Outside Zhuima City, the Celestial Master Army camp stretched for more than ten miles, with high walls and obstacles already built around it.

"威!"

"威!"

"威!"

Tens of thousands of Celestial Master soldiers poured out from various camps, converging into streams of black, orderly exiting the camp gates under the command of officers at all levels.

This time, the number of troops dispatched reached forty thousand, a vast and boundless army, with drumbeat and horn sounds rising and falling.

In these past few days, the number of soldiers, deployments, and the approximate positions of the camps within the city have already been thoroughly reconnoitered by the Celestial Master Army.

The actual troops that can don armor and fight within the city, combined with the Profound Leopard Cavalry, do not exceed twenty thousand.

Because the Yu State Army overall only has slightly over forty thousand soldiers, Liang Song cannot put all his forces into Zhuima City, as losing Shiling County would render Zhuima City useless.

Therefore, there must be heavy guards in Shiling County, and even though Yang Minggui's Celestial Master Army was ambushed, it is unlikely that it caused no harm to the Yu State Army. Furthermore, with the enemy count slain by Chen Mo, the data gathered by scouts, and various analyses, the actual troops within the city do not exceed twenty thousand.

As for manual laborers, estimating five thousand, it amounts to twenty-five thousand.

Currently, he brought over sixty thousand troops, thus he can attempt to besiege the city.

(Five thousand are stationed at Celestial Water Town, and nearly ten thousand were previously lost.)

As for the strategy of surrounding by ten, attacking by five, and engaging the enemy doubly.

Hmm, Lu Yonggang has already prepared to sacrifice a thousand enemy lives at the cost of eight hundred of his own, determined to take Zhuima City.

Lu Yonggang divided the army into four formations, with Song Niu leading as the vanguard, forming the front assault formation.

The left and right formations are commanded by Huang Da and Li Da respectively, each leading ten thousand to assist the central army.

Chen Mo assists and is ready to follow Lu Yonggang's direction at any time.

Lu Yonggang personally situates himself in the central army, which gathers the most elite troops from the four corners.

Within these four formations are multiple camps, each camp divided into sections, layer upon layer, impenetrable.

Among the crowd, Chen Mo remained inconspicuous, and he ascended the chariot to personally witness the scale of the formation.

He saw the Celestial Master Army set the battle formation three miles before Zhuima City, with massive siege vehicles pushed forward. Due to the flat terrain, only by climbing upon these vehicles can one observe the entire battlefield and timely monitor the movements and deployments of the enemy.

Several command tower-like structures called lookout towers were swiftly erected, and atop them, battle drums were set, with strong soldiers wielding drumsticks and beating the drums steadily, the dense sound accompanied by the desolate horn echoes making its way to all directions.

Lu Yonggang stood atop the central army's command tower, surrounded by officers like clouds and armored warriors like forests.

Shortly after, the Celestial Master Army finished forming the array, and the massive battle array, resembling fish scales, spread across the front of Zhuima City.

At this moment, the main flag on the high platform of the Celestial Master Army's central army fluttered, subsequently followed by countless formations around responding, and the enormous black tide surged, accompanied by the thunderous sound of shouting.

"This is the Fish Scale Array." Zhi Ning remarked from within Chen Mo's Three Guards, also atop a command tower, recognizing the battle formation of the Celestial Master Army.

"Do you know how to form it?" Chen Mo, having seen brief mentions of the Fish Scale Array in books, lacked detailed explanations.

"Of course." Zhi Ning spoke with a hint of pride, then explained, "The main force of the Fish Scale Array is distributed centrally, while other parts resemble various scales, divided into numerous very small formations, arranged in step order. The front end is slightly concave, belonging to the offensive formation, allowing concentrated forces to launch fierce attacks on the enemy's center."

"Which is more formidable, the Fish Scale Array or the Yanyue Array?"

"That depends on specific applications. A powerful commander can arrange corresponding formations based on various complex scenarios, but the Yanyue Array is more practical, suitable for various asymmetrical formations. The weakness of the Fish Scale Array lies in the entire tail of the formation, but this is a siege battle, so there is no need to worry about the tail." Zhi Ning articulated with confidence.

During the conversation, the great formation had already responded to the flag, the drum sounds ceased, and within the Celestial Master Army, countless armored warriors beat drums with blades, struck the ground with spears, and shouted.

"Victory!"

"Victory!"

"Victory!"

...

On the wall of Zhuima City.

"Sir, the rebel army has finished forming their array and are estimated to begin attacking soon." Shi Meng gazed into the distance, silently clenching his fist.

"Can you spot the rebel leader who killed General Xu?" Liang Song nodded and asked a soldier formerly under Xu Jie's command nearby.

The soldier shook his head: "Reporting to Sir, the crowd is too large to see clearly."

Liang Song turned around, clapped his hands, and numerous laborers under the tower hoisted up jars of fine wine, distributing them among the soldiers.

Standing before the crowd, Liang Song raised his wine bowl high, stating: "If we win this battle, I will go before Your Majesty in Celestial River to petition for merit on behalf of everyone.

"Song army, mighty and brave!"

After saying this, he drank all the wine in his bowl and smashed the bowl violently onto the ground.

"Song army, mighty and brave!"

"Song army, mighty and brave!"

"Song army, mighty and brave!"

The entire city, above and below, was filled with the powerful sound resounding one after another.

Liang Song placed both hands on the battlement, leaned forward, and said, "Come on."

...

Woooo...

Upon each command tower, the mellow and prolonged sound of horns arose.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

Within the central army, the thick sound of war drums raged one after another across the field.

