194: Chapter 194 A Cunning Rabbit Has Three Burrows

"No! Grand Tutor! I will not leave!" Crown Prince Ji Cheng cried out, his voice a wild roar filled with endless grief and indignation upon hearing this!

"I am the Crown Prince of the Great Qian Dynasty! I should fight alongside my country and my people until the very last moment! How can I flee alone like a coward?!"

"Foolish!" Lin Zhengde suddenly slapped the Crown Prince hard across the face!

This was the first time he had ever laid a hand on the Crown Prince, whom he had watched grow up since childhood!

"Your Highness! Wake up!" Lin Zhengde's face was streaked with old tears. He gripped the Crown Prince's shoulders tightly and shook him frantically with all his might!

"As long as the green hills remain, there is no need to worry about firewood! As long as you live, the Great Qian Dynasty still has hope! If you die, then everything is over!"

"Listen to this old subject's advice! Go! For the sake of the Great Qian Dynasty's lands and altars, and for the thousands upon thousands of common people who still hold hope for you, you must live!"

Lin Zhengde's words struck like heavy hammers against the Crown Prince's already fragile spirit, shattering his last shred of dignity and courage!

With a "thud," his knees went weak, and he knelt before Lin Zhengde, clutching his legs and wailing like a helpless child!

"Grand Tutor... Grand Tutor..."

Watching the Crown Prince weeping his heart out, a flash of relief crossed Lin Zhengde's eyes, followed by a glint of determination.

He knew his mission was complete.

He slowly helped the Crown Prince up, straightened his disheveled robes, and then cast a final look at him with eyes filled with love and reluctance.

"Your Highness, take care."

Having said that, he turned resolutely and strode toward the war-torn outskirts of the Imperial City.

He did not choose to flee.

He was going to stay.

He wanted to witness with his own eyes this final battle that would determine the fate of the Dynasty.

He would bleed his last drop of blood for the Great Qian Dynasty that he had served his entire life!

...

Outside the capital city, in the main command tent of the Panshi Army.

Gao Feng looked quietly at the top-secret intelligence just sent back by the "Skynet" spies in his hand, a cold sneer appearing on his face.

"Sent the Crown Prince away? Lin Zhengde, you old fox, you really do have a cunning rabbit's three burrows."

"However, it is useless."

Gao Feng slowly stood up, his deep eyes flashing with the supreme dominance of one who rules the world.

"Soon, there will be no place in this world for your Ji family to hide."

He walked out of the command tent, looking at the thousand-year-old capital that still appeared incomparably magnificent in the morning light. He slowly raised his right hand and, with a tone devoid of any emotion, as if declaring a truth, he gently waved it downwards.

"Pass on my royal order!"

"Full-scale attack!"

"Fire!"

At the command!

The terrifying artillery position, which had been set up all night outside the capital city and commanded by Gongshu Ban himself, consisting of nearly a thousand of the latest generation of "Divine Might III" cannons, simultaneously let out a deafening roar of death!

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The overwhelming rain of death, like meteors falling from the Nine Heavens, streaked across the sky in arcs filled with the Aura of destruction. With a thunderous, unstoppable, and terrifying momentum, it precisely covered the walls of that thousand-year-old capital, which was known as the city that would never fall!

This was an unprecedented saturation bombardment, enough to make any general in the cold weapon era despair!

The two-hour, non-stop, earth-shattering, and terrifying bombardment made the entire capital seem as if it had fallen into an endless doomsday earthquake!

Those incomparably sturdy walls, capable of withstanding the siege of a million-strong army, appeared so fragile and vulnerable in the face of such unreasonable, absolute technological power!

"Boom—!!!!!" Accompanied by terrifying roars that seemed to overturn the entire world, sections of the magnificent walls, which once symbolized imperial power and majesty, were blasted into several huge gaps, each a hundred zhang long, like cookies gnawed by a giant beast!

The sky-filling dust and rubble even completely obscured the rising morning sun!

...

In the basement of an ordinary residence in the capital.

An elderly man with gray hair and a wrinkled face was holding his little grandson, who was already trembling with fear. He felt the terrifying vibrations from above, like the sky collapsing and the earth splitting, accompanied by deafening roars that threatened to shatter one's eardrums. His murky old eyes were filled with endless complexity.

There was fear of war and fear of death.

But even more, there was deep disappointment with the decaying old Dynasty, and a sliver of confusion and anticipation for the upcoming, unknown new era.

"Grandpa... I'm scared..." The little grandson buried his head deep in the old man's arms, his tender voice filled with fear.

