After the Immortal Disappeared

Chapter 35: Chapter 36: High Walls, Deep Chasm

”Did I say it was built by human hands?” Sunx Fuping snorted. ”To be this solid and seamless, built during wartime, and able to withstand the trampling of thousands of men and siege vehicles... only Divine Techniques could have done it.”

’This bridge was formed by Divine Techniques?’ The group looked down at the path, utterly stunned.

”There are many Earth Element Divine Power Techniques. This is likely a variation of the Mountain-Moving Skill, and it would have required at least fifty mages casting it in unison.” Sunx Fuping kicked the bridge’s surface, which rang like metal on stone. ”Hmm, the cost must have been considerable.”

The quality was excellent, too; it had lasted a century without deteriorating.

Situ Han asked in a low voice, ”I thought you said Divine Techniques were ineffective during wartime?”

Before anyone else could speak, Hee Lingchuan shushed him. ”You only know half the story! Divine Techniques are less effective *against* armies, but no one ever said they can’t be used *in* war. What’s wrong with using them to pave roads and build bridges?”

He stroked his chin and said, ”In that case, this bridge before Panlong City’s South Gate has probably been destroyed and rebuilt countless times, hasn’t it? The reason this one is still standing is likely because the Alliance Army won the final victory, right?”

”That’s probably right.” Sunx Fuping agreed with his assessment. ”Panlong City would need this bridge for passage to the south in times of peace, but they would certainly have cut it off first thing when a great war loomed to obstruct the enemy.”

Nian Songyu kicked a watermelon-sized rock at his feet into the deep chasm. It was a long moment before the group heard the echo of something heavy hitting the bottom.

”It’s deep. We probably wouldn’t survive the fall,” he said, peering into the chasm from the edge of the bridge. ”This was originally a moat, wasn’t it? I see signs that the bottom has been chiseled. I’d wager they deepened it.”

Panlong City was already protected by a natural chasm. By meticulously deepening its moat and making the current deeper and more turbulent, they had made it even harder for enemies to force their way up to the Chipa Plateau.

At least, an army couldn’t get up.

In those thirty-two years, Panlong City had clearly spared no effort on its defenses.

A small commotion broke out behind them.

Ever since they had stepped onto the bridge, the possessed puppets had begun to struggle more violently. They kept trying to run back and even started biting people. One guard’s left hand was streaming with blood.

The consequence of this was even stronger suppression. In the end, they were practically carried across the bridge.

The group arrived before the main south gate of Panlong Ancient City.

In truth, the outer wall of this legendary city wasn’t as magnificent as Hee Lingchuan had imagined. It was only about fifty-five feet high and barrel-shaped. The outer surface was far from smooth and was covered in patches of different-colored bricks, clearly having been repaired countless times.

The Wilderness was too dry for moss to grow at the base of the wall, but like the bridge, it was covered in stains that over a hundred years of wind and sand had failed to scour away.

Those were the scars of war.

The wall was lined with many small holes, slightly larger than a grapefruit, but too small for a person to crawl through. Hee Lingchuan knew at a glance that there must be chambers and passages for hiding soldiers inside the wall. These small openings served for ventilation, observing the enemy, and shooting arrows or jabbing spears at anyone trying to scale the walls.

But these were all standard features for a city wall. Panlong City’s outer wall was a plain, drab gray, nothing special.

But as they looked higher, the group discovered its more ferocious side—

The battlements were studded with black wooden stakes of varying lengths, jutting out in a jagged, interlocking pattern and pointing in every direction.

Zeng Feixiong gasped. ”Iron fir wood... Crocodile Tooth Stakes!”

He was also involved in the defense of Black Water City. As a key border city and the Yuan Kingdom’s vanguard against the west, its walls naturally had a host of defenses. However, the tactic of using Crocodile Tooth Stakes on city gates had died out nearly a century ago, so this was the first time he had seen it.

In siege warfare, scaling ladders were often used to get ground troops onto the enemy’s walls. But with the Crocodile Tooth Stakes in the way, the tops of the ladders could only rest on the stakes themselves. Soldiers would then have to climb over the stakes to get onto the battlements.

Needless to say, these ”crocodile teeth” were perfectly round and would be greased before a battle, guaranteeing they were too slippery to stand on. And if that wasn’t enough, the defenders would just toss a few torches up to roast some human flesh.

The iron fir wood used to make the long stakes was fire-resistant, but humans were not.

Describing this wall as ”armed to the teeth” seemed quite fitting.

Situ Han’s eyes widened as he stammered, ”S-So it’s really true!”

”Let’s go in.” Sunx Fuping was the first to look away, leading the group through the outer wall.

Of the outermost iron fir wood gates, one was half-open while the other lay flat on the ground, clearly having suffered brutal treatment back in the day. The marks from blades, axes, and fire were still vivid.

Seeing iron fir wood, which was harder than steel, so battered and scarred was a real eye-opener for Hee Lingchuan.

But after passing through the gate, he still let out a shocked, ”Whoa.”

Behind the outer wall was a seven-hundred-yard-wide open space, and then...

A second, high wall!

Even Hee Chunhua couldn’t help but say, ”I’ve never seen a Weng City this tall.”

The second city wall was another fifty-five feet taller than the outer one! And it was outfitted with the same set of defenses as the outer wall.

Hee Lingchuan also spotted several catapults on the gatehouse.

Sunx Fuping shook his head. ”Who said this was the Weng City?”

The group passed through the second gate, and when they looked up, they were left speechless.

They saw a third wall!

This wall was another fifty-five feet taller than the second, bringing it to a total height of over one hundred and sixty feet!

Three gates, three walls. Panlong City was truly armed to the teeth.

”Now *this* is the Weng City!” Situ Han sucked in a cold breath. ”The enemies who made it this far must have been furious.” After going through hell to cross the chasm and breach two city walls, an invader would think they had torn through their prey’s tough hide, ready to feast on tender flesh. Who would have known that their next bite would just break their teeth on another thick layer of scales?

To fight all the way here only to face yet another high wall would drain most of anyone’s momentum. No one would feel good about that.

’The people who built this city were pretty vicious,’ Hee Lingchuan thought.

However, he also noticed scorch marks around the air holes of the third high wall, proving that the Alliance Army had indeed fought its way this far.

Needless to say, that battle must have been brutal.

After passing through the three gates, the group finally entered Panlong City proper.

What greeted them was a huge plaza—or open ground—that could hold at least two thousand people. With their group of two hundred standing in it, the space still felt vast and empty.

Turning their heads, they saw a giant relief carving of a long, serpentine creature embedded in the inner wall of the Weng City.

The sculpted creature resembled a snake or a python, with vivid scales, but it had horns on its head, whiskers under its jaw, and bulging eyes in a protruding snout.

Hee Lingchuan recognized it. This was the origin of the city’s name: Panlong.

However, this was not actually a True Dragon, but a Flood Dragon.

Below the Black Flood Dragon Totem was a long stone altar for residents to leave sacrificial offerings. The offering pagodas and Incense Burners to the side were nearly eleven feet tall and very impressive, though of course, no incense burned in them now.

At the far end of the plaza was a large pool, though it was now bone-dry, of course. After more than a hundred years, it was still mostly intact, with only a few chips and cracks. Situ Han knocked on the rim of the pool. ”What was this pool for?”

Sunx Fuping said, ”The ancient cities of the Panlong Wasteland all had a tradition of drinking water from a ceremonial pool and swearing an oath before marching to war.”