Chapter 143: The Outsider Opens the Mountains

Yan Ding declared, “If Luo Bingfeng were to strike now, it would be quite troubling.”

Without waiting for Song Zining’s response, the elder of the imperial family interjected, “No, he wouldn’t. He cannot be certain if we have set a trap to lure him out of the city and ambush him. If I were in his shoes, I would never take such a reckless risk. Within the city, at least he has the advantage of the Holy Mountain. Look!”

The elder flicked his finger, and countless crystal grains shot out from his fingertip, transforming into a flurry of snowflakes that drifted down. Some of the snowflakes, upon touching an invisible barrier, hovered mid-air. In a blink, a luminous barrier appeared before them, faintly enveloping the Holy Mountain.

“This is the domain of the Holy Mountain. It seems stronger than I anticipated.”

At this moment, the floating warship was not far from the edge of the Holy Mountain. Seeing the barrier so close, someone changed their expression and said, “What if he suddenly rushes out and strikes, then retreats? How would we deal with that?”

Many people had similar concerns.

Song Zining laughed heartily and replied, “Fear not! Luo Bingfeng is a hero; he wouldn’t stoop to attacking the weak, lest he taint his reputation. This sort of underhanded thing is something only I would do, ha ha!”

The one who had spoken before chuckled nervously, taking the opportunity to back down.

Elder Li furrowed his brows and said, “This domain of the Holy Mountain is truly formidable. If Luo Bingfeng chooses to hide within the Holy Mountain, it might be difficult to deal with. Seventh Young Master, do you have any good ideas?”

Another elder from a prominent family also spoke, “Yes, it seems we must address the Holy Mountain. Seventh Young Master, you have collected a lot of money from us, all for the purpose of resolving this issue. Don’t tell us you have no plan now.”

Song Zining smiled slightly and said, “I have a plan, and there’s no need to hide it from you now. Look, isn’t that the solution right there?”

Following Song Zining’s pointed finger, everyone saw rows of heavy artillery positions. Even now, supply crates were continuously arriving, and new heavy artillery was being assembled on the spot.

“Heavy artillery?”

Everyone had already seen these heavy guns but didn’t think much of them. Heavy artillery was generally considered more showy than practical, ineffective against strong warriors, and almost useless against the elite. They thought Song Zining had brought these just to dismantle the city defenses, and they had been mocking his overreaction. Tidal City was indeed sturdy, but its defense system was not comparable to the major cities of the Empire or the Evernight Realm. What use was so much heavy artillery?

“Indeed, these are the key. As for how to use them, you’ll find out when dawn breaks tomorrow.” Song Zining left them hanging.

Night fell, and the imperial army had fully assembled. The entire camp was lit up, even more dazzling than Tidal City. Yet, the camp was silent, with soldiers resting and conserving their energy, preparing for the decisive battle the next day. The city defenders, however, remained vigilant, fearing a sneak attack.

In the sky, warships were always hovering, making it impossible for the city guards to launch a surprise attack. When dawn finally broke, the imperial soldiers marched out of their barracks, full of energy, while the city guards showed signs of fatigue.

The city guard general’s eyes were bloodshot, clearly having not slept well. He stared intently at the city below, not missing a single move of the enemy, while his hand on the wall trembled slightly.

Suddenly, a large hand placed itself on top of his, and a voice asked, “Are you afraid?”

The city guard general turned and stood straight, exclaiming, “General Du!”

Du Yuan nodded slightly, his gaze sharp as lightning, and repeated, “Are you afraid?”

The city guard general’s face turned red, and he replied, “When have you ever seen me afraid? I just don’t understand what they’re planning.”

Du Yuan glanced down at the city and, frowning, sneered, “Fancy and useless, why should we fear them? Piling up so many heavy guns, are they trying to tear down the city? Ha, let them try!”

“General Du, perhaps…” the city guard general hesitated.

At that moment, the ground suddenly trembled, and a cloud of white smoke rose from the distant heavy gun position, followed by a deafening boom as a heavy gun began a test fire.

This was just a calibration shot, nothing special. But as the shell streaked through the air, emitting a shrill whistle, Du Yuan’s expression suddenly changed.

With his near-divine vision, the heavy gun shell moved as slowly as a snail, its trajectory clear. This shell’s range was unusually long, soaring high above the city and heading toward the Holy Mountain.

Without a second thought, Du Yuan roared and leaped into the sky, intercepting the shell’s path like a meteor. With a punch, he shattered the shell mid-air.

The city guard general looked stunned, and the other soldiers were equally confused, wondering why Du Yuan was so concerned about a single shell.

Outside Tidal City, Song Zining snapped open his fan and sneered, “Can you stop one, but can you stop hundreds? Let’s see whether your origin power is greater, or my shells are more. Come, order the heavy artillery to prepare for a rapid three-shot barrage!”

After a brief silence, the thunderous roar of the heavy artillery drowned out everything, and a barrage of shells, like locusts, soared over Tidal City, heading toward the Holy Mountain.

