Chapter 2003: This Night

One, two, three—

Even the ground near the city walls trembled.

The sturdy city gate didn't break, but several holes were gouged out by the ox horns, each over two inches deep.

Such impact wounds, under the enhancement of the formation, would recover in one or two hours, but a few enemy soldiers ran up behind the fire oxen and carefully stuffed egg-sized round balls into these holes.

This is also the Thunder of Shaking Mountains.

Normally they wouldn't dare do this, because the city guardian beasts wouldn't allow them to approach at all.

Under the rain of arrows from above, both people and oxen hastily withdrew.

Only a few loud booms were heard, wood chips flying everywhere.

Several craters were blasted into the gate of Miancheng.

Yet it still hadn't been blown open or toppled over—the quality was so good it was astonishing.

The fire oxen dashed to a distance, flicked their heads, lifted a hoof, and charged at the city gate again, even faster than before!

……

The moon was like a silver basin, but veiled with a few strands of blue shadow.

Dong Rui lay on the hammock woven by the ghost ape, cracking melon seeds while facing the moon: "The Imperial Elixir is coming again. Looks like the people of Miancheng will also get a good night's sleep tonight."

This is the omen of the Imperial Elixir's imminent descent. Recently, spirit elixirs have come frequently, and everyone has summarized many patterns. For instance, the blue threads veiling the moon now—those blue threads are only one or two fine strands, indicating that tonight's Imperial Elixir may be just a light drizzle.

After enduring the previous seventeen-day-long spirit elixir outbreak baptism, all beings have greatly increased their resistance to spirit elixir. After all, having been excited for seventeen straight nights, excitement levels must drop, or else there would be mortal danger. In the few nights before the Imperial Elixir outbreak, Dong Rui would go out in the early morning and see large patches of insect and bird corpses on the ground; in the wild, he often found stiff mice and rabbits—all victims of overindulgence the night before.

Adding the subsequent several outbreaks and several widespread descents, whether human or demon, they gradually regained their normal state of mind.

However, "no fighting on the night of the Imperial Elixir" has become a new unwritten rule of warfare. On nights when spirit elixir descends, uncontrollable factors are still too many.

"Good rain knows the season. Hold on for another day or two, and Zhu Xiuer should also arrive by now?" He had just finished saying this to Wan Qi Liang when a demon bird descended from the sky, huddling near Wan Qi Liang's ear to whisper.

This is a scout from the army, specially tasked with spying on Guo Bai Yu's camp.

Seeing its flustered movements, Dong Rui sensed a hint of unease.

Indeed, Wan Qi Liang's face changed: "Guo Bai Yu has mobilized troops! The main camp is basically empty."

"Emptying the nest?" Dong Rui heard this and also felt uneasy.

Although Guo Bai Yu holds the upper hand in the war against Miancheng, he usually employs a rotating warfare tactic, sending troops in units of a thousand to harass Miancheng, allowing the rest to rest and recuperate.

But the report from the demon bird now is that Guo's army has emptied the nest!

Is this meant to launch a full-scale attack?

Wan Qi Liang immediately ordered the demon bird: "Go to Miancheng and find Huang Chengqi, tell him to prepare for defense."

The demon bird acknowledged and spread its wings to fly away.

"Guo Bai Yu and Miancheng have been standoffish for so long; every time the Imperial Elixir comes, they cease fire. Miancheng has long grown accustomed to this, but Guo Bai Yu tonight insists on going against the norm." Wan Qi Liang said solemnly, "No wonder this person, as an external force, can stand out among the many powerful factions, his territory ever expanding—he truly has some skill."

Dong Rui spat out a melon seed husk with a puff: "Timber exposed in the forest will be destroyed; beauty that leaks from the wall will surely be ruined! But Guo Bai Yu's large-scale offensive tonight probably aims to seize the universe in one fell swoop. We should also send troops."

"Not wait for Zhu Xiuer?"

