With a deep, shuddering breath, Yi Zhongtian's expression shifted several times before he finally settled back to normal.

Though the news delivered by He Yiming was one worsening piece after another, Yi Zhongtian was, after all, a man who had seen major events unfold. The initial shock quickly subsided, allowing him to regain his composure.

"Senior He, how many Spirit Beasts of the Millennium level are there within the great bear horde?" Yi Zhongtian inquired gravely.

He asked directly about the precise number of formidable Spirit Beasts, never once considering that He Yiming might deceive him.

He Yiming blinked twice. He genuinely wanted to inform the man that there was likely an overwhelmingly powerful entity among the great bears that had reached the level of a Sacred Beast. However, upon observing the other man’s pale face, he ultimately decided against sharing this information.

If that Sacred Beast chose not to intervene, so be it. But if it decided to take direct action, then he would send it on its way.

After observing the situation for this period, He Yiming had developed some understanding of the survival environment in the Northern Frontier. He knew even better now that if every issue required his personal intervention, it might not necessarily be a good thing for these people. Since they lived here, they had to abide by the local rules of survival and achieve breakthroughs through battle.

While the total population of the Northern Frontier was not small, let alone compared to the Eastern and Western Continents, it was far inferior even to the Northwest.

However, the local populace was fiercely resolute. Almost everyone practiced Inner Strength, and the proportion of masters far surpassed that of other human settlements, even among those who had reached the Xiantian Realm.

This was intrinsically linked to their survival in the harsh environment of the Northern Frontier and their constant struggle with external wild beasts for territory.

If not for this, the Northern Frontier could never boast top-tier masters comparable to those elsewhere, despite its relatively smaller population.

Thus, He Yiming had already decided that he would not intervene at the very beginning of this battle.

Of course, if they encountered a force the city simply could not resist—for instance, if that Great Bear Sacred Beast made a move—He Yiming would not mind stepping in to ensure fairness and show that Sacred Beast the true might of human experts.

Shaking his head slightly, He Yiming stated, "If this old man is not mistaken, there should be two Spirit Beasts that have reached the Millennium Realm."

"Two?" Yi Zhongtian’s face turned extremely grim. In his calculations, if there were only one Millennium Beast, he and his colleagues could perhaps manage a desperate fight against it. But if there were two, then there was no point in even starting the battle, as the disparity in strength would be too vast.

Noticing He Yiming's calm demeanor, a sudden thought struck Yi Zhongtian. "Senior, it is our honor that you have come to Peng City. Now that Peng City faces imminent disaster, we implore you to step forward and save us."

As he spoke, his knees buckled, and he dropped directly to his knees, prostrating himself.

He Yiming paused, and a touch of surprise colored his gaze as he looked at the other man.

A Xiantian expert, one who was infinitely close to breaking through to the highest tier, kneeling before another for the sake of a city—this was absolutely beyond his expectation.

This demonstrated the profound affection Yi Zhongtian held for his city. Otherwise, he would never have committed an act so damaging to his reputation before even confirming He Yiming's true identity.

He Yiming pondered for a moment. "Very well. I can handle one Millennium Spirit Beast for you, but whether you can hold off the rest of the great bears will depend on your own efforts."

Yi Zhongtian was overjoyed and quickly expressed his thanks.

Although the remaining great bears would not be easy opponents, he was already deeply satisfied.

He Yiming waved his hand slightly. "Brother Yi, are you not afraid that an even more powerful Spirit Beast might emerge from among the bears?"

Yi Zhongtian let out a wry chuckle. "This junior is certainly afraid, but generally speaking, it is the absolute limit for a Millennium Spirit Beast to mix within a horde. If these Spirit Beasts advance to the Sacred Beast realm, they usually carve out a territory of their own to live separately. Therefore, relatively speaking, we would prefer the invaders to be a horde rather than a lone Spirit Beast, because a lone Spirit Beast is very likely to be a Sacred Beast."

He Yiming slowly nodded. So there was such a custom among the beast hordes of the Northern Frontier. However, what was currently following the horde must surely be a Sacred Beast; it was just unclear why it was mingling with the mass of lesser creatures.

Yi Zhongtian bowed deeply to He Yiming. "Senior, there are at most two hours left until dawn. This junior will go arrange for the warriors to prepare their defenses immediately."

He Yiming nodded lightly and waved his hand. Yi Zhongtian backed away with his hands held low. He didn't dare to even ask when He Yiming planned to lend his aid. But given He Yiming's martial cultivation, since he had given his word, it was as certain as a nail driven into a wall—he would absolutely not go back on his promise.

※※※※

Yi Zhongtian arrived atop the city wall, precisely in the direction He Yiming had indicated earlier.

He gazed out, but the sky was pitch black, devoid of light. Although his martial cultivation had reached the Xiantian realm, he did not possess the 'One Hundred and Eight Thousand-Mile Sight,' so he naturally could not see clearly things several miles away.

