Every leader-grade fierce ghost, under Lei Dong's command, dissolved into a fleeting shadow. Utilizing their aerial advantage, they enveloped the heads and necks of the Swift Shadow Insects from above. Immediately following, sharp claws and formidable teeth materialized, tearing furiously. In mere heartbeats, they could dispatch an insect with ease. The five fierce ghosts fought independently, averaging nearly one kill per breath.

The remaining members also unleashed their most potent offensive moves. Taking advantage of the city wall, they effortlessly eliminated the Swift Shadow Insects one by one. Particularly noteworthy were Qian Luo and the other Golden Core cultivators, whose strength was considerable, wielding dazzling arrays of magical artifacts. When masses of Swift Shadow Might converged, attempting to breach the mountain protection formation, their high-powered spells truly demonstrated their might.

Of course, the anti-air formation imposed significant restrictions on the use of magical artifacts and implements. Lei Dong’s Crimson Refinement Flying Sword possessed extraordinary power, yet he could only employ it in rudimentary ways, such as simple rapid strikes. He could not allow it to transform into a free-roaming, serpentine form to coil and strangle enemies. All he could manage was to launch the sword in a fiery burst and then immediately force it to spin back upon command. Controlling it in this manner was immensely taxing.

It was only due to the Crimson Refinement Sword's relatively light weight that he could barely manage it.

For instance, Black Iron Tower found his natal artifact exceedingly inconvenient to use. It was a dark, profound iron pagoda that he had fused with his soul through heart-refining techniques. Once summoned, it would grow larger and larger, eventually manifesting as a pagoda ten feet high. Normally, this Profound Iron Pagoda was best suited for mass combat, as it would unleash countless sharp rays of light from every aperture on its structure. In its current state, however, it could only stand fixed upon the city wall, projecting beams of light from a single exposed side.

The ferocity displayed by Lei Dong and his subordinates significantly boosted the morale of the defenders. Spells erupted in a dazzling array of ice, fire, lightning, light, and mist—a vibrant spectacle of magical energy filling the sky in various forms. The Golden Core cultivators, in particular, unleashed spells that were truly earth-shattering and possessed extraordinary prestige. It was clear why human cultivators could survive and thrive so well in this vast, boundless world—they undeniably possessed unique, formidable strengths.

Regrettably, despite the cultivators' continuous efforts, the enemy numbers were simply overwhelming. Under the relentless assault of such a massive horde of Swift Shadow Insects and Earth Giants, the mountain protection formation could not hold for long and collapsed with a thunderous crash. The surviving Swift Shadow Insects surged forward, battering the city walls. Swift Shadow Insects were inherently incapable of true flight, relying instead on burrowing; however, their leaping ability was astonishing, often allowing them to clear distances of several dozen or even a hundred feet. But within the influence of the anti-air formation, which spanned thousands of miles, they could only manage leaps of about ten feet before being pulled back down by the formation's energy.

Yet, these Swift Shadow Insects proved incredibly tenacious. Even under such conditions, they managed to cling to the city walls and scramble upward inch by painstaking inch. Of the initial force numbering over ten thousand, only about a third had been slain by this point. The remaining six or seven thousand insects were clustered at the base of the walls, relentlessly climbing.

The expressions of the cultivators on the battlements began to sour. As anticipated, when the number of Swift Shadow Insects reached a critical mass, resistance became almost impossibly difficult. In a short span, the walls were crawling with these creatures, each creature perhaps ten feet long, emitting terrifying screeches that instinctively compelled retreat.

The Fire Dragon Cannons had cooled down and were ready to fire again. However, the Earth Giants had mysteriously withdrawn, sinking low to the ground and concealing themselves within the insect swarm, effectively hiding them from the cannons’ targeting systems. It was easy to surmise that if the freshly cooled cannons bombarded the mass of Swift Shadow Insects below the walls, the Earth Giants would inevitably reappear.

The sudden, frustratingly tenacious nature of the usually direct and head-on attacking Barbarian hordes was utterly perplexing.

“My Lord City Lord, the disparity in strength between the two sides is too vast,” Lei Dong advised City Lord Li. “We cannot possibly defend against this first wave alone. I fear we won't last long enough for reinforcements to arrive. We should retreat.” Lei Dong was certain that Golden Core cultivators were primarily concerned with self-preservation. If this mass of Swift Shadow Insects reached the battlements and encircled them, even Golden Core experts might struggle to escape with their lives. After all, the anti-air formation was a double-edged sword.

“We cannot retreat,” City Lord Li replied, his eyes alight with agitation as he gazed at the dense carpet of insects. “The barbarians are acting strangely this time; there are far too many Swift Shadow Insects. If we allow them to penetrate deep into Zhaozhou territory, the devastation will be immense.”

Lei Dong paused, wondering if City Lord Li was some kind of compassionate humanitarian. However, Lei Dong certainly had no intention of dying alongside him. If not for certain personal objectives, Lei Dong would likely have refused to participate at all. Seeing that the insect tide was virtually unstoppable, Lei Dong transmitted a message to the others: “Everyone, we have done our best. It is time to withdraw.” For Lei Dong, this felt like a battle already lost. Resisting this vanguard force of ten thousand was proving impossible, let alone the two other contingents of Swift Shadow Insects lurking nearby. Once concentrated, the destructive power of these creatures was truly terrifying.

