82: Chapter 82 Guardian Array

"I am well aware!"

Su Bai's eyes were like torches as he met Qin Be's gaze, saying in a heavy voice, "Lord Zhou is currently heavily injured. Among the Golden Core Stage experts, only you can deter the Demon Clan Third Prince."

"If your Clone goes to protect the array core, the defensive line on the city walls will waver. Once the Demon army breaks through, Yunzhou City will collapse in an instant. Only by leading the Handao Camp can I fight for a slim chance of survival for Yunzhou City!"

Inside the council chamber, the various generals looked at each other.

Listening to Su Bai's words, it was only at this moment that these generals truly felt a prostrate admiration for him.

Su Bai's move was undoubtedly pushing himself and the Handao Camp into a desperate situation.

The array core of the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array was a strategic location the Yao Race would surely fight for; there was even an eighty or ninety percent chance that a Golden Core Stage expert would take action this time.

Su Bai was only at the eighth level of Qi Refining.

Leading three thousand men of the Handao Camp to face a Golden Core Stage Yao expert—how was this different from striking a stone with an egg?

Qin Be took a deep look at Su Bai.

He knew Su Bai wanted to reduce the pressure on him, but this level of responsibility was clearly something Qin Be hadn't expected.

"Su Bai, do you know that the Yao Race will certainly station heavy troops at the array core's location? There might even be a Golden Core Stage Demon general personally taking action!"

Qin Be reminded Su Bai in a heavy tone.

"I know."

Su Bai said with iron-clad determination, "But in my Handao Camp, there has never been a soul who fears death!"

With one sentence, the bloody courage of the Handao Camp was fully revealed.

Qin Be fell silent for a moment.

Finally, he nodded slowly and said seriously:

"Good! In that case, the array core of the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array tomorrow is entrusted to you!"

"I, Qin Be, promise you here: as long as you hold the array core and the walls do not break, Yunzhou City will never fall!"

"Thank you, General!"

Su Bai cupped his fists again and spoke respectfully to Qin Be.

After the meeting adjourned, Su Bai returned to the Handao Camp's station.

He did not immediately announce tomorrow's battle plan, but instead chose to silently wipe the cloud-splitting spear in his hand alone.

This spear carried the lifelong glory of Zhou Zheng.

Now, it also carried the hope of Yunzhou City.

As the night deepened, Su Bai walked out of his tent and looked at the stars in the night sky.

The Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array needed the power of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches as a guide to draw down the light of the stars before it could take shape.

Two hours.

He had to buy these precious two hours for the array.

Once the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array took shape, it would be able to envelop the entire Yunzhou City within it.

It could buy precious time for Yunzhou City, stalling until the imperial court's reinforcements arrived.

...

The next day.

Just as the first sliver of dawn appeared on the horizon, Yunzhou City was still deep in slumber.

"Wooo—"

A low and long horn blast directly tore through many people's dreams.

One blast, two, three... the horn calls were continuous, echoing through the clouds.

Lights flickered on in every household as people woke up in terror, rushing to their windows to look outside the city.

Beneath the walls of Yunzhou City.

The Demon army marched forward in dense masses.

Banners blotted out the sun, and Evil Qi soared to the heavens.

General E Liji sat astride a white Bone-Scaled Horse.

The horse's body was like jade, yet it emitted a bone-chilling cold; it was clearly no ordinary creature.

Its four hooves galloped as it paced beneath the walls of Yunzhou City.

General E Liji raised his eyes toward the top of the wall, looking up with a sinister gaze.

Yesterday, he had been blocked outside by this very wall.

However, today it would no longer be an obstacle.

Finding the right moment, General E Liji abruptly waved his hand with a crisp, decisive motion.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Deafening war drums exploded like thunder, as if they were about to shake the entire Yunzhou City to the ground.

As soon as the war drums sounded, the Demon army instantly reached a boiling point.

"Roar! Roar! Roar!"

The earth-shaking roars converged into a torrent, rushing toward Yunzhou City with endless killing intent.

This time, Su Bai did not participate in the defense on the city walls.

He knew well the heavy responsibility he bore.

The Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array was Yunzhou City's final hope.

"Handao Camp, follow me!"

Su Bai was clad in crimson armor, his cloud-splitting spear emitting a grim coldness. He led the three thousand men of the Handao Camp, rushing toward the location of the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array's core without a moment's hesitation.

There were still two hours before the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array would take shape.

These two hours would be the most critical moment for Yunzhou City.

As long as it took shape, this ancient array could draw upon the power of the stars to protect Yunzhou City.

General E Liji was also aware of this.

He had already witnessed Su Bai's tenacity yesterday and was even more aware of the power of the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array.

So this time, General E Liji sent one Golden Core Stage and two Foundation Establishment Stage Demons to the stronghold Su Bai was guarding, intending to destroy the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array.

That Golden Core Stage Demon was his trusted general, the leopard-headed Cloud Guard Leopard. With solid strength and a violent temper, he was the perfect candidate to destroy the array core.

On the city walls, Qin Be waved his hand, and flaming oil and molten metal fell as if they cost nothing.

"Release arrows!!"

"Rolling stones! Battering logs!!"

Qin Be stood at the top of the wall, his eyes bloodshot, directing the defense with a hoarse voice.

Under his command, countless amounts of flaming oil and molten metal poured down like a waterfall.

"Sizzle—"

The scalding liquid, carrying sulfur and a foul stench, poured over the Demons, making a sound that made one's scalp tingle.

Demons at the Qi Refinement Stage simply couldn't withstand this temperature.

Their flesh was torn open by the molten metal, and they were ignited by the flaming oil, letting out shrill screams before falling down like dumplings into a pot.

However, General E Liji's command was indeed excellent.

He no longer simply launched a frontal assault like yesterday, but instead split the Demon army into several groups, attacking the front one moment and the sides the next, using feints and combining real attacks with distractions.

The Yunzhou Army on the walls were exhausted from rushing around, forced to provide support back and forth, and gaps gradually appeared in the defensive line.

"Quick! Block that gap!!"

Qin Be roared, personally brandishing a longsword to slay the Demons rushing onto the wall.

But the number of Demons was simply too great. Stepping over the corpses of their companions, they came wave after wave, and a breach actually appeared, allowing the Demon army to rush up.

"Kill!!"

The Demons who rushed onto the wall let out excited roars, brandishing their claws and fangs as they pounced on the Human Race defenders.

Next came hand-to-hand combat.

With the flash of blades and shadows of swords, flesh and blood flew everywhere as a tragic slaughter unfolded across the city walls.

Meanwhile, at the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array, the array core was on the east side of Yunzhou City.

This was the final array core of the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array.

There were five array cores in total, located in the east, south, west, north, and center of Yunzhou City. At this moment, the last array core was on the eastern wall of Yunzhou City.

Once the array core was filled with Spiritual Qi, it could be fully activated.

As soon as the eastern array core was brimming with spiritual power, the entire Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array could be completely activated. At that time, starlight would descend, a protective light screen would rise, and Yunzhou City would become impregnable.

However, at this critical juncture.

"Boom!"

A massive explosion occurred, and accompanied by violent Demonic Qi, a Golden Core Stage leopard-headed Demon general, Cloud Guard Leopard, charged directly onto the city wall.