Huode City is no ordinary city; it is a type of Demon Soldier itself. Its special characteristic is that it is assembled from various buildings. Different buildings have different innate qualities depending on their purpose. As they grow over time, they become various Minor Demon Soldiers, Great Demon Soldiers, or even Spirit Demon Soldiers. Therefore, as a Demon Soldier, Huode City’s cultivation level is difficult to gauge.
Tie Ao’s words were accurate, pointing out Huode City’s greatest weakness: its insufficient cultivation. It is still a new city, and the cultivation of its gatehouses, watchtowers, and blockhouses are only at the young demon stage. Furthermore, it is very difficult for building-type Demon Soldiers to improve their cultivation, requiring substantial Vital Energy and accumulation over time.
For instance, the main city of the Shan family was accumulated over ten thousand years and underwent several modifications to become the undisputed foremost city in the Archipelago. People sometimes respectfully refer to it as the “Unfallen Mountain City,” meaning an eternal city. Even when considered within Xingzhou, the Shan family’s main city is quite renowned, ranking among the top-tier cities.
Compared to the Shan family’s main city, Huode City’s cultivation is far inferior, like an infant versus an adult. However, this infant’s potential far surpasses that of the adult. Given enough time, Huode City has a high probability of surpassing the Shan family’s main city. But what it lacks most right now is time.
Although Huode City is complete, no Altar of Heaven has been built yet. Master Yu Ya is already rushing to Yao Shan Kingdom, where he will secretly construct a giant Gem Secret Passage in the Endless Forest to receive the seven great Tribulation Demons. For the Shu Family, the longer time drags on, the better. For the Tie Family, they naturally wish to unite and preserve themselves.
Following the main path upwards, the group of four entered the inner city. The inner city boasts an exquisite layout, with Pavilions, Terraces, and Verandas, towers, and residences seamlessly integrated, exuding a blend of magnificence and ancient charm.
“This is my Young Lord’s Estate. Come in, all of you,” Chu Yun invited the four into his Young Lord’s Estate. Unlike his previous residence, this is a completely independent courtyard. A three-tiered Pavilion serves as the main building, grand in scale. Behind it are five side halls, surrounding the main hall like stars embracing the moon. Additionally, corridors and gardens are interspersed throughout. The rockeries and gardens created by harnessing the natural mountain terrain further accentuate a heroic aura, immediately signaling that a hegemonic figure resides within.
Since it has not been formally occupied, only a few servants are present in the Young Lord’s Estate. In the main hall, Chu Yun sits in the primary seat, while Tie Ao and the others take the guest seats. As soon as they sat down, servants brought exquisite refreshments. The snacks were delicate and appealing, with an enticing aroma that stimulated the appetite. However, Tie Ao and the others were heavy-hearted and, after a glance, did not touch them.
“I will handle the alliance matters entirely. Tie Ao, let’s be frank: if you want the support of my Shu Family, you must pay a certain price,” Chu Yun said directly, glancing around and taking a sip of clear tea with a slight smile. Support would be granted, but not for free.
Tie Ao was mentally prepared for this. He let out a hearty laugh and said, “Speaking of which, I did not come empty-handed. Please, take a look at this weapon.” He tapped his Immortal Pouch at his waist, and a beam of mystic light shot out, landing in the center of the hall and transforming into a ballista. The ballista was large and intricately constructed. At first glance, it resembled an enlarged bow and arrow, but upon closer inspection, subtle differences were apparent. The composite bow arms extended a full four *zhang* in width. The ballista’s winding rope was semi-transparent and as thick as a clenched fist, clearly indicating it was a genuine instrument of war.
Chu Yun was not skilled in Weapon Forging, but that did not hinder his discernment. Upon seeing the ballista, his eyes flashed, and he exclaimed, “Could this be the Sky-Shattering God-Shooting Ballista? The Shui Family army used this powerful weapon to sink ships at sight and break down cities. A significant portion of our intelligence has been dedicated to this weapon.”
A flicker of pain crossed Tie Ao’s eyes, and he said gravely, “Indeed. This is the Sky-Shattering God-Shooting Ballista, a suitably magnificent name for a devastatingly powerful weapon. My Tie Family’s thirteen cities and nearly a hundred warships were destroyed by this very weapon.”
“This ballista, when paired with specially made arrows, delivers an attack equivalent to the full force of a six-thousand-year-old Spirit Monster. The Shui Family army possesses fifty such ballistas. It took me immense effort to snatch just one. The Shu Family has Master Yu Ya, a master of Weapon Forging; presenting this ballista to him will allow for study and, hopefully, replication. Even if replication is impossible, designing a targeted defensive Demon Soldier would be beneficial.”
“Fifty Sky-Shattering God-Shooting Ballistas? Even with you seizing one, there are still forty-nine. If forty-nine ballistas attacked simultaneously, even I would be unable to withstand them. Its power is indeed formidable. Very well, I shall accept this ballista for now,” Chu Yun nodded and stored the damaged ballista in his Immortal Pouch.
Tie Ao continued, “The Shui Family army’s strength is not solely due to the Sky-Shattering God-Shooting Ballista. They also have a Flying Sword Elite Soldiers unit of over six hundred men. They are highly mobile, capable of tri-service operations on land, sea, and air, with formidable attack power. Furthermore, there is the Frog Elite Soldiers unit, numbering over two thousand men. Each soldier wields a Frost Three-Legged Frog. With over two thousand frogs spewing frost breath simultaneously, they can cause frost in mid-summer and freeze seas into vast icy plains. Their power is truly terrifying. It can be said that within the Archipelago, no elite unit can match them.”
