: Melee

Chaos, complete chaos.

The order of the earlier champion duels was completely lost at this moment, plunging the entire battlefield into disarray.

Because Princess Shuangling was using all her strength to block Xiang Yue's charge, many Nascent Soul level cultivators were freed up. They took the lead, attacking the fortress walls.

The Blood Shadow Cave Lord rejoined the battle. With a wave of his hand, he released over a hundred crimson streaks.

The streaks pierced through the electric net, only half remaining, striking the wall. This caused the bricks to seep blood and rapidly collapse.

Zhao Xi shouted sharply, threw out a command tally, and summoned Iron Wall Dao Soldiers. With military strength augmentation, he temporarily suppressed the demonic blood.

The Scorpion Cave Lord giggled delicately. Her cloud-like veil fluttered lightly as the poisonous stinger on her tail stabbed out dozens of times fiercely.

Each thrust condensed a purple, glowing needle-like shadow of the tail hook. They flew through the air, piercing into the city wall. Three watchtowers on the wall exploded with a roar. Purple poisonous mist rapidly spread outwards with the explosion, corroding the bricks and stones into dust before they could even fall.

"Demoness, die!" The troops below this section of the wall were precisely the Red Flower Battalion.

As the commanding general, Mulan naturally wouldn't wait idly for death. She immediately drew her bow like a full moon, shooting towards the Scorpion Cave Lord.

Mulan's divine ability, the Red Heart Swan Arrow, was immensely powerful and早已 well-known and deeply remembered by both allies and enemies.

Therefore, when the Scorpion Cave Lord saw Mulan raising her bow to shoot at her, she immediately let out a sharp scream and fled far towards the rear, like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bowstring, not daring to linger for even a moment.

Mulan's divine ability had previously heavily injured Lord Long, killed Di Lu, and defeated the Ancient Moon God, earning her a fearsome reputation.

Although Princess Shuangling had also defeated many Nascent Soul cultivators, she hadn't been able to eliminate them completely; the Nascent Souls of people like Bi Tengyi had managed to escape.

From this perspective, even though Mulan was only at the Golden Core level, in the eyes of the enemy, she was even more terrifying than Shuangling!

Mulan sneered coldly and put away her bow in the next moment.

Art of War – Bluffing!

This art of war could consume military strength to make a cultivator's aura variable. Mulan used it to feign the appearance of using her Red Heart Swan Arrow divine ability, deceiving the Scorpion Cave Lord.

With this move, she scared off a powerful enemy at the smallest cost.

The Scorpion Cave Lord, having been deceived, wasn't angered. Instead, she covered her mouth with a light, delicate laugh.

But the other officers and soldiers of Thousand Peaks Forest generally felt their hearts tighten.

By revealing this tactic, from now on, every time Mulan used her Red Heart Swan Arrow divine ability, they would have to be careful.

Because it was difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood; even if it was fake, they had to defend with all their might!

What if it was real?

A great howling of wolves arose.

Gu Ya pointed his wolf-toothed club forward, and countless wolves surged forward one after another, converging into a tide of soldiers that fiercely charged against the city wall.

Azure Sea Soldier Tide Formation!

The formation masters in the Two-Zhu Kingdom camp immediately activated the formation—one of the three main city defense formations.

In an instant, azure waves surged sky-high, gushing out from the surface of the city wall, washing over all enemies.

The wolf pack was submerged by the azure waves, suffering heavy losses on the spot.

The azure waves quickly transformed this battlefield, turning the original rocky ground into a shallow watery marsh.

Gu Ya urged his magic, supporting the remaining wolves to continue charging the wall.

But the next moment, from the greenish water pools, large numbers of soldiers rose up.

These dao soldiers, condensed from green water, all charged to kill any nearby enemies.

Clearly, they had no intelligence, nor did they form any battle formations; they just attacked with all their might, continuously attacking.

Gu Ya sighed inwardly, having no choice but to dispatch the wolves to fight these Azure Wave Dao Soldiers.

Li Jiuqiu cackled strangely, put away his Rotten Immortal Poison Gourd, and released a large cloud of Golden Silkworm Gu.

