Rise of a Lonely City: From Exiled Prince to Ruler of the Nine Provinces

Murong Chui was also hurriedly invited up to the city wall by his personal guards. When he saw the huge objects below the gate, his pupils suddenly contracted, and a chill ran from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head!

Although its name is unknown, its size, which far exceeds that of an ordinary catapult, and its intricate structure all foreshadow extreme danger!

"Quick! Everyone to the city wall! Archers cocked! Prepare logs and rolling stones!" Murong Chui roared hoarsely, trying to suppress the panic in his heart.

However, it was too late.

On a makeshift platform in the Hanyuan army formation, Xiao Chen, clad in black armor and wearing a golden helmet, stood with a cold gaze.

He slowly raised his right hand, and then swung it down heavily!

"Target: Longquan Pass city wall, gate tower. Free fire! Firing!"

The command flag was waved, and the drums suddenly sounded!

"put!"

"put!"

"put!"

Thirty launching positions and thirty soldiers in charge of the "Thunderbolt" almost simultaneously swung down their wooden hammers and smashed open the mechanism to release the counterweight!

"boom--!!!"

"boom--!!!"

"boom--!!!"

It wasn't just one sound, but thirty almost overlapping, extremely muffled yet deafeningly loud noises!

It was like a series of muffled thunderclaps rolling across the sky, or an angry roar coming from the depths of the earth!

The massive counterweight box plummeted downwards, propelling the long launch arm upwards at an alarming speed. The leather straps attached to the end of the launch arm snapped taut, violently hurling the heavy load contained in the massive leather ammunition pouch high into the air!

Thirty perfectly round stone projectiles, each weighing a hundred pounds, streaked across the sky with breathtaking black lines, tearing through the air with a piercing whistle, like falling meteors or thunderbolts hurled by the gods, crashing down on the majestic city walls and towering gate towers of Longquan Pass!

"Get out of the way! Get out of the way!" The Northern Yan soldiers guarding the gate were terrified, screaming in panic as they tried to find cover.

"Bang!!!"

"BOOM—!!!"

"Snap—!!!"

The sounds of stones hitting the city wall, bricks cracking, timber breaking, and the screams of the defenders blended together instantly, drowning out all other sounds in the world!

The huge stone projectiles slammed into the parapet, instantly shattering it into pieces. Debris flew everywhere, and the nearby defenders were either killed or wounded!

When it hit the city wall, spiderweb-like cracks immediately appeared on the hard bluestone surface, and even deep dents were created. The entire city wall seemed to tremble!

Several more stones hit the city gate tower with precision, breaking the thick wooden pillars, sending tiles flying, and causing the tower to groan under the weight of the impact!

The first volley of fire left the magnificent Longquan Pass city wall riddled with wounds, the defending troops suffered heavy casualties, and their morale was severely damaged!

And this is just the beginning.

"Change the gunpowder pack!" The commander calmly ordered from the high platform.

The winch turned again, the counterweight box was pulled up again, and the huge throwing arm slowly returned to its original position.

The well-trained soldiers quickly replaced the heavy stone projectiles with specially made gunpowder bags tightly bound with ropes, and adjusted the long fuses to the appropriate length.

"put!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The second salvo begins.

This time, instead of stone projectiles, dark packages flew into the sky.

Some gunpowder packets landed on the city walls and ramparts.

"boom!!!"

"boom!!!"

Deafening explosions rang out one after another! Flames shot into the sky, thick smoke billowed, and iron slag, broken porcelain pieces, and gravel buried in the gunpowder packs were transformed into a deadly metal storm by the impact of the explosions, sweeping outwards in a fan shape!

The soldiers hiding behind the battlements were blown away by the shockwave and riddled with shrapnel, a truly gruesome sight!

The defensive weapons on the city wall—ballistas, logs, and oil cauldrons—were blown to pieces!

Other gunpowder packs were ignited mid-flight and exploded in mid-air above the barrier!

Like a thunderclap from a clear sky, the enormous sound wave caused people's eardrums to bleed and their heads to spin. The flames and smoke from the explosion formed brief but terrifying black and red clouds in the air, and fragments fell like raindrops, covering an even wider area!

"Divine punishment! This is divine punishment!"

"Thor is enraged! The Cold Abyss has Thor's help!"

"Run! Run!"

The Northern Yan garrison, which had never experienced such a blow, completely collapsed.

