My father-in-law Guan Yu, I persuaded Liu Bei to launch a surprise attack on Xiangyang at the beginn

Urged on by the sound of drums, more than a hundred divine thunder cannons were slowly moved to the front of the battle line by the Han soldiers working together.

These divine thunder cannons have a unique shape, and their huge barrels exude a cold and murderous aura, like a group of lurking beasts waiting for the order to attack.

The Han soldiers acted swiftly, automatically clearing a wide path so that the divine thunder cannon could appear smoothly in front of the battle formation.

At this moment, the atmosphere on the city wall was completely different.

When the Shu army saw the mysterious object slowly advancing, they were immediately thrown into an uproar.

The soldiers whispered among themselves, their faces filled with fear and confusion, all wondering what kind of magical artifact it was.

Zhang Ren's originally composed expression changed drastically in an instant.

His eyes widened as he stared intently at the approaching Divine Thunder Cannon, and he exclaimed in alarm:
What did the Han army bring out?

The voice trembled slightly, clearly indicating that even this battle-hardened veteran was thrown off balance by the scene before him.

"Divine Thunder Cannon?"

Chen Shi stood to the side, his voice filled with astonishment and uncertainty:

"General, could that be the legendary, incredibly powerful Divine Thunder Cannon?"

Zhang Renyi was startled and suddenly realized what was happening.

Various rumors about the Divine Thunder Cannon quickly flashed through his mind.

That was crafted by Xiao He, and its power far surpasses that of ordinary catapults.

Ordinary earthen city walls were no match for its fierce bombardment, as fragile as thin paper.

Previously, Zhang Ren had always thought that this was just a rumor spread by the enemy to disrupt the morale of the Shu army, and he scoffed at it and paid no attention to it.

He never expected that today, beneath the walls of Miancheng, he would actually witness the legendary siege weapon.

"Such a thing really exists?"

Zhang Ren's eyes were filled with doubt as he muttered to himself:
"How can it be……"

He could hardly believe that such a powerful weapon existed in the world.

"I've heard that this Divine Thunder Cannon was made by Xiao He!"

Chen Shi stood to one side, his body trembling involuntarily, his eyes filled with both fear and admiration.

"This person is indeed a genius, capable of creating such an astonishing weapon."

Along the city line, the Shu generals were all in a state of panic.

Their faces were as pale as paper, and their eyes were filled with fear and confusion, as if the end of the world was about to come.

Before the Han army's divine thunder cannons even began bombarding the city, the people of Shu were already gripped by deep fear, and their morale had plummeted to rock bottom.

Looking at the group of soldiers who were already intimidated before the battle, Zhang Ren frowned deeply, a thick shadow falling over his face.

Once the Divine Thunder Cannon begins its bombardment, the morale of the Shu army will crumble instantly, like a flood bursting its banks.

Wouldn't Miancheng collapse at the first sign of trouble?
How can Miancheng be defended?
We must stabilize morale!
Zhang Ren made up his mind in his heart.

With this in mind, he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down and forcibly suppress the fear and anxiety in his heart.

Then, he suddenly raised the long sword in his hand and snorted coldly:
"What incredible power of the Divine Thunder Cannon! I think it's all hype. I've fought for many years and have never heard of such a so-called divine weapon! You all must not panic before the battle even begins, so be on your guard!"

Zhang Ren's disdainful words acted like a stabilizing force, calming the Shu soldiers to some extent.

They calmed themselves, gripped their swords and spears tightly, and gazed resolutely out of the city.

Outside the city, over a hundred divine thunder cannons had been pushed to the front lines.

The Han soldiers quickly and skillfully loaded huge stones into the Divine Thunder Cannons and aimed them at the city walls of Miancheng.

Zhang Bao stood beside the Divine Thunder Cannon, his eyes blazing. He drew his long sword and shouted:
"Thunder Cannon, Boom!"

At a command, the stirring drumbeats rang out once more.

More than a hundred divine thunder cannons were activated simultaneously, sending a hundred giant stones soaring into the air with a whistling sound as they hurtled towards the walls of Miancheng.

The scene was both spectacular and terrifying. The giant rocks completely blocked out the sky, as if the end of the world had arrived, sending chills down one's spine.

The Shu soldiers, witnessing this breathtaking scene, were all stunned and speechless, as if their souls had been frozen in an instant, standing rooted to the spot, unable to move.

Their eyes were filled with terror and disbelief, as if they had witnessed the most unbelievable horror in the world.

