Douluo: A Century-old Legend I Am the Second Uncle Chenxin

Chapter 1827 The Mighty Fortress: The Smoke of War Has Not Yet Cleared
Requesting recommendation votes and monthly tickets

Five chapters today (4/5)

……

As I passed the gate of a side courtyard guarded by many Imperial Guards, I could faintly hear shouts and the clanging of chains coming from inside.

Chen Mu gestured with his chin towards the inside and said, "Uncle Gu, let me show you around first. Those miners should be locked up here for now, so you don't end up in the wrong place when you try to get them out. Uncle Gu, Xiao San, let's go."

Gu Yuanchao nodded, and the three of them turned into the solemn courtyard.

Chen Xiaojun did not stop, and continued to venture deeper, accompanied by another Imperial Guard who was leading the way.

Before long, the corridor ahead opened up, and the huge bronze door, engraved with the unique Seven Kill Sword clan emblem of the Chen family, was wide open.

This is the gate to the backyard and courtyard.

As you step outside the gate, you are guarded by two burly men dressed in standard scale armor.

They were burly and imposing, with a calm and steady aura, and a slight metallic scraping sound came from the joints of their armor.

They then bowed in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized, the armor plates clanging loudly.

"Young Master!" A deep and respectful voice echoed briefly between the mountain walls.

Chen Xiaojun nodded slightly in response.

Before me was a wide ramp carved from a single block of dark gray granite, and under my feet was a familiar, rough texture.

At the end of the ramp is the central square of Ironjaw Fort, a spacious area resembling a drill ground.

On the flat, solid black basalt ground, there were not many people, but they were all in a hurry, wearing clothes with the affiliation marks of the four families of Chen, Yang, Ximen, and Ma, or the logo of the Iron Jaw Fort workshop.

Soul Masters hurried across the square. Two Chen family disciples carrying sealed iron boxes labeled "Armaments" brushed past Chen Xiaojun. Around the corner ahead, three Ximen family Soul Masters were quietly checking a list in their hands, with wooden boxes containing sealed Soul Guidance Devices piled at their feet. A healing-type Soul Master from the Yang family was carrying a medicine box and running towards the side courtyard, his sleeves still stained with fresh blood. Two Ma family disciples were escorting a dejected prisoner into a shadowy side path, the grating sound of chains dragging on the ground echoing loudly.

In addition, the strongmen pushing ore carts, the clerks carrying documents and walking briskly, and the craftsmen and apprentices carrying tool baskets all proceeded along their planned routes in an orderly manner.

The air is filled with the slightly fishy smell of quenched iron, the dusty smell of ore, and the aroma of food wafting from the kitchen area deep inside—this is the unique "life" atmosphere of Ironjaw Fortress.

Surrounding the plaza is a huge circular corridor, carved into the solid mountainside in multiple layers.

Each floor is filled with doors of varying sizes.

The lower level consists mostly of open-plan workshop entrances, from which the faint sounds of forging and the low hum of machinery can be heard; the middle level shows the porches of the residential areas (guarded by the Xuanlin Guard, Jinyi Guard, etc.), with nameplates or small ornaments representing different dormitories hanging in front of some doors; the upper level is a more orderly passageway entrance leading to the council hall, armory, and soul guidance research room.

Along the stone walls at the edge of the corridor, the bases and observation ports of the defensive soul-guided cannons were gleaming brightly, and the cold metal barrels gleamed eerily under the lights.

This is home, a place of production, and even more so, a heavily armed war fortress hidden deep within the mountains.

Chen Xiaojun's gaze swept over the defensive nodes and over the Xuanlin Guard members patrolling the corridor (they bowed slightly when they saw Chen Xiaojun), his expression indifferent, as if he were merely surveying his own courtyard.

The grandeur, solidity, order, and pervasive defensive atmosphere here are far beyond those of ordinary underground strongholds; it is a true spectacle that integrates "mountain" and "fortress" into one.