Since Lei Dong had given prior warning, the others accepted the decision as logical. However, before departing, they each unleashed their strongest spells.

Lei Dong hurled a Black Dragon Roar downward; due to the sheer density of the swarm, it managed to kill over a dozen Swift Shadow Insects directly. The most impressive display perhaps came from Tantai Bingyun. With a tremor of her wings, she achieved a miraculous, gentle float in the mid-air, drifting down like a falling feather. Hovering in the void, she supported her ancient zither; her ten fingers danced across the strings, transforming the instrument into a bewitching Azure Lotus, which then exploded into a rain of swords that plummeted downward. Within the area struck by the sword rain, Swift Shadow Insects were sliced down in droves. The Heavenly Sound Palace truly lived up to its status as one of the premier sects of Kangzhou. The Azure Lotus Sword Tune could handle both mass assault and single combat—a masterpiece technique. If its cultivation requirements were not so exceptionally high, preventing just anyone from mastering it, the sect's overall strength would be far greater. Yet, the sheer number of insects was simply too terrifying. Even with everyone’s ultimate techniques combined, they only managed to slay about a thousand, making no meaningful dent in the overall situation. This was one of the reasons Lei Dong was determined to leave; staying meant certain death.

Just as everyone gathered, preparing for their retreat,

Lei Dong’s pupils suddenly constricted, and he whipped his gaze backward. In his perception, he sensed an abnormally powerful entity approaching rapidly. Perhaps affected by the anti-air formation, the individual could not fly unimpeded; instead, they pushed off the ground with tremendous force, rocketing forward like a cannonball—a speed that left onlookers momentarily stunned.

A Nascent Soul cultivator!

Lei Dong’s immediate reaction was to unfurl his Asura Wings and flap them forcefully. Ripping through space, he instantly teleported to where his flying boat was moored. Gathering the Mute Girl and the captive Young Lord of White Bone he had left aboard, he reappeared back on the city wall. Although the anti-air formation limited his flight, Lei Dong could still execute short-range, high-speed flashes using the Asura Wings. However, the energy cost was more than ten times the usual expenditure, leaving him quite breathless.

Lei Dong could not determine the identity of this Nascent Soul cultivator; it could be the Old Demon of White Bone, or someone else entirely. But if there was even the slightest chance it was the Old Demon of White Bone, Lei Dong wanted no part of the risk.

The Nascent Soul cultivator was incredibly fast. The distance of several dozen li was covered in mere tens of breaths, even under the restrictive anti-air formation. The figure was entirely shrouded in dense black mist, rendering any facial features indiscernible. Perhaps to emphasize his dominance, he maintained a posture hovering ten feet above the ground, gazing coldly upon the assembled group, despite the ground-based limitations of the formation. City Lord Li, however, broke into a look of immense relief. “It is Senior White Bone himself! I beg Senior to lend your aid and save the Northern Pass!”

City Lord Li’s words caused the complexions of the others, who were already uneasy, to change drastically. This person was indeed the Demon Lord White Bone. Fear instantly spread among them. Nascent Soul cultivators were leagues beyond Golden Core experts; even the weakest Nascent Soul cultivator was an opponent they could not hope to match.

Through the thick black mist, they could see his icy gaze fixed intently on Lei Dong, particularly on the Young Lord of White Bone held in his grasp. Killing intent began to escalate from the shrouded figure. An immense, crushing aura pressed directly down upon Lei Dong. The Demon Lord appeared to have completely ignored City Lord Li’s appeal.

As for Lei Dong, he felt an overwhelming sense of relief. First, relief that he had kept the Young Lord of White Bone alive as leverage, and second, relief that the moment he sensed the arrival of a Nascent Soul expert, he had immediately seized the Young Lord.

Lei Dong felt sweat prickling his back under the pressure of an aura as immense as a towering mountain. The gulf in power between them was immeasurable. However, Lei Dong was no inexperienced fledgling. Through years of dedicated cultivation, he had rigorously tempered his spirit. While there was an innate apprehension toward a Nascent Soul cultivator, he managed to stand his ground steadily. After all, Nascent Soul cultivators were not entirely mysterious to him; he had not only met them before but had even done battle with them.

“Senior White Bone, I believe there has been some misunderstanding between us,” Lei Dong stated, his voice steady, neither subservient nor arrogant, yet tinged with respect. “I trust this misunderstanding can be resolved.” Lei Dong’s five fingers tightened around the Tianling acupoint on the Young Lord of White Bone’s skull, watching the Old Demon of White Bone warily, as if any slight movement from the elder would trigger a mutual destruction pact.

“Good, good,” the Old Demon of White Bone chuckled instead of showing anger, the sound rattling their eardrums. “Youngsters nowadays are formidable! Daring to hold my great-grandson hostage to threaten me. Impressive, impressive.”