Chapter 449: Sweeping Ten Thousand Armies

The water shield vanished, and the inside and outside of Torrent Fortress fell suddenly silent.

"Advance! Fire!"

Xika Liusi's command rang out along the trench, and the four Extreme Warrior squads moved at once, their orderly footfalls seeming to tread on the hearts of the castle's people, booming like thunderous war drums, shaking everyone's spirit.

The Extreme Warriors moved at blistering speed, sprinting hundreds of meters in just a few breaths, bringing the wall within range of Lambo's Gun.

"Tap tap tap tap…"

Gunfire roared wildly, forty‑eight Lambo's Guns spitting flames, high‑velocity bullets striking the ramparts of Torrent Fortress, concentrating firepower on a central row of hydraulic cannons.

Amid a chorus of screams, the middle few cannons and Sturgeon Warriors were torn to pieces.

The last line of defense at Torrent Fortress was ripped open.

While the Extreme Warriors fired, Kelaoaosi was also casting; his third spell was no longer Meteor Burst but a beam of icy blue.

The crystal wand pointed at the trench, the icy beam plunged into the water, massive cold energy radiating outward, instantly freezing the river water in the trench into an incredibly hard surface, with ridged gouges that increased friction so one would not slip.

"Charge!"

Xika Liusi fired while leading the charge.

The Extreme Warriors' combat boots struck the ice, scattering circles of shards, yet the ice remained as solid as a mountain, without a crack.

The Gunwing Knight Corps behind them also sprang into action.

One hundred fifty bronze warhorses unfurled translucent wings, accelerating under the cover of gunfire, leaping through the air onto the ramparts of Torrent Fortress, the knights brandishing charge rifles and picking off the stragglers hiding behind the walls.

The Gunwing Knight at the forefront did not linger on the wall, but vaulted over its top and surged into Torrent Fortress.

On the wall, Sturgeon Warriors leapt high, attempting to slash in defense.

But as soon as they emerged, they were raked with fire; bullets rained down from multiple directions, heads and bodies exploding in sprays of blood, shredded mid‑air before they could hit the ground.

A few legendary Sturgeon Warriors received special attention; although their power outclassed the Gunwing Knights by several tiers, they could not even engage up close.

Occasionally a legendary Sturgeon Warrior used a water flow shield to block bullets, trying to break the fire blockade; several Extreme Warriors swivelled their barrels and swept fire, nearly losing their lives on the spot, forced to retreat in disarray into the castle's shooting blind spots.

The Gunwing Knights did not touch the ground, soaring above Torrent Fortress, gunfire continuous, like a comb swiftly sweeping away any enemy exposed to the barrels.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

A seven‑ring "Chain Flame Burst Technique" shot out from the Wizard Corps' formation, three flame bursts linked together, blasting open Torrent Fortress's gate.

The entire section of wall collapsed, and the guards hiding behind the gate were reduced to ash in the flames, the ground littered with charred limbs.

The Extreme Warriors stepped through the flames and surged into the castle.

They split into four combat squads, with captains and mentors leading separately, forming formations, gunfire relentless; any enemy that entered their sight could not escape.

Inside Torrent Fortress, besides the Sturgeon Warriors, there was a secondary legion of Transcendents who, under the Sturgeon Warriors' organization, launched a counterattack, using their familiarity with the castle to set traps, ambushes, and even suicidal assaults.

"For the Fisher family!"

"Let's fight them..."

The Sturgeon Warriors and Transcendents shouted slogans, but reality would not bend to their Willpower; a volley of caseless rounds swept in, and they fell before even entering the attack range.

These bullets invisible to the naked eye easily pierced their armor and shields; occasionally a few could be blocked, but the rate of fire was too high—dozens of rounds hammered them, even legends could not endure.

Their lives were mercilessly harvested, and they could not even get close.

A legendary Sturgeon Warrior gritted his teeth and charged a squad of Extreme Warriors, trying to carve a breach.

He layered multiple Divine Techniques upon himself, activating magical gear, braving the machine‑gun fire until he reached the front of the Extreme Warriors; his defenses were pierced, his flesh a mess, and before he could strike, a legendary Extreme Warrior sliced him in two.

Many Sturgeon Warriors and guards hiding behind saw this scene, and instantly a wave of despair spread.

They all recognized the legendary Sturgeon Warrior slain by a sword—a twelfth‑rank legend, the Duke's direct disciple, unrivaled in the Fisher Principality, yet he died so miserably, almost tragically.

