Chapter 787

The armory cave was narrow and damp, filled with the smell of gunpowder and blood.

Translation: "The armory cave was narrow and damp, filled with the smell of gunpowder and blood."

The armory cave is narrow and damp, filled with the smell of gunpowder and blood.

Yue Fei led the way, his spear occasionally clearing obstacles or impaling sudden scattered enemies.

Translation: "Yue Fei led the way, his spear occasionally clearing obstacles or impaling sudden scattered enemies."

Yue Fei's spear occasionally cleared obstacles or impaled sudden scattered enemies.

Zhu Yuanzhang followed closely behind, his steps steady, gripping a battle sword he had picked up from somewhere, stained with black‑red grime.

Translation: "Zhu Yuanzhang followed closely, his steps steady, gripping a battle knife he'd picked up somewhere, stained with black-red grime."

He gripped a sword he had picked up from somewhere, stained with black‑red grime.

Xu Da and Tang He guarded on either side.

Translation: "Xu Da and Tang He flanked him on both sides."

Liu Ji, Li Shanbang and the others were sandwiched in the middle by the Northward Aspiration soldiers, staggering forward.

Translation: "Liu Ji, Li Shan Chang and the others were sandwiched in the middle by Northward Aspiration soldiers, staggering forward."

Liu Ji, Li Shanbang and the others were sandwiched in the middle by the Northward Aspiration soldiers, staggering forward.

The column fell silent, only heavy breathing and hurried footsteps echoing in the passageway.

Translation: "The column was silent, only heavy breathing and hurried footsteps echoing in the passage."

Outside the cave, the shouts of battle, explosions, and the sounds of collapsing buildings drew nearer and grew clearer.

Translation: "Outside the cave, shouts of killing, explosions, and the sound of collapsing buildings drew nearer and grew clearer."

It seemed as if the entire city of Ying Tian was wailing and burning behind them.

Translation: "It seemed as if the entire Heaven-responding city was wailing and burning behind them."

We used "Heaven-responding city". Good.

"We're almost at the exit!" the scout soldier ahead growled low.

Translation: "\"Almost at the exit! \" the scout soldier ahead growled low."

The scout soldier let out a low growl, "We're almost at the exit!"

A dim red light filtered in at the exit, mingling with drifting smoke and dust.

Translation: "At the exit, a dim red light filtered in, mingling with drifting smoke and dust."

Yue Fei charged out first, sweeping his spear sideways to scan the surroundings.

Translation: "Yue Fei charged out first, sweeping his spear sideways to scan the surroundings."

Outside lay the very base of the city wall they had passed on their way in, but the situation was now even worse.

Translation: "Outside was exactly the area at the base of the city wall they had passed through on their way in, but the situation was now worse."

The ruined high ground that had served as a rallying point was now under a fierce assault.

Translation: "The ruined high ground that was supposed to be the rallying point was now bearing a fierce assault."

Several heavily armored war slaves, leading a large number of ordinary war slaves, were frantically charging the makeshift defense line of the Northward Aspiration troops.

Translation: "Several heavily armored war slaves, leading a large number of ordinary war slaves, were frantically charging the makeshift defense line of the Northward Aspiration troops."

Several heavily armored war slaves, leading many ordinary war slaves, were frantically charging the Northward Aspiration troops' makeshift defense line.

The flag bearing the character for 'hope' shook violently in the smoke and dust, yet it never fell.

Translation: "The Aspiration Flag swayed violently in the smoke and dust, yet never fell."

"Reinforcements have arrived! Rally to the banner!" Yue Fei shouted back, his voice harsh.

Translation: "\"Reinforcements have arrived! Rally to the banner! \" Yue Fei barked, turning back."

The elite unit he commanded immediately joined the fight, slamming hard into the enemy forces besieging the high ground from the flank.

Translation: "His elite unit immediately joined the battle, slamming hard into the flank of the enemy besieging the high ground."

At close range, the pulse beams of the shatter‑crystal guns became even more terrifying.

Translation: "The pulse beams of the shatter-crystal guns, fired at close range, were even more terrifying."

The shatter‑crystal guns' pulse beams were devastating at close range.

The thick crystal armor of the heavily armored war slaves cracked and shattered under the relentless bombardment.

Translation: "The thick crystal armor of the heavily armored war slaves cracked and shattered under the relentless bombardment."

The Northward Aspiration soldiers, working in close coordination, combined long‑ and short‑range fire to quickly tear a gap.

Translation: "The Northward Aspiration troops cooperated seamlessly, combining long and short range, quickly tearing open a gap."

"Your Majesty! Hurry!"

Translation: "\"Your Majesty! Hurry! \"".

Zhu Yuanzhang and the others seized the moment to rush onto the high ground.

Translation: "Zhu Yuanzhang and the others seized the chance to rush onto the high ground."

