With the reinforcements from the Imperial Academy joining the battle, along with the mercenaries and zealous youths of Cameron Town who spontaneously rushed out, the tide of battle turned for the first time!

And when Grand Commander Paine appeared on his warhorse, clad in Knight Armor, the atmosphere reached a fever pitch. The entire Defense Army, as if they had found their backbone, became orderly once more!

The Beastmen were physically far superior to humans, with outstanding offense and defense. But they also had a fatal flaw: they fought as individuals, with no organization or discipline!

Indeed, in a head-on clash on an open plain, forming a single-file line and charging forward in one go was the most perfect formation most Beastman commanders could conceive.

But here, in the streets and alleys of Cameron Town, nearly all the Beastmen fought for themselves. They were also frantically looting the shops, as none of them wanted less treasure in their pockets than the next. It was hardly surprising, then, that the Beastman army’s once-unstoppable offensive was miraculously held back and even showed faint signs of being suppressed.

The students of the Imperial Academy typically spent their days not only cultivating their martial skills but also a great deal of time learning command. Thus, under the leadership of their teachers, each group was disciplined and orderly in their advances and retreats, managing to put up a respectable fight!

As more and more people joined the battle, the scales of war began to tip in humanity’s favor.

The Komodo War Elephants, which were so effective in siege warfare, had extremely limited power in this kind of street fighting.

Even if the Beastmen riding the elephants wanted to use them to attack the humans, it would have been impossible to succeed. The two sides were already locked in a stalemate, engaged in brutal, hand-to-hand combat. The bloody slaughter made many students from the Imperial Academy extremely uncomfortable, but anyone who had charged out shared a single thought: ’This is my chance to earn merit!’

Yes, almost no one was foolish enough to think things like: ’The time has come to bring glory to the Empire! The time has come to die for my country! For the citizens of Cameron Town...’

If anyone actually thought that, the teachers of the Imperial Academy would probably have been shocked. ’A noble student this benevolent?’

Just by participating in this battle, they were guaranteed to earn some merit. If they performed exceptionally well, they might even be decorated by the King himself. Securing a good position in the military or one of the country’s more lucrative departments would not be difficult. Moreover, the military, in particular, favored those with battlefield accomplishments!

Ling Xiao, wielding his Fine Willow Sword, didn’t particularly stand out. He was fighting alongside Yisha, Luo Tian, Kaelin, Shangguan Yutong, and several others. Aside from Yisha, Luo Tian, and Kaelin, the rest had already built a friendship of mutual trust during the previous night’s battle, and their coordination was seamless.

With his Mad Sword Master cultivation, Xiao Lin slew the Beastmen without holding back. He said to the others, "Haha, I was startled for a moment! I thought these invading Beastmen would be as strong as the ones that chased us last night. Turns out some of them are this weak!" As he spoke, he sent another wave of Sword Qi piercing through a Wolf-headed Man’s throat. Blood sprayed from the wound, spattering his head and face, which only made Xiao Lin laugh more heartily. His body moved like a whirlwind, slaughtering any Beastman that drew near. Baptized by war, this Tier One Mad Sword Master was a perfect embodiment of the art of brutal violence!

Shangguan Yutong and Su Embroidery joined forces, their faces like frost. Facing this foreign race, the two women no longer felt any discomfort as they killed. Even the most timid person would have adapted after the bloody battle of the previous night and the rage of seeing their own kind slaughtered!

The students from the Imperial Academy fought in groups of at least a dozen. Whenever a Beastman attacked, ten or more students would engage it simultaneously. So, despite being a notch weaker than the Beastmen in terms of strength, they used clever coordination and teamwork. So far, aside from a few minor injuries, not a single student had died! On the Beastman side, however, over a hundred had been killed! It had to be said, this was a small miracle!

Unlike the excitement on most students’ faces, Li Tianluo’s was clearly etched with anxiety. He had sent two consecutive messages to his father but had yet to receive any reply! What did this mean? The Southern King, Li Wutong, was not as arrogant as other Royal Family Members. Even with his own son, he didn’t put on airs and always replied to every one of Li Tianluo’s letters!

For two consecutive messages to go unanswered could only mean two things. First, the messages never made it out! ’Considering the Crown Prince has been watching me for so many years, it’s very likely my messenger pigeons were intercepted.’ The second possibility was that his father was tied up and couldn’t get away.

The more Li Tianluo thought about it, the more he felt the first possibility was more likely. If something happened in Cameron Town, his father would be the one held primarily responsible, which was the last thing he wanted to see! Gritting his teeth, he furiously channeled the Inner Strength in his body! The Inner Strength of a Tier One Great Sword Master wasn’t profound; it could barely be considered an Initial Glimpse into the art. If he kept this up, he would eventually collapse from exhaustion.

Kaelin watched the desperately fighting Li Tianluo with anxiety. She knew his true identity, so she cast a pleading gaze toward Ling Xiao, who was coordinating well with Zhao Jie.

"Ling Xiao, please... try to talk him down. It’ll be okay," Kaelin pleaded.

Ling Xiao glanced at Li Tianluo, who was recklessly fighting a Leopard Person. He moved in and stabbed at the Beastman’s heart. The Leopard Person was already having its hands full dealing with Li Tianluo; how could it possibly dodge Ling Xiao’s exquisite move? It was killed instantly. Li Tianluo flashed Ling Xiao a smile. "Thanks!"

"Acting like this won’t solve anything!" Ling Xiao said calmly, looking at Li Tianluo.

