Chapter 68: Now Our Only Hope Lies with the Hermit Union

“Cough…cough…” Yamano doubled over, coughing violently as if his internal organs were about to expel themselves. Nearby, someone promptly handed him a cup of warm water, which he gulped down immediately, barely managing to suppress some of the coughs.

Since the sea spirit invasion began, Yamano had relentlessly activated Liyu’s power to handle emergencies across various locations, ensuring the smooth evacuation of large numbers of civilians. This relentless effort had taken a severe toll on his health.

“You’ve been running a high fever continuously; this cannot continue. Your body will collapse.”

Inside the temporary tent, Gu Youna, usually composed and reserved, now had her eyes red and strained. Deeply from within, she admired the young man before her, who was several years younger than herself.

Yamano glanced at the glucose drip attached to his hand and spoke with a hoarse voice, “Bring me the specialized medication. I’ll rest for ten minutes.”

During this period, Yamano had been solely relying on potent medication to sustain him. These drugs could temporarily suppress his high fever, fatigue, and various other physical symptoms, but it was only a short-term solution. After the brief few hours of drug efficacy passed, the body would inevitably remind him of the consequences.

Gu Youna, a military doctor, led a team of approximately twenty medical professionals dedicated to ensuring Yamano’s health. However, no matter how advanced their medical techniques, they couldn’t save Yamano from his relentless, life-threatening approach.

“The medicine!” Seeing Gu Youna hesitate, Yamano abruptly stood up with fervor, as if summoning his last breath.

“Give it to him; he has his own convictions,” another doctor nearby gently patted Gu Youna’s shoulder.

Shortly after, two doses of the specialized medication were brought before Yamano.

So far, Yamano had already taken these powerful drugs four times. Even with Liyu’s assistance, his physical condition had truly reached its limit. Without any hesitation, despite the throbbing headache that left him feeling utterly drained, Yamano swiftly swallowed both doses.

Gu Youna softly bowed to Yamano, “In ten minutes, we will wake you up.”

“Alright.” Yamano closed his eyes and immediately fell asleep.

The ten minutes passed swiftly. For Yamano, this brief rest only slightly alleviated the dryness in his eyes. Without hesitation, he lifted the tent flap and stepped outside.

Instantly, torrential rain and fierce winds soaked Yamano’s clothes, but at the same time, he retrieved Liyu and tossed it upwards.

Liyu was rectangular, approximately seven to eight centimeters long, with a jade color tinged slightly greyish, not particularly appealing. However, as soon as Yamano formed a specific hand gesture, Liyu emitted a bright yellow glow that enveloped him.

The power of Liyu dispelled some of the chill from Yamano’s body, filling him with renewed strength and even instilling a sense of invincibility, albeit momentarily due to the surge of energy. In the next moment, Yamano’s figure swiftly blurred through the darkness, moving so fast that it left trailing afterimages.

“Hurry, quick, move faster!”

Amidst the intense sound of pouring rain, Yamano vaguely noticed a section of the road collapsing ahead. As large areas crumbled under the relentless downpour, countless debris and buildings were swept towards them. Behind, several vehicles overturned, their cries mingling amidst the chaos like scenes from an apocalypse.

The Li Kingdom soldiers escorting along the route did their utmost to pull out any salvageable civilians from the chaos, urging them not to stop. If vehicles overturned, people had to keep moving forward. Continuing like this, even if the sea spirits didn’t catch up, they would all be swept away by the floodwaters. Moreover, the torrential rain caused by the spiritual tide felt intensely freezing upon contact; staying here would spell disaster.

In the face of such calamity, some individuals wailed helplessly, following the crowd’s movement, while others frantically called for their lost loved ones, searching madly through the water.

Yamano leaped past these people and encountered Shion Ben head-on. Holding the Six Mystic Strings zither, Shion was drenched just like everyone else.

“Move! This group is evacuating the slowest, causing a bottleneck. The sea spirits have already changed course and are heading this way.”

Shion Ben, a thirty-year-old man, had never stood out within the Yin Ye Clan before. His only notable attribute was his association with the Six Mystic Strings zither, which others revered as a symbol of the clan’s long-standing heritage. However, few truly believed that the zither possessed any divine properties.

However, Shion Ben, somewhat rigid in his beliefs, always held a rare reverence for the Six Mystic Strings zither. Consequently, after its mystical powers manifested, no one else from the Ototake Clan could use it except for him.

Shion Ben was an ordinary middle-aged man, characterized by stubbornness yet occasional timidity, with moments of surprising determination. Thus, instead of relying on Chizuru’s abilities, he chose to confront the sea spirits using the Six Mystic Strings zither. But his occasional cowardice led him to flee without hesitation upon seeing the amassed sea spirits.

“No, we can’t retreat so quickly. The path ahead has collapsed. If we don’t stop the sea spirits, those trapped by the storm won’t have time to escape.” A conflicted expression crossed Shion Ben’s face.

