Chapter 595 — Say That Again, I Dare You
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 3 of 4
Yet the demon host never moved; they only meant to harass Shen Mu and the others, denying them rest. The next day, the demon race's follow-up troops arrived one after another in great numbers, and still more kept coming. Many demon god commanders came to the front line and looked far off toward the abyss of Wuwang City.
Their hearts were seized with terror, for there across the way a divine city of incomparable magnificence had risen abruptly from what had been the ruins of Wuwang City. That divine city stood a hundred zhang tall, its walls like mountains, spanning between heaven and earth.
Within, towers and buildings rose high; on the battlements were mounted divine cannon after divine cannon; and atop the high towers in the city there were as many as a hundred giant sun-shooting divine cannons shaped like great eyes. And on the walls stood countless god-and-demon soldiers, god-men in golden armor, awe-inspiring, patrolling the ramparts, walking to and fro.
Above the divine city, auspicious clouds curled and a thousand strands of colored mist shone—a strange phenomenon given off by the aura of gods and demons. A mood of panic and unease spread through the demon host. The demon god commanders of each army looked at one another. Where there should have been ruins, a divine city of such grandeur and spectacle had suddenly appeared, garrisoned by so many gods and demons besides.
And those divine cannons along the walls—their sheer density was terrifying, enough to blast any surging demon army to dust.
The sun-shooting cannons within the city were even more outrageous in number—a hundred of them. This was no longer warfare; they were enough to annihilate a world.
Even demon gods could not help but tremble at such a sight. They could only hold their troops in place and pray the enemy would not attack.
One demon god spread the wings at his back and said in a low voice, "I will first report this to Venerable King Vajra. Hold the line, all of you, and do not let the enemy break through our camp.
" He flew for a long while, until he met Vajra, who was leading the main army in haste, and told him of the matter.
Vajra was astonished. "Such a thing has happened?
Do not attack for now.
Send out scouts to probe the truth of it. I will bring my army and arrive by tonight at the latest.
" The demon god assented, flew back, and ordered a squad of scouts to go probe the truth. When the scouts were still thirty li from the divine city, several dozen cannons suddenly shot out rays of light and blasted the whole squad to ash. The winged demon god flew back in a panic and said to Vajra, "Venerable King, I sent scouts over, and the cannon light from the walls blasted them to death thirty li away!
The cannons on this divine city are all real! " Vajra's scalp went numb, and he blurted out, "Where could such a divine city come from? If Taihuang Heaven had a city like this, it would have wiped out our demon race long ago!
Taihuang Heaven cannot have one, and neither can Jingping!
This city cannot possibly be real! " The winged demon god bowed his head, not daring to speak.
Vajra's expression shifted dark and bright by turns.
He shouted, "Order the front line—no one is permitted to withdraw. Whoever dares retreat, I will cut off his head and offer it to the banner!
When my army arrives, we will flatten them in one push! " The winged demon god murmured his assent and flew off.
By nightfall, Vajra at last arrived with his main army.
He came to the front and looked far off at the divine city, but could not make it out clearly. His expression shifted dark and bright; he could not make up his mind. If the divine city were real, then to storm it by force would cost even the demon gods grievous casualties, and he did not dare wager the future of the demon race.
Inside the city, Shen Mu and the others packed their gear and prepared to withdraw. The divine city was false, painted by the Deaf Elder straight through the night.