Origin Paradise!

at the same time.

The inner city of the capital, the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace.

The entire Eastern Palace has a rather complex structure. The three masters and three junior masters are all ranked as first-rank officials, which is a great honor. The Grand Master of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, who holds real power, is also a third-rank official. Militarily, it is equipped with the Tengxiang Four Guards, which numbered more than 20,000 in the previous dynasty.

However, among the nominal heirs to the empire, only about half of the crown princes in history actually ascended to the throne.

During the reign of Emperor Wu of Liang in the Spring of the Southern Liang Dynasty, the Crown Prince was originally the eldest prince. However, after the death of Empress Xie, Emperor Wu of Liang seemed unable to suppress his disgust and was willing to sacrifice himself in a Buddhist temple in order to launch a counterattack. Just when he was about to succeed, Xie Anan, the head of the Xie family, entered the capital and revealed his cultivation as a terrestrial immortal, and secretly fought with the imperial assassin Xiao Qingzhi.

As a result, the eldest prince lost his position as crown prince, but remained as stable as Mount Tai. Even the position of chief minister is still held by Xie An'nan's elder brother, Xie An'yi. This is what is called "co-governance of the world".

Outside the study of the Eastern Palace.

Several eunuchs hesitated, looking at each other in bewilderment, while sounds of smashing and breaking could be heard from inside.

“I can go in by myself,” the white-haired old man said gently, holding the hand of a young child.

"Please forgive me, Grand Secretary Pei." The leading eunuch respectfully stepped back.

Grand Secretary Pei pushed open the door and entered, only to see the Crown Prince's fingertips bleeding as he smashed a precious jade tube.

Click!

"The Xie family has gone too far!"

"What right do these self-proclaimed noble stray dogs have to prevent me from seeing my father? They are traitors who have stolen the country, and stray dogs who have lost their homes!"

Grand Secretary Pei showed no unusual reaction, even though the Pei family and the Liang imperial family were essentially "stray dogs".

The crown prince suddenly turned around, his face contorted with rage. The pressure of working day after day had turned his temples white.

"And then there's Prince Yong. What is he planning to do with the three thousand cavalry he's secretly raising? The name of the Skeleton Dragon Cavalry has even reached my desk. What about the so-called first-class iron cavalry of the era and the three thousand guards? I haven't settled accounts with him yet!"

Grand Secretary Pei said softly, "As long as Prince Yong doesn't become the next Prince Pingxi, I think the more the better."

"What!" the Crown Prince roared. "The Pei family must not forget their stance."

"Your Highness, please calm down." Grand Secretary Pei lowered his eyes for a moment, then looked up again and said, "Prince Yong has no heir and poses no threat to Your Highness."

The crown prince was taken aback and immediately fell silent.

The child looked up at Grandpa Pei with a hint of longing in his eyes, knowing that a single word from him could calm his father's anger.

Grand Secretary Pei said, "Your Highness is also aware of the character of my grandson, who can be described as unscrupulous. However, after all this time, Princess Yong still has not conceived, and despite all the methods used, the situation remains the same. Therefore, Your Highness may take it easy."

There was silence for a while.

The Crown Prince sighed, "It seems I misunderstood Prince Yong."

Without offspring, the followers would have no one to pledge their loyalty after the death of their lord, a difficult compromise for aristocratic families striving for lasting prosperity.

Grand Secretary Pei gently patted the child's back.

The child, still innocent and confused, understood and rushed towards the crown prince.

"Father."

"If you're not studying with the Master right now... never mind."

The Crown Prince's extremely stern expression softened. He lowered his head and pondered whether he should be more lenient with his eldest son, who was by no means without political significance.

Grand Secretary Pei winked quietly at the young boy, then bowed and said, "Your Highness, this old minister still has to deal with the censors, so I must take my leave now."

The child looked back with lingering reluctance.

"Please take care, Mr. Pei," the Crown Prince said, nodding.

After leaving the study, Grand Secretary Pei turned and left, following the eunuch towards the outside of the East Palace.

The favor shown to the Crown Prince's eldest son was merely a casual gesture. If the Crown Prince were to ascend the throne, this move might one day bring a reward to the Pei family. Of course, he didn't care much about whether it would come to fruition, since he was certain he wouldn't be able to see it.

"Alas, the battlefield of Qingzhou." Grand Secretary Pei sighed quietly. The higher one goes, the less one can control one's own destiny. The Minister of War may seem to be in charge of all the troops in the country, but there are many things beyond his control.

Chapter 561 Defending the City, Holding Up the Tower, Destroying the Vanguard

Qingzhou, Dongyang City.

