Northern Frontier Triumph Chapter 114: The Siege (Part Three)

“Indeed, during the height of martial arts’ flourishing era, there were over a hundred at the pinnacle of martial cultivation. But looking at the world now, due to the decline in the quality of martial essence, the realm of Saint Martial Masters can dominate,” Xuanwu sighed. Yet he added, “However, humans have created a new power called the Military Martial Formation. By condensing the martial essence of countless individuals together, it increases the coherence of the martial essence. In a previous battle, I felt that this force even enhanced my divine essence.”

“You must be joking. How could humans possibly enhance our power?” Baihu said with disbelief. Even contracted Divine Warriors could only boost their strength through mutual aid. How could a group of humans, none even reaching the level of Grandmaster, match the caliber of a Divine Beast?

Xuanwu said nothing further, only calmly remarking, “You’ll see for yourself someday. Also, the contractor of Elder Azure Dragon is not far from here.”

Watching the two great beings converse in vague terms, Deng Zhanxuan and the others silently stood aside. When the conversation finally ceased, he reminded, “Lord Xuanwu, we need to open the gates of Zhenbei Pass. My brother and the others are still fighting outside the city.”

“Indeed, let’s leave that task to Baihu,” Xuanwu said sincerely, looking at the reluctant Baihu.

“Very well. Let me see what kind of descendants of Wuji these humans truly are,” Baihu declared, howling to the sky. Suddenly, his body swelled, instantly reaching a height of a hundred meters.

“Humans, climb up. I’ll take you there.”

As the two climbed onto Baihu’s broad back, he said casually, “Hold on tight.” Before the words had even left his mouth, his legs bent slightly, and in an instant, he leapt into the sky. Though it was merely a powerful jump among the mountains, to the two it felt as if they were flying.

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Back when Deng Zhanxuan had just left, the four commanders had already assembled their troops early in the morning, ready to engage at a moment’s notice. Li Qiutong had also finally risen early that day. As he stepped out of his tent, the four armies, including Guan Yu, Ren Xingtian, and even Qin Shuyu with several women, were quietly waiting on the open plain.

“Is everyone prepared?” Li Qiutong asked somewhat awkwardly.

“Brother Tong, we’ve been waiting for you,” Qin Shuyu smiled, stepping forward to straighten Li Qiutong’s attire. “The battlefield changes in an instant. Don’t be reckless—stay calm.”

“Of course. You should rest a bit longer; once you’re fully awake, we’ll enter the city.” Saying this, Li Qiutong drew his Yin-Yang Dragon Patterned Staff.

“Very well, I’ll lead the charge. Southern and Northern camps, follow me into battle.” Without further words, Li Qiutong mounted his warhorse, his fighting spirit soaring.

“Brother Tong, do you remember the key points of the siege?” Ren Xingtian couldn’t help but ask.

Li Qiutong smiled confidently. “Certainly. Focus on ranged attacks. Avoid recklessly approaching the walls.”

“Advance!”

Lin Xuan, clad in heavy armor, led the Northern Camp at the forefront, followed by Li Qiutong and the Southern Camp. Though less than ten thousand strong, their unstoppable momentum was formidable.

“Strategist, is this General Li’s first time leading troops in battle?” Guan Yu asked curiously.

“That’s right, but I believe Brother Tong will do well,” Ren Xingtian replied confidently.

“When will Commander Zhu’s Eastern Camp and I enter the fray?” Guan Yu inquired.

Ren Xingtian smiled faintly. “Once Brother Tong adapts to the Military Martial Formation, we can proceed.”

As they marched, Li Qiutong silently recalled Bilu’s words from the previous night.

In last night’s meeting, Bilu had detailed the defense of Zhenbei Pass.

“Zhenbei Pass is reputed as the strongest Northern Martial Domain on the continent for good reason. First, there’s the nearly two-hundred-meter-high wall of cold iron. Even a full-force strike from a four-star Saint Martial Master leaves barely a one-millimeter scratch. But the pass’s strength isn’t just the wall. What truly frightens the Northern Battle Clan are the various mechanisms atop the walls.” She unfolded a detailed map of Zhenbei’s fortifications.

“The southern wall’s attack range is within two hundred meters, so anything beyond that is mostly safe. The southern wall has three gates: two small ones on either side for civilians, each about four or five meters wide; to enter Zhenbei Pass, we must breach the central gate, which spans twenty meters and is designed for large armies. But it’s tightly locked most times. Opening it takes considerable time, so your task is to attack the pass, draw the defenders’ focus, and force their main forces onto the high walls, giving us enough time to open the gate.

“Be wary of the three defense lines. The first is four rows of crossbows mounted about a hundred meters high, fifty crossbows per row, totaling two hundred. They automatically reload and fire at intervals no longer than five seconds. After ten volleys, there’s a fifteen-minute cooldown. That’s when you can charge within a hundred meters.