The deputy commander, drenched in blood, saw Yue Fei and Zhu Yuanzhang, and a fierce, relieved glint flashed in his eyes.

Translation: "The deputy general, covered in blood, saw Yue Fei and Zhu Yuanzhang, and a fierce look of relief flashed in his eyes."

"General Yue! A brief gap has opened in the enemy to the southeast, apparently due to confusion in their deployment—this is the best chance to break out! But the window is very short!"

Translation: "\"General Yue! A brief gap has opened in the enemy to the southeast, apparently due to logistical chaos! This is the best moment to break out! But the window is short! \"".

"Go!" Yue Fei said without hesitation.

Translation: "\"Go! \" Yue Fei had no hesitation."

"Focus all the energy of the 'breaker cones' to the southeast and blast a path!"

Translation: "\"Focus all Breaker Spike energy to the southeast and blast a path! \"".

"The rest of you, protect the core and stay close!"

Translation: "\"Others, protect the core and keep close! \"".

The remaining three‑plus hundred Northward Aspiration soldiers let out a final roar.

Translation: "The remaining over three hundred Northward Aspiration troops let out their final roar."

The two remaining breaker cones were brought to the front, aimed at the southeast where the enemy thinning was relatively sparse but still heavily obstructed.

Translation: "The two remaining Breaker Spikes were lifted to the front line, aimed at the southeast where the enemy tide was relatively sparse but still heavily obstructed."

Charge, fire!

Translation: "Charge, fire!"

Two thicker, more blazing golden beams roared forth, like a hot knife through butter, instantly vaporizing and pushing aside the war slaves, mutant beasts, and even the hardened layer of contamination on the ground.

Translation: "Two golden light pillars, thicker and more dazzling than before, roared forth like a hot knife through butter, instantly vaporizing and pushing aside the war slaves, mutant beasts, and even the compacted contamination layer on the ground along the path."

A short‑lived passage, several zhang wide and filled with a burnt smell and gold dust, was forged outright!

Translation: "A rough-smelling, gold-dusted temporary passage several zhang wide was forged outright!"

The passage, several zhang wide and reeking of burnt air and gold dust, was forged outright.

"Charge!"

Translation: "\"Charge! \"".

Yue Fei led the charge, slashing along the edge of the golden corridor to clear any remaining resistance.

Translation: "Yue Fei took the lead, slashing along the edge of the golden passage to clear any remaining resistance."

The great force followed close behind, fleeing desperately along this lifeline carved out by immense energy and their last hope.

Translation: "The great throng followed close behind, fleeing for their lives along this lifeline carved out by immense energy and their last hope."

Behind them, the Qing forces, momentarily stunned, quickly reacted, with more units swarming from both sides in an attempt to close the gap.

Translation: "Behind them, the Qing forces, momentarily stunned, quickly reacted, with more units swarming from both sides to try to close the gap."

The Northward Aspiration soldiers guarding the rear kept falling, using their lives to slow the pursuers.

Translation: "The Northward Aspiration troops guarding the rear kept falling, using their lives to slow the pursuers."

Zhu Yuanzhang ran, glancing back.

Translation: "Zhu Yuanzhang ran, looking back."

He saw the mighty walls of Ying Tian recede and blur in his vision.

Translation: "He saw the majestic Heaven-responding city wall recede and blur in his vision."

He saw countless familiar pavilions and halls collapsing in the eerie blue firelight.

Translation: "He saw countless familiar pavilions and halls collapsing in the eerie blue firelight."

He saw more of the locust‑like yin‑energy units pouring in through every breach into the city to which he had devoted half his life.

Translation: "He saw more, like locusts, of the yin-energy units pouring into the city he had devoted half his life to, from every breach."

His fingers whitened from the force of his grip on the sword hilt.

Translation: "His fingers, gripping the knife hilt, turned white from the strain."

Yet he did not stop his steps.

Translation: "But he did not stop his steps."

"Your Majesty! Look ahead!" Liu Ji suddenly cried out in a hoarse voice, his tone trembling with disbelief.

Translation: "\"Your Majesty! Look ahead! \" Liu Ji suddenly shouted hoarsely, his voice trembling with disbelief."

Zhu Yuanzhang snapped his head around.

Translation: "Zhu Yuanzhang snapped his head around."

All that could be seen to the southeast was a twisting, water‑like shimmering halo that had appeared out of nowhere on the once‑open wasteland.

Translation: "Only in the southeast did he see, on the once-barren scorched earth, a distorted, undulating halo of light appear, as if by water."

At its center, a pale gold vortex with extremely unstable edges spun slowly into view.

Translation: "At the halo's center, a pale gold vortex with extremely unstable edges slowly came into view."

It resembled the vortex Yue Fei and his comrades had broken through earlier, but smaller, fainter, and seeming ready to dissipate at any moment.

