Chapter 431: Chapter 289 Artillery Roaring

Li Jing felt some annoyance; he should have discovered the opponent’s intentions earlier and not have lost so many treasure ships in vain.

Otherwise, today he would certainly let this group from the Demon Clan know their strength.

All immortals looked at the huge treasure ship rising into the sky, their faces showing delight.

With such divine weapons, they could definitely annihilate the Demon Clan.

"These monsters are definitely doomed this time, with the treasure ships sweeping across the sky; they won’t even have a chance to escape," someone said.

Aboard the treasure ship, countless heavenly soldiers were waving command flags, passing messages to each other.

The entire fleet was well-ordered, a clear sign of regular training.

Li Jing looked on with pride at this scene; ever since the birth of the treasure ship, the Commander-in-chief of the Three Armies of the Heavenly Court had keenly realized that it would be pivotal in future wars.

Therefore, long ago, he had ordered people to train with the treasure ships on the Celestial River, and it was only after such lengthy training that they achieved such performance.

Li Jing believed that there was no other army in the Three Realms that could match his force, so he was full of confidence.

The sound of the treasure ship taking off was enormous, capturing the Demon Clan’s attention instantly.

Countless monsters widened their eyes as they watched the colossal object slowly ascend, with solemn expressions on their faces.

To the members of the Demon Clan who lived in Luzhou in the North, the treasure ship was not unfamiliar; after all, the initial trials of the Celestial River Naval Forces’ treasure ships had taken place in this very land.

Countless monsters had lost their lives because of it, and they both feared and hated the treasure ship.

Everyone’s gaze turned towards the Shituo King, looking at this renowned Great Saint of the Demon Clan.

However, the Shituo King just laughed and said, "Brothers, don’t be frightened; this treasure ship is nothing special. Weren’t the treasure ship fleets of the Celestial River Naval Forces annihilated by us in the past?"

His firm and optimistic attitude uplifted everyone, alleviating their worries and banishing their fears.

As time ticked by, the treasure ships that had ascended to the high skies began their first round of artillery coverage.

The cannons’ muzzles lit up with brilliant light, and a torrent of fire rained down from the heavens, landing directly onto the defensive fortifications that had been constructed in advance.

The Demon Clan’s positions were instantly thrown into disarray.

Flames devoured everything, and the flung dirt covered the surroundings; the ground itself appeared plowed over.

Witnessing this terrifying power, the heavenly court’s people broke into radiant smiles.

"Truly a breath of fresh air. Being on the back foot for so many days has been killing me," one of the immortals excitedly said.

After several battles, the Heavenly Court had suffered losses and humiliations, leaving these immortals who were accustomed to a strong Heavenly Court somewhat at a loss.

Thankfully, all that was now gone with the wind. The terrifying artillery fire proclaimed the strength of the Heavenly Court to the world, erasing the shame of the past few days, and bright smiles once again emerged on their faces.

"Haha, let’s just enjoy this beautiful view!"

Amidst the laughter of the immortals, the treasure ships vented their fury, as if they intended to destroy the world.

Countless cannons poured down, their roars filling this ancient land, and the very earth trembled under the barrage of fire.

No one who witnessed this spectacle could believe that the Demon Clan could survive such firepower; the outcome of the war seemed to be declared at that moment.

Some rejoiced, while others sighed in secrecy, as if the end had already been determined, the Demon Clan had lost.

Yet beneath the terrible bombardment, below the fortifications that had been obliterated, lay dense networks of tunnels.

Unbeknownst to many, the Demon Clan had covertly dug deep tunnels, and the moment the cannons began firing, everyone took shelter underground. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Dim firelight illuminated the passageways, and every monster’s face showed both anxiety and relief.

Had it not been for these extensive tunnels, all present would likely have been reduced to ash with that round of attacks.

"My goodness, what a powerful Treasure Ship—why hadn’t we realized its might before?" a monster remarked, listening intently to the noise above ground.

Although the Celestial River Naval Forces’ Treasure Ship regularly paraded in Luzhou in the North, and many monsters present had seen the Heavenly Court’s Treasure Ship’s majestic display in the skies, they had never seen such a close coordination between cannons and Treasure Ship, unleashing their firepower so freely, and were utterly shocked by the terrifying force.

"What else did you expect back then when we were nothing but a ragtag bunch? How would the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals deem us worthy of facing such dreadful tools?" said another monster, mocking themselves.

They were all too aware of their former weakness; they overstated their might by even calling themselves a rabble. They were no match for the well-trained Heavenly soldiers of the time who didn’t need to resort to divine weapons like cannons and Treasure Ships.

But times had changed, and they had undergone a complete transformation. It was only now that they were taken seriously by the Heavenly Court and witnessed the divine weapons capable of suppressing the Three Realms.

The earth trembled, and dust shaken loose fell in abundance, causing many monsters to sneeze uncontrollably.

"This is quite something—they’re going to blast the barrels apart; with such prolonged bombardment, the cannons must be close to bursting," the Peng Demon King mused aloud as he gauged the duration of the shelling.

The booming cannon fire forced him to raise his voice.

"If I’m not mistaken, that fellow Li Jing has probably moved the destroyed cannons from the Treasure Ship onto these vessels—otherwise, there’s no way they could sustain such extensive bombardment," declared the Shituo King with certainty.

He was one of the Great Saints who had first encountered cannons and had first recognized their value, dedicating substantial effort to understanding them.

"Heh, Li Jing does have some interesting ideas. Were he not our enemy, I would’ve liked to forge a friendship with him."

"Let it explode, let them use up their best shots; once they are done, it will be our turn to strike."

As time passed, the Demon Clan’s position had been leveled by the terrible fires, and not a single living creature could be seen for miles around; even rocks had been blasted to powder.

Li Jing stood aloft, silently watching the scene before him, and after a long moment, he sighed slowly, "In future wars, it seems victory will be decided by the number of cannons on each side. In the face of such firepower, sheer numbers have lost their significance."

Under such intense and fearsome artillery fire, any number of people would be mere decoration. Even warriors like Nezha, renowned in the Three Realms, have to retreat before such power, unless they are the likes of the Venerated Way of the Three Pure Ones or Tathagata Buddha, capable of withstanding such forces.

For someone like Li Jing, who enjoyed tactical planning and excelled in military strategy, this reality was undoubtedly cruel—his significance would only diminish over time.

"Father, it’s time," Nezha’s voice interrupted Li Jing’s contemplation.

The thunderous noise of the cannons gradually ceased, and the vast clouds of dust stirred up by the explosive barrages slowly settled, revealing a horrifying expanse of land to the onlookers—land that had been scourged by artillery, a truly gruesome sight.

"It’s unlikely we’ll even find a single corpse!" someone lamented.