"Are you telling me that all the civilians in the entire city of Dongyang have fled!?"
Right now, in front of the Dongyang City gates, a Soul Engineer Legion Commander was roaring at the City Lord of Dongyang, his face ashen with rage.
This Soul Engineer Legion Commander was one of the generals who had retreated from the Heavenly Soul battlefield. He was to be stationed in Dongyang City, responsible for resisting the Heavenly Soul Empire's army that would soon cross the sea.
When he learned that the civilians of Dongyang City had all fled and the City Lord had done absolutely nothing, he felt a burning fury! Without these civilians, they were missing a massive fresh force for defending the city! It would only accelerate the attrition of their military personnel! Since they were citizens of the Sun Moon Empire, they should have the resolve to die for their country!
"Go! Round up all those fleeing civilians and..."
Before the Soul Engineer Legion Commander could finish his sentence, a hand landed on his shoulder. At the same time, an authoritative, unquestionable voice sounded beside his ear.
"Enough! They are just miserable folks, why make things difficult for them?"
Turning his head, he saw an old man with short white hair and a cyan robe standing behind him. Not only did his voice sound powerful and resonant, but his burly figure seemed as solid as a rock.
The Soul Engineer Legion Commander opened his mouth to speak, but under the old man's gaze, he swallowed his words. Because this old man was not only his superior, but also a formidable Class 9 Soul Engineer, an Imperial Elder of the Worship Hall.
In terms of cultivation, he was among the top tier in the entire empire. Moreover, he was especially skilled in defensive soul tools, earning him the moniker of the Unbreakable King. His title was Unbreakable—Unbreakable Douluo, Zheng Zhan.
During this retreat, since Kong Deming was personally acting as the rearguard, the retreating army was left without a commander. Thus, Kong Deming had appointed Unbreakable Douluo Zheng Zhan to bear the heavy responsibility of leading this army.
As for Zheng Zhan's character, while one couldn't call him absolutely impartial and incorruptible, he was at least the conscientious and honest type. So when his superior stepped in, the Soul Engineer Legion Commander knew in his heart that the matter of the "fleeing civilians" was over and done with.
Afterwards, Zheng Zhan looked at the City Lord of Dongyang. "What you did is worthy of your conscience."
He didn't say if it was "good" or "bad." Leaving just this one sentence, Zheng Zhan ordered the entire army to assemble. Then... "Enter the city!"
The mighty army surged into the city. At the same time, a few soul engineer legions remained outside Dongyang City to set up soul tool arrays, ready at any moment to receive the retreating forces and resist the enemy.
After all, no matter how well Kong Deming held the rear, he couldn't possibly intercept every single enemy. There would always be some who would slip past and strike at them from behind—such as top-tier Titled Douluo powerhouses.
And the facts proved Zheng Zhan right. Wu Yan and Tai Yu of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, along with the Old Heavenly Dragon of the Heavenly Dragon Sect, were the "best" among them. Wu Yan and the Old Heavenly Dragon transformed into their Martial Soul True Bodys, took Tai Yu along, and flew directly across the sea.
Three people wasn't many, but every single one of them was a Super Douluo! Before the three even reached the skies above Dongyang City and had merely arrived at the coast, the aura they exuded had already affected the weather.
The originally cloudless sky was instantly shrouded in dark clouds, with thunder flashing intermittently within. The once relatively cool and breathable environment became incredibly oppressive, accompanied by a sudden spike in temperature.
Seeing this, Zheng Zhan didn't hesitate in the slightest! "Fire! Stop them!"
Instantly, all offensive soul tools in Dongyang City aimed at the high altitude. At that exact moment, bursts of dragon roars erupted from the firmament, bringing down thunderstorms and seas of fire!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
Soul tool beams and soul tool cannonballs fired in unison, forming an ocean of artillery fire that shot from bottom to top, attempting to disperse the entire dark cloud. But Zheng Zhan knew this was futile.
Therefore, at the same time he ordered the attack, the two Class 9 Soul Engineers who had retreated alongside him also made their move, soaring into the high altitude to intercept the attacking Titled Douluos.
But just then, a colossal figure plummeted down!
Crashing heavily onto the earth, it kicked up a massive cloud of dust, causing everything in its vicinity to tremble, even affecting the city walls.
Focusing their eyes, they saw a giant gorilla the size of a mountain. Every inch of its body was covered in robust muscles far more terrifying than granite, with the bulging parts looking like small hills.
"Roar—" As the massive body stood upright, an aura akin to Mount Tai pressing down from above stirred up a giant wave out of thin air. And this, was Tai Yu's Martial Soul True Body.
Boom, boom, boom—
The moment he landed, Tai Yu was on the move. Like a walking mountain, he charged straight toward the city walls!
