238: Chapter 236 Siege

The Crown Prince's army arrived at the Third Prince's defensive line on a rainy day.

There were no war drums, no horns, only the sound of rain and footsteps. The rain wasn't heavy, fine and dense, pattering against the armor with a rustling sound. The Crown Prince's army pressed in from three directions—east, south, and north—a dark mass like black clouds looming over a city. The war banners hung damply in the rain, an occasional corner fluttering in the wind.

The Third Prince's defensive line was set in a hilly region on the border of Fengyin Province. The terrain was undulating, easy to defend but hard to attack. The Third Prince had operated here for several months, building stone walls, digging trenches, and setting up Formations. There weren't many defenders, but they were all elites. True Lord Luoyun personally oversaw the position, and the Third Prince was also in the city.

One transmission talisman after another from the scouts flew back to the headquarters. Shen Yizhi stood before the map, listening to the scouts' reports, his folding fan closed and not opened.

"Your Highness," Shen Yizhi turned around and looked at the Third Prince, "the Crown Prince is coming with great momentum, attacking from three directions simultaneously. His troop strength is more than triple ours."

The Third Prince stood by the window, gazing at the curtain of rain outside. His expression wasn't great either, but he remained relatively calm. "Where is True Lord Luoyun?"

"He's already at the Eastern Front," Shen Yizhi said. "There's no danger for now on the Western and Northern Fronts; the Crown Prince's main direction of attack is the Eastern Front. Once the Eastern Front is breached, the entire defensive line will collapse."

The Third Prince was silent for a moment. "Reinforce the Eastern Front. Mobilize all available forces and move them there."

Shen Yizhi shook his head. "Your Highness, we cannot commit all our forces to the Eastern Front. The Crown Prince's intentions are still unclear. If he places his main force on the Western or Northern Front while our Eastern Front is empty, the consequences would be even more severe."

The Third Prince turned around and looked at Shen Yizhi. "Then where do you think the Crown Prince's main direction of attack is?"

Shen Yizhi walked to the map and pointed at a mark on the Eastern Front. "Here. The Crown Prince will definitely break through from here. The terrain here is the gentlest, suitable for a large-scale offensive. Our Formation is also weakest here."

The Third Prince didn't ask why; he trusted Shen Yizhi. "Then we shall do as you say."

The orders were passed down, and the defenders began to mobilize. On the Eastern Front's defensive line, soldiers reinforced the fortifications in the rain, and Formation Masters repaired the formation patterns. True Lord Luoyun stood on a small hill at the very front, his hands behind his back. The rain falling on him was blocked by a faint light shield. He wore that washed-out gray Daoist robe, his hair was graying, and his face was ordinary; standing there, he looked like any old farmer from the countryside. But his gaze was bright, piercing through the curtain of rain to look at the dark mass of the enemy army in the distance.

The Crown Prince's army had already finished arraying themselves. The front row consisted of Heavy Infantry, the back row of Archers, the two flanks of Cavalry, and in the center was a Cultivator phalanx. War banners fluttered in the rain, and armor glinted coldly in the rainwater. An army of over a hundred thousand was solemnly silent, with only the sound of the rain.

A general riding a tall horse stepped out from the ranks, holding a long spear, and shouted toward the Third Prince's direction. "Third Prince, hear the decree! His Highness the Crown Prince orders you to surrender immediately, and all past grievances will be forgiven. Otherwise, we shall trample this place flat, leaving not even a chicken or dog alive!"

The Third Prince stood on the city wall without responding. True Lord Luoyun didn't respond either. The general waited for a moment, and seeing no reply, he gave a cold laugh, turned his horse around, and returned to the ranks.

Then, the attack began.

War drums thundered, and horns blared in unison. The Crown Prince's army surged forward like a tide. The front-row infantry held up shields, and the back-row Archers drew their bows and notched arrows, firing a volley that poured down like a rainstorm. The arrows struck the stone walls of the Third Prince's defenders with a clatter; some were deflected by the Formation, while others were pinned into the stone crevices.

The defenders fought back. Archers peeked out from behind the walls to shoot at the enemy. Cultivators activated the Formations, and streaks of spiritual light flew out from behind the walls, exploding within the enemy ranks. The two sides made contact, and the battle of offense and defense officially commenced.

True Lord Luoyun did not move. He stood on the small hill, watching the slaughter below with an expressionless face. His task was not to deal with the rank-and-file soldiers but to handle the high-level Cultivators in the Crown Prince's army.

The Crown Prince's Cultivator phalanx began to advance. Golden Core Cultivators led the way, while Nascent Soul Stage Consecrated Experts brought up the rear. Their Spells fell upon the defenders' line, blowing open gap after gap. The defenders' Formation began to flicker, and cracks appeared in some places.

True Lord Luoyun finally moved. He took out a long sword from his sleeve; the blade was entirely silver-white without any extra decoration. He took a step forward, and his whole being transformed into a streak of white light, diving down from the hill. The white light landed within the Crown Prince's Cultivator phalanx, exploding in a shockwave. Several Golden Core Cultivators were sent flying, coughing up blood and unable to get back up. True Lord Luoyun stood with his sword, his robes fluttering.

The Crown Prince's Consecrated Experts recognized him. "True Lord Luoyun!" someone exclaimed in shock. They knew his reputation and his strength. Late Nascent Soul Stage, a veteran True Lord who had once nearly achieved Soul Transformation. Although he had failed during the Breakthrough, his combat power was not to be underestimated.