Where on earth did these terrifying warriors come from?

The Sturgeon Warriors' battle Willpower collapsed; they had never faced such foes, and relying on those powerful soul guns, they had no chance to counterattack.

All kinds of ambush tactics failed, always spotted at a glance or simply swept away, destroying every arrangement from a distance.

Even legends were sent to their deaths; those who tried to escape would meet an even worse fate.

Moreover, to maintain the water shield earlier, the Sturgeon Warriors had expended massive spiritual power, reducing their combat effectiveness, and finally someone couldn't help but suggest:

"We... should retreat quickly!"

The moment the words left his mouth, everyone turned to look, causing him to lower his head in shame.

This clearly violated the Fisher family's creed; in the past it would have been despised, even executed on the spot, yet this time no one voiced criticism.

Instead, someone defended him: "The Duke has already been defeated; persisting any longer is meaningless."

The speaker was a senior Sturgeon Warrior and a member of the Fisher family; his words instantly earned everyone's assent, heads nodding, "We retreat to the north side of the castle, exit through the riverside water gate; if we're late, it may be too late..."

The same situation occurred at several points in Torrent Fortress.

The castle's defenses collapsed at the slightest touch; apart from the initial clash, the Extreme Warriors faced hardly any decent resistance.

However, the Sturgeon Warriors soon realized even escaping had become a pipe dream.

The knight corps in the sky had already sealed off the other two sides of Torrent Fortress; the two river‑side wall sections were occupied, the cannons fell, and portals opened one after another, from which Wizards emerged.

The Wizards teamed with two Speakers to cast, freezing the several‑hundred‑meter stretch of river outside the castle, and the gates were seized.

Through the castle's southern main gate, the Centaur Legion surged in like a tide.

Gunfire thundered, smoke billowed.

Torrent Fortress fell.

Across the trench outside the castle, Ai Mili Si sighed in relief; victory arrived faster and more easily than expected.

It was her first time seeing the Extreme Warriors and Gunwing Knight Corps in battle; the Kangjiatuo millennial River Bay Legion spanned before them, almost powerless to resist, crushing the enemy in under ten minutes.

Even though the Sturgeon Warriors were not at their peak, it still shows the Extreme Warriors' might!

Even at the River Bay Legion's zenith, there would be little difference.

And the creator of all this is the man beside me.

Emily glanced at Lei En, who was carrying the unconscious Duke Fei She; his damp body was still so tall and strong, and she couldn't help lightly biting her lip, her hazy eyes also holding a hint of complexity.

Waluogen, Astan and Dinglaji and the others were both delighted and shocked.

The delight was that we hadn't even used our full strength—neither the Prince's three‑headed dragon nor Bo Erqi had acted—yet we captured Bengliu Fortress; the shock was that Lord Count's subordinate legion was beyond imagination, and with Weizelan Fu Kong Cheng's support, when the Prince eventually ascends the Iron Throne, who will Kangjiatuo answer to?

For a moment, Emily and the others felt a bit anxious and indecisive.

The atmosphere of victorious joy was tinged with something unnatural.

Lei En's soul eye keenly sensed the anomaly, his mouth corner lifted imperceptibly, yet he said nothing to expose it.

At that moment, a random door opened, and Kai Jia De stepped out.

"Madam."

The white‑haired Wizard glanced at Bengliu Fortress amid the slaughter, his face showing some pity, and warned, "If you don't wish to provoke Oshenna's wrath, you should restrain the centaurs and avoid wanton killing."

Emily was startled, then regained her composure.

This was her agreement with Weizelan Fu Kong Cheng; she could not anger the deities.

The vast majority in Bengliu Fortress were followers of the River God; killing too many would weaken His divine power, and even with the Dragon God's promise, the consequences would be unpredictable.

"Thank you, Title: Master, for the reminder."

Emily quickly performed a respectful bow, cast an amplification spell on herself, and shouted loudly, "People of Bengliu Fortress, I am Emily of Zhuogeng Fortress, Lord of Dragon Crystal Island; as long as you lay down your weapons and surrender, I swear in the name of the Dragon God that I will not harm you."

Her voice not only reached Bengliu Fortress, but the entire Baroske City heard it.

"Zhuogeng Fortress!"

