The heavy-armored warriors of the Evernight Legion, clad in their superior armor, feared neither conventional firearms nor shrapnel. They could only be shattered by origin bullets, with no room for trickery. Even high-ranking officers had limited supplies of such ammunition.
In summary, these heavily armored warriors possessed formidable combat prowess. A squad of ten could rival an Imperial Warlord, and their individual and formation combat capabilities were on par with elite corps like the Red Scorpions or the Wingless Angels.
No wonder Jundu Zhao and Zining Song had taken to the battlefield themselves. Although Qian Ye’s method of sniping noble-ranked warriors was effective, it was also quite resource-intensive.
The true powerhouses of the Evernight Legion had yet to move, and their full strength had not been unleashed.
However, after Qian Ye, Jundu Zhao, and Zining Song personally joined the fray, the casualties of the parliamentary forces began to rise sharply.
Tiger couldn’t help but say, “Lord Dole, these are the parliamentary troops. If they die here, it will be difficult to explain back at headquarters.”
Dole replied calmly, “How to explain is my concern, Tiger. You need not worry about it.”
“Very well.” With that response, Tiger said no more.
Dole stood quietly, watching the slaughter within White City. He watched for an entire hour.
A continuous hour of relentless battle, even the physically robust werewolves and blood races could hardly bear it. It was truly a mystery how the human mercenaries and Zhao family warriors managed to persevere.
Dole suddenly asked, “How many are left?”
An elder werewolf responded, “From my observation, there are only a thousand ordinary soldiers left in the city.”
Dole slowly nodded, saying, “I see. The so-called twin stars of the Empire must have expended a considerable amount of their origin power. Let them rest. We will resume the attack in half a day.”
Dole did not wait long. A second batch of transport ships soon arrived. He immediately overturned his previous order to rest for half a day, mixing the newly arrived reinforcements with his troops, and launched another assault on White City. This time, Dole sent out count-level powerhouses into battle, with a marquess-level werewolf commanding from the rear.
He and Tiger also moved their command center forward, just a thousand meters from White City. At this distance, they were already close to the theoretical range of high-level sniper rifles. Snipers needed only to approach a short distance to pose a threat.
The assault resumed, less than an hour after the retreat of the Evernight army.
The battle reached its peak from the very beginning, with the addition of numerous fresh troops and powerful individuals making this attack more formidable than ever. In the blink of an eye, several assault units converged in the city center, engaging in the most brutal and bloody street fighting.
Numerous viscounts and counts faced off against ordinary mercenaries, resulting in a massacre. This time, they immediately forced Jundu Zhao and Zining Song to intervene, while Qian Ye roamed the battlefield, constantly sniping noble-ranked adversaries.
The marquess-level werewolf in charge of the rearguard, unable to contain his anger, let out a long howl and charged at Jundu Zhao. Jundu Zhao’s expression remained unchanged as he raised his sword to meet the challenge. His longsword glowed with a faint blue light, leaving a trail of brilliant colors in the air.
Jundu Zhao’s sword techniques were simple and unremarkable, consisting of basic cuts, thrusts, and slashes. Yet, the marquess-level werewolf could not avoid them, and his body was splashed with bursts of blood.
As a marquess, the werewolf was extremely fierce, striking with lightning speed and immense force. The ruins of White City, now mostly consisting of hard rock, crumbled to dust when struck by his claws, giving the impression that he could dig through the earth itself.
Werewolves, known for their speed, excelled in close combat, possessing a natural talent. Even the incredibly strong spider-demons were often outmatched by werewolves of the same rank, always falling short in terms of skill.
Yet, Jundu Zhao merely moved within a few meters, easily dodging the marquess-level werewolf’s stormy attacks.
Sometimes, he would only avoid the most powerful parts of the werewolf’s attacks, allowing the residual force to hit him. A flash of purple light would then deflect most of the impact, leaving only minor scratches on Jundu Zhao’s armor. However, whenever Jundu Zhao chose to directly block an attack, his sword would leave a wound on the marquess-level werewolf.
These wounds, whether deep or shallow, proved that the marquess-level werewolf’s advanced armor offered no protection against Jundu Zhao’s sword. As for the werewolf’s fur, it was of no consequence, and only the defense of dark origin power could prevent the blade from penetrating further.
Although they exchanged dozens of strikes, the actual time was only a few breaths. The marquess-level werewolf had over a dozen new wounds. Each injury had broken through his defenses, though none were severe enough to incapacitate him. The pain only fueled his fury, making his attacks even more ferocious.
The battle between the marquess-level werewolf and Jundu Zhao was beyond the reach of ordinary nobles. Several viscounts took up positions on the periphery to prevent sudden attacks by human powerhouses, while a count, confident in his abilities, circled the inner ring, waiting for an opportunity.
Jundu Zhao, who had been steadily advancing, suddenly shouted, “Seal the Four Directions!” Four columns of purple qi descended from the sky, sealing off all directions.
All the powerhouses within the domain froze, including the marquess-level werewolf, whose frenzied attacks abruptly slowed. Seizing the moment, Jundu Zhao leapt back, and his longsword glowed intensely, blindingly bright!
The count within the inner circle suddenly let out a long, agonized scream as his arm flew into the sky. He leapt away, escaping to a position dozens of meters away.
All the viscount-level werewolves watched the long trail of blood in the sky, left by the fleeing count. What kind of injury could cause such a profusion of blood?
The count, whose momentum had slowed, looked down and found a wound on his chest. It was an ordinary sword wound, but as he exerted himself to escape, his heart had burst, turning the small wound into a bowl-sized one.
Yet, he didn’t even remember when he had been struck by the sword.
Jundu Zhao didn’t spare the count a glance, smiling at the marquess and saying, “Come again.”
