Chapter 215 : The Struggle Between Lords! Bone Skeleton Gan Ning Appears!
Chapter 215: The Struggle Between Lords! Bone Skeleton Gan Ning Appears!
Sanxiang Ancient City entered a state of war.
Wen Pin stood atop the city wall.
At his sides stood two men: Zhou Ji and Feng Yi, who were responsible for defending Sanxiang Ancient City.
The primary duty of Zhou Ji and Feng Yi was to garrison Wo Niu Mountain for the territory.
Since joining the territory, they had received varying degrees of cultivation from the Lord.
Their strength had improved compared to when they first arrived.
Feng Yi was currently Level 18.
Zhou Ji had already reached Level 20 and was only half a step away from Tier Three.
Of course, their current strength alone was insufficient to handle the situation before them.
Even by the most conservative estimates, the army appearing outside Sanxiang Ancient City numbered nearly five thousand.
Although they were all Bone Skeletons,
more than a quarter were Tier-Two elites.
In addition, there were nearly a hundred high-level soldiers possessing Tier-Three strength.
The army's overall combat power was not to be underestimated.
By contrast,
Sanxiang Ancient City only possessed two thousand local garrison troops.
Although most of the soldiers were around Level 9 or Level 10,
their foundations were relatively weak.
Many did not even qualify as elite-level troops.
The disparity between the two sides was obvious.
Naturally,
Zhou Ji and Feng Yi felt tremendous pressure.
Fortunately,
the Lord had anticipated the situation and sent a fierce general like Wen Pin.
Even so,
when facing the enemy army before him,
Wen Pin also felt considerable pressure and danger.
If the enemy merely possessed superior numbers, that would have been one thing.
However,
the skeleton army contained nearly a hundred Tier-Three units.
Among them were several Tier-Three Commander Units.
The strongest among them was not much weaker than Wen Pin himself.
Huangmei Hamlet had been a feint.
Sanxiang Ancient City was the true target.
The disparity in strength was simply too great.
Defending the city would not be easy.
However,
Wen Pin showed neither fear nor hesitation.
He had only recently joined the territory and had yet to earn any achievements.
Despite that,
the Lord had already granted him significant favors.
This battle would be his chance to prove himself.
He absolutely could not allow the territory to suffer major losses.
Wen Pin shouted,
“State your name!”
Several powerful Bone Skeletons emerged from the densely packed skeleton army.
Leading them was a skeleton riding a ferocious three-headed skeletal hound.
His body was covered in magnificent golden armor.
A golden war bow rested in his hand.
He was clearly the commander of the army.
【Skeleton General: Huang Zu】, Level 25 Commander Unit...
Introduction: Once a capable Governor of Jiangxia Commandery, he was transformed into a follower by a Star Lord and became one of the Lord’s Skeleton Generals.
Governor Huang Zu of Jiangxia!
A powerful Level 25 Commander!
Even Hang Yu was surprised when he viewed the Skeleton General's information from behind the scenes.
This was not a professional general from the Stars.
He was an authentic historical figure from the Three Kingdoms era.
Huang Zu had been one of Liu Biao’s important military leaders.
He had served as Governor of Jiangxia Commandery.
Although he lacked the prominence of the era’s greatest heroes,
he had still accomplished several deeds that influenced history.
For example,
the famous Tiger of Jiangdong, Sun Jian,
had died because of Huang Zu.
At present,
Huang Zu showed no signs of demonic corruption.
Yet he had been transformed into a Skeleton General and became a Star Blessed Kin of the Bone Skeleton race.
This was an entirely new situation.
Still,
Hang Yu was not surprised.
As Star Lords expanded their territories,
they inevitably sought to absorb local populations.
Different types of Lords used different methods.
Although countless methods existed,
the three most common paths were the Kingly Path, the Tyrant's Path, and the Wicked Path.
Hang Yu followed the Kingly Path.
He won people over through virtue and benevolent governance.
The citizens received tangible benefits.
They sincerely recognized and supported the Lord.
Both sides prospered together.
In truth,
this approach was difficult.
Often,
the effort outweighed the rewards.
The primary reason Hang Yu could successfully implement the Kingly Path was because he himself was human.
He shared the same race as the native inhabitants of the Three Kingdoms world.
Even their cultures were closely connected.
This greatly increased trust.
That factor was critical.
Secondly,
Hang Yu was familiar with Three Kingdoms history and its historical figures.
Both he and the players were essentially transmigrators.
They possessed a degree of foreknowledge.
