Chapter 416: A Desperate Battle

“Why hasn’t there been any news from inside the city yet?” Finally, Gu Jian couldn’t hold back any longer and asked an officer beside him, “Send someone to check on the situation!”
As time passed, Gu Jian grew increasingly anxious, sensing that something was wrong.
“Third Prince, rest assured. This time, Elder Xicriel is leading the effort personally, along with three other elders and two Wolf Kings. There should be no problems. With an army of 30,000 entering the city, plus that person’s cooperation, Dark Moon City won’t stand a chance!” The officer reassured him, seemingly sensing Gu Jian’s worry.
Without any news from inside the city, the battle outside appeared intense, but both sides were holding back, not yet reaching a life-or-death struggle. Neither side had deployed their ultimate tactics yet.
As the anxious wait continued, Gu Jian grew more irritable, his brows tightly furrowed. “Get ready. We can’t wait for news from them. We’ll launch a forced attack!” Seeming to sense something, he gave orders to the officers around him.
“But… Third Prince, if we launch a forced attack, the losses will be severe. Dark Moon City’s defenses are very strong!” Looking at the towering city walls, the officer expressed concern.
Sieging a city always came at a huge and painful cost. Although the defending troops numbered less than 30,000, they were defending using natural advantages, making their combat strength unimaginable—like having one man hold off thousands. In such a battle, even if they managed to enter the city, no one knew how many losses they would suffer.
Why had they waited for almost half a year before starting the siege? Wasn’t it to avoid heavy losses? Although the pro-war faction seemed to dominate now, the Wolf Clan was watching them closely, forcing them to conserve their strength. Moreover, controlling the vast Dark Source alone was impossible without help. More importantly, internal conflicts plagued the pro-war faction. Even if they won after a forced attack, it would likely be a costly victory, leaving them unable to control the situation in Water Screen City.
“Should we wait a little longer? News from Elder Xicriel and the others should arrive soon. Once there’s chaos inside the city, our attack will go much more smoothly!” After some thought, the leading officer asked.
“Wait another fifteen minutes. If there’s still no news after that, we’ll take action!” Taking a deep breath, Gu Jian said with a bitter smile. His anxiety grew stronger. After so long with no news, something must have gone wrong inside.

But Gu Jian had no idea what exactly was wrong. It was a full 30,000-strong army—so meticulously planned, how could there be any problems? Even if discovered by the enemy, at most it would be a tough fight. How could there be no sign of life at all?

A face suddenly popped into his mind. Gu Jian’s brows furrowed tightly. Could it be him? But did he really possess such great strength?

“A report…” A long cry was heard, followed by a soldier rushing toward them in haste.

“Third Prince, Commander, something terrible has happened!” The soldier gasped for breath as he reached them and shouted loudly.

“What exactly happened?” Their hearts skipped a beat. They exchanged glances, sensing something was wrong. The old man standing beside Gu Jian asked loudly. This time, it was he who was in charge—the commander of the army.

“The troops inside the city…”

“What happened to them? What’s wrong with the people inside? Speak quickly!” Hearing about the troops inside, they were wondering what had happened and why there was no sign of life. Now that news had arrived, saying something terrible had happened, could it really be true?

“The troops inside the city are gone! All of them! Completely destroyed!” The man’s eyes were red as he collapsed to the ground, wailing in grief. He was the scout stationed outside the West Gate. When no news came after the army entered the city, his scouting team went to investigate only to encounter such a devastating outcome. In the end, several of his comrades died, and only he managed to escape.

“Destroyed? Completely? How is that possible? It was a full 30,000-strong army. Even if all the troops of Dark Moon City were mobilized, they probably couldn’t achieve such a thorough defeat. And there was also the 6,000-strong wolf army. What’s going on? Explain to me!” The news was like a thunderbolt, leaving everyone present in disbelief. Though they had sensed something was wrong, they never imagined that 30,000 troops could simply vanish! It was 30,000 people—not three or thirty. How could they just disappear? Moreover, why hadn’t they heard any sound at all?

“What exactly happened?” At this moment, Gu Jian didn’t show excessive disbelief. His face remained cold as he asked in a deep voice.

