Hearing that resounding, commanding laugh echoing across heaven and earth, a cold gleam passed through Cailein's narrow, elongated eyes. With a gentle step forward, she gazed at the figures in the distant sky, her calm voice remaining undisturbed—no trace of wavering, despite the current circumstances. Having ruled the Flame Alliance for years, as the sovereign queen of the Serpent People, she had never been intimidated by such a disadvantageous situation. "The Flame Alliance has warriors who die on the battlefield, no deserters who surrender... " The middle-aged man with golden hair stood proudly against the sky, his golden greatsword reflecting a sharp, cold luminescence. As he listened to Cai Lin's words, he did not grow irritated—he laughed again, louder, his eyes blazing with even fiercer passion. Such a passionate woman was precisely what he admired. Who on the western continent did not know Cai Lin's reputation for her cool, resolute demeanor? If this great campaign could capture her and secure her as his own, even the most extensive efforts would be considered worthwhile. There exists a type of woman whose mere expression—every frown or smile—can ignite war. Clearly, Cai Lin belongs to that very category. "Medusa, you must understand that the Flame Alliance is merely putting up a stubborn resistance—your strength is simply no match for ours. As long as the Flame Alliance pledges allegiance to my Lionming Sect and surrenders all members of the Xiao family, I, as the Master of the Lionming Sect, solemnly guarantee that not a single member of the Flame Alliance will be harmed!" The blond man smiled calmly. "Raise the array!" While listening to his laughter, Color-Lion only glanced at him briefly, then issued a cold, clear command. "Yes!" Upon hearing Color-Lion's command, a series of deep, resonant responses echoed throughout the area. The sky beyond the fortress trembled slightly, and gradually, a vast energy dome—enveloping the entire fortress—emerged, finally standing firmly between the two armies. "Arrows and crossbowmen, prepare!" "Caishen growled again, and immediately a series of archer and crossbow vehicles groaned under the strain. Each vehicle, measuring seven to eight zhang in size, was swiftly drawn open by the combined strength of several warriors. The sharp crossbow bolts, nearly two zhang long, gleamed with a cold, sharp luster. These bolts were specially forged from unique materials used by the Yan Alliance, and required the coordinated effort of several warriors at the Du Ling level to launch. Their power was such that even a Du Huang-level warrior, if not careful, would be pierced through the body, pinned firmly to the ground. Hearing this voice, the middle-aged man named Li Tian also slightly frowned, turning his head to glance back. There, an elderly figure in black robes stood suspended in the air, with countless soul-bodied forms swirling around him, emitting piercing, mournful cries that sent chills down the spine. The stern expression on his face carried a familiar touch; upon closer inspection, it was indeed the Nine Heavens Sovereign of the Soul Palace—the very one who had once led the Soul Palace's elite forces in their assault on Xing Yun Pavilion. "Nine Heavens Sovereign, you're overthinking it. The current state of the Yan Alliance is like a fish trapped in a pot. Their meager strength means little to us now. How could we let the Xiao family escape?" Li Tian smiled. "Something has gone wrong—consequences, you understand..." The Nine Heavens Sovereign glanced at him, slightly impatient. These barbarian land dwellers, with only six-star Battle Sovereigns, were so arrogant. They didn't realize that such strength was merely ordinary when compared to the central plains. Lion Tian laughed, clearly sensing the Nine Heavens Sovereign's growing impatience. With no further words, he raised his head and gazed at the thick defensive shield spreading across the fortress. After a moment, he suddenly lifted his hand and roared, his voice echoing powerfully. "Medusa, your final chance has already been lost... All units, prepare for assault!" "Charge!" As the wave of soldiers surged forward like a tide, a continuous burst of rushing winds erupted across the fortress, followed instantly by a massive barrage of giant crossbow arrows that surged out like a dense cloud, sweeping across the Li Ming Sect's army and raining down in overwhelming numbers. Instantly, cries of agony rose sharply. On the city walls, Cai Lin gazed at the army pinned to the ground by countless towering arrows, her eyes remaining utterly still. She slowly lifted her gaze toward the sky, where nearly a hundred figures stood suspended in midair. Behind them, dense formations of Battle Kings and Battle Emperors vibrated with swirling qi wings, their presence the most formidable and feared. "Now! Break through the energy shield!" Li Tian glanced at the advancing army below, which had been halted and could barely reach the ten-zhang radius of the fortress. His face showed no sign of strain—those troops, most of whom had never even reached the rank of Duel King, were merely expendable. The true forces capable of shaking the Flame Alliance were the elite warriors soaring above. As Li Tian raised his hand, the sky-born champions gradually formed a semicircle and swiftly closed in on the fortress. At a single commanding roar, waves of powerful ki streams surged across the heavens, converging and crashing against the energy shield in a sweeping, overwhelming assault. Faced with the tidal wave of attacks from the Shiyin Sect, Cai Lin issued a series of well-ordered commands—something she had grown exceptionally familiar with over the years. "Whoosh! Whoosh!" As soon as she finished speaking, the specially crafted giant crossbows suddenly shifted, and a dense cloud of arrows surged across the sky, rushing toward the powerful cultivators stationed in the Shiyin Sect's heavens, their wind-whistling flight cutting through the air with force. "Ah!" Under this near-all-encompassing assault, even though the defenders were skilled, several of them were struck through the body by the massive crossbow bolts, their forms collapsing like wind-blown kites and plummeting steadily to the ground. The fierce combat, however, stirred intense passion among both sides, with powerful streams of cultivation energy whirling across the sky, colliding in a relentless exchange of thunderous blows. "Boom! Boom!" "Constant attacks poured down upon the energy shield, intensifying the ripples on its surface. However, thanks to the shield's defense, the losses sustained by the senior cultivators of Shiyin Sect were clearly far greater than those of Yan Alliance... 'We're running low now...' Skyward, Shitian observed the steadily fluctuating energy shield, offering a quiet smile. The reason Shiyin Sect had managed to sweep nearly half of the northwest continent wasn't due to its numerous Dou Wang and Dou Huang cultivators, but rather to its Dou Gong and even Dou Zun masters!" At the moment the gesture of Shītiān was executed, the black mist behind slowly tore open, revealing nearly a hundred figures who stepped forth steadily. Before these hundred figures, the presence of nearly twenty to thirty individuals radiated an immense and terrifying aura—so powerful that their mere appearance caused the very heavens and earth to tremble. As these figures emerged, the people on the city walls, including Cai Lin and the others, could no longer remain composed. These were truly the ones who would determine the outcome of the battle! The colossal beast took shape, exhaling two plumes of white mist stretching dozens of li in length. Then, it stepped directly through the void, charging straight toward the energy shield encircling the fortress, despite the fierce blows the beast endured from the fortress's defenses—none of which could halt its advance. "Ladies and gentlemen, though the Western Continent is vast, we have no choice but to advance—beyond lies our empire and our homeland. If you still possess courage, raise your weapons and fight until the very last breath!" "Roar!" "Fight until the end!" The cold voice instantly ignited passion in every soldier of the Flame Alliance. A tremor of excitement surged from deep within their hearts, spreading outward until it erupted into a thunderous, resonant roar echoing across the heavens!