When the barrier broke, the black rain stopped. Using it had taken a heavy toll on the grinning demon, and it would not use it again unless it had to. Now that the most troublesome barrier was down, it could turn to less expensive methods.
The cessation of the rain did no favors for the mood of the defenders. The Others were prowling on the edges tentatively, and more emerged from the smoky haze.
The grinning demon stood its ground, its grin stretching wide as the smell of fresh blood filled the air.
A heavy price it had paid, but now the shell was cracked, and the flesh inside was there for the taking.
With another inhuman screech, the Others surged forth as one roiling, black wave.
Some students screamed.
Duze Honglian and the others were pale as well. “Fight!” Jiang Qing’e shouted.
She herself lifted her heavy sword. It took every ounce of her strength to do so despite her injuries, but she was the cornerstone of the defense. She had to raise their morale.
Digging deep, she pulled enough light resonant energy to make her sword shine a light across the entire battlefield.
She took a deep breath.
“May fear be gone!
“May we live long!”
This was the battle cry of generations of students in the Umbra Cave. It fortified their spirits and gave them new courage.
Intangible yet real, it warmed their souls and put strength back into them.
“May fear be gone!”
“May we live long!”
Their replying roar drowned out the whispers, and the students closed ranks.
“Prepare to meet the enemy!” Jiang Qing’e shouted.
They stood with resonant powers at the ready, weapons gripped tightly as they watched the first wave of Others approach.
They were afraid. But when the alternative was death, they would fight with all they had.
At least they would die with a bit more dignity that way.
BOOM!
Soon enough, the fight with the Others broke out full-scale, and the students were fighting harder than they had ever fought before.
Some were covered with blood, others had already gone berserk. No one tried to preserve energy within their bodies. They would rest when they were dead.
Of course, some students fell as well, buried under piles of enemies. When the Others turned to their next opponent, there was not even a corpse left behind.
The sanctuary was now covered in carnage.
Jiang Qing’e, Duze Honglian, Qiu Bai, and other Three Star Hall students formed an anchor on the front line. They bore the brunt of the attack, wading into where the fighting was deepest, and taking on the most Others. Even so, the purified spot was falling.
Jiang Qing’e’s sword bludgeoned into another rank of Others. She was conserving energy now, light resonant energy flashing for only an instant during connection and winking out the moment her enemies were cut down. Her mastery was incredible.
Her golden eyes were fearless as she turned to the grinning demon.
“Duze Honglian.”
Duze Honglian’s whip of red iron snaked out, and more Others fell in a flash of flame. She turned to her rival.
“The grinning demon is weakened. The two of us will take it down. Qiu Bai, Tian Tian, hold the line with the others!”
Duze Honglian stood wordlessly for a moment. She knew that the two of them were the strongest on the field. But with Jiang Qing’e still injured, even their combined powers would not be enough to take down the grinning demon.
It was going to be a one-way trip forward.
Still, they would eventually lose by attrition otherwise.
“Let’s go. Anything that Jiang Qing’e dares to do, Duze Honglian does too,” she said harshly.
The two girls stepped forward as one, cutting down the Others in their way as they made their way towards the ultimate enemy.
Qiu Bai, Tian Tian, and the others watched miserably. They knew what the conclusion would be.
But was there any other option?
Gamble it all. That was all they could do.
But just then, there was a new force that began to make the ground tremble.
Boom, boom, BOOM.
The sounds were growing louder and louder.
Mini earthquakes, hitting one after another in a steady rhythm.
Many of the students looked around, fearful that this was another trick of the Heavenly Disaster Class Other.
Both girls halted, then they realized that the new shock was coming from the back of the purified spot.
They whirled around.
BOOM! BOOM!
Louder and louder.
And then they spotted a gigantic figure, looming tall above all of them, charging towards them at speed.
At the same time, a hysterical voice piped up from somewhere in front.
“Out of the way!
“Out of the way!”
Jiang Qing’e recognized the sweet voice immediately. “It’s Li Luo!”
“Li Luo?” Duze Honglian repeated in disbelief. The little brat was back?
What mummery had he cooked up now?
“Out of the way, everyone!” Jiang Qing’e echoed his calls.
The students complied, fleeing to the high wall.
BOOM!
With a deafening crack, a building exploded in a cloud of dust.
There was a figure running for his life at the front.
“Li Luo!”
Yi Lisha and Si Qiuying recognized the familiar figure.
“Leader!”
Bai Mengmeng cheered.
He ignored all of them, concentrating all his energy on his feet. Neither of his resonances were suited for speed, but he was making it work. A root appeared on the ground in front of him as he ran. His foot lifted off it, and it sprang him forward for a little boost. He landed smack in the thick of the fighting.
Completely surrounded by Others, and the Heavenly Disaster Class was nearby as well.
Did he have a death wish?
He skidded to a halt and ran his hand through his hair, slick with sweat. He pointed his blade at the grinning demon.
“Hey, dog face, the Astral Sage College’s guardian beast is here now. Accept your fate!”
From behind him, a roar answered, and another colossal shaking punctuated by dust clouds followed. A huge figure sailed out of the haze, landing in the middle of the purified spot. It was as big as a hill.
Amid the chaos of the battlefield, there were some clear sections.
In the very middle stood Li Luo, alone. Behind him was the three-tailed beast, its tails swiping from side to side, twitching in anticipation.
A mere Resonant Master had the Others backing away from the titans in the middle.
And furthest from the students was the grinning demon, its grin now fading a little.
This three-tailed beast was a real threat. A true threat.
Had the little human brat brought reinforcements?