The gu swarm gathered into a mass, shimmering with a dark golden luster, directly piercing through a large section of the city wall, ramming and gnawing it into a honeycomb.

Zhao Xi raised the scepter in his hand high. The patterns on his official robes suddenly lit up: "The King's decree is like a mountain; all evils disperse!"

National Art – Imperial Majesty!

Zhao Xi was an Imperial Envoy, naturally endowed with the nation's strength, making his combat power formidable, far beyond what his Golden Core cultivation level might suggest.

Imperial Majesty swept majestically across the Golden Silkworm Gu swarm.

*Crackle, pop.*

In an instant, a large number of the gu insects either directly self-destructed under the Imperial Majesty or fell to the ground, suppressed completely.

Zhao Xi cleared out most of the gu swarm, yet remained vibrant and energetic.

National Arts consumed the nation's strength; Zhao Xi's own mana reserves hadn't decreased even a bit.

Li Jiuqiu's face turned ashen, his venomous gaze fixed firmly on Zhao Xi.

The latter, however, stood tall and straight, fearlessly meeting Li Jiuqiu's gaze across the vast, chaotic battlefield.

Suddenly, Zhao Xi bent over, vomiting profusely.

From his mouth, he vomited large numbers of centipedes and maggots.

Li Jiuqiu chuckled darkly: "I've never seen anyone who could maintain eye contact with me for long."

Surrounding cultivators immediately came to support and treat him.

Zhao Xi, pale-faced, vomited while feeling startled: "What kind of technique is this? How did I get hit?"

Compared to Mulan's Bluffing art of war, Li Jiuqiu's method showed no aura, not even a hint of warning.

Bai Ling flapped his wings, flying higher in the air. As he passed over the battlefield, he shook his feathers, each white feather as sharp as a blade.

A sky-full of silvery-white blade rain fell down, riddling the military flags on the city wall with holes.

"Whoa!" Jia Wan held up an iron pot, scurrying for cover under the blade rain.

Ding Bi drew out his kitchen knife, swirling it into a ball of snowy light.

The snowy light reflected the white feathers, cutting them into countless fragments.

"Disciple, light the fire, heat the pot!" Ding Bi called out lightly.

Jia Wan immediately complied, cheering: "Alright! Time to eat again!"

This battlefield spirit chef began cooking.

The many Nascent Souls of Thousand Peaks Forest launched a fearsome assault, but under Zhao Xi's leadership, the Nascent Soul cultivators on the Two-Zhu Kingdom side also defended actively.

Song Ji made his move, scattering countless clear rays of light.

Mo Yechen's myna had grown large, becoming a mount that allowed Mo Yechen to ride it, flying over the battlefield. Mo Yechen frequently cast spells, doing his utmost to aid the Two-Zhu Kingdom wall defenders.

Besides the cultivators, two types of heavy military equipment were also playing a role.

North Sea Rapid Freeze Light!

Death Parting, Life Separating Fire!

Faced with such attacks, Nascent Soul cultivators mostly focused on evasion. Augmented by military strength, the power of these heavy weapons was quite considerable.

Lord Long sighed deeply.

Once the order for the entire army to attack was given, the battlefield situation changed dramatically.

However, although the Thousand Peaks Forest alliance army launched a powerful assault wave, the Two-Zhu Kingdom side, relying on their strong wall defenses, still held on.

"It's time for us to make our entrance, Fellow Daoist Lu," Lord Long said to Lu Hongtu beside him.

The latter nodded slightly.

Lord Long and Lu Hongtu simultaneously entered the battlefield!

In an instant, the morale of the Two-Zhu Kingdom army plummeted. Lord Long and Lu Hongtu had already proven their combat prowess in the previous ambush battle.

The participation of these two powerful Nascent Soul-level experts also signaled that almost all the high-level members of the Thousand Peaks Forest alliance army had joined the battle!

Lord Long's body gradually expanded, his figure no longer hunched, his eyes shooting out fierce lights, rapidly becoming a middle-aged, robust man.

