# Chapter 1757: I'm Sorry! I Came Too Late
At this moment, Jiangcheng was covered in heavy snow, half the city submerged in the flames of war!
Jiangcheng had a unique geographical location, with no existing spirit ruins near the city!
The closest spirit ruins to the city were Tianchi Spirit Ruins and Hongye Valley Spirit Ruins!
These two spirit ruins had been cleared out to serve as shelters!
But even Hongye Valley Spirit Ruins required a two-hour drive from the city!
The distance was enormous!
Only a batch of people had been transferred there initially, but the moment the spirit disaster broke out!
The evacuation route was completely cut off!
Under the vast tide of beasts, it was impossible to lead large numbers of civilians that far to seek refuge in the spirit ruins!
There were still a large number of civilians in Jiangcheng who hadn't been evacuated!
The underground shelters in the city were already packed full, but it still wasn't enough — this was an entire city's population!
Now, large crowds of civilians were gathered around the city center!
Starlight Plaza was packed with people, huddled together like penguins incubating eggs in the cold wind, seeking warmth!
The only option left for Dragon Abyss Dark Night was to hold the line!
Defend this city — only then would the civilians have a chance to survive!
But there was no Dao Heaven powerhouse stationed here. Although Huaxia had quite a few Dao Heaven powerhouses, there weren't enough to place one in every city!
Fortunately, over a hundred pupils from the Pupil Race had arrived earlier to provide support. Their combat power was terrifying, which was why they had held out until now!
Otherwise, Jiangcheng would have already fallen!
However, as night fell, the energy absorption efficiency of the Pupil Race decreased, and under the high-intensity output, they were beginning to struggle!
This was a battle with no retreat. The civilians didn't even have the option to evacuate!
Once the defense line was breached, everyone would die!
As the night grew darker, the defense line collapsed several times and kept shrinking!
Half the city had already been lost, and the ammunition for spirit-binding weapons had long since run out!
Beams of Star Pupil Cannons crisscrossed the battlefield!
Chen Chen, who had somehow grown a beard, looked much more mature than before!
Countless spirit-binding steel alloy pellets whirled around him, turning into a rain of steel beads that shot through the beast hordes, displaying terrifying杀伤力!
"Xiao Ruirui! Activate the domain!"
A clean-looking girl with a ponytail had her helmet askew from the prolonged battle, with no time to fix it!
She gritted her teeth: "Silence Domain!"
In an instant, the domain expanded, and all spirit beasts caught within had their spiritual energy sealed!
Chen Chen controlled the metal spheres, smashing them wildly, reaping lives frantically!
That girl was none other than Su Rui, who had once gone on a mission with Jiangnan to Suka Town in Goose Country. She was an extremely rare domain-type spirit warrior!
She had grown from a rookie soldier back then into a Dark Night Army soldier capable of standing on her own!
Su Rui wiped the blood off her face: "Brother Chen! The east side has been breached!"
Chen Chen gritted his teeth: "Damn it! Fall back!"
Anning exclaimed urgently: "We can't fall back anymore! The city center isn't far away! I'll go!"
A series of air cannons blasted out, sending large groups of spirit beasts flying. Anning erected an air wall in front of the collapsing defense line!
But it didn't hold for long before it was shattered by the beast tide!
Anning coughed up a mouthful of blood, and before she could even retreat, she was engulfed by the beast tide!
Chen Chen's eyes turned red: "F*ck!"
He roared and charged recklessly, using steel beads to clear a path, pulling Anning out from the beasts' jaws. Her calf was gone!
Anning vomited blood, not even looking at her leg, and raised her hand to blast away the spirit beast charging at Chen Chen from behind!
"Do you have a death wish? What happens if you die?"
Chen Chen held Anning tightly: "If I die, I die! I'd rather die than let you die! I just got a girlfriend! Haven't even warmed her up yet! I can't lose her even in death!"
Anning snorted: "Bullsh*t! I haven't agreed yet. I said only if we both survive this city defense battle does it count!"
Chen Chen grinned: "Then let's survive together!"
"Boom!"
A beam of Star Pupil Cannon shot over, helping Chen Chen and the others clear the surrounding beast tide!
But in that brief moment, the defense line constructed by the Pupil Race on the west side was shattered by a Dao Heaven four-star Steel Needle Hedgehog!
It curled up into a ball, becoming a black iron sphere covered in countless sharp spikes, rolling across the battlefield!
A layer of blood light covered the iron ball — this was the iron-blood charge that granted immunity to negative status effects, making it immune to the Pupil Race's visual lock!
It rolled nimbly through Jiangcheng, and before the defense forces could mount an effective response!
The north side was also breached. A Dao Heaven-level Giant Land Lizard surged forward, kicking up waves of earth!
The defense line collapsed entirely!
The remaining defense line was submerged in the beast tide, but they were still fighting tenaciously!
Su Rui's pretty face was pale, dragging a severely wounded comrade through the chaotic beast horde, running with all her might. Despair filled her eyes!
"Brother Chenchen! Sister Anning... this is it. Wuwu, I can't hold on anymore. I'm so tired! I can't see any hope!"
There were no reinforcements, no way to evacuate. The final outcome would be everyone dying here, with the civilians of Jiangcheng becoming food for the spirit beasts!
It was just a matter of how long they could hold out!
No matter how hard they struggled, it seemed there was only this one ending!
She was too tired. She really didn't want to fight anymore!
Dragon Abyss Dark Night soldiers were human too, made of flesh and blood!
Anning's lips were bloodless, helplessness filling her eyes. Yes, what was the point of holding on any longer?
Su Rui was exhausted. Even when a spirit beast lunged at her, she didn't want to dodge. Maybe this way, things would be easier?
But Chen Chen gritted his teeth, rushed over in an instant, grabbed Su Rui, and ran!
