"Now, let us fight to our last breath for the sake of all living beings!"
"Rrrraaaahh!" The soldiers' thunderous response brought a radiant grin to Kiana's face.
Suddenly, her expression shifted as she turned towards Seven Stars Lake.
Above the lake, dark clouds swirled ominously, forming a terrifying vortex, while the water below abruptly calmed into stillness.
For a brief moment, silence enveloped everything.
But within seconds, the lake erupted skyward with a deafening roar:
"BOOM!!"
The scorching heat instantly vaporized the soaring waters into billowing white steam, preventing them from falling back to earth.
As the vast lake bed was exposed, a massive four-legged xenobeast emerged with a single step, transforming the damp mud beneath it into parched, cracked soil under intense heat.
Simultaneously, a horrifying wave of searing heat radiated outward, accompanied by an overwhelming sense of impending doom that swept across the surroundings.
The beast of extreme Yang, Huo Dou, had descended upon this land!
"ROAR!!!" A furious, scorching roar reverberated across the area.
Instantly, the lakebed's mud dried and cracked, while surrounding grass withered away, dispersing amidst the raging winds. Yellow sand swirled where lush waters once lay.
Simultaneously, the colossal vortex of dark clouds above accelerated its rotation dramatically.
"BOOM!!!"
Under the gaze of hundreds of thousands, an invisible force descended from the clouds, causing the earth to tremble violently. Soldiers stumbled, and even sturdy siege machines made of reinforced steel shook uncontrollably.
Indeed, these clouds were not a natural phenomenon accompanying Huo Dou; creatures of extreme Yang merely evaporate clouds, not gather them to eclipse the sun.
These were clouds amassed by Zhuge Kongming, drawing malevolent yin energy from countless mountains and rivers. Although their effect couldn't persist indefinitely, for a brief moment, they rivaled the yin energy of boundless oceans.
"ROAR—" The xenobeast's bellow now carried pain.
Amidst swirling dust, it knelt on its front legs, revealing a deep, bloody gash spanning several meters along its white back. Each drop of blood that hit the ground sizzled like molten lava, leaving charred marks behind.
Ten miles away, atop a mountain peak:
"Ugh!" Zhuge Kongming staggered backward, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.
Casually wiping away the blood, she let out a light laugh.
"As expected from a xenobeast born from the convergence of extreme yang energies. The recoil during the clash of yin and yang was immense; even I struggled to maintain control over the vast energies drawn from mountains and rivers. However, we've opened its wounds now. It's time for you, brave warriors of Huang Country, to take it down!"
"Not bad, my not-so-lovable little nephew! You're fighting with spirit!"
"Kiana—General, when will it be our turn?"
"You aren't scared?"
"To be honest, I'm trembling from fear. But if we retreat now, we'll have no face to meet our ancestors or fellow tribesmen back home!"
"Hahaha! No need to rush; it's not yet our time! Those wounded and struggling for breath, take deep breaths and recover quickly. Once the frontline forces engage, it'll be our moment to shine!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
At the forefront of the army, Durandal stood atop a high platform, gazing down at the behemoth kneeling beneath the lakebed. The corners of her lips curved slightly upward.
"The first time we confronted such a monstrous beast, we suffered millions of civilian casualties and lost thirty thousand brave warriors. But now, things have changed, abomination!"
"Entire army, unleash your arrows, spells, and all ranged attacks—charge!" With a clear clang, Durandal raised her sword high, issuing her command.
In the next instant, countless projectiles lit up with glowing energy—the likes of arrows, spirit talismans conjuring wind, fire, lightning, boulders, giant crossbows, flying spears—all rained down relentlessly from above.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!"
Huang Country was currently prosperous, its productivity having experienced exponential growth beyond feudal times. Consequently, their firepower was both intense and sustained.
"ROAR—" Amidst the deafening cacophony, faint echoes of Huo Dou's howls could be heard, though it was hard to discern whether they conveyed more anger or pain.
To Durandal, these cries were grating on her ears.
"Continue firing until its voice can no longer be heard!"
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!"
