Chapter 381 – Bearing Down with the Weight of Mount Tai
Attacking a dynasty wasn’t just a matter of words; it required a lot of preparation. Military forces, equipment, materials, etc. Especially when the other side had many experts that could only be restrained or killed with their own experts at corresponding ranks.
Moreover, they certainly would have to carry out siege warfare in the future. Small towns could be disregarded, but the kind of first-cla.s.s main city required the soldiers to forcibly break in. This was the most effective method, but also the one that produced the most casualties. Iron Eagle and the other commanders couldn’t afford it.
However, everything became much more convenient now with Sky City, which could destroy a city without even attacking – by simply landing on it. Since the mission was to destroy the traitors of mankind and not conquest, there was no need to go easy. They just had to smash everything until there was no living person left.
After the discussion, Iron Eagle and the other higher-ups remained in Sky City. They stood on the edge of the city, looking down at the millions of NPC soldiers and players surrounding the small town. There were flashes of light from time to time when someone cast skills.
“Troops, ready to set out!” Iron Eagle pa.s.sed down the order, and the army below immediately took action. As smoothly as flowing water, they quickly gathered into a phalanx, seething with killing intent like hounds ready to bite.
In his spare time, Lin Xi explained the ident.i.ty of Iron Eagle to Fatty. The guy was one of the five great marshals of the Central Dynasty, his status second only to the Grand Marshal of All Troops. There were five legions under the Grand Marshal of All Troops, including the Blood Eagle troops of Iron Eagle, each having one million members. Originally, the five marshals of these five legions had their respective work and wouldn’t move areas easily. However, this attack on the Sun Dynasty was a serious matter, especially when the archenemy of mankind, the Demon race, was involved. Therefore, such a strong man was sent.
“Dragon, Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Eagle are the five marshals? Then Marshal Ferotiger is the Tiger?” It suddenly dawned on Fatty.
From how one Marshal Ferotiger was capable of leading his troops to contend with the five Demon Kings in Heavens Scar, one could understand the strength of the five marshals. The Central Dynasty sending Iron Eagle here just went to show their determination to destroy the Sun Dynasty.
Sky City slowly flew in the sky while the NPC troops and players followed it on the ground. During the flight, Fatty welcomed the members of G.o.d Familia, Misty Waterfall, Great Four Gates, Fierce Dragon Gang, and Rainrevelers into Sky City. Now that the peripheral defense had been built. Aside from large-scale army attacks, Fatty didn’t fear any guild.
Coming to Sky City, those who had already known that Fatty was the lord of Sky City could act composed, just a little curious, but those who learned for the first time that such a city was in the hands of a player was shocked into disgrace and secretly put up their guard against Fatty.
“Bro, this is Sky City? So big!” Qian Xiaoqian excitedly latched on Fatty’s arm.
“A city that can fly, a flying fortress.” The eyes of the guild masters shone brilliantly. They just wanted to kick Fatty down and become the lord themselves.
“With this, what’s the need for sneak attacks and a.s.sa.s.sinations? We find someone unpleasing? No need to bully, no need for cannons, we fly-smash them! On the head!” shouted TheFugitive.
Amid the yelping of the aggressive war-lovers, Sky City traveled steadily and soon reached the defense line that the Sun Dynasty temporarily set up.
The ambush of Xuanhuang Ancient Country had blown up the Teleportation Portal, and the following series of explosions had blown up the millions of Demon troops as well as many of the Sun Dynasty people. In the killing later, the bombardment from Sky City under Fatty’s control finally had taken away the enemy’s last spirit, they had been forced to flee in misery and suffered many losses during the pursuit. Thanks to timely aid, they barely had managed to stand firm and even resisted the Xuanhuang pursuers.
Currently, the Demon army under the leaders.h.i.+p of five Demon Generals had escaped to who-knew-where, leaving only the Sun Dynasty people stomping their feet yelling in frustration. Originally it had been a good plan, but the sudden turn of events not only thwarted their benefits, and also resulted in heavy losses in addition to being abandoned by the entire Human world. This was the s.h.i.+ning lesson of going out for wool and coming home shorn.
“That flying fortress must be Sky City. As long as we capture it, it’s worthwhile even if our imperial city is breached.” In a military camp of the Sun Dynasty, several NPC generals and players were in discussion.
“With our current offensive force, we cannot hit Sky City at all.” There was an immediate reb.u.t.tal.
“Organize flying troops, we must win Sky City at all costs.” Some gnashed their teeth, others revealed visible greed in their eyes.
“Who will be the lord after we win Sky City?” This was the most important issue. As soon as it arose, the people who had been all a.s.sertive immediately lapsed into silence.
“Of course it will be dedicated to His Majesty the Emperor,” the NPC generals all agreed, but their words were simply ignored by the players.
“We four great families of the Wind Forest Flame Mountain have the most number, it naturally should be ours,” said a player wearing a maple epaulet.
