The expressions of the cultivators at the very front grew increasingly grim.
“There are too many demonic beasts. Can the defensive formation hold?” Xu Ziyan asked gravely.
The defensive formation protected all of Wuti City, but it consumed an enormous quantity of spirit stones. It could endure for a while, yet if the beasts maintained this intensity of attack, the formation would be in danger.
That was why, despite the apparent success of the lower-level cultivators’ attacks, the people watching from the archery tower showed no sign of relief.
Most of Wuti City’s cultivators had never experienced warfare on such a brutal scale. For now the formation was intact, blocking the beasts’ attacks and keeping the defenders unharmed. But if it collapsed, the morale of those low-level cultivators would probably disintegrate immediately, and the battle would turn disastrous.
“Pass down my order. Have the early Foundation Establishment cultivators join the attack and replace half of the Qi Refining cultivators,” Jiang Tianxing said evenly.
The sturdy man behind him beat out a new rhythm on the drum to transmit the command.
Xu Ziyan continued watching the battlefield, his hands clenched so tightly into fists that his face was growing pale.
As an ordinary person in his former world, he had seen scenes of this magnitude only on television. Since arriving in the cultivation world, he had killed demonic beasts, seen blood, and even accepted that he would kill anyone who threatened him or Zirong. But a fight between one or two cultivators could hardly compare with a vast battlefield filled with armies of humans and stampeding beasts!
Countless dazzling lights fell among the densely packed beasts like shooting stars. Bursting flesh and blood saturated the air with a heavy stench and laid a thick, ghastly carpet across the ground.
Xu Ziyan felt nauseated, but he forced himself to keep watching. For now, the cultivators were merely slaughtering beasts from a distance. If he could not endure even this, he would become a burden to others when the fighting turned into close-range combat.
Perhaps because the original novel focused mainly on Bai Hua using his personal appeal to win over several excellent male love interests, it had never described the cruelty of this battle.
The original owner of his body had not experienced the battle firsthand either. As a result, the bloody reality struck Xu Ziyan with almost overwhelming force.
His clenched fingers went white. The pallor slowly drained from his face, replaced by a strange flush.
He suppressed his trembling, his eyes flashing with an unfamiliar brightness. Without noticing it, he even extended his tongue and licked his dry lips…
When he finally came to himself, Xu Ziyan rubbed his forehead and smiled bitterly. Perhaps this world had changed him somewhat. Once he had been an utterly ordinary businessman. Now, after only a little discomfort at the violence of battle, he was already looking forward to joining the fight himself.
So… were men naturally combative creatures after all? Rather than frightening him away, such a bloody battle had somehow stirred his excitement.
“Brother, are you happy?” Xu Zirong suddenly caught his brother’s hand and asked softly. “You seem excited. Do you like blood that much?”
Xu Ziyan felt a chill. His gaze snapped toward Xu Zirong. “Don’t talk nonsense. Why would I like blood?”
“Brother doesn’t like blood? But it’s such a beautiful color…” Xu Zirong sounded disappointed. He bit his lower lip and held both of Xu Ziyan’s hands so tightly it was almost painful.
Xu Ziyan frowned. Recently Zirong had seemed a little strange. Remembering the boy’s fate in his previous life made his heart contract. Perhaps Xu Zirong’s rapid success with the Blood Sea Heart Scripture had not been due entirely to the technique; something in his nature might have contributed. In other words, even without cultivating that scripture, Xu Zirong might harbor a latent thirst for blood.
Xu Ziyan was not opposed to killing. In this world where the strong preyed on the weak, mercy toward an enemy could mean cruelty toward oneself. Frankly, if the novel had not made a habit of delivering dreadful fates to everyone who opposed Bai Hua, Xu Ziyan might already have considered killing that man for his own safety…
He was no saint. If there were convincing evidence that someone intended to harm him, he would have no qualms about striking first.
Afraid that the scene below might awaken Zirong’s bloodthirst, Xu Ziyan held his hand with a serious expression. “Zirong, do you really enjoy scenes like this?”
Xu Zirong stiffened briefly, then smiled and answered quietly, “Yes. I don’t know why, but seeing so much blood makes me excited. Brother… do you hate me now?”
As he finished, Xu Zirong lowered his head and his voice faded. Beneath his hidden face lay a look of determination. He loved his brother and was willing to pretend to be obedient for him, but he was not a god. He could not be certain he would conceal his true nature forever.
