As a divine general, Su Dingqian was well aware of the terrifying nature of the void beast hidden beneath the earth, having dealt with Earth Dragons for decades. Years ago, when he tested the waters, he suffered a severe blow and couldn’t penetrate far underground. Since then, he had become more cautious, no longer daring to provoke the Earth Dragons.
Liu Daoming seized the opportunity: “Why don’t we go along with their plan and let them have this place? To uncover the secrets of the Earth Dragons, one must be at least of marquis rank. When they inevitably suffer losses, we can return and perhaps even eliminate some prominent figures. At that point, their internal strife will force them to compromise with us.”
Su Dingqian’s eyes flashed with a resolute light as he paced back and forth before making up his mind, “Very well! We’ll do it this way! However, we must hold them off for a while; otherwise, if we flee without a fight, they might suspect a trap.”
Seeing Su Dingqian’s decision to withdraw, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Su Yueyuan, remembering something, suggested, “For the defense, why not send those outsiders into battle? They’ve taken so much compensation, it’s only right for them to die for Lingang City.”
Su Dingqian considered this and agreed, “Indeed, a good idea!”
At the City Guard headquarters, Qian Ye had just completed his military contribution. The quartermaster, after counting the military merit certificates, could hardly contain his surprise, “A viscount and twenty-one high-level warriors! This is only in a few days, Sir Zhao, you really shocked me. Your intelligence should also be counted as military merit.”
“I’m rather skilled at sniping, especially at this stage,” Qian Ye smiled.
During the early stages of war, with only reconnaissance units on the battlefield, snipers could easily earn military merit. Thus, the quartermaster nodded, “True. But it won’t be so easy from now on, alas!”
“Any news?” Qian Ye asked.
The quartermaster, seeing no one around, lowered his voice, “I heard that several families have joined forces! The large army you saw is probably their combined forces!”
Qian Ye was startled, his suspicions confirmed. Though the quartermaster’s position was low, he often heard many secrets.
“What should we do now? This city can’t be defended,” Qian Ye probed.
The quartermaster sighed, “How would I know? People like us can only rely on fate. But who wouldn’t want to be the city lord? We’ll still be needed to do the work, hopefully, our luck won’t be too bad.”
Qian Ye nodded, feeling the same.
Just then, a deep horn sounded, calling all officers in the city. Moments later, a piercing alarm blared, and the city gates began to close. Those who hadn’t left yet were trapped inside. Even those who had just left wouldn’t fare well; they wouldn’t get far before being caught by enemy scouts.
Qian Ye rushed to the city lord’s mansion, with others joining him along the way. These were free fighters recruited by Su Dingqian to join Lingang City. Most of them looked grim, clearly aware of the situation. A few had a bloodthirsty look, clearly hoping to profit from the chaos.
Soon, Qian Ye and the free fighters arrived at the city lord’s mansion. Outside, all the officers of the City Guard and the Law Enforcement Teams had gathered. Su Dingqian ascended from the mansion, hovering in the air, his divine general’s aura pressing down like a mighty river, making many struggle to breathe. Some with weaker combat skills even trembled, nearly unable to stand. Fortunately, Su Dingqian knew his limits and controlled the pressure perfectly, ensuring no one was embarrassed.
Su Dingqian surveyed the crowd, his voice booming, “The enemy is at our gates, appearing strong but actually hollow inside. I won’t waste words. I only hope that you will stand with me and defend the city to the death! Lingang City has never fallen in thirty years, and it won’t fall today. I am willing to fight until the very end, never retreating first!”
His resolute words ignited the crowd’s fighting spirit, and many cheered, even roaring with battle cries!
Satisfied with the rising morale, Su Dingqian nodded. Liu Daoming then stepped forward to assign defensive tasks.
Qian Ye followed a small group of City Guards to his assigned area. As the one with the highest pay, he was naturally assigned to the most dangerous spot, directly facing the main attack.
