"You're going back on your word—you never intended to leave peacefully in the first place."
Feng Xianlin's eyes burned with anger.
This was a complete mockery—not just of their entire General's Valley, but the entire oasis. That so-called agreement? Nothing but a game of semantics. From the start, the enemy never intended to leave quietly. The use of the Duel Platform was merely a ploy, a simpler way to seize control of General's Valley.
Now that this approach had failed, they had immediately resorted to more sinister methods.
General's Valley was located within this oasis. Seizing the oasis—even if the agreement temporarily forbade attacking the valley—would still allow the enemy to isolate it. And once isolated, countless tactics could be used. The moment the oasis was captured, General's Valley would be within the enemy's grasp.
This, the High Priest clearly understood. He had never planned to let it go.
His methods were roundabout, but his true target had always been General's Valley.
"I only want the oasis. I never said I wanted to occupy General's Valley. Retreat into your valley, and I'll let you leave in peace. The oasis already belongs to me," the High Priest said coldly and firmly.
"Hah! As expected, undead are never trustworthy. Your words are as worthless as farting after taking off your pants. If it's war you want, General's Valley will never cower. You want war? Then we'll give you one. If you wish to take the oasis and claim the valley, you'll pay a terrible price. Don't even dream of achieving your goal."
Feng Xianlin's eyes flashed as he sneered.
This nonsense about taking the oasis but not attacking the valley was just a front. Once the oasis was in enemy hands, the fate of General's Valley would be sealed.
With a snort, he turned his horse back toward General's Valley, while the Gale Cavalry remained in place, standing firm against the undead army. Their faces were steely, filled with a determination to face death without fear.
From the day they became soldiers, they had long cast aside fear of death.
"So be it. Since you refuse to see reason, don't blame me for being ruthless. Issue the order—attack. Kill every living creature on this oasis. Leave none alive."
The High Priest's cold command was transmitted in all directions at an incredible speed. It sank into the souls of every undead soldier, fusing with the Soul Fire within them.
There was no hesitation.
Each undead warrior emitted a chilling aura as blades and swords were drawn.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Skeletons charged forward, dried corpses leaped through the air, and countless white-boned beasts that had been turned into necrobeasts lunged forth. Their eye sockets burned with soulfire as they rushed ahead at terrifying speed, an endless flood of undead soldiers.
The army numbered in the hundreds of thousands—perhaps even millions—and it continued to grow.
A thick aura of death gathered in the sky, forming a black cloud that blotted out the sun. A bone-chilling wind swept across the oasis, clawing at the skin like icy talons, making one feel as if trapped in hell.
The undead assault was terrifying.
Everywhere one looked, it was a sea of twisted white skeletons—a Tide of the Undead.
"Brothers! Take up your weapons! Fight these undead to the end! They're already dead—if they want to crawl out of their graves, then we'll kill them again! We'll bury them for good this time!"
"Grab your blades, grip your swords! Even if I die, I want to go out in glory. I've lived like a coward all my life—if I'm going to die now, let me go down swinging! Death is death—what is there to be afraid of?"
"No! We're all going to die! How can we resist such a massive undead army? Can General's Valley really hold them off? Should we retreat into the valley? But ordinary people can't survive inside—it's like being sliced to death. It's too painful... Either way, we're dead. What do we do?"
"Screw it! They say ghosts are terrifying—today I'll show them who's more terrifying: them or my blade! Come on! I ain't afraid of you!"
As the undead army surged forward, its sheer scale and horror drew out countless reactions from the people—some fearful, some angry, others awakened by the proximity of death, their long-suppressed courage reigniting. Some were paralyzed by terror, unwilling to resist, waiting for death like lambs to the slaughter.
Such people—crushed mentally and spiritually—had already been broken by the undead tide.
Cowardice would cling to them for the rest of their lives.
Many citizens quickly pulled out weapons and talismans purchased earlier from Yi Tianxing.
War bows, even repeating crossbows.
Those without purchased weapons took up whatever they had—old blades, farming tools, anything that could offer even a sliver of protection.
Even a simple weapon could mean survival.
Watching the crowd's diverse reactions, Yi Tianxing's gaze remained calm. In this chaotic world, his heart had long been tempered through countless bloodbaths. He had compassion, yes—but not blind charity. Compassion had to be earned. Some were worth saving; others—even at the brink of death—could not be saved. For such people, death might not be a tragedy but a release.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The ground quaked as sand billowed into the sky. A vast number of undead had already swept across the land. In their hollow gazes was a cold, ruthless hunger. To them, the civilians in General's City were prey—this was a hunt.
No words were needed. The oppressive aura of death surged toward them.
"Wind!"
"Flower!"
"Snow!"
"Moon!"
Just as the undead army was about to invade the oasis, four crisp voices rang out from within General's Valley, echoing through the air. With them, four beams of divine light shot into the heavens, interweaving into a mighty formation barrier that enveloped a vast area.
General's Valley and General's City were both enclosed.
"They can still activate a formation?"
The High Priest looked surprised. He hadn't expected that General's Valley, after withstanding the Black Storm, would still have the reserves to activate another formation barrier. It didn't align with his calculations—an unexpected twist.
Still, he believed that even if they activated it, it wouldn't hold for long.
Sooner or later, it would fall.
And once it did, the oasis would be his completely.
"Battle!"
"Fight to the death!!"
Roars erupted from within the valley. One military squad after another marched out of the valley, faces resolute, utterly unafraid of death. Many soldiers who had never pledged loyalty to any of the Four Generals now picked up their blades and bows, donned armor—
Today, they would return to the battlefield.
To shed their last drop of blood for humanity.
Kill!!
The undead had arrived, pressing against the edge of the formation. Skeletal archers raised their bows and fired—the first wave of bone arrows streaking toward the barrier, trying to pierce it.
These were no ordinary arrows but Bone Arrows, imbued with special death energy.
They struck the formation and were immediately stopped—though the barrier looked thin, the arrows couldn't pass. An invisible force rebounded them, flinging them away.
Clang!!
Some undead slashed at the barrier with blades—also to no avail.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Suddenly, the formation began to change. A formless cold aura spread outward. From the sky, snowflakes began to fall—soft and delicate like goose feathers, floating through the air.
Crack!!
But the moment they landed on the undead—whether skeleton, corpse, or necrobeast—a terrifying cold instantly surged across their bodies. In mere seconds, the snowflakes froze entire undead creatures solid, transforming them into ice sculptures.
Undead that collided into their frozen comrades shattered them with crisp cracks. The ice sculptures broke into tiny shards, soulfire extinguished—completely destroyed.
This was one of the terrifying variations of the Wind-Flower-Snow-Moon Grand Killing Formation.
"Citizens of General's City! If you are willing, you may attempt to pass through the Spatial Gate once more. Those with qualification may enter freely. Of course, those without qualification will still be blocked," Yi Tianxing suddenly announced.
The formation wouldn't last forever. When it fell, the civilians would face slaughter. If nothing changed, the city would run red with blood.
"What? We can try the gate again?"
"Quick, try the gate! Maybe we can really get in!"
"If I get through, I can enter Xuanhuang City! We'll be safe and live a better life!"
Many people had been preparing to fight to the death. But now, with another option, they were overjoyed.
Those closest to the gate hurried forward to test it.
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps.
When they reached the point where the barrier used to be, they hesitated—then, gritting their teeth, stepped forward.
No resistance.
They passed through.
"I got in! I have the qualification!"
Seeing this, others' eyes lit up with hope—and surged forward.