Inside Donglin City.

All the citizens had already been evacuated in advance, as Heavenly Soldiers clad in silver armor bustled back and forth, swiftly taking up their prearranged posts.

Suddenly, a thunderous boom rose, and the city walls began to undulate and pull away from the ground, rising higher as the earth flowed like water and merged into the walls. The wall had grown over thirty feet taller, transforming this small county town into a fortified city with walls as tall as a small mountain.

Situated among a mountainous region, Donglin County was already in a strategically treacherous position. Now, with the walls heightened in such a manner, it could not be called a mighty pass, but it was no longer comparable to its former self.

"Daoist Master Shen Hou is quite impressive."

Upon witnessing the dramatic transformation of the city walls, Tan Wuwei couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

This high-ranking member of the Mo Sect appeared like an ordinary middle-aged woman, dressed in the simplest of hemp clothes and wearing straw sandals. However, she was a commander within the Mo Sect with considerable status who traveled far and wide spreading Mo philosophy, and was widely experienced and knowledgeable.

Otherwise, the Mo Sect wouldn't have chosen her to lead the Sword Discussion Conference.

Tan Wuwei could see at a glance the significant value of Daoist Shen Hou's feat; only someone with a profound understanding of Magic would be able to effortlessly elevate the city walls over thirty feet without compromising stability.

By now, the foundations of the city walls were connected to the Earth's veins. They could be easily damaged, but collapsing them would require the power to shatter the surrounding Earth's veins as well.

Only a handful of fifth-rank experts were capable of such a feat, and those masters were beyond the defense of walls and required high-ranking combat power to contend with.

"A mere trifle," Shen Hou stated with satisfaction, stroking his beard in a manner full of the air of an immortal.

"Yeah, a mere trifle, after all, it's a skill learned from running away," Yin Tulong, standing beside him, said with a sneer.

This senior brother of his was adept at flying and burrowing, seemingly skilled in everything. If it weren't for these escape techniques, he would likely have been killed long ago. Daoist Shen Hou was naturally unlucky, and ever since he received the Dao Fruit of Shen Gongbao, even when he did nothing, those around him would suffer misfortune. And being fond of wandering around and stirring up trouble did not help matters.

His Earth Element Technique had been honed and perfected through the use of his Earth Escape Skill.

Upon hearing this, Shen Hou's face twitched, and he retorted, "Do Daoists flee? That's called valuing life as part of the Immortal Path, desiring not to engage in futile conflicts. Do you think everyone is a killer like you, attracting third-grade attention, unable to prepare for a Promotion Ceremony for decades?"

Now it was Yin Tulong's turn to grimace, his youthful face scrunching up like a steamed bun, ready to start throwing punches.

Tan Wuwei watched the exchange with amusement and quickly intervened to smooth things over, saying, "Gentlemen, let's take a look at the devices of the Mo Sect."

With that, Tan Wuwei signaled to the disciple following her with a glance.

That disciple was Yan Hanqing, who, upon seeing Tan Wuwei's signal, immediately called out to his fellow Mohists to set up. A number of black iron boxes were carried up onto the city walls, and with the activation of their mechanisms, they underwent a series of cool transformations, turning into a row of bed crossbows.

Each crossbow could be loaded with six thick bolts, each engraved with runes and releasing a pungent odor.

"These are Divine Fire Crossbows, filled with the Mo Sect's specially made gunpowder and carved with the Mystic Sect's Divine Fire Talisman. Anyone below Seventh Rank hit by these bolts will either die or be injured," Tan Wuwei explained.

Thirty Divine Fire Crossbows lined up on the city wall, their lethal design and power drawing looks of concern from the others.

Wasn't the Mo Sect known for advocating universal love? Why then had they created such deadly weapons?

Although these weapons might not be effective against masters, in conflicts involving low-grade fighters, their killing power was as substantial as having a master engage directly.

Shen Hou, who was well-versed in the Alchemy Dao, could estimate the potency of the special gunpowder just by its smell, as the gunpowder had originally been developed by members of the Mystic Sect.

Based on his experience, Tan Wuwei's description was no exaggeration; the Divine Fire Crossbows indeed had such capabilities.

If one were truly ruthless, with Divine Fire Crossbows in tow, the refugees would have to pile up corpses just to breach the city walls.

"Fortunately, Elder Tianxuan has a capable disciple who can solve the refugee crisis, otherwise, I wouldn't dare to deploy such a weapon."

Tan Wuwei watched the crowd spread like a tide in the distance, murmured softly.

······

······

Behind the one hundred and twenty thousand refugees, thousands of Yellow Turban Warriors, some carrying large banners, some with chariots, were on the move.

Atop the central chariot, amidst swirling Yellow Clouds, a watery mirror formed, reflecting the situation on the walls of Donglin City.

The Three Gods of the Taiping Sect—Marquis of Wind, Thunder God, and Mother of Lightning—watched the distant changes together, with several armored commanders attending them from behind.

Catching sight of the Divine Fire Crossbows being set up on the city walls, Marquis of Wind narrowed his eyes and said, "The Mo Sect has always preached benevolence. Since they have deployed such evil weapons, it means the enemy must truly possess means to deal with the refugee crisis. This complicates matters."

"After Donglin City comes a region of gentle terrain; once past this city, we can head straight for Peng'an County. If we fail to take this city, the army's advance will be difficult," Mother of Lightning also nodded in agreement.

Only Thunder God appeared less concerned, bellowing boldly, "If we can't take it, then we can just bypass it. It's not as if there are no other paths. Could a fourth-rank be stumped by a few mountains and a city?"

Marquis of Wind: "······"

"That's well said. However, don't say it again," he exhaled in resignation.

Of course, a fourth-rank wouldn't be stymied; with the Immortal of Colossal Spirit among them, they could even move mountains directly, but the enemy wasn't just going to stand by and watch.

Even if they succeeded, if the people of Donglin City directly threatened their rear, they would be caught in a pincer attack.

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