Chapter 228: The Siege of the Thunder Pool

The sky had darkened, and the clouds were driven by a fierce wind.

It was a good night for killing.

The inner city wall of Qiuzhou Prefecture City was fifteen zhang high, built from ten-thousand-catty blocks of Azure Flower Iron Stone. Atop it, the patrol path was four zhang wide, with a battlement every three zhang and a watchtower every five li.

Led by Zuoqiu Ting, the four of them climbed the stairs to the three-story gate tower, taking in the view of both the inner and outer cities amidst the urgent evening wind.

The Thunder Heaven Sect's stronghold, Thunder Pool Studio, was located on a low hill outside the outer city of the East City.

Daoist-style buildings covered the mountain, occupying several dozen mu of land.

At the summit of the low hill sat a nine-story purple array tower, where lightning crackled and electric birds circled, making it extremely eye-catching.

"Whoosh!"

A young Great Thought Master from the imperial court unleashed spiritual light from between his brows, using beast-taming arts to control a multi-meter-long black-feathered exotic beast carrying Thunder Law Profound Ice, launching an attack from mid-air to destroy the array.

A zhang-long golden feathered arrow was fired from a plaza within Thunder Pool Studio, killing the black-feathered beast in mid-air, turning it into a mist of blood and scattered feathers.

"Rumble!"

The Thunder Law Profound Ice fell, crashing into the ground.

A radius of several dozen zhang was razed to the ground.

Lu Cangsheng, dressed in a profound robe, stood atop the highest building beneath the nine-story array tower, observing the situation below the mountain and issuing orders.

Immediately, the Hundred-Character Scripture artifact heavy crossbow on the plaza shifted direction and fired another zhang-long golden feathered arrow. The arrow, like a golden meteor, tore through the night sky and struck a Disaster Fire Realm Great Thought Master of the imperial court five li away.

That Great Thought Master's body exploded instantly, not a single piece of intact flesh remaining.

One attacking, one defending, the battle was deadlocked.

The imperial court's next wave of attacks was even more violent.

Eight artifact chariots launched a massive, sweeping assault from the sky and the ground, from eight different directions.

The chariots sped forward, the air vibrated, and the entire city area shook.

"Whoosh!"

Inside Thunder Pool Studio, the nine-story array tower expanded violently, its height increasing tenfold, transforming into a thousand-meter-tall purple mountain that shrouded several li of land, destroying all eight chariots.

The Thunder Law Profound Ice within the chariots was all triggered, released as eight seas of lightning.

Lightning flashed continuously in the East City, either shooting straight into the clouds or streaking across the void.

This large-scale Wu Xiu confrontation was comparable to a battlefield clash, and the destructive power unleashed had already surpassed the Five Seas Realm level.

On the third floor of the inner city wall, Qi Xiao observed the surroundings and looked at the Third-Grade invitation in his hand: "Sixty percent of the imperial court's top Wu Xiu have arrived, and many First, Second, and Third-Grade figures have appeared, yet after half an hour of fighting, they still cannot break Thunder Pool Studio's defense."

Shi Shishi said: "Lu Cangsheng's Turtle Shell Divine Art can be called the best in the world!"

Zuoqiu Ting stood with one hand behind his back, his demeanor elegant, and laughed: "When it comes to defense, no one in the younger generation can compare to Lu Cangsheng. Moreover, the Thunder Heaven Sect understands Thunder Law Profound Ice better than any other faction, so they naturally know how to defend against it and how to detonate it prematurely."

Li Youyi wore a black Daoist robe, his hair tied with a wooden hairpin, his heroic bearing tinged with a sense of mystery and relaxation: "That array tower is not simple; the energy that just erupted makes me feel that even if Ge Xiantong were to strike personally, he would be forced back. Was it set up by an array master below the level of a Spirit Thought Master?"

Zuoqiu Ting said: "The Thunder Heaven Sect dispatched ten Disaster Fire Realm Great Thought Masters of the younger generation to Qiuzhou Prefecture City, using the Fourth-Grade Hundred-Character Scripture artifact Thunder-Startling Tower as the array base, and it took them three months to set up this nine-story array tower. Its defensive strength far exceeds arrays set up by ordinary Spirit Thought Masters in a short time."

Hundred-Character Scripture artifacts have different levels of power depending on the number of scriptures inscribed inside, and can be divided into nine grades.