The Crown Prince's Consecrated Experts exchanged glances, and three of them attacked simultaneously. One used a saber, one a sword, and one a whisk. Three attacks landed on True Lord Luoyun at once; he swung his sword to parry, retreating three steps. All three Consecrated Experts were at the Mid-Nascent Soul Stage; individually, they were no match for True Lord Luoyun, but together, True Lord Luoyun couldn't gain the upper hand.

"Surround him!" the saber-wielding Consecrated Expert shouted.

The three besieged True Lord Luoyun from three directions. Saber light, sword shadows, and the whisk—like a snake—encircled True Lord Luoyun in the center. True Lord Luoyun's swordplay was simple and unadorned; every strike was direct, with steady power. He was neither hurried nor impatient, neutralizing the trio's offensive strike by strike. Although surrounded, he showed no signs of defeat.

The battle raged from morning until noon, and from noon until afternoon. The rain continued to fall, the ground was incredibly muddy, and blood gathered into small streams, flowing into the hollows according to the terrain. The Crown Prince's army attacked several times, only to be repelled by the defenders. Casualties were significant on both sides, but the Crown Prince had plenty of troops and generals, whereas the Third Prince's defenders could not afford such attrition.

True Lord Luoyun's spiritual energy began to deplete. His sword was no longer as fast, and his parries were no longer as steady. The three Consecrated Experts besieging him were also tired, but their reinforcements were about to arrive.

In the distance, two even stronger auras were rapidly approaching. Late Nascent Soul Stage. The two strongest among the Crown Prince's Consecrated Experts.

True Lord Luoyun's brow furrowed slightly. He sensed those two auras. He knew he couldn't win against a siege by two Late Nascent Soul Stage and three Mid-Nascent Soul Stage experts, but he did not retreat. If he retreated, the defensive line would break. If the line broke, the Third Prince would lose.

He took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the sword.

Two figures flew in from the distance, landing before True Lord Luoyun. On the left was a white-haired old man with a sinister face, wearing a black robe and holding a black iron cane. On the right was a middle-aged female Cultivator with a cold expression, wearing a green Daoist robe and holding a silver spear. Both were at the Late Nascent Soul Stage, the Crown Prince's trusted Consecrated Experts.

The white-haired old man looked at True Lord Luoyun and gave a cold laugh. "Luoyun, you are at such an advanced age; why bother risking your life for the Third Prince?"

True Lord Luoyun did not speak.

The middle-aged female Cultivator also spoke. "Surrender. His Highness the Crown Prince cherishes talent and will not kill you."

True Lord Luoyun glanced at her. "This old man has lived for hundreds of years and has never surrendered."

The white-haired old man shook his head. "Then don't blame us."

The two attacked simultaneously. The white-haired old man's black iron cane transformed into a black Dragon, baring its fangs and claws as it pounced toward True Lord Luoyun. The middle-aged female Cultivator's silver spear turned into a streak of silver lightning, thrusting straight at True Lord Luoyun's chest.

True Lord Luoyun swung his sword to parry; the blade collided with the Dragon, exploding in a shockwave. His body was shaken back several steps, and a trace of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. The silver spear took the opportunity to strike; he dodged to the side, and the spear tip grazed his arm, tearing away a piece of flesh.

The three Mid-Nascent Soul Stage Consecrated Experts also took the chance to attack. With the five of them joining forces, True Lord Luoyun struggled to cope, and several more wounds were added to his body. His robes were torn, his hair was disheveled, and more and more blood appeared at the corners of his mouth. But he did not fall.

Gritting his teeth, he swung his sword to deflect a saber light aimed at his face, then forced back the whisk-wielding Consecrated Expert with a backhand strike. The silver spear thrust again; unable to dodge in time, he was struck in the shoulder. The spear tip pierced through his shoulder, and blood gushed out, staining half his robe red. He gave a muffled groan, grabbed the spear shaft with his left hand, and slashed his sword toward the middle-aged female Cultivator's neck with his right.

The middle-aged female Cultivator let go of her spear and retreated several steps, avoiding the strike. True Lord Luoyun pulled the spear out of his shoulder; blood spurted out, and his face became as white as paper. But he still stood, sword still in hand.

The white-haired old man sighed. "Luoyun, why must you do this?"

True Lord Luoyun did not answer. He looked at the five people before him, then at the battlefield in the distance where the slaughter continued. The Third Prince's defenders were still holding on, but they wouldn't be able to for much longer.

He took a deep breath, and the Nascent Soul within his body began to glow.

The white-haired old man's expression changed. "He's going to self-detonate his Nascent Soul! Retreat quickly!"

The five of them retreated simultaneously. But True Lord Luoyun did not self-detonate. He merely poured all the remaining power in his body into his long sword and then slashed out. The sword light was like a rainbow, cutting through the curtain of rain and slashing toward the white-haired old man and the middle-aged female Cultivator. Both hastily parried; the sword light exploded, and the two were shaken back dozens of yards. The three Mid-Nascent Soul Stage Consecrated Experts were also sent reeling by the aftershock.

True Lord Luoyun stood in the rain, covered in blood, his robes in tatters, but his back was held very straight. He glanced at the silhouette of the Third Prince on the distant city wall, then withdrew his gaze and tightened his grip on the sword in his hand.

The five people surrounded him again.

This time, they would not give him another chance.