Because of this,
Hang Yu understood the personalities and character of many important figures.
He could identify talented individuals, determine who deserved recruitment, and recognize who was untrustworthy.
That was equally important.
Finally,
Hang Yu possessed far more Abyssal Essence than most Lords.
His Calamity Army never consumed territorial resources.
They continuously generated fresh Essence.
The tenfold drop rate for rare materials also gave him enormous resources.
As a result,
he could invest heavily in subordinates and provide generous benefits.
For other Lords,
the situation was entirely different.
They lacked mutual trust with local populations.
Their cultures differed.
Sometimes even their races differed.
If they could not provide enormous benefits,
earning genuine loyalty was extremely difficult.
Under such circumstances,
few people would bother with the Kingly Path.
The Tyrant's Path was far easier.
In fact,
it was probably the most common path.
So what exactly was the Tyrant's Path?
Simply put,
it involved suppressing everything through force.
In most cases,
Star Lords viewed natives merely as resources.
There was no need to win their hearts.
Overwhelming military power was sufficient.
They could enslave, exploit, and oppress the population.
As long as maximum value was extracted,
the objective was achieved.
The third category was collectively known as the Wicked Path.
Many Lords followed this route as well.
The Wicked Path contained numerous variations.
Some utilized special items, medicines, or psychological methods to brainwash natives.
Others directly transformed them.
Their thoughts, physiques, or even races were altered.
This made integration into the territory far easier.
Not all races possessed such capabilities.
Among them,
Undead Lords were particularly proficient.
Hang Yu knew of several Star Buildings unique to Undead Lords.
Although these buildings were rare,
they all possessed the ability to transform native residents into undead through specialized rituals.
Based on current observations,
Hang Yu had already learned several things.
First,
the enemy Lord did not control many maps.
However,
his foundation was strong.
He might possess backing from a major family or investor.
Alternatively,
he may have spent a very long time developing several maps and accumulated substantial resources.
Secondly,
among the maps he controlled,
one was located within Jiangxia Commandery.
The exact timeline remained unknown.
However,
one fact was certain.
His conquest of that map had been extremely thorough.
Not only had he fully conquered the region,
he had transformed every human resident into Bone Skeletons.
That achievement was remarkable.
In that case,
all those native residents had effectively become members of the same race.
Naturally,
integration into the territory became much easier.
Hang Yu scanned the battlefield through the Lord's Vision.
Besides Skeleton Huang Zu,
there were at least four other powerful Bone Skeleton followers present.
“This Lord has some ability.”
Hang Yu calmly continued observing.
The available intelligence remained insufficient.
Too many unknown variables still existed.
Unless the opposing Lord personally entered the battlefield,
Hang Yu would continue responding with patience and caution.
…………
At this moment,
Wen Pin carefully observed the enemy.
【Skeleton General: Zhang Hu】, Level 22 Commander Unit...
【Skeleton General: Deng Long】, Level 22 Commander Unit...
【Skeleton General: Chen Sheng】, Level 21 Commander Unit...
【Skeleton General: Chen Jiu】, Level 21 Commander Unit...
Five commanders!
This was a significant force.
And Huang Zu was clearly the strongest among them.
As he rode forward atop the three-headed skeletal hound,
all surrounding skeletons instinctively stepped aside.
Energy radiated from his body and shook the air.
A hoarse voice emerged.
“I am Huang Zu of Jiangxia.”
“Under my Lord’s command, I have come to seize this city.”
Huang Zu completely disregarded the city's defenders.
However,
after sensing Wen Pin's aura,
the Soul Fire in his eyes flickered slightly.
Clearly,
he harbored some caution toward Wen Pin.
Wen Pin sneered.
“So you're merely a coward who abandoned even his own race.”
“And you think you can take this city from me?”
“Why not have your Lord come personally?”
Huang Zu replied,
“You alone are not worthy of my Lord’s appearance.”
At this moment,
the entire skeleton army had already emerged from the purple-black swamp.
The vast swamp quickly dried up,
evaporating completely.
Only thousands of skeleton troops remained.
The army had assembled.
Without wasting time,
Huang Zu immediately drew his golden war bow.
A massive dark-golden bone arrow streaked toward the city wall like a meteor.
Bang!
Wen Pin blocked the arrow with his shield.
The projectile shattered into dust.
Although it failed to injure him,
it served as the signal to attack.
Several skeleton officers,
along with hundreds of skeleton archers and crossbowmen,
simultaneously drew their weapons.
The next moment,
arrows filled the sky.