“The second line is the Rolling Stone Formation, about fifty meters from the wall. There’s a stone release slot which, once the arrow barrage is broken, drops three-meter-diameter boulders from above. Forty stones fall at once, covering the road almost entirely. This mechanism can fire three waves consecutively, with the same fifteen-minute cooldown.”

“Then the last defense must be weapons designed to counter high-level martial artists,” Ren Xingtian asked.

“Exactly. At the highest points of the wall are five God-Slaying Crossbows.”

Upon hearing the name, Ren Xingtian’s face turned pale. “Those still exist? Legend has it they were crafted three hundred years ago during the God-Extermination War by a prodigious artisan. Using a millennial divine tree as the body, dragon sinews from the South Sea as the bowstrings, and Netherworld cold iron from the northern lands for the frames, paired with cold iron God-Slaying arrows. In that war, they slaughtered several gods, truly earning their name. But I heard afterward, due to their power disturbing the heavens, their creator destroyed them.”

Bilu was surprised. “I didn’t expect you to know so much. According to the elder of the Beitang family, the artisan did plan to destroy them, but the Northern Battle attacked, and he came to Zhenbei Pass to help the people by building these mechanisms. He brought the God-Slaying Crossbows here but modified them to be fixed atop the walls, only to defend against external enemies, not for the Eastern Martial War. The southern wall, seldom seeing battle, only has five crossbows, with no more than ten arrows stored. But the northern wall’s mechanisms are over three times stronger, with twenty God-Slaying Crossbows. Their power remains formidable, so caution is necessary.”

Ren Xingtian agreed. “Indeed, I didn’t expect Zhenbei Pass to harbor such deadly weapons. Brother Tong won’t easily overcome them.”

“Besides, the soldiers on the southern wall mostly belong to Zhang Xiu’s forces, about a thousand in number, and they’re not very familiar with the mechanisms. Their coordination will likely falter. That’s all I can say. You must remain vigilant tomorrow,” Bilu added.

She had witnessed the full operation of Zhenbei’s mechanisms firsthand—the devastation was unimaginable, leaving the powerful Northern Battle forces defenseless.

“General Li, the vanguard is only three hundred meters from Zhenbei Pass,” Zhu Yan’er reminded.

Awakened from his reverie by her words, Li Qiutong raised his head to behold a sky-touching wall. Its gray-white surface was solemn and heavy, bearing faint marks worn by time. Magnificent and masterfully crafted, this was Li Qiutong’s first impression of the Northern Martial Domain.

He spurred his horse forward gravely. “Order the attack.”

Atop the high wall of Zhenbei Pass, a few sparse soldiers leisurely sat around a wooden table, playing dice.

“Six points, big number. Haha, I win! Pay up!”

“How have you been so lucky recently? I’ve lost nearly a hundred coins these past few days,” one soldier sighed.

“Haha, can’t help it. Luck’s on my side.”

Just as they prepared for another round, the alarm bells suddenly rang out.

“What’s happening?”

A soldier hastily glanced into the distance. A heavily armed black-clad army, carrying towering menacing shields, was slowly advancing.

“Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Quickly, open the arrow formation!” Panic erupted, and the inexperienced soldiers were flustered but still professional. They soon activated the arrow mechanism.

“Everyone, stay calm. We defend the Northern Martial Domain—who could possibly breach this pass?” The officer’s words quickly steadied their nerves.

“I want to see who the fool is that dares attack Zhenbei Pass. Keep the God-Slaying Crossbows ready—I’ll make sure they never return,” he declared.

Below, Li Qiutong faced the first assault. Two hundred arrows suddenly pierced the air, but he remained unshaken.

At Lin Xuan’s command, the Northern Camp soldiers orderly raised their large shields, protecting every corner. Around them, a black barrier shimmered, spreading along the fortress shields.

“Commander Zhu, count the arrows,” Li Qiutong ordered.

“Understood.”

One wave, two waves, three waves, four waves, five waves...

Two thousand arrows rained down in under a minute, yet Li Qiutong stayed composed. Compared to the five thousand arrows from the Mongol cavalry’s previous volley, this mechanical arrow barrage was weaker.

In an instant, ten waves of arrow rain passed, and the entire army suffered no injuries. Eight-tenths of the arrows were blocked by the martial essence shields, while the few that pierced through shattered against the steel shields.

“All troops, advance.”

As expected, after ten waves, the arrow storm ceased, and the army steadily moved forward toward the gates of Zhenbei Pass.

Without the indomitable defense of the Northern Camp, relying solely on the Southern Camp’s mounted archers might have allowed swift passage through the arrow-covered hundred meters, but would have severely drained their martial essence. Moreover, the impending rolling stones would devastate the cavalry. Thus, Li Qiutong chose a steady, slow advance with the Northern Camp holding the front line.