Coincidentally, before Shion Ben could speak further, a message simultaneously came through their earpieces.

“The Prime Minister has reached an agreement with Geshan City’s Mountain God. You no longer need to directly halt the sea spirits. Instead, ensure to guide as many sea spirits towards Geshan City as possible, and the Mountain God will deal with all those invading the city!”

Relief washed over Shion Ben’s features. Not having to face the sea spirits head-on while still following the Prime Minister’s orders was favorable to him.

As for Yamano, he strained to move his eyes slightly. “The Prime Minister intends to use human lives to lure the sea spirits.”

Amidst the cacophony of sounds, Yuan Sichang’s voice carried both solemnity and determination. “Yes, I am aware of the landslide situation. We must abandon those caught in it, using them to draw the sea spirits towards Geshan City. For the civilians ahead, the Prime Minister will also direct them to converge instead of dispersing as before.

Mr. Yamano, let me make something clear: The Li Kingdom has a total population of 1.35 billion. If we allow the sea spirits to rampage unchecked, it is feared that less than one-tenth might survive.

In times of great calamity, sacrifices must be made. I have already prepared myself mentally; if the Mountain God fails to halt the sea spirits, leading to the deaths of millions who were used as bait, I will take my own life as penance.”

Hearing Yuan Sichang calmly mention ‘take his own life’ through the earpiece, Yamano felt momentarily dazed. After all, he was not a savior capable of rescuing the entire Li Kingdom unscathed.

If this is how it must be…

Yamano looked at Yin Ye, his gaze gradually firming. “Let’s move!”

Without a word, Yin Ye swiftly followed Yamano back. They had to abandon everyone trapped by the landslide and quickly clear obstacles ahead, ensuring the converging millions could rapidly head towards Geshan City.

There could be no mistakes during this process. If too fast, large numbers of sea spirits might lose interest and divert towards other cities. If too slow, once overtaken by the relentless swarm of sea spirits, their fate would surely be sealed.

In Geshan City.

The storm gradually intensified, causing the large population that had previously migrated to Geshan City to huddle indoors, afraid to venture even a single step outside. However, those with homes in Geshan City were still relatively fortunate; many ordinary individuals were temporary residents, and the crowded city long lacked any available rentals. Consequently, amidst this torrential rain, they could only set up tents under makeshift shelters.

To maintain order in Geshan City, every two days, based on different street areas, designated personnel distributed food according to the number of people present. Despite these efforts, each day, numerous individuals still succumbed to the eerie chill brought by the spiritual tide.

On this particular day, it was Xing Chi’s turn to clean the inner courtyard at the Mountain God Temple. The beautiful young girl knelt on the ground, meticulously wiping the floor inch by inch. Suddenly, the sliding door opened, and a figure leisurely walked past her.

Xing Chi instinctively looked up but noticed just in time that the white-clad figure had already stepped into the curtain of rain. Remarkably, as he moved, the raindrops parted to either side above him, leaving not a single drop to touch his hair or garments.

On the outskirts of Geshan City, amidst the rainstorm, sea spirits began emerging - their heads large yet bodies slender and skin slightly ashen. More and more followed suit. From above, one would see countless sea spirits moving like swarms of ants. Some even sniffed out the scent of abundant life within Geshan City, emitting sharp cries filled with excitement.

Shanye vigorously channeled his power through Liyu, causing her aura to intensify dramatically. Under Shanye’s control, the endless pale-yellow glow formed into a massive sword, approximately three to four meters long, which swiftly descended upon the sea spirits.

Conventional weaponry was ineffective against them, but Liyu’s radiant light could burn the sea spirits.

“Hurry, move!” Shanye shouted angrily.

The migrating civilian convoy was relentlessly pursued by the sea spirits, hindered severely by torrential rain and treacherous roads. Along the journey, nearly tens of thousands had already perished.

Nearby, Yine Ben, seemingly driven by a sense of duty, did not retreat this time. Instead, he levitated partially off the ground and rapidly played the Six Profound Zither.

At that moment, a colossal fire-red double-headed bird let out a fierce cry and burst forth from the Six Profound Zither. With another screech, it swooped towards the densely packed sea spirits.

Instantly, over a thousand sea spirits were toppled to the ground, many of them scorched by the bird’s flames. Unfortunately, there were simply too many sea spirits; thousands being swept aside barely made a difference.

“Mountain God, Mountain God, hurry! If you don’t come soon, I’m doomed.” After launching one attack, Shion Ben felt an overwhelming wave of exhaustion.

“I can’t continue.”

Instinctively sensing his hands tremble uncontrollably, as his last ounce of strength drained away, Shion Ben plummeted directly from mid-air.

Whoosh

Contrary to his expectation of crashing painfully, he felt something catch him instead. Straining amidst the torrential rain, he managed to open his eyes, glimpsing a figure in white robes with red trim standing aloft. The wind and rain parted around this entity, who exuded an otherworldly detachment yet possessed an inexplicable divine aura.

