"Woooo!"
"The Spirit Crystal Cannons are ready!"
Following the blast of the warhorn, the well-trained disciples of Luoxia City swiftly aligned the pitch-black cannon barrels, all aimed squarely at the enormous Blackshell Turtles outside the city walls, beasts the size of hills awaiting only the command from Niu Dazhuang.
"Not yet… not yet…"
Gone was his usual arrogance and recklessness. Niu Dazhuang now held his triangular command flag high, his expression grave, yet he didn't lower it.
He was waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
The Spirit Crystal Cannons, though immensely powerful, consumed vast amounts of spiritual energy and required specially crafted crystal shells for each shot.
Even though Luoxia City was wealthy and had stockpiled resources for this war, no one could say how long the battle would last.
That meant every resource had to count. The highest impact at the lowest cost was the goal.
...
On the other side, hidden among its kin, the great demon Golden Armor frowned as it eyed the still-silent city walls.
What are these humans waiting for?
It had marched south with the demon kings to attack Luoxia City three times before. Though each attempt had ended in bloody retreat, Golden Armor had always led its clan back safely thanks to its formidable defense and cautious nature.
Having survived so many near-death encounters, it was very familiar with Luoxia City's defenses. Normally, by the time they reached this distance, the skies would already be raining Spirit Crystal shells.
That was its cue to put on a show stall for a while, then retreat with a battered shell, no one questioning its courage or value.
It was a routine: fulfill appearances, keep the clan safe.
But this time… nothing. No cannon fire, no action. The eerie silence from the humans only made Golden Armor more wary.
It turned its massive head to glance behind. Sure enough, the hordes of beasts that had previously retreated were now swarming forward again, filling the space behind the turtle warriors.
That pissed Golden Armor off. Once again, they are using us as meat shields.
The Blackshell Clan was not like other beasts. They reproduced slowly and matured even more slowly. Every clan member was precious. Yet here they were again being thrown into the grinder like expendable pawns.
Golden Armor's hatred for the Thundercry Demon King was practically boiling, but there was nothing it could do.
Damn it, it thought. These humans are definitely up to something. I need to get some other poor suckers to move up front first.
Its large golden eyes spun rapidly, calculating, scheming...
...
Atop the northern city wall, Niu Dazhuang had quietly activated several third-tier offensive arrays.
He was about to give these thick-shelled bastards a "warm welcome."
As the advancing turtle horde closed to within a hundred li of the walls, Niu Dazhuang roared:
"Spirit Crystal Cannons fire three full salvos!"
BOOM
BOOM BOOM BOOM
In an instant, the cannons sucked in all the surrounding spiritual energy. The black barrels erupted in brilliant arcs of light, shaking the entire northern wall.
Blazing streams of spiritual energy streaked across the sky like meteors, crashing toward the Blackshell Turtle formation with unstoppable force.
Golden Armor's eyes widened; they're all aimed at me?!
A hundred li might seem far, but for Spirit Crystal Cannons, it was a blink. With its bulky size, there was no time to dodge.
"Innate Divine Ability: Golden Shell Barrier!"
Cursing inwardly, Golden Armor didn't hesitate. It activated a divine power that only a third-tier great demon could master.
A massive, shimmering golden shield rapidly formed in the air, 500-zhang wide and tall, constructed from layered scales like those of a mythical golden carp. It enveloped its hulking form completely.
BOOMMMMMM!
The incoming salvos slammed into the barrier, rippling its surface violently.
The divine shield held for a breath. Then it shattered.
Seeing things take a turn for the worse, Golden Armor quickly pulled its head, limbs, and tail into its shell.
The crystal shells smashed into its heavy carapace, gouging out massive craters. In moments, its pristine armored "villa" was turned into a crumbling ruin.
Still, for a beast of its caliber, this damage was manageable. A few days of sleep and it would recover.
But before it could even catch its breath, two more volleys followed.
This time, though, the blasts weren't aimed at it; they targeted the rest of its clan.
They had barely managed to form a shield using their combined demonic power, but it was torn apart in an instant. Two newly matured second-tier Blackshell Turtles were blown to pieces on the spot, while the rest all suffered varying degrees of injury.
For a moment, the battlefield was filled with anguished howls.
Golden Armor grew increasingly anxious. Now it understood why the humans had waited so long without making a move; they had been setting a trap just for it.
"These damn turtle shells are pissing me off," Niu Dazhuang muttered, frowning. He wasn't satisfied with the results. In his mind, even if the first volley didn't kill Golden Armor outright, it should've at least seriously wounded it.
