"Shatter it?"
Hearing Lin Qian's words, Yue Liqun looked at him in confusion. After a moment, he cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, there's something I'm not sure if I should say."
"Speak your mind," Lin Qian replied impatiently, his eyes fixed on the royal city before them.
Yue Liqun swallowed, then spoke hesitantly, "Your Majesty, I've never seen anyone as physically strong as you—armored weapons can't even scratch you. But if you intend to shatter that city with your body, it might take some time..."
Yue Liqun's words caused Lin Qian's expression to stiffen. He turned his head and glared at Yue Liqun. "I've noticed you've become stronger lately, more handsome even—not the single-minded fool you used to be. You're quite lively now!"
"Your Majesty… surely you jest. I'm no longer a child—liveliness isn't a term that suits me," Yue Liqun replied awkwardly, scratching his head.
Lin Qian sneered, kicking Yue Liqun in the stomach. "You're aware you're not a child, yet you're still so naïve and imaginative. Do I look like an idiot who'd use my body to ram that city?"
Yue Liqun clutched his stomach, grinning sheepishly at Lin Qian. "Your Majesty, if that's the case, then how do you plan to shatter this city?"
"Every royal city is a stronghold for the Blackhorn Nation's princes, and Shen Zhixing even moved the entire Rebellion Palace here," Yue Liqun explained, his voice filled with concern. "The formations attached to this city are nothing like those on the mountain city we previously captured. The Dwarven Clan used different techniques when crafting a royal city, melting spirit minerals into the mountain and reinforcing it with formations."
"That means shattering a royal city is far more difficult. It might be better to use the same siege tactics as before—maybe that would work."
Lin Qian chuckled softly, shaking his head. He pointed behind them without saying a word.
Yue Liqun followed Lin Qian's gesture, turning to look behind them. His entire body went rigid as his eyes widened, pupils constricting in disbelief at what he saw. For a moment, he thought he might be dreaming.
In the distant sky, a massive object hovered—something that looked like a ship, yet was clearly different because it lacked a deck. It had a streamlined shape, resembling a giant fish.
But it was obvious this wasn't a fish. The colossal object suspended in the sky had a metallic sheen, like a fallen mountain of metal.
At the front of this metal behemoth was a conical drill, slowly spinning. Its speed increased, with formation patterns glowing on its surface, coating it in a layer of soul energy.
What shocked Yue Liqun even more were the numerous cannon barrels on the top and sides of the metal beast—cannons similar to the heavy soul cannons he had seen before. There were at least three hundred of them!
The black body of the beast was adorned with a golden dragon pattern, along with several large characters that read:
Huaxia Empire Class C Assault-Class Warship!
Yue Liqun was at a loss for words as he stared at the terrifying metal monster that was slowly approaching. Even though it was still dozens of miles away, his enhanced vision allowed him to see it clearly, and he could feel its immense pressure.
As he watched the rotating drill at the warship's front and its accelerating approach, Yue Liqun finally understood what Lin Qian meant when he said he would shatter the royal city.
The terrifying object rapidly closing in filled Yue Liqun with both fear and anticipation. He wondered what would happen when this metal war machine collided with the royal city.
The warship emitted a terrifying hum, like a beast roaring to announce its presence. With an overwhelmingly aggressive stance, it hurtled toward the royal city.
The gigantic assault warship flew past Lin Qian and Yue Liqun at high speed.
At that moment, Yue Liqun got a clear view of the massive object, and it left him in awe. The sight of its enormous, menacing form stirred something deep within him.
As the warship sped toward the royal city, Yue Liqun couldn't help but clench his fists and silently cheer, "Shatter it!"
Lin Qian's expression remained cold as he stared at the royal city ahead. To him, the city's fate was already sealed.
The royal city, carved from a towering mountain, was heavily fortified, with over a hundred Sky-Breaking Realm Blackhorn warriors patrolling its interior and exterior, along with teams of Life-and-Death Realm soldiers.
In the shadows, thirteen Blackhorn warriors of the Awakening Realm stood guard.
In the entire Blackhorn Nation, such defenses were as impregnable as a fortress.
"Hey, what's that?" A Blackhorn soldier in the Life-and-Death Realm, patrolling with his team, was the first to notice something amiss. He nudged his companion.
Before his companion could respond, a figure appeared before them, causing the patrol to bow respectfully. "My lord."
This figure was one of the thirteen Awakening Realm warriors on duty this month. His expression darkened as he noticed the monstrous object approaching from the distance. With a soul-charged shout, he alerted the entire city. "Enemy attack!"
The Awakening Realm warrior's warning sent shockwaves through the royal city. Many Blackhorn soldiers found it laughable—who would dare attack the prince's royal city?
But when they reached the city's edge and saw the colossal object barreling toward them, their faces turned pale.
"What kind of monstrosity is this?" Shen Zhixing, who had been preparing to hunt down Yue Liqun and capture Lin Qian, also saw the rapidly approaching behemoth.
"Damn it." Shen Zhixing cursed, his soul energy surging as he formed a massive hand, larger than the warship itself, which he sent to crush the intruder.
"Long live the prince!" Seeing their prince's soul-formed hand grasp the metal monster, the Blackhorn soldiers cheered, their voices filled with admiration.
In their eyes, the strange object was nothing more than scrap metal under the prince's might.