After gathering the defeated soldiers, by the time Lord Tiele arrived with his troops, there were already 100,000 men outside the city.

As the smoke from the cooking fires dissipated and breakfast was over, General Hou immediately ordered the attack to begin. Thirty catapults hurled countless flaming stones into the city, like the beating of drums and horns.

"Take Qing and Xu territories completely, launch a fierce attack!"

The infantry shield formation advanced, while ten siege towers, as tall as the city wall, moved slowly.

On the city wall, the provincial inspector ordered the archers to fire downwards in rapid succession. The arrows struck the enemy's raised shields, scattering sparks. After five rounds of firing, the Tiange army suffered fewer than a hundred casualties.

"Set up the ladders, archers advance!"

Dozens of ladders were placed on the wall. A junior officer tried to push them down, but his arm span and strength were insufficient. He quickly called on his soldiers to throw down the logs. The heavy logs knocked several Tiange soldiers off the ladders, resulting in half of them being injured or killed.

But in the next moment, the arrow corps below the city wall unleashed a volley of arrows. One of them, aimed by a sharpshooter, struck the junior officer in the head. The arrow pierced through his helmet, and he fell to the ground, his bones shattered.

The fierce battle has begun!

At the same time, on the east, west, and south walls, the commanders of ten thousand men, A-Da, A-Er, and Commander Sheng Gui each led a thousand-household unit to resist the attack. On the north wall, on the front, was a certain person and two thousand-household units.

The north wall city gate tower.

Jiang He sat in the middle, where all the soldiers could see him.

Thirty more flints came hurtling towards them again.

Jiang He did not get up; he did not intend to waste his energy and stamina on such an attack.

Boom boom boom!

A great fire erupted in the city. Three flints shattered the battlements, and the impact sent several soldiers flying into the air, their lives extinguished.

Both sides suffered continuous casualties. Hot liquid poured down from the city walls, and wooden rafts inlaid with broken knife tips fell down one after another. The casualties of the Tiange Army increased rapidly.

If the defenders outnumber the defenders ten to one, then surround them; if they outnumber the defenders five to one, then attack them. Generally speaking, attacking a city requires five times the number of defenders, and in the early stages when the defenders have sufficient equipment, the casualties will undoubtedly be the heaviest.

boom!

A cloud tower was the first to reach the city wall, with steel beams like a sky bridge supporting the battlements. Among the three hundred soldiers hiding there, archers immediately fired arrows to cover the shield bearers and spearmen as they charged.

"Lord Commander, reinforcements are on the way!"

The skilled commander guarding the front shouted.

Before the commander of the North City could respond, the figure sitting in front of the city tower disappeared. Jiang He raised the newly sculpted black blade and slashed down. A phantom of an angry dragon fell down, completely destroying the Cloud Tower from top to bottom, and turning the three hundred soldiers inside into mud.

—Dragon Spear Technique: Shatter Dragon Spine.

"Long live the Prince of Yong!" The centurion, having survived the ordeal, roared excitedly, and the soldiers around him echoed the cry.

"Long live the Prince of Yong!"

boom!

Inside the collapsed cloud tower, the wooden walls shattered, and a figure leaped out and climbed onto the city wall. The person's face was crimson, almost like a demon, and strange patterns covered his entire body. He was none other than a fourth-realm sub-hero.

—A renowned figure in the martial arts world of the Northern Wei Dynasty, known as the "Red Talisman Ghost Craftsman".

"You usurper, awaiting your fate, King of Thieves!"

With a roar, the Ghost Craftsman activated his innate secret technique, Fengdu.

The judge's pen in his hand suddenly transformed from the size of a writing brush into a strange long spear, its threads blooming like countless venomous snakes that pierced and killed the dozen or so soldiers and centurions around him, before closing in to encircle and annihilate the enemy.

—Derivative Secret Technique: Judge's Pen

Jiang He, with her sleeves fluttering, handed over an ordinary knife.

By incorporating internal energy into the technique, the immense power of the three dragons and three elephants is maximized for long-range and area-of-effect attacks. While its power may be far less than its peak killing force, this strike only requires two hundred energy points. This is a newly developed, temporary sword technique.

Whoosh!

Countless threads around him shattered, and a flash of light appeared. The Ghost Craftsman was startled and immediately raised his Judge's Arm to block. Then, a cracking sound was heard, and in an instant, dense patterns appeared all over his body.

—Derivative Secret Technique: Map of the City of the Unjustly Dead.

