At 100 years old, he joined the army in place of his granddaughter, and became a national war god.

Before the earth-shaking battle roar had even faded, several extremely violent elephant bellows suddenly rang out on the battlefield!

Ouch!

The roars were powerful and rough, carrying the unique ferocity and savagery of wild beasts, tearing through the sky and drowning out the sounds of battle among thousands of troops.

The sound was so loud it made people's eardrums buzz and their minds tremble. A primal and terrifying sense of oppression instantly enveloped the entire Broken Cloud Pass.

Ten heavily armored Nanzhao war elephants strode forward with mountain-like strides, breaking away from the allied forces' formation like ten ancient ferocious beasts unleashed from their cages. With billowing dust and immense power, they charged straight towards the gates of Duanyun Pass!

The giant legs stomped on the ground with a deafening roar, each step causing the loess soil to crack and rocks to tumble.

The clanging of armor against armor and the sharp, gleaming sound of blades clashing mingled together, drawing ever closer to the city gate, their killing intent palpable.

Behind the war elephants, tens of thousands of Yan soldiers followed closely, their black armor like a tide, their swords and spears like a forest, like a surging black torrent, sweeping towards Duanyun Pass. The dense array of soldiers and armor covered the land outside the pass, creating an extremely terrifying sight.

On the city tower, Xiao Yunche's eyes suddenly darkened, a chilling aura surging within them.

He understood the danger before him better than anyone else. Ordinary enemy troops could be stopped by high walls and arrows when they attacked a city, but these thick-skinned, incredibly strong war elephants were not something that could be easily stopped by rolling logs and arrows.

Once the war elephants get close to the city gates and charge with their immense power, the fortified city walls that have been held for so many days will be in grave danger!

"All troops, listen to my command!"

Xiao Yunche drew his sword and shouted sharply, the blade pointing directly at the charging elephant army. His voice was sharp and resolute, piercing through the howling wind and echoing throughout the entire city wall:

"Abandon the enemy forces in front, and unleash all firepower and weaponry on the war elephants! Unleash a deluge of boulders, logs, oil, and heavy crossbows—at all costs, prevent the elephant cavalry from reaching the city gates!"

Military orders are absolute and must be obeyed instantly!

All the soldiers of the Great Qian Dynasty on the city wall instantly came to their senses, suppressed their fear, and obeyed orders with all their might.

The archers, who had been aiming at the Yan army infantry, suddenly changed direction, their cold arrows locking onto the ten charging war elephants.

The catapults on both sides of the city wall quickly adjusted their positions, and huge stones the size of millstones were lifted and firmly fixed.

After the battlements were completed, the soldiers struggled to carry the thick, heavy logs and moved all the barrels of boiling kerosene to the wall.

In an instant, a murderous aura gathered on the walls of Duanyun Pass, and all defensive forces and weapons were focused on the Nanzhao elephant army charging ahead!

"Release the arrows!"

"Throw stones! Pour oil!"

Military orders were issued one after another!

shhhhhh!

A dense barrage of heavy arrows shot out from the sky like a torrential downpour, fiercely striking the armored war elephants.

The arrows struck the war elephant's thick scales, only scattering sparks and producing dull thuds. The vast majority of arrows were deflected by the hard armor, and only a very few managed to pierce the gaps in the armor, but even those only slightly broke the skin and could not harm the war elephant at all.

Immediately afterwards, the massive boulder, weighing thousands of pounds, crashed down from the sky with tremendous force.

Bang bang bang!

The boulder crashed onto the war elephant's broad back and head, sending shards of rock flying and dust billowing up, but it only made the charging war elephant pause slightly, without even disrupting its pace.

These war elephants from southern Xinjiang are trained year-round, their hides are tough, and their bodies are as hard as refined iron. Ordinary heavy stones hitting them are like tickling an itch.

Boiling oil poured down the city wall, scattering into a rain of fire in the air. It landed on the war elephants' armor, sizzling and sending up plumes of white smoke, but it could not burn their thick armor or stop their charge.

The soldiers of the Great Qian Dynasty exerted all their strength and unleashed all their defensive measures, creating a magnificent scene filled with murderous intent, but the effect was minimal.

