Yin Zhongxiu stared at the familiar figures in front of him, momentarily stunned.
How had all these unrelated people gathered here?
"Uncle, Senior Brother, I finally found you!"
Yin Shui'er squeezed out of the formation, joyfully stepping forward. A hint of color finally returned to her pale face.
Seeing her, Yin Zhongxiu's expression turned to alarm:
"Why are you here!"
The young girl chuckled. After resolving the matter at Heya Village, she had immediately ridden her horse to the outskirts of the West Mountain.
There, she had coincidentally met the team heading into the core area for support and followed them.
Although she often clashed with Yin Zhongxiu, her relationship with her uncle was actually exceptionally good. Only those closest to you could speak the harshest words with such abandon.
"I followed Uncle Lin," she said.
"Uncle Lin?" Yin Zhongxiu's face showed confusion. Immediately after, he saw a rough-looking man.
He knew this man well. His name was Lin Yan, the Chief Inspector of the Fifth Division of the Demon Extermination Department in the Domain of Strange Night.
In terms of rank, he was one level below Yin Zhongxiu, but he was a genuine third-stage ability user, and they were old friends.
"Because the Fifth Division has no fixed patrol areas, Lord Lin was able to provide support. Although it's a bit late, it's not too late," said Wu Ye, the City Lord of Broluo City, stepping forward.
Apart from the Fifth Division, the other three divisions were also on constant alert, guarding areas similar to the West Mountain and unable to move.
"I heard something happened at West Mountain, so I came immediately. Because I'm not familiar with the terrain, I didn't dare to venture too deep," Lin Yan said apologetically. He was an old friend of Yin Zhongxiu, but his friend seemed to be seriously injured today, his spear broken, and he had almost died here.
If he had arrived a minute later, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
"Fortunately, I later met Lord Liang. He used a special method to pinpoint your location, and then Lord Golden Horn activated the teleportation array, allowing us to provide timely support."
Yin Zhongxiu surveyed the newcomers.
Five third-stage individuals, twelve second-stage individuals, including the City Lord of Broluo City, the President of the Golden Silver Merchant Association, a special envoy from the imperial court, and the Chief Inspector of the Fifth Division...
With such a lineup, setting aside lords, they could almost sweep through the Strange Night. However, they had come to the wrong place tonight.
"Ye Yan, can you still teleport back? Quickly take the brothers and retreat!"
Yin Zhongxiu's expression was urgent. He estimated that in another twenty seconds, the fourth-stage tiger demon would arrive.
Lin Yan and the others had just arrived and had no idea how critical the situation was!
"Why?"
The man looked puzzled. He had only just arrived and was already being ordered to retreat?
He pointed at Vilitan in the distance:
"He, is he worthy?"
"Is he the one who caused the source of pollution?"
A bald middle-aged man, adorned with golden rings on his wrists and neck, stepped forward. He stared fiercely at Vilitan, his eyes filled with ferocity.
Was it this guy who forced him to activate the grand array, resulting in a loss of hundreds of thousands of taels of silver?
Gazing at the rune storm shooting across the sky, Golden Horn slowly raised his arm, laden with golden rings, to the sky and clenched it fiercely.
With a hum, a golden, illusory circular gate appeared in the air. All the rune fragments that shot over were swallowed, vanishing without a trace.
Immediately after, the golden ring moved forward, and wherever it passed, all ability fragments were consumed, stopping only when Vilitan withdrew the storm.
...
"Metal attribute, as expected, is domineering," Xu Mu, in his shadow form, remarked as the two fought.
The runes that could even negate Yin Zhongxiu's Yin attribute were easily swallowed by this golden ring.
"Gold has high density. That thin layer of runes naturally wouldn't be able to scratch it. It's obvious you didn't study physics well," Charles quipped.
"However, everything has a relationship of mutual generation and restraint. Even the metal attribute, known for its ferocity, won't necessarily win against the Yin attribute."
Xu Mu nodded upon hearing this.
He was aware of this, much like the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.
They mutually generated and restrained each other.
It wasn't as simple as saying if A defeats B, and B defeats C, then A can defeat C. There were many variables involved that couldn't be calculated.
"There are quite a few solutions to this, forty-seven in total."
The grey-white eyed entity fell silent for a moment, then gave a very fitting evaluation.
Charles and Xu Mu fell silent simultaneously.
...
"Simple."
Golden Horn retracted his ability, looking provocatively at Vilitan, seemingly unfazed.
"Governor Yin, my Golden Silver Merchant Association lost a considerable amount of silver to open this teleportation array. If I let this fellow escape for free, will I be able to sleep tonight?"
The ground trembled increasingly violently, and Yin Zhongxiu even stammered in his haste:
"No, it's..."
"If it's the Strange Night, there's even less to worry about," Ye Yan chuckled heartily, interrupting him. "Including you, we have six third-stage individuals this time. A lineup of this caliber can walk sideways in the central region of West Mountain. Even if a lord-level great demon comes, we'll have the strength to fight!"
"You jinx!" Yin Zhongxiu, enraged, punched the man in the chest. The latter grunted and retreated.
"We have the strength to fight, so why aren't you running when I tell you to!"
"What do you mean!"
Ye Yan coughed violently. Just as he clenched his fist, ready to demand an explanation, the ground suddenly shook.
His expression turned to shock. Before he could even process what was happening, he heard a terrifying tiger roar.
"Awooooo!"
A tremor that seemed to originate from the soul coursed through everyone present, leaving them all with numb bodies.
"What... what is happening!"
Ye Yan sensed the soul-stirring pressure, and a sense of foreboding suddenly welled up in his heart.
Could it be that he was truly a jinx and had encountered a fourth-stage great demon as soon as he arrived?
He couldn't be this unlucky!
The others also looked at Yin Zhongxiu with tense expressions.
When they first arrived for support, they had indeed noticed the ground shaking, but given the luxurious lineup, they hadn't paid it much mind.
But now, it seemed they were mistaken. So, they all looked to Yin Zhongxiu, hoping for a negative answer.
The answer was destined to disappoint them.
Yin Zhongxiu looked at the white mist drifting a hundred meters away and sighed with a complex expression, "You didn't want to leave when I told you to. Now it's too late."
"I don't know why, but we've provoked a fourth-stage tiger demon."
"Everyone, please prepare yourselves. In fifteen seconds, it will arrive!"
...