"The Dragonborn has returned…"

The residents of Baroske only now learned the invaders' origin; they were not outsiders but the already fallen Dragonborn of Zhuogeng Fortress, and surprised cries erupted everywhere.

However, the killing in Bengliu Fortress had lessened, but not ceased entirely.

The Sturgeon Warriors could retreat, for the enemy was too strong, and a temporary withdrawal was understandable, but they refused to surrender, which was a great disgrace.

If they did not receive the lord's command, this would become an irredeemable disgrace for a lifetime.

Since the enemy did not surrender, they naturally could not cease.

In the war among the extraordinary, capturing enemies is harder than killing them; even Extreme Warrior and Gunwing Knight cannot hold back, and the bloodthirsty centaurs, spurred by the blood, went berserk, gradually losing control.

The battle within the fortress continued, with River God followers dying incessantly, and Emily grew anxious.

The cloud layer high above churned, and a faint, chilling aura seemed about to descend.

Everyone suddenly looked up, terror in their eyes.

Lei En was all too familiar with this scene; he could not place his hope in the Dragon God's intervention, so he immediately raised his hand, opened a random door, and carried Duke Fei She through it.

The random door's destination was atop the highest tower of Bengliu Fortress.

Lei En stood on the tower top, overlooking the battlefield, and a few bolts of lightning erupted from his palm into Duke Fei She's body.

"Um……"

Duke Fei She let out a muffled hum, opened his eyes, and found himself lying on the tower top; below came fierce fighting and gunfire, with people constantly dying, all his subordinates and subjects.

Instinctively he tried to struggle, but his whole body was numb, and his mind throbbed like needles.

A wave of feeble weakness washed over him.

It was a side effect of the Water Giant Divine Technique, more severe than any weakness he had ever endured, because his transformation had been forcibly interrupted, his soul energy overdrawn, and now his strength was not even a tenth of his peak.

Duke Fei She suddenly turned his head toward Lei En.

He still could not believe he had been defeated by such a young person; centuries of cultivation and battle experience, and even the advantage of being a Divine Chosen, still could not match.

Duke Fei She's eyes were filled with the desolation of failure, and he could not utter a single word.

His already extremely aged face showed not a hint of color.

"Duke Fei She," Lei En said, "If your people surrender, Princess Emily will show her mercy; if you support her, you can retain your duchy and title, and the River Bay Legion and Sturgeon Warriors will continue to exist."

Upon hearing about the survival of his family and the Sturgeon Warriors, Duke Fei She's complexion finally regained its luster.

He immediately sensed the anomaly in the sky.

"What if I refuse?" Duke Fei She seemed to gain confidence, and said gravely, "I've never heard of any Dragonborn, and I don't care where you come from; if you dare invade Fei She Duchy and kill my people, have the guts to kill me, Oshenna will avenge me."

"Refusing to surrender means death," Lei En sneered, threatening, "But before you die, I will make you witness the extinction of the Fei She family, and the River Bay Legion and Baroske City will be buried with you."

He waved his hand toward the outside of the fortress.

Upon receiving the command, Bo Erqi immediately manifested the true form of the three‑headed golden dragon, and Yi Geng, Jia Ladesu and Xin Da La also rose into the sky.

Four dragons roared in the sky, their draconic might enveloping everyone's heads.

Countless people in Baroske City were terrified, clutching their heads and fleeing; for Kangjiatuo people, dragons symbolize power and destruction, and the shadow cast by millennia of rule returned.

"You must have heard of Mazuos; if you don't surrender, Baroske will be the next Mazuos."

Lei En's words made Duke Fei She shudder all over.

He did not fear death, but feared his family's extinction, and even more the ruin of the city his family had built over millennia. As a Divine Chosen, he knew the River God was unlikely to manifest in true form, because other deities would intervene; at most a divine avatar could descend, but before that, these Wizards and dragons were enough to destroy Baroske.

Lei En also did not seem to be making empty threats; he had no doubt this terrifying young man would keep his word.

Duke Fei She fell silent, his expression shifting unpredictably.

Lei En knew he had struck his sore spot, and decided to press further, reminding, "You can keep deliberating, but the sooner you surrender, the more lives you can save…"

Duke Fei She was in great heartache.

He dared not delay further, forcing his soul's pain to shout, "I am Li Fu Si Fei She. Sturgeon Warriors, by the name of Duke Fei She I command you to lay down your weapons and be pardoned for the sin of not fighting."

(End of Chapter)