As the crowd was about to give in, the City Lord finally appeared. He was seen hovering in mid-air, clasping his hands together. Countless waves of light emanated from his palms, forming a barrage that annihilated a large number of the attacking raptors in the sky.
"City Lord, City Lord..."
Seeing this, the people within the city erupted in joyous cheers.
Ning Beichen, witnessing the City Lord's power for the first time, was surprised to find that the City Lord was Yang Qianrou's uncle. This was somewhat unexpected.
"Everyone, do not worry. Reinforcements from the Central Continent are already en route. If we can hold on until dawn, our city will be safe."
The City Lord's voice resonated throughout the city, bringing hope to those who had already fallen into despair.
Ning Beichen stood on the rooftop, hearing the City Lord's words, but he was somewhat dismissive of the idea that the Central Continent's arrival would secure the city.
Unless a significant number of experts or even a supreme powerhouse arrived from the Central Continent, holding the city seemed nearly impossible.
What the City Lord had displayed moments ago was within Ning Beichen's capabilities, and he could do it with greater ease.
However, Ning Beichen had not intervened, not out of unwillingness or selfishness, but because he was waiting for the opportune moment to act.
Currently, the people within the city, including his own subordinates, were under immense pressure. Although the situation seemed perilous and casualties were inevitable, they could still hold on. But the night was long, and the most ferocious attacks from the beasts had yet to come. Ning Beichen was waiting for that very moment.
Nevertheless, the City Lord's appearance and powerful display had greatly boosted the confidence of the city's inhabitants, especially after hearing that reinforcements from the Central Continent would arrive the next day, which significantly eased their tension.
Although the City Lord had shown his might and instantly eliminated a portion of the giant beasts, it did not significantly alter the overall situation for the night; it merely served to boost morale.
Ning Beichen understood this, and the City Lord himself knew that the crisis of the night had not been resolved.
Soon, the beast attacks resumed. The City Lord acted again, repelling some of the aerial raptors. However, a thunderous boom echoed from the hundred-meter-high city wall to the north, followed by sounds of excruciating screams.
"Not good, the north wall has been breached!"
The City Lord, Chang Tianyi, felt a jolt of dread and quickly flew towards the north wall.
Upon his arrival, he saw a gaping hole in the north wall. Several beasts, over twenty meters tall and resembling giant bears, were pounding against the wall.
With each strike, a piece of the thick wall would crumble. Before long, a massive opening appeared in the city wall.
As the wall gaped open, the beasts outside surged forward like a tidal wave towards the breach, leaving no survivors in their wake.
The guards on the northern wall were no match for the surging tide of beasts. It was like an egg hitting a rock; they were instantly overwhelmed, unable to even utter a cry.
Chang Tianyi watched in utter fury, his eyes almost bursting. He landed swiftly at the breach and unleashed a torrent of missile-like punches at the beasts.
With Chang Tianyi's intervention, the crisis at the breach was temporarily abated, but it was merely a temporary reprieve.
No matter how powerful Chang Tianyi was, he was still just one person and could not protect the entire city, especially with the constant onslaught of raptors from above.
"Uncle Chang, I'll help you."
Yang Qianrou swiftly landed beside Chang Tianyi, her long whip coiling around and flinging away a beast.
"You're not needed here, niece. The only one who can help this city survive tonight is Ning Beichen. Go quickly and implore him to lend his aid."
Chang Tianyi urged Yang Qianrou.
"Uncle Chang, the Commander's intentions are not for me to decide. If the Commander were willing to act, he would have by now," Yang Qianrou replied.
"Niece, Ning Beichen is our only hope. If he does not act, we will not survive tonight. I beg you, as your uncle."
Chang Tianyi pleaded with Yang Qianrou while fending off the beasts.
"Alright, I will go find him."
Yang Qianrou relented.
However, before Yang Qianrou could reach Ning Beichen, a colossal raptor suddenly appeared in the sky, its wingspan nearly engulfing the entire horizon.
*Boom!*
With a deafening roar.
The raptor unleashed several bolts of lightning from its maw, striking various parts of the city and causing countless casualties.
One of these lightning bolts descended towards Ning Beichen's location.
"You beast, you dare!"
Ning Beichen roared, unleashing a punch towards the lightning-spewing raptor above.
*Boom!*
Ning Beichen's fist struck the head of the lightning-spewing raptor, causing it to emit a pained shriek. It felt as if its head had been struck by an enormous hammer, leaving it disoriented.
After a moment, the raptor recovered, its gaze fixed on Ning Beichen, who had just struck its head. It flapped its wings, its mouth crackling with lightning, and swooped down towards Ning Beichen's position.
"That's where the Commander is! Everyone, quickly go help him!"
Ning Beichen's subordinates shouted urgently, launching attacks at the swooping raptor.
Innumerable swords and arrows flew towards the raptor, but with a flick of its wings, it easily deflected them, causing no damage.
"Not good, it's a Thunder Bird!"
Despite the urgent warning, it was too late. The massive Thunder Bird opened its beak and let out a piercing cry, followed by an onslaught of lightning bolts descending from the heavens, bathing the entire city in a blinding, electric glow.
"Everyone, clear the way!"
Ning Beichen bellowed. He did not use his bronze ancient sword but instead leaped into the air, like an arrow, whistling as he flew towards the Thunder Bird.
In a blink, Ning Beichen was before the Thunder Bird. Facing the colossal avian, Ning Beichen showed no hesitation. He grabbed a handful of its feathers from below and began to rain down punches.
"Chain Annihilation!"
Ning Beichen relentlessly attacked the Thunder Bird, each punch a manifestation of Annihilation, landing like a rapid drumbeat, striking the bird more than a dozen times.
The nature of Annihilation was not external injury but internal damage.
Despite appearing outwardly unharmed, the Thunder Bird's internal organs had been pulverized by Ning Beichen's Annihilation. With a final mournful cry, it plummeted from the sky.
With a resounding crash.
The Thunder Bird's massive carcass landed on the city's residential buildings, spasming a few times before its life was extinguished, prompting thunderous cheers from the city's inhabitants.