Worldwide Awakening: My Soul Kinds Are Lost-Chapter 531: Difficult to Break the City, Hidden Dragon Charges and Breaks the Formation_1
The ritual for the Heavenly Luo Million Paths Dog Deity began on time. Regardless of how precarious or chaotic the Capital was, the Court had to carry out the event, as it involved matters relating to the Demon Gods. No matter how seemingly trivial, anything concerning the Demon Gods was a major affair. Conversely, even the grandest affairs of the Court were minor in comparison to the Demon Gods. This was especially true for a grand sacrifice involving a million people. It was of the utmost importance. Even if the Capital was besieged from the outside and there was internal sabotage, or even if the Heng Emperor were to die today, the ritual had to be completed.
A chill flashed in Pei Jiang’s eyes. His soldiers had already begun their siege. It wasn’t that he wanted to start early, but he was running out of time. Just reaching the Capital had left his troops exhausted. If they attacked in such a fatigued state, not only would they fail to conquer the Capital, but they might also suffer heavy losses. Therefore, they had no choice but to rest for a day and only then launch their attack at full strength.
The Imperial Guard, Imperial Forest Army, Guarding the Sky Camp, and many other royal soldiers were already in defensive formations, ready for battle. These soldiers were the elite of the elite. Times had changed. The entire Great Heng, except for the Central Plains, was embroiled in war. Consequently, these royal soldiers were not mere ceremonial troops but battle-hardened veterans who had survived real combat. While the splendors of the Capital might have somewhat distracted them, diminishing their combat effectiveness by at most one or two percent, they were far from useless.
Therefore, when Pei Jiang’s Rebel Army attacked, the Capital’s defenses and counter-attacks were incredibly fierce. It was clear they wouldn’t be able to breach the Capital quickly. And even if they did manage to enter, it wouldn’t be simple. Street fighting would ensue. The defenders weren’t about to surrender, nor were they at a disadvantage, so why would they stop resisting once the attackers were inside the city?
Pei Jiang shuddered inwardly. If the Court had sent these troops to annihilate him back then instead of choosing appeasement, his rebellion would have been over before it truly began. The reason these elite troops hadn’t been dispatched earlier was likely because the high officials feared leaving the Capital inadequately defended, so they had kept their forces stationary. In their eyes, Pei Jiang and his followers were insignificant, hardly warranting the deployment of their personal guards. Facts proved that while the officials in the Court might have underestimated Pei Jiang, they had never neglected the strength of the forces protecting them.
"My lord, we’ve clearly miscalculated," a middle-aged man beside him said with a bitter smile. "Given the current situation, even if we use all our charms, we’ll only be able to breach the city gates within two hours at best." They had underestimated the disparity between their forces. The Capital’s soldiers, whether in terms of weapons, armor, or combat experience, were far superior to their Rebel Army. Their own weapons and armor were inferior, and their combat experience was less extensive. Furthermore, the enemy had the advantages of terrain, supplies, and the assistance of Temple Masters. No wonder the Court remained indifferent, focusing entirely on the grand sacrifice.
Pei Jiang naturally recognized their predicament. Using all their charms now was out of the question; this was just the beginning. They still had to confront the Demon Gods and Temple Masters later. Without charms as a trump card, how could they possibly fight? If they were to engage directly, they would surely be annihilated.
"The leader of the Human Association said he would help. Why hasn’t there been any movement yet?" Pei Jiang muttered, though he did have other plans. Previously, Li Qinglian, in his capacity as the leader of the Human Association, had contacted Pei Jiang and offered to help break the city’s defenses. Yet now, with the battle at a stalemate, there was still no sign of them. This left him somewhat dissatisfied. With all this commotion, they should have heard it by now, shouldn’t they?
"It’s not that simple," the middle-aged man said, not intending to blame Li Qinglian. "Even though the leader of the Human Association is known as the God-slaying True Monarch, how could he possibly assist against such well-organized and equipped soldiers? This isn’t something one person can achieve; it requires sufficient manpower at the very least." He had heard about the Human Association’s current state—it was as bleak as it could be. They might have some helpers, but even an optimistic estimate wouldn’t put their numbers above ten. And ten people could accomplish very little in a city as vast as the Capital.
Pei Jiang’s expression remained largely unchanged upon hearing this. In his view, the Human Association was merely a bonus.