Despair flashed across Du Yuan’s face as he leaped into the sky again, spraying numerous blue fireballs around him, covering a hundred-meter radius. Any heavy artillery shell that hit the fireballs would instantly explode, creating a spectacular display of fireballs in the sky.

However, despite his best efforts, Du Yuan could only intercept the shells within a hundred meters of him. The Holy Mountain was vast, and most of the shells still reached it. The city guard general also realized the danger and bellowed orders for his men to intercept the shells, but it was far more challenging to intercept than to defend. The soldiers did their best, managing to stop half of the shells, but the other half still slammed into the Holy Mountain.

The ground shook, and the mountain trembled.

Du Yuan hovered in the air, watching the rising flames and smoke from the Holy Mountain, a look of despair crossing his face. He swayed and suddenly plummeted to the ground. The interception had nearly drained all his origin power.

The city guard general, startled, rushed over to help Du Yuan, calling, “General, General!”

Du Yuan opened his eyes, gathered his strength, and asked, “Do they… still have many shells?”

The city guard general hesitated, unsure how to answer.

Du Yuan’s eyes widened, and he roared, “Speak!”

The city guard general gritted his teeth, “There are still many, very many.”

Hearing this, Du Yuan’s eyes lost focus, as if all his strength had left him. His lips moved, but no words came out. He struggled to stand, leaning on the city guard general, and said, “Help me, to the Holy Mountain.”

“It’s futile!” the city guard general exclaimed.

“Take me there!” Du Yuan insisted.

Just then, the ground beneath them trembled again, and another heavy artillery shell flew in, leaving a crater on the Holy Mountain.

Unexpectedly, a single shell coming in seemed odd, rather than a continuous bombardment.

Inside the floating ship, Song Zining ordered, “Continue calibrating the guns, and wait for my command. Oh, bring that person up.”

A moment later, a handsome young man was brought in, his face pale. He bowed low, intending to prostrate himself in front of Song Zining in a grand gesture.

Song Zining raised his fan, and a gentle force of origin power lifted the young man, saying, “No need to kneel, I don’t deserve it.”

The young man hurriedly said, “If you don’t deserve it, then who does, Seventh Young Master?”

Unmoved, Song Zining said, “The intelligence you brought looks good. If we win this battle, I will honor the promise of your rank and status.”

The young man was elated, “Thank you, Seventh Young Master, for your support!”

Song Zining asked casually, “I remember you mentioned that Du Yuan seems to have a deep connection with that… lady?”

The young man quickly said, “Perhaps she should be called Miss. From what I know, although Miss Nan has been with the city lord for some time, she has not crossed any lines.”

Song Zining raised an eyebrow, seemingly interested. After a moment, he asked, “I heard Du Yuan treated you well. Why did you come to us?”

The young man bit his lip, “Treated me well? Hmph, nominally, I am his adopted son, but I have been working like a beast of burden since childhood. I have done everything wholeheartedly, but that old man refuses to pass on his secrets to me, keeping all the good things for his own son. Why should I stay with such a person? Only a noble master like you, Seventh Young Master, is worth following…”

Song Zining stopped him, “Alright, alright, I understand. You may go now!”

After the young man left, Song Zining paced, muttering, “No lines crossed, no lines crossed…”

A moment later, Song Zining stopped and sneered, “I know who you are, the remnants of the Bright Moon Qin Heart School! Hmph, now that I know your origins, do you think you can escape?”

Song Zining pushed open the cabin door and strode into the command room, declaring, “Order, all heavy artillery to prepare. Concentrate fire on the Holy Mountain until the shells run out!”

The messenger hurried off, and Song Zining added, “Prepare my armor and my gun!”

The soldiers were shocked and asked, “Seventh Young Master, are we starting the final battle now?”

Song Zining nodded, “Luo Bingfeng will be out soon. Order the ships forward, raise the battle flags!”

The flagship in the sky emitted a plume of steam, and a mournful, distant horn blared over Tidal City. Hearing the battle call, the camp below erupted, and the gates opened. Under the cover of war chariots and armored trucks, the soldiers began to advance toward Tidal City.

The battle call was soon drowned out by the thunder of the heavy artillery, with countless shells whistling into Tidal City, bombarding the Holy Mountain. In a flash, the Holy Mountain was engulfed in thick smoke and raging fire, with shells falling like a meteor shower.

In the sky, the once stationary warships began to move, like giant beasts advancing. The firepower of the imperial warships was unprecedented, and the city’s defensive towers were almost immediately destroyed, leaving the defenders helpless.

In the air, three warships remained stationary: those of the imperial family, the alliance of noble families, and Song Zining’s flagship.

Inside the flagship of the alliance, Elder Li gazed at the Holy Mountain shrouded in smoke and fire, his brows furrowed. Finally, someone beside him couldn’t hold back and asked, “Isn’t this just bombing a barren mountain? What good will it do? Will it really collapse the mountain?”