One hundred to two hundred characters is called a "First-Grade Hundred-Character Scripture artifact."

Two hundred to three hundred characters is called "Second-Grade."

Three hundred to four hundred characters is called "Third-Grade."

On the Thunder Pool Studio plaza, that heavy crossbow wrapped in a cloud of magic power, with over a hundred scriptures flickering on its surface, is a First-Grade Hundred-Character Scripture artifact.

Li Youyi did not know much about the artifacts and war defenses of this world and asked: "The Thunder Heaven Sect can activate a Fourth-Grade Hundred-Character Scripture artifact, why doesn't the imperial court use Fifth or Sixth-Grade Hundred-Character Scripture artifacts? Or even a Thousand-Character Scripture artifact?"

Qi Xiao laughed: "Brother Youyi, we are Five Seas Realm Wu Xiu; with the grade and quantity of magic power in our bodies, it is very difficult to effectively activate Hundred-Character Scripture artifacts."

"Only top Wu Xiu who have cultivated Sixth-Order Qi can fully unleash the power of a First-Grade Hundred-Character Scripture artifact."

"With my cultivation, I can only activate a portion of a Second-Grade Hundred-Character Scripture artifact's power, estimated at sixty or seventy percent."

"The higher the grade, the harder it is to activate; the power can indeed be stronger, but only to a limited extent."

"For example, if I were to hold a Fourth-Grade Hundred-Character Scripture battle sword, I could only unleash one or two percent of its power. It could boost my combat power by a small margin, giving me a chance to challenge an Inheritor."

"Give me a Thousand-Character Scripture artifact, and I would dare to compete with an Inheritor."

"But what if it gets snatched?"

"My Qi family, a million-strong power clan, a wealthy family of Lizhou, only has three Thousand-Character Scripture artifacts, and each one is a treasure of the clan."

"Is it worth turning myself into a fat sheep for such a small increase in combat power?"

"Moreover, with our Five Seas Realm cultivation, using high-grade artifacts takes quite a bit of time to activate. You might not have even activated the artifact before someone cuts off your head with a sword, just like Hua Yuzi."

"In individual combat, it is best to use an artifact you are comfortable with."

"Only in collisions between major factions are heavy weapons and large arrays needed."

"The Thunder Heaven Sect's Fourth-Grade Thunder-Startling Tower and nine major arrays were activated together by ten Disaster Fire Realm Great Thought Masters and a large number of Earth Fire Realm and Heaven Fire Realm Great Thought Masters to unleash their peak power, transforming into a thousand-meter-tall array mountain. The consumption of thought power is definitely not small."

Zuoqiu Ting said: "The imperial court's Thunder Law Profound Ice is almost exhausted; they should be about to activate high-grade Hundred-Character Scripture artifacts. Look, the imperial court's Five Seas Realm Wu Xiu are gathering on a large scale."

Qi Xiao asked: "Young Master Ting, when we attack the Prefecture Governor's Mansion and the headquarters of the Far West Ash Region, what level of artifacts are we prepared to activate?"

"Keep it secret for now," Zuoqiu Ting said.

Li Youyi secretly pondered the grades of the few trump card artifacts on his person.

The "Corpse Clothing Soft Armor" he wore against his skin should be the lowest grade, not reaching the level of a Thousand-Character Scripture artifact. Because when he was in the Spring Realm, he could activate the faint blood-colored scriptures and unleash a portion of its power.

As for the "Ghost Flag," he could not yet perceive the scriptures inside, so it was clearly a higher grade.

The Ghost Flag's most important attack methods were the power of cold ice and the ghost generals sealed within.

The "Evil Camel Bell" should be a primary heavy weapon involving the taboo figure Yu Tounan, so he dared not expose it at all.

The "Black Iron Seal," as Master Coffin had mentioned before, was a treasure of the Thunder Heaven Sect and could be used in life-or-death situations.

Li Youyi felt that he was the very fat sheep Qi Xiao spoke of; if he took out the Black Iron Seal to use, his combat power could definitely increase by a large margin, and fighting an Inheritor would be no problem. But after the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival, the trouble would certainly not be small.

The Yellow Dragon Sword, on the other hand, was the artifact he was most comfortable with; it accompanied his growth, its power becoming stronger and stronger, as if custom-made, allowing him to perfectly unleash his own strength.

Li Youyi secretly pondered in his heart whether to find a few more martial arts experts to activate the Black Iron Seal together, to give Luan Sheng Lin You a hard blow at a critical moment.

