120: The Great War Begins

The sun had just risen over the eaves of the Dragon City Main Hall, and the ground outside the North Gate was still trembling.

An army of a hundred thousand rushed out of the gap in the barrier, a dark mass surging toward the Japanese defense line. A translucent barrier shimmered with blue light on the hillside, blocking their path. The enemy stood on high platforms, archers drawing their bows to the full, with a row of fire-oil jars lined up.

"Fire!" At the command, arrows flew down like rain.

The soldiers in front raised their shields; some fell amidst the clattering sounds, blood flowing into the crevices of the stones. Those behind did not stop, charging forward over the corpses. Yet, the barrier did not break at all, and several charges were repelled.

Tang Long stood at the very front, leaning on his broken jade staff. His left hand pressed against the wound under his ribs as he stared at the blue light, his gaze growing colder and colder.

"They imprisoned me for seven days, broke my jade staff, and forced me to kneel under the Blood-Colored Sakura," he whispered. His voice wasn't loud, but the messenger beside him heard clearly. "Did they think I would forget?"

Having said that, he abruptly looked up and slammed both hands fiercely against the ground.

"It's time to pay the debt!"

Boom—!

The ground cracked open, and red lava erupted from beneath the earth, rolling down the hillside. A heatwave surged, distorting the very air. The pillars of the Formation were burned through, and the blue light flickered several times before exploding with a "bang." The outpost position instantly caught fire, and the enemy fell into chaos, screaming incessantly.

"Kill!" Tang Long roared, being the first to charge out.

Only then did the war drums thunder, and three great banners unfurled simultaneously—the Azure Dragon flag of the East Gate, the White Tiger banner of the North Gate, and the Vermilion Bird flame talisman of the South Gate all rose up.

Tang Long leaped onto the command platform atop the city wall, looked around, and took out twelve golden-patterned scrolls from his robe, spreading them out one by one.

"These are rare-grade battle pet summoning scrolls!" His voice was hoarse but powerful. "Give them to the vanguards of each legion! Whoever breaks into the city first gets the top merit!"

Hearing this, the soldiers' eyes lit up, and they shouted their battle cries in unison.

"Beat the drums!" Tang Long waved his hand.

The order was passed down, and the three routes of troops moved immediately. The Azure Dragon Legion raised their shields and charged northeast; the White Tiger Legion vanished into the woods; the Vermilion Bird Legion entered the underground passage to the south.

"Azure Dragon Legion!" the lieutenant shouted. "Target: the granary transit station. Frontal assault!"

"White Tiger Legion!" another person shouted. "Take the mountain forest, destroy the communication towers, and disrupt their coordination!"

"Vermilion Bird Legion!" a third person shouted. "Take the subterranean river, raid the altar, and smash their Formation core!"

**Report—!** A scout came galloping on horseback. "The Azure Dragon Legion has broken through the first line of defense and is mopping up the remaining enemies!"

"Continue."

"Report—! The White Tiger Legion has discovered three communication towers, and the squad has already approached!"

"Permission to destroy granted."

"Report—!" News came from the south again. "The Vermilion Bird Legion has entered the subterranean river. The current is swift, but the entire unit has passed through! They are expected to reach the outskirts of the altar within two hours!"

Tang Long nodded. "Send word to Yang Lie: pick up the pace, don't let them complete the encirclement."

Just as he finished speaking, the sky suddenly darkened.

Thick smoke rose in the distance, followed by the sound of explosions. A moment later, a messenger bird flew back, its feathers scorched.

"Reporting to the City Lord! The Vermilion Bird Legion has encountered a dense fog and cannot see the path! Japanese elites have been spotted on the flank; they may be planning an encirclement!"

The faces of the surrounding generals changed.

"There's something wrong with this fog; the compasses aren't accurate. The brothers are about to lose Formation!"

"Shut up," Tang Long interrupted. "The enemy wants to stall the Vermilion Bird Legion so they can redeploy troops. They are afraid."

He took a deep breath and placed a horn to his lips.

"Come!"