Zhang Ren's face was also filled with horror. His usually calm and resolute expression could not hide the shock and panic in his heart.

"General, dodge the bullets!"

Chen's scream shattered the deathly silence. He reacted quickly, grabbing Zhang Ren's sleeve and pulling it down forcefully.

Zhang Ren was now caught in an unprecedented internal struggle and conflict.

He originally intended to project an image of calmness and indifference to boost morale and show his soldiers his fearless and unwavering character.

Reality, however, was cruel. The power of the Divine Thunder Cannon far exceeded his imagination, as it could throw such a huge rock. If he didn't dodge, he would probably be blasted to pieces and turned into dust.

However, if I were to shrink back and hide now, wouldn't my fearless image collapse instantly?

How will his soldiers view him? Will they still trust him and follow him?
This struggle and entanglement only lasted for a moment.

The next moment, a boulder, like the kiss of death, hurtled straight toward him, its enormous shadow instantly filling his entire field of vision.

Zhang Ren's stubbornness and pride were ruthlessly shattered at this moment. He no longer cared about his image or dignity. With Chen Gong's help, he quickly shrank down and hid under the battlements.

The boulder crashed to the ground with a deafening roar, as if the entire world was trembling.

Immediately following were the screams and cries of the Shu soldiers, their voices shrill and desperate, like wails from hell.

The battlements were easily smashed, turning into a pile of ruins; the city gate was also smashed through by huge rocks, collapsing most of it and revealing the terrified soldiers inside.

The city wall was riddled with craters, cracked, and crumbled.

The situation of the Shu soldiers was even more appalling.

They thought they could escape the deadly bombardment by hiding under the battlements, but they were wrong.

The battlements were utterly vulnerable to the massive boulders. They were blasted into mincemeat along with the battlements, countless fragments of blood and flesh mixed with gravel and dust flying everywhere, creating a gruesome scene.

Zhang Ren huddled on the ground, enduring the deafening roar, as if the whole world was exploding in his ears.

Suddenly, a sound of collapse was heard, and most of the city wall on the left side of the city tower collapsed, opening a gap two zhang wide.

The bombardment finally ended, and the world seemed to return to calm after a catastrophe.

As the dust settled, a scene of utter devastation was revealed.

The Shu soldiers scrambled to their feet, looking around in shock, their cries of agony filling the air.

Zhang Ren brushed the dust off his head and struggled to his feet.

When he saw the huge hole blasted open in the left city wall, he couldn't help but gasp, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

"Did that divine cannon really breach the city wall? How is that possible? Is there really such a powerful catapult in the world?"

He muttered to himself, as if still trying to process this unacceptable fact.

"I told you, the Divine Thunder Cannon is indeed incredibly powerful! General Zhang, you've seen it with your own eyes now, haven't you? The Divine Thunder Cannon can really blast down city walls!"

Chen said, trembling.

Zhang Ren straightened up and looked in the direction of the Han army.

Through the swirling dust and smoke, one could almost see the figure of Xiao He, the Grand Marshal of the Han Dynasty.

He seemed to see Xiao He standing high above, admiring his disheveled state, a smug smile playing on his lips. At that moment, Zhang Ren couldn't help but shiver.

He suddenly had a strange feeling, as if he was not fighting against a mortal, but a god!
How dare I go against the gods and immortals? Isn't that just courting death?
"Xiao He, Xiao He... who exactly are you? How do you possess such heaven-defying power?"

Zhang Ren felt as if his soul had been scared away.

Outside the city, on the open field, the well-ordered Han soldiers suddenly erupted in a deafening roar.

The sound was like a surging tide, carrying endless joy and excitement, soaring straight into the sky.

They were celebrating the earth-shattering, awe-inspiring strike of the Divine Thunder Cannon, which had shattered the sturdy and thick city walls of Miancheng.

This means they will finally be able to storm Miancheng through this breach with unstoppable force.

Such an easy and efficient method of siege warfare saved countless soldiers from dying on the battlefield in brutal siege battles!
Moreover, the glorious achievement of conquering Miancheng is now firmly in their hands, as if it were within reach.

How could they not be overjoyed and cheer with excitement?

Wei Yan stood quietly at the front of the formation, a cold smile playing on his lips.

In his eyes, murderous intent burned like a raging fire, relentlessly.

He slowly raised the gleaming longsword in his hand, pointing it at the enemy city, and shouted in a voice as loud as a bell:
"Soldiers, the breach has been opened! What are you waiting for? If not now, when?"

"Charge into Miancheng and slaughter all the Shu traitors!"

