Chapter 72: Chapter 72: Wholehearted Loyalty [Fourth Watch]_1

This time, the attack on the city by the coalition of eighteen feudal lords was of an immense scale. Their collective military force was four-to-five million strong; some even mobilized soldiers from outer regions or incorporated those from Daqian, surrounding the Imperial City completely. Naturally, the leader of these eighteen warlords was the most influential and powerful King Wei Wu. His declared motive was to avenge his son: Wei Shen was publicly executed by Chu Yuan, and as a father, taking revenge for his son was the most appropriate excuse. Boom! Boom! Boom! The deafening sound of cannons echoed, and a myriad of siege machines bombarded the city gate like a violent storm. The ground trembled harshly from the bombardment, indicating they were well-prepared and had a sufficient number of attack instruments to break through the city gate as quickly as possible. The Eastern Gate of the Imperial City. The onslaught here was the fiercest, with over half of all troops and weaponry concentrated at this location. Thankfully, the Imperial City was designed to be strong and sturdy from the onset. Its defenses were unparalleled compared to ordinary towns and cities. "Earlier, I'd already spread rumors that Emperor Dawu was trapped in the Mountain Range of Ten Thousand Beasts, claiming he had even died inside. After all, there's been no news from him for more than a half month. Although many people didn't believe it, it undoubtedly affected their morale," said Li Yun, clad in armor despite usually dressed in brocade. What drew the most attention was his cultivation level, which had reached the brink of attaining divine power, not the tenth level of Divine Abilities! "Correct, that young emperor was too overconfident, daring to personally lead the army to quell the beast tide. He thought the threat was only coming from the bordering four nations, but little did he know we have been prepared for a long time and were waiting for this day. Otherwise, how would it be so easy for us to besiege the city?" Shangguan Qingyun, dressed in full military gear and gazing at the smoky city walls, sneered with a cold, domineering gaze. Just like Li Yun, his cultivation level had also reached the brink of attaining divine power, not the tenth level of Divine Abilities! The two had broken through to the edge of divinity at the same time. "Unfortunately, despite the general and I being prepared, the young emperor managed to root out a lot of our schemes." Li Yun smirked sinisterly, "But he would never guess that we could have broken through to the brink of divine power long ago but held back deliberately to put him at ease." It turns out Li Yun and Shangguan Qingyun had long had the power to break through to the brink of divine power but hid their abilities to maintain their cover. When Chu Yuan led troops towards the Mountain Range of Ten Thousand Beasts, they could see the ensuing great battle even from the Imperial City. However, it quickly died down, leading the two men to suspect that Chu Yuan may have fallen on the mountain range or suffered heavy losses. Li Yun simply notified the eighteen warlords to launch their planned attack ahead of time, cutting off Chu Yuan's retreat. Originally, Li Yun and Shangguan Qingyun planned to incite a rebellion within the Imperial City and open the city gates. However, Chu Yuan preemptively stationed the Forbidden Army in the Imperial City. Furthermore, he had removed a large number of traitors in prior purges, leaving Shangguan Qingyun unable to start a mutiny. Moreover, they no longer had any allies within the six departments of the city. Thinking of this, they were filled with resentment. A thousand-year empire may not last, but there are countless clans that have lasted for thousands and tens of thousands of years." Shangguan Qing Yun and Li Yun cast each other a sharp glance. So that was what King Wei Wu had in mind. As expected, he was an old fox with deep schemes. "Zhang Cheng, Hong Yun, you two are still stubbornly resisting. Why don't you surrender by opening the city gates now?" At this moment, King Wei Wu suddenly launched into the sky, and a force that could shake the laws of heaven and earth roared out, causing a powerful disruption on the city walls. "King Wei Wu!" There were two men standing on the eastern city wall. Hong Yun was one of them, the other was Zhang Cheng, who was dressed in armor that resembled dragon scales, the commander of the Qinglong Army. "Your Highness, as the king of Dawu, you wantonly besiege the Imperial City without the Emperor's decree. Are you not aware that this is a crime punishable by the execution of your entire clan?" Zhang Cheng sneered. "The emperor died long ago in the Manifold Beast Mountain Range. With such a long time of no action, do you think he will return? I suppose you know better than I about the dangers inside the Manifold Beast Mountain Range. Why are you still so obstinate?" King Wei Wu retorted. "As someone who receives the Emperor's salary, I swear my loyalty to him. Even if it means death, I will never betray him," Zhang Cheng shook his head. "Dawu is doomed, and the four countries are eying its territory. The wars at the borders have already begun. The day when the armies of the four countries break into the Imperial City is just around the corner. There's no chance of turning the tide. You two might as well surrender to me with your Forbidden Army. If you resist to the end and the city is broken, isn't a massacre inevitable? What would be the point? Besides, if the city is breached by me, it's likely that your entire clan will be executed," King Wei Wu threatened. "Impossible!" Zhang Cheng, seeing Hong Yun wavering, suddenly shouted out: "I am the head of the Imperial Guards of Dawu. As long as the city stands, I stand. If the city perishes, I perish!" "Fine, since you insist, there's no need for me to say more." King Wei Wu, having anticipated this, ordered Fan Ning, "Go, break down the gate of Wu City for me." "Yes, Your Highness!" As Fan Ning spoke, he held a pair of giant hammers in his hands, the aura they radiated was that of a Divine Artifact. "This Divine Artifact was accidentally obtained by me from an ancient ruin," King Wei Wu explained, "Fan Ning, go breach the city gate." "Sky-breaking Hammer, Sky-breaking Frenzy Dance!"