But he was not discouraged. He suddenly leaped down from the rampart and pressed his ear close to the ground, listening intently.

Yi Zhongtian held an supreme position within Peng City. Although he was not the City Lord, whether in terms of prestige or actual power within the city, he far surpassed the City Lord, making him the undisputed foremost figure in Peng City.

Upon seeing his action, the guards on the wall immediately grew tense, knowing that Lord Yi Zhongtian would never act like this without a grave reason.

Indeed, after a significant pause, Yi Zhongtian returned to the battlements. His expression was now intensely grave, completely devoid of any trace of a smile.

"Someone, ring the bell! Summon the warriors to assemble and take their positions on the walls to prepare the defense."

A sound like a booming drum immediately echoed across the entire battlement.

The guards below instantly understood what was happening. Though their faces were strained, they were not unfamiliar with such sudden changes.

To survive in the Northern Frontier and establish a city here meant facing a battle between humans and beasts of this scale every few years; they were thoroughly accustomed to it.

The distant chime of the bell instantly rang out into the night sky, and in the next moment, it carried throughout the entire city.

Within mere seconds, the entire city erupted into activity. Various calls and shouts shattered the formerly silent night.

He Yiming stood quietly on a rooftop, observing everything within the city. He felt a degree of surprise.

Although the city's inhabitants had been alerted by the bell, the vast majority did not show panic. Instead, they muttered complaints.

Many people left their homes and began gathering toward the walls on all four sides, but even more cursed a few times and then returned home to sleep soundly.

Even He Yiming broke into a cold sweat watching this.

He truly couldn't decide whether these people were brave or simply thick-skinned.

It seemed the people of the Northern Frontier were thoroughly used to fighting beasts, showing little alarm even in this situation. However, this was no ordinary day; the appearance of the Millennium Ice Island had agitated the entire beast tide. If the humans of the Northern Frontier treated this situation as they always had, without giving it sufficient importance, the resulting human casualties would be catastrophic.

The number of torches on the city wall had doubled, illuminating the entire parapet as if it were daylight.

Though no great bears were yet visible before them, a tense atmosphere had already begun to permeate the air.

Shadows flickered a few times, and four people joined Yi Zhongtian’s side. Besides the middle-aged man who had spoken with Yi Zhongtian initially, the other three had varied attire, suggesting from their clothing alone that they were not natives of the Northern Frontier.

Yi Zhongtian nodded slightly toward them. "Gentlemen, ladies, you have all arrived."

Among the three newcomers were two men and one woman. One man and one woman appeared to be a couple, both looking to be in their late forties or early fifties. The other person was slightly older, with a head of white hair that was dazzling to behold.

The white-haired elder glanced toward the darkness in the distance. "Brother Yi, has the horde arrived?"

Yi Zhongtian nodded slightly. "They have. They will reach this location by dawn at the latest."

The white-haired elder nodded in satisfaction. "The Northern Frontier Ice Palace truly lives up to its reputation. You have the movements of the beast horde under complete control. Remarkable."

Though Yi Zhongtian’s face was as thick as a city wall, a faint flush spread across it now. He chuckled dryly. "Brother Zhang, you flatter me."

A figure flashed, and He Yiming also materialized on the battlements. He hadn't intended to appear so early, but he was quite interested in how the people of the Northern Frontier would handle the beast horde, so he ultimately came here.

Upon seeing He Yiming, Yi Zhongtian immediately left the others and hurried to He Yiming’s side, whispering, "Senior, you have come as well."

After hearing the footsteps of the beast horde, the last remnants of doubt in his heart vanished. Seeing He Yiming appear immediately settled his mind greatly.

When the others witnessed Yi Zhongtian's demeanor, their expressions shifted slightly, and they all began to speculate about He Yiming's origins.

He Yiming gave a slight nod and turned his gaze toward the people on the wall.

Yi Zhongtian quickly introduced them. "Senior, this is Envoy Sun Jun, sent from the headquarters of our sect. He is the one who brought the news of the approaching beast horde." After a pause, he continued, "This is Brother Zhang Bolin, and these two are the couple Chen Linxi and Yu Xueying. These three all hail from the distant Eastern Great Shen. We heard the Northern Frontier beast hordes are rampant, so they came to lend a hand."

The white-haired elder, Zhang Bolin, laughed heartily. "Brother Yi, there's no need to put golden varnish on our faces. We traveled thousands of miles to the Northern Frontier specifically to hunt Spirit Beasts over five hundred years old. If we weren't seeking the Xiantian Inner Cores of these beasts, we certainly wouldn't endure the suffering in this icy wasteland."

A wry smile touched Yi Zhongtian's lips. Everyone understood this truth perfectly well, but few were willing to state it so frankly and openly.

He stole a glance at He Yiming, and seeing no flicker of emotion on his face, he breathed a sigh of relief.

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