C17 The Great Wall Was about to Break the Giant Came to Help

The ground shook violently.

The thunderous noise struck fear into everyone's hearts.

What was approaching, and why did it wield such formidable might?

Faces were etched with dread.

It seemed the Great Wall was on the brink of collapse.

And for these people, it looked like there was only one path left: death.

"Retreat, fall back to the Great Wall," Ming Yu commanded, her voice laced with terror.

"Cackle, it must be the invincible King of Eternal Night who has sent his legions to aid us. Foolish humans, today the Great Wall shall surely fall."

The icy voice echoed along the length of the Great Wall.

The young night watchmen were hearing the Darkling Spectre speak for the first time.

Their blood felt like it was turning to ice.

Elder Chen's presence was diminished.

With a heavy heart, he lamented, "The heavens want to destroy us!"

With a single gesture, the ice crystal tree morphed back into a cane.

Shooting through the night like a falling star, it pierced the Darkling Spectre that had just opened its mouth.

A fierce icy force burst within the creature's body.

The Darkling Spectre's power surged, and he reveled in it. "Foolish humans, you're actually aiding me. Hahahaha..."

But as his power grew, he sensed something amiss.

"No, what's happening?"

His power intensified, his body growing hotter and hotter until...

With a final blast, he exploded into fragments.

Simultaneously, Elder Chen's energy also waned.

The toll of battling a Darkling Spectre general was immense.

"Brother Wei, how do you fare?" the one-armed elder inquired, full of concern.

Elder Chen dabbed at the fresh blood on his lips, "I can still fight. To battle, to slay."

"You all deserve death for daring to kill my general. Now, let the great Monarch Yongyue be your end!"

A Darkling Spectre adorned with a purple-gold crown emerged.

His eyes nearly closed, he levitated above the ground.

Elder Chen and his seasoned comrades synchronized their assault.

A white shield materialized around the Monarch Yongyue, sustained by a wild ice energy that repelled their combined attack.

A sinister grin spread across his gaunt face.

From him emanated a voice as if from the depths of hell, "Go forth, exterminate them all!"

As he finished speaking, a hexagram array materialized from nowhere, and six Darkling Spectres clad in blood-red armor teleported in. Without a moment's hesitation, they commenced their bloody reaping.

...

Elsewhere.

"That lowly vermin, daring to try and mutate Bardieg. Deserves death."

"Village Chief, you're incredible." Ye Kong gave the Giant Village Chief a thumbs-up, genuinely impressed by the man's ferocity.

They had just faced a group of Darkling Spectres, and Bardieg had bravely stepped forward to confront them.

But he was quickly defeated in just two moves.

The Village Chief hadn't intended to intervene, but when one of the Darkling Spectres foolishly attempted to mutate Bardieg by touching his forehead, the Chief lost it.

With a single stride, he unleashed a series of crushing stomps, pulverizing the Darkling Spectres.

Those very stomps were so powerful that even the soldiers far away at the Wall felt them, mistaking them for the arrival of Darkling Spectre reinforcements.

Upon hearing Ye Kong's compliment, the Village Chief offhandedly remarked, "Kid, it looks like the Wall is facing a crisis."

"Oh, is it a Darkling Spectre assault?" Ye Kong remained unruffled.

The Darkling Spectres attacked periodically, but it was usually minor skirmishes that everyone had grown accustomed to.

"Right, aren't you concerned?"

"Why worry? As long as we stay behind the Wall, the Darkling Spectres can't breach it."

The Village Chief scoffed, "Well, if they do breach it, the human race will suffer greatly. Unless something unexpected happens, the Wall of Despair is likely to fall soon."

"What?" Ye Kong shot to his feet.

The Wall of Despair was the human race's bulwark. If breached, the fallout would be catastrophic.

He urged, "Elder Village Chief, we must act quickly to save them. We can't let the Darkling Spectres break through the Wall."

"Why should I bother saving them? If the Darkling Spectres break through, it'll weaken the humans. The Giants can simply take advantage of the chaos."