"It's not meaningless! Maybe, maybe if we hold on to the end and die in Jiangcheng, it's still the same outcome!"
"But it's different! Absolutely different! If we give up, there's truly no chance at all!"
"But as long as we hold on, never giving up until the last second, there's always the possibility of a miracle!"
"You've known Boss Nan for so long! When have you ever seen him give up? Admit defeat? He even turned the moon blue! Stay strong! Fight to the last moment! We haven't lost yet!"
Su Rui wiped her eyes, her face flushing red. She closed her eyes and shouted: "Yes, sir! Fight to the last second!"
She was more like she was cheering herself on!
But the fact that the defense line had been breached was undeniable. Large groups of beasts charged into the city center, wildly devouring the civilians!
The person standing beside you one moment would become a bloodstained footprint the next, blood splattering all over you!
The panicked crowd scattered in all directions, cries and screams everywhere. No one knew if they would still be alive the next second!
Some had already hugged their families tightly, waiting for death on the spot!
Even a brief moment of reunion was enough!
In the crowd, Li Xiang, dressed in a suit but covered in dust, had panic all over his face!
He pulled his wife along, holding his baby who had been born mid-year in his right arm as he ran desperately!
He had once been Jiangnan's class monitor. He hadn't pursued a long-term development in the path of spirit warriors. After graduation, he chose to inherit his father's logistics company and started a family in Jiangcheng!
Li Xiang now deeply regretted not continuing his training as a spirit warrior!
Under disaster, as a man, he didn't even have the strength to protect his wife and child!
"Xiang Ge! I can't run anymore! Xiang Ge!"
Li Xiang gritted his teeth: "Honey, push a little harder, we..."
Before he could finish, he felt the ground tremble violently. Li Xiang turned back in terror!
The hundred-meter-tall Giant Land Lizard was charging toward them, its huge eyes scanning around!
It seemed to be looking for its preferred prey!
Li Xiang's expression froze. He turned to look at his wife, gritted his teeth, and shoved the baby into her arms, pushing her away!
"Tiantian! Go! Take the child and go!"
With that, he gave them one last reluctant look and ran straight toward the Giant Land Lizard!
Tiantian's eyes were filled with tears: "Xiang Ge! What are you doing! Come back!"
Li Xiang turned and shouted: "Go! Protect the child! His father can't do much for him! When he grows up, remember to tell my son he had a good father!"
Tiantian cried but didn't dare delay. She tucked the child into her arms and ran desperately!
Li Xiang took off his jacket and threw it to the ground. His body trembled uncontrollably, but his eyes were ferocious!
"I was a spirit warrior once too, dammit!"
As he spoke, spiritual energy surged around him, and his hand pressed against the ground!
"Earth Shield Wall!"
A ten-meter-tall earthen wall rose up, trying to block the giant lizard!
Li Xiang knew he couldn't do much!
But if he could attract the monster's attention, delay it for a while, and buy his wife and child more time to escape, that was enough!
Even if it meant being eaten, it would buy some time!
For his child, Li Xiang was willing to give his life!
But the pitifully small earthen wall couldn't stop anything!
The giant lizard's claw came down, the earth trembled, the earthen wall shattered, buildings collapsed, and the shockwave blasted Li Xiang back, blood spraying from his mouth!
The surroundings instantly turned into rubble!
Tiantian hadn't run far before she was blocked by a collapsed building!
Li Xiang struggled to get up. His erected earthen wall hadn't been completely useless — at least it had attracted the giant lizard's attention!
The giant lizard's huge eyes locked onto Li Xiang. Its massive mouth exhaled a nauseating stench!
Drool flowed like a waterfall!
Li Xiang struggled to his feet, blood staining his shirt. Looking at the colossal beast before him, his whole body trembled violently!
"Xiang Ge! Run! No!"
Li Xiang wiped the blood foam from his mouth, grabbed a street lamp pole lying on the roadside, and held it in his hand!
If a father couldn't even protect his own son, what could he protect?
Even though he trembled with fear, his eyes were still ferocious as he roared!
"Come on, dammit! Eat me! Don't eat my wife and child!"
The giant lizard grinned, its massive claw coming down toward Li Xiang's head!
"Boom!"
With a deafening blast, Li Xiang's lower body was crushed flat!
His upper body was exposed between its toes, miraculously not turned into a meat patty, but blood spurted from his mouth like a fountain!
Tiantian's heart-wrenching cries came from behind, grief and despair filling her eyes!
Li Xiang's eyes were wide open, looking up to catch one last glimpse of his wife and child!
The giant lizard's massive mouth was inches away!
But a blood-red figure appeared instantly beside the Giant Land Lizard's huge head!
Glazed armor covered his body, blood mist billowed, and a pair of crimson eyes carried earth-shattering killing intent!
His clenched fist glowed with glazed light, swinging out with an irresistible force!
Like an exploding diamond meteor!
"Boom!"
A thunderous explosion echoed in their ears. Jiangnan's punch sent the hundred-meter Giant Land Lizard flying head-first!
Its massive body shot backward like a cannonball for thousands of meters!
The air surged and gales howled!
Jiangnan looked down at Li Xiang, whose lower body had been crushed into pulp, his expression pained!
He never imagined that after so many years, reuniting with an old classmate would happen under such circumstances!
A hoarse voice came from Jiangnan's mouth!
"I'm sorry! I came too late!"
Li Xiang's face suddenly turned red from suppressed emotion, but a joyful smile spread across his face, revealing bloodstained white teeth!
His blood-soaked thumb trembled as he gave Jiangnan a thumbs-up!
Because he knew!
Boss Nan had arrived, which meant his wife and child were safe!
Jiangcheng was safe!
Because this man was a miracle!