They could face swords and spears, arrows and rolling stones, but they could not understand or resist this destructive attack from afar, like a natural disaster.

The sturdy city wall trembled violently under the continuous bombardment. The section of the wall that had withstood the most bombardment finally groaned under the strain, the bricks loosened and collapsed, revealing a huge gap several meters wide!

Smoke and dust filled the air, and rubble tumbled down. Through the gap, one could already see the figures of people and buildings fleeing in panic inside the pass.

"Cease the bombardment!" Seeing that the time was right, Xiao Chen ordered the cessation of this terrifying long-range attack.

The thirty Thunderclap bombers fell silent for the time being, but their earth-shattering power was deeply imprinted in the hearts of every survivor.

"Attack the city!"

Wang Dashan drew his sword, pointed it forward, and his voice boomed like thunder.

"kill!!!"

The Han Yuan army, which had been preparing for a long time, erupted with a deafening roar.

The infantry, carrying ladders and pushing battering rams, launched a fierce attack on Longquan Pass and the breach opened by lightning, like a flood that had broken its banks!

Meanwhile, atop the fortified walls, the surviving Northern Yan defenders were utterly demoralized and incapable of putting up any effective resistance.

Murong Chui stood beside the crumbling ruins of the city gate tower, his face covered in dust, staring blankly at the Han Yuan army surging in like a tide, at the huge gap in the wall, his ears filled with the cries of his fleeing subordinates.

It's over, it's over.

What formidable passes and strategic strongholds are so utterly vulnerable before the terrifying "heavenly thunder" of the Cold Abyss?

"General! Run! The pass can't be held! Take the secret passage!" The loyal guard commander, covered in blood, clung tightly to Murong Chui.

Murong Chui snapped back to his senses, his eyes flashing with endless resentment and unwillingness. He glanced one last time at the black banner bearing the character "Xiao" fluttering in the south, and squeezed out a few words through clenched teeth: "Xiao Chen… this feud will not end until death!"

Dragged desperately by his guards, Murong Chui, with his last few dozen confidants, rushed down the city wall and disappeared into the chaotic streets inside the pass, disappearing into a secret passage leading to the outside world known only to a very few.

Without command and with morale completely shattered, Longquan Pass quickly fell under the fierce attack of the Hanyuan Army. The street fighting was brief and sporadic, with most of the Northern Yan soldiers choosing to kneel and surrender.

That afternoon, the black royal flag was planted on the dilapidated but still majestic city gate of Longquan Pass.

This strategic border pass, which had been occupied by the Northern Yan for many years and guarded the vital passage through the Yanshan Mountains, was destroyed in a single day amidst the thunderous roar of the Hanyuan Army, and its ownership was changed.

Xiao Chen stepped through the city gate, which was filled with rubble and still shrouded in the smoke of battle, and entered the pass.

The air was filled with the strong smells of gunpowder, blood, and burnt food.

He looked up at the Hanyuan banner fluttering on the city wall, his gaze calm and profound.

"Issue the order that, effective immediately, Longquan Pass shall be renamed Dingbei Pass. The engineering battalion shall immediately repair the city walls and reinforce the defenses. Han Lie, you shall temporarily serve as the pass's garrison commander, leading 5,000 troops to guard this pass, clear the battlefield, and pacify the surrendered soldiers and civilians."

"Your humble servant obeys!"

Han Lie clasped his hands in acceptance of the order, his face still showing shock and excitement. The power of that "Thunderous Roar" was truly terrifying.

Xiao Chen slowly walked up the city wall and leaned against the battlements to gaze northward.

The mountains and rivers are vast and boundless, and the world is boundless.

Capturing Dinglongquan Pass not only means completely shattering Murong Chui's ambition to invade the south, but also means that Hanyuan's northern defense line has been steadily advanced by more than two hundred miles, gaining a strategic foothold overlooking the heartland of the Northern Yan border.

The gateway for Northern Yan's southward expansion was now in Han Yuan's hands.

"Dingbei, Dingbei..." Xiao Chen murmured the new name, a cold smile curving his lips.

With this pass secured, the troubles in the north can be temporarily averted.

The might of Han Yuan's army and the power of "Heavenly Thunder" will surely sweep across the entire grassland like a cold winter wind, as the fleeing soldiers and merchants spread their tales, casting an indelible shadow over the hearts of Northern Yan and all those who covet it.

A new era and a new landscape have been ushered in with the roar of "Thor".