Qian Ye remained calm, unaffected by Su Dingqian’s speech. He had seen many divine generals and even fought some. He knew that despite Su Dingqian’s stirring words, with his divine general’s strength, he could escape even if everyone else perished.
Lingang City, though a strategic location, had a formidable City Guard. They quickly mobilized, and within moments, all defensive positions were manned. The rear storage houses opened, and mountains of ammunition were transported to the front lines.
By the standards of the Empire and the Evernight, the neutral zone was virtually fully militarized. In Lingang City, anyone willing to assist could obtain weapons from the quartermaster. This effectively added thousands of troops to the city. Su Dingqian was truly going all out, potentially exhausting a decade’s worth of savings in this battle.
Outside the quartermaster’s office, a crowd surged. People hurried to the city walls with newly acquired weapons. Inside, the quartermaster was sweating profusely, calling everyone he could find for help, wishing he had more hands.
Amidst the chaos, a woman wrapped in a cloak, only her eyes visible, appeared before him. She handed him a document. Upon seeing it, the quartermaster was shocked. The document bore the seal of the city lord’s mansion, so he didn’t dare ask questions. He ran to the warehouse, returning with a large box with the help of two subordinates.
On top of the box was a multi-barrel Vulcan cannon. Its barrels were thicker than usual, with specialized cooling and reinforcement arrays at the muzzle, and the body was covered in origin force patterns. Designed for powerful users, there were only two such cannons in the entire city. The cannon alone weighed hundreds of kilograms.
The quartermaster had already fixed the cannon to the box. After placing it before the girl, he looked around but saw no sign of her companions. Just as he was about to ask, the girl reached out with her right hand and lifted the cannon and the heavy ammunition box with ease, turning and walking away as if she were carrying a basket of vegetables.
The quartermaster gaped, almost disbelieving. The ammunition box was far heavier, weighing several tons. The girl’s slender frame made the feat seem impossible.
After the girl walked away, the quartermaster realized her body seemed disproportionate. But, due to the dark cloak, he couldn’t tell how.
Qing Yue exited the quartermaster’s office, tossing the massive Vulcan cannon and its ammunition box into a cargo truck. As she was about to get in, she noticed a woman.
This woman, though not beautiful, had a perfect figure. Strangely, she moved as if unseen, most people ignoring her. Qing Yue blinked, finding the woman disappeared when she closed her eyes, only reappearing when she opened them.
Qing Yue detected her presence because of a faint, familiar, and almost desirable scent.
“Dream Eater Worms!” Qing Yue’s eyes finally showed a reaction.
Sensing someone watching her, the girl turned to glance at Qing Yue before continuing towards the quartermaster’s office, treating Qing Yue as if she were invisible.
The quartermaster, still stunned, snapped back to reality when a pretty hand waved before his face.
Before him stood an ordinary-looking girl, her face plain but charming. The quartermaster, intrigued, felt she might bring him a similar story to boast about, just like with Qing Yue.
“I need a sniper rifle,” Ye Ting said.
“A sniper rifle? Alright, what level?”
“Anything.”
The quartermaster thought for a moment, fetched a rifle from the warehouse, and placed it before her, saying, “Will this do?”
An assistant gasped, “Sir, this…”
The quartermaster silenced him, “Be quiet!”
This was a level seven rifle, more powerful than its counterparts on the mainland. It even rivaled a level eight rifle. Ye Ting’s Shadow Hymn, powered by blood energy rather than magic, was significantly weaker.
The rifle’s barrel was exceptionally long, adorned with a lifelike python, which concealed stability and acceleration arrays. The metal parts were polished and clearly used for years.
Just by being there, the gun exuded a fearsome aura.
“Does it have a name?” Ye Ting asked, touching the rifle.
“Snake Emperor! How’s that for a name? If you can use it, it’s yours,” the quartermaster declared confidently.
The assistants, relieved, scrutinized Ye Ting. To them, she was just an ordinary woman, not someone the quartermaster would be attracted to.
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