Instead, they had barely scratched the surface.
Good thing he had more tricks up his sleeve.
Niu Dazhuang turned to the steward beside him and barked, "Blast those bastards to hell!"
The steward was long used to Niu Dazhuang's crude language and didn't react at all. He simply raised his signal flag and began waving it swiftly.
In the next moment, several tier-three offensive arrays that had been lying in wait suddenly activated.
Above the northern wall, enormous spectral images appeared one after another: a giant golden battle axe radiating divine light, a thunder god wreathed in lightning, a blazing orange sun, and a six-armed demonic ape.
Zhang Yanhé, watching from the wall, was stunned. They're using tier-three attack formations this early?
"Attack!"
The golden axe flared with light, a thousand feet long and cleaved down with overwhelming force, instantly shattering three second-tier Blackshell Turtles.
The blazing sun hovered in the sky, radiating intense heat. The surrounding vegetation withered and died in a flash, while the bodies of fallen beasts were roasted on the spot.
The turtles' famously tough shells became cooking pots, turning injured second-tier turtles unable to move into living roasts.
As Golden Armor watched its kin fall one after another, it let out a furious roar. Every strike had been meticulously timed, giving it no chance to react.
No longer content to cower in its shell, Golden Armor opened its mouth and launched a beam of golden light directly at Niu Dazhuang.
In the same instant, the Thunder God on the wall unleashed a storm of lightning, sending down bolts as thick as arms. Within moments, Golden Armor was engulfed in a sea of thunder.
BOOOOOM
The golden beam streaked through the air.
Niu Dazhuang's expression didn't change. He didn't even take a step back.
Suddenly, a yellowish-brown shield of light appeared before him.
The golden beam struck the shield, causing massive ripples, but was ultimately absorbed entirely.
Luoxia City had stood strong in the southwest for countless years, and its defensive capabilities spoke for themselves. The city's founding lord had once paid a great price to hire a tier-four formation master. Using a tier-four spiritual vein as the foundation, he built a top-grade tier-four defensive formation that enveloped the entire city.
Even under siege from multiple demon kings, the city could hold out indefinitely unless the spiritual energy ran dry.
"If we can use this chance to wipe out the Blackshell Clan, all this effort will have been worth it," Niu Dazhuang muttered, eyes fixed on the sea of lightning, a glimmer of hope in his gaze.
The Blackshell Clan had once reached great heights. At its peak, it even threatened the overlord status of the old flood dragon in the Blackwater Marsh.
Later, it was ambushed by the Golden Crow Sect. Their demon king fell, and most of their great demons died in battle. Golden Armor was now the last remaining great demon of the Blackshell Clan.
If it died, the rest of the Blackshell Turtles would be picked off by other monster clans. In the Ten Thousand Mountains, survival was brutally simple and savage.
"Awooo!"
From within the thunderstorm, Golden Armor let out a painful, guttural howl.
Its once-mighty shell had been charred black by lightning, its defenses greatly weakened. Even its demonic aura had started to unravel. But still, it endured, holding on with sheer will.
Then came a roar of fury.
A six-armed demonic ape descended from the sky, dozens of feet tall, brimming with ferocious power. It plunged straight into the storm, pounding at Golden Armor's shell with earth-shattering force.
Golden Armor screamed in agony, standing upright amid the barrage of lightning, its body radiating brilliant golden light as it fought the demonic ape tooth and nail.
But its injuries were too severe, and it quickly fell into a disadvantage.
At that moment, the surviving Blackshell Turtles surged into the storm, heedless of their safety. Several of the more seriously injured were struck by lightning and incinerated instantly.
But none of them faltered. They pushed forward with everything they had.
Some shielded Golden Armor from the thunder strikes, others tackled the six-armed ape head-on, and a few even offered up their blood essence to help it heal.
"Retreat! Go now!"
Golden Armor roared with bloodshot eyes, watching its kin fall one by one. The sound of its anguished command shook the heavens.
"Clan Chief, so long as you live, our clan still has hope. We die without regret!"
An elderly Blackshell Turtle looked at Golden Armor and said this resolutely, then fearlessly threw itself at the six-armed ape.
When the dazzling lightning finally faded, the six-armed ape had exhausted all its power and dissipated into sparks of light.
None of the dozen second-tier Blackshell Turtles survived; they had all perished. Only Golden Armor remained, clinging to life atop a pile of corpses.
From the rear of the beast army, Thundercry looked at the barely breathing Golden Armor and gave a very human-like smile.
Not only had he destroyed the only Blackshell Turtle with the potential to ascend to demon king, but he had also drained a great deal of Luoxia City's strength.
It was the perfect outcome, killing two birds with one stone.
His eyes swept over the surrounding great demons, who stood in silence, visibly shaken. He bellowed:
"What are you standing around for?! Now's the time for a full assault!"
"ROAAAAAR!"
With a thunderous roar, the beast horde following behind the Blackshell Clan surged forward like bloodthirsty demons, charging over the fallen bodies without hesitation.
Looking at the vast, surging horde of beasts, Golden Armor's face turned bitter. After all the years the Blackshell Clan had spent working under Thundercry, always keeping their heads down, acting with caution, they were still discarded like pawns in the end. How laughable.
On the city wall, Niu Dazhuang slammed a fist on the parapet in frustration when he saw that Golden Armor was still alive. After all the effort and sacrifice, he had still fallen short by just a little.
Watching the beast horde draw near once more, Niu Dazhuang gave up the thought of delivering a finishing blow. Instead, he turned and began organizing the defenders to repel the attack.
The Demon King Thundercry was intent on a swift victory. He had already sent waves of cannon fodder and even dispatched four powerful demon beasts, yet the city held firm, and his side had suffered heavy casualties.
After another failed assault, one of the demon lords from the Silvermoon Demon Wolves could no longer hold back and approached Thundercry with a suggestion:
"My king, this can't go on. Luoxia City's defenses are far too formidable. Continuing this way will only increase our losses in vain."
"So what do you suggest?" Thundercry snapped, clearly displeased. Luoxia's Purple Mansion cultivators and Skyships had yet to even join the battle, and he dared not make a reckless move.
For all that Luoxia City lacked even a single Golden Core cultivator, it had still claimed the lives of more than one demon king over the years.
The demon lord continued, "My king, the city's protective formation is built upon a fourth-grade spiritual vein, and its spiritual energy is abundant and constantly replenished. Trying to breach it head-on, even by throwing all of us into the fray, would be futile.
"If I may suggest, the solution lies within the city itself. If we can destroy that spiritual vein, the barrier will collapse, and taking the city would be as easy as flipping a hand."
Hearing this, Thundercry suddenly remembered something before they set out; the Black Dragon Demon King had allied and made some preparations of his own. Now that his forces had suffered so heavily, perhaps it was time for someone else to bleed.
"You're right. Pull the troops back for now."
...
As the beast horde retreated, Zhang Yanhe's legs gave out, and he collapsed beside the parapet. Although the formation had held the beasts at bay and none had reached the wall, the sheer number of them had left him utterly drained, and his arms were numb from slaughter.
Beside him, Steward Liu looked much better. He even pulled out some dry rations and glanced over at Zhang Yanhe with a smirk.
"Kid, this is just the beginning. Eat up and recover your spiritual energy while you can."
Zhang Yanhe nodded and began tearing into the food, mumbling through a mouthful, "Steward Liu, why do you think the beasts suddenly pulled back?"
"That's something the city lords will worry about. Our job is to kill enemies, not ask questions. What's the point of overthinking it?"
He gave Zhang Yanhe a sideways glance. "What's the matter? Getting scared?"
Zhang Yanhe shook his head quickly. "Not at all. To die for Luoxia City would be an honor."
"Heh. If you're dead, that's the end of it. I, for one, plan to keep living. A little fear of death is a good thing," Steward Liu said as he popped a restorative pill into his mouth.
Zhang Yanhe fell silent. He leaned back against the parapet, closed his eyes, and tried to rest. How could he not be afraid of dying? But behind him stood Luoxia City, his family, his friends. There was no path left for retreat...
Inside Luoxia City, strict martial law had been enacted. No one was allowed on the streets without a clearance token. Over a thousand law enforcement disciples patrolled the city under the command of Zhuang Yuechan, ensuring no one took advantage of the chaos.
In a shadowy alley, darkness stirred, and a lithe figure cloaked in blood-red robes emerged. She toyed with a token in her hand, a seductive smile curling her lips.
"Getting my hands on this little thing wasn't easy," she said softly. "Good thing I came prepared."
Swaying her serpentine hips, she stepped out of the shadows. With each movement, her form and clothing shifted rapidly until she appeared as a young male cultivator dressed in the uniform of a Luoxia law enforcer.
"A fourth-grade spiritual vein… what a pity," she giggled, her voice like the tinkling of silver bells.
Then, just like that, the blood-robed woman vanished into the bustling streets.
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