Douluo: Steal Tang San's luck and become stronger!

Chen Jue was jolted awake, his blood boiling instantly, all his doubts and anxieties swept away by the ecstasy of the breached city.

He drew his sword from his waist with a swift motion and, with all his might, roared at the massive breach in the city gate.

"All troops, listen up!!! The city gates have fallen!!! Charge!!! Break through!!! Capture the gate area!!! Open a passage for the follow-up troops!!! Charge!!!"

"kill--!!!"

After a night of fear, doubt, and tension, the 18,000 imperial soldiers, like a floodgate opened, roared and charged out of the mountains and forests like a tidal wave, raising their swords, spears, and shields, launching a desperate charge toward the open breach in the city gate!
Two thousand Imperial Soul Masters, led by their respective commanders, followed closely behind the infantry. Their Soul Rings lit up, and various Soul Skills that amplified, defended, and accelerated their attacks flashed in the charging ranks. Some of the ranged attack Soul Masters began to unleash their Soul Skills on the city walls to suppress the defenders who were trying to plug the breach.

Almost at the same time that the west gate was blasted open by the giant soul cannon, deafening shouts of battle and intense explosions of soul skills came from the other three directions of Dongyang City!
From the east gate, the imperial main force of 100,000 men, under the command of General Zhang, launched a massive attack on the city walls with dozens of tall siege ladders, siege towers, and a large number of crossbows and catapults.

Arrows rained down like locusts, boulders whistled past, and the flames of soul skills exploded continuously on the city walls. Although the east gate was the most fortified and had the largest number of defenders, this thunderous offensive effectively drew the rebels' main attention to it.

At the south and north gates, 15,000 imperial troops each launched a significant diversionary attack, setting up ladders and having soldiers climb them, engaging in fierce fighting with the defenders on the city walls.

The entire city of Dongyang was instantly struck by the raging tide of war from all directions!
However, the rebels inside the city reacted extremely quickly, clearly not unprepared. Although the west gate was unexpectedly and quickly breached, causing initial chaos, soon, sharp horn sounds rang out throughout the city.

The rebel infantry, who had already gathered and waited in the city's streets and alleys, surged out from every street corner like a black swarm of ants, howling as they rushed toward the breach in the west gate, trying to plug this fatal loophole with their own flesh and blood.

The defenders on the city wall suppressed their fear and, under the supervision of their officers, poured boiling oil, boulders, and arrows at the Imperial army charging below, unleashing various deadly soul skills.

Meanwhile, at the other three city gates, the rebels also put up a fierce resistance, relying on the city wall fortifications. Rolling logs and stones rained down, boiling molten gold was poured out, emitting a foul stench, and dense arrows and soul skills intertwined to form a net of death.

Dozens of imperial ladders were hastily erected on the city walls. Soldiers screamed as they were hit by arrows or pushed off, falling to the foot of the walls. However, some brave warriors successfully scaled the walls and engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat with the defenders.

At the East Gate, the 100,000-strong army of the Douling Empire launched a fierce attack, with ladders forming a forest and arrows blotting out the sky. The siege towers slowly but steadily approached the city wall, and soldiers climbed up one after another, engaging in a fierce battle with the defenders on the city wall for every inch of ground.

Above the battlefield, the light of soul skills exploded like dazzling yet deadly fireworks. General Zhang, stationed in the central command, had a solemn expression and kept issuing attack orders. The offensives came wave after wave, showing that he was determined to break through from this point at all costs.

However, upon closer inspection, it can be seen that although the Imperial Army's attacks were fierce, the elite Soul Masters deployed were relatively restrained in the most crucial and dangerous stage of breaching the city walls.

They relied more on the soldiers' bravery and conventional weaponry to wear down the enemy. Meanwhile, the rebels inside the city were clearly intimidated by the massive force of this "main attack direction" and were constantly sending reserves from other areas to reinforce the east city, visibly increasing the density of the defenses on the city walls.

Meanwhile, several miles behind the battlefield at the East Gate, on an open field, countless torches were lit, stretching for a great distance, accompanied by deliberately raised dust and a small number of cavalry galloping back and forth.

Hidden by the morning mist and smoke, from a distance, it looked as if hundreds of thousands of troops were arrayed and gathering, ready to be deployed to the battlefield at any moment!

This was precisely the feint orchestrated by Tang Lan, creating the impression that the 100,000-strong army numbered 300,000, further increasing the pressure and psychological burden on the East City defenders, forcing them to concentrate more of their defensive focus and forces there.

The real breakthrough point was at the west gate, which seemed to be the weakest point in terms of troop strength.

Chen Jue led 18,000 infantrymen and 2,000 soul masters, braving the arrows and soul skills raining down from the city walls, and fearlessly charged through the breach in the city gate blasted open by the giant soul cannon.

