Chapter 564: Chapter 564. Creeping Toward the Western Wall
Jiang Tong’s army marched in the darkness. The front-line soldiers had eaten cat-eye pills so that they could see in the dark. They didn’t have enough pills to feed everyone, so the other soldiers attached bright flare stones to their uniforms. Some were even carrying banners attached with large bright flare stones that could illuminate large areas.
With those lights, it was impossible to mask their approach. Jiang Tong didn’t mind, though. Even without those lights, the sound of tens of thousands of soldiers marching would have warned the enemies. His hope was for the enemies not to have enough time to prepare because the enemies didn’t expect them to attack within the period of truce.
This hope was dashed when he heard commotion from the city above. Not long after, he saw wave upon wave of figures come out of the wall.
"Are those the controlled civilians?" Jiang Tong asked Liu Xun, who was using his Eagle Eye art.
"They are," Liu Xun confirmed.
"Well, what the hell. Let’s hope that Amon did not only talk shit." He flew up and shouted, "Get ready...!!"
All the martial realm soldiers took to the sky. Liu Xun barked his command to the army below, "Do as we have drilled!"
After tasting how troublesome the enemy’s suicide army was, they had prepared for the next encounter. All the front-line soldiers were those with powerful defensive arts. They were to keep the enemies from crossing their defensive line and bear the brunt of the explosions, while their comrades behind were equipped with mid to long-range weapons.
The Martial Realm cultivators were ready in the air. Unless Khode’s core army came out to meet them in combat, they would also assault the enemy’s suicide army to alleviate the pressure from their Human Realm soldiers.
Since the enemies were already aware of their intention, Jiang Tong had his army stop before the foot of Bright Rock Hill. It would be difficult to stop the suicide army’s charge when they still had to climb uphill. It was better to meet the enemies at the foot of the hill like before.
As time passed, Liu Xun’s face became paler.
"What is it?" Jiang Tong asked.
"The... The controlled civilians... Their number is roughly twice what it was before... And many are still coming out," Liu Xun answered.
"Tch!" Jiang Tong uttered. It appeared Amon’s theory had been correct.
"Let’s hope he is also correct about being able to do something about those controlled civilians," Jiang Tong muttered. He turned to his army and yelled, "This changes nothing. We will face the enemy and retake Bright Rock City!"
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Explosive sounds and a cacophony of clashing sounds were heard from the other side of Bright Rock Hill. It was a clear sign that the battle had started.
Yong Baili turned to Amon and asked, "Should we move now?"
"No, wait a while longer," Amon answered. While it was true he didn’t want Jiang Tong’s army to suffer too many casualties for his benefit, he also knew the success of this assault hinged on how deep his force could enter the enemy territory before the enemy realized they were ambushed. For that, he needed Jiang Tong to pull as many enemies out of the city as possible.
Minutes passed as the sounds of battle continued to rage on the other side of the massive hill. Yong Baili and most of the soldiers were restless. Shouldn’t they move already? How much longer did they have to wait?
"Hey, not yet?" Wu Di was among those who were restless. "If we wait longer, our comrades on the other side might have lost by the time we make our move."
"Address brother with General!!" Xin Wuming scolded Wu Di. Wu Di was annoyed. Xin Wuming himself addressed Amon with an intimate label instead of his formal title.
Wu Di was about to retort when Amon issued the order, "Get ready."
His timing was based on the situation on the other side. He had Lin Li monitor the battle there. Lin Li had advanced concealment ability and knew how to hide herself.
Through their mental link, she informed Amon that a large group of Khode flying soldiers had exited the city and joined the fight. They brought with them a legion of battle puppets. Projectiles from Yuanxu Cannons were also seen being shot from the top of the city wall.
Amon believed the flying group was Khode’s upper echelons. Together with the battle puppets and the cannons, the enemies seemed to start going all out. Since it was the case, it was time to begin their ambush.