Like a swarm of locusts,
they descended upon the city.
Wen Pin dared not be careless.
He immediately activated his commander skills.
Lord’s Aura!
Diamond Defense Line!
The energy released by Wen Pin enveloped the entire city and army.
Every soldier in Sanxiang Ancient City gained enhanced damage negation, defensive power, abnormal-status resistance, and recovery capabilities.
Zhou Ji and Feng Yi shouted,
“Prepare for battle!”
Both activated the territorial skill Lord’s Aura.
The remaining soldiers followed suit.
Their health, mana, and attributes increased.
Under the combined effects of multiple buffs,
the previously mediocre force suddenly possessed elite-level strength.
Of course,
even so,
Sanxiang Ancient City remained disadvantaged in both quantity and quality.
If they relied solely on their bodies to block the arrows,
heavy casualties were inevitable.
Thus,
as the arrow rain approached,
a blood-red defensive barrier rose around the city.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Countless arrows struck the barrier and bounced away.
The shield barrier originally built by the city's former lord now belonged entirely to the territory.
No sacrifices or blood offerings were required.
Only Magic Crystals were needed to maintain it.
Under the enhancement of Wen Pin’s Fate Skill, Diamond Defense Line,
the shield became even stronger.
Meanwhile,
the soldiers stationed atop the arrow towers began firing back.
Both sides exchanged volleys.
Arrows filled the sky.
The defensive line reinforced by Wen Pin proved exceptionally sturdy.
The defenders remained safely behind the barrier.
Meanwhile,
their arrows and spells could freely attack the skeleton army outside.
Even the arrow towers received enhancements.
Their attacks reached deep into the enemy ranks.
Unfortunately,
the strength disparity remained too great.
After several exchanges,
the defenders achieved limited results.
The barrier, however,
was already beginning to fail.
These Bone Skeletons were undead.
Undead units naturally possessed high resistance to arrow damage.
With insufficient firepower,
the defenders simply could not suppress them.
Cracks spread across the barrier.
At this moment,
dozens of Bone Skeleton Warlocks simultaneously condensed a gigantic bone spear.
The spear was nearly three zhang long.
Black flames twisted around its spiral surface.
Like a colossal battering ram,
it slammed toward the city gate.
Boom!
A hole was blasted through the barrier.
The giant bone spear continued forward,
smashing apart the city gate.
“Not good!”
The expressions of Zhou Ji and Feng Yi changed dramatically.
Although they had anticipated a strength disparity,
the enemy's combat power still far exceeded expectations.
Huang Zu charged forward atop his three-headed skeletal hound.
The four Tier-Three Skeleton Generals followed closely behind.
Several hundred elite skeleton cavalry surged forward as well.
Together,
they resembled a pale flood pouring through the gate.
At that moment,
a massive figure descended from above.
Wen Pin stood alone before the shattered gate.
“You seek death!”
Huang Zu rapidly fired several arrows.
The impacts forced Wen Pin backward several steps.
Immediately afterward,
he discarded the bow,
drew a golden saber,
and unleashed a ferocious blade aura at close range.
Unexpectedly,
Wen Pin stood completely still.
The blade aura struck him directly.
A metallic clang echoed.
The attack rebounded.
It was as though Huang Zu had struck not a human,
but a giant bronze bell.
-0!
The Soul Fire within Huang Zu's eyes trembled violently.
He simply could not believe such a defense existed.
The reason for Wen Pin’s absurd defense was not merely his natural talent.
He had also activated the blue-quality defensive skill Three Armies Armor.
This skill concentrated the damage negation of nearby allies onto a single target.
In simple terms,
the surrounding defenders sacrificed some of their defense,
while Wen Pin's defensive power skyrocketed.
As long as he held the breach,
he could maximize this advantage.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
-0! -0! -0!
Huang Zu slashed three more times.
Every attack failed.
Neither side possessed a major level advantage.
Both were Commander Units.
Even if Huang Zu was merely a second-rate commander,
he should not have been incapable of breaching an equal opponent's defenses.
The scene was utterly bizarre.
Deng Long, Zhang Hu, Chen Sheng, and Chen Jiu all joined the attack.
Five Tier-Three Commander Generals!
If five commanders attacked simultaneously,
even a top-tier commander would feel immense pressure.
In fact,
if there were only five enemies,
Wen Pin could still endure.
The real problem was the constant attacks from archers and warlocks.
Under such circumstances,
even someone with extraordinary defense and vitality could not hold forever.