Hearing this, the old man used his rough hands to gently stroke the little grandson's back, comforting him in a hoarse voice:

"Don't be afraid... child... don't be afraid..."

"The sky is about to change."

...

When the deafening artillery fire finally slowly ceased.

When the sky-filling dust also gradually dissipated.

The hundreds of thousands of Panshi Army soldiers who had been waiting outside the gaps surged forward like a floodgate opening. With deafening, crazy roars, they launched the final general attack on the thousand-year-old capital that now had its gates wide open!

"Kill—!!!!!"

Du Wei, who was like a demon god, took the lead. Every time he swung the massive axe in his hands, it would inevitably stir up a storm of blood and gore!

Wulu, who was like a savage bear, followed closely behind. The massive totem pillar in his hands was like a battering ram; wherever he went, men and horses were overturned, and he was unstoppable!

However, what greeted them was not the resistance that would collapse at a single touch as they had imagined.

Instead, it was an unprecedented, bloody, and tragic street battle!

The surviving tens of thousands of prairie barbarians under the Blood Wolf King, along with thousands of imperial death squads loyal to the Great Qian Dynasty, relied on the capital's incredibly complex streets and buildings to engage in bloody, street-by-street, house-by-house, inch-by-inch fighting against the Panshi Army that was pouring into the city like a tide!

They knew they had no way back.

All they could do was, before they died, drag as many enemies as possible with them to Hell!

For a time, the entire capital turned into a huge, bloody meat grinder!

Cries of battle, screams, the clash of weapons, and explosions rose and fell, endless to the ear!

Every street, every house, and even every inch of land was being fought over in the most brutal way!

Blood stained every bluestone slab of this thousand-year-old capital!

Here, life became cheaper than wild grass!

However, in this hellish, bloody street battle, the Panshi Army's era-surpassing equipment advantage and their tactical coordination, which had already been ingrained in their bones, began to play a decisive role!

"Er Gouzi! Three o'clock direction! That arrow tower! Blow it up for me!" An experienced veteran squad leader roared at a soldier next to him who looked still very young.

"Yes! Squad leader!" The young soldier named Er Gouzi did not hesitate in the slightest. He took out a special crossbow bolt tied with an "Explosive Shell" from the quiver on his back and skillfully loaded it onto the newly issued "repeating divine arm crossbow" in his hand!

"Swish—!" A sharp sound of piercing the air rang out!

The crossbow bolt, carrying a deathly whistle, shot with pinpoint accuracy into the sturdy arrow tower that was constantly pouring down a rain of arrows at them!

"Boom—!" A loud explosion!

The arrow tower, built of hard bluestone, was actually blasted into collapse on one side by this single small "Explosive Shell" on the spot!

The few enemy archers who were still firing frantically were also torn into pieces on the spot by the violent shockwave and the flying shrapnel, amidst shrill screams!

"Well done! Er Gouzi!" The veteran squad leader excitedly patted the young soldier's shoulder and then waved his hand sharply!

"Brothers! Charge with me! For the Prince! For the new world!"

"Kill—!"

Similar scenes were constantly playing out in every corner of the capital.

The Panshi Army soldiers, in squads, used the faster-firing and more powerful "repeating divine arm crossbows" in their hands, along with the "Explosive Shells" capable of destroying any sturdy fortifications. Coordinating with and covering each other, they operated like the most precise war machine, step by step, ruthlessly crushing those enemies who were still stubbornly resisting!

The "Divine Power Battalion" led by Xiang Hao was even more like a human battering ram, playing an unparalleled and terrifying role in these narrow street battles!

The giant hammers and axes in their hands were enough to easily smash any sturdy barricades and houses to pieces on the spot!

The "Assault Cavalry" led by Zhao Yu were like ghostly specters. Utilizing their unparalleled mobility, they crisscrossed the wide main roads, constantly dividing, surrounding, and annihilating the isolated enemy troops!

After suffering heavy casualties of tens of thousands, the black torrent of the Panshi Army finally reached the foot of the Imperial City, which symbolized the highest power in the world!

And here, they finally encountered the most tenacious and craziest resistance of this battle!

On the already dilapidated Imperial City tower, the burly and majestic Blood Wolf King Ashina Gudulu, who looked like an iron tower, was clad in heavy armor, holding a blood-colored saber, standing quietly there like an invincible demon god.

Behind him stood three huge humanoid Puppets, three zhang tall, crafted entirely from an unknown metal, filled with a ferocious and destructive Aura!