Lu Hongtu, meanwhile, took out the Six Caves Sect's treasure – the Light Mountain Heavy Mist Painting. Although this scroll painting wasn't unfurled, it still emitted clusters of mist that enveloped Lu Hongtu's entire body.

*Boom!*

Lord Long struck out, with immense force and fierce moves, shattering the Azure Wave Dao Soldiers and causing sections of the city wall to collapse one after another.

Wherever Lu Hongtu went, the Two-Zhu Kingdom cultivators were sucked into the painting, severing their connection to the outside world.

"Damn it." Shuangling hovered in the air, surrounded by various mechanical constructs forming layered defenses.

The awkward thing was, in such a battle situation, she instead became a place no one paid attention to.

Shuangling had to devote most of her energy and spirit sense to controlling the Supple Bone Mysterious Lady to entangle Xiang Yue. But because of this, she could only watch helplessly as a fierce opponent like Lord Long wreaked havoc, powerless to intervene.

"Zhao Xi, you are the current supreme commander of the army. The enemy commander has joined the battle; what are you still sitting around for?!" Shuangling sent a mental message to Zhao Xi.

Zhao Xi immediately refused: "I am merely a lowly Golden Core level, temporarily acting as army commander. The responsibility is heavy. If something happens to me, endangering the army's morale, what then?"

"Lord Long, that old thing, has gone crazy for some reason, suddenly ordering a full assault. I'm neither crazy nor stupid; I absolutely won't take risks lightly!"

Shuangling was furious. She knew many of Zhao Xi's secrets. If he really used all his methods and trump cards, even as a Golden Core cultivator, he could hold his own against Lord Long or Xiang Yue for a short time.

But Zhao Xi clearly lacked the spirit and determination for combat and had never personally joined the battle.

Shuangling's mind stirred. She actively flew down into the main camp.

The mechanical constructs around her closely followed, protecting her as she successfully landed.

"Aunt." Shuang Jing, having received the mental summons, immediately rushed to Shuangling's side. "What are your orders?"

Shuangling wore a solemn expression: "Next, I need to use my Nascent Soul to fully activate the mechanical puppet, Supple Bone Mysterious Lady."

"During this time, my physical body will have no sensation. I need you to guard it personally!"

Shuang Jing gasped in surprise, but still nodded: "Aunt, I and the White Jade Battalion will fight to the last soldier to protect your physical body!"

Shuangling forced a smile and patted Shuang Jing's shoulder: "The situation is complex. You are truly the only one I can trust."

Shuang Jing immediately led the White Jade Battalion to retreat to the second line, forming a defensive perimeter around Shuangling.

Shuangling stayed alone inside a house. Although guarded by Shuang Jing and the White Jade Battalion, the Mechanical Princess still didn't let her guard down.

Before sitting in meditation, she set up three layers of defensive formations around herself, activated protective runes, and placed various handy magic treasures within the fastest reach.

Shuangling successfully cast the spell. Her head lowered, and her Nascent Soul flew out of her physical body, then transmitted through a formation into the Supple Bone Mysterious Lady's body.

In an instant, the Supple Bone Mysterious Lady let out a sharp cry, her movements becoming twice as agile as before.

She used her mechanical arts, first using softness to overcome hardness, deflecting Xiang Yue's latest fierce attack, then pressed both palms onto Xiang Yue's chest, directly knocking him to the ground.

*Boom.*

Xiang Yue's body was huge. This time falling to the ground immediately produced a dull thud and kicked up a large cloud of dust.

Everyone looked sideways. Seeing this scene, many cultivators from Thousand Peaks Forest stared in disbelief.

*Boom!*

Almost simultaneously, a large section of the city wall also collapsed.

The culprit was none other than Lord Long!

Lord Long glanced back, taking a look at the fallen Xiang Yue, then charged into the military camp, leaving a trail of bloodshed wherever he went.

The Two-Zhu Kingdom officers and soldiers fought valiantly, but the difference in strength was too great. They were easily annihilated by Lord Long.

Lord Long's performance greatly boosted the alliance army's morale.