"If he dares to mobilize troops at this time, he must have confidence. I fear Miancheng cannot hold out until Zhu Xiuer arrives." Dong Rui sat up and stretched, "Even if the tactics you mentioned a few days ago are unusable now, they can at least temporarily relieve Miancheng's urgent crisis."

Wan Qi Liang fell into brief contemplation.

His and Dong Rui's mission is to come here to support Miancheng.

If Miancheng falls to Guo Bai Yu tonight, the mission counts as a failure, and no excuse can whitewash it.

"Alright, let's move out."

To avoid detection by Guo's army, the Black Armor Army is stationed twenty li away; even rushing there at full speed will take some time.

However, with only one-third of the journey remaining, the forward scout suddenly reported:

"The southern gate of Miancheng has already been breached!"

Wan Qi Liang was greatly startled, nearly reining in his horse: "This fast?!"

From the time Guo's army left camp until now, it hasn't even been half an hour! Miancheng's past defensive battles would last an entire night, yet they never showed signs of collapse.

He quickly calmed down: "What problem has Miancheng encountered?"

"Judging from low altitude, Miancheng's city walls seem frozen over, and several city guardian beasts are also—also frozen solid, motionless."

"What method did the enemy use to freeze the city guardian beasts?" This wasn't a question for the scout, but for Dong Rui. The latter immediately replied: "If Guo Bai Yu had such a method, he would have used it long ago; there's no need to wait until now; or else, this is a divine art newly supported by Qingyang or the Heavenly Gods; or……the city guardian beast formation has been tampered with!"

"A traitor?" Wan Qi Liang gritted his back teeth, "Truly hateful!"

Only a few days short of the optimal opportunity!

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With only fifty or seventy li left to the front lines, he immediately divided the troops: four hundred to seize Luofeng Pond, four hundred to attack Guo's main camp, taking advantage of its emptiness and cutting off its rear. The rest will follow the commanders to rush to Miancheng's aid.

……

Xiyun Gully.

This is the boundary from mountains to flatland; standing in the town, one can see flying waterfalls and springs gushing from the mountain gully, hanging out a white silk rainbow.

The locality thus got its name.

Now this place has already become a military town—the assembly point of the Dragon God Army. Tents outside are neatly arranged, but many spots remain empty.

The earliest arriver was He Lingchuan, who casually took hold of this place.

Today is the last day of the three-day deadline; the other two teams have been split into several units according to actual combat, and are now successively arriving, setting up camp and settling down.

Campfires blaze on the grounds, with wild boar, camel, goat, and chicken and rabbit skewered on the fire, fat fragrance filling the air.

The flatbread and coarse rice in the earthen stove are also cooked, paired with fatty meat and sour berries, or chili powder, enough to make one drool.

Unfortunately, alcohol cannot be consumed.

Tonight is a reward feast; all armies that have won battles and can arrive on time at Xiyun Gully will be richly rewarded by the Nine Abysses Great Emperor.

The camp is filled with voices of joy and laughter, all the relaxation after fierce battles.

The intensity of the fighting over the past three days surpasses that of the past two years combined.

But the soldiers were excited, gathering in small groups of twos and threes, boasting and discussing the battles of the past few days.

"In two days, we marched sixty li and fought two battles. Mom, I don't even know how I survived!"

Another chuckled: "We stormed Hegu Pass by sheer force. The Bixia defenders looked at us as if they'd seen a ghost."

"What he meant was, you weren't this fierce last time."

Everyone laughed.

"Turns out it wasn't that we were incapable." Another Piguo soldier, chewing on a flatbread, mumbled unclearly, "Ever since we followed the Dragon God, we've been winning."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Yeah, the allied forces had been locked in stalemate with Bixia for over two years—no matter how deep the hatred, it had worn thin. Everyone fought listlessly, only wondering when they might finally be freed.

Now it's different. Now the fighting is swift and passionate, and most importantly, we keep winning!