At this moment, Zheng Zhan's expression drastically changed. If the city walls were breached right now, what would Dongyang City rely on to resist the Heavenly Soul Army's massive subsequent offensive?
He immediately raised both arms. Relying on a defensive soul tool, a cyan light screen surged up. Stretching vertically and horizontally, it completely protected the section of the city wall behind him under the cyan barrier.
Fiercely, the two sides collided.
Boom—
A terrifying force slammed into it, causing the light screen to violently tremble. However, Tai Yu's single strike failed to breach the defense Zheng Zhan had propped up.
Just as Tai Yu and Zheng Zhan engaged in combat, the two Class 9 Soul Engineers high above also made their move against Wu Yan and the Old Heavenly Dragon. However, Wu Yan had absolutely no interest in these two interceptors.
With a spread of his Red Dragon wings, he dove straight toward Dongyang City!
Seeing this, the two Class 9 Soul Engineers were instantly alarmed. Just as they wanted to chase after Wu Yan, a thunderous boom echoed, and a vast sea of thunder actually blocked their path.
"Where do you think you're going!?"
The Old Heavenly Dragon's resonant and endlessly domineering voice exploded. The next second, a dragon tail lashed out horizontally from the dark clouds, carrying heavy thunderstorms. The two Class 9 Soul Engineers only felt a massive force and numbness wash over them. By the time they quickly recovered their senses, they had already been dragged into the Old Heavenly Dragon's combat zone.
Immediately after, "Roar—"
As the Old Heavenly Dragon erupted with a dragon's roar, the surrounding thunder converged, transforming into a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon that galloped furiously toward them.
Seeing this, the two Class 9 Soul Engineers immediately defended themselves. Defensive shields were propped up, and the Thunder Dragon slammed viciously against them. But the very instant they defended against it, a sliver of blade-light slashed down.
Crack—
The terrifying force and sharpness struck without warning, violently shattering the defensive shield. It revealed the figure of the Old Heavenly Dragon, who had exited his Martial Soul True Body—in a half-dragonification state, wielding a blade-type Class 9 Soul Tool, bringing an overwhelming pressure that crushed directly toward the two Soul Engineers.
Without any irrelevant people blocking him, Wu Yan, in his Red Dragon True Body, directly spewed out blazing dragon flames. With Zheng Zhan and Tai Yu locked in combat and unable to distract themselves, he easily broke through the city wall's defenses, landing heavily on the walls of Dongyang City.
What does it mean for a tiger to enter a flock of sheep? Wu Yan was demonstrating it vividly right now. Under the offensive of a Super Douluo in his Martial Soul True Body, how could this army possibly stop him? In the instant the dragon flames breathed in and out, it claimed the lives of dozens of soul engineers.
Even worse, some low-level soul masters with soul power below the fortieth rank were actually frightened into fainting by Wu Yan's pressure. Fainting in a place like this was no different from dying; the feet of others were enough to end their lives.
At this moment, terror instantly spread.
The Red Dragon's wings suddenly flapped, propelling its massive body into the air. Simultaneously, a black soul ring lit up, and a gigantic flaming dragon head roared out. As it plummeted down, the entire city wall was enveloped in high temperatures and flames, followed by a terrifying explosion. The whole wall let out a shattering roar at this moment. The soldiers within this range didn't even have time to scream before they were completely reduced to flying ash, leaving no trace behind.
At this time, many soldiers were scared out of their wits and fell into a panic. Who would care about fighting back? They only wanted to flee for their lives. However, doing so would only make them die faster. Wu Yan was entirely unleashing a massacre on the garrison troops on the city walls.
Seeing this scene, Zheng Zhan's eyes widened to the point of tearing!
"Stop!"
An angry roar echoed across the walls of Dongyang City. But Wu Yan paid absolutely no attention to it. You tell me to stop and I'll stop? Don't forget, we are enemies. Thus, Wu Yan's attacks only grew more intense.
Even if a Class 8 Soul Engineer charged up, it was like delivering food; they couldn't even withstand a single move before being instantly killed by Wu Yan.
In his desperation, Zheng Zhan circled his hands before his chest, and a shield, pure white like jade, appeared out of thin air. While withstanding Tai Yu's attacks, he sent the shield flying out to block Wu Yan's offensive.
And this shield was his renowned, powerful soul tool—the Unbreakable Divine Shield, a genuine Class 9 Soul Tool!
However, Zheng Zhan was now distracted. Facing two Super Douluos and fighting one against two—not even Jing Hongchen would dare do such a thing. Seeing such an opportunity, how could Tai Yu possibly let it slip?
