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Chapter 194: Bombard the City, Break the Pass!
🕑 Added 2024-11-01 17:35:54 +0000 UTC"Pang General, quickly rise," Zhao Xing leaped forward and helped Pang Guangyao up. "With the general's assistance, it's like having an army of a million."
Hearing this, Pang Guangyao's heart warmed.
As expected of the scion of a noble family, his words were sweet and pleasant.
Not like the arrogant princes of the Golden Feather Court, who always looked down on others.
"Your praise shames me, my lord," Pang Guangyao bowed. "I am but a patrol officer and hold no significant position."
"My lord sent a message earlier, but I was afraid I couldn’t help and might ruin your plans, so I delayed my reply. I hope for your understanding."
Zhao Xing didn’t know what Xia Jing had discussed with Pang Guangyao, but he certainly knew how to offer promises. "The general has endured much."
"A mighty sixth-rank expert, yet you were sent to this place to suffer. The Golden Feather Court is truly blind!"
"But now that the general has joined Great Zhou, the past hardships will be left behind!"
"I, Xia Jing, swear by the honor of my family. All promises made to you will be fulfilled once we take down this pass!"
"The injustices you faced under the Golden Feather Court will never happen again in Great Zhou!"
"When we conquer the Fire Demon Tribe's territory, I can even arrange for you to return to your homeland with honor. I will make sure you suffer no more indignities!"
"If I break this vow, I am unworthy to be called my father's son!"
Pang Guangyao, having been oppressed by the Golden Feather Court for so long, was deeply moved by such a solemn promise from the scion of a noble family.
Swearing by family honor — how could he, Pang Guangyao, not be deeply valued?!
With a thud, he knelt again.
"Pang Guangyao, willing to serve my lord with all my might!"
A promise was made, but actions must follow.
Zhao Xing signaled to Long Xiao and Chen Shijie, "Pang General, for now, you shall serve as a subordinate commander in this mixed vanguard under the leadership of this valiant captain. When we take down Fire Dragon Pass, I will petition the military for an official promotion for you."
"I accept the order." Pang Guangyao clasped his hands in salute. He knew that his decision to defect was sudden.
Naturally, Xia Jing would not have prepared any documents or official orders for him yet.
Looking around at Xia Jing' entourage, he was once again impressed. A seventh-rank sword cultivator as an escort, a sixth-rank Military Shennong at his side, and a powerful exotic beast as his battle pet.
For someone like Pang Guangyao, who had just defected, being appointed a subordinate commander was already a significant step. Future opportunities would come after proving himself in battle.
In Zhiyou City, at the eastern military camp of the Xuanjia Army:
"Ah-choo!"
Xia Jing rubbed his nose, setting down the military strategy book he had been reading, puzzled.
"I've completed my cultivation of the Fiendish Energy, so why would I suddenly sneeze?"
"Yuan Yang, Yuan Yang!"
The military doctor, Yuan Yang, was a genius from the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven, now serving in the Xuanjia Army, one of the many talents around Xia Jing.
"What is it, General?" Yuan Yang called from outside the tent. After Xia Jing won the loyalty of the Xuanjia Army, Yuan Yang had started addressing him formally as "General" during official settings.
"Come in and examine me. We can't afford any health problems before the big battle," Xia Jing ordered.
"Yes, sir." Yuan Yang entered the tent, examined Xia Jing thoroughly, even had him remove his armor for a careful inspection. After a while, Yuan Yang fell into thought.
"How is it?"
"Nothing to worry about, General. Your Five Elements Energy is still balanced, though your kidney fire seems a bit high," Yuan Yang said, shaking his head. "It might just be pre-battle nerves causing some tension."
Xia Jing relaxed. "Good."
Even he couldn’t deny a little nervousness about the upcoming assault on Fire Dragon Pass.
Although Zhao Xing had prepared fire-resistant armor and they had an insider to assist, Fire Dragon Pass was an impregnable fortress that had never been breached.
Xia Jing had brought several battalions to the eastern front, away from the main Xuanjia Army forces in the north, which was a risky move.
Staying with the main force would have ensured fewer losses, if not victory.
But here, failure was a very real possibility.
After advising Xia Jing to rest, Yuan Yang left the tent.
But despite the advice, Xia Jing couldn’t sleep.
"Tomorrow, we climb Flame Mountain. The day after, we attack the city. I wonder how many Pang Guangyao managed to convince to join us."