As the soldiers on the city wall watched the fearless warriors charging forward, a sense of despair quietly crept into their hearts.

Standing on horseback amidst the Yan army formation outside the pass, Murong Di took in the entire scene on the city wall. Watching the Daqian defenders relentlessly block the elephant army and completely expose the strength and formation of the troops on the city wall, a cold and piercing sneer curled at the corner of his mouth.

Xiao Yunche!

You finally panicked, and using all your forces to defend this one place is your biggest weakness!

"Xiao Yunche, you dared to try and stop the Elephant Army! Today, I will make you lose your balance and make you and the Great Qian garrison pay a heavy price!"

Murong Di's eyes were sharp as knives. He raised his cold iron spear high and roared, "Archers and crossbowmen, form ranks! Fire a volley of arrows over the city walls! Slaughter the Great Qian defenders!"

hum!

Tens of thousands of archers from the Yan army simultaneously raised their arms and drew their bows, the black bowstrings stretched taut to their fullest extent, and the gleaming arrowheads were all aimed at the towering Duanyun Pass city tower.

The next moment, with a command given!

"put!"

A sudden rain of arrows shot into the air!

Countless arrows blotted out the sky, a dark mass covering the heavens, whistling and piercing the wind as they rained down upon the city walls!

This was a long-awaited, devastating rain of arrows covering the entire area, as vast as the sea, covering every crenellation of the city wall without any blind spots.

At this moment, all the attention and energy of the Daqian soldiers were focused on blocking the elephant army. Everyone leaned forward and threw rolling logs and boulders and poured oil, having no time to care about the deadly rain of arrows coming from above.

In a split second, a piercing scream suddenly echoed across the city wall!

Pfft, pfft!

The sounds of countless sharp blades piercing flesh were continuous, piercing and tragic.

Caught off guard, the defending soldiers fell to the ground, some riddled with arrows and covered in blood, while others were pierced through the chest and died instantly.

In a short time, corpses littered the city walls, and blood flowed freely, staining the gray bricks red.

The devastating casualties erupted instantly, throwing the defending troops, who had been doing their utmost to hold off the elephant army, into chaos. Everyone had to hastily retreat into the crenellations, raising their shields to block the rain of arrows, no longer daring to show their faces.

To stop the elephant army, one must face a hail of arrows and slaughter.

To avoid the rain of arrows, they had no choice but to let the elephants charge.

A dilemma, a dead end no matter which way you turn!

A sense of despair completely enveloped the hearts of every soldier of the Great Qian Dynasty.

"Assault teams, charge! Seize the momentum, scale the walls, and storm the city gates!"

Murong Di seized the opportunity and, without giving the city walls any chance to catch their breath, once again issued a fierce order!

The Yan army's attacking echelons, which had been poised for action, instantly sprang into action!

Thousands of elite siege soldiers, armed with ladders, shields, and scaling weapons, surged forward like a relentless tide towards the walls of Duanyun Pass. Their numbers were so vast, layer upon layer, wave after wave, stretching as far as the eye could see.

At this moment, the Daqian garrison was completely on the defensive.

With their forces and minds completely tied up by the terrifying elephant army, and the barrage of arrows pressing down on them so that they dared not raise their heads, they had no spare troops or energy to stop the enemy from scaling the city.

The few soldiers who dared to risk their lives to peek out and fight back were instantly killed by a single arrow from a skilled archer of the Yan army hidden in the shadows.

Under layers of constraints, the defending army was completely hampered, the rhythm of attack and defense was completely disrupted, and they were completely put on the defensive.

With no one to stop or suppress them, the Yan army's assault echelon advanced all the way, getting closer and closer to the city wall.

What is most despairing is still the approaching savage behemoth.

Despite being hit by arrows and stones and drenched in oil, the ten war elephants remained fearless and undeterred. Their steady and domineering steps never faltered. Despite the overwhelming onslaught, they broke through all obstacles and pressed down on the city gate step by step.

The heavy footsteps grew closer, and a suffocating sense of oppression enveloped the entire city gate.