“Use whatever tricks you have!”
“You shall not pass!”
Wen Pin roared.
He slammed his gigantic shield into the ground.
A colossal shield barrier materialized before him.
It was large enough to protect the entire gatehouse behind him.
“Earth Guardian!”
This was another of Wen Pin’s unique blue-quality techniques.
Once activated,
Wen Pin became unable to move.
However,
his defensive power increased dramatically.
At the same time,
he could protect a massive area,
greatly reducing casualties among allies.
Huang Zu and the others launched a relentless assault.
To their astonishment,
even with five commanders and hundreds of soldiers attacking simultaneously,
they could not shake the wall-like defense before them.
“General Wen alone can stop an entire army!”
“What terrifying defensive power!”
Not only were Huang Zu and the others shocked,
even Zhou Ji, Feng Yi, and the defending generals were stunned.
After repeated failures,
Huang Zu realized the obstacle before him was not easily overcome.
He immediately ordered the army to attack from other directions and search for weaknesses.
Ultimately,
Sanxiang Ancient City's defenses were not strong enough.
Even with a supreme defender like Wen Pin,
it could not withstand an army of this scale indefinitely.
Within ten minutes,
multiple sections of the barrier had been breached.
Combined magical bombardment opened holes in the walls.
The Bone Skeletons poured into the city like swarming ants.
The defenders continuously fired arrows.
But there were simply too many enemies.
At this rate,
large numbers of skeletons entering the city was only a matter of time.
Wen Pin sensed the situation deteriorating.
Yet there was little he could do.
He was already fighting five commanders alone while tying down countless elites.
That was his limit.
He could not leave his position.
Just then,
a wave of noisy shouting erupted from within the city.
“Hold on, brothers!”
“We’re here!”
“Holy crap! So many skeletons!”
“Where did they all come from?”
“Who cares!”
“Kill them all!”
“Charge!”
“...”
Ye Li Meng rushed toward one of the breaches wielding the Thousand Skull Charge Hammer.
He swung the massive weapon.
Three skeletons were instantly crushed into fragments.
A shockwave followed,
knocking down an entire row of enemies.
Brother Ma unleashed Chain Lightning,
instantly killing five skeletons.
Raising a Cup to the Moon continuously fired arrows.
Each powerful shot exploded at least one skeleton skull.
His efficiency was astonishing.
Meanwhile,
Black Pupil Sharp Brother, Cleaving Through an Entire Street, Chi Mei Wang Liang, Little Bell, and many others arrived.
The players streamed out from the Blessing Point at the center of Sanxiang Ancient City.
Soon,
over a thousand combatants had joined the battlefield.
They rushed toward every breached section of the defense.
“It’s the Calamity Army!”
Zhou Ji was overjoyed.
Feng Yi finally relaxed.
Since Sanxiang Ancient City's Blessing Point was only a standard town-level Blessing Point,
players could not teleport directly from Luoshui City.
Fortunately,
Wen Pin had held the line long enough.
The players first teleported to northern Luoshui.
After passing through the Abyssal Mist Gate from Shangyang Township,
many of them skipped the journey entirely.
Instead,
they committed suicide on the spot and respawned directly in Sanxiang Ancient City.
Only through such costly measures had they arrived so quickly.
The price was significant.
But protecting the territory made it worthwhile.
The number of Calamity Army players continued increasing.
Although their overall numbers were limited,
their strength far exceeded that of the local defenders.
Among them,
more than a dozen players had already reached Tier Three.
Most of the rest possessed Tier-Two combat power.
Players such as Ye Li Meng, Black Pupil Sharp Brother, Mad Blade Old Wang, Lone Boat, and Little Bell possessed combat power comparable to Commander Units.
That alone demonstrated the army's strength.
Of course,
that wasn't the most important factor.
The most important fact was—
the Calamity Army could not be killed.
From the moment they appeared on the battlefield,
unless the enemy rapidly conquered Sanxiang Ancient City,
any prolonged war of attrition would become hopeless.
Forget five thousand Bone Skeletons.
Even fifty thousand would eventually fail.
Huang Zu remained pinned at the city gate by Wen Pin.
The five Skeleton Generals were clearly running out of options.
Wen Pin’s defense and recovery abilities were absurd.
Despite the overwhelming assault,
he remained completely immovable.
As long as he stood there,
entering the city was impossible.
“These people are more resilient than expected.”
Huang Zu could clearly sense resistance growing stronger across every front.
Powerful reinforcements were continuously arriving.