Hearing this, Li Tianluo’s eyes lit up, and he looked at Ling Xiao with anticipation.

Ling Xiao shook his head. The light in Li Tianluo’s eyes slowly dimmed. He turned a deaf ear to the sounds of slaughter around them and said sorrowfully, "This time, I’m afraid my father will have to relinquish his military authority!"

"Not necessarily. The Beastmen haven’t caused that much damage yet, have they?" As Ling Xiao spoke, he casually flicked his Fine Willow Sword, creating a flurry of afterimages that seemed like countless sword shadows. It was enough to startle an approaching Tiger-headed Person, freezing it in place before a single thrust pierced its heart. Ling Xiao sighed softly. "See? The Beastmen aren’t invincible."

Li Tianluo gently shook his head. "Even if we repel these Beastmen, my father’s responsibility is unavoidable. Unless... he can make it here tonight..."

Before he could finish, a thunderous cheer erupted in the distance, followed by someone shouting at the top of their lungs, "The Southern King is here! The Southern King’s army has come to reinforce us! Brothers, hold on! Cut down all these son-of-a-bitch bastard Beastmen! Let the Southern King’s troops see that we in the Defense Army, we in Cameron Town, are no cowards!"

At this, the Adventurers and Mercenaries began to roar wildly, "Adventurers are real men! Mercenaries are real men!"

The students from the Imperial Academy weren’t as boisterous, but each of them broke into a wide grin. ’The Southern King is here? Even better! As a member of the Royal Family, the Second Prince will be the best witness to the merits of us students from noble and powerful families!’

A stir of panic finally appeared among the Beastmen!

As the long-standing guardians of Penzes Swamp, how could Li Wutong’s troops have never dealt with Beastmen, as the citizens of the Empire imagined? In fact, his army had been constantly fighting them! Moreover, they were the ones suppressing the Beastman Tribes in the swamp! Otherwise, how could so many years have passed without a single Beastman attack on humans, to the point that many people had simply forgotten that another race besides humans even existed on the continent?

Among the Beastman Tribes in Penzes Swamp, the name of the Southern King was enough to frighten crying Beastman children!

An expression of immense, pleasant surprise erupted in Luo Tian’s eyes. He clenched his fists and said excitedly, "This is great!"

But at that moment, a Cat Person appeared from behind, swiping its sharp claws viciously at Li Tianluo’s neck! The long, razor-sharp claws glinted coldly under the dim yellow streetlights, whistling as they tore through the air!

"Watch out!" Kaelin shoved Li Tianluo aside, but the Cat Person’s claws swept viciously across her back. Kaelin let out a piercing shriek as her body was sent flying with a THUD.

At the same instant, Ling Xiao’s Fine Willow Sword brutally pierced the Cat Person’s throat. The Cat Person’s eyes bulged out as it let loose a ghastly shriek that tore through the night sky, utterly horrifying!

"Kaelin!" Li Tianluo cried out in grief and fury. He swung his sword, lopping off the head of a Tiger-headed Person that was about to finish Kaelin off. The Tiger-headed Person’s body stood there for a long moment before a torrent of hot blood gushed out! Li Tianluo, however, paid it no mind and lunged over to shield the already unconscious Kaelin, his eyes welling with tears.

"Kaelin, wake up! Please wake up, don’t scare me!" By this time, most of the Komodo War Elephants were loaded with plundered treasures. The Beastmen commanding them began to shout loudly, and the surviving Beastmen roared as they converged on the elephants.

Clearly... they were trying to run!

Ling Xiao and Yisha ran over. Yisha bit her lip and said urgently, "Don’t move her! I have medicine, let’s save her life first!"

Li Tianluo clutched Kaelin tightly. Only after Yisha had spoken three times did he foolishly let go, his voice choked with emotion. "Yisha, you have to save Kaelin. I... I..."

"Alright, I know. Don’t worry, Kaelin will be fine!" Yisha said, taking an Elixir from her ring and feeding it into Kaelin’s mouth.

Ling Xiao, Zhao Jie, Xiao Lin, Shangguan Yutong, and the others formed a protective circle around them.

Li Tianluo muttered, "It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t been so careless, Kaelin wouldn’t have gotten hurt..."

Su Embroidery comforted him softly, "It’s okay, Kaelin will be fine."

After swallowing the Elixir, Kaelin let out a soft moan. Li Tianluo quickly took her from Yisha’s arms, looking at her with deep concern. He said softly, "Kaelin... I..."

Kaelin managed a smile and said with some difficulty, "It’s not... your fault..."

Li Tianluo bit his lip tightly, then said, "Don’t worry, the Southern King is here. We’re all safe now!" In front of everyone, he obviously couldn’t say that his father had arrived. Kaelin, however, gave him a knowing smile before gradually closing her eyes.

Seeing Li Tianluo’s anxious expression, Yisha chuckled. "Alright, there’s nothing for you to do now. Gentlemen, please step aside. I need to bandage her wound!"

"Oh, right!" Li Tianluo quickly stood up and gave Ling Xiao an embarrassed smile.

At that moment, the Komodo War Elephants had finished assembling and began to charge. Aside from a magi-crystal cannon, nothing could stop the charge of a Komodo War Elephant! Not even the Southern King’s Iron Army!

Thus, many could only watch helplessly as the War Elephants broke through the lines as if they were splitting bamboo. However, the Beastmen attempting to follow the elephants out were not so lucky!

Waiting for them were the enraged Defense Army, Adventurers, and Mercenaries, as well as the students of the Imperial Academy, who were all hoping to increase their merits even further!