Chương 354: The Spreading Terror

"Little Crab," Li Yu murmured, testing the name on his tongue. It felt utterly ridiculous, yet strangely fitting. He looked at his friend, whose face was alight with the fervent satisfaction of a successful conversion.

"See?" Jian beamed.

"It feels right, doesn't it? A humble servant of the Great One!" Before Li Yu could offer a sarcastic retort, his merit token vibrated again, this time with a summoning light, not just a notification. Jian's token lit up simultaneously.

"Ah, duty calls!" Jian announced, instantly shifting back to warrior.

"Let's see what fresh hell needs cleansing in the name of the Crab God!" They left the spartan quarters and made their way back to the Aegis Command. The atmosphere inside was still tense but a new layer of determination had settled over the room. Grand Elder Theron stood before the massive tactical map, his brow furrowed as he studied the constantly shifting lights. Sect Leader Lyra and the other leaders were coordinating troop movements, their voices low and urgent.

Theron looked up as they entered, his gaze sharp.

"The Ironjaw Ravine is secure. Excellent work. Your contribution has freed up forces that were bogged down there. But the enemy presses hard elsewhere. We have two critical situations developing that require immediate help." He pointed to two areas on the map, both flashing with angry red lights.

"Here," he indicated a sprawling, dark green area far to the southwest, "is the Serpentwood Marsh. It's a treacherous region filled with natural hazards, venomous beasts and now a significant concentration of Beast Faction forces led by cultivators who seem to specialize in poison arts. Our patrols are taking heavy losses just trying to scout the area." His finger then moved to a different sector, a network of deep intersecting canyons marked in brown.

"And here, the Echoing Chasm. Similar terrain to the Ironjaw but deeper and more complex. A large force of the Human Faction, reinforced by demonic cultivators has established a hidden stronghold there. They're launching devastating raids on our supply convoys moving up from the south." Theron looked directly at Li Yu.

"The Serpentwood Marsh is thick with toxins, both natural and cultivated. Given your... unique resistance, you are the ideal candidate to handle that threat. Your immunity will allow you to operate freely where our own disciples would be severely hampered." Li Yu nodded immediately. A swamp filled with poisons? It sounded like the perfect place to further test his immunity and perhaps even find some unique resources.

"I accept." Theron then looked at Jian.

"Commander Jian Xuan, your power and speed would be best suited for the Echoing Chasm."

"Consider it done!" Jian declared, cracking his knuckles.

"A nest of human and demon scum? A perfect sacrifice for the Crab God!"

"Good," Theron said, relief evident in his voice.

"Your intervention in these two areas could help to stabilize the entire southern front." They were about to depart when Jian held up a hand, his expression turning solemn, almost pious.

"Wait! Before we embark on these holy crusades, we must offer praise!" He clasped his hands together, facing the bewildered Sect Leaders. Li Yu closed his eyes, bracing himself.

"Praise the God Crab, his mighty claw!" Jian's voice boomed, echoing in the stone command center. He chanted the full creed, his voice filled with unwavering conviction. Li Yu remained perfectly silent beside him, though internally he was dying a little. The expressions on the faces of Lyra, Kaelen, and the others ranged from stunned disbelief to barely concealed horror. Theron just looked weary.

"Alright!" Jian finished, beaming again.

"Crusade time!" Without another word, he turned and shot out of the command center's main entrance like a white cannonball, leaving a trail of stunned silence and disturbed air in his wake. Li Yu gave a small, almost apologetic nod to the speechless leaders.

"I will depart as well." He walked out into the central plaza, the sounds of the bustling fortress filling the air. He needed transport for the long journey southwest. He focused his mind and with a ripple of spatial energy, the magnificent form of Tempest, the Skyshroud Leviathan, materialized beside him. The massive sky-beast let out a soft, hissing cry. He swung himself onto Tempest's broad back. The familiar feel of the powerful sky-beast beneath him was comforting.

