Chapter 3034

The city walls of Baojicheng are famed far and wide; if the Cangyan army wants a swift victory, they must do their homework and pull some tricks beforehand, otherwise this great turtle-shell defense could hold out for ages on the front lines.

He Lingchuan and the Red General both hail from Panlong City, and they know well how hard it is to storm a fortified city; they cannot afford to waste precious time here. The human faction must display style, skill, and deterrence—all hinging on one word: "fast."

They must sweep away the two most vulnerable vassal demon states like autumn wind clearing fallen leaves, shatter the Heavenly Palace's confidence, and dispel the world's doubts about this great human war!

Thus, He Lingchuan once again takes matters into his own hands.

When devising this plan, the subordinate officers all objected, hoping they could take the Emperor's place in infiltrating.

But He Lingchuan also has his own calculations.

Haoling State is no pushover—it is one of the thirteen legitimate vassal demon states of Bekka, and Baojicheng still has a deity garrisoned within. To ensure absolute safety, he had best go himself.

Moreover, the Nine Abyssal Emperor now brims with overconfidence, utterly convinced that Baojicheng cannot detain him.

Now he is a waiter at the "Xianju Inn" at the end of the main street in Baojicheng, but his post is not the inn's common hall—it is the Jiaolou Heaven Temple!

This place was originally the third-largest Jiaolou Heaven Temple in Bekka territory, covering a vast area—the front plaza alone was the size of four football fields, facilitating mass worship. Just months ago, this temple was thriving with incense and crowds, but now it lies desolate, grass even sprouting at the base of its outer walls.

Only a living deity is a true god. After Jiaolou Heaven fell, its believers shifted allegiance, and its hundreds of temples in Bekka lost their future—either abandoned or repurposed. For example, this one in Baojicheng was converted into an armory, due to its proximity to the city gate and numerous rooms. Now, He Lingchuan leans against the second gate of the temple, looking inward; lifting his head, he can see the majestic treasure hall.

When the Cangyan army first invaded Haoling, Baojicheng went into full lockdown, except for a few designated shops still selling rice, flour, grain, and other daily necessities; all other commerce halted, shops closed. At such a time, the Xianju Inn naturally had no guests, and its staff and cooks—able-bodied youths—were seized to transport supplies. At least in the early war, these untrained townsfolk merely served as laborers.

If the war drags on and the city walls lack defenders, they will have to take up arms and serve as cannon fodder on the ramparts.

Nobody is in good spirits.

He Lingchuan infiltrated at this time; the real waiter had already hidden himself away—also called dodging duty—so He Lingchuan need not change his face. Now he wears coarse cloth, walks hunched, his shoulder torn, his face smeared with coal dust and sweat mixed into grime; tossed among the laborers, he blends in, nobody giving him a second glance.

The clamor of attack from beyond the walls has lessened—evidently the Cangyan advance has paused—so these laborers can catch their breath, sit down, and eat something. The rebound-able sorghum hard buns, He Lingchuan munches just as heartily as the others.

"The guards at Baojicheng's gate have stood firm for ten consecutive hours, with a delay order issued in between; now their exhaustion is plain, some have already slipped behind the half-wall to rest. I estimate they'll need relief within half an hour at most."

In a high-intensity siege, even if the gate holds, focus must remain razor-sharp. Ten hours of nervous tension leaves anyone utterly drained, so rotating personnel is inevitable.

He Lingchuan took a sip of water, then continued:

"By the way, I just tested the water with the powder you gave me—separate samples from two sources both changed color. It looks like the people in this city are also infected with the green mold."

After this period of research, the Red General and Dong Rui produced a powder that turns yellow when sprinkled into water containing spores of the little green mold.

Of course, He Lingchuan himself fears nothing.

"Lingxu Zunzun spares not even the civilians of his own vassal demon states." Dong Rui inferred, "Once unleashed, this might be a vast-range divine art." He Lingchuan said: "I am at the armory nearest the city wall; you must create an opportunity for me before I can approach openly." A female voice joined the secret channel: "What supplies are most abundant in that armory?"

"Parts. Components for the city wall's armaments." Someone passed by, so He Lingchuan kept eating until the footsteps faded.

She bluntly replied: "Good, understood."

He Lingchuan added: "By the way, this armory was originally the Jiaolou Heaven Temple; the plaza shows signs of large-scale disturbance. I heard locals say that the Haoling king received a divine edict a few days ago and sent people here to undertake major construction."

He faced the plaza, where building materials still piled nearby. No one knows what the Haoling king originally intended to build here—only that the sudden war interrupted it. Everyone is busy fighting, with no time left for construction.

"Standing here, I can also sense magical power fluctuations underground."

"Let's check it out after the fight." Dong Rui whispered to him across an enemy wall, "Rest now; in half an hour, you'll have to shoulder the heavy load."

Half an hour later, the Red General and He Lingchuan communicated remotely:

"Time's up."

"I have already infused you with a great amount of primal power. Begin—do not be nervous."

"Rest assured." Thus the Red General stepped forth from the great army, mounted a hill before the eyes of all troops, and drew her bow.

From her armor to her arrows, all gleamed with crimson light.

This bow is the Heaven-Taming Bow, a supreme treasure gifted by Spirit Mountain, possessing immense power and specializing in breaking barriers.

Her low voice, transmitted through her mask, rang through the entire army: "Heed my command—where my arrow points, there shall your arrows fly!"

The soldiers all responded in unison.

Everyone knows the Red General was wounded in the conquest of Bolang State's capital, and for the past few days she has mostly rested. Her sudden appearance instantly sparked a surge in morale.

Thus the Red General loosed an arrow toward heaven.

At first unremarkable, but as it neared its target, the arrowhead flashed with purple light, finally blazing like a meteor—neither side could possibly ignore it. Baojicheng of course revealed its barrier, a translucent cyan shield.

The Red General's arrow traced a parabola; upon passing its apex, it suddenly accelerated downward, with a hiss embedding itself into the barrier.

Onlookers saw the barrier like a soap bubble blown by wind—it burst.

The Red General's arrow struck the city wall, cleaving a siege cannon in two. The few soldiers guarding the cannon had not even reacted before the cannon barrel transmitted a biting cold that froze them into ice shards.

Thereafter, myriad arrows from the Cangyan army flew forth, closely following the Red General's arrows.

They lacked the Red General's power and her precious bow, but could use explosive arrowheads—thus Baojicheng's walls erupted in continuous explosions, plunging into a sea of fire.