Deposed? I couldn't be happier! I wouldn't even be a dog to the crown prince.

"fire."

Li Chengqian's voice was calm and undisturbed.

These two words, carried by the sea breeze, drifted lightly to every gun position on the thirty treasure ships.

The next moment, the world lost its color.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom—!"

Thirty treasure ships, with a total of one thousand improved shipborne smoothbore guns on the starboard side.

At the same time, it spewed out extremely dazzling orange-red flames!

A thousand ear-piercing roars instantly merged into a devastating sonic boom. The sound was a hundred times louder than the most violent thunder in summer, tearing the remaining mist on the sea surface to shreds.

The massive steel treasure ships, under the terrifying recoil, tilted several degrees to the left in unison. Rolling white waves exploded around the hull, as if even the sea itself trembled at this astonishing volley.

A thousand exploding shells, filled with high-purity black powder, trailed behind with a piercing sonic boom.

Like a meteor shower falling from the sky, it ripped through the gray sky above Beisha City, and with the cold, sinister smile of death, it crashed down on this formidable fortress known as the "first natural barrier at sea".

"ah--!"

On the city wall, the young Goguryeo soldier who had just dropped his spear only had time to let out a desperate scream.

A jet-black shell landed precisely on the bluestone slab beneath his feet.

"Bang!"

Blinding flames shot into the sky!

The violent shockwave, carrying thousands upon thousands of sharp metal fragments, instantly tore everything within a ten-foot radius to shreds. The soldier didn't even leave behind a complete corpse before turning into a cloud of crimson blood mist.

And this is just the power of a single cannonball.

Then came the second, the hundredth, and the thousandth!

"Boom—!"

The continuous explosions resounded wildly inside and outside Bisha City.

Those sturdy city walls, built with a mixture of massive stones and rammed earth, became as fragile as toys made of sand under the overwhelming firepower of this revolutionary era. Large chunks of brick collapsed and shattered, and billowing smoke and flames instantly engulfed the entire city.

The city's defenders were completely disoriented by the bombing before they even saw the enemy.

Severed limbs and broken arms flew through the air.

Screams, cries, and the neighing of warhorses mingled together to create a hellish symphony.

"Monster! That's heavenly fire spewed out by a sea monster!"

Amidst the ruins of the city gate, a Goguryeo general crawled out covered in blood.

He stared in utter terror at the enormous creatures spewing black smoke from the sea, his mind completely broken.

In their minds, there was no such thing as an iron ship that could breathe fire at sea and destroy city walls.

This is definitely a monster that crawled out of the deep sea! It's punishment sent down by God!

And at the mouth of the Taedong River, not far from Bisa Castle.

Gao Yanshou and his five hundred naval warships were also in a state of wailing and howling.

The moment the fog lifted, Gao Yanshou had just emerged from Meiji's gentle embrace and was about to drink some hangover soup.

As a result, when he looked up, he saw those thirty steel warships that looked like mountains.

Before he could even rub his eyes to see if he was still half asleep, a burst of firelight illuminated his deathly pale face.

"This...this is the Tang Dynasty's navy?!"

Gao Yanshou dropped the wine bowl in his hand onto the deck with a "clatter," his legs went weak, and he knelt down.

"Commander! Run! Our ship is on fire!"

The lieutenant roared with all his might.

Although Li Chengqian's first round of artillery fire was mainly focused on Bisha City, dozens of shells still landed in Goguryeo's densely packed water fortresses.

Wooden warships were practically the best kindling for explosive shells.

Just a few cannonballs were enough to turn more than a dozen warships into burning fireballs. The fire spread rapidly with the help of the sea breeze, and the entire water fortress was instantly turned into a sea of ​​fire.

Gao Yanshou stared blankly at the sea of ​​fire, his mind a complete blank.

Run? Where to run?

Faced with those thirty steel behemoths, could their dilapidated wooden boats possibly outrun their cannons?

The flagship of the Tang Dynasty's treasure ship, its forecastle.

Li Chengqian rested his hands on the Emperor's Sword, which was inlaid with seven-colored gems.

The sea breeze made his black cloak flutter loudly.

His face, which usually carried a hint of languor and cynicism, was now etched with the majesty and domineering presence of a ruler.

He looked ahead at the city of Besa, which was now completely engulfed in flames and thick smoke.

Looking at the Goguryeo navy struggling in the sea of ​​fire.

There was not a trace of pity in Li Chengqian's eyes.

"Yeon Gaesomun".

Li Chengqian sneered and murmured a name.

"Don't you like building mounds of skulls?"

"Didn't you think that the winters of Liaodong could stop the Tang Dynasty's advance?"

"I'll show you today what it's like to face overwhelming firepower."

"Your natural defenses, your bitter cold, your hundreds of thousands of troops that you are so proud of."

"They're all utterly ridiculous jokes!"

Li Chengqian suddenly drew the Emperor's Sword.

The sword's edge gleamed with a blinding, cold light under the sunlight.

He pointed his sword straight at the burning city ahead.

That was the gateway to Goguryeo.

It was also the first stepping stone for the Tang Dynasty's iron cavalry to trample the British Empire.

"The majesty of the Tang Dynasty will not tolerate provocation from petty villains!"

Li Chengqian's voice, amplified by his inner strength, was like rolling thunder in spring, drowning out the roar of the waves and cannon fire, resounding in the ears of every Tang soldier.

"Load!"

"Keep bombarding me!"

"I'll raze this city to the ground, and then I'll feast on these ruins with a hot bowl of braised pork!"

"promise--!"

Thirty thousand Snow Dragon Riders, five thousand Divine Machine Battalion Musketeers, and sixty thousand naval soldiers roared in unison.

Followed by.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom—!"

Another round of even fiercer and more intense artillery fire followed.

Faced with this devastating torrent of steel.

This land in Liaodong was occupied by the Goguryeo people for hundreds of years.

It was trembling painfully, welcoming its invincible, brand-new master.