Chapter 144: Prelude

Elder Li mused, “What if we could really collapse this mountain with a blast?”

An old man nearby burst into laughter. “You think you can collapse a mountain just like that?”

Another person pondered, “Perhaps the mountain is hollow; otherwise, where would the passage be?”

The first old man scoffed, “Even if it were hollow, it wouldn’t be easy to topple with mere heavy cannons. Concentrating on one spot and creating a small opening is hard enough, let alone bombarding the entire mountain.”

The other person retorted, “If it were truly useless, why would Seventh Young Master go through so much trouble to bring all these heavy cannons here? Just for fun?”

The elder was speechless. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to argue, but rather, Song Zining’s reputation was growing, and no one dared to mock him anymore. The benefit of a good reputation is that while ordinary people using heavy cannons to bombard a mountain would be ridiculed, when Seventh Young Master does it, it must have a deeper meaning.

At the summit of the Holy Mountain, the secluded courtyard remained still, unaltered by the rain of cannon fire and deafening explosions. Even the ancient tree in the courtyard continued to sway gently, as if caressed by a light breeze, not a single leaf falling.

Luo Bingfeng sat alone in his study, holding an ancient scroll and reciting it attentively. On the desk before him lay a cup of clear tea, its crystal-clear liquid tinged with a fresh green, like the first sprout of spring. Steam rose gracefully, filling the room with a faint, delicate aroma.

Outside the window, a scene of doom unfolded, with cannonballs like meteors raining down and exploding, sending dust and debris flying. However, not a single fragment entered the courtyard, vanishing long before reaching the walls. The thunderous roar of the explosions also failed to penetrate the calm.

While the entire Holy Mountain trembled, the courtyard seemed like a tranquil island in the eye of the storm.

Luo Bingfeng, with his slender fingers, stroked the pages of the book, turning to a new page. At that moment, his brows raised, finally emerging from his state of serenity.

Outside the courtyard, Du Yuan stumbled, struggling against the force of the nearby explosions. For such a powerful warrior, the heavy cannons were merely toys, and even direct hits wouldn’t cause serious harm, let alone the shockwaves.

Du Yuan’s miserable state clearly indicated that his original force was depleted, his reserves exhausted.

Luo Bingfeng didn’t rise, but asked, “Why are you in such a sorry state?” His voice, clear and melodious, cut through the explosions, reaching Du Yuan’s ears.

Luo Bingfeng wasn’t particularly worried. In his view, even if Du Yuan’s original force was severely depleted, his physical foundation was strong, and mere unenhanced heavy cannons couldn’t harm him.

Du Yuan, however, was not as composed. Upon hearing Luo Bingfeng’s voice, he immediately shouted, “Lord, hurry, hurry to Lady’s side!”

With a clatter, the ancient scroll in Luo Bingfeng’s hand fell. He leaped to his feet, vanishing from the room instantly.

On the desk, the cup of tea wobbled, then tipped over, spilling hot water across the table.

Luo Bingfeng’s figure flickered, crossing the courtyard in several quick steps, arriving at a side room. He pushed the door, but it didn’t budge.

Startled, he realized the door was sealed by multiple invisible arrays of original force, designed to prevent him from entering. A sense of foreboding surged within him. He channeled his original force, pushing the door open, causing the arrays to shatter. He stepped inside, stopping in shock.

Outside the city, Song Zining stood on the deck, gazing at the Holy Mountain engulfed in smoke and flames. The outer walls of the city were a sea of fire, with plumes of smoke rising everywhere. Warships above continuously unleashed torrents of fiery steel, pinning down the defenders. The mercenaries below had approached the walls, and according to imperial tactics, they should advance slowly, relying on their firepower to suppress the enemy and dismantle fortifications, awaiting the clash of strong warriors.

However, the mercenaries, accustomed to a more relaxed style, were already at their limit. Some, driven by the heat and fury, broke ranks and charged up the walls, engaging the defenders in fierce combat.

With someone leading the charge, more followed, like a wave surging towards the city. The offensive formation was on the brink of collapse. Song Zining shook his head ruefully, pointing at the city, “Full assault!”

A crimson banner rose on the flagship, and a series of inspiring bugles sounded from the ground. The fully armed mercenaries’ eyes turned red with bloodlust, charging forward bravely.

The warships, originally focused on the walls, had to redirect their fire to avoid hitting their own men.

By now, the city’s defenses were in shambles, the defenders scattered and unable to resist effectively. The first wave of mercenaries had already reached the walls, and reinforcements continued to arrive. More importantly, the mercenaries’ equipment completely outclassed the city’s, resulting in far fewer casualties.

It was clear that the city’s defenders would collapse soon. The residents, cowed by the warships, dared not resist.

Everyone knew that the battle was just beginning, and even capturing the city wouldn’t determine the outcome.

As the battle raged, everyone suddenly felt a strange tightness in their hearts, as if an invisible hand had grasped them, causing a missed heartbeat.

“Hmph!”

A cold, slightly angry voice echoed in everyone’s ears. High above the Holy Mountain, a pair of eyes seemed to open, gazing down upon the insignificant figures below.

The battlefield, once filled with brutal combat, fell silent for a moment. Everyone looked up, drawn to the eyes that shouldn’t exist.

“Kill!” A city defender recovered first, roaring as he stabbed his blade into his opponent’s abdomen. This opponent, having killed several, was a skilled fighter, but in this critical moment, he was lost, and a blade pierced his gut.

The city’s warriors recovered faster, a critical advantage in close combat. In an instant, the mercenaries on the walls suffered heavy losses.

Song Zining, only momentarily dazed, quickly regained his composure. Seeing the danger, he leaped to the ship’s deck and pulled a lever. Steam hissed through pipes, creating a thunderous sound as it escaped.

This was the signal for a full assault. Drums and horns from the rear camp grew louder, their sound like a flood, rousing the mercenaries.

Song Zining issued several orders. The warships above the city ascended, while those in front withdrew. The three flagships advanced, creating a large open area over and before the city.

This was the battlefield for the strong. With Song Zining’s orders, everyone knew Luo Bingfeng was about to appear.

Suddenly, a blue light flickered, and only the strongest few could barely see a figure in the air, raising a hand and pressing down towards a warship.

The warship reacted swiftly, accelerating and turning, even boosting its engines to maximum. Yet it couldn’t escape. A cross-shaped crack appeared at the stern, expanding rapidly into a terrifying fissure. Flames, steam, and oil vapor erupted, turning the stern into a burning inferno.

The warship, out of control, spun and crashed into the city wall, followed by a massive explosion, killing everyone within dozens of meters, regardless of allegiance.

Only then did the figure in the sky become clear, revealing a man with a refined face, clad in simple yet elegant attire, his eyes burning with anger. He glared at Song Zining, saying, “You dare to be arrogant, young whelp!”

Each word was spoken with power, like metal striking stone. Each syllable caused Song Zining’s face to pale, and by the last word, he staggered back, his fan bending and breaking with a sharp crack.

Song Zining’s face whitened, and he spat a mouthful of blood, looking weak.

The empire’s strong were shocked. Though Song Zining was young, he was known for his strategy, but the true elite knew he was no slouch in cultivation. From his early days to now, he had always kept pace with Zhao Si and Qian Ye, never falling behind. This alone was enough to overshadow most so-called geniuses in the empire.

Few below the rank of divine general could claim to definitely defeat him.

Yet, here he was, forced from the Song clan, making it a laughingstock. Such a prodigy could single-handedly humiliate a clan.

Luo Bingfeng, upon his appearance, hadn’t even attacked, but his words had already injured Song Zining. The empire’s strong recognized they lacked such power.

As Luo Bingfeng’s left hand slowly raised, two white-robed figures appeared before him, saying, “We seek your guidance, Lord Luo.”

These two were Yun Tian and Yun Hai, who, seeing Song Zining hurt, stepped forward, taking the stage and heralding the true battle.

Luo Bingfeng didn’t even look at them, his left hand still raising as if bearing a heavy weight, while his right hand pointed at them in the air.

Yun Tian and Yun Hai’s faces changed, their smiles vanishing, their robes billowing and bursting into fragments. Their surroundings shifted, layers of protective force appearing.

But each layer shattered as soon as it formed, and in a burst of sound, their defenses were completely gone. They were left as vulnerable as eggs without shells.

In a critical moment, the brothers shouted together, standing back-to-back, their hands moving in a flurry of seals. When they stood together, their speed in casting protective shields and recovering original force doubled, finally blocking Luo Bingfeng’s attack.

Luo Bingfeng’s brows raised, slightly surprised. He finally looked at the brothers, his right hand forming a sword with two fingers, ready to deal with this unexpected trouble.