The glint of the blade dimmed before the pattern; it was a top-tier defensive technique from the Northern Wei dynasty, of exceptional quality.

Unfortunately, someone closed in instantly, and the tail of the blade slammed down, striking the Ghost Craftsman in the chest. The immense force of the three dragons and three elephants shattered his chest, and the mangled corpse flew out like a cannonball, crashing into the nearby Cloud Tower. Three hundred soldiers fell down with the collapsing Cloud Tower, suffering heavy casualties.

Many martial arts masters in the Northern Wei army were horrified by what they saw; a renowned elder was killed in just two moves, a truly astonishing feat.

"Kaishan Camp, advance!"

Seeing that Youyunlou had successfully sent his soldiers up the city wall, and taking advantage of the defenders being busy with hand-to-hand combat, General Hou decisively ordered the troop redeployment from the General's Platform.

Not far away, the Duke of Tiele stood with his hands clasped behind his back. He looked like a handsome young man. Because his father, Wuhuan, who was also the ninth-ranking military leader of the Northern Wei, often praised the man in front of him, he had great respect for him.

"dash forward!"

Unlike the timidity of martial arts masters, the Tiange Army was exceptionally elite. A force of two thousand men charged into the battlefield, with infantrymen holding shields in front and a group of gray-clad men wielding various weapons to destroy the base of the wall. Their coordination was extremely tacit.

Three hundred soldiers with halberds on their heads were surrounded and attacked by the defending army. Because they lost their footing, they fell off the city wall one after another. However, in just a quarter of an hour, the Kaishan Camp actually dug a hole ten feet high at the base of the wall.

In an instant, complex military orders came from the general's platform.

The situation changed immediately. The other seven cloud towers converged to provide cover, and the arrow battalion concentrated its fire on the city wall defenders. This place quickly became the focus of the main battlefield.

"Sharpshooter Battalion, charge!"

"Two battalions of shield and arrow units, provide cover!"

Duke Chile was very curious about the origins of the Kaishan Camp, as he had never seen this type of soldier before.

"General Hou, is the Kaishan Camp a branch of the imperial family?"

General Hou shook his head and said, "A bunch of tomb raiders, originally from a second-rate sect in the Northern Wei Dynasty, whom I trained."

Lord Tiele chuckled; this general was indeed highly regarded in the army for his insightful assessment.

The battle situation suddenly changed.

In the Tiange army, the tiger-faced regimental commander shouted.

"Brothers, the main quest hinges on this: capture Dongyang City!"

"Yes!" all the players responded in unison.

One hundred elite Gold Saints charged forward on horseback with astonishing momentum. This small but extremely powerful force was now being used where it mattered most. As long as they could break into the city and secure the battle line, the Tiange and Tiele armies would continue to pour in.

Da da da!

The iron cavalry thundered like lightning. The two commanders on the city wall turned pale. In the Divine Spear Battalion, anyone could match their level.

But just as the Sharpshooter Battalion was about to arrive, a figure descended from the sky and blocked the cave entrance.

"What!" General Hou exclaimed in shock.

"He's insane! Prince Yong actually dares to place himself in the midst of the army!" Duke Chile couldn't help but click his tongue in astonishment. "Does he think he's some kind of immortal being?"

Whoosh whoosh!

Rifles and lances came flying in.

The Tiger-Faced Regiment Commander was extremely excited. He activated his innate secret technique, Divine Spear, and a violent gale swirled around the spear, like a tornado in his hand.

"The Northern Wei dynasty killed kings and bestowed titles upon them; brothers, we're rich!"

In an instant, a hundred divine spears rose into the air, and the players in the adventure team went crazy. If they could be granted the title of Marquis in the early stages of the battle, it would be an enormous advantage at the start.

"Kill, kill, kill!"

"He killed the renowned master craftsman, leaving him with less than one-tenth of his true essence!"

"Don't be afraid, charge!"

Thick blood mist condensed and lingered around them. Jiang He stepped forward, stepping on the shattered breastplate on the ground, and blood droplets from his blade traced scarlet arcs in the air.

The first strike was extremely solid.

The tiger-faced regimental commander's expression changed, and he used his divine spear, Dragon Tornado, to block the attack. However, it was clear that even against a peak-level Gold Saint, someone's ordinary strike was still incredibly lethal.

Whoosh!

The tornado dissipated, the spear shattered, and the tiger-faced commander's mask split in two, along with his body and warhorse, rendering his exceptional skill meaningless.

The blade flashed and cleaved through the ground, slaying twelve top-tier players.

"Throw your spears!" the deputy regimental commander shouted in terror.