The more than one hundred elite Daqian soldiers guarding the inner side of the city gate clearly heard the terrifying elephant roar coming from outside the gate, as well as the heavy footsteps that were getting closer and closer, making the earth tremble.

Everyone's face turned pale, their minds trembling violently, as the extreme crisis instantly seized their senses!

"Oh no! The war elephants are at the city walls!"

"Quick! Everyone, hold the city gate with all your might! Quick! Reinforce it with giant pillars! Hold it at all costs!"

The gatekeeper roared furiously, his voice filled with barely concealed panic.

Without the slightest hesitation, the hundred soldiers gritted their teeth and exerted all their strength to carry the thick, sturdy, and heavy solid wooden pillars, which were densely packed behind the iron city gate.

The crowd braced themselves, their bodies tense, and used their shoulders and hands to push against the giant pillar, pouring all their strength into it.

Everyone had a ferocious expression, clenched teeth, and their arms, with bulging veins, were pressed tightly against the wooden pillars, using all their strength to stabilize the city gate, not daring to relax for a moment.

Outside the door, smoke and dust billowed, and shadows loomed.

The largest and most imposing war elephant, clad in heavy armor, stood before the main gate of Duanyun Pass.

On the elephant's back, Meng Shan stood tall, sword in hand, his cold gaze sweeping over the heavy city gate before him, a chilling smile of certain victory playing on his lips.

A mere man-made fortress attempting to stop the war elephants of the Southern Frontier is nothing short of a mantis trying to stop a chariot; it is simply overestimating one's own strength!

He raised his hand and commanded in a deep voice, "Charge!"

hum!

Upon receiving the command, the king war elephant let out a deep roar, its thick legs slamming into the ground, its massive body charging fiercely towards the iron city gate with immense force!

Boom!

A deafening roar, like the collapse of the heavens and the splitting of the earth, suddenly exploded!

The entire Duanyun Pass trembled violently, bricks and stones of the city wall fell off in a flurry, and dust flew everywhere!

The massive, double-reinforced iron gate, incredibly heavy, shook violently and caved inward under this terrifying impact!

Inside the city gate, dozens of soldiers who were holding onto the giant pillar were instantly thrown into the air by this unparalleled force!

Screams rose and fell, soldiers who fell to the ground coughed up blood, their bones were broken, and they were seriously injured and unable to get up.

Despite the surging blood, excruciating ear pain, and internal organ tremors of the remaining defenders, none of them retreated.

The soldiers behind immediately stepped forward to fill the gaps, desperately holding back the swaying giant pillar, their roars echoing: "Hold on! Hold on tight! We can't let the city gate break down!"

On the city wall, a garrison captain rushed to Xiao Yunche's side, his face pale and his breathing frantic. He knelt on one knee and urgently reported:

"Your Highness! Something terrible has happened! The war elephants continue to ram the city gates, causing heavy casualties among our men. The main pillars are already deformed, and we can't hold on much longer! Enemy troops are relentlessly closing in from outside the city. If we continue to defend, we will all perish here!"

Xiao Yunche stared down at the ground, a deep, cold mist settling in his eyes.

He could clearly see the city gates shaking violently, the defenders falling one after another, and the enemy's overwhelming force pressing in step by step. He also knew that the situation before him was beyond saving.

War elephants are unparalleled in strength and can shake a city. The Yan army suppressed them with arrows and attacked the city relentlessly. The defending army was attacked from both sides, suffered heavy casualties, and the morale of the army was wavering.

It was only a matter of time before the Duanyun Pass gate, which had stood firm for many days and seemed impregnable, was breached.

Holding the city gates to the death would only increase casualties and ultimately lead to the annihilation of the entire army, which would be utterly meaningless.

In a flash, Xiao Yunche rapidly calculated the battle situation in his mind and made a bold and decisive decision.

Abandon the gate to lure the enemy!

Since the city gates were bound to fall and there was nothing that could stop them, they decided to open a breach and let the Yan army into the city.

The narrow passages, high walls on both sides, and treacherous terrain of Duanyun Pass make it an excellent ambush site.

