With thirty thousand enemy troops attacking, yet Sect Master Jun was still sitting on the tower roof—this operation was truly flashy.
“Sect Master.”
Li Qingyang leaned into his eight-times scope, the crosshairs locked on Tao Yuan’s helmet, and transmitted: “Target locked.”
“Hit the ground by his horse’s feet.”
Jun Changxiao said: “Give him a greeting gift.”
Xiao Zuiji lowered his gun barrel slightly and decisively pulled the trigger.
*Whoosh—* A tracer round shot from the barrel, blasting forth at extreme speed.
With his current marksmanship, he could definitely hit wherever he aimed!
However, the moment the silent bullet shot out, a black shadow suddenly flew from within the enemy army, blocking in front of Tao Yuan and instantly condensing a defensive barrier.
*Bang!*
The tracer round hit the barrier with a muffled sound.
However, the defensive barrier was extremely strong and wasn’t penetrated.
Jiang Xie frowned: “Wuwang.”
“Tsk tsk.”
Jun Changxiao said: “This Seat wanted to give him a greeting gift, but instead he gave himself a show of force.”
*Swish!*
The weathered old man standing before Tao Yuan waved his long sleeve, dispersing the thick spiritual energy wall, and said in a deep voice: “Only incompetent rats would use sneak attacks.”
Though he said this, his heart was quite shocked.
The attacking stream of light had been too fast. Although he captured it with his spiritual sense, if he had delayed even slightly, he definitely wouldn’t have made it in time to rescue!
Tao Yuan’s expression changed.
If not for having a powerful protector, he might have been in danger just then.
He was overthinking it.
Sect Master Jun was just sending a greeting gift.
Even without Wuwang protection, at most it would have hit the ground by his feet, startling the warhorse.
*Swish!*
Jun Changxiao stood up: “General Tao, Qingyang Commandery is just a small place. Why must you come attack us?”
Tao Yuan said: “This friend hasn’t answered my question yet.”
The situation had been so dangerous just now, yet he could still speak so calmly—this person’s mental fortitude was also extremely strong.
Jun Changxiao shrugged: “I’m not the City Lord of Qingyang City. I’m the Sect Master of the Iron Bones Sect.”
“Jun Changxiao?” Tao Yuan said.
Our Sect Master Jun had truly become widely known—even rising stars in military circles had heard his name.
Jun Changxiao said: “Correct.”
Tao Yuan frowned slightly: “You’re merely a power faction. Do you intend to participate in secular warfare?”
“If your Zhenyang Commandery attacked other commanderies, my Iron Bones Sect naturally wouldn’t get involved. But Qingyang City is my homeland—how could I sit by and do nothing?” Jun Changxiao said.
“Very well.”
Tao Yuan said: “So Sect Master Jun intends to defend Qingyang City to the death.”
Nonsense.
If I don’t defend Qingyang City, the quest fails!
“Hmph.”
The Wuwang standing before Tao Yuan said coldly: “Just now, who fired that sneak attack? If you have the guts, come out and fight this old man for three hundred rounds!”
Jiang Xie lazily stood up and said lightly: “Wuwang cannot participate in secular warfare. You should know this rule, right?”
That Wuwang sneered: “This old man isn’t participating—I just want to spar with Qingyang City’s experts.”
Seriously.
A Wuwang wanting to spar with experts from a Ninth-Rank Commandery—it was practically written on his face: I’m here to bully people!
“Very well.”
Jiang Xie said: “This elder will spar with you.”
*Thud!*
Kicking off the wall, he deployed Cloud Treading Steps. His entire body immediately leaped down, his hands behind his back throughout—utterly stylish.
“Elder Jiang is mighty!” The disciples cheered and encouraged!
*Plop!*
“Ow—”
Jiang Xie carelessly planted face-first into the ground after jumping from the tower.
“Elder Jiang…”
The disciples’ mouths immediately twitched.
This guy—was he really our Iron Bones Sect’s only current elder?
“Ahem.”
Jiang Xie stood up from the ground, dusted himself off, and coughed twice: “The ground is too soft—it can’t withstand our battle. How about we change locations?”
Forcing himself to save face—this operation was definitely flashier than Jun Changxiao.
“Hmph.”
That Wuwang sneered: “You choose the location.”
Jiang Xie pointed to a distant forest: “Let’s go there.”
As he spoke, he transmitted: “Sect Master, Wuwang cannot participate in secular warfare. I’ll lure this guy away. The rest is up to you.”
“Go ahead,” Jun Changxiao said.
Wuwang couldn’t participate in war—this was the first time he’d learned this, but it gave him great relief.
Sixth-Rank Zhenyang Commandery definitely had quite a few Wuwang. If they could just send two to attack the city, there would be no way to defend Qingyang City.
*Swish!*
*Swish!*
Jiang Xie and that Wuwang deployed movement techniques, heading toward the forest ahead.
Tao Yuan returned to the formation. Dozens of soldiers wearing heavy armor and equipped with medium shields blocked in front of him, clearly worried about more hidden weapons.
“General Tao.”
Jun Changxiao said: “Qingyang City has few people and little land, and no valuable resources. How about we all make peace and profit together, and you just withdraw your troops?”
If he could solve things with words, he naturally didn’t want to resort to weapons.
Tao Yuan said: “Tao has come under orders. If Sect Master Jun doesn’t want too many casualties, you can open the city and surrender.”
Jun Changxiao shook his head: “In Jun’s dictionary, there are no such words as ‘surrender.'”
“Since that’s the case, we can only decide victory on the battlefield.”
After Tao Yuan spoke, he waved his hand.
*Swish swish swish!*
The cavalry at the front parted, and several hundred infantry pushed forward four heavy siege weapons resembling catapults.
“Holy shit!”
Jun Changxiao exclaimed in surprise: “They even have this thing?”
Xue Rengui said: “These are crystal core catapults, powered by crystal cores. Even loading the most ordinary stones, they can produce tremendous destructive power.”
Just then, Xie Guangkun also came up. Seeing the four catapults the enemy had set up, his expression changed drastically: “It’s over, it’s over—these are much more powerful than magic explosive crossbows!”
“Sect Master Jun.”
Tao Yuan said: “Tao will give you one more chance—will you choose surrender, or choose to defend to the death?”
*Creak creak creak!*
Several infantry worked together to load four iron balls weighing a thousand pounds each onto the catapults.
Powered by crystal cores, once launched, they could produce enough force to blast a hole in the city wall.
This was just loading iron balls.
If they loaded artillery shells condensed from crystal cores, they could easily blow apart half the city wall!
Jun Changxiao said decisively: “Defend to the death.”
Tao Yuan waved his hand.
*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh—*
The calibrated crystal core catapults immediately launched the four iron balls. Because of the crystal core propulsion, not only was the speed fast, they even trailed streams of light!
City Lord Xie’s expression changed drastically!
Each ball had at least two hundred thousand pounds of force!
If they hit the city wall, all his hard work building defenses would be destroyed!
“Zhou Hong.”
Jun Changxiao said: “Leave it to you.”
*Thud.*
Zhou Hong stepped forward, standing at the very front of the tower, one hand resting on his sword, his gaze locked on the four incoming iron balls.
“This…” City Lord Xie was dumbfounded.
With such speed, such force—did he intend to break them with sword techniques?
*Clang—*
Suddenly, the sound of a sword being drawn rang out. In City Lord Xie’s vision, countless densely packed sword shadows appeared, instantly weaving into an inescapable net!
In this instant—eighty sword strikes!