On September 14th, a joint meeting was held at the Military Hall by the three armies: the Xuanjia Army, the Shenwei Army, and the Zhenhai Army. The main agenda was to assign battle roles.
Fire Dragon Pass spanned over thirty miles, large enough to accommodate the deployment of large armies.
The Shenwei Army’s forces, led by Wen Shaoyang and Liao Rulong, numbered over seventy thousand.
The Xuanjia Army, led by Xia Jing, had only about fifteen thousand.
The Zhenhai Army, under Jiang Ming, brought over thirty thousand troops.
Additionally, there were fifteen smaller forces. These groups, ranging from two to five thousand soldiers, were mostly led by seventh-rank officers. Their decision to come to the eastern front was a gamble, hoping to score battle merits here where the central army wouldn’t offer as much opportunity.
The Shenwei Army’s goal was to break Fire Dragon Pass, meet up with the Divine Thunder Army on the western front, and seize the Blue Steel Mine. These smaller forces aimed to follow behind the Shenwei Army and grab any scraps of merit left behind.
Among the three main armies, Wen Shaoyang had his unique Great Halberd Soldiers battalion.
Liao Rulong’s strength lay in his Five Elements Battalion. While the Divine Mechanism Battalion and Nine-Section Battalion were standard, many armies had them.
However, after Zhao Xing joined the Shenwei Army, even the Nine-Section Battalion, under Chen Shijie's leadership, had become a standout unit under Liao Rulong.
Under Xia Jing, there was the elite Xuanjia Dragon Riders, a two-thousand-strong force, thanks to the Xuanjia Army’s three Beast Breeding Bases, one of which was located on Yalong Island in Pinghai Prefecture.
Yalong Island bred mixed-blood dragon species, and the Tiger Jiao Army’s mounts also came from there.
The two elite armies of the Ten Sun Cave-Heaven had consistently ranked among the top in the Great Zhou Military’s grand martial exercises, securing a permanent spot on Yalong Island.
The ability to ride dragon mounts was a testament to the foundation of a powerful army.
So, even though Xia Jing only had fifteen thousand men, he had the support of sixth-rank Shennong and priests, along with two thousand dragon-blooded exotic beasts. In terms of raw strength, his army was arguably the strongest.
Liao Rulong’s and Wen Shaoyang’s forces combined were needed to surpass him.
Jiang Ming's Zhenhai Army was known for its warships.
In Great Zhou, warships typically referred to aerial ships, and they were scarce.
Only fifth-rank ships and above were considered true warships. Anything below that was simply classified as flying vessels.
The size of a warship fleet determined the scale of the Divine Mechanism Battalion, as the deployment of siege weapons depended on how many ships they had.
Jiang Ming, charged with achieving Blue Marquis Lan Hongming's ambitions, had mustered a full warship battalion for this battle!
Knowing that Zhao Xing had developed Earth Fire Lotus garments to resist the flames of Flame Mountain, Blue Marquis Lan had spared no expense, sending reinforcements to Jiang Ming, including a significant number of warships and flying vessels.
Over a hundred and twenty fifth-rank warships had been dispatched!
More than five thousand flying vessels!
Only the Zhenhai Army could call its fleet a “battalion.” Combined, the Xuanjia and Shenwei Armies didn’t even have as many warships or flying vessels as the Zhenhai Army.
Moreover, while most armies used their warships solely for aerial combat, Jiang Ming’s fleet included ships capable of both water and air travel.
Among the fleet were three exceptional fifth-rank warships known as the Five Elements Warships.
These ships could travel in water, air, and even burrow underground.
The accompanying flying vessels included both land and tunneling models.
Zhao Xing's decision to collaborate with Blue Marquis had not been in vain. The Zhenhai Army’s warships provided tremendous support.
With such backing, Jiang Ming’s confidence soared. He walked with a swagger and spoke louder than ever:
"Liao Captain, we can allocate half of our warships to support the Shenwei and Xuanjia troops!"
"My Divine Mechanism Battalion can operate the Five Elements Warships to breach the underground defenses of Fire Dragon Pass."
"We’ll take responsibility for clearing the underground defenses to the north and south of the pass!"
"If there’s one thing we have plenty of, it’s ships!"
"Based on our intel, I’m confident we can disable the underground defense formations north and south of the pass for at least three hours!"
Jiang Ming boasted. "Our ground troops won’t need to worry about falling into pits or getting ambushed by the Fire Demon Tribe’s traps."
"Excellent," Liao Rulong clasped his hands. "With Captain Jiang’s warship battalion, we’re certain to capture the pass!"
Xia Jing also offered praise, "Captain Jiang, your help is invaluable."
At this moment, Jiang Ming had officially upgraded to being addressed as “Captain Jiang” rather than merely “that guy.”
The Zhenhai Army had only deployed two auxiliary units to the eastern front, unlike the Shenwei and Xuanjia Armies, where Xia Jing, Wen Shaoyang, and Liao Rulong each led a fraction of their forces.
The Shenwei and Xuanjia Armies weren’t just fighting in the Fire Demon Tribe’s territory. They were also deployed in other regions, facing the Holy Spirit Court, the Purple Dragon Court, and the Flame Light Court.
But for the Zhenhai Army, Jiang Ming’s unit was the sole force on land. Whether they earned merit or not depended entirely on him, and Blue Marquis had placed all of his resources on this single unit.
That evening, the three armies would send a total of 18,000 troops over Flame Mountain.
Their mission was to capture four fortresses, positioned to the south and north of Fire Dragon Pass, and destroy the key defense formations.
As long as one formation was taken out, the main army could breach the pass!
Liao Rulong addressed the group, "To support the infiltration units, the three armies will launch a frontal assault at the hour of Xu tomorrow!"
"The signal will be thunder in the Fiendish Wind Layer!"
On the afternoon of September 14th, the 15,000-strong force began their climb over Flame Mountain. Since Zhao Xing, Chen Shijie, and their 3,000 soldiers had already entered a day earlier, the total number was now 18,000.
Xia Jing led a force of 4,000 over the northern section of the mountain, known as Guan Shanbei.
For the time being, command of the Xuanjia Army was handed over to Vice General Jin Ming.
In the Shenwei Army, Liao Rulong appointed Yu Ziqi as the battalion commander, leading 5,000 men to climb the mountain from the southern section, Guan Shan Nan.
Wen Shaoyang sent Fei Liangxun, commanding 6,000 troops, to cross the mountain from Huoguanwei.
As for the Zhenhai Army, they would not participate in the stealth operation but would join the main assault outside the pass.
Early morning on September 14th:
With Pang Guangyao leading the way, Zhao Xing, Chen Shijie, Long Xiao, Gao Jue, Xu Quan, and Zhang Ying led their 3,000-strong force over the Flame Mountain Range, sneaking into the area inside the pass.
Using the high-level Five Elements Mist Concealment spell, they cloaked their entire force of 3,000 soldiers, silently slipping past the patrol zones of Flame Mountain and arriving at a forest outside one of the city’s fortresses.
"My lord, up ahead is Round Moon Fortress," Pang Guangyao explained. "It’s one of the primary nodes in the Fire Dragon Pass defensive formation."
"Within a radius of 20 miles, there are 21 fortresses of various sizes. However, only Round Moon Fortress is built atop a fire vein, making it one of the key nodes in the pass's defense formation."
"If we destroy it, the defensive formations south of the pass will be completely disabled for at least 20 miles. Even if the backup formations kick in, their power will be reduced by 60%, and many of the underground Fire Demon Tribe’s soldiers will suffocate."
"Even if they attempt repairs, it will take them over four hours."
"And if Round Moon Fortress is destroyed, rebuilding it will take far longer than that—three to four months at least, given the Fire Demon Tribe’s efficiency," Pang Guangyao added with a hint of mockery.
Zhao Xing was well aware of Round Moon Fortress’s importance.
Round Moon Fortress wasn’t just any fortress; it was an entire mechanical fortress!
Why was Fire Dragon Pass so formidable?
Unlike the water-purifying array Zhao Xing had deployed in Yuncheng, which required only 81 nodes, each node weighing about 100 tons and easily transportable by flying vessels, the Fire Dragon Pass’s nodes were on a completely different scale.
The smallest nodes were forts covering four to five hundred acres!
These weren’t just defensive nodes; they were livable fortresses, each a powerful array on its own.
Round Moon Fortress, in particular, spanned over 10,000 acres!
There were 49 such fortresses within Fire Dragon Pass.
Each fortress continuously drew power from the fire veins below, supplying the main formations that defended the pass.
To breach these fortresses was nearly impossible. Just one fifth-rank Fire Dragon Formation would be insurmountable.
Zhao Xing recalled how treacherous it had been just crossing Flame Mountain, where unexpected geysers of fire could kill soldiers despite all their precautions.