But those who knew him well understood that the more so, the more dangerous Gu Jian became at such times! Thirty thousand troops represented one-third of their strength—how could they remain calm? Moreover, there were six thousand members of the Wolf Clan among them, accounting for nearly half of their strength. Even without such a determined ambush, just a frontal attack would be enough for them to take control of Dark Moon City. Yet now they had suffered such a pointless loss—something didn’t add up.

“It’s over, everything’s over! I didn’t see what happened. I just saw the gates open and the troops enter as planned, then the gates closed. After that, I couldn’t see anything anymore. I only heard sounds of combat from inside. When we went to check, the thirty thousand troops had all been defeated. Elder Xyril and the general were dead. The rest were either killed or captured. It was Rod leading the enemy! I was discovered just by seeing this. If it weren’t for a few brothers sacrificing themselves to buy time, I might not have made it back!” The soldier cried, recalling the strange events earlier.

“Damn it! How is this possible? The battle ended in just an instant? Thirty thousand troops defeated like that? The Wolf Clan’s army gone? Bastards! How could Elder Xyril die! And Rod didn’t even get hurt?” The warlord, that old man, was nearly frantic. The situation was truly bizarre.

This plan was aimed at Dark Moon City and Rod. Now that the enemy hadn’t suffered any harm, could it be that something went wrong?

“Damn you, little bitch! Could it be he betrayed us?” The old man cursed angrily, his face grim.

“Attack! Stop waiting!” Gu Jian, with a grim expression, said nothing but ordered those around him to prepare. This time, no one objected. Everyone turned solemnly to prepare for what came next. Only Gu Jian remained standing, feeling the cool breeze, taking a deep breath, and inhaling the pungent smell of blood. A cold glint flashed in his eyes. “Rod, it seems I underestimated you! I never expected—haha, I never thought our plan would be discovered by you. Well then, let’s have a direct confrontation to see who will laugh last!” His voice was low, his expression fierce as he gritted his teeth.

…

“It seems the enemy is going to launch a frontal attack!” On the city walls, watching the war faction’s troops suddenly retreat outside the city, Rod said in a deep voice. The most critical moment had finally arrived.

Looking into the distance, the armies of the Dragon Clan and the Wolf Clan still hadn’t appeared. Judging by the time, it should be almost time. Hopefully, nothing unexpected would happen!

“Yes, it’s about to begin!” Standing beside Rod, Lilith and the others were also nervous. After nearly a year of preparation and waiting, this moment had finally arrived—the decisive battle. How could they stay calm?

Everyone was on high alert, watching the changes in the formation of the pro-war faction outside the city, fully prepared.

After brief organization, the pro-war faction launched a relentless assault, with their battle cries shaking the heavens! A sea of soldiers surged toward the city walls like ants migrating.

“Kill!” The moment the first person reached the city wall, Rod simply uttered one word.

Immediately, he moved swiftly, vanishing from his spot and charging at the attackers. Killing resumed.

Not only at the North Gate but also at the other gates, the city faced an unprecedented test. At this moment, 100,000 residents of Dark Moon City trembled in fear inside their homes! For the first time in a thousand years, Dark Moon City endured its greatest trial—a trial of blood.

Blood flew everywhere, and the air was filled with a strong scent of blood. The sound of weapons clashing and horse hooves was deafening, while the cries of battle shattered the peaceful night sky, evoking a sense of coldness.

Dust filled the air, and leaves fluttered down—unusual for spring. Perhaps the heavens and earth were weeping over this bloody battle.

Broken limbs and corpses lay scattered everywhere, with countless bodies lying across the ground—both enemy and fellow soldiers’. Humanity was abandoned at this moment. In such a hellish situation, humanity only led to an earlier descent into hell. Animal instincts were fully unleashed, with people fighting in the most primitive ways, without fancy techniques. Any one of them might have been considered a strong warrior on the continent, but now they lost all trace of their warrior pride. Using the simplest moves and most primitive combat methods, they poured out their blood in the music formed by screams and the sounds of battle.

Demons took countless lives at every moment. Creatures seemed so tiny and weak, utterly powerless against such a massive war.

Ladders were repeatedly placed on the city walls, with waves of soldiers, eyes bloodshot and willing to die, rushing forward. They were killed time and again, and massive amounts of stones and arrows were thrown down, but none of this could stop the enraged enemies.

At this moment, Dark Moon City was in turmoil, on the verge of collapse.