His command was like a sharp bolt of lightning, instantly piercing the sky.

The moment the order was given.

"Boom-boom-boom!"

The deafening drumbeats came like a storm.

The drummers seemed to be infused with boundless power, pounding the enormous war drum with frenzied energy.

The fighting spirit of the Han soldiers was completely ignited at this moment. They were like a powder keg that had been lit, and they burst out with amazing power in an instant.

With a deafening roar, the formation shattered, and like a surging tide, carrying earth-shattering battle cries, it swept towards the breach that had been blasted open in Miancheng.

Its imposing presence seemed poised to completely engulf the entire city of Mian.

A thrilling siege battle was about to begin.

At this moment, the Shu soldiers on the city wall were finally awakened by the deafening battle cries of the Han army.

They rubbed their eyes, and when they saw the horrific scene before them, with the Han army surging in like a tidal wave, they were terrified.

"The city walls have been breached! How can we defend Miancheng? What should we do?!"

"Miancheng can't be defended! Run! It'll be too late if we don't run now!"

"Run! Run! The Han army is about to break in! Everyone, run for your lives!"

The soldiers' cries of terror rose and fell.

Then came the complete collapse.

The surviving Shu soldiers, like frightened birds and beasts, scattered frantically from the city walls, fleeing at the first sign of trouble.

They completely abandoned their posts and fled towards the inner city at all costs.

They collapsed before the battle even began.

Zhang Ren gradually regained his senses amidst the chaos. When he saw the chaotic scene before him, his fear instantly turned into anger.

He could not accept the reality before him:

Before the Han army even charged in, his own soldiers fled in disarray, which was a great insult to his dignity.

"No escape! Seal the breach! Anyone who dares to escape will be killed without mercy!"

Zhang Ren brandished his long sword, roaring at the top of his lungs.

It was all in vain.

Under the devastating bombardment of the Divine Thunder Cannon, the will of the Shu soldiers had long been shattered, leaving them like candles flickering in the wind, teetering on the brink of collapse.

Even Zhang Ren's prestige couldn't reverse the already inevitable defeat.

The Shu soldiers completely ignored his threats and fled desperately like frightened birds.

Even some of Zhang Ren's personal guards fled with the defeated soldiers.

Zhang Ren was furious when he saw this.

"I have said it before: those who flee will be executed! Anyone who dares to disobey, do not blame me for being merciless!"

Zhang Ren swung his long sword fiercely at the fleeing soldiers.

"Crack!"

With a crisp sound, the head of the Shu soldier fell to the ground, and blood spurted out like a fountain, staining the ground red.

However, the Shu soldiers on both sides completely ignored the threat of slaughter and continued to flee, as if Zhang Ren's long sword was just a useless piece of scrap metal to them.

Zhang Ren went mad; he was utterly enraged by the scene before him.

He himself killed people, yet his soldiers still dared to flee. Is there no law and no military discipline left?

"You think you can escape? You think you can escape? But none of you will leave here alive today!"

Zhang Ren brandished his blood-red blade relentlessly, each strike carrying boundless rage and killing intent.

"Kakaka!"

Several Shu soldiers were killed and fell to the ground.

But all of this was in vain!

His killings failed to quell the soldiers' desire to flee; instead, they intensified their fear and made them run even faster.

More and more Shu soldiers fled like a tidal wave.

"General, Miancheng cannot be defended! Let's break out and save our lives so we can redeem ourselves in the future."

Chen was extremely anxious and tried to persuade him.

He knelt down urgently, tightly hugged Zhang Ren's legs with both hands, and pleaded with Zhang Ren:

"General, please take my advice. As long as we live, we can always rebuild."

At this moment, Zhang Ren gradually calmed down after being persuaded by Chen Shi.

Looking at his soldiers scattered and in disarray, at the huge breach in the defenses, and at the Han army surging in like a tidal wave, he felt utterly hopeless.

He knew that the situation was hopeless, and if he continued to defend, there would be no way out but the annihilation of the entire army.

"King of Shu, I, Zhang Ren, have done my best. I have failed your trust and the people of Shu."

Zhang Ren let out a helpless sigh.

Then, he mounted his horse, brandished his blood-stained blade, and shouted:

"Order the entire army to abandon the city and retreat to Chengdu. We will preserve our lives for future use, and we will surely make a comeback to avenge our defeat!"

After saying this, Zhang Ren spurred his horse and rode it out of the city.

Chen Shi breathed a sigh of relief and quickly followed Zhang Ren as they fled. (End of Chapter)