Chapter 347: Rain Fall

With the appearance of ancient mythical beasts, the tide of the battle turned. Just an hour before daybreak, even the most exhausted and injured soldiers rose with hope. The tales from their ancestors were nothing more than folk tales told to children. However, seeing it happen in their lifetime made them finally believe it was real.

"Hold the line!" the generals yelled as soldiers picked up spears and shields, covering for exhausted cultivators.

More cultivators joined the fray, giving the imperial army more room to breathe. The difference between a handful of low-ranking cultivators and top soldiers was already huge. However, the undead were not to be underestimated. As the number of fallen increased, the potency of miasma started to affect soldiers.

"Pull the injured back and give those who can still move the antidote!" scholarly cultivators shouted from the backline.

Although no one truly knew what was going on anymore, humanity instinctively united against the supernatural. There was no bad blood between cultivators and mortals. It was chaotic, but with Mingshen coordinating from the headquarters, they held out well. The addition of Mystical Qilin Sect scouts greatly increased their chances of winning. Yet, he knew at the back of his mind, nothing would change unless his sister succeeded.

"We have to hold on until daybreak," Yihao patted his brother on the shoulder. "Trust in Anji."

Numbly, Mingshen pushed his worry and paranoia down and focused on the battle formations. The undead were diminishing in numbers, but the accumulation of poison gave them a huge advantage. There was no more ground to retreat, but they had to do something. Even with the mythical guardian beasts tearing up the ghost armies, they were losing too many men to petty tricks.

"If only there were a way to mass purify the miasma," Mingshen gritted his teeth.

From behind, a familiar voice pierced his thoughts.

"Leave that to me."

Turning around, Mingshen saw the person he least expected to show up.

"Brother Zhang Mou?!"

Not expecting the other founding member of the Gentleman Club to appear when he had been busy helping to manage the Azure Dragon sect, Mingshen almost teared up.

"Sorry, I’m late," Zhang Mou smiled and presented a strange-looking device.

"This is the rainmaker. If infused with enough spiritual energy, we can purify the entire area. My father had a difficult time locating it after the demonic cult’s ambush, but we knew it would come in useful. The prophet told us to bring it."

Spiritual rainfall was a unique ritual and skill passed through the Azure Dragon Sect for generations. Zhang Mou had little affinity for cultivation compared to strategy. However, the sect’s artefact was a great asset if it could be used.

"Only those with the right bloodline can activate it," Mingshen pointed out. "Are you able to sustain it?"

Shaking his head, Zhang Mou called for another person to step up from behind him.

"I can’t do it, but he can. It took me a while to reach because I had to fetch him."

Stepping out with a limp and battered look, Chen Tao greeted them. It had been years since Mingshen saw the successor of the Black Tortoise Sect. He had almost forgotten about him due to the lack of activity from the Black Tortoise Sect, which had shut its gates after the ambush tightly.

"Greetings," Chen Tao bowed. "My father made sure to pound the final stages of the Mobile Fortress Bloodline Arts into me before he permitted me to leave. I can create a barrier of rain and hold out until sunrise. Please have everyone else retreat to the inner city walls and barricade them."

Immediately, Mingshen understood what his sworn brother had planned. If Chen Tao had truly mastered the Mobile Fortress skill unique to the Black Tortoise Sect and could combine that with spiritual rain, not only could they purify the miasma, but they could also blockade the horde until sunrise and give the medical team a chance to catch up to casualties.

"Yihao, get them to retreat starting from the west gate," Mingshen instructed. "Pave a way for retreat. I’ll take care of the South."

Volunteering to pass the message to the sole guardian at the North, Zhang Mou took his leave, and Chen Tao wisely left for the east gate.

Executing the retreat swiftly, the imperial army marched back to the inner walls and readied the barricade while cultivators held the line upon receiving the message. Traps sprang up in all directions to slow them down as zombies climbed across each other in an attempt to get ahead.

"Barricade the gates and add strengthening spells!" Mingshen shouted from the top of the walls, giving timing and instructions through telepathy spells to the small team of spellcasters on site.

Working in tandem, the imperial soldiers scurried out of the way as cultivators remained right outside the gates to fend off aggressive undead, buying time for the spell masters to apply the seals.

Once the strengthening seals were ready, Mingshen shouted for the ropes to be let down from the walls and ordered the remaining cultivators to evacuate. Using the ropes and lightweight skills, they scaled the walls quickly, clearing the zone.

"Brother Zhang Mou! Chen Tao! It’s yours now!"

There was no need to repeat the call. As soon as the last cultivator flipped over the wall, Chen Tao and Zhang Mou started to synergise their energy and synchronise their breaths to activate the rainmaker.

Borrowing Chen Tao’s skill and Zhang Mou’s unique bloodline, the rainmaker hummed to life and called to the Azure Dragon.

"To think I’d hear the summons to dance after so many years," he laughed. "It would be my greatest honour to wash away all the filth in this capital city!"

The Black Tortoise did not remain idle either. He blessed a practitioner of his unique defence skill and enhanced the spiritual array while the Azure Dragon summoned dark clouds over the entire capital.

In minutes, the first crack of lightning lit the sky. Claps of thunder roared and drowned out the groans of the undead. Rain droplets pelted on the corpses outside the walls like hail, tearing through rotting flesh and purifying decaying souls.

Although the Vermillion Bird and White Tiger hated water, they did their part and helped souls to cross, purifying filth alongside the heavy rainfall.

From within the safety of the walls, humans watched and prayed while tending to their wounds, finally acknowledging their exhaustion. At last, they believed there would be a new daybreak to witness.