High Walls, Deep Ravines

"Did I ever say it was built by hand?" Sun Fuping snorted. "Seamless and sturdy, constructed during wartime to withstand the trampling of thousands of men and siege engines—only supernatural power could achieve such a feat."

This bridge was formed by supernatural power? The group looked down at the road, feeling deeply shaken.

"There are many earth-elemental arts; this might be a variation of the Mountain-Moving Technique, and it would have required at least fifty sorcerers working in unison." Sun Fuping kicked the bridge deck, which rang out like metal striking stone. "Hmph, a heavy price to pay."

The quality was also excellent, remaining intact after a hundred years.

Situ Han asked in a low voice, "Isn't it said that supernatural powers are ineffective in wartime?"

Before anyone else could speak, He Lingchuan hissed at him, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing! Supernatural powers are only weak against armies; no one ever said they couldn't be used in war. What's wrong with paving roads and building bridges?"

He pinched his chin and mused, "Looking at it this way, this bridge in front of the south gate of Coiling Dragon City must have been destroyed and rebuilt, rebuilt and destroyed, countless times, right? The reason this one has survived to this day is probably because the coalition forces achieved final victory?"

"That should be the case." Sun Fuping agreed with his assessment. "Coiling Dragon City needed this bridge for southern connectivity during peacetime, but it would certainly be the first thing cut off when a major war broke out to block the enemy."

Nian Songyu kicked a watermelon-sized stone from the edge into the deep chasm. It took quite a while for the group to hear the echo of the heavy object hitting the bottom.

"It's deep; I'm afraid we wouldn't survive if we fell down there." He looked down at the bottom of the chasm from the bridge. "This was originally a moat, right? I see traces of excavation at the bottom; it must have been deepened."

Coiling Dragon City was already situated on a natural chasm, and they had meticulously refined the moat in front of the gate, making the water deeper and more turbulent, further increasing the difficulty for enemies trying to climb onto the Chipa Plateau.

At least, armies couldn't get up.

Over those thirty-two years, Coiling Dragon City had spared no effort in its defensive security.

A small commotion broke out behind them.

Ever since they stepped onto the bridge, the possessed puppet had been struggling more violently, trying to run backward and even snapping its jaws to bite people; one of the guards had blood streaming down his left hand.

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

The group arrived at the south gate of the Ancient Coiling Dragon City.

In truth, the outer wall of this legendary city was not as magnificent as He Lingchuan had imagined. It was only five zhang high, cylindrical in shape, and the outer wall could hardly be called smooth. It was covered in patches of different brick colors, clearly having been repaired countless times.

The wasteland was too dry for moss to grow under the walls, but like the bridge deck, it was covered in stains that a hundred years of wind and sand had failed to scour away.

Those were the marks of war.

The wall was lined with many small holes, slightly larger than a pomelo, too small for a person to crawl through. He Lingchuan knew at a glance that there were hidden chambers and passages for soldiers inside the wall; these small holes could provide ventilation, allow for observation of the enemy, and be used to project arrows and spears to stab at enemies climbing the wall.

But these were standard operations for city walls, and the outer wall of Coiling Dragon City looked gray and plain, nothing special.

However, looking further up, the group discovered its ferocious side—

The battlements were bristling with black wooden spikes of varying lengths, arranged in a jagged, interlocking pattern, pointing in every direction.

Zeng Feixiong let out a low cry: "Iron Fir, Crocodile Tooth Spikes!"

He had also participated in the defense of Blackwater City. As the vanguard of the Yuan Kