Chapter 776: All troops set out!

Teng Yuan Liang Xin heard the report and quickly ran up onto the city wall.

He glanced outside the city, and his brows furrowed tightly.

The thick fog had already spread around him; the twenty li of burnt wasteland outside the city was completely submerged.

It was impossible to tell whether the Fierce Kingdom's army had marched out or where it was now proceeding.

The archers stood at the crenellations with their bows and arrows, pointing the arrowheads outward, but they had no idea where to shoot.

The Goryeo civilians bound to the city wall, seeing the tense scene of drawn swords and bows nearby, were frightened, struggling hard while screaming loudly.

He Tian Chong Xin looked around and said: "Commander, the fog is too thick; these Goryeo people here not only block the archers' line of sight, but their loud shouting also disrupts the troops."

Teng Yuan Liang Xin glanced over the city wall: with such thick fog, I can't see the enemy, and they can't see the city wall either.

Once fighting begins, the archers need to shoot from the crenellations and the infantry will run along the wall; these weeping Goryeo civilians are not only useless, they get in the way.

Since they're useless, there's no need to keep them.

He nodded: "Untie them and get them out of here!"

"Yes!"

The soldiers drew their daggers, cut the ropes, and untied the civilians bound to the wooden posts one by one: "Hurry up and get lost!"

The civilians fell from the posts to the ground, helped each other, staggered toward the stone steps, and surged down the city by rolling and crawling.

At the same moment, in the Fierce Kingdom's main camp, inside the National Preceptor's tent.

Chu Yuan sat cross-legged, examining the azure light on the turtle shell before him, the corner of his mouth lifting: "Go report to the Prince; the civilians are coming down from the city wall, and the Eastern Sea people have released them."

"All right!" Lu Qi outside the tent responded, then sprang forward toward the front of the formation.

Tuan Tuan sat beside Chu Yuan, lifted her little face to look at her Master, and asked: "Master, have those commoners been saved?"

"They have been saved." Chu Yuan gently stroked the top of her head.

Tuan Tuan's eyes lit up instantly, she clapped her little hands: "Wonderful! They can go home now!"

Before she finished speaking, Chu Yuan's expression suddenly darkened.

The patterns on the turtle shell were shifting rapidly; a dim gray mist was slowly seeping out from the Royal City, mixing with the thick white mist and quickly spreading outward.

Wherever it passed, the ground's grass blades quickly yellowed and curled.

This is no ordinary fog barrier!

The fog must be laced with some poisonous substance; it is the ploy of that Eastern Sea yin-yang master.

Tuan Tuan pointed and asked: "Master, what is this?"

Chu Yuan frowned tightly: "This fog barrier is conjured by that yin-yang master; his intentions are truly vicious, even adding poison."

"Huh?" Tuan Tuan panicked upon hearing this: "Uncle Zhang and Second Uncle are under the shield cart; Master, quickly block it!"

"All right." Chu Yuan formed seals with both hands, and azure light flared at his fingertips.

The three turtle shells simultaneously emitted a low hum; the dense white mist surged forward, forming a solid wall of mist before the shield cart.

The gray mist and white mist collided head‑on, emitting a faint hissing sound, like water and fire clashing.

The white mist tightly enveloped the gray mist, trapping it in place, unable to spread even an inch forward.

Deep within the Royal City, An Bei Tai Qin stared at the gray mist firmly gripped by the white mist on the black jade tablet, his face full of disbelief.

Could this Fierce Kingdom Immortal Envoy really be just a child?

How could a child possess such profound Dao cultivation as to block my fog barrier?

He gritted his teeth, spat a mouthful of essence blood onto the black jade tablet, formed hand seals, and poured all his magical power into it.

The gray mist enveloped by the white mist suddenly surged, the white mist violently expanding outward, about to break free of its restraints.

Chu Yuan twitched his brow, lifted a finger, and lightly brushed the turtle shell, making the azure light grow brighter.

The white mist wrapped layer upon layer, pressing the expanding gray mist back.

The two forces reached a stalemate.

The gray mist struggled to expand while the white mist coiled and wrapped around it.

The mist outside the city surged like sea waves, as if two invisible dragons were locked in contest.

Tuan Tuan watched the turtle shells spin faster and faster, then glanced at the fine sweat beading on Chu Yuan's forehead; her little brows furrowed slightly.

Master is dueling that yin-yang master with magic! I have to help him!

She lowered her head, untied the embroidered pouch at her waist, and pulled out a small, dusty feather.

It was exactly the feather dropped by the seabird flock when they landed that day.

"This gray fog is so annoying!"

"Let's summon a gust to blow this gray fog onto the city wall! Don't let it enter the city—there's poison there that would harm the civilians."

Having said that, she loosened her little hand, and the tiny feather fell downward.

A faint light flashed, and the feather vanished instantly.

The next moment.

Where the two mists entwined, a whirlwind suddenly rose from the ground.

Chu Yuan hastily withdrew his hand; the white mist suddenly loosened, the gray mist rose into the air, about to move forward, but was caught by the unseen wind and lifted upward.

The gray mist thrashed wildly in the whirlwind, unable to break free, only able to be blown by the wind, flying up into the sky and rolling back toward the city wall.

Teng Yuan Liang Xin saw the gray mist about to fly over, his face changed drastically: "Not good! Quick, retreat!"

"Yes!"

He Tian Chong Xin drew his great saber to guard his rear, and followed him as they sprinted swiftly down to the base of the city wall.

Chu Yuan fixed his gaze on the turtle shell, slowly exhaled, a hint of smile appearing at the corner of his mouth: "Well done, Tuan Tuan."

Tuan Tuan happily shook her head and swayed: "Master, did I help again?"

Chu Yuan laughed: "Of course! You've helped your master a great deal!"

In the Royal City, Anbei Tai himself jerked his head up.

What's going on? Where did this demonic wind come from?

Why does it only blow my mist barrier? Not the white mist?

Could it be that, besides the Immortal Envoy, the Fiery Nation also has a master here?

He pinched the meridian with both hands, continuously exerting force, yet found that the demonic wind was not subject to his control at all.

The vortex, swirling with gray mist, slammed against the city wall.

The gray mist spun, darting back and forth along the wall's edge, crazily colliding on the narrow city wall.

The mist crawled over the soldiers' faces and slipped into their eye sockets.

At first they suddenly felt an itch in their eyes, instinctively raised their hands to rub both eyes, and then let out continuous cries of anguish.

They tossed aside their weapons, frantically rubbing their eyes, tears gushing from between their fingers, yet they could not stop.

The poisonous mist seared their eyeballs; some fell to their knees, some slammed into the parapet, some covered their eyes and let out inhuman howls.

The soldiers beneath the shield carts, unaware of everything happening on the wall, pushed the carts forcefully toward the wall.

Xiao Yuanhang set down the Thousand-mile mirror: "Send the order! Cavalry first, infantry follow! The whole army, advance!"

"Upon hearing the explosion, charge full force into the Royal City!"

"Yes!"

Five thousand cavalry answered in unison, galloping swiftly toward the Royal City.