As Tempest prepared to uncoil and launch into the sky, a strange feeling washed over Li Yu. He was going alone. For the first time since arriving on this continent, perhaps for the first time in a very long time, he was embarking on a major and dangerous mission entirely by himself. Khaos was back in Aethelgard. Jian was heading off in the opposite direction. A flicker of hesitation, an unfamiliar sense of vulnerability touched his mind.

He had grown accustomed to the overwhelming safety net provided by Khaos's presence or the chaotic unpredictable backup of Jian's power. Going into a hostile poison-filled swamp completely solo... it felt different. Exposed. The feeling lingered for only a breath before his resolve hardened pushing it away. He was not a child needing protection. He was confident in his own power. This hesitation was just a phantom limb, a memory of reliance he no longer needed. He patted Tempest's scaled neck.

"Let's go, boy. To the Serpentwood Marsh." As he pointed the way to Tempest. As Tempest launched himself into the air, banking southwest, Li Yu's thoughts drifted. A swamp. It reminded him of that swamp where he had first encountered Khaos. The memory brought a faint smile to his face. Perhaps this mission wouldn't be so bad after all. He had been flying for just a little bit and the fortress city was already a distant shape behind him when his merit token vibrated sharply.

Not a simple notification but an urgent summons light. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. He channeled his energy into it. Theron's voice came through, tight with urgency.

"Li Yu! Change of plans! Abort the mission to the Serpentwood Marsh!" Li Yu frowned.

"Grand Elder? What happened?"

"A massive, coordinated assault has just hit the garrison at Talon's Peak Pass! It's southwest of your current position. They've bypassed our outer scouts somehow. The town is under heavy siege, the defensive arrays are failing and they're reporting multiple enemy commanders leading the charge. They need your help."

"How strong are the enemy commanders?" Li Yu asked, his mind already shifting gears.

"Unknown for certain," Theron replied grimly.

"Scouts in the region previously reported sightings of at least two first-level and one second-level Soul Formation expert operating in that area but none are confirmed at the current battle site. They could be leading the assault or they could be hiding, waiting to spring a trap on any reinforcements. Be careful, Li Yu. This could be a feint designed to lure out a high-value target like you." Li Yu's eyes hardened. A trap? Or a desperate push? Either way, people needed help.

"Understood, Grand Elder. I will head there immediately."

"Good luck, Little Crab," Theron said, the faintest hint of irony in his voice, before the connection cut. Theron had made the wrong assumption that Li Yu wanted to be called Little Crab from his name change in the token. Thinking that Li Yu wanted his name to be hidden as well, so while it was uncomfortable for him to call him 'Little Crab' that was what he was going to do. Li Yu, slightly taken back by being called that for a second, finally looked down at the rapidly moving landscape. Talon's Peak Pass.

He urged Tempest to change direction, angling further south. Then he hesitated. Speed was crucial.

"Sorry, boy," he murmured, patting Tempest's neck.

"You're fast but I'm faster." He opened a portal to the Koi Sanctuary and the Skyshroud Leviathan flew inside, vanishing in a shimmer. Li Yu then took a deep breath. His white robe snapped in the wind. He focused his energy and his entire form blurred, becoming a streak of pure black light that shot across the sky at a speed that dwarfed his previous speed. He arrived just a bit later. Talon's Peak Pass was a strategically vital town built into a narrow passage through a jagged mountain range.

It controlled the fastest route between the southern plains and the western territories. And it was burning. The town's defensive barrier was flickering violently, great cracks appearing and resealing under a relentless barrage. Enemy forces swarmed the outer walls like ants. The enemy had erected blockades preventing any escape or reinforcement. Li Yu didn't waste time analyzing. He shot towards the nearest blockade made up of about fifty cultivators.

"Abyssal Javelins!" Dozens of black spears of void energy materialized around him and rained down on the area. Shields shattered, bodies disintegrated and the entire area exploded. He didn't even slow down. He flew towards the second blockade manned by over a hundred soldiers. He didn't use javelins this time. He took a deep breath, focused his spiritual sea and unleashed a silent invisible wave from his Nascent Soul.

