Chapter 88: Don’t Say Anything That Insults My Intelligence!
Chapter 90: Don’t Say Anything That Insults My Intelligence!
Among the Artificer Tiers of the Boundless Land, “Hero” is a definitive dividing line.
If Foundation and Paradigm make up the largest portion of Artificers, and Champion forms the backbone, then in modern times where True King is mere background, Hero represents the de facto highest Combat Power.
Any Artificer at the Hero Tier can decide the outcome of a battle. If one side lacks a challenger of comparable strength, they will be suppressed to the point of near-certain defeat.
Furthermore, there are disparities even among Heroes.
Although all are renowned figures, some Heroes can spin their peers like tops.
Yonglan recalled their proud attitude when discussing this with the Saintly Monks before:
“Lord Ham has an excellent track record in exchanges between Knight Families. He is one of the few Heroes who can clearly suppress opponents of the same Tier!”
“Coincidentally, the Starlight Dwelling’s encampment needs to be relocated. This time, in response to the Dragon Species’ provocations, and through the persuasion of the Ate sisters, this Knight Family has been specially brought to Chang. The war is assured of victory.”
Knight Families and Pillars of the Holy Church are not inherently related, but many Knight Families gravitate towards the latter by recognizing their doctrines or accepting their aid.
Starlight Dwelling is one such family, maintaining a close cooperative relationship with the Pillars of the Holy Church, to the extent that they are willing to participate in the struggles of mortal kingdoms.
“It seems taking Chang won’t be easy. The outcome is still uncertain,” Yonglan chuckled.
It didn’t matter who won or lost; Yonglan was content to be a bloodthirsty spectator, watching the carnage with relish!
As Starlight Dwelling’s forces entered Chang, the expeditionary army of the Destiny Unified Empire was also calmly advancing towards their destination.
Their excessive leisure was evident in their willingness to engage in combat and incur losses before even reaching Chang.
In fact, the Unified Empire’s expeditionary targets extended beyond just Chang; any resistance encountered along the way would be crushed by the Empire.
Just kidding, they’d crush resistance even if it wasn’t a problem.
This proved disastrous for the scattered independent city-states. They had thought they were far enough from the Empire to avoid being targets for a while, but they never imagined the Dragon Species would go mad enough to declare war on the Pillars of the Holy Church and march all the way to Chang.
What was wrong with them?
No matter how the inhabitants of these independent city-states cursed them in their hearts, they were met with a letter of surrender.
Most of these city-states complied, but a few chose to resist to the death.
For example, Yaoxing Castle, an independent city-state with a long history, refused to submit to the Destiny Unified Empire and, as a consequence, was naturally subjected to bombardment.
*Boom, boom, boom—*
Rain-like heavy artillery fire washed over every inch of Yaoxing Castle. The rumbling vibrated through the atmosphere, and the shockwaves carried like a chilling wind. The entire city burned fiercely.
*”Buzz, buzz—”*
A clumsy, thick Golem took the full brunt of saturation attacks from massive airships. The tens-of-meters-tall Golem then collapsed with a deafening roar.
The Empire advanced like a hot knife through butter, finally halting before the palace.
The last line of defense against the Unified Empire’s advance was the remaining Imperial Guard of Yaoxing Castle.
As the city-state’s final bastion, these Imperial Guards, utilizing the treacherous terrain and fighting with fearless valor, repelled the Unified Empire’s assaults wave after wave.
Heavy armor, elite troops, and indiscriminate bombardment—none could breach the defensive line they had constructed.
It wasn’t until a Dragon Princess personally arrived that the defensive line shattered in an instant.
*”Boom—”*
On the wide avenue leading to the main palace gate, fierce sword winds raged, wildly tearing everything around them.
Paving stones cracked, massive walls collapsed, towers crumbled, and the corpses of hundreds of Imperial Guards lay scattered across the ground.
The Imperial Guard Commander’s forces were annihilated, leaving him alone to fight on, engaging the enemy on the avenue at speeds imperceptible to the naked eye.
*”Clang—”*
Another clash of steel echoed, accompanied by surging airwaves. A longsword pressed down on the Imperial Guard Commander’s dragon sword, exerting an unbelievable force that forced him to kneel on one knee.
His opponent, who had pinned the Imperial Guard Commander, sighed as she saw this:
“Old general of Yaoxing, your defiant stance is truly unsightly.”
Her golden hair cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall, as if containing fragments of the sun. Her stern and delicate face was like a painted scroll, her dignified and extraordinary temperament sharp enough to make one afraid to meet her gaze.
So dazzling and radiant, she commanded respect even without anger.
Her moon-white military skirt was light and elegant, adorned with golden embroidery on the collar and cuffs, giving it a luxurious and exquisite appearance.
Dragon horns emerged from her forehead, possessing a dazzling obsidian texture, their perfectly defined contours representing her noble Dragonborn bloodline.
However, her opponent, the Imperial Guard Commander of Yaoxing Castle, was also a Dragonborn.
“Cough, cough… ”
The Imperial Guard Commander spat out bloody phlegm. His gaze shifted upwards, looking at the infamous Dragon Princess, and slowly said, “Aseran… I didn’t expect it to be you leading this battle. Does the Unified Empire intend to utterly destroy my homeland?!”
A slight smile played on her lips, and the golden-haired Dragon Maiden mocked the Imperial Guard Commander: “Destroy? How have you brought this misfortune upon yourselves? Is it not your own choice?”
Maintaining her press with one hand, Aseran turned her head to look at the city engulfed in flames. Under the barrage of heavy artillery, every district had suffered unbearable destruction. It was nearly impossible to find an intact street.
The cries and roars of countless residents intertwined. While the Unified Empire might not have deliberately massacred them, they certainly showed no restraint.
All heavy firepower was unleashed without hesitation. Beneath the hooves of their war machines lay a hellish landscape.
“This was the site of the Primal King’s first pilgrimage, the earliest place where the Primal King was worshipped. If not for your resistance, this city would not have met such a fate.”
“As successors who have both received the legacy of the Xuntian Dynasty, we have already given you a chance. You rejected the olive branch, and now you question why I am destroying your home? You can only blame yourselves for rejecting Destiny, for rejecting the supreme honor of welcoming the Primal King.”
As soon as Aseran finished speaking, the Imperial Guard Commander sneered, “You… you dare to claim Destiny? What do you even know?! Whether it’s you or us, the revelations and Destiny received from that void are not real. They are the temptations of Fiends… Fiends! Are you proud to be puppets driven by Fiends?!”
*”Slap—”*
“Ignorant fool, don’t say anything that insults my intelligence!”
Aseran backhanded the Imperial Guard Commander, delivering a resounding slap. She looked down at him coldly and said, “Your mad ramblings are beyond my imagination. Do you intend to deny the arrival of the Appointed Day? The Primal King will return like lightning. All we are doing is following his will, unifying the Earth, and shaping a new world. This is our manifest Destiny!”
