Chapter 841: Wings Clipped

Had that person already descended to the ground?

Zhao Qinghe shouted, "Zhou Ming! Have you gone down?"

He called out three times, but there was only silence below.

Where was Zhou Ming?

How could a living person suddenly disappear?

He Chunhua, not believing it, sent two more people down.

Both of them also disappeared.

Everyone stared intently at the swirling mist below the city, a chill running down their spines.

No one knew what would happen if they went down rashly.

The unknown was the most terrifying.

By this time, the monsters had gathered.

Originally, their numbers weren't large, but the Blackwater City army defended the rampart access, using makeshift fortifications to intercept and kill a few. As a result, the remaining monsters came, drawn by the scent of blood.

From their vantage point above the city gate, they looked down into the city. White shadows were often seen running through the streets and alleys, and beast roars echoed one after another.

This spectacle suggested there were probably more than three to five hundred of them.

The strength of these monsters was such that even all the teams combined would struggle to handle eighty; with over three hundred, humans would only be able to flee in panic.

Moreover, the red light continued to pour out monsters without ceasing.

He Chunhua truly hadn't expected that things from the illusion could appear in reality and wreak havoc. It hadn't been like this the last time he entered the Panlong Ruins.

Most terrifying was that this time, someone had clearly laid a trap in secret, transforming the ruins into a siege. The methods used were far more sophisticated than those of Sun Fuping, Nian Songyu, and others.

It was just unclear who the mastermind's target was.

Was it all living people who entered the ruins, or a specific team here?

He Chunhua instinctively glanced at his eldest son, who had already led the Rongshan disciples to the front line of the city defense, precisely severing a monster's arm with a swing of his blade.

Although they were in a difficult situation, their fighting spirit remained high. Without them, the losses and casualties for the Blackwater City army would have been far greater.

Chuan'er... He Chunhua secretly shook his head. It couldn't possibly be him, could it?

Just then, Zhao Qinghe rushed down and reported loudly, "The armaments on the city gate tower have been inventoried. Two cannon carts and one trebuchet are still usable, and their angles allow them to attack below the city. They've been cleaned and calibrated. What do you think?"

There were existing armaments on the South Gate. Most of them had deteriorated over a hundred years of exposure, but a small portion remained usable.

He Chunhua, preoccupied with many thoughts, said without much deliberation, "Use them." To deal with the monsters below, it was best not to rely on flesh and blood.

Zhao Qinghe acknowledged the order and went up.

On the front line, He Lingchuan was deep in fierce combat when Qiu Hu suddenly said, "They're going to fire cannons from the city gate tower."

Prompted by this, He Lingchuan looked up, his heart sinking.

"Stop!" he roared at He Chunhua, "Stop the cannon fire!"

His shout, empowered by true force, pierced through the chaotic battlefield and reached He Chunhua's ears. The latter paused, looking down, only to see He Lingchuan leaping through the crowd, more agile than an ape. Others couldn't even discern how he climbed, but he was already standing before He Chunhua.

So... so fast!

He Chunhua was still somewhat surprised when his eldest son stated, "The cannon fire will be too loud; alarming the monsters isn't wise."

"But..." He Chunhua admitted his son had a point, yet monsters continuously streamed from the red light, and his mere hundred-plus subordinates would find it difficult to resist. Even as they spoke, two of his confidants below, through a moment of carelessness, were bitten by monsters and dragged from cover.

Those on the city wall could only watch helplessly as they were eaten alive. Before their last breath, their limbs were torn off, and their bellies ripped open.

Fortunately, their screams were brief, lasting less than ten breaths, as their throats were finally bitten through.

Who wouldn't feel a chill in their heart after witnessing such a scene?

Trapped in a siege with nowhere to escape, who knew if this wouldn't be their ultimate fate?

He Chunhua, furious, clenched his fist, exclaiming, "Fools!"

One of the deceased was a sorcerer. As a wielder of divine abilities, why would he run so far ahead? There were already few sorcerers in the team, and now one more was lost.

"If we're not fighting alongside other teams, then now it's about who is more careful and who survives until the end," He Lingchuan quickly stated. "The moment the cannons fire, all the monsters will rush here, and we'll be relieving pressure for other teams. Perhaps they'll seize the opportunity to take the treasure."

The last two sentences struck a chord with He Chunhua. Doing something for someone else's benefit was not to be done lightly.

He immediately turned and signaled to Zhao Qinghe, "Stop, stop!"

The armaments on the city gate had already rumbled as they turned, shells loaded, and were just about to fire when his shout brought them to an immediate halt.

Just then, the Soul-Capturing Mirror suddenly alerted He Lingchuan to a figure darting across the square not far away.

It was attempting to bypass the beast horde and rush towards the city gate tower, hidden by the night and the shadows of the buildings.

He Lingchuan looked closely, "Huh, wasn't that Zhou Ming, who had just descended the rope and vanished into the thick mist at the city gate?"

How did he appear inside the city?

Zhou Ming cautiously approached, forced to expose himself twice in the open. Zhao Qinghe and others also spotted him, exclaiming, "Zhou Ming? Quickly, come up!"

No sooner had they spoken than a monster spotted Zhou Ming. With a roar, seven or eight monsters pounced on him.

Zhou Ming could no longer bother with cover and charged towards the city gate with long strides.

They were nearly a hundred *zhang* apart. His companions cheered him on, and He Chunhua also said, "Go get him up, quickly!"

By learning Zhou Ming's experience, they might uncover the mystery of the city gate.

But before they could send anyone to meet him, dozens of monsters rushed out from the streets and alleys, instantly cutting off Zhou Ming.

He darted left and right, demonstrating extreme agility and evasive maneuvers, but alas, the monsters were simply too numerous, and some were quite agile.

In the end, the Yuan men on the city wall could only watch helplessly as he was overwhelmed by the monsters, their hearts filled with despair.

In truth, everyone had held the thought, "At worst, we can just jump off the city wall and leave." Now, with Zhou Ming's sudden appearance inside the city, they finally understood: even jumping off the city wall wouldn't allow them to escape!

This was truly a situation from which there was no escape. What were they to do?

He Chunhua's face turned ashen.

Who possessed such immense divine power to transfer Zhou Ming, who had jumped off the city gate, inside the city without anyone noticing?

Most likely, it was the Great Square Jar itself, wasn't it?

Because of Zhou Ming's appearance, the attention of most monsters was diverted, and the attacks on the city gate stairs significantly weakened.

At that moment, two more shadows flickered at the far end of the city gate square, running towards the streets and alleys within the city.

He Lingchuan immediately recognized them as the other two personal guards who had previously jumped off the city gate.

They were probably intimidated by Zhou Ming's fate and absolutely dared not approach the city gate tower again, so they fled in the opposite direction.

But as soon as they moved, the surrounding monsters immediately sensed them, turned, and gave chase.

He Chunhua composed himself and ordered his subordinates, "Retreat into the wall, quickly!"

He acted decisively. Realizing that the number of monsters below the city gate had decreased, he immediately abandoned the rampart access and had everyone retreat into the wall's inner layer.

In fact, the thick wall itself was sufficient to protect most people.

No one wanted to be on the front line; everyone yearned to retreat and save their lives. He Chunhua's order was well-received, and everyone eagerly rushed back into the city wall, closing the doors.

From below, the city wall looked completely empty, devoid of people.

Of the two fleeing personal guards, one had already been caught and eaten. The other sprinted through the streets and alleys, employing many tricks, about to jump into a ditch. The space there was narrow, and monsters might not be able to enter.

Just as he was about to succeed, a blast of cold air flew from unknown origins, striking him precisely.

Before the man even landed, his limbs stiffened, and he rolled twice upon impact.

Only then did a massive creature calmly stroll over, pick him up, and swallow him in one gulp!

He Chunhua, hidden within the cavity wall, saw this monster, and cold sweat immediately broke out.

The monsters that had appeared earlier were bizarrely shaped, with the largest being only one and a half *zhang* tall. But this beast was easily over three *zhang* tall, standing as high as a two-story building, its body as bulky as a bear's, but with horns on its head.

Other monsters were very afraid of it, daring not to approach within ten *zhang*, only following behind with their heads bowed.

If the Blackwater City army had just fired cannons and trebuchets, creating booming noises, this monster would 90% likely have charged directly towards the city gate.

His eldest son had foresight after all.

No one wanted to provoke this behemoth. Remembering the armaments on the city gate, everyone felt a wave of belated fear.

"Leader," Qiu Hu whispered to He Lingchuan, "We've finally seen the leader of this group of monsters."

He Lingchuan grunted in acknowledgment.

With so many ice monsters, it would be abnormal if there weren't a few leaders.

The Soul-Capturing Mirror in his arms asked him, "Wow, did you arrange this too?"

He shook his head.

Everything inside the city tonight was beyond his expectations. The Great Square Jar had indeed arranged many surprises for him—or rather, scares.

Where exactly did these ice monsters come from?

What was certain was that the temple's pond-well should lead directly to the Great Square Jar. This meant these ice monsters came from within the Great Square Jar.

That was peculiar.

He couldn't recall these abominations existing in the world within the jar at all!

That red light was like stirring up a monster's nest.

Wait, a monster's nest?

A strange thought popped into his mind. Perhaps, just perhaps, these monsters weren't native inhabitants of the Great Square Jar?

Alas, tonight's operation should have been simple, but with the Great Square Jar's interference, the complexity had escalated rapidly.

The worst part was that he himself was also in mortal danger.

This jar truly never gave him a moment's peace.

After devouring its snack, the giant monster still seemed unsatisfied. It looked around, sniffed the air downwind a few times, and began to slowly pace towards the city wall.

He Chunhua quickly ordered, "Hide well in the middle cavity wall! No moving, no making a sound!"

The South Gate had two barbicans and three walls. Everyone retreated to the partition wall of the first barbican, leaving the outermost section for the monsters.

No sooner had they hidden than the giant monster arrived below the wall.

The inner wall was considerably taller than it, so the giant monster could only barely tilt its head back to get close to a small hole in the wall and sniff carefully.

With each breath, it exhaled tiny ice crystals, coating everything they touched—whether the wall or the passage inside—with a thin layer of frost.

If sprayed on a person, it would at least cause paralysis of half the body.

It sniffed around, seemingly confused, reluctant to leave.

But just then, a loud explosion suddenly echoed from within the city—boom!

It was unclear which team had set off such a powerful blast.

The giant monster immediately turned and rushed towards the source of the sound.

Other smaller monsters also followed behind, forming an increasingly massive procession.

Only then did He Chunhua breathe a sigh of relief.

This adventure was becoming increasingly bizarre.