As they clashed with the vanguard of the rebel army pouring into the city and engaged in a bloody street battle, a unit that had already quietly moved to the best firing position near the west gate made its move.

Those were hundreds of Soul Masters dressed in Tang Sect-style light armor, moving nimbly and swiftly.

They did not gather together, but rather formed small teams of ten to twenty people, scattered around the high points of some dilapidated houses outside the West Gate, behind earthen slopes, and even using their soul skills to briefly stay airborne, thus occupying advantageous shooting positions.

In their hands, they all held a crossbow-shaped soul tool with a unique design, gleaming with a cold metallic light and complex soul-guiding patterns.

It is the Zhuge Soul Crossbow, the latest standard soul-guided weapon developed by the Tang Sect and first deployed on a large scale in actual combat!
This item is a mass-produced soul crossbow, developed by Zhuge Feng with his amazing calculation and design talents, combined with Huo Yuhao's profound understanding of the core array of soul tools, and further refined through the collaborative efforts of the Soul Tool Hall craftsmen team led by Dingdel and Qiao Na's materials team, after many improvements.

Its name also embodies Zhuge Feng's contribution and glory.

"Attention, all troops! Target: the defenders behind the crenellations of the west city wall and on both sides above the breach in the city gate! Free fire, suppressive fire!"

A Tang Clan squad leader gave a low shout and was the first to raise his Zhuge Soul Crossbow. A transparent energy bar on the crossbow indicated its charging status, and it was currently flashing a full bar of light.

The next moment, almost all the Tang Clan disciples holding Zhuge Soul Crossbows pulled the triggers at the same time.

Instead of the traditional whooshing sound of crossbow bolts leaving the bowstring, there was a strange, dense hum of soul power and a sharp whistling sound that cut through the air!
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh—!
Suddenly, a dazzling light burst forth from the front of each Zhuge Soul Crossbow! Arrows of soul power, each a different color but all solid and sharp, poured out like a storm!

Crimson fire arrows, azure ice arrows, cyan wind arrows, yellow rock arrows... the attributes are varied, clearly the launcher has transformed and added them through the soul crossbow according to their own soul power attributes or tactical needs.

What's even more impressive is its rate of fire! The Zhuge Soul Crossbow has a sophisticated continuous-fire soul guidance array and a rapid-charging structure. Once the trigger is pulled and soul power is poured in, the crossbow body trembles slightly, and soul power light arrows shoot out continuously!

In just two or three breaths, each soul crossbow fired more than twenty soul power arrows!

Hundreds of Zhuge Soul Crossbows fired simultaneously, and in an instant, a dazzling yet deadly rain of soul-powered arrows seemed to fall over the western city wall! The countless arrows pierced through the smoke-filled air with sharp whistles.

The attack precisely targeted the city's defenders behind the crenellations, who were desperately throwing stones, pouring hot oil, and unleashing ranged soul skills to disrupt the Imperial army's charge, as well as the rebel soul masters on either side of the breach in the city gate who were trying to use the rubble to shoot arrows downwards to block the attack.

"What is that?!"

"Get out of the way—ah!!"

The rebel soldiers and low-level evil soul masters on the city walls had no idea that while the infantry were charging outside the city, they would be attacked by such dense, rapid, and long-range soul power!
The Zhuge Soul Crossbow has an effective range of 200 meters. At this distance, its accuracy is sufficient to create effective area coverage damage against fixed or slowly moving targets on city walls.

puff puff puff...

The soul-powered arrows struck the bricks and stones, exploding into bursts of elemental light and leaving scorched or frozen marks. But more often, they pierced through the defenders' makeshift shields or thin armor, embedding themselves deep into their flesh!
Screams erupted from the city walls! Those defenders who had peered out to attack were the first to be hit, riddled with bullets of light, their bodies glowing with various colors as they fell backward. Soul Masters attempting to gather their soul power for defense often managed to block two or three arrows before being breached by the relentless barrage, suffering fatal wounds. For a moment, the defenders' counter-firepower on this section of the western city wall plummeted, even creating brief periods of vulnerability!

The pressure on Chen Jue's Imperial Army, who were engaged in fierce combat with the rebels at the breach in the city gate, immediately eased. A captain covered in blood roared with joy upon seeing this.

"The Tang Clan brothers have cleared the way for us! Our chance! Brothers, follow me and charge up the wall!!!"

"Kill them!!!"

The Imperial infantry, who had been locked in a stalemate at the breach in the city gate, seized the opportunity to unleash even greater fighting spirit. Shouting, they charged forward, tearing a gap in the rebel lines blocking the gate. Some of them began to climb the inner steps or use grappling hooks.

They struggled to climb the city wall. The Tang Sect Soul Masters, after completing a volley of suppressive fire, did not stop.