“Flying Sword Elite Soldiers, Frog Elite Soldiers… I have heard of them. You are correct. These elite soldiers were meticulously cultivated by the Jianghan Kingdom, with resources invested several times, or even more than ten times, that of any other elite unit in the Archipelago. Their power is as expected.” Chu Yun replied.
“These elite soldiers and ballistas are not the true threat. The real danger lies in the presence of great generals within the Shui Family army. As for the Mad Confucian General, there’s no need to elaborate; you and I both know he possesses the Benevolent Teacher Southern Wilds Banner, one of the five great military banners of Xingzhou, capable of commanding vast armies with ease. I even suspect he has attained the combat power of a Tribulation Demon and could rank among the Hegemons.”
“Additionally, there is Yan Dongliu, known as the ‘Battlefield Swordsman,’ ranked tenth on the Talented Person Ranking. He leads the Flying Sword Elite Soldiers and possesses a Sword Cascade Dao Method, which can combine the sword techniques of six hundred elite soldiers into a single, terrifying attack. Some have estimated this Sword Cascade Dao Method to possess the combat power of a Tribulation Demon. This assessment is not an exaggeration. A detachment of our forces, consisting of sixteen warships, was utterly annihilated by this attack, with ships shattered and no survivors.”
Chu Yun frowned; Yan Dongliu had been dispatched to Yang Wan Quan’s forces, posing a threat to the Shu Family’s waters.
“Besides Yan Dongliu, the Shui Family has a strategist. His identity is mysterious, operating behind the scenes. Even we only recently uncovered his true identity through subtle clues. His name is Zhen Youcai, and he is an Abacus Master. His calculations are so precise that he seems to possess the ability to foresee the future. Even our most secret military operations can be predicted by him. Consequently, our operations have been consistently passive.”
A Mad Confucian General as the commander-in-chief, Zhen Youcai as the strategist, and Yan Dongliu as the vanguard – this lineup indeed presented a formidable force, surpassing either the Tie Family or the Shu Family individually. The Shui Family, with powerful weapons like the God-Shattering Ballista, elite troops like the Flying Swords and Frogs, and great generals like the Mad Confucian General, combined with their current military might and financial resources, truly made them a terrifying opponent. It was already an arduous feat for the Tie Family to have held out until now.
“However, the above are not all. The Shui Family currently possesses Destiny Demonic Treasures of the ancient three tribes, along with the Mad Confucian General’s Benevolent Teacher Southern Wilds Banner. The combined might of these four and their continuously flowing destiny is immense. Warfare considers auspicious timing, geographical advantage, and morale. You are well aware of how important destiny is, Chu Yun.” Tie Ao’s tone grew heavy here. He had suffered numerous setbacks in battles against the Shui Family due to unfavorable destiny. Many battles, whether sea or land, offensive or defensive, had collapsed due to sheer luck, leading to defeat.
“Heh heh heh, well done, Tie Ao, using this as leverage. Very well, with the enemy at our doorstep, I won’t be exorbitant. I will ask for just one island.” Chu Yun said with a hearty laugh. His three trusted subordinates were startled by this statement. Asking for an island – wasn’t that asking too much?
“You wouldn’t be asking for my Tie Family’s main island, would you?” Tie Ao chuckled.
“Certainly not. It’s Dingluo Island, located on the edge of the Snake Algae Sea, a town-level island,” Chu Yun replied.
As Chu Yun named the island, Tie Ao knew what was going on. “Dingluo Island?” He raised an eyebrow, understanding why the Shu Family desired it. Within the Shu Family’s territorial waters lay the Snake Algae Sea, a deadly zone inhabited by several Spirit Monster-level Snake Algae, thousands of Great Demons, and tens of thousands of Lesser Demons. No one knew if a Tribulation Demon Snake Algae resided within. This sea region, while serving as a protective barrier for the Shu Family, also hindered their outward expansion. Therefore, Dingluo Island’s location was crucial. With this island, the Shu Family could establish a military base, essentially a stepping stone for outward expansion.
However, for the Tie Family, Dingluo Island was practically a “chicken rib” – its strategic location was too remote, its resources scarce, and its population sparse. Most importantly, with the Shui Family army advancing, he had no choice but to relinquish it to demonstrate his sincerity in forming an alliance.
Unexpectedly, Chu Yun added, “Don’t rush to agree. What I want is the *entire* Dingluo Island, including its population and garrisons. I hope you can hand them over to me.”
The garrison on Dingluo Island? Tie Ao pondered. The island had only an eight-hundred-strong garrison, composed of elderly, weak, and infirm soldiers. The island’s commander was quite infamous. He was a minor general, naturally timid and cowardly, often mocked within the Tie Family army. Because he kept a rabbit demon, he was known as “General Rabbit.” Tie Ao, as the Island Lord of Tie Family Island, naturally did not allow personal feelings to dictate his view of his subordinates. He considered this “General Rabbit” to have some talent, at least as a good escort for grain and supplies. He was too timid and fearful; at the slightest disturbance, he would be alerted and then… immediately flee. All these thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.
“Alright, I agree,” Tie Ao said without the slightest hesitation.
“Hahaha, the Second Divine General is secured,” Chu Yun said calmly, inwardly ecstatic.