They were the very things Lin Zhengde had handed over to him before leaving—the Great Qian royal family's final trump card—the war Puppets "Wind," "Forest," and "Fire"!

"Gao Feng, you brat! Do you dare to fight me to the death!"

The Blood Wolf King let out a terrifying roar filled with endless violence and madness, his voice booming across the entire Imperial City like rolling thunder!

"As you wish."

Gao Feng's calm yet infinitely majestic voice slowly drifted out from the midst of the thousands of troops.

He walked out, step by step, from the sea of corpses and blood.

With every step he took, his Aura would rise by a notch!

When he reached the foot of the Imperial City, his terrifying pressure as an Eighth-Rank Martial Saint had already become a tangible storm, sweeping wildly toward the Blood Wolf King atop the city tower!

"Zhao Yu! Ma Qianli! Xiang Hao!"

Gao Feng ignored the three war Puppets that looked difficult to deal with; his cold gaze was locked firmly onto the Blood Wolf King, who was already at the end of his rope!

"Those three iron lumps are yours!"

"As you command!"

Three roars filled with endless Battle Intent sounded simultaneously!

Zhao Yu, Ma Qianli, and Xiang Hao, the three top fierce generals under Gao Feng's command, shot forward like three arrows released from the bow, killing with the force of a thunderbolt toward the three war Puppets atop the city tower!

An earth-shattering Peak duel erupted in the most direct and shocking way!

The war Puppet named "Wind" was extremely fast; the dual blades in its hands danced into an airtight curtain of blades, fighting in a blur with Ma Qianli, who was also known for his speed!

The war Puppet named "Forest" had astonishing defensive power; the giant shield in its hands seemed capable of withstanding all attacks, locking it in an evenly matched battle with Zhao Yu, whose spear strikes were like a Dragon and whose offensive was endless!

And the war Puppet named "Fire" was full of violent aggression; every swing of the flame spear in its hands brought forth roaring flames capable of melting steel, fighting a perilous battle against Xiang Hao, who also excelled in strength but was completely countered by the flames!

For a time, the entire Imperial City tower became a gladiatorial arena for these six top powerhouses of the current age!

The terrifying energy storm destroyed all surrounding buildings, and the entire city tower trembled violently amidst this world-destroying, terrifying duel, as if it could collapse completely at any moment!

And just as this earth-shattering duel was in full swing...

...another, even more eye-catching battle of kings, which would determine the final outcome of this war, finally began!

Blood Wolf King Ashina Gudulu looked at the young monarch walking toward him step by step—the one who had personally destroyed everything he had—and in his bloodshot eyes burned a raging fury and endless resentment capable of incinerating the entire world!

"Gao Feng—!"

He let out a shrill roar that did not sound human, his entire being transforming into a streak of bloody lightning. The blood-colored war blade in his hand, carrying supreme Divine Might capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks, slashed fiercely toward his fated enemy who was within reach!

Gao Feng merely watched quietly as the bloody lightning charged madly toward him, his face, so handsome it seemed not of a Mortal, remaining completely unmoved.

He slowly raised the sky-splitting star river blade in his hand.

Then, he swung it forward gently.

"Clang—!"

A terrifying, thunderous sound that seemed to want to tear the entire world apart roared out!

Two forces, both terrifying to the extreme, crashed into each other!

The blood-colored blade glow capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks clashed fiercely in mid-air against the Chaos Saber Intent, which looked plain and unremarkable but contained the power to devour all things!

"Boom—!"

An indescribably terrifying energy storm swept wildly outward with the two of them at the center!

The already dilapidated Imperial City tower could no longer withstand the terrifying, world-destroying impact and collapsed with a crash!

Countless rocks and dust shot into the sky, completely swallowing the two figures who were like gods and demons!

A final, most magnificent battle of kings that would determine the future fate of the entire world had finally... begun!

"Gao Feng—!"

From within the sky-filling dust and smoke came the Blood Wolf King's terrifying roar, filled with endless violence and madness!

A blood-colored wolf shadow, like a vengeful demon god rushing out from the Nine Heavens Hell, tore through the thick dust and smoke, and with a terrifying speed that surpassed lightning, killed toward Gao Feng once again!

At this moment, the Blood Wolf King had already fallen completely into madness!

In his bloodshot eyes, only the most primitive desire for slaughter and destruction remained!

He knew that he had no way out!

All he could do before death was to drag his fated enemy, who had personally destroyed everything he had, into the abyss of eternal damnation!

"Burn! My Heavenly Wolf Bloodline!"