As a blood-red soul ring lit up, his already terrifying left arm swelled up again, expanding to three times its size like a pillar supporting the heavens. His granite-like muscles bulged, and the thick green veins could no longer be hidden by hair, coiling around his arm like little snakes. A shockwave formed from terrifying yellow light fiercely burst forth.
Boom—
Crack—
A loud rumble and a shattering sound rang out one after another. The defense Zheng Zhan had propped up on the city wall was violently shattered!
"Pfft—"
Zheng Zhan spat out a mouthful of blood toward the sky, but he didn't retreat a single step. After firmly planting his stance, a Class 9 Soul Tool appeared in his hand. A red halo radiated outward with him as the center. When it struck Tai Yu, it made him feel an irresistible force that forcefully blasted him backward.
Immediately after, Zheng Zhan took out a Class 9 Fixed Mounted Soul Guided Cannonball, aimed it in Tai Yu's direction, and without hesitation, fired it off. With just one glance, Tai Yu's scalp went numb. He hurriedly reacted and dodged backward.
The next moment, Boom—
The explosion rang out, and a mushroom cloud billowed up.
...
Just as the northern city wall fell into crisis, the eastern and western walls quickly dispatched troops to reinforce the north, though they didn't strip their defenses entirely, still leaving some troops to hold their original posts.
The southern wall, however, was completely different. Right now, the southern wall was completely empty. The Soul Engineer Legion Commander stationed here had suppressed all his doubts and deployed everyone to the north wall.
As a result, no one noticed a figure abruptly appear on the southern city wall. His emerald-green robe looked extremely out of place, and this person was undoubtedly Dugu Xin.
Dugu Xin stood on the city wall, overlooking the interior. Watching the stationed troops in the city constantly surging toward the north to reinforce it, a sinister look flashed with an evil brilliance. The next second, a black soul ring lit up.
"Seventh Soul Skill—Ten-Headed Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor True Body."
"Hiss—"
With a flick of its forked tongue, a gargantuan Ten-Headed Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor True Body coiled itself atop the city wall. Twenty pairs of sinister eyes overlooked the scene inside the city, and then it quietly lay flat against the ground.
Layers of dark green light slowly spread out, diffusing toward the entirety of Dongyang City, intending to envelop it all. Ever since the Sun Moon Empire's retreating army had been stationed in Dongyang City, Dugu Xin had never made a move. Because he was waiting for the opportunity brought about by the chaotic situation right before him. At a time like this, no one would notice him, giving him ample time to release his deadly poison. Because it was no exaggeration to say that his venom possessed the power to slaughter a nation; slaughtering a city was effortless.
In order not to let a single person escape, Dugu Xin didn't have his deadly poison take effect immediately. Instead, he subtly infused the venom into the ground of Dongyang City. Only the ground gradually turned dark green, expanding rapidly.
At this time, even the soul masters and soul engineers standing on the ground wouldn't feel a thing, because the toxins were completely contained beneath the surface. Even if there were detection-type soul tools constantly monitoring Dongyang City, with the battle being so fierce, who would have the energy to pay attention?
He would wait until none of them could escape before he slaughtered them wantonly. At this thought, a cruel, vicious smirk curled up at the corner of his mouth.
Meanwhile, Boom, boom, boom, boom—
The terrifying attacks made the entire Dongyang City violently tremble. Tai Yu, who had been injured by the Class 9 Fixed Mounted Soul Guided Cannonball, completely disregarded his current injuries, allowing the Sun Moon Army to vent all their attacks onto his body.
Raising his fist, he punched out!
Dong—
A massive dent appeared on the city gate. Accompanied by this tyrannical collision, a huge crack began to appear on the wall connected to the gate. And the city gate also deformed from this bombardment; even the surrounding walls were becoming increasingly unable to hold.
Above Dongyang City, Zheng Zhan's eyes were already bloodshot. The consequences of the city gate being breached were unimaginable! Once Dongyang City was broken, the army led by Elder Kong would be like being trapped on an isolated island, completely cut off from any help.
"Stop them! Even if you have to die, hold the line for me!"
Saying this, he waved his hand, and beams of light screens rained down. No matter what, he wanted to trap Wu Yan first.
Unfortunately, his idea was wishful thinking.
Wu Yan shattered the light screens and spread his wings to fly high. But it was precisely this flight that made him notice the Ten-Headed Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor coiled on the northern city wall, and he couldn't help but widen his eyes.
Clearly, he had already guessed Dugu Xin's plan. So, a dragon roar echoed across the city walls,
"Old Fifth, retreat! Get as far away as possible!"
Hearing this, Tai Yu's movements paused for a moment. He was puzzled, but he chose to trust him. He immediately stopped his attacks and retreated backward.
This scene left Zheng Zhan stunned. He couldn't fathom why they would retreat at a time like this.
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