Chapter 360: Imperial Presence Over the City Walls

The tremendous roar from the direction of the left-wing barbican struck like a funeral bell on the heart of every defender.

Smoke and dust shot up to the sky, mixed with the defenders' desperate cries and the Netherbone's teeth‑gritting excited howl.

The momentum of that section of the wall was rapidly diminishing and collapsing.

Qian Gui's reinforcements had already entered the battle, and the shouts of killing in that direction suddenly became more intense and dense.

But, it was not enough.

Ordinary soldiers, even the elite of the Jing'an Office, could only fill the gap with their lives, merely delaying it, when faced with the Netherbone's monstrous strength and the Divine Martial Army's heavy armor, unable to truly plug the ever‑widening breach.

Chen Wen's gaze was locked firmly on the area shrouded in smoke and dust.

The Fortune Momentum vortex within his body spun wildly at unprecedented speed and force, stirring subtle ripples in the surrounding air.

His dark‑colored robe sleeves moved on their own, without wind.

He was weighing his options.

Using his full sixty‑fourfold power to personally enter the fray would certainly quickly turn the local battle.

But as emperor and commander‑in‑chief of the entire army, he could not lightly place himself upon the most perilous blade.

His position was to oversee the whole situation, the pivotal point that decided where power was directed.

And another choice was more adventurous, and also……extravagant.

That was to distribute his own power more efficiently.

Exceeding the previous limit of sixteenfold, to carry out a higher‑ratio concentrated endowment.

As soon as this thought arose, Chen Wen felt a faint throb coming from the majestic Fortune Momentum vortex within his body.

It seemed as if a warning from the depths warned: acting thus would shake the foundations of the state and provoke an immeasurable cost.

He recalled the vague memorials from the southern prefectures and counties about abnormal weather.

That was merely the faint ripples caused by frequently using the sixteenfold endowment.

If……

His gaze swept over the barbican breach.

Shi Dun was drenched in blood, standing like a boulder at the forefront; as he swung his great axe, he had already cleaved a Divine Martial Army soldier from the walltop, but his own breathing had grown as heavy as an ox's.

The dozen or so core personal guards beside him were all wounded, yet they still fought to the death, building a final line of defense with their flesh and blood.

They were the ones.

A flash of resolve crossed Chen Wen's eyes.

He could no longer hesitate.

He slowly raised his right hand, fingers slightly spread, palm facing far off toward the left‑wing barbican direction, toward the Netherbone that flickered indistinctly in the smoke and dust, destroying wildly like a heavenly spirit, and toward the steadfast figure ahead of it.

With his mind intensely focused, the surging Fortune Momentum power within his body was forcibly restrained, compressed, and refined.

A sensation of extraction far surpassing before transmitted, making his meridians feel a faint sting.

【Concentrated Endowment—Thirty‑Twofold!】

This time, the invisible torrent of power was not directed at just one person.

Instead, it split into dozens of slightly finer streams, precisely descending upon Shi Dun and the dozens of his most valiant, strategically positioned personal guards!

As Shi Dun fought fiercely, he felt a might far greater and purer than any before instantly flood his entire body!

His limbs and bones seemed to be reforged, his qi and blood surging like great rivers!

The great axe in his hand felt as light as nothing, and the movements of his enemies before him became slow and clear.

And the personal guards around him likewise felt this earth‑shaking change.

Their previously exhausted bodies were refilled with explosive power, reaction speed and striking force suddenly leaping up by a tremendous margin!

They stared at each other in astonishment, seeing an incredulous light in each other's eyes, which instantly turned into firmer fighting spirit.

"Follow me, kill!"

Though Shi Dun did not know what price His Majesty had paid for this divine power, the fleeting battle opportunity made him unleash a roar like an ancient ferocious beast and charge first at the Netherbone that was destroying the wall!

The Netherbone sensed the threat and swung its massive arm down!

Shi Dun did not dodge or evade; his great axe, carrying a piercing scream that tore the air, bravely met it!

Clang!!!!!!!!

The terrifying roar erupted again!

But this time, the Netherbone's massive arm was actually shaken open by force, its huge body staggering backward!

Shi Dun pressed his advantage, his axe shadows like mountains, enveloping the Netherbone!

At the same time, the personal guards around him who had received the thirty‑twofold endowment also burst forth with astonishing combat power.

They formed in groups of three or five, like red‑hot spears cutting into butter, actively seeking out the Divine Martial Army soldiers scaling the wall!

Amidst the flashing blades, the black‑armored soldiers that normally required a great cost to slay were, under their seamless cooperation and surging power‑speed, successively cut down to the ground!

The jet‑black armor was no longer absolutely solid, being split and pierced by weapons imbued with terrifying power!

The situation at the breach was actually held steady by these dozens of people, and even began to reverse‑press the incoming enemy forces!

"Ten Thousand Victories!"

"Commander Shi is mighty!"

The morale of the defenders on the barbican soared, and their cheers shook heaven and earth.

However, at the very moment the battle situation turned around.

Chen Wen, who had remained motionless, maintaining this extreme‑limit, multi‑person high‑intensity endowment, suddenly shuddered violently!

"Pfft——"

A mouthful of bright red blood spurted from his mouth, staining a vivid mark on the dark robe before him.

His complexion instantly turned as pale as paper, fine cold sweat beaded on his forehead, his body swayed slightly, and he could barely stand.

This backlash is far more violent than any previous one!

It felt as if an invisible giant hammer of rules had slammed down hard upon his soul and the foundation of the nation's fortune.

He felt that the mighty vortex of Fortune Momentum within his body had visibly dimmed a bit.

And almost at the same moment he spat blood.

Far away, in places like Xing Prefecture and Luo Prefecture a thousand li away, the clear sky suddenly grew overcast!

The wild wind swept in dark clouds with a howl, and hailstones the size of chicken eggs fell like heavenly wrath, covering the sky and earth.

Farmlands were destroyed, roof tiles shattered, and people and livestock fled in panic.

A rare and severe hailstorm descended without any warning.

The blood and fire atop Xiong Prefecture's city walls still burned.

Having received the thirty-twofold empowerment of Shi Dun and his personal guards, like a war god possessing a body, they finally drove that "Nether Bone" into desperation.

With one mighty, heavy chop, Shi Dun finally severed the monster's last arm, then swept his great axe horizontally, completely cleaving its ferocious head!

The massive headless corpse crashed heavily to the ground.

The enemy forces at the breach lost their strongest support, and under the defenders' fierce counterattack, their offensive completely collapsed.

Shi Dun leaned on his great axe, gasping violently, feeling that terrifying power within him ebb away like a tide.

He and his personal guards nearby all felt a sudden wave of profound exhaustion.

He turned his head, his gaze piercing through the chaotic battlefield toward the direction of the main city tower.

Although he could not see the Emperor's presence, the unease in his heart grew ever stronger.

What, exactly, is the price of this divine power that reversed the battle?

The Emperor descended upon the city walls, offering imperial blood and the dynasty's Fortune Momentum as a sacrifice, in exchange for a sliver of victory.

The balance of Fortune Momentum, for the first time, revealed its cold, merciless law in such a harsh manner.