Chapter 111: Riding a Horse? Do I Need It? (Part 1)

“Haah...” Ye Chengtian swung his sword with fierce fighting energy, sending a group of advancing soldiers flying backward, staggering and crashing into the already damaged buildings around them.

“Ice Seal!” Ye Lanyu flicked her hand, casting a spell on a cluster of enemies. A cold light burst forth, rapidly freezing everything within sight—frost forming visibly, encasing all within the area, including the soldiers themselves.

“Fire Dance!” The Seventh Princess unleashed a fiery dragon that surged directly into the frozen zone, blasting it apart. The clash of ice and fire made those enemies vanish without a trace.

Meanwhile, Ye Yi and Ruan Lian’er, both heavenly-grade masters, dominated the battlefield with unparalleled might, wreaking havoc wherever they moved.

At the same time, Long Anqi, appearing as an ordinary person, was leading a group of civilians, coordinating their movements cautiously. Whenever a stray enemy slipped through, she would calmly fire an ice arrow, effortlessly taking them down.

Though their numbers were few, their power was terrifying. No matter how vast the enemy’s forces, it was nearly impossible to withstand them, especially in such chaotic urban combat. With swift momentum, they reached the southern city, breaking through one checkpoint after another.

“Grandpa, if we head to the Vermilion Bird Empire, could they foresee it?” Ye Lang asked in the midst of the crowd.

“They probably won’t. No one knows your grandfather’s family, so they wouldn’t suspect this route,” Ye Yi replied, shaking his head. Though not entirely certain, he was confident enough.

“That’s good. Then they can’t predict our path!” Ye Lang said, continuing his defense among the crowd. Since the battle began, he had been focused solely on defense, never launching an attack. With such formidable warriors protecting him, did he need to intervene?

Compared to the fighting energy and magic skills of these experts, Ye Lang’s martial arts seemed much less potent. “Handling a single opponent is manageable, but clearing a path for so many is a headache.”

Besides, even if he wanted to carve a path, others wouldn’t allow it. Ye Lanyu and the others wouldn’t let him take risks outside.

Moreover, his Water Moon Mirror’s defense was nearly unmatched—capable of fully blocking any assault and reflecting all attacks. To waste it on offense would be a pity.

Right now, Zhao Yarou’s biggest headache was precisely Ye Lang’s Water Moon Mirror—an annoyance far greater than facing Ye Yi or Ruan Lian’er, the two heavenly-grade masters.

Because the Water Moon Mirror rendered many broad-scale offensive strategies useless. Without it, she could have abandoned an entire district or even a large contingent of soldiers to obliterate Ye Lang and his group.

But after her first massive assault was easily reflected back by Ye Lang, she never tried those tactics again, forced instead to resort to the exhausting human wave strategy.

At this moment, nearly everyone regarded Ye Lang’s Water Moon Mirror with a new appraisal—absolutely monstrous!

Along the way, Ye Lang had instantaneously deployed multiple versions of the Water Moon Mirror, reflecting every attack. Yet that wasn’t even the most shocking part. What was truly incredible was his ability to freely scale its size. Most astonishingly, he could wield one in each hand, releasing two simultaneously!

How could anyone survive such absolute defense? It was impossible for even heavenly-grade masters to break through quickly—they could only wear it down gradually. With this near-invincible shield, the group was unstoppable, completely unburdened by worries!

However...

“Don’t charge through the city gate. Exit here instead; otherwise, I won’t have enough mana!” Ye Lang shouted. His “invincibility” wasn’t permanent—each wave of defense drained some of his mana.

If Zhao Yarou had continued her large-scale offensives, she might have eventually worn Ye Lang down, but the cost was too great. After one failure, she abandoned the idea.

“How do we get out here? The city wall is magically protected and won’t fall easily. We don’t have time to waste,” Ye Chengtian frowned.

He, of course, disagreed with such prolonged attrition. Leaving here was the best choice—passing through the city gates would surely meet even fiercer pursuers.

“Don’t worry. I’ve studied this wall’s design. Destroying just a small part will bring down that section,” Ye Lang smiled, pulling out his specialized alchemical cannon and making adjustments.

“You’ve studied this? Why?” Ye Chengtian and the others asked in confusion. It seemed unrelated.

“Don’t you know? The entire imperial city’s defenses are made of alchemical arrays, filled with countless alchemical mechanisms worth studying! Don’t underestimate us alchemists—you can never imagine how much alchemy contributes to this great empire. You only destroy; we alchemists not only destroy but build!” Ye Lang spoke with deep feeling.

Throughout the empire, although alchemists were respected and had dedicated disciplines, fighting energy and magic were prioritized.

As Ye Lang said, fighting energy and magic are primarily for combat, showcasing power. Alchemy, while capable of offense, plays a far greater role in construction.

A city can do without warriors or magicians, but it cannot do without alchemists; they are designers, engineers, scientists—masters of countless fields.

“Zzz!” Ye Lang’s alchemical cannon fired a thin beam into the city wall, surprisingly slender.

What was this? It looked utterly powerless—how could it affect a magically protected wall? Even an ordinary wall couldn’t be pierced by such a beam!

But soon, everyone witnessed the outcome. The seemingly harmless beam was effective—and its use became clear.

Bright lights began shining from within the wall, growing more intense…

“Boom! Boom!” The wall trembled, the vibrations amplifying rapidly before it collapsed with a thunderous crash!

Before their eyes, a breach formed in the wall. Though the rubble piled like a small mountain, requiring time for ordinary people to cross, it posed little challenge to these experts.

Though the exit was open, the group paused briefly, unable to believe it—the impregnable city wall that had protected them countless times was just brought down by Ye Lang!