With a great army laying siege to the city, the entire nation’s attention was fixed upon it. Within the Divine Land, the atmosphere was incredibly heavy.
It was not just the people and factions of the Divine Land paying attention; even foreign powers had fixed their gaze upon the city of Shangjing.
Although war now raged across the Western Continent, and the Five Nations had reached certain agreements with Neon regarding interests in the Divine Land, this did not mean they would sit back and completely ignore the developing situation.
The outcome of the battle for Shangjing would be the turning point for the Divine Land, particularly regarding the movements of Yuan Tianhao and the Beidou Army.
He was suspected of having broken through to the Divine General realm, of rising from the brink of death after a grievous injury, and of manifesting a strange phenomenon. Everyone wanted to know the truth of it all.
Spies from all factions appeared throughout Shangjing, attempting to gather intelligence on Yuan Tianhao’s physical condition.
Just then, Yuan Tianhao made a high-profile move, summoning all the masters who had come to reinforce Shangjing to gather at the Yuan Mansion and discuss the grand strategy for resisting the Neon forces.
The meeting lasted nearly half an hour, with Yuan Tianhao personally presiding.
For the meeting, he had placed the Seven-Star Candle in an adjacent room and had drunk a large amount of Golden Willow Jade Liquid beforehand. It was enough to sustain him for a short while, so on the surface, he showed no signs of abnormality.
Yuan Tianhao’s personal appearance caused an uproar. On one hand, it was a massive morale boost for the people of the Divine Land. On the other, it struck fear into the hearts of the Neon Influence and the spies from other nations.
’Yuan Tianhao is actually unharmed?!’
In the meeting, Yuan Tianhao declared his and the Beidou Army’s resolve to defend Shangjing. He laid out a strategy centered on using the city’s formidable defenses to resist the Neon army and called upon more patriots to gather in Shangjing to face the national crisis together.
In no time, more masters flocked to Shangjing. From among the eight great Warlords came the Military Commanders of the Shenxiao, Yun Ling, and Celestial Mansion armies; seven powerhouses at the level of the Sixteen Generals from four different armies; and over a dozen masters of the Harmony realm. Beyond the Warlord system, Harmony masters from the Martial Arts Association and the civilian Martial Arts Realm also arrived. Even Yang Xun and Li Ping of the National Salvation Association were now gathered in the Capital City.
Although Lin Quelan and some Military Commanders had selfishly retreated to their own domains, the forces now gathered in Shangjing under Yuan Tianhao’s call were nearly as strong as the coalition army Lin Quelan had once led. The only disparity was in the numbers of ordinary soldiers and equipment.
However, with a sufficient number of masters, this gap was not a major issue, as they could leverage the favorable terrain within Shangjing to maximize the masters’ combat effectiveness.
It seemed the Divine Land’s perilous situation was about to be turned around. Many factions speculated that the Neon army would not dare to launch a rash attack under these circumstances, and that the two sides would most likely resolve the conflict through negotiations.
However, within the Neon army...
"Organize our forces. We attack Shangjing immediately. We can afford no more delays."
The moment Seiichiro Shintani heard that Yuan Tianhao had personally appeared to preside over the meeting, he made his decision.
"Yuan Tianhao’s exact condition is unknown. Isn’t attacking now far too rash? If he truly has achieved a breakthrough, Shangjing will be a death trap. In urban terrain, the personal might of a top master is amplified exponentially, while our army’s advantage in arms and equipment will be severely diminished."
Someone spoke up.
"Indeed. The last time, four of us pinnacle-class masters tried to ambush him, and he still escaped. If he has broken through to a new realm and has now gathered the experts of the Divine Land, the situation will be dire."
Among the Three Saints, Time Wheel Divine River Moon spoke.
The other pinnacle-class masters nodded in agreement. The battle to assassinate Yuan Tianhao had left a profound impression on them all. If his breakthrough hadn’t gone awry then, they might have been the ones in mortal danger.
"I have studied Yuan Tianhao’s character in detail. His ambition is to swallow mountains and rivers; he walks the Path of Overlord. Whether in his Martial Dao or his politics, he is magnificent and full of Overbearing Fury. If he had truly overcome his ordeal and reached the Divine General realm, his personality would never allow him to simply defend Shangjing. He would have already led his forces out to meet us in a final, decisive battle. This defensive strategy is completely out of character for him."
"This can only mean that he is all bark and no bite. Either he hasn’t recovered his full strength, or he is facing some other crisis. His attempt to cover it up only makes it more conspicuous. The longer we wait, the more time we give them to prepare, and the greater our disadvantage becomes. Before, I couldn’t be certain. But now that he has shown himself and adopted a defensive posture, I am at least seventy percent sure."
Seiichiro Shintani said calmly, his eyes glinting with a light that seemed to pierce through all deception.
"It’s also possible he’s trying to lure us into an attack. Once we breach the city walls, retreating won’t be so easy. That would be his chance to wipe out our main force."
Someone offered.
"That is a possibility, of course, but a highly unlikely one. Because Shangjing is too special. It has been the capital of the Divine Land for a millennium. Any damage it sustains would be a stain on the nation’s honor. A man with Yuan Tianhao’s pride would never allow such a disgrace to fall upon him."
"However, this is all just speculation. It is a high-stakes gamble. But I am prepared to accept the price of this wager. If my judgment proves wrong, I will immediately commit seppuku to atone for my error. I ask all of you to be my witnesses."
A smile touched Seiichiro Shintani’s lips, revealing a hint of madness. "Now, in my capacity as Commander of the Neon Far East Army, I order all units to attack according to the original plan. Tonight, we take Shangjing!"
An hour later, the Neon Army mobilized, a vast and imposing force rolling toward Shangjing.
The entire Divine Land was shaken!
Within Shangjing, the scent of war hung thick and heavy in the air.
Inside the Yuan Mansion, Yuan Tianhao’s expression changed the moment he received the news.
’Time! Time!’
What they needed most right now was time. His every move had been calculated to delay the Neon Army’s offensive.
Yet, the enemy had apparently seen right through his bluff. The moment he held that meeting, they had launched a full-scale invasion.
’Such decisiveness... such confidence... such judgment...’
’The Neon Army truly has no shortage of talent.’
The Neon Army’s decisive move had made the situation deteriorate instantly.
In the final moments of his life, he had failed to buy enough time for Mr. Zhao.
"Mr. Zhao isn’t finished yet, and we don’t know how much longer he needs. With the Neon Army attacking the city now, what are we going to do?"
Meng Dongtai’s expression was grim. He knew that the Divine Land’s forces were merely putting on a brave front.
"It is a matter of fate and Destiny. We have done all that is humanly possible; the rest is up to heaven. Don’t worry about anything else. Follow the plan. Gather the masters. And... have me secretly taken up to the gatehouse on the city wall."
"I, Yuan Tianhao, have spent my life in the saddle. To fall on the battlefield in the end... it would be a fortunate way to go."
"It seems this is my Destiny!"
Yuan Tianhao said with a smile.
As evening fell, the main force of the Neon Army arrayed itself outside the northern gate of Shangjing. Atop the city walls, the masters and soldiers of the Divine Land stood ready, a line of grim defense.
The great battle was about to erupt!
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter