Chapter 213: Ice Spirit is No Coward

"Pass the order to the three armies..."

"Your Majesty, don't do that!" Oscar stopped him, "The alleys around the clock tower are narrow, and the enemy has set up soul crystal cannons aimed at the street entrance. Even if more ordinary soldiers go, they won't be able to use their skills. They will just die in vain!"

"Your Majesty, we can use the Divine Martial Soul Cannon!" A general nearby said in unison: "We don't need many, just ten Divine Martial Soul Cannons aimed at the bell tower and bombarded it randomly. No matter how skilled the opponent is, we can blow him into pieces!"

"Do not underestimate Fu Liye so easily!" Abuda Zhebie scolded angrily, "Moreover, the bell tower is located on the hillside in the center of the city. How much time would it take to transport the Divine Martial Spirit Cannons from the city gate? By then, the swarm would have already breached the city!"

"That's not the point." The elder Oscar said in a deep voice, "The queen bee is still in their hands. If they accidentally blow up the queen bee, the ice bee swarm will be completely out of control and fall into chaos. They will fight to the death with my Ice Spirit City. This man is very conceited and is probably enjoying the fun of hunting. We still have a chance, Your Majesty, quality is more important than quantity. The Bell Tower can only send elite troops to behead and capture Fourier, while the main army should defend the city gates. Whether the swarm arrives early or Fourier kills the queen bee out of desperation, we must be prepared to fight the swarm. Otherwise, I'm afraid that the 300,000 people in my Ice Spirit City will be wiped out!"

How could the generals understand all this? They were all speechless. Xue Cangbai had already decisively ordered: "Zhebie, Donghuang, listen to my order. I order you two to lead your heroic old subordinates. You can also choose the masters among the palace guards. Follow the orders of the elders and attack the bell tower immediately. Make sure to capture the queen bee! City defense is the top priority. The three armies are on standby. I will personally lead the command to resist the swarm of bees and buy them time!"

Everyone bowed in unison and swiftly took their leave with a resounding, "Yes, sir!"

"The city guards will help defend the city gates, but the civilians in the city must also be guided by others," Xue Cangbai ordered, "Ask Xue Zhiyu to take my king's order and tell the disciples of the Ice Spirit Holy Hall and all the royal family members to help guide the civilians... Zhiyu, Zhiyu?!"

He called out twice, but there was no response from under the tent.

Xue Cangbai's heart sank, where was Zhiyu?

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Four figures were rapidly circling back from the back mountain.

The terrain here is quite elevated. As Xue Zhiyu just made his way around to the front of Ice Spirit City, he saw the silvery 'snow clouds' covering the position of the Ice Valley in the distance. Under the sunlight, they shimmered with a vast array of light at the farthest reaches.

The Winter Tribe is finished!

Xue Zhiyu and the others felt a sinking feeling in their hearts. The Winter Clan was the second largest clan of the Ice Spirit and had lived in the bitter cold land outside the city for a long time. They said they followed ancient customs, but in fact they were monitoring and suppressing the swarms of ice bees in the forbidden area for the Ice Spirit. They had been working hard for more than two hundred years and were truly the true guardians of the Ice Spirit. However, such a loyal and unparalleled clan must be in great danger when facing the swarms of bees.

The person who orchestrated this had a deep understanding of Bingle and the Ice Spirit. The reason why the elders rarely descended from the mountain except for major events was to prevent skilled intruders from sneaking in, yet they still managed to exploit a loophole.

Many of the elders in the Bingle lineage had watched Xue Zhiyu and the other children grow up, treating them like their own family. Thinking of those familiar faces now being devoured by the ice bees, dying in terror under their attack, Xue Zhiyu's silver teeth almost ground to pieces, her face growing increasingly cold.

"His Majesty and the others should be preparing for battle in the Soul Arsenal. Princess, shall we head there first to join them?"

Boom!

Just as Jina finished speaking, the sound of soul crystal cannons echoed from within the city, coming from the direction of the bell tower altar.

Their position above the bell tower offered a wide view, allowing them to faintly see many well-trained individuals suddenly rushing into the altar from all directions. These people were clearly highly skilled; the dozens of city guards near the bell tower altar didn't even have time to resist before they were all killed, their bodies scattered on the ground.

"There are spies in the city!" Tatashi's eyes blazed with fury as he lifted his shield.

"What are they planning to do by taking over the altar?"

"It can't be anything good! It's not too far from the Soul Arsenal. No matter what they intend to do, Father will soon receive the news and send reinforcements!" Xue Zhiyu composed herself, her thoughts clear: "They are numerous and likely all experts. We cannot rush in recklessly. Let's get closer and observe from the shadows, ready to support Father's forces."

………………

The central square's bell tower, once a place of worship, was now a scene of chaos, with dozens of Ice Spirit Guards' bodies lying haphazardly on the ground. Civilians had been driven away, and the open streets on both sides were empty. At each intersection, a hastily assembled simple soul crystal cannon stood, manned by over a hundred Nine Gods Assassins, their bare torsos displaying intricate tattoos. They guarded the two street entrances, fully prepared.

These Nine Gods Assassins were summoned by Red Lotus, all top-notch fighters, perhaps not as powerful as great heroes but certainly not something ordinary Ice Spirit Guards could handle. With three soul crystal cannons and the advantage of terrain, even if the Ice Spirit mobilized a large army, it would be impossible to break through from the front in a short time.

The icy wind howled, and the assassins' faces were grim. This was the culmination of twenty years of planning, gathering all members of the Dandelion and Wild Character groups. Their sole mission was to hold the bell tower until the ice bees breached the city gates and entered the city!

Annihilate, destroy everything, for the glory of the Nine Gods Empire!

A nimble figure leaped from the outer wall of the bell tower, effortlessly rising seven or eight meters high without using the internal staircase.

He was seen with his sleeves fluttering, leaping gracefully like a great goose. When the momentum waned, he lightly touched down on a protrusion of the clock tower’s outer wall, immediately springing up again. In just a few bounds, he effortlessly scaled to the top of the towering clock tower, which stood dozens of meters high.

He placed a plump, fleshy-winged grub beneath the massive bronze bell of the clock tower, gazing out at Ice Spirit City, which had already fallen into chaos. A smile appeared on Fu Liye's face.

The city's panicked screams sounded to him like a mournful song, but after sorrow comes rebirth.

“No one is innocent; the energy that departs will return to the heavens and earth, heralding the arrival of a new world!”

He said this softly with a smile, extending his index finger to tap gently on the giant bell.

Dong~

The bronze bell emitted a resonant and clear sound. The plump grub, placed beneath the bell, trembled involuntarily from the intense sound of the bell ringing close by.

Its two fleshy wings flapped continuously, but bound by a powerful soul force, it could neither fly nor escape. Its abdomen quivered wildly, and the thin mandibles on either side of its mouthparts beat incessantly, producing a high-pitched hum that spread for miles around, like an invisible wave of a special frequency.

This beautiful frequency.

Fu Liye laughed heartily, waving his sleeve as he began to tap dance atop the clock tower. His rapid footwork felt the grub's mandible beats slowing slightly, and he laughed aloud, “Not enough, little one, louder!”

As he danced, his fingers struck the bell again with a casual grace.

Dong, dong, dong, dong~

The bell's vibrations thundered, and the grub, stimulated, beat its mandibles even more frantically, its body twisting wildly, its abdomen rising and falling in near madness.

Fu Liye smiled, his dance steps lively, but his eyes were alert, scanning the surroundings. Standing high, he saw the princess and her companions stealthily hiding beside a house at the foot of the mountain, and also the hundreds of figures rapidly converging near the Soul Warrior Arsenal, then swiftly rushing toward the clock tower.

Fu Liye's smile widened, his dance steps quickened, and his joy grew. Ice Spirit was known for having one of the top ten combat forces of the League of Blades, and he was eager to see them in action. But what he truly looked forward to was meeting the legendary old monster, Oscar.

It will surely come.

The dance of the apocalypse has already begun, and what awaits this city is nothing but destruction!

At this moment, beneath the city gate...

Dudu~ Dudu~ Dudududu~

Unlike the previous alarm, the urgent city defense signals echoed from the battlements above and the gate below. These were the drum calls to command the soldiers, as large numbers of warriors poured out of the gate. After all, they had just been celebrating, and many still wore their festive attire, not having time to change into armor. Their faces were flushed with alcohol, making the military formation appear somewhat ragtag. However, everyone's movements were incredibly swift and unified, clearly demonstrating that they were well-trained elite troops of Ice Spirit. This was supposed to be their day off, but when Ice Spirit was in peril, they would be called upon, and they would return without fail.