He planned to take advantage of the terrain to temporarily avoid the enemy's sharp edge, abandon the frontal defense, and have the entire army retreat to the high walls and bunkers on both sides of the passage. When the Yan army's vanguard entered the pass in large numbers, their formation became crowded and they could not support each other, he would launch a surprise attack from the high ground and ambush them fiercely!

Even if we can't stop the hundreds of thousands of allied troops, we must take advantage of this ambush to severely damage the Yan army, kill thousands of enemy soldiers, and exhaust their morale, so as to buy time for us to hold the streets and alleys inside the pass and delay the war!

Even if the situation is hopeless, we will never let Murong Di take Duanyun Pass so easily!

"Pass on the order!"

Xiao Yunche's eyes suddenly sharpened, his voice calm and decisive, each word ringing out: "The city gate garrison is to abandon its post immediately and retreat completely! Quickly retreat to the high walls, secret passages, and bunkers on both sides of the pass, and all personnel must remain hidden and await orders!"

"Wait until the enemy's main force enters the city and their formation becomes congested, then launch a full-scale surprise attack, taking advantage of the high ground to slaughter them with all our might!"

The military order was quickly relayed.

Despite their resentment, the more than one hundred soldiers who were desperately defending the inner side of the city gate obeyed their orders. They gritted their teeth, removed the massive pillar supporting the gate, and quickly and orderly retreated from the city gate area, scattering into the defensive fortifications on both sides of the pass.

Just as the defending troops were retreating completely!

Outside the pass, Mengshan had already given the order, and three giant war elephants, fully armored, stepped forward simultaneously, standing in front of the city gate, their three legs poised, ready to pounce!

"Three elephants collide! The city is breached!"

Mengshan shouted loudly!

Ouch!

The three war elephants roared wildly at the same time, their massive bodies gathering strength, their giant legs slamming into the iron gate of Duanyun Pass with a terrifying, destructive force!

Boom!!!

A deafening roar that shook the heavens and the earth suddenly erupted!

The entire city gate, which was incredibly thick, indestructible, and had stood firm for dozens of days without wavering, was instantly overwhelmed by the combined force of the three war elephants!

A piercing sound of metal breaking and bricks collapsing suddenly rang out!

The massive iron city gate shattered, caved in, and collapsed with a deafening roar!

Earth, stones, and iron filings flew wildly everywhere, and billowing dust rose into the air, obscuring the entire city gate area!

Rumble!

The heavy city gate completely collapsed and crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of rubble and dust!

The seemingly impregnable main gate of Duanyun Pass has been completely breached!

The gap in the city gate, suddenly wide open, exposed the world to the sky and the open passageway inside the pass!

"The city gates have been breached!!"

After a brief silence, a wild roar of joy suddenly erupted from the Yan army's ranks!

"The gates of Duanyun Pass have fallen! We've breached the city!"

An endless cheer instantly swept through the entire allied forces!

Tian Cheng stood on horseback at the front of the battle line, witnessing the collapse of the city gate with his own eyes. His face instantly lit up with extreme joy, his blood boiling. He turned to Murong Di and shouted loudly, "General! The city gate has been breached! The defenses of Duan Yun Pass have been breached! Our victory is assured!"

All the Yan soldiers were extremely excited, their eyes were filled with fervor and their fighting spirit was soaring. The frustration of the repeated setbacks in their strong attacks was swept away, replaced by the extreme excitement of the imminent fall of the city.

Murong Di immediately spurred his horse forward, gazing at the collapsed city gate and the gaping breach. His eyes blazed with murderous intent and high spirits. He raised his spear high, raised his arm, and roared, his voice echoing throughout the vast army:

"Brothers! The city gates have fallen! The natural defenses have been breached!"

"Charge into the city! Slaughter all the Great Qian garrison! Flatten Duan Yun Pass!"

"Today's battle has completely decided the outcome!"

"All troops, charge!!"

Orders must be obeyed without question!

The vanguard soldiers of the Yan army, who had been poised for battle, were like wolves and tigers breaking free from their cages. Wielding sharp weapons, they roared and charged into the open city gate!

A massive, dark tide of soldiers surged madly into Duanyun Pass through the broken city gates!