Translation: "Similar to the vortex Yue Fei and the others had broken through earlier, but smaller, fainter, as if it might dissipate at any moment."

"The relay passage!" Yue Fei exclaimed, his spirit lifting. "Zhang Cheng and the others have forcibly torn open another temporary opening beyond the weak point—but it won't last long!"

Translation: "\"A reception channel! \" Yue Fei's spirits lifted: \"Zhang Cheng and the others have forcibly torn open another temporary gap beyond the weak point! But it won't last long! \"".

"Hurry! Faster!"

Translation: "\"Faster! Even faster! \"".

Hope for survival lay right before them, and the troops unleashed their final reserves of strength.

Translation: "Hope for survival lay right before them, and the troops burst forth with their final reserves of strength."

Yet the pursuers had already arrived.

Translation: "However, the pursuers had also arrived."

A piercing whistle came from the sky.

Translation: "A shrill whistle came from the sky."

Several flying mutant beasts swooped down, hurling down sticky incendiary substances.

Translation: "Several flying mutant beasts swooped down, hurling sticky incendiary material."

On the ground, dozens of swift, hound‑like mutant beasts flanked from the sides, trying to cut off the column.

Translation: "On the ground, dozens of lightning-fast, hound-like mutant beasts flanked from the sides, attempting to cut off the column."

"Protect the Majesty!"

Translation: "\"Protect Your Majesty! \"".

Yue Fei roared, leading his personal guards to turn and meet the attack.

Translation: "Yue Fei roared, leading his personal guards to turn and meet the attack."

Xu Da and Tang He also swung their blades and joined the fray.

Translation: "Xu Da and Tang He also swung their blades to join the fight."

The final melee erupted less than three hundred paces from the vortex, indescribably brutal.

Translation: "The final melee unfolded less than three hundred steps from the vortex, incredibly brutal."

People kept falling down.

The vortex's light began to flicker, its edges starting to disintegrate into particles of light.

"The passage is collapsing! Go!" Yue Fei, drenched in blood, split a mutant hound lunging at Zhu Yuanzhang in two with a fierce roar.

Zhu Yuanzhang took a deep look at the blood-soaked soldiers fighting behind him, then at the distant Ying Tian City ablaze with fire.

He suddenly turned and rushed toward the ever-shrinking vortex.

Liu Ji, Li Shanchang, and the others gritted their teeth and followed.

After Xu Da and Tang He cut down the enemies before them, they too were shoved by the nearby Northward Aspiration soldiers toward the vortex.

"Yue Commander! Quick!" a deputy general shouted at Yue Fei while blocking an attack.

Yue Fei slew two more, then glanced at the few remaining, wounded Northward Aspiration comrades beside him.

"You go first!" he roared.

"This is a military order!"

Several soldiers, eyes red, were dragged by their comrades, stumbling toward the vortex.

Yue Fei fought while retreating, covering the last few.

When he saw Zhu Yuanzhang and the others' figures disappear one by one into the vortex now only large enough for a single person, a great weight lifted from his heart.

He brandished his halberd to drive back the approaching foes, summoning his last strength to leap toward the vortex.

Just as his form was about to be swallowed.

A strand of especially solid azure-blue light shot from afar and struck the vortex's edge.

Boom!

Violent energy clash erupted.

Yue Fei felt only a tremendous tearing force from behind, then boundless darkness and excruciating pain.

The vortex, behind him, was utterly obliterated.

The last thing to enter his sight was countless enemies surging forward, their pupils flashing azure-blue.

And, farther away.

At the heart of Ying Tian City, the highest point of the imperial palace he had once gazed upon from the Observatory—the roof of the Fengtian Hall.

A tattered yet defiant bright-yellow dragon flag, still fluttering amidst the fire and smoke.

After another azure-blue light struck from somewhere unknown.

The flagstaff of that banner snapped in the middle.

The huge banner, embroidered with sun, moon, stars, and dragon patterns, like a wounded great bird, tumbled and burned as it fell from the lofty hall roof.

Slowly.

Heavily.

It fell into the spreading, all-consuming azure-blue fire sea below.

It never rose again.

The flag of the Ming Hongwu dynasty fell.

Atop Ying Tian City, the last scattered gunfire of resistance also gradually died out.

The cold clatter of armor plates as ether units move, and the low, earth‑like hum that rises as the contamination spreads, began to become the new keynote of this land.

West side of the light curtain.

A dynasty that had endured for hundreds of years.

On this day.

With the fall of its capital and the dropping of its flag.

In name only.

It had perished.

On the wilderness, the pursuers lost their target, wandering aimlessly in place.

Beneath their feet, the scorched black land seeped with blood, mixed with crystal dust.

In the distance, the final flicker of energy from the collapsed vortex dissipated into the poison‑filled air.

As if no one had ever come here.

And as if no one had ever left.