The enemy Lord was clearly determined to hold Sanxiang Ancient City.
Good.
Very good.
The prolonged assault had failed.
Casualties continued mounting.
The Bone Skeleton army had already lost more than a thousand troops.
The losses were substantial.
Yet Huang Zu noticed something strange.
The defenders were not weakening.
Their resistance was growing stronger.
Even when large numbers of soldiers fell,
fresh troops immediately replaced them.
This could only mean one thing.
Sanxiang Ancient City was receiving full support from the enemy territory.
Far from being angry,
Huang Zu was delighted.
Not only did he refuse to retreat,
he intensified the assault despite the losses.
Huangmei Hamlet had already drawn away part of the enemy forces.
Now,
the increasingly fierce battle at Sanxiang Ancient City would force the enemy Lord to send more reinforcements.
If they wanted to retain Wo Niu Mountain,
they had no choice.
And that was one layer of the trap.
Huangmei Hamlet was bait.
Sanxiang Ancient City was also bait.
Beyond one bait lay another.
So much effort had been expended for a single purpose—
to catch the biggest fish.
Huang Zu thought silently,
“Gan Ning should already be lurking near the enemy's main city.”
“Although I dislike him stealing the first merit from me, if this battle secures victory in a single stroke, surely the Lord will not be stingy with rewards.”
…………
Meanwhile,
within the forests near Luoshui City.
A mass of black mist appeared.
When the mist dispersed,
several powerful Bone Skeletons emerged.
The leader radiated an aura even stronger than Huang Zu's.
His skeleton was dense and thick,
like a suit of dark-silver exoskeletal armor.
Several short halberds rested on his back.
A great bow was slung behind him.
He wielded a saber in each hand.
Countless mysterious runes were engraved upon the blades.
This person was none other than—
Skeleton Gan Ning.
When Gan Ning saw Luoshui City in the distance,
the Soul Fire within his hollow eyes flickered.
“I never expected a human Lord to survive within this Abyss.”
“Unfortunately, fate arrived too late.”
“Now that we've become this way, there is no turning back.”
A Skeleton General stepped forward.
“Xingba, don't dwell on such thoughts.”
“If the Lord hadn't arrived, how could we have resisted the Abyssal Corrupted Sun Jian?”
“Accepting the transformation ritual back then was simply the only choice left to us.”
This Bone Skeleton General's aura was weaker than Gan Ning and Huang Zu,
yet stronger than the other generals.
He was Gan Ning's close friend—
Su Fei.
“Besides, human Lords are simply too weak.”
“They cannot survive long in the Abyss.”
“They are no match for our Lord.”
“Nor are they worthy of our loyalty.”
“In this filthy and chaotic age, countless heroes have become neither human nor ghost.”
“They've been dragged into the Abyss to suffer endless madness and torment.”
“The fact that we remain sane and have not gone insane is already a blessing.”
“We have served our Lord for many years.”
“And he has treated us well.”
Gan Ning nodded.
“You speak reasonably.”
Su Fei said,
“The time has come.”
“We should act.”
The truth was—
from the very beginning,
their target had never been Huangmei Hamlet.
Nor had it been Sanxiang Ancient City.
Instead,
an elite strike team had secretly infiltrated the vicinity of the main city.
Their objective was a direct assault on the territory's heart.
Once Huangmei Hamlet lured away Sanxiang Ancient City's elite defenders,
Huang Zu would launch a massive attack.
Whether he succeeded or failed was irrelevant.
The enemy Lord would inevitably respond.
In doing so,
the Lord would divert troops from elsewhere.
He might even personally enter the battlefield.
Under such circumstances,
the main city would become vulnerable.
The human Lord would never imagine that bait awaited beyond bait.
Nor would he expect such an aggressive strategy.
The war had begun with a direct strike at the enemy's headquarters.
And the more audacious and unexpected a tactic was,
the greater its chance of success.
Gan Ning and Su Fei's team numbered only ten people.
Their objective was simple.
Storm the main city.
Destroy the territory core.
Or assassinate the Lord.
If this incredibly bold strategy succeeded,
the Lord War would have no continuation.
It would end the moment it began.
The cost of victory would be minimized.
Gan Ning excelled at surprise attacks.
He possessed absolute confidence in his strength.
Within the territory,
his combat power ranked second only to the Lord.
Even Huang Zu could not compare.
As for this opponent—
it was not some powerful race.
It was merely humanity,
one of the weakest common races.
Under such circumstances,
Gan Ning had every confidence in his success.