With practiced ease, he switched a small soul power storage module on the side of the Zhuge Soul Crossbow, or took a short breath adjustment before launching a second round of precise shots, specifically targeting enemy commanders and soul masters who reappeared on the city wall.

With the addition of the Tang Clan Soul Masters and Zhuge Soul Crossbowmen, the situation at the West Gate began to tilt in favor of the Imperial Army. The breach in the gate was reinforced, and sections of the city wall began to change hands.

Just as the fierce battle at the West Gate was raging, a group of top experts, including Tang Lan, Tang Ya, Ma Xiaotao, Wang Qiu'er, Yan Shaozhe, and Xian Lin'er, quietly appeared on a slightly higher earthen slope outside the West Gate, overlooking the entire battle.

Behind them followed Zhuge Feng, who had just been relieved of his command position at the East Gate. The overall command of the battlefield had now been officially transferred to this new strategist elder, who would coordinate all parties using a communication soul-guided device specially made by the Tang Sect.

Under the protection of his personal guards, Chen Jue temporarily retreated from the front line to report on the battle situation and immediately spotted Tang Lan and the others on the earthen slope.

He was taken aback at first, then his face quickly lit up with an overwhelming sense of excitement and respect. He strode forward and knelt on one knee.

"Your humble servant Chen Jue greets the Prime Minister! Reporting to the Prime Minister, the West Gate has been breached as planned, and our troops have stormed into the city. We are currently fighting with the rebels for control of the surrounding streets and alleys and parts of the city wall! It is all thanks to the Tang Clan's divine weapon, the Giant Soul Cannon, and that...that crossbow bolt, otherwise it would have been impossible to succeed so smoothly!"

At this moment, his address to Tang Lan had changed from the initially disgruntled "Imperial Preceptor" to the heartfelt "Prime Minister," his eyes filled with genuine admiration and respect.

Having witnessed firsthand the awe-inspiring sight of the giant soul cannon blasting through the city gate, and having seen the terrifying coverage and attack capabilities of the Zhuge Soul Crossbow, he fully understood Tang Lan's strategy and the terrifying nature of the Tang Clan.

This is by no means a reckless adventure, but a thunderous strike with ingenious planning and strong trump cards!
Tang Lan nodded slightly, her expression calm, seemingly unsurprised by this development.

He raised his hand slightly.

"General Chen, please rise. The soldiers have worked hard and fought well. Occupying the city gate area is only the first step. The rebels will not give up easily, and there will definitely be a large force inside the city to counterattack."

His gaze turned to Zhuge Feng.

"Elder Zhuge, the subsequent defense and advance of Xicheng will be carried out according to the second plan. The key is to delay and wear down the enemy troops coming from other areas of the city to support Xicheng."

Zhuge Feng immediately responded.

"Understood."

He then looked at Chen Jue and gave the instructions clearly and quickly.

"General Chen, please immediately select five hundred of your most elite and astute men, led by twenty disciples from my Tang Clan who are skilled in setting up traps and concealment, and carry a batch of special soul tools to carry out a critical mission."

Chen Jue's spirits lifted.

"Please enlighten me, Elder Zhuge!"

Zhuge Feng took out a simple map of the city's alleyways from his pocket and pointed to several red-marked routes that were essential passages connecting the West Gate area with other main roads in the city.

"The rebels are about to send a large-scale reinforcement to the West City, and these roads are the shortest routes. Your task is to secretly bury a soul-guided device called a 'soul-guided trigger mine' at key nodes, corners, and bridges on these roads."

"Soul-guided trigger lightning?"

This was the first time Chen Jue had ever heard of this name.

"This object is shaped like a flat iron box. Once opened and activated, it will enter an extremely sensitive state."

Zhuge Feng explained.

"It contains a sophisticated array of soul force and pressure sensors. Once the weight passing over the burial site exceeds a certain preset threshold—"

Roughly equivalent to the stomping force of a fully armed soldier—or the force of a strong soul power fluctuation sweeping past at close range—it would immediately detonate the compressed, highly explosive soul stone powder and shards of high-temperature metal inside.

His tone carried a hint of coldness.

"The explosive force concentrated and spread upwards and outwards, covering a relatively small area, but the destructive power in the core area was extremely astonishing. According to tests, even a Soul Master at the Soul Sect level would be severely damaged if they were unprepared, had their protective Soul Power activated, or were not strong enough."

A single step into it would result in death or serious injury, at the very least rendering the victim incapable of fighting. Ordinary soldiers and low-level evil spirit masters would have no chance of survival. This object must be carefully camouflaged and concealed when planted, ideally in conjunction with simple tripwires or delay devices to counter potential enemy mine-clearing probes.

Chen Jue felt a chill run down his spine, but also a surge of excitement.

This thing is an absolute lifesaver in urban warfare and sniping! It's perfect for blocking key passages and slowing down enemy reinforcements! (End of Chapter)