He knew perfectly well his brother was no fool. Xu Zirong could deceive him so easily only because Xu Ziyan trusted him without reservation. As more and more of his real self slipped into view, that trust would eventually crumble. And if the bond between them were not strong enough by then, his brother would turn away and never return.
He could not bear such a loss. That was why he kept testing his brother, finding one excuse after another.
This time was no exception. If his brother truly could not tolerate a bloodthirsty person like him, then his only choice would be…
Xu Zirong’s eyes darkened. Beneath his sleeves, his fingers slowly took on a vivid red color, as though he were pulling on a pair of scarlet gloves.
Brother… please… don’t disappoint me!
Xu Ziyan frowned at the confession, but he did not seem particularly alarmed. In the end, this was roughly the reaction he had expected from Zirong. And surely Zirong’s willingness to admit it honestly proved that his problem was not so serious… probably?
Seeing Zirong’s head bowed and hearing his voice grow smaller, Xu Ziyan’s heart softened. The boy seemed engulfed in such despair that even the slightest harsh reaction might deprive him of the will to live.
With a pang of concern, he patted Zirong’s shoulder and drew him into his arms. “Don’t be ridiculous. Why would I hate you? You’re my younger brother. Why would your brother ever hate you?”
“But…” Xu Zirong kept his face buried against Xu Ziyan’s chest, his voice muffled. “Brother seems to hate the way I like blood.”
Xu Ziyan laughed. “Don’t be silly. What do you mean, you like blood? You’re imagining things. You don’t like blood; men just enjoy fighting. Blood is merely a by-product, understand? Some people faint at the sight of blood. It stands to reason that others might get excited. Fainting is an instinctive reaction, but you wouldn’t call someone a coward simply because they fainted, would you? Getting excited when you see blood is no different. It’s just a reaction, that’s all.”
“Oh.” Xu Zirong nodded obediently, though he still did not lift his head.
Looking down, Xu Ziyan noticed that Zirong’s ears were slightly red and could not help smiling. The boy might look grown up, but deep down he was still a child, wasn’t he? Who knew how long he had kept this worry bottled up? At least now he could finally relax.
Xu Ziyan gently lifted his brother’s face and pressed their foreheads together. “Next time something like this happens, tell me earlier. Don’t sit there imagining all sorts of things by yourself, all right?”
“Mm,” Xu Zirong agreed meekly, the joy in his eyes completely undisguised.
Xu Ziyan patted his shoulder and turned his attention back to the battlefield below. Xu Zirong stood quietly beside him, his exquisite face faintly flushed. Quite a few of the young men and women who had yet to fight blushed when they saw him, and some even secretly asked others who he was.
Xu Zirong’s joy at that moment was beyond anything words could express!
His brother’s response had utterly exceeded his expectations. He had thought that merely being tolerated would be an excellent outcome. Instead, Xu Ziyan had offered him protection without any apparent limit.
Xu Zirong was certain his brother could distinguish bloodlust from the desire for battle. Yet Xu Ziyan had deliberately blurred the two concepts in front of him, perhaps already inventing an excuse for the day when Xu Zirong’s true nature finally emerged…
Warmth spread through Xu Zirong’s heart. He had never experienced such a feeling of fulfillment before.
He watched his brother silently, a sweet smile appearing unbidden. Here was someone who cared for him, loved him, and forgave his every mistake without conditions. Whatever happened, Xu Zirong would never let go of a brother like that!
“Second wave, advance!” Jiang Tianxing’s divine sense continued to envelop the entire battlefield. His expression was solemn, and anxiety showed between his brows.
The drum sounded again. The second wave of Foundation Establishment cultivators rushed through the defensive formation and charged into battle with the demonic beasts.
Most of the cannon-fodder beasts in the front ranks had died, and those behind them specialized in ranged attacks. Their assaults struck the defensive formation, suddenly increasing its consumption of spirit stones severalfold.
Jiang Tianxing was helpless to change the situation. A formation capable of protecting the front wall required high-grade spirit stones, but the four great families of a small city like Wuti possessed only limited reserves.
If things continued at this rate, the beasts would break through the formation before nightfall. Fighting them after that happened would be far more devastating.
More than a hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators leaped from the wall to fight the beasts below. The first group of Qi Refining cultivators had exhausted their spiritual power and began withdrawing in an orderly fashion. New cultivators replaced them atop the wall and continued attacking, while those who withdrew found quiet corners and meditated to recover. Pills were limited, and the fiercest stage of the battle had yet to come. No one would squander precious supplies now.