Here at Fire Dragon Pass, those flames were controlled, capable of forming dragon-shaped fire attacks to defend the pass.
The Fire Demon Tribe had only about 30,000 to 40,000 actual combat troops, but defending such a strategic location made their numbers irrelevant. As long as internal forces didn’t betray them, no amount of attackers would matter.
"The fortress commander is a man named Badasi, nephew to Yue Haisheng," Pang Guangyao continued. "But he's only at the early stages of the Heavenly Gang Realm."
"No other sixth-rank experts?" Chen Shijie asked.
"None," Pang Guangyao shook his head. "However, there are two to three hundred warriors at the peak of the Earth Fiend Realm. They form Badasi’s personal guard."
"That doesn’t seem right," Long Xiao interjected. "Why is such a heavily fortified city only guarded by a single sixth-rank officer?"
"Because he's Yue Haisheng’s nephew," Pang Guangyao scoffed. "If there were another sixth-rank officer, there wouldn’t be enough spoils left for his nephew."
"Lava caves with Earth Fire Lotuses, Flame Crystals from the mountain mines, and rare herbs from the Round Moon Forest—everywhere you look, there’s profit to be made. Whoever controls it skims a little for themselves!"
Chen Shijie shook his head in disbelief. "A skilled Heavenly Gang cultivator like you was relegated to patrolling the mountains, while a weakling like Badasi guards Round Moon Fortress?"
"Such mismanagement will be their downfall, no matter how strong the pass is."
"Whether it’s Badasi or someone else doesn’t matter," Zhao Xing smiled. "If Fire Dragon Pass can’t hold, a hundred Badasis wouldn’t make a difference."
"Pang General, do you have any personal grudges with this Badasi?"
Pang Guangyao shook his head. "He and his uncle have humiliated me many times. I’ve long wanted to... cut him down."
Zhao Xing responded, "When we break the city, you may deal with him as you see fit. But remember, you are now a commander of Great Zhou. Understand?"
"I understand," Pang Guangyao nodded. He wasn’t actually interested in cannibalism.
"How much longer until the troops are ready?" Zhao Xing asked Chen Shijie.
Now that they had crossed Flame Mountain, they couldn’t fight in their fire-resistant garments anymore. Those garments were primarily designed to protect against fire, but they couldn’t withstand many hits from even a fourth-rank weapon.
The fire-resistant clothing had been made a size larger to accommodate armor underneath, and some essential supplies had been brought along with them.
For instance, the Military Shennong’s Wenzhu Boxes, and a small portion of siege weapons, had been disassembled into parts and transported using Earth Fire Lotus-made containers.
"Everyone’s already changed," Chen Shijie replied. "The soldiers are resting now."
"How much time do we have?" Long Xiao asked.
Zhao Xing pulled out a calendar. "It’s not yet the hour of Mao. We still have two and a half days until the scheduled assault."
Liao Rulong was nothing if not cautious. He had sent the 3,000 Shenwei soldiers ahead to give them plenty of time to prepare.
Zhao Xing and his team had already arrived, while Xia Jing and the others hadn’t even set out yet.
It would be several more hours before Xia Jing, Wen Shaoyang, and their troops began their climb over Flame Mountain.
They wouldn’t arrive until tomorrow.
The signal for the main army to attack would come the night after tomorrow.
In other words, Zhao Xing’s team had ample time to prepare.
If all went well, they could take down Round Moon Fortress and still have time to tackle other targets.
The more they accomplished, the more merit they’d earn.
"Have the two Shennong teams rotate, and make sure they keep things quiet," Chen Shijie ordered.
Although they were cloaked by the Mist Concealment spell, he didn’t want to take any chances. He told the Military Shennong to plant crops discreetly.
This gave the troops more time to rest and allowed the Shennong to prepare.
What were they preparing? Siege equipment, of course. They could grow materials for it, as well as food, even weapon materials. There was so much that could be produced.
They were positioned between Round Moon Fortress and the Flame Mountain Range. The environment wasn’t too harsh, and they could even grow fire-attributed crops for sustenance.
Naturally, Zhao Xing also joined in the planting efforts. As a practitioner of the Self Sect’s high-level techniques, he was the main source of supplies for the 3,000-strong vanguard. From food to tools and high-quality materials, he provided it all.
With the intense heat in the area, the most suitable crop to plant was Firecracker Bamboo.
Zhao Xing and Chen Shijie each carried a box, peeling away the Earth Fire Lotus leaves covering the boxes, revealing the Firecracker Bamboo saplings inside.
