Chapter 496

Chapter 496: Locusts

Creak~

The heavy crossbows mounted on the walls of Sand Guard were drawn back in unison, their angles adjusted by battle cultivators.

Sharp crossbow arrows aimed skyward.

These city defense heavy crossbows were all first-tier magic tools, requiring cultivators to operate. With their long range and formidable power, they could easily pierce black iron armor within a thousand steps and possessed the ability to disrupt spells.

A single heavy crossbow was not fearsome; even ordinary magical beasts could dodge its arrows.

But when their numbers swelled to hundreds or even thousands, the combined destructive force of their volleys became truly terrifying.

For centuries, countless Sand People had met their end beneath these heavy crossbows.

Yet today, the battle cultivators of Daying faced an overwhelming swarm of giant locusts.

Against the sheer mass of the oncoming insects, even the three thousand heavy crossbows seemed insufficient.

At the same time, the battle cultivators swiftly rolled out the God-slaying cannons, stripping away their crimson covers to reveal dark muzzles glowing faintly.

These were the true instruments of destruction wielded by Sand Guard, capable of obliterating a ten-mile radius and annihilating Golden Core cultivators with a single blast!

There were twelve God-slaying cannons in total, stationed on specially constructed towers and manned exclusively by peak Qi Training cultivators.

Ordinarily, the God-slaying cannons were only deployed when Daying City faced imminent peril.

Now, with the locust horde yet to arrive, the activation of the God-slaying cannons signaled Grand Commander Kou Shihai’s belief in their necessity.

This decision heightened the tension among the battle cultivators stationed on the city walls.

Silence prevailed as they waited.

The atmosphere was thick with anticipation.

At that very moment, the vanguard of countless locusts closed in on Sand Guard.

The thrumming of thousands of wings created a cacophony that assaulted the cultivators’ ears, a maddening drone that gnawed at their sanity!

Thud!

A leading locust collided with the formation barrier, erupting into a bright flame before disintegrating into a wisp of blue smoke.

The protective formations of Sand Guard were the cornerstone of Daying City’s defenses, offering unparalleled protection and the ability to reflect enemy attacks.

This locust was like a moth drawn to a raging wildfire.

The outcome was inevitable.

Yet, in its wake, hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands of locusts surged toward the formation barrier.

Some crashed and exploded, others burst into flames, but most clung to the translucent barrier, gnashing their mandibles and clawing furiously, only to be obliterated by the formation’s counterforce.

A deluge of locust carcasses and ash rained down from the sky.

It was as if a black rainstorm had descended!

But this was merely the beginning; these locusts were devoid of reason. They pressed forward, heedless of their fallen kin, wave after wave charging relentlessly.

They seemed infinite in number!

Individually, a single locust was as insignificant as a speck of dust compared to the might of the city defense formations.

But when their numbers reached a considerable level, the pressure on the formation barrier began to grow, even showing signs of instability!

At that moment, the battle cultivators stationed on the city walls sprang into action.

Thousands of battle cultivators raised their hands, and thousands of blazing fireballs shot up into the sky simultaneously.

The burning spheres effortlessly pierced through the magical barrier and exploded amidst the locust horde.

In the sky, flames bloomed like fiery flowers!

Countless locusts were blasted apart and set ablaze, plummeting toward the ground.

The battle cultivators’ attacks came in relentless waves, clearing vast swathes of the sky without resorting to heavy crossbow weapons.

However, the sheer number of locusts was overwhelming, and both sides quickly fell into a war of attrition.

It must be said that the battle cultivators held a clear advantage, as they could cast magical assaults with ease from the safety of the walls, while the locust horde could not breach the formation barrier, leaving the cultivators unharmed.

This was the strength of the city defense formations, granting the defenders a significant edge.

Yet, as time wore on, the first wave of cultivators soon depleted their magical energy and were forced to retreat to replenish their strength.

The second wave of battle cultivators stepped forward to take their place.

At this moment, a new breed of locusts appeared.

These new locusts were smaller, their body surface tinged with a dark red hue, and they moved with greater speed and agility.

What was truly alarming was their heightened intelligence, allowing them to dodge the fireballs hurled by the battle cultivators with remarkable dexterity.

This drastically reduced their casualties while increasing the burden on the battle cultivators.

Their relentless focus remained on the city defense formations; once they landed, they would frantically gnaw and destroy, hastening the depletion of the formations.

In an instant, the battle reached a deadlock!

At that very moment, atop the Seven Star Pavilion, Wang Chen saw Kou Shihai rushing toward him.

Until then, Wang Chen had been observing the battle without intervening.

His duty was to guard the Seven Star Pavilion, and without orders from the Grand Commander, he could not act recklessly.

Doing so might disrupt the enemy’s plans, leading to unpredictable consequences!

He had not expected Kou Shihai to come in person.

The Grand Commander cut straight to the point, “Wang Chen, I need your help.”

Wang Chen replied without hesitation, “Speak.”

Though not true allies, they had built a strong rapport, and mutual support was only natural.

Kou Shihai spoke in a deep voice, “I suspect a locust (bait) has entered the city.”

“A locust (bait)?”

Wang Chen was momentarily stunned, “You mean the locusts that resemble grasshoppers?”

The name was undeniably peculiar.

“Exactly!”

The creatures currently ravaging the Sand Guard were a type of demonic locust native to the desert, known as the Sand Locust.

These massive demonic locusts would swarm every few decades, attacking and obliterating desert oases.

Afterward, they would bury their eggs deep within the sandy soil, only to reemerge years later.

This cycle repeated endlessly.

It was said that Sand Locusts could survive for extended periods by consuming sand. Originally, they were the greatest threat to the Sand People, but the wizards of the Sand Tribe eventually devised methods to control them, turning them into weapons against their enemies.

This was not the first time the Sand Guard had faced an onslaught from the Sand Locusts!

Before launching an attack, the Sand Tribe would dispatch a meticulously trained “locust (bait)” to infiltrate Daying City.

This locust (bait) acted as a human-shaped lure, capable of awakening a bloodline power that would draw billions of Sand Locusts, triggering a devastating assault.

Based on past encounters, Kou Shihai deduced that the Sand Tribe was employing the same tactic once more.

If this locust (bait) was not rooted out, the Sand Locusts would fight to the last, never ceasing their attack.

While conquering Daying City through such means was a futile dream, the toll on the city would still be immense.

The greater concern was that the Sand Tribe Hunter Cultivators would seize the opportunity to bypass the Sand Guard and infiltrate the West Sea Spiritual Realm, wreaking havoc on Daying City’s rear.

Once Daying City’s forces were tied down, the destruction wrought by the Hunter Cultivators would be catastrophic!