Prebattle Declaration

The city itself was a formation, and the formation core happened to be somewhere beyond his perception. That meant the person who had built this city back then had likely calculated as far as today.

Ghost Leopard circled the alley once, then withdrew. It was not because he feared exposing himself, but out of an old hunter's instinct.

This city was waiting for him to go in—or more accurately, it was waiting for anyone who dared sneak in before the battle to pull out its hidden sentries, then shut the door and beat the dog.

Damn it, had that bitch Bibi Dong played them?

When he returned to the cliff, his expression was somewhat dark.

"How is it?" Demon Bear did not even lift his head.

"A tough bone to gnaw." Ghost Leopard's expression also turned serious. "The city defenses inside weren't set up at the last minute. The whole city was built according to the principles of war from the very beginning. I can't find where the formation core is, but someone with cultivation above mine definitely exists."

"Maybe more than one."

Demon Bear stopped sharpening his claws. "So?"

"So tomorrow's frontal siege won't be that easy, but you still have to shout what needs shouting. Pope Palace's orders are very clear: courtesy before force. Those who surrender will not be killed. If they don't know what's good for them..." Ghost Leopard licked his lips. "Then we do it your way."

Demon Bear grinned. That face tried hard to look amiable, but with all the thick flesh on it squeezing together, it instead looked even more ferocious. "Shouting messages is what I'm best at. But say, if we hadn't joined Spirit Hall back then, would we be living in this city now?"

Ghost Leopard did not answer.

"There are