“Mountain God.” Shanye looked up at the suddenly appearing figure, feeling his entire body weaken and sway.

“Scum.” A hint of anger surged within Jian Xiangping’s heart. As the Mountain God of Li Kingdom, He still harbored some affection for it.

As His hand lifted, endless green vines emerged from the outskirts of Geshan City. These vines, unhampered and vigorous, freely absorbed rainwater and soil… then grew wildly at a frenzied pace.

Even Jian Xiangping was somewhat astonished. Born from an Old God—an ancient pagoda tree—He had always sensed that upon His creation, He also merged with a peculiar vine.

He rarely utilized his vine abilities before this moment.

However, today’s trial revealed their astonishing growth rate under His influence, exhibiting an almost unbelievably aggressive expansion. The rapidly growing vines, reaching over ten meters long, further divided into numerous small tendrils, swiftly striking towards the sea spirits.

The ethereal and semi-ethereal sea spirits seemed to have met their nemesis. While their sharp claws could tear through the vine branches, every time one vine was shredded, even more swarmed forward.

Entangled by the vines, the tendrils pierced into the sea spirits’ bodies, delivering parasitic seeds deep within them. Most of the sea spirits became nourishment for the vines, entirely absorbed by the voracious growth.

The vines were highly greedy and exhibited remarkable evolutionary traits. Within just one hour, consuming vast quantities of sea spirits, these vines underwent four to five rapid generations of evolution. After undergoing several cycles of withering and regrowth, a small portion of the vines began emitting a peculiar wave akin to living beings, which attracted the sea spirits. The moment a sea spirit approached, their tendrils would swiftly pierce into its chest.

Having been brought to the far rear by others, Shanye held on with his last breath. He witnessed countless green vines waving their terrifying tendrils, preventing any sea spirit from getting even a single step closer to Geshan City. All were eliminated at the city’s outskirts.

Yet that white figure remained distant and indifferent.

For the first time, Shanye felt the power of a divine being… truly untouchable… No wonder, in the myths and legends of the Li Kingdom, there are records of monarchs specifically worshipping the Mountain God and River God upon ascending the throne, seeking their approval.

“Excellent.” These were Shanye’s final words before completely relaxing, his head slumped sideways, and he collapsed onto Gou Youna.

In the capital of the Jindar Empire - Ottlan.

As the dominant power within the Western Alliance, upon foreseeing the onset of the spiritual tide, just like Hanming Country, the Jindar Empire constructed a refuge named ‘Ark’ in Ottlan.

The entire city of Ottlan became a true Ark in every sense.

With approximately four hundred million inhabitants in the Jindar Empire, currently around one hundred fifty million people have crowded into Ottlan. Similar to all other countries, they were unable to immediately cater to everyone’s needs due to limited resources.

Undoubtedly, Ottlan was severely congested.

However, at least its residents were spared from the torrential rains brought by the spiritual tide, and their daily food supply remained relatively adequate. Based on scientific projections, Ottlan’s Ark was deemed sufficient for this group to safely endure the first phase of the spiritual tide outbreak.

But now, something extremely unfortunate has occurred: science cannot predict accidents.

A city giant appeared within Ottlan!

The city giant is a mythical entity in the legends of the Jindar Empire. It is said to be the offspring of the God of Strength and a human, causing its mother’s death on the very day it was born. Consequently, it was cursed by the God of Strength. The city giant continuously grows taller each day, perpetually hungry, leaving destruction and ruins in its wake wherever it goes.

One day, hidden within the Ark, the Emperor of the Jindar Empire suddenly witnessed amidst the vast curtain of rain, a colossal giant obscuring the sky emerging before his eyes.

They attempted to divert the giant’s attention using artillery fire, hoping to lure it away, but with little success. The city giant’s towering height of over a hundred meters meant that most attacks were akin to mere mosquito bites for it.

When the bombardment did cause pain, the enraged giant went on a destructive rampage through Ottlan, leaving large swathes of the city in ruins. Worse still, the giant consumed everything indiscriminately, even devouring mouthfuls of soil. As a result, its height continued to increase crazily each day due to this insatiable appetite.

The devastation of Ottlan led to near-paralysis of the Ark’s operations, plunging the city into a precarious state.

Naturally, Nade Bezoz, the world’s second-richest individual, had sought refuge within the Ark. However, now faced with the Ark’s impending collapse and the relentless presence of the city giant, even Nade began to feel uncharacteristically anxious.

-The Hermit Union.

With no means to confront the city giant, Nade tightly clutched the card in his hand.

This represented his alternative escape route. The Ark was swiftly heading towards ruin, and despite his wealth, he too would be affected by the spiritual tide. Nade regretted not being more resolute earlier in expressing goodwill through generous financial contributions.

Regardless, it was time to find a way to contact someone from the Hermit Union.

He certainly didn’t want to perish in Ottlan.