131: Chapter 131 Observing the city's defenses, he sensed something was wrong and devised a plan to escape.

When Ye Qing arrived at the city gate, he found that the security here was much stricter than it had been in the previous few days.

The city gate had been completely closed, leaving only a small side door for single-person passage, with several Golden Core Stage Cultivators leading the guard and strictly inspecting everyone entering or leaving the city.

On top of the city walls, armed Cultivators stood everywhere, the lights of various defensive formations flickering, clearly in the highest state of war readiness.

He did not try to leave the city, but walked along the inner path of the city wall up to the watchtower.

Standing on the watchtower, looking outward, he saw that a few miles west of Zhenbei City, where there should have been rolling mountains and plains, was now covered by a black, tide-like Yao Race army.

That Yao Race army was majestic, with banners fluttering and camps stretching as far as the eye could see.

Inside the military camp, many huge siege weapons covered by black cloth were faintly visible, emitting heart-palpitating Evil Qi and Demonic Qi fluctuations.

Above the camp, Demonic Qi soared into the sky, condensing into a thick, cloud-like layer of Demonic Qi that blocked most of the sky, making that area look dim and oppressive even in the daytime.

"Good heavens, this formation, at least hundreds of thousands of Yao Race troops, right? And there are many powerful presences among them. It seems that the 'Iron-Winged Eagle King' is truly determined to take Zhenbei City."

Ye Qing's expression was grave as he carefully examined the deployment of the Yao Race army.

He discovered that although the Yao Race army was numerous, they were well-organized and not gathered in a chaotic manner.

They were divided into dozens of formations of different sizes by race, each with a dedicated commander in charge.

In the core area of the camp, there was a high platform built from giant beast bones and black rocks, emitting an ancient and majestic aura. On the high platform, several figures with extremely terrifying auras were faintly visible; they must be the high-level generals of this Yao Race army, and perhaps even the legendary 'Iron-Winged Eagle King' himself.

"This 'Iron-Winged Eagle King' is indeed a commander. Not only is his own strength formidable, but he also knows how to arrange troops. No wonder he could integrate the various Yao King factions under the Heavenly Demon Imperial Court in such a short time to form such powerful combat strength."

Ye Qing held the never-met 'Iron-Winged Eagle King' in higher regard in his heart.

He observed for a moment and listened to the discussions of the surrounding city-guarding Cultivators.

"...It's over, it's over. With so many Yao Race troops, how can our Zhenbei City possibly hold?"

"What are you afraid of! We have Ancestor Jiang sitting in charge! Ancestor Jiang is invincible!"

"But... I heard that Ancestor Jiang was seriously injured in the battle with that 'Iron-Winged Eagle King' the day before yesterday. He is currently in closed-door cultivation to heal, and I don't know when he will recover."

"Hiss! Really? What should we do then?"

"What else can we do? Soldiers come, block with generals; water comes, block with earth! At worst, we'll fight those beasts to the death!"

"Right! Fight to the death! Kill one and break even, kill two and earn one!"

Ye Qing shook his head inwardly as he listened to these discussions.

These ordinary Cultivators mostly saw only the superficial comparison of military strength, ignoring the deeper aspects.

Although Zhenbei City had strong defenses and many Cultivators, it lacked top-tier powerhouses who could truly turn the tide of the war.

Ancestor Jiang, although formidable, was only one person, and he was already injured.

On the Yao Race side, not only was there the 'Iron-Winged Eagle King', a top-tier powerhouse at the Nascent Soul Late Stage, but there were also several auxiliary Yao King-level existences with unknown strength.

The gap in high-end combat power was the key to determining the outcome of this war.

"Zhenbei City cannot be held."

Ye Qing made this judgment in his heart.

He did not stay any longer and turned to walk down the watchtower.

Returning to the private courtyard of Yuelai Inn, he closed the gate, set up a sound-insulation Restriction, and fell into deep thought.

"The fall of Zhenbei City is just a matter of time. Although I am not afraid of that 'Iron-Winged Eagle King', I do not want to be dragged into such a large-scale war and become a pawn for others to charge into battle."

"I must leave this place of trouble as soon as possible."

He began to think about the evacuation route and plan.

To the east was the Sunset Plains. Although vast, it was also a focal point of contention between the Human Race and the Yao Race, and it was likely already engulfed in war, not a safe place.

To the north was the deeper part of the Great Wilderness Region. It was said that there were more ancient ruins and more dangerous Forbidden Grounds, but also more opportunities. However, there was too little information about that area, and rushing in blindly carried too much risk.

To the south was deeper into the hinterland of the Heavenly Demon Imperial Court, which was the territory of the Yao Race, and would be walking right into a trap.

"It seems I can only go west. Although the west is also a Yao Race-controlled area, it is close to the Endless Sea, and it is said that there are some neutral overseas Loose Cultivator forces that are not under the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Demon Imperial Court. Perhaps I can go there and try my luck."

He took out the "Detailed Map of the Great Wilderness Region and Surrounding Ten Thousand Miles" and studied it carefully.

His gaze moved slowly across the map, finally resting on a small, inconspicuous dot on the edge of a vast blue area labeled "Endless Sea", tens of thousands of miles west of Zhenbei City.

Next to that small dot, two words were written in extremely sloppy handwriting: "Tianya City".

"Tianya City... Just hearing the name, I know it's a remote place. Such places are usually lawless zones, which should be quite suitable for a Loose Cultivator like me to live in seclusion."

He made up his mind and began preparing for the evacuation.

He did not tell anyone about his plan, nor did he go to the mission hall to hand over tasks. Instead, as usual, he purchased some necessary supplies in the city, then returned to the inn and quietly waited for the opportunity to come.

He was waiting for an opportunity, an opportunity that would allow him to leave Zhenbei City without anyone knowing and shake off any potential tracking.

This opportunity did not make him wait too long.

Late at night three days later, deafening shouts and the sounds of Spell explosions suddenly came from outside Zhenbei City!

The Yao Race army had launched a full-scale attack!