At this point, he had withdrawn his domain, once again appearing as the handsome young man with no apparent special qualities.
However, the marquess-level werewolf’s fighting spirit had been nearly extinguished. Their intense battle had driven the marquess close to a berserk state, but Jundu Zhao had casually dispatched a count before his eyes, as if it were nothing. Only when the Four Directions Seal was cast did the marquess realize that Jundu Zhao had never used his full strength.
But Dole and Tiger were watching nearby, and the ancient pride of the werewolf bloodline reignited his fighting spirit. Instead of retreating, he let out a low growl and lunged at Jundu Zhao once more.
Jundu Zhao’s sword flashed, and the marquess-level werewolf’s arm received another cut.
It was clear that if this continued, the marquess would eventually be worn down by Jundu Zhao, and without much expenditure of origin power.
At this moment, Tiger finally spoke, slowly saying, “Lord Dole, if you do not act now, your capable subordinate may be lost here.”
Dole’s eyes snapped open, and he said, “After watching for so long, I should have a good idea of their abilities. So, I will leave Jundu Zhao to you, Tiger, while I deal with Zining Song. How about that?”
Tiger smiled confidently, saying, “Agreed!”
With that, Tiger’s figure flickered, and he instantly appeared in the center of White City, unleashing the overwhelming aura of a deputy duke. His longsword, moving like lightning, aimed directly at Jundu Zhao’s head!
Dole moved slightly slower but, with his superior strength, almost simultaneously arrived at White City. Standing above, he coldly surveyed Zining Song below.
Zining Song’s whole body tensed, his hair fluttering. He slowly lifted his head, his silver spear tracing a wide arc, driving away the surrounding enemies and clearing a battlefield.
Dole had yet to make a move, but Tiger had already fully opened his domain, creating a dense blood mist within dozens of meters, which coalesced into several hazy figures, all charging at Jundu Zhao. It seemed Tiger wanted to strike first, either killing or severely injuring Jundu Zhao, to establish his dominance.
Dole, with a calm, almost indifferent demeanor, paid no attention to Tiger’s actions, focusing solely on Zining Song, holding a long-handled great axe.
At the same time, Dole casually removed his long ceremonial coat, revealing a fencing suit. On his thigh, he carried an origin pistol, its barrel as thick as a fist, indicating it was no mere decoration.
“You are excellent and admirable opponents. Unfortunately, I won’t see the day you reach your full potential.”
Zining Song’s heart stirred, and he asked, “So, White City was a trap?”
Dole replied, “Indeed, you are perceptive. Your human race schemes against us, and we will reciprocate. This place was not originally a trap, but with you here, it has become one.”
Zining Song asked, “Someone in the Empire is informing you?”
“Hasn’t that always been the case?”
Intelligence warfare is part of the broader conflict, involving both unintentional leaks and deliberate misinformation. Both the Evernight and the Empire have diviners and oracles observing and adjusting the overall situation. No commander would rely solely on intelligence without deeper understanding.
Zining Song slowly said, “Yes, but such information is known to few. Besides, even if you obtained it, would you truly trust it completely?”
Dole smiled slightly, saying, “You are close to the truth. But unfortunately, it is too late.”
Zining Song responded, “It is not too late. As you said, this place was not originally a trap, but our presence has made it one. If we survive and break out, it will no longer be a trap.”
“Would the Parliament allow you to live after such a costly operation?”
“Until we try, how can we know? Just as you likely did not expect us to hold out this long before your arrival.”
Dole replied indifferently, “Those two arrogant fools need not be mentioned. The question now is how you will pass me.”
“Until we try, how can we know?” Zining Song remained as calm as if he were not facing a life-or-death crisis.
Dole frowned, slightly puzzled, wondering where Zining Song’s confidence came from.
Then, his expression turned cold, and he took out his short pistol, aiming at Zining Song, saying, “My patience has run out. Now, I think it’s better to kill you first. As for the questions I want to ask, there will be plenty of time to find the answers later.”
Zining Song held his spear with both hands, the tip slanted towards the sky. This stance gave him a sense of stability and grandeur. This was the strongest defensive stance in the Beacon Flame Spear, called the “End of Fuel, Transmission of Fire.” This stance, rumored to find a thread of life in the impossible, was the first time Zining Song had fully executed it since mastering the technique.
Dole frowned again, sensing the extraordinary nature of the stance. At that moment, Zining Song’s form became slightly blurry. Initially, Dole thought his eyes were playing tricks, but that was impossible!
Focusing his mind, he realized that Zining Song’s form was indeed somewhat indistinct, as if veiled by a layer of mist, making it difficult to see clearly.
Not to mention the absence of fog on the battlefield, even in thick smoke, Dole could still see clearly. The blur around Zining Song could only mean one thing.
Dole said gravely, “Domain?”
“Please savor the Three Thousand Drifting Leaves, driven by the splendor of the world.”
Unable to see Zining Song’s true form meant it was difficult to lock onto him. Though Dole only saw Zining Song as slightly blurry, it meant there was a small chance of missing or not hitting a vital spot. A previously certain kill now had a chance of failure.
What truly shocked Dole was that despite Zining Song’s inferior cultivation, he could still obscure himself, a display of terrifying talent and domain mastery.
Dole’s gaze grew colder, and genuine killing intent rose within him. He had never underestimated these human youths, but it was only now that he fully recognized Zining Song’s potential. Previously, the fame of Jundu Zhao and Qian Ye had overshadowed Zining Song. If allowed to grow, he would become another towering pillar of the human race.
As the battle approached, Dole, contrary to the usual ferocity of werewolves, grew increasingly calm, the outlines of countless mountain peaks appearing behind him, with one solitary peak standing out prominently.
This was the mark of the Summit of Mountains!
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