"How many are still alive?" Chen Shijie asked.
"I’ve got about half left. How about you?"
"I’ve got about the same," Chen Shijie replied. "For fifth-rank Firecracker Bamboo saplings, having half survive after crossing Flame Mountain is already pretty good."
Dozens of people had died, so naturally, some saplings had perished too.
But having more than half survive was already a success.
Growing fifth-rank Firecracker Bamboo had many benefits.
Both Chen Shijie and Zhao Xing were skilled in tunneling techniques, and there were plenty of sorcerers in the Five Elements Battalion.
At least a hundred of their soldiers knew tunneling spells.
Round Moon Fortress wasn’t located outside the pass. The Fire Demon Tribe members lived and worked inside it.
Naturally, the fortress’s underground defenses weren’t as tight as those outside the pass, where miles of tunnels were heavily guarded and full of deadly traps and arrays.
Fortresses were always more vulnerable from the inside, making it relatively easy to infiltrate.
With enough Firecracker Bamboo planted, they could bury the explosives in Round Moon Fortress. Without even needing to fight, the explosions alone would send Badasi flying into the sky.
"Let’s get started!"
Zhao Xing and Chen Shijie each led a team of Shennong and began planting the fifth-rank Firecracker Bamboo in the forest.
Since the bamboo was already fifth-rank, there was no need for the Primordial Instant technique.
Instead, Wasteland Essence Convergence and Wild Growth were more appropriate for nurturing the plants.
The Phenological Command technique was forbidden, as Zhao Xing had already cast the Five Elements Mist Concealment to hide the area. If the Shennong used a time-based spell, it might give them away.
Earth-related techniques were allowed, though. Zhao Xing used Earth Vein Consolidation and Boundless Earth Palace to gather energy and adjust the intensity of the fire veins.
"Shh-shh-shh~"
The Firecracker Bamboo grew at an astonishing rate, quickly forming a bamboo grove.
Once the plants entered their growth phase, Zhao Xing cast two more spells.
"Hundred Lines Flow Technique!"
Compared to Primordial Instant, this mid-level spell simply made the bamboo grow better without altering its inherent quality.
"Nine Dragons Compression Technique!"
Next, Zhao Xing used a Self Sect technique.
The bamboo stalks began to shed their branches, with the top four segments of each bamboo plant wilting and cracking open.
The nutrients flowed back down, concentrating in the lower sections of the plants.
The once-vibrant red bamboo grove quickly became bare.
"You’ve mastered all four of the Self Sect’s minor techniques?" Chen Shijie asked from a distance. He was still waiting for his own plants to mature, but Zhao Xing’s crop had already finished growing.
"Yeah, if you’re going to learn them, might as well learn the whole set. The Self Sect’s techniques are all complementary," Zhao Xing replied casually.
"…" Chen Shijie didn’t know what to say.
Who didn’t know the techniques were complementary?
The issue was having the time and talent to master them all!
He could see that Zhao Xing had achieved mastery in all four of the Self Sect’s mid-level techniques.
And on top of that, he also had a high-level technique, Primordial Instant!
"I wonder what kind of monster I brought out of Gucheng," Chen Shijie muttered to himself. He began to suspect that Gucheng, under Cao Xi’s influence, had become some kind of blessed land.
Pang Guangyao watched in confusion. Wasn’t the lord a martial artist? Why was he farming?
Wasn’t farming the job of Great Zhou’s Shennong? Even in the Southern Barbarian territories, only sorcerers did this kind of work!
Was this man really Xia Jing?
Pang Guangyao couldn’t help but feel like he’d boarded the wrong ship.
Sworn loyalty to the wrong person.
But standing near Long Xiao and the Mountain Cat, he didn’t dare ask too many questions, even if he had his doubts.
He had already killed a patrol officer and was now firmly on Great Zhou’s side. Even if he wanted to jump ship, it was too late.
All he could do was wait for the battle at Fire Dragon Pass.
Time flew by, and soon, two days had passed.
Today was the agreed-upon day for the three armies to attack the pass.
"It should be about time, right?" Chen Shijie stood atop a large tree, gazing toward the Fiendish Wind Layer. "There’s still an hour until Xu time, but we’re in the southern part of the pass. By my estimate, the main army should be starting their attack by now."
"I think so too," Zhao Xing grinned, showing his teeth. "In that case, let’s get ready to blow up the city! Time to send Badasi flying!"
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