Any army from the era of cold weapons would likely feel despair when facing such a fortress.
Even with ten times the troops to besiege it, one could not hope to crack this hard nut without at least half a year or more.
However, Wu Liang, who was currently standing below the city walls, did not have the slightest hint of solemnity on his face.
He sat on his horse, leisurely raising his telescope to examine the defenses atop the wall.
On the city walls, the remaining Imperial Soldiers were in a state of complete chaos.
They had already received news of the main army's defeat and the capture of the Fortress Lord.
Now leaderless and facing the massive, dark army below, everyone was filled with trepidation.
Some low-ranking officers tried to organize a defense, but no one listened to them at all.
Soldiers huddled behind the battlements, staring in terror at the unprecedented army below.
They saw orderly infantry phalanxes and the cold glint of Bayonets under the sunlight.
They saw strange black iron tubes being pushed to the front, as well as mysterious weapons covered in thick canvas that required four beasts of burden to pull.
Everything unknown filled their hearts with fear.
"Chief, these walls are certainly high enough," Suina said as she rode up to Wu Liang's side. She looked up at the towering walls, her tight leather armor accentuating her tall and agile figure.
"If we were to use lives to fill the gap, I'm afraid we wouldn't even touch the city gate without losing several thousand men."
Wu Liang lowered his telescope and smiled.
"Who said anything about using lives to fill the gap?"
He pointed to the black iron tubes being pushed to the front of the formation.
Those were the Simple Mortars he had the Military Workshop rush out overnight.
"Suina, do you see those Arrow Towers and magic ballistae on the wall?"
"I see them. It looks like a hedgehog," Suina said with a curl of her lip.
"I'll give you half an hour."
Wu Liang's tone was very flat.
"Use our cannons to pluck those prickly things out one by one for me. I want Tiee Fortress to become a toothless tiger."
"No problem!" Suina's eyes instantly lit up, and she waved her hand excitedly. "Artillery Team! Prepare!"
Following her command, dozens of artillerymen immediately sprang into action.
They pulled back the canvas, revealing slanted barrels. Other soldiers carefully moved spindle-shaped shells from the ammunition carts.
These shells were an improved version of the Flying Thunder Cannon shells. They were no longer filled with pure nitroglycerin explosives, but were Shrapnel Shells mixed with a large amount of steel balls and iron fragments.
When these shells exploded, their power might not match that of a pure Explosive Pack, but the countless high-speed fragments would be a devastating blow to clustered targets and unprotected personnel on the walls.
On the wall, an Imperial officer noticed the movement of the Black Rock Army below.
"What are they doing? What are those iron tubes for?"
He asked his adjutant in confusion.
"I don't know, sir. They don't look like catapults."
"Whatever they are, order the magic ballistae to prepare! Aim at those iron tubes and blast them!"
The officer gave the order.
The magic ballistae on several Arrow Towers began to turn slowly. The heavy bow arms were pulled back by winches, and giant bolts radiating a magical glow were loaded onto them.
However, before they could fire, the Black Rock Army's artillery positions below let out a roar first.
"Fire!"
Following Suina's command, dozens of gunners pulled their firing cords simultaneously.
"Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!"
A series of dull thuds echoed as shells left the barrels. Dozens of black shells trailed faint smoke as they whistled into the sky,
tracing precise parabolas as they smashed toward the walls of Tiee Fortress.
The Imperial Soldiers on the wall watched this scene in stunned silence.
They had never seen an attack with such a long range.
Before they could react, the shells fell from the heavens.
"Boom! Boom! Boom-rumble!!"
Violent explosions rang out across the wall one after another.
A towering Arrow Tower was snapped in the middle by an explosion. The soldiers and magic ballistae on top were tossed away like toys, disintegrating in mid-air.
At another section of the wall, a shell landed precisely where the defenders were most densely packed.
The explosive flames and shockwave instantly cleared that area, and the flying steel balls and iron fragments continuously claimed the lives of the surrounding soldiers.
Screams, wails, and explosions instantly resounded throughout Tiee Fortress.
In an instant, the city wall was transformed into a living hell.
Wu Liang held his telescope, coldly watching the tragedy unfolding on the wall.
"Suina, well done. Continue."
He said calmly, "Don't stop. Fire round after round."
"Until everything that can move on that wall is cleared away for me."
He wanted to use this most barbaric and unreasonable method to tell everyone in Tiee Fortress one thing.
The era has truly changed.
In the face of absolute firepower, no matter how sturdy the wall, it was nothing more than a magnificent coffin.
"Boom! Boom-rumble!!"
Another round of shelling fell. The top of an Arrow Tower was completely blown off, with burning rubble and wooden chunks flying everywhere.
The several ballista operators inside, along with the magic ballistae they were so proud of, were turned into charcoal and scrap metal.
The Imperial Soldiers on the wall completely collapsed.
They had never experienced such a terrifying war.
The enemy hadn't even approached the wall, yet they had already suffered heavy casualties. Those black iron lumps fell from the sky with no way to dodge them, and every explosion would take away a swath of lives.
"Devils! They are devils!"
"Run! We can't stay on the wall!"
"I don't want to die! I don't want to die here!"
Soldiers threw down their weapons, crying and scrambling as they fled the wall.
Some officers tried to use their swords to quell the panic, but they were directly pushed down and trampled by the terrified soldiers.
The entire defensive system of the wall was completely paralyzed within just a few minutes.
Suina stood at the artillery position, looking at her masterpiece, her cheeks flushed with excitement.
She stood with her hands on her hips and shouted to the gunners around her:
"Beautifully done! Lads and lasses! Aim true! Don't waste shells! Smash those turtle shells one by one for me!"
In her Artillery Team, many were clansmen from the original Chuishi Tribe, both men and women.
They had a natural affinity for these weapons that were full of power.
At this moment, they were nimbly clearing the barrels, adjusting angles, and loading shells. Their movements were performed in one smooth motion, carrying a sense of crisp power.
Wu Liang lowered his telescope, very satisfied with the effect of the shelling.
These Simple Mortars had a basic structure—just a seamless steel pipe plus a base.
The shells were also the most basic cast iron shell bodies with tail fins.
But it was this seemingly crude weapon that, in this era, was a formidable killing machine.
Its range far exceeded bows and catapults, and its curved trajectory allowed it to perfectly attack targets on the city walls.
Coupled with the horrific lethality of the Shrapnel Shells, it was simply a nightmare for city defense forces.
"Akomann, Ignis," Wu Liang called out.
"Here!"
"After the shelling pauses, you lead your people in."
Wu Liang pointed at the tightly closed iron city gate.
"I don't want to see too many casualties. Use the fastest speed possible to blow that gate open for me."
"Blow it open?"
Ignis was stunned for a moment, then her eyes lit up.
"Using those Explosive Packs?"
"Exactly."
Wu Liang nodded.
"Have the Engineer Unit prepare a sufficient amount of explosives. Under the cover of the Rifle Battalion, blow that gate to the sky for me."