city.