"When does the grand sacrifice begin and end?" Pei Jiang asked.
"We’re not sure, but it should have started by now. The Court has been extremely secretive about it," the middle-aged man replied with conviction. "It’s understandable. We haven’t been in rebellion for long, nor have we been at the Capital for long. There simply wasn’t time to make extensive preparations." As for planting spies or informants, it was far too late for that. Besides, even if they had wanted to, they couldn’t have infiltrated their ranks. Those in high positions were all Temple Masters, deeply devoted to the Demon Gods. If any spy actually managed to become a Temple Master, they would inevitably switch allegiance to the Demon Gods. One can feign faith, but how could one deceive the Demon Gods themselves, the very objects of that faith?
"In that case, prepare for a full-scale assault! Do not use the charms. Breach the city at all costs!" Pei Jiang declared.
"Bring me my armor," Pei Jiang ordered coldly.
When he said "at all costs," he didn’t mean his men should throw their lives away while he watched. He intended to fight alongside them to boost morale. He wasn’t worried about being hit by stray arrows or targeted, as he was protected by a charm. This might seem like a double standard, but as a leader, certain privileges were to be expected. And he would go to break the city gate. Since conventional force couldn’t achieve it quickly, he would use charms. Once the city was breached, he refused to believe the Heavenly Luo Million Paths Dog Deity could remain aloof and unaffected.
"My lord, this is far too..."
"If we don’t go now, it will be too late," Pei Jiang interrupted. His purpose in coming here was to save people, not merely to conquer territory. Of course, some self-interest was inevitable. If he succeeded in disrupting the grand sacrifice and rescuing so many people, his reputation wouldn’t just rise; it would soar to its zenith. He would become the very embodiment of righteousness, and taking over the entire Great Heng would then be a simple matter. Leading his men personally would be the crowning achievement. Such a gamble was worth taking. He was betting on whether he could achieve this grand ambition. Even before he had accomplished anything significant, he had wanted to change this world. As more and more people gathered under his banner, he was often forced to advance. With each step forward, however, his ambition grew, eventually evolving into the desire to seize the throne itself. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have raised the banner of the Dongyue Tianqi Emperor of Life and Benevolence.
The middle-aged advisor finally sighed, ceasing his attempts to dissuade him. He quickly helped Pei Jiang put on his armor. The armor wasn’t ornate, but it was cumbersome to wear, consisting of an outer layer of plate armor and an inner layer of mail. Fully equipped, it was only thanks to the Talisman of the Power of Nine Oxen and Two Tigers he wore that Pei Jiang could even move. Pei Jiang was naturally more inclined towards administration and management and rarely engaged in physical training; he relied entirely on the power of charms for support.
Once armored, he picked up a specially made giant heavy hammer. Great strength demanded a blunt weapon to be used to its full potential. Moreover, he was attacking a city gate; a sword would hardly be effective. A giant heavy hammer was far more suitable for the task.
Pei Jiang charged out of his command tent, resembling an armored behemoth. His striking appearance immediately drew the attention of the Capital’s defenders. A dense volley of arrows rained down on him. So conspicuous, who else would they target? And with such an imposing aura, he was clearly a key enemy figure—if not him, then who? Disregarding the charm’s protection, the armor Pei Jiang wore was itself impervious to mere arrows. Being armored versus unarmored presented entirely different levels of difficulty in combat, to say nothing of the specially crafted armor Pei Jiang wore.
Ignoring the hail of arrows, Pei Jiang began his charge, his great strides making him look like a ferocious bull. The Talisman of the Power of Nine Oxen and Two Tigers primarily increased strength, but it didn’t stop there. The human body is an integrated system; an increase in strength inevitably led to enhancements in other physical attributes like constitution and agility. These secondary enhancements, while not as pronounced as the boost in strength, were still significant.
BOOM!
The heavy hammer slammed into the city gate, sending spiderweb-like cracks across its surface.
The Capital’s defenders watched in horror. Was this something a human being could actually do?
Then, the second blow landed. The city gate, unable to withstand the impact, began to shudder and groan.
Before the defenders could react further, the third blow struck, and Pei Jiang smashed the city gate to splinters.
All this happened in the blink of an eye.
However, this was only the beginning. Breaking the city gate was not the same as occupying the Capital; the battle had much further to go.