As soon as the long alarm sounded, the warriors on leave throughout the city spontaneously rushed to the gate. Although Ice Spirit City was not extremely large, it was not small either, and it took time to gather. Some had truly drunk themselves into unconsciousness, so the hastily assembled troops were obviously not at full strength. The formations under the city gate appeared somewhat incomplete, but under the commander's adjustments, they quickly reformed into orderly ranks.

"Shield soldiers! Shield soldiers to the front line!"

"Wizard Corps assemble!"

"Snow Wolf Guard form wing formations to protect the Wizard Corps!"

The soldiers swarmed like ants, rapidly gathering and forming ranks beneath the city gate. One by one, the formations took shape. Over five thousand shield soldiers lined up horizontally at the front, raising shields three meters high to shield the Ice Wizard Corps behind them.

The Ice Wizard Corps was the core of this army, with over a thousand ice wizards holding their ice staves, standing ready behind the shield wall. The swift Snow Wolf Guard formed two formations, protecting the Ice Wizard Corps from the flanks.

With three major formations and ten thousand troops, the Ice Spirit army's efficiency and strength were evident, as they could swiftly assemble from a 'leave' state within half an hour.

"Listen up, all of you! Once the Celestial Pivot Array is fully activated, we must first escort the Wizard Corps back into the city. The wizards can assist with the city defenses! Any shield soldier or Snow Wolf Guard who dares to retreat first will be the first I cut down!"

"If the Ice Bees arrive early, even if we all die here, we must use our flesh and blood to block those things until the Celestial Pivot Array is fully activated!"

That was the city gate's protective array. On the towering walls, which stood over ten meters high, golden light began to glow along the magical runes. However, the city gate was vast, stretching for over ten miles. Such a massive protective rune array, even with ample soul crystals and full power, required a considerable amount of time to activate.

This is the Tian Shu Great Array of Ice Spirit, which, when fully activated, can completely envelop Ice Spirit City, placing the entire city within its protective range, with its formidable energy sufficient to withstand the attacks of Ghost Peak level beasts.

Secret patterns spread subtly and slowly extended along the city walls, where people were now in an uproar, heads swarming densely.

"Third Squad, assemble here!"

"Second Guard, follow me, secure the key positions!"

"Fools, what are you still moving for, throw these damned cannons down directly!"

"Soul Crystal Bombs! Where are our Seventh Squad's Soul Crystal Bombs? Akado, damn your ancestors, how do you manage supplies!"

Warriors responsible for transportation carried boxes of supplies and Soul Crystal Bombs up to the city walls, forming Ice Spirit City's second line of defense. The hundreds of Divine Soul Cannons on the walls would certainly provide ample cover for the formations outside.

The supply lines stretched from the Soul Martial Warehouse all the way to here. Suddenly, another long alarm sounded from afar, causing many to involuntarily look in that direction. They saw the silver snow clouds in their field of vision seemed to grow slightly larger and brighter, completely covering the Ice Valley and the distant village beyond.

Someone on the wall burst into tears, and many shouted in grief and anger: "Ice Valley and Great Sun Village are gone!"

Great Sun Village, a small village between Ice Spirit City and Ice Valley, though small, had produced many heroes, including Great Sun Kapu of the Five Tigers of Ice Spirit, Jina by Xue Zhiyu's side, and many of the Ice Spirit Guards on this wall, who all hailed from that small village.

It was even closer than Ice Valley, less than thirty miles from the city gate. With the terrifying speed of the ice bees, they would likely reach Ice Spirit City within ten minutes!

After a brief moment of sorrow, everyone realized this.

At this distance, only a vast white expanse could be seen, not yet evoking much fear. Only when they drew near would the sheer density and overwhelming presence of the ice bees become truly terrifying. The steel ice bees, capable of devouring cold iron, were nearly invulnerable, let alone their sharp mandibles that could bite through cold iron ore. With such a terrifying number and speed, even just by collision, they could destroy everything.

"Attention, all three armies!" A roar echoed, soul power surging.

"Ice Spirit Kingdom has no cowards; I swear to stand or fall with my soldiers!"

His loud shout reverberated for ten miles around the city gate!

Snow Cangbai, clad in armor, appeared at a high point on the wall, his snowy cloak billowing in the wind, flapping loudly. Oscar and numerous generals stood by his side.