"We are ready!" Wu Di exclaimed.
"Remember my instruction!" Amon told everyone before he ordered, "Go!"
They didn’t charge but moved silently. All of them were covered with black cloaks. The commanders and those at the outer perimeter had consumed cat-eye pills so that they could see in the darkness. The others moved within the boundary. They had one hand holding the back of the one in front so they could move in unison.
When they arrived at the foot of Bright Rock Hill, they saw four soft lights. Two were far apart at the hill’s foot, and the other two were high above.
The soft lights at the hill’s foot were Bright Flare Stones covered by slightly transparent black cloths held by Hu Hua and Diao Xin. The two above were held by Shi Hei and Yi Chaisan. These lights were markers, informing the troops of the path they should take.
This path was the area where they had rigged the Faxien Radars. The radars would send false signals as if they detected nothing but a few small animals moving randomly.
Led by Amon, the troops ascended the hill without straying outside the path marked by the four. They maintained silence as much as possible. From what they could see, there was no movement from the city overseeing them from above. Those inside the city must have their attention on the other side, where the battle took place.
Shi Hei and Yi Chaisan climbed the hill as the troops approached them. They had also consumed the cat-eye pills and memorized the safe area. They moved until they were around fifty meters from the wall.
They hadn’t done anything to the Faxien Radars past that point, because it was too close to the wall. Even when there were still outcroppings to hide in, the chance of them being spotted by sentries was high. So, Amon decided this line was the furthest they could sneak.
Amon gave the signal to stop after reaching this line. He looked back. Everyone hunkered down, covered by black cloth. He turned back and observed the wall. No movement was seen. With luck, most sentries were drawn to the other side, and none were roaming this spot.
From this proximity, they could see the barrier shielding the city. Along the wall were tall rods situated sparsely. Those rods had glowing orbs on their tops. Words of power floated around those orbs. These orbs emitted a soft light that spread out and formed a huge dome encapsulating the city. This light flashed regularly, allowing those close enough to see its shape.
Amon looked to the left. In that direction was a large gate. That was Bright Rock City’s Western Gate. If they could open that gate, their Human Realm soldiers could enter from there without having to break through the barrier. Most sentries who remained on this Western side should be there, guarding the gate.
He turned to Gao Xingzi, who was by his side, and nodded. Gao Xingzi knew what to do. She closed her eyes and sent a command via her mental link.
Not long after, a large shadow came down from the night sky. The Yao Bird was an excellent hunter at night. Their dark hides camouflaged them, and they could glide without making a sound.
Once the Yao Bird descended to right above them, it spewed its dark fog in the wall’s direction. The fog soon spread and covered a large area before them.
Amon turned to his close followers and whispered, "From here on out, we must move fast, but wait for my signal. Once you hear it, have all Martial Realm soldiers charge over the wall. All Human Realm soldiers march to that gate.
Everyone nodded.
Amon turned back to the front and vanished into the black fog.
*
"Hey, what is that?" One of the Khode soldiers stationed on the Western gate looked to the left. A thick black fog was spreading their way. The fog couldn’t pass through the barrier, though. So, it created this strange scenery where the view outside was obscured as the fog spread.
"Perhaps this is one of Echos’ natural phenomena?" Another soldier guessed.
"Look!" Their friend said as he pointed. There was an urgency in his voice. "Some of the fog is leaking inside."
They looked where their friend pointed. Far to their left, a little fog was seeping past the barrier.
"Impossible! Is there a leak in the barrier? Call a Tech Specialist to check the barrier rods! We will check the leak."
Two soldiers ran toward where the fog was seeping in. They were alarmed when the fog that entered seemed to become larger, indicating that the leak was growing.
They stopped before the growing fog. They were at a loss about what to do. Should they enter the black fog? They preferred not to. They perceived some movements inside the fog. They took a step back, just as a score of metal-clad figures rushed out of the fog.