Five Stargates—East, West, South, North, and one suspended in the void above. These five gates sealed off all routes of escape from Sunset City. The entire city was now encaged like a terrifying prison. Their purpose was clear: seal the heavens and lock the earth, with the obvious intention of utterly destroying Sunset City.
"Five Stargates sealing every direction and suppressing the void—this is an all-out attempt to crush Sunset City. Eternal Night clearly intends to annihilate the elite forces of the Great Yi Dynasty in one strike," Jia Xu remarked, his eyes flashing.
"'The tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled.' I fear Yi Wang's performance during the Spirit Fruit Banquet and the Warlord Chess Match was too dazzling," Zhuge Liang added. "He not only stood out but also stole massive fortune and luck from Eternal Night's prodigies. To prevent his rapid rise, Eternal Night is now attempting a decisive kill on the battlefield. Their goal is to eliminate Yi Tianxing and, if possible, reclaim the lost fortune crystals."
Yi Tianxing had violated the unspoken rule—he had revealed too much strength and seized too much from the Eternal Night prodigies. Among all the participants, he had gained the highest number and the finest quality of fortune crystals. This aggressive siege by Eternal Night was their way of executing a preemptive strike, at any cost, to eliminate a future threat.
The moment Yi Tianxing returned to Sunset City, the five Stargates activated simultaneously, surrounding the city in an unmistakable effort to kill every soldier within.
"Bastards! These damn demons," Cheng Yaojin roared, gnashing his teeth. "They agreed to play by the rules, yet now they're pulling this backstabbing move. This is pure vengeance."
He clashed his giant battle-axes together with a thunderous crash, ready to strike.
"Hmph! These Eternal Night fiends think Sunset City is easy prey? Let's show them what we're made of and teach them that the Great Yi is not to be bullied," Yang Ye growled, fury rising in his eyes.
The honor of the ruler is the duty of the subject. Whether Eternal Night targeted Yi Tianxing or not, it was an affront to them all.
"All troops, prepare for war!!" Wang Dahu commanded, his voice unwavering.
There was no room for diplomacy now. Only war remained—the ultimate decider of fate. Victory would crown a king; defeat meant death.
"Everyone, I apologize," Yi Tianxing said calmly, unfazed by the encirclement of the five Stargates. "I had hoped to let you rest in Sunset City. I did not foresee this development. That was my oversight."
"Yi Wang, don't speak like that," Zhang Shun said firmly. "We came to Sunset City by our own choice. And with that choice comes responsibility. Blaming others is the excuse of a coward. It's just another battle—Eternal Night devils have died by our hands before. Let them come—I'll kill them again."
On the city walls, all the soldiers stood at the ready. Their faces were expressionless beneath cold, murderous masks. Each wore full battle armor, exuding an atmosphere of lethal stillness.
"Good. Let's see how Eternal Night plans to kill me. If they fail, the price will be paid in blood," Yi Tianxing declared coldly. He glanced at the stargates, sensing terrifying energies accumulating within them, on the verge of eruption.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
From outside the city came a thunderous roar. The Eternal Night forces that had been stationed nearby began their assault. Puppet armies of all races and massive insectoid hordes surged forward like a tide to engulf Sunset City.
The sight was like an ocean wave, threatening to drown the city entirely.
"Ballistae—fire!!" came the shout from the walls.
The soldiers, experienced and trained, did not panic at the overwhelming wave. Hidden beneath their masks, their expressions remained as cold and ruthless as before. When the enemy entered range, the order was given without hesitation.
Giant ballista bolts fired in salvos. Each arrow, crafted from bone materials, launched with a terrifying whistle. Nearby, crates of ammunition ensured endless supply.
Thanks to the Universal Printer, these bolts could be produced endlessly during battle. As long as their energy and true essence held out, the soldiers could continue firing without pause. Unless the enemy's strength exceeded the limits of the barrage, they would be torn apart.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The first wave of Eternal Night soldiers—puppet warriors—were shredded to pieces by the heavy bolts, exploding into clouds of blood and gore. The dense arrow storm mowed them down like a scythe in a wheat field, pinning them to the ground and soaking the earth red.
Each of the four city walls was lined with thousands of ballistae, covering every approach. The result was devastating.
Yet, this could not stop all the Eternal Night troops. Many continued charging forward fearlessly, quickly closing the distance to within tens of meters of the walls.
"Divine Mechanism Crossbows—fire!!" came the next command.
With no trace of panic, the soldiers raised their Divine Mechanism Crossbows and pulled the triggers.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
A storm of sharp arrows burst forth. Each soldier released a full ten bolts, glowing with radiant light, like divine beams streaking across the battlefield.
Each arrow had a different effect, causing varied and devastating impacts on the enemy. The fallen lay in heaps, some reduced to pincushions. These arrows weren't only physical—they were empowered by the true essence of the soldiers.
Naturally, the destructive power soared.
"Ninth-level Sea of Divinity Realm... Life Aperture Realm warriors..." Zhuge Liang, Zhang Shun, and Guan Yu's pupils shrank with shock.
They had clearly sensed the cultivation of the soldiers on the walls. Even the weakest among them were at the ninth level of the Sea of Divinity Realm. Many had stepped into the Life Aperture Realm, each exuding iron-blooded killing intent.
There were even quite a few soldiers at the Life Aperture level—an astonishing fact.
In the Eternal World, Life Aperture cultivators were far from weak. Among other races, even geniuses were still at that level. But here, they were merely foot soldiers.
This reality was a massive shock.
"These ballistae and Divine Mechanism Crossbows pack real power. They must be infused with runes. For the Great Yi Dynasty to possess so many, they must have some massive weapons factory with numerous skilled craftsmen. The Divine Mechanism Crossbows likely contain acceleration runes that boost arrow speed. But… they're not perfect. There's still room for improvement."
"The ballistae too—both can be upgraded. If I could redesign them, I could easily boost their power by one or two levels," thought Gongshu Lin.
Unlike others who focused on the soldiers or the battle, Gongshu Lin's attention was fully on the weaponry. He mentally deconstructed each component, breaking them down to understand the structure and mechanics. He was already theorizing improvements.
Based on his analysis, the current Divine Mechanism Crossbows were effective against Sea of Divinity and Life Aperture enemies, but against Life Map Realm cultivators, they would lose lethality. Material limitations and the embedded runes were the primary culprits.
Still, Gongshu Lin was convinced this wasn't their limit. With better materials and rune integration, their lethality could rise to the point of threatening even Life Map cultivators.
It wasn't just possible—it was entirely feasible.
"This Great Yi Dynasty definitely has hidden talents—master craftsmen are clearly not lacking," Gongshu Lin realized with a deep breath.
He had originally believed joining Great Yi would earn him a position of power. But now, he understood: to stand out here, he would need to prove himself.
As these thoughts churned in his mind, the battlefield below had already entered a frenzied climax.