"Clatter!"

A wave of artifact arrow rain rose in the night sky, like a bright galaxy flying toward Thunder Pool Studio.

At the same time.

The imperial court's Five Seas Realm Wu Xiu finished gathering on the streets.

Led by nine Seventh-Sea Wu Xiu, nearly a hundred Five Seas Realm Wu Xiu joined forces to strike out magic power, injecting it into a tripod-shaped Hundred-Character Scripture artifact.

The surface of the tripod-shaped artifact erupted with crimson brilliance, spinning as it flew off the ground.

It became larger and larger, brighter and brighter.

After rising ten zhang into the air, the tripod body became the size of a house, flames burning, and five hundred and thirty-five scriptures flickered on the tripod body, the brilliance illuminating the entire East City.

The dark clouds in the sky were reflected into a crimson red by the tripod's light.

"Swish!"

Within Thunder Pool Studio, a zhang-long golden crossbow arrow flew out.

The sound of breaking through the air was as loud as thunder.

The tripod-shaped artifact merely swayed slightly, the air vibrated, countless scriptures flew out, energy erupted, and that crossbow arrow was shattered into several pieces.

The tripod-shaped artifact soared into the air, releasing vast power, as brilliant as a scorching sun.

"Activate the array tower with full force!" Lu Cangsheng shouted.

"Boom!"

The nine-story array tower once again transformed into a thousand-meter-tall purple lightning mountain, colliding with the tripod-shaped artifact.

The hill where Thunder Pool Studio was located shook violently, buildings collapsed, and cracks appeared on the mountain.

Fortunately, it withstood this blow, and the array was not broken.

Qi Xiao said: "The imperial court is making a big move! War is ultimately about people. The more Wu Xiu, the stronger the artifacts activated, and the deeper the foundation. The strength gap between the two sides is vast; Thunder Pool Studio's array will be broken sooner or later. Once the array is broken, the battle situation will likely be one-sided!"

"The Thunder Heaven Sect is not weak; after all, it was once the master of this land of the Lingxiao Life Realm. The price the imperial court will pay to take them down will definitely not be small," Shi Shishi said.

Zuoqiu Ting nodded: "Knowing that the imperial court forces led by Ge Xiantong had come to the East City, Lu Cangsheng did not immediately flee the city or give up the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival. It shows that he must have something to rely on."

Li Youyi laughed: "Perhaps Lu Cangsheng guessed that the Zuoqiu Gate would definitely help."

"I think he just can't bear to part with that Longevity Pill ticket in his hand!" Qi Xiao said.

Shi Shishi said: "That is a Longevity Pill, who would be willing to give it up?"

"Whoosh!"

Another nearly a hundred imperial court Five Seas Realm Wu Xiu activated a hammer-shaped Fifth-Grade Hundred-Character Scripture artifact, rising from another city district to attack Thunder Pool Studio.

From the direction of the inner city, a terrifying aura that made one's heart palpitate came.

Only to see a silver shuttle-shaped artifact falling straight down from the clouds, with countless scriptures rotating around it.

It was unstoppable, piercing through the Dragon Gate stronghold's defensive array, smashing into the ground, and kicking up thick dust.

"Boom!"

The powerful shock force spanned over a dozen li, spreading to the city tower.

Zuoqiu Ting, Li Youyi, and the other four immediately looked over.

The Dragon Gate stronghold was the mansion of an ancient Longevity Realm giant, occupying a vast area with formidable defensive power. But suffering from the suppression of the character-dissolving talisman, under the silver shuttle's attack, all defensive arrays completely disintegrated, and the buildings in the mansion collapsed in swathes.

Attacking the Dragon Gate was the Far West Ash Region.

That silver shuttle-shaped artifact just now was activated by more than two hundred Five Seas Realm Wu Xiu.

They were numerous and powerful, vast and mighty, coming from different factions, each one a dragon among men and a phoenix among women.

Luan Sheng Lin You stood at the peak of a high building hundreds of meters away from the Dragon Gate stronghold, his long hair swaying with the wind, elegantly reaching out to the void, retrieving the silver shuttle-shaped artifact, which hovered in his palm.

"Whoosh!"

The silver shuttle-shaped artifact melted, turning into a liquid flowing silver mask, which he put on his face, then ordered the siege of the Dragon Gate, leaving no one alive.