“Your fart! Our West River clan alliance has no fewer members than you,” someone retorted.
“What’s the use of numbers? You’re just cannon fodder anyway.”
And then, the scene erupted into a quarrel. Before long, the sounds of metallic clanging could be heard along with flashes of magic; the impatient ones already resorted to violence.
“Someone come! Kill these b.a.s.t.a.r.ds who dare to steal my Sky City!” someone shouted.
“That’s enough!” an NPC general bellowed in rage. The field instantly quieted down.
Everyone was looking around at each other when suddenly someone laughed. “Isn’t it too early to discuss whether to steam or boil before the goose is shot down?”
“Then we compete for it. Whoever gets into Sky City first will be the city lord,” someone suggested.
“Alright. That’s settled then.”
Fatty didn’t know that the people of the Sun Dynasty had set their eyes on his position and nearly killed each other for it. Even if he knew, though, he’d just laughed it off. Not to mention the millions of soldiers below, just Sky City alone wasn’t something they could easily swallow.
Sitting within the Holy Spirit Island, Fatty controlled Sky City to fly towards the defense line of the Sun Dynasty. At the sight of this sky-blotting mobile main city and flying fortress, both the enemy NPCs and players began to panic.
“Don’t be afraid, this fortress shall be ours soon. And then we will use it to counterattack and level the Xuanhuang Ancient Country.” This was how some clan heads boosted morale.
“So calm?” Looking at the unmoving Sun Dynasty defense line below, Fatty smiled and said lightly, “Target: all enemies below. Launch an all-round attack.”
Through Sky City control center, Fatty’s order was quickly pa.s.sed down. Originally, the construction workers were responsible for attacking, but now they were replaced by the guild players.
As bowstring vibrations and turret roars ceaselessly resounded, a torrent of arrows and cannonb.a.l.l.s appeared from the edge of Sky City, hurling ferociously at the Sun Dynasty front line.
At this moment, Sky City was tens of thousands of meters high from the ground, and at such a height, even throwing a pebble could kill casually, not to mention sharp arrows and lethal cannons. This round of attack caused a rumble as the Sun Dynasty’s originally neat defense suddenly lost one portion, like a cake being cut off the middle, leaving only two ends.
“Hahahaha, this feels great!” Many players responsible for the bombardment laughed aloud and just wanted to do it again. However, the guild masters had already issued strict warnings: Each attack was a huge expense to Sky City, one wasn’t allowed to attack without orders. Everyone tried to endure the itch in their hearts as they watched the panic-stricken enemies below.
“How can it be so strong?” The Sun Dynasty was dumbfounded. Their flying troops had yet to be fully prepared and were no threat to Sky City.
“Withdraw, what are you still doing? Withdraw right now! Request His Majesty the Emperor to send the Heavenly Hound army immediately!” a general shouted.
When the Xuanhuang Ancient Country hadn’t even launched an official attack, the defense line of the Sun Dynasty had completely crumbled, from just a single round of bombardment from Sky City. The rest were only small fights to try to kill as many enemies as possible.
“As expected of the leader of the seven neutral cities and the existence that can rival the four main cities!” Iron Eagle exclaimed.
“Ahhh, pity the consumption is too big, there is no benefit to be gained.” Fatty was depressed. Every attack consumed astronomical reserves, which he couldn’t sustain right now.
“Worry not, one of their first-cla.s.s main cities isn’t far away. You won’t lose out then.” Iron Eagle laughed.
After flying in Sky City for half an hour, the outline of a city wall appeared in everyone’s view. This was one of the only two first-cla.s.s main cities below the Imperial City of the Sun Dynasty, Octahead City.
This city wasn’t square like the others, but was irregular in shape, long from east to west, short from north to south, and its walls were twisty. From above, it looked like the head of an animal.
“Octahead City is said to be the residence of the Sun Dynasty’s sacred beast Octahead Serpent. In terms of strength, it’s only a little less compared with our four sacred beasts. A very formidable fellow,” commented Iron Eagle whose eyes fixed on the distant city.
“Octahead Serpent? That huge nine-headed snake? Could it be related by blood to the hydra in the Demon realm?” Fatty asked.
“Very likely.” Lin Xi smiled. “Of their two first-cla.s.s main cities, Octahead City is named after the Octahead Serpent, and Nonatail City is named after the Nine-Tailed Fox. One has nine heads1 and the other has nine tails.”
“What about their Imperial City? What’s the big deal about it? “ Fatty got curious.
“There are so many powerful fellows there that even we dare not break-in at will.” Iron Eagle looked far away, seemingly in the direction of Sun Dynasty’s Imperial City. “After all, the capital of a dynasty is a place of crouching tigers and hidden dragons. It can’t be taken lightly.”
1. Translator: IDK why the author says nine heads and calls it octo.↩