Without pausing, Chen Xiaojun steadily stepped onto the main staircase leading to the core area of ​​the upper level of the circular corridor.

The steps were wide, also carved from a single piece of stone, and the soul-guiding lamps on the side walls lit up one by one with each step he took. He didn't need any guidance; he headed directly towards one of the wide passageways marked "Council Hall."

A much larger, brightly lit hall entrance appeared before us.

At the entrance stands a "Purple Heart Stone Lamp" with a shimmering, magnificent purple flame. The lamp base is inlaid with a cut Purple Heart Stone, which, when infused with soul power, emits a faint purple light, illuminating the exquisite etched patterns on the lampshade and exuding an understated luxury.

The Imperial Guards standing at the entrance bowed respectfully.

Led by the Imperial Guards, Chen Xiaojun stepped over the high stone threshold and entered the core council hall.

The interior of the hall is spacious, with a higher dome and more sophisticated lighting.

In addition to the "blazing crystal clusters" distributed along the edges providing basic illumination, a huge, intricately structured soul-guided chandelier hangs from the central dome.

Its main body is composed of a kind of extremely tough metal vine-like skeleton, with dozens of pure "sunstone" crystal cores inlaid at the nodes of the skeleton. Soft and bright white light is steadily emitted from it, illuminating the entire center of the council hall in perfect detail, almost indistinguishable from a sunny afternoon outside.

The walls are dotted with a few "glass lamps" to supplement the lighting and ensure that there are no shadows or dead corners.

The layout of the hall was a departure from the sinister and intimidating style of the Bone-Digging Gang, instead being simple and solemn.

Chen Zhang sat upright behind the main table, his face calm and composed, exuding an aura of authority.

Ximen Wenye sat at the head of the table to his right, his eyes closed as he rested. Yang Zhicheng sat below Ximen Wenye, arms crossed, while Ma Zhibin leaned against the chair to his left.

Zhu Yanfeng, Xia Yun, and Qin Luguang sat in a row of chairs behind Chen Zhang.

Just as Chen Xiaojun stepped into the hall, the three guests on the right side of the hall also took their seats.

In the middle is Tang Hengyu, a burly man dressed in leather, with a striking scar on his face and an aura as fierce as iron; on the right is Tan Yashuang, still as beautiful as ever, her tight black leather armor outlining her graceful figure, but her expression carrying a hint of undisguised gloom.

On the left is a man in his fifties or sixties dressed as a shrewd businessman, named Hahn Connery, the last of the four major powers—the leader of the Jingcheng Merchant Guild.

Two days ago, during the bloody battle, as a staunch ally of the Bone Digging Gang, he led his armed forces and many people from the Huagai Black Market to aid the Bone Digging Gang. However, they were blocked on the way by Li Panliu (Li Xunhuan's elder brother), Ma Zhixin (Ma Zhibin's cousin, the person in charge of the Ma family's Tiandou City), and Ji Chengjian, and in the end, they could only retreat in disappointment.

Since things had come to this, he sought out Tang and Tan's descendants and came along today.

Negotiations rely on the strength of the majority.

Two maids were serving them steaming hot spiritual tea.

Chen Xiaojun's arrival instantly attracted the attention of everyone in the hall.

Tang Hengyu and Tan Yashuang's eyes narrowed, and the figure of the Six-Slay Soul Saint, who resembled a humanoid catastrophe on the battlefield the day before yesterday, became clear again.

Tan Yashuang smoothed her hair, Tang Hengyu paused slightly in his teacup, and Hahn deeply imprinted the rumors of this peerless genius in his mind.

Two days was enough time for them to gather a lot of information about several companies.

Chen Xiaojun remained calm and nodded to the three people in the main seat and the front row.

He then naturally walked to the back of Chen Zhang and sat down in the empty seats reserved next to Zhu Yanfeng, Xia Yun, and Qin Luguang. His movements were fluid and exuded a sense of entitlement.

(End of this chapter)