With a long cry, the clouds churned, and a giant bird dove down from the sky. Its wingspan was nearly a hundred zhang, and its claws were sharp—it was none other than the Golden-Winged Great Peng!

"Go!" Tang Long pointed to the southeast. "Overturn their command center!"

The Golden-Winged Great Peng let out a cry and dove straight behind enemy lines. As the wind blew, the mist dispersed, and several tents were overturned. The enemy panicked, and their communications were completely severed.

"Now!" Tang Long picked up the drumsticks and personally beat the drum. "Advance on all fronts! Within one hour, I want to hear the horns of victory from three locations!"

The order spread across the battlefield.

In the east, the Azure Dragon Legion smashed open the granary gates. Their demon-breaking blades shattered the helmets of the defending generals, and three thousand garrison troops fled.

In the north, the White Tiger Legion blew up five communication towers, cutting off contact. Ling Feng led his men in an ambush on the mountain paths, killing seven messengers in a row.

In the south, the Vermilion Bird Legion charged out of the subterranean river. Yang Lie split the altar's barrier with a single saber strike, and five thousand men rushed in to dismantle the Formation core.

The situation had completely turned.

Just then, two streaks of light flashed across the sky.

Boom! Boom!

Two people dropped from the sky, standing a hundred meters in front of Tang Long. Dust flew as the two stood side by side—one holding a lightning blade, the other with a storm swirling in his palm.

"Huaxia dog, how dare you invade our Kings Domain!" the one with the lightning blade roared. "Today, you shall die here!"

Tang Long sneered and walked down from the high platform, leaning on his broken jade staff.

"Transcendent?" He spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm. "You've finally come out?"

"You are heavily injured, yet you rely on a beast to keep up appearances?" the other mocked. "Accept your death!"

The two attacked simultaneously. The lightning blade struck with bolts of electricity, and the storm whipped up soil, tearing deep gouges into the ground as it surged toward Tang Long's face.

Tang Long did not retreat, slamming his hands onto the ground once more.

"Earth Fire—Condense Shield!"

Lava rose, forming a red wall in front of him. The lightning blade struck it, sending sparks flying; the shield cracked but did not fall. The storm swept past, burning his sleeve, but he stood unmoved.

"Golden-Winged Great Peng!" he shouted.

The giant bird dove, its claws reaching for the one using the storm. That person was forced to defend, meeting the claws with his palms, causing a shockwave to explode in the air.

Tang Long took the opportunity to leap up, his jade staff tapping the ground as he charged toward the man with the lightning blade.

"Didn't you want to kill me?" he laughed. "Then come at me!"

The two exchanged over a dozen moves. The lightning blade carved a deep wound into his shoulder, but he also struck the opponent's knee with his staff. Both were injured, yet neither retreated.

At that moment, the sound of a horn echoed from afar.

"Report—! The Azure Dragon Legion has taken the second Resource God Domain!"

"Report—! The White Tiger Legion has intercepted the enemy's supply convoy!"

"Report—! The Vermilion Bird Legion has destroyed the Faith Altar and is approaching the King-level Divine Domain!"

Tang Long listened to the good news, smiling even though his face was covered in blood.

"Did you hear that?" he roared at the two enemies. "The fire has already reached your home base! This battle—I am certain to win!"

The expressions of the two changed, and their attacks grew even more ferocious.

Tang Long gritted his teeth and held his ground, letting the Golden-Winged Great Peng pin one down while he fought the other himself. His old wounds reopened, and blood soaked half of his body, yet he remained standing there like a nail, firmly blocking the enemy's counterattack.

In the sky, the Golden-Winged Great Peng and its enemy were locked in an inseparable struggle.

On the ground, the three units continued to advance, the flames of war spreading for dozens of miles.

Inside the Dragon City Main Hall, Shen Xiaochuan stood before a crystal screen, watching the figure fighting with a staff in the center of the battlefield.

He didn't move or speak, simply staring at Tang Long's position while his fingers lightly tapped the table.

faith points were rising.

The tide of battle was turning.

The great war had truly begun.