Lu Yonggang drew the sword at his waist and shouted, "Attack the city!"

"Attack the city!"

"Attack the city!"

"Attack the city!"

The voices from the Personal Guard Battalion beneath the towers echoed, with command flags waving around.

In the vanguard, Song Niu heard the order and shouted, "Brothers, charge!"

A black tide surged towards Zhuima City.

"Prepare the catapults."

"Ready."

"Release." Lu Yonggang watched as the vanguard entered within three hundred paces of Zhuima City and immediately ordered the launch.

"Swish, swish, swish..."

Over ten catapults sprang into action, hurling stones larger than human heads towards Zhuima City, providing cover for the vanguard as they approached.

"Bang, bang, bang..."

Stone bullets smashed against the city walls, creating craters. The Yu State Army soldiers hit by them died instantly on the spot.

A stone bullet slanted towards Liang Song, but when it was still half a zhang away, it was shattered into powder by a surge of golden Innate Spiritual Qi.

"Returning empty-handed is impolite."

"Release."

Liang Song waved his hand grandly.

There were also catapults inside the city.

Numerous stones were thrown from within the city, landing in the fields outside, causing a misfortune to those struck, who fell to the ground, spitting blood three feet high.

Even before getting close to Zhuima City, dozens of Celestial Master Army soldiers in the vanguard had already perished.

As the vanguard closed to within two hundred paces of Zhuima City.

"Release," Qin Lang commanded.

The Profound Leopard Cavalry pulled the triggers on the Divine Arm Crossbows, and hundreds of crossbow arrows flew from the city wall, taking nearly a hundred Celestial Master Army lives in just one volley.

By now, the vanguard of the Celestial Master Army was less than a hundred paces from Zhuima City. Some who ran fastest were already setting up bamboo bridges over the moat.

"Release," Shi Meng shouted.

Over a thousand archers hiding behind the battlements stood up, drew their bows, strung their arrows, and with a release of their fingers, the arrows shot out.

"Raise the shields." Song Niu, hiding behind a chariot, quickly waved the command flag in his hand. In response, countless officers and soldiers at the front shouted simultaneously, "Raise the shields."

Numerous vanguard soldiers raised their large shields, advancing slowly. A barrage of feathered arrows from the Yu State Army shot out, piercing through the large shields, and the armor leaves penetrated the bodies of Celestial Master Army soldiers, momentarily halting their charge.

However, for the nearly ten thousand-strong vanguard of the Celestial Master Army, it did not cause much of a ripple.

Countless soldiers crossed the bamboo ladder bridge, passed the moat, and reached beneath the city walls.

Soldiers from behind brought forward extended cloud ladders, placing them against the city walls.

"Charge, Xian Deng is now!"

Someone shouted, ascending the cloud ladder.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

From the top of the city walls, the deep sound of war drums resonated. The city's soldiers and assisting laborers threw down pre-prepared beating wood and rolling stones onto the soldiers climbing the cloud ladders.

Of course, soldiers climbing the cloud ladders were covered by the Celestial Master Army below, but the defenders were hiding behind the battlements, so the effect wasn't particularly large.

A Celestial Master Army armored warrior was about to climb the city wall when a beating wood struck his head, causing him to fall backward, head bleeding. He dragged several Celestial Master Army soldiers down with him, leading to the entire cloud ladder being pushed down by the defenders.

The vanguard led by Song Niu dwindled bit by bit.

"Do not retreat."

Beneath the city walls, Song Niu grabbed a Celestial Master Army soldier attempting to flee backward. With a swing of his hand, a knife descended, and a head flew skyward, the soldier collapsing on the spot.

Song Niu, holding a knife in one hand and a head in the other, splattered with the blood of soldiers, looked grim and terrifying, angrily shouting, "Follow me and continue forward."

"Whoosh!"

A sharp sound pierced the air as a crossbow arrow fired by a bed crossbow shot rapidly, piercing through the wooden shield in front of Song Niu, only to be stopped by the Innate Spiritual Qi surrounding Song Niu. His personal soldiers quickly raised shields to surround him for protection.

Song Niu withdrew to the rear chariot.

But not everyone was as lucky. A Celestial Master Army decurion and the two soldiers behind him were speared through by a long spear.

Xia Zhining was shocked by the scene happening in the distance; it was too tragic.

People were falling one after another.

"Much stronger than Yuan Youchun's army," Chen Mo muttered to himself as he looked towards the tower where Lu Yonggang stood.

Lu Yonggang remained unmoved, even waving the command flag in his hand.

The command flag fluttered, and the sentry flag conveyed the military order from the tower, heading towards the army where Huang Da was positioned.

Soon, Huang Da led nearly ten thousand Celestial Master Army soldiers to reinforce Song Niu, bringing siege vehicles along.

The true Commander-in-Chief commands the entire army, not charging at the forefront.

With reinforcements, more Celestial Master Army soldiers continued climbing the cloud ladders, and even some made it onto the city walls, though they were soon killed by the defending soldiers.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

The deep drumbeats echoed again in the Celestial Master Army's central forces, one after another, boosting the soldiers' morale at the front.

"Thud, thud, thud..."

The sound of arrows hitting shields was incessant. On the city walls, the Profound Leopard Cavalry used Divine Arm Crossbows to shoot at the Celestial Master Army soldiers advancing the siege vehicles.

Screams came from all directions, filled with dying wails, cries of pain from being hit, and panic-stricken shouts, permeating the entire battlefield.

"Do not retreat, charge forward for me," Huang Da shouted.

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