"Roar! Spirits of my ancestors!"

The Blood Wolf King let out a shrill cry that did not sound human, and his already extremely burly body suddenly surged in size once again at this moment!

The muscles on his body bulged wildly like horned Dragons, stretching his sturdy heavy armor until it cracked inch by inch!

Trails of blood-colored totems filled with ancient and savage Aura emerged frantically from beneath his skin as if they possessed life, emitting a terrifying power that made one's heart tremble!

At this moment, he did not hesitate to burn his own Heavenly Wolf royal family's core totem power, forcibly raising his strength from the Eighth-Rank Middle Stage to a terrifying Realm infinitely close to the Eighth-Rank Peak!

The monstrous ferocity gathered from pure slaughter and destruction even caused the sky of the entire Divine Capital to change color!

"Die! Die for me!"

The blood-colored war blade in the Blood Wolf King's hand seemed to transform at this moment into the legendary Demon God blade capable of severing stars!

Every slash of his blade inevitably brought forth a terrifying, hundred-zhang-long bloody blade glow that seemed to want to tear the entire sky apart!

Within that blade glow were even mixed the crazy roars of countless Heavenly Wolf ancestors filled with unwillingness and resentment, enough to make any Martial Artist with a weak will lose their mind on the spot and become a lamb waiting for slaughter!

However, facing this Blood Wolf King whose strength had surged like a descending demon god, Gao Feng's face, so handsome it seemed not of a Mortal, remained calm as an ancient well, without the slightest movement.

He merely watched quietly as the blood-colored demon god attacked him madly, a trace of faint pity flashing in his eyes that were as deep as the stars.

"Power obtained by burning life is, in the end, nothing but a reflection in the mirror or the moon in the water, vulnerable to a single blow."

Gao Feng's voice was calm, yet filled with supreme confidence that could make even gods and demons tremble!

He slowly raised the sky-splitting star river blade in his hand, and at this moment, a layer of eerie golden flames filled with a destructive Aura ignited upon the blade, which had originally been pitch-black like ink!

It was precisely the life-bound Divine Fire of the Holy Fire Ming Zun that he had completely devoured and refined!

After stepping into the Eighth-Rank Martial Saint Realm, Gao Feng's understanding and application of power had long reached a brand new and even more unimaginable Realm!

He had actually perfectly combined his Eighth-Rank martial cultivation with that terrifying flame power capable of burning mountains and boiling seas!

"Boom!"

A majestic Aura, even more terrifying and unfathomable than that of the Blood Wolf King, erupted from Gao Feng!

At this moment, he seemed to have transformed into a supreme Flame Emperor wielding the most Origin flame in the world!

He just stood there quietly, and the ground beneath his feet began to melt rapidly because it could not withstand the terrifying high temperature, turning into a dead zone rolling with scorching lava!

"Slash!"

Gao Feng gently spat out a single word.

The sky-splitting star river blade in his hand, carrying a hundred-zhang-long golden flame blade glow that seemed to want to incinerate the entire sky into nothingness, met the blood-colored blade glow capable of tearing the firmament with a strange pace that seemed slow but was actually fast to the extreme!

"Boom—!"

Gold and blood-color, these two terrifying energies representing the most Peak power of the current age, clashed fiercely once again in mid-air!

This collision was even more terrifying and earth-shattering than any previous one!

The escaping energy storm even flattened the already ruined Imperial City by several more feet!

Countless soldiers from both sides who were fighting were shaken to death on the spot, bleeding from their seven orifices, under this world-destroying, terrifying impact!

"Pfft—!"

The Blood Wolf King spat out a mouthful of blood, and his burly body, like an iron tower, flew backward uncontrollably, smashing heavily into the depths of the already ruined Imperial City, kicking up dust and smoke that filled the sky!

In this pure test of strength, he had actually fallen into a disadvantage!

"No! This is impossible! This is absolutely impossible!"

The Blood Wolf King struggled to crawl up from the ruins, his ferocious face filled with disbelief!

He had already burned his core totem power and forcibly raised his strength to an unprecedented Peak!

He had thought that he was enough to crush everything!

But he never dreamed that Gao Feng's strength was even more terrifying and unfathomable than he had imagined!

"There is nothing impossible."

Gao Feng's calm yet infinitely majestic voice slowly drifted out from the sky-filling dust and smoke.

He walked out, step by step, from the rolling lava, his black royal robe appearing so mysterious and invincible against the backdrop of the golden flames!

"Your power is borrowed, while my power belongs to me alone; this is the most fundamental difference between us."