"Alright, let's go first!"

Seeing Yang Tian express his intent, the person nodded without saying much and prepared to leave.

But just as one foot was stepping out of the doorway, he suddenly stumbled, losing balance, and collapsed to the ground, shocking everyone around.

Yang Tian asked, "What's wrong?"

"An earthquake!"

Trying to steady the ground, Yang Tian said, "Have you ever experienced an earthquake before?"

Earthquake?

Yang Tian's brow furrowed slightly upon hearing this question. He saw the strong man take a deep breath. Then the man opened his mouth again and said, "Yes! It's a warning sign before the animal tide arrives! Their livestock sensed it in advance!"

As soon as the words were spoken, Yang Tian's expression changed dramatically!

Meanwhile, the house issued an urgent creaking sound, followed by loud rumbling noise.

Li Minghao was the first to step onto the street, his face solemn: "Yang Tian, Zhou Xing, hurry up! The animal tide has started!"

"Right here!"

Yang Tian responded swiftly, grabbing the two bone swords from Zhou Xing's hands. As Li Minghao exited the house, Zhou Xingda also moved into position.

Soon, the three of them reached the center of the village.

At this point, chaos had erupted in the village.

After all, the tide from last year was inconsistent, shifting unpredictably within a week's window.

Thus, although the villagers were still fearful, they hadn't fully prepared.

This wave of beasts had been brewing for over three months.

It could be said that everyone was caught completely off guard!

The hunting teams crucial to the village's survival hadn't returned yet!

Keep in mind, every member of the hunting teams was a hero to the village!

They hadn't come back, and worse, they carried the heavy responsibility of bringing power and protection!

Why hadn't a larger group intervened?

"Every person needs to focus! Lead the main team to fortify the defenses, and those with magical weapons should follow me up to the wooden barricade!"

Li Minghao had long been experienced in handling defenses, his sharp gaze reflecting tension and determination.

The surrounding villagers, sensing Li Minghao's seriousness, hesitated briefly but began weighing his command.

However, just as Yang Tian started climbing up the wooden barricade, Li Minghao called out from beneath him: "Yang Tian, what do you... What are you carrying?"

"Weaponry?" Yang Tian's brow furrowed abruptly.

Li Minghao glanced at the people around them, noticing their mixed expressions of unease. Leaning closer, he quietly remarked, "Because we simply can't withstand it!"

Can't withstand?

Yang Tian looked back at the many villagers, their faces showing fear and hesitation.

In this village, several hunting teams had not returned yet!

How many people did they have left?

One hundred?

A hunting team typically consisted of several dozen people. Five teams meant more than fifty individuals, all of whom were vital assets for the village.

It meant the defenses were barely holding up with only a fraction of the manpower originally intended.

The animal tide threatened to strike once again.

The villagers stood outside the wooden barricades, trembling as terror seeped into their bones!

Even now, though, everyone was rigorously following Li Minghao's orders to prepare.

Because they all understood the enemy wasn't human, but an untiring, unreasoning horde of animals!

The beasts wouldn't negotiate, wouldn't surrender to words or pleas.

As for fleeing, even in the Xing District or outside the village, encountering demons and wild beasts could mean certain death.

Secondly, leaving to escape wouldn't guarantee safety—only the bleak prospect of returning to an abandoned and weakened village.

When their defenses failed against the second or third wave, despair would be absolute.

Running meant death. Staying grounded meant death.

The only option left was to fight!

Naturally, as the tide grew stronger, it became painfully clear that survival hinged on harnessing unique strategies.

Yang Tian climbed atop the wooden barricade, searching the horizon for clues to plan their attack.

It wasn't about brute strength; it was about cleverly exploiting every advantage.

The sight of Yang Tian wielding his bone swords inspired hope among some villagers who knew of his expertise as the "Arrow Ghost."

At this critical moment, Yang Tian and Li Minghao jumped across the barricade.

Seeing this, Zhou Xing immediately approached them and offered, "Yang Tian, or perhaps later as the final phase begins, I could provide you with arrows?"

Arrows?

The mention of this stirred a sense of recognition in the villagers. They recalled Yang Tian's incredible skill with a bow and arrow, and their hope briefly flickered to life.

But Yang Tian shook his head and said firmly, "No, not this time—I don't need a bow and arrows!"

"No bow or arrows?"

Chatter spread quickly as the villagers voiced their confusion. "Without a bow and arrows, what will you use?"

"What about the two bone swords I gave you earlier?"

Yang Tian wasn't interested in entertaining Zhou Xing's question and instead pointedly asked.

Bone swords?

The villagers, staring at the intricately carved bone swords, murmured amongst themselves.

Upon hearing Yang Tian's remark, Zeng Meihao stepped forward and carefully retrieved the two specialized bone swords. "These ones?"

"Exactly! These are the ones!" Yang Tian replied with a grin.

Yang Tian's lighthearted smile baffled Li Minghao, who wasted no time asking, "Yang Tian, don't you have a blade? You mentioned earlier you wouldn't use a bow and arrows. Are you planning to face the tide with just these bone swords?"

This revelation startled Zeng Meihao. Was hand-to-hand combat truly possible?

Memories of Yang Tian's skirmish with the Demon King resurfaced. The villagers had seen firsthand how his bow could outmatch adversity.

But now, Yang Tian was adamant—he wouldn't use the bow or wield his blade.

Was he truly planning to charge directly into the impending wave of monsters alone?

Even a god couldn't accomplish such a feat!

Yet Yang Tian gently smiled and reassured, "Don't worry, I'm not foolish! I've never thought about brawling recklessly—just trust me on this. These two bone swords will make all the difference!"

As he spoke, Yang Tian took one of the swords from Zeng Meihao and handed it to Li Minghao. Then, with a confident smile, he said, "If you want to prevail, heed my instructions!"

"Well..."

Li Minghao, clearly perplexed by Yang Tian's unusual strategy, still trusted his judgment. He stopped questioning and braced himself for the fight.

At the same time, Yang Tian maintained his composure, eyes unfaltering as he scanned the distant horizon from his vantage point on the wooden barricade.

A boom echoed across the land!

The sound grew louder.

The familiar growling of beasts began to escalate as they closed in, accompanied by a vast whirlwind of dust and the ominous silhouettes of ravenous monsters!

"They're here!"

Li Minghao's eyes sharpened as he gripped the Valley Opening Sword tightly, his voice hoarse and filled with urgency.

Everyone froze in place, beads of sweat forming on tense brows.

Although Li Minghao and Yang Tian had spoken privately earlier, the villagers weren't oblivious; they all understood the gravity of the situation.

Preparations weren't complete, and manpower was insufficient!

The odds were stacked far higher against them than in prior encounters!

Even Su Yue, standing behind the wooden barricade, shivered as she clutched her ceremonial weapon tightly. She was ready to lead the weaker villagers—women and children—to retreat if Li Minghao's defensive line failed.

But would the barrier hold?

Could the same Monster King make the same mistakes twice?

These questions lingered not only in Li Minghao's mind but also in Yang Tian's cautious calculations.

After all, this was Yang Tian's second encounter with the animal tide and his only time facing the Monster King!

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