Within the central army, several experts from Mysterious Weapons and Firearm Mechanism sects exchanged glances before discreetly concealing or tucking away their peculiar weapons.
Upon returning, they decided it would be best to reassure their disciples: "We're just focused on inventing fireworks and entertainment gadgets; we absolutely won't cause any trouble for the Empire or its court."
Yes, we're completely harmless—please trust us!
The bombardment continued for several minutes.
Considering the era's technology had not yet experienced a revolutionary leap forward, this level of sustained firepower was already quite formidable. If not for focusing on a single target, sustaining such an assault would have been even more resource-intensive than a typical siege, potentially exhausting their stockpile of advanced weaponry.
After reserving minimal long-range fire support, Durandal pointed her sword towards the smoke-filled horizon.
"Charge!"
"Charge!" × N
A sea of humanity, a tide of iron armor and weapons, surged forward with unstoppable momentum.
Durandal charged forth like a sharp arrow, shattering the platform beneath her feet. Bursting through the smoke, she plunged her sword deep into the xenobeast's body.
"ROAR!!!" As expected, the beast erupted with fury and, no longer restrained by gunfire, furiously charged towards the surging tide of soldiers.
"Kill!"
"Boom!"
"Ahh!"
"Charge!!!"
The frontline troops were naturally elite, easily leaping onto the xenobeast to attack its wounds. However, the creature's stomping charge remained deadly, while its blood posed as much danger as molten lava to the soldiers.
"ROAR!!!"
"It's spitting fire! It can breathe flames! Don't let it gather energy or open its mouth!"
Soldiers continuously fell victim to Huo Dou's various attacks, but even more rushed forward like an incoming tide, relentlessly climbing onto its massive form. Although most could only deliver a single strike, their sheer numbers turned Huo Dou into a true grinder of flesh and bone.
"ROOOOARRR—"
"BOOM!!!" Just as Huo Dou opened its jaws to unleash flames, Durandal collided from the side, disrupting its momentum.
Quickly regaining balance, the xenobeast fixed its scarlet, furious gaze on Durandal still airborne, lunging at her with gaping maw.
"You want a piece of me? Do you have the teeth for it?!" Unfazed, Durandal channeled ki waves into her blade, explosively propelling herself towards Huo Dou's enormous jaws.
"Clang!"
Durandal's sword struck Huo Dou's fangs but failed to cleave through them, let alone inflict any real damage.
"Hm?"
Taken aback, Durandal hesitated momentarily, while within Huo Dou's eyes flickered a cunning glint of intelligence.
"Roooar!"
Seizing the opportunity as Durandal gathered her strength, Huo Dou clamped its jaws shut forcefully.
"Tear!"
Its sharp teeth pierced through the arm Durandal held up defensively, yet with her other hand, she thrust her sword forward, opening another wound inside Huo Dou's mouth.
"ROOOAR!!"
In response to this injury, Huo Dou intensified its bite, aiming to crush the enemy trapped between its jaws.
Bending her knees, Durandal braced herself using both arms and legs, but even then, she couldn't withstand Huo Dou's immense force. Realizing escape was futile, she poured ki into her sword, fearlessly driving it deeper into Huo Dou's mouth.
In the next instant, she would be torn apart by those razor-sharp teeth.
"Whoosh!"
"Splash!"
A flash of black light streaked past, followed by a long halberd piercing Huo Dou's unguarded eye, causing blood to spatter everywhere.
The intense pain forced Huo Dou to open its mouth wide.
Without hesitation, Durandal withdrew her sword and leaped back.
Only now did she recognize the style of the halberd—it belonged to Kiana.
Looking over her shoulder, Durandal confirmed that indeed, Kiana stood at the edge of the lakebed, giving her a thumbs-up.
"Don't let your guard down, Great General!"
Kiana's voice didn't reach Durandal, but her keen eyesight allowed her to discern the message from Kiana's lips.
"This general understands."
Durandal chuckled softly, tore off a piece of her clothing, and hastily bandaged her left arm pierced by Huo Dou's teeth. With sword raised high in her right hand, she charged once more towards the beast engulfed by the surging tide of soldiers.