Chapter 2882: There Is Still Another Way

Bili Tian is still desperately digging at the walls, and the Mountain River Solidified Formation is probably about to collapse. Once the formation is broken, Bili Tian's attempt to alter the terrain beneath Panlongcheng will turn the mighty city's defenses into a joke.

Zhong Shengguang's gaze swept over the enemy army, and as expected, he locked eyes with Bili Tian.

This great heavenly demon is highly skilled; when Panlongcheng's situation was looking excellent, a single formation sent the Tiger Wing General and many powerful figures three hundred li away, directly causing the situation on the Mingsha Forest battlefield to collapse.

Turning hands to clouds, covering hands to rain—nothing more than that.

Bili Tian looked at Zhong Shengguang and smiled, then gestured with his hand in a throat-slitting motion:

Wait, it'll be soon.

Zhong Shengguang gave a faint smirk and paid no heed.

The only good news is that the burrowing beast skilled at digging tunnels, the "Pan Yu," was already killed by the Panlong army when it attacked the Mingsha Forest stockade; otherwise, if they repeated their old tricks and came again to tunnel beneath Panlongcheng, we wouldn't be able to withstand it.

At this moment, Xu Shichu strode up to the gate tower and whispered two sentences into Zhong Shengguang's ear.

Zhong Shengguang's expression shifted slightly, and he followed him into the interlayer of the southern city wall. Here there is a secret chamber, also the city wall's central control hub.

"Your Majesty, look!"

Xu Shichu pointed to the protruding dragon-head stone carving on the wall.

In the dragon's mouth clasped a round pearl, smooth and lustrous, with a pearl-like halo.

The Great Expansion Heavenly Pearl.

Panlongcheng's barrier, the city wall's hardness and regenerative capacity, the combat energy of the black dragon stone carvings, and the strength of the Mountain River Solidified Formation in the southwest corner of the Chi Pa Highlands—all derive from the Great Expansion Heavenly Pearl.

But now, the pearl's originally smooth surface has unexpectedly developed two cracks!

Zhong Shengguang was not surprised at all, only his face grew even graver: "The appearance of cracks indicates the Great Expansion Heavenly Pearl is also about to fail."

Xu Shichu pleaded: "Won't it last until dawn?"

Dawn is almost here, and the Red General will return with his troops!

Zhong Shengguang shook his head: "Not even close. Being able to last another quarter-hour would be good."

Xu Shichu was greatly alarmed.

"The Heavenly Bridge is about to fall." Zhong Shengguang stated frankly, "The soldiers are still desperately defending the bridgehead, but their spiritual power is already exhausted, and the advantage of terrain is being leveled."

Panlong's spiritual power is depleted; when the soldiers fight, they not only receive no boost, but they themselves feel utterly drained, their limbs as if filled with lead, and they also feel despondent.

The only thing currently sustaining everyone's will to fight is the expectation of reinforcements arriving after dawn.

When spiritual power is insufficient, "hope" is also a powerful internal driving force.

But human strength has its limits; after the Panlong soldiers have defended for one hour, the pressure from the Between Between Between Beijia army keeps increasing.

Before descending from the city wall, Zhong Shengguang saw again dozens of Panlong soldiers fallen at the bridgehead.

Holding this position has already become a literal piling up of human lives.

Yet even if the Panlong soldiers press forward one after another, signs of losing the Heavenly Bridge head are already appearing. Huai Yuan and the heavenly demons equally understand that once dawn comes and the Red General arrives, the battlefield situation will inevitably shift.

They also cannot afford to lose; they have no choice but to launch a frenzied assault.

Before dawn, this place is the line of life and death for both sides!

Zhong Shengguang's understanding of this matter is clear and piercing.

Xu Shichu fell silent for a few breaths, then said: "We should prepare to retreat. To the Chi Pa Highlands, where we can still maneuver against the Between Between Between Beijia for a while, at least until after sunrise."

"Once Panlongcheng falls, both soldiers and civilians will collapse." The southern city gate is not only a physical barrier but also the last psychological defense for all Panlong people. If it falls, the people's faith will vanish as well—"let alone the many elderly, weak, women, and children inside the city, who cannot even flee far."

Without the protection of high walls and sturdy city, those who cannot run fast or hide far can only await slaughter by the Between Between Between Beijia army.

The heavenly demons hate Panlongcheng intensely and will surely exterminate everyone.

Even if the Red General can return after dawn, he will face the same mess. Without Panlongcheng's internal-external coordination, does the Red General truly have confidence in defeating the Between Between Between Beijia and the great heavenly demon?

Xu Shichu whispered: "We have no second way out."

The city will fall eventually—then what?

Then it will be suffering for all living beings. Whether they withdraw or not, the result is the same.

"There is."

"A second way?" Xu Shichu's eyes lit up.

"Borrow power!" Zhong Shengguang said, "When I obtained the Great Vessel, I once made a contract with the soul of the Black Dragon God, allowing me to borrow the power of the Great Vessel... once! I think it's time to use it."

"The power of the Great Vessel!" Xu Shichu rejoiced. But he had long since stopped being simple-minded; after thinking again, he felt something was off:

If the power of the Great Vessel were so easy to use, why didn't His Majesty use it earlier during the brutal battle at Mingsha Forest?

"Is, is there some restriction?"

"The dragon god's power is not so easily borrowed. But fortunately, the energy of the Great Expansion Heavenly Pearl is not yet exhausted and can still be used by me." Zhong Shengguang reached out to support the dragon's head of the black dragon stone carving.

"The city wall's defense and the black dragon stone carvings' power are the last barrier protecting the city's soldiers and civilians, but these stone dragons' movements and reactions are not agile enough. That is because the Great Expansion Heavenly Pearl has not been in contact with the mundane world long enough, and has not yet truly condensed its own artifact spirit."

"If we can make the black dragon totem truly come alive, our time to defend Panlongcheng will surely be greatly extended." Zhong Shengguang's train of thought was very clear.

But Xu Shichu, listening, faintly felt something was wrong. He quickly asked: "How can we make the black dragon totem truly come alive?"

"The most convenient method is to infuse it with an artifact spirit." Zhong Shengguang lightly inhaled, "Even, I might also channel a portion of the Great Vessel's power into the Great Expansion Heavenly Pearl, which could then possibly restrain Bili Tian on the front battlefield!"

Xu Shichu asked cautiously: "What do you plan to use as its artifact spirit?"

The Great Expansion Heavenly Pearl is a divine object—can its new artifact spirit be casually infused?

"Myself."

Saying this, Zhong Shengguang still felt a hollow emptiness in his heart. The opponent is truly too strong. If he plays his last trump card and still fails, what then? Then the city's residents will truly lose their final escape window, and perish together with Panlongcheng!

Xu Shichu exclaimed in shock: "Absolutely not, you..."

At this moment, Zhong Shengguang suddenly sensed something, abruptly raised his head, and with a hiss interrupted him.

"Tiger Wing General!"

After uttering these four words, he extended his hand and lightly brushed the wall. Thus, the wall surface rippled, and when calm returned, it became a clear mirror.

In the image appeared a person.

The familiar face, the familiar armor, made Xu Shi's heart leap with joy.

"Tiger Wing General, you've finally returned!"

This brat finally showed up, truly making them wait in agony.

He naturally knew that He Lingchuan could now contact them, which meant he was no longer far from Mingsha Forest or Panlongcheng.

Zhong Shengguang stared at He Lingchuan without blinking, his eyes full of relief.