Chapter 1501: Hope

Facing an endless tide of enemies, no one could come up with a viable strategy.

Even though the number of enemies falling at this moment was less than one-tenth of what it had been earlier, the guards from various divisions fighting at the frontlines continued to suffer casualties, and even the leaders of each division were severely depleted.

The battle seemed to have reached an impasse!

As they watched the dark shadows continuously falling from the crack in the sky, everyone's expressions grew increasingly grim. In their desperation, many began to look toward Jiang Yuan, hoping that this elder of Yunxing might have a solution.

However, even Jiang Yuan's face was filled with gravity. Even he had never experienced such a battle before. The mountains of corpses and rivers of blood around him only added to the immense pressure he felt.

Nevertheless, as an elder of Yunxing, he was seasoned and composed. He quickly steadied his expression and, after a moment of contemplation, clasped his hands and addressed the leaders.

"Everyone," he began, "in my opinion, the number of enemies is overwhelming, and they are utterly fearless. If we continue to hold out like this, the situation will only worsen..."

"Although the number of enemies has decreased significantly, and we can still manage to hold them off for now, as the battle drags on, the losses on Shadow Island will only grow. This is not a sustainable strategy."

"The key now is to quickly devise a plan to seal the breach and restore the barrier. That is our best course of action!"

Hearing Jiang Yuan's words, the leaders all nodded in agreement.

However, everyone had been severely drained by the battle. Considering the dense swarm of dark shadows near the crack in the sky, Master Lu spoke up cautiously.

"Elder Jiang is right," he said, "but repairing the breach in the barrier is no easy task. We have all been greatly exhausted in this battle and must first recover our strength before we can make any long-term plans."

"Right now, the number of enemies falling is not too great. Although there will inevitably be casualties among our divisions, for the sake of the entire island, we must take turns guarding this area. This way, we can rotate and recover our strength while working to repair the barrier and fundamentally resolve this crisis."

His words resonated deeply with everyone.

The younger Xiao Juan was the first to step forward, volunteering to lead his troops in holding the line. They agreed to rotate shifts every three hours, with each division taking turns to fend off the enemies falling into the city.

Once everything was decided, Xiao Juan led his troops in holding the ground, and the excavators displayed their might!

Although the casualties were not severe, Master Lu and the others, concerned for the safety of the entire island, decided to lend their assistance. They used their remaining strength to set up a protective formation before temporarily withdrawing to rest.

And so, the battle between Shadow Island and the unknown invaders reached a stalemate.

On the long street, the display screens continuously monitored the crack in the sky. Everyone remained on high alert, taking turns to hold their positions in a specific order.

Facing an endless tide of enemies, this battle was destined to be a long and grueling one.

Wave after wave of enemies attacked, and the sounds of battle never ceased. The divisions of Shadow Island were severely depleted, and casualties were a constant threat.

Outside the barrier, the dark shadows showed no signs of diminishing. The black mass of enemies grew larger and larger, like a thick fog or dark cloud looming over Shadow Island.

In just a few days, the long street had become a river of blood...

The leaders of each division took turns leading their troops in holding the line, with almost no time to catch their breath. In the city center, Lu Qingshan was frantically studying the manual left behind by Fang Zaowu, desperately searching for a way to repair the barrier.

Unfortunately, Fang Zaowu's knowledge was far too advanced, and the manual he left behind was incredibly complex. Even after several days of study, Lu Qingshan and his old friends had made little progress.

But perseverance pays off.

After days and nights of relentless study, they finally found a method to repair the barrier. Hearing the sounds of battle in the night, they rushed to the long street without delay.

On the long street, another night of bitter fighting had left the ground littered with wounded soldiers.

The security brigade had already suffered nearly 30% casualties. After successfully holding the line for three hours, they were relieved by Qing Huanxiang and Old Tortoise, finally getting a brief respite.

In the face of such relentless and brutal combat, everyone had no time to dwell on their grief or grievances. They could only focus on their duties, giving their all to hold the breach.

The moment the shift change was completed, before the security brigade could fully withdraw, the next deadly battle had already begun!

Qing Huanxiang and Old Tortoise revealed their true forms—a colossal sheep and a mountain-sized tortoise—holding the ground against the relentless tide of dark shadows. In an instant, shockwaves and deafening roars filled the air!

The thick blue mist of blood grew denser, threatening to engulf the remaining lights on the long street.

Amidst the heavy atmosphere, Lu Qingshan and his companions appeared on the long street, bringing a surge of hope to the retreating security brigade.

"Elder Lu?!" someone exclaimed. "Have you found the method to repair the barrier?!"

Though the retreating soldiers were exhausted and covered in wounds, their eyes lit up with hope at the question.

Feeling the weight of their expectations, Lu Qingshan solemnly nodded.

"Yes," he said.

Those two simple words carried an immense power, instantly invigorating the nearly thousand wounded soldiers. They stood tall, ears perked, ready to listen.

They had fought and held the line for so long, all to buy time.

Now, they had finally found a way to repair the barrier. Hope shone in everyone's eyes.

The bloodshed and sacrifices of the past few days had not been in vain!

However, as Lu Qingshan looked around at the hopeful faces of the wounded, his expression grew heavy. His voice was low and somber as he continued.

"I have indeed found a method to repair the barrier," he said. "But the incantation required is extremely complex and profound. The slightest mistake could lead to failure, so the process must be carried out with absolute focus..."

At this, everyone's eyes widened in realization.

Many quietly glanced up at the sky, where the area around the crack was already a dense mass of darkness, with more shadows continuously pouring out.

Even though the breach was only a few meters wide, and the number of shadows emerging was not overwhelming, anyone attempting to repair the barrier would need protection from those fighting the shadows up close.

The shadows were relentlessly assaulting the barrier, and the casualties were already incalculable. To repair the barrier now would require equally fearless sacrifices, with soldiers fighting the shadows at close range.

Even with the protective formations and the rotation of divisions, holding the ground had already resulted in heavy casualties.

Fighting up close would be a near-suicidal mission!

Though Lu Qingshan didn't finish his sentence, everyone understood the peril. The atmosphere grew even heavier, and the long street fell into a brief silence.

However, after just a few moments of silence, voices began to rise one after another.

"I will go and hold off the shadows, to buy Elder Lu time to repair the barrier!"

"I will go too!"

"I will join you!"

Even though most of those present were wounded, and the mission was almost certain death, people continued to step forward. As long as it meant protecting Shadow Island, not a single person backed down.

Even in death, they would have no regrets. They would charge forward without hesitation!

This was the resolve of the people of Shadow Island.

Hearing these passionate declarations, Lu Qingshan clenched his fists tightly inside his sleeves.

The security brigade, despite their many wounded, continued to volunteer with fiery determination. Knowing full well that this mission was almost certain death, not a single one of them hesitated. They were all proud and eager to fight once more.

At this moment, even an old-timer like Lu Qingshan was deeply moved by the fervor of the younger generation. Seeing someone limping forward to salute and request to join the fight, his heart ached like never before.