Chen Lingfeng, Wu Hen, and other Golden Core cultivators either fought alone or led troops, pouring into the battlefield like a tide.

Large numbers of soldiers, like a mighty river, rushed through the various breaches in the city wall, engaging the Two-Zhu Kingdom forces inside the camp in fierce combat.

The Red Flower Battalion raised their Red Flower Battle Formation, the White Jade Battalion stood firm and unmoving, the Fire Cloud Battalion rose into the high air, stirring up a rain of fire...

On the other side, Thousand Peaks Forest also had their own armies. Among them, the Iron Bone Army charged into the city regardless of casualties; the Shadow Strike Army, each holding dual blades, attacked fiercely and venomously; the Mystic Sorcery Army released various spells, strange and bizarre...

Seeing that Lord Long was difficult to restrain, the Mechanical Princess made up her mind and used her mechanical art – Supple Bone Formless!

The next moment, her mechanical body became as agile and free as a willow branch or a snake's body, its entire form turning extremely soft.

From within the mechanical puppet, wave after wave of supple, resilient energy emanated outwards. These energy waves spread out, enveloping everything in their path, crushing it all!

After a few exchanges with Xiang Yue, several of his fingers were crushed, and even his elephant trunk was broken in half, bleeding profusely. He was heavily wounded.

Having repelled Xiang Yue, Shuangling did not press her advantage.

This was because Xiang Yue was exerting his divine ability, defending with all his might and accelerating his recovery. He definitely couldn't be taken down quickly.

Meanwhile, Lord Long was wreaking slaughter within the city. The screams of her allies put immense pressure on Shuangling, forcing her to temporarily abandon Xiang Yue and turn back to reinforce, to stop Lord Long.

However, on this side, once Xiang Yue lost his suppression, he regained his charging momentum, his threat greatly increased, causing heavy casualties.

Shuangling was forced to fight on two fronts, constantly putting out fires, running herself ragged.

"Zhao Xi! If you don't act now, I swear I'll do everything in my power to remove you from your position when we return!" Shuangling was furious, completely losing her temper.

Zhao Xi: "Shuangling, I'm not passively avoiding battle. Liu Whoever, you lead the Three Generals Battalion to stop Xiang Yue!"

Seeing that their own battle situation was critical everywhere, Zhao Xi didn't dare be careless and quickly dispatched the Three Generals Battalion.

"Have us deal with Xiang Yue?" Guan Hong narrowed his eyes.

Zhang Hei, however, was eager: "That sounds good. I haven't faced Xiang Yue head-on yet."

Liu Er smiled bitterly. He was now Zhao Xi's man. Even though he knew this was an extremely bad assignment, he had to grit his teeth and carry it out.

After all, it was rare to find someone among the higher-ups who would accept a half-blood like him.

The Three Generals Battalion formed an iron barrel formation, augmenting the three generals with military strength.

Liu Er, holding the Profound Yellow Sword, charged ahead to the front of Xiang Yue, only to be immediately swatted back.

Liu Er spat blood, three ribs broken, but showed a pleased expression: "Xiang Yue has been weakened a lot. With the three of us brothers combined, we can fight!"

Guan Hong and Zhang Hei followed suit. Neither could withstand a single move from Xiang Yue, but they could still preserve their lives for the time being.

"Three annoying rats." Xiang Yue was entangled by the three generals, his movements heavily restricted, which annoyed him greatly.

As for the Three Generals Liu, Guan, and Zhang, they went all out, not daring to be the slightest bit careless!

This was because Xiang Yue could afford to make mistakes countless times, but if Liu, Guan, or Zhang made one misstep, they could die on the spot.

"Xiao Zhuo, opportunity!" Sun Lingtong suddenly said.

"Mm, I see it." Ning Zhuo had also been watching the battlefield.

He saw that the Demonic Heart Cave Lord had rejoined the battle.

This meant the Demonic Heart Cave Lord was now separated from his son, Lin You.

Ning Zhuo had never forgotten his original purpose for coming to the Two-Zhu Kingdom.

That was to retrieve his mother's keepsake!

(End of )