The old Village Chief continued forward, calm and collected.

"No, you're terribly mistaken," Ye Kong bellowed. "That's shortsighted. Do you even know what the Darkling Spectres are capable of?"

Given the vast population of humanity, if they were to move south, the Darkling Spectres' power would swell at an alarming rate in no time.

"Without the humans to hold them back, your Giants don't stand a chance of survival."

Ye Kong saw the village chief's indifference and turned his gaze to Bardieg.

"Chief, if you keep dragging your feet, Yvran at the Wall will be transformed into a Darkling Spectre. Bardieg will resent you for a lifetime."

Bardieg, standing off to the side, was clueless about their conversation.

He just noticed their gazes on him.

Grinning with anticipation, he chirped, "Yay, we're going to see Yvran very soon!"

The village chief, spurred by Bardieg's words, no longer wavered.

Slamming his fist into the earth, he bellowed, "The Darkling Spectres are assaulting the Wall, and Yvran is trapped inside. We must hasten our support to rescue him."

"Forward march!"

…

At the Wall.

Yin Shisan deflected a Darkling Spectre with his sword and wiped the blood from his face.

Exhausted, he asked, "Fish, how are you holding up? Can you keep going?"

Fish clutched his bleeding abdomen, wincing in pain, "Curse these Darkling Spectres, they've become so fierce. I fear today might be my end."

"Indeed, I, of the Yin family, possessed such exceptional talent, yet here I am, facing an obscure death on this Wall."

"Any regrets?"

Fish was the sole person aware of Yin Shisan's true identity.

"You didn't have to come here. Why stand with us?"

Yin Shisan's gaze was resolute. "No regrets, just a bit of reluctance..."

He shook his head, "Enough of that. To fall in battle alongside my comrades is the highest honor I could ask for.

I'd rather confront the Darkling Spectres here than engage in the deceitful games of the mainland."

In the distance.

Only two elders remained beside Elder Chen.

The rest had perished.

Back to back, the trio formed a triangle, battling on amidst the bloodshed.

In the city, Ming Yu's eyes were steadfast.

He wielded a hefty saber, defending the gate's control center with unwavering resolve.

He cried out, "As long as one person remains, the city stands. If the city falls, the people perish. And if even one soul lives, the Darkling Spectre shall not cross the Great Wall – this the heavens shall witness."

A blood-red pearl ascended into the heavens.

Named the Blood Water Soul Returning Pearl, it drew in the battlefield's blood and captured the images.

Simultaneously, it connected to the Heavenly Mysteries Pavilion in the Human Realm.

Despite the vast distance, it allowed the human race to witness the unfolding events.

Within the Shadow Tower.

The old drunkard had finished his preparations.

He deactivated the tower's formation and murmured, "Time to leave. The Great Wall can't hold out any longer."

"As a night watchman, shouldn't you die alongside the Great Wall?" Yvran teased.

"Fool, only a fool dies for nothing. Knowing we're outmatched and still fighting to the death? That's not me. I'm saving myself for greater deeds!"

Yvran methodically retrieved items from his storage bag.

With a wide grin, he declared, "I won't be leaving. My kin have come to fetch me."

"What did you say?" The old drunkard blanched in alarm.

Meanwhile, atop the city walls.

A sentry's voice rang out in terror, "Gods above, what is that I see? Giants, the Giants have arrived."

"It's over. The Great Wall will fall."

A hush fell.

The battlefield fell eerily silent.

All combatants froze in place.

The formidable march of sixty-five giants shook the earth, their presence more imposing than legions of troops.

The hoarse voice of the Eternal Moon King cut through the silence, "Did the Night King send you as reinforcements?"

The village chief bristled with rage at the words.

"Night be damned, I've come to take your head!"

The Eternal Moon King paused, realization dawning, "Ah, the guardians." His voice turned icy, "Very well, since you've emerged, I'll capture you all and present you to my king."

"Just you?"