"Death's Roar!" The effect was instantaneous and horrifying. The cultivators manning the blockade simply... stopped. Their eyes went vacant, their weapons slipped from their fingers and they collapsed like puppets with their strings cut, falling down from the sky. Not a single visible mark was on them but their souls had been extinguished. He had cleared the path in seconds. Now, the main force besieging the town turned their attention towards him, a wave of hostile intent washing over him.

Thousands of eyes fixed on the lone, white-robed figure hovering in the sky. They were swarming him, a tide of enemies rushing to meet this new threat. And in that moment, a thought, inspired by Jian's lunacy entered Li Yu's head. Deterrence. He stopped his advance. He hovered in place, letting them all get a good look at him, at the pristine white robe, at the swirling void emblem.

He deliberately flared his aura, the crushing pressure of his 7th-level Core Formation, amplified by his monstrous foundation, washing over the battlefield. Then, he began to yell, his voice empowered, echoing across the pass.

"Come!! Get closer! Witness the power of the Abyssal Crab Cult! Be honored! You shall be part of my tribute to the Crab God!! Praise the God Crab, his mighty claw! His boundless..." He was cut off. Not by an attack, but by a sound far more shocking. A voice, even louder than his own, laced with pure, unadulterated terror, screamed out from the enemy ranks.

"RETREAT!!! It's the abyssal crab cult!! White robe!! Void Emblem!! It's him!! Everyone for themselves!! Listen to me now and don't regret it later!! The voice belonged to a cultivator who didn't look like a captain or commander. He wasn't even looking back; he had already turned tail and was flying away as fast as his spiritual energy could carry him, abandoning his post, his soldiers, everything. The effect was instantaneous and catastrophic for the enemy's morale.

Like a dam breaking, the man's terror washed through the ranks. Cultivators hesitated, looked at each other, then at the fleeing man, then at the terrifying white-robed figure who had just started chanting. They had heard the stories, the rumors that was all anyone could talk about. Panic erupted.

"He's right! It's them!"

"They killed the Duke!"

"They killed Vespertine!"

"Run! Run for your lives!" The assault slowly dissolved into a chaotic rout. Soldiers scrambled to get away, trampling each other in their desperation. This was an army of many factions and groups. They all valued their own lives over others. The fear Jian had so theatrically sown at Aethelgard and in the ravine had taken root, blossomed and was now bearing fruit. The mere idea of the Abyssal Crab Cult was enough to shatter an army that was barely held together by discipline.

Li Yu hovered, stunned into silence by the sheer unexpected effectiveness of it all. He hadn't even finished the chant. However, not everyone was consumed by fear. A few furious roars cut through the panic.

"COWARDS! Stand your ground! How dare you break formation at a mere chant!" one burly commander bellowed, trying to rally the fleeing troops.

"But Captain Borin ordered this!" a terrified woman's voice yelled back.

"He said if we saw the white robes, we were to disengage immediately! Those were the orders from High Command!"

"High Command is cautious! That cult is nothing but weaklings hiding behind parlor tricks! STAND AND FIGHT, YOU MAGGOTS!" another officer roared, raising his banner.

"They killed the Duke!" someone screamed from the fleeing crowd.

"Lies! Propaganda!" the officer trying to rally them yelled back.

"They are weak! They—" He never finished his sentence. Three black Abyssal Javelins materialized in the air and slammed into him simultaneously. He didn't even have time to raise a shield before he was erased from existence, leaving only a faint wisp of black smoke. Li Yu's expression was cold. He scanned the battlefield, his spiritual sense locking onto every single individual who was shouting orders to fight, trying to stem the tide of the retreat.

Another javelin silenced a beastmaster trying to whip his panicked beasts back into formation. Two more took out a pair of Human Faction officers attempting to execute deserters. With cold, detached precision, Li Yu eliminated every single pocket of resistance, every voice calling for defiance. He wasn't just defeating the army; he was decapitating its will to fight, ensuring the rout was absolute. The message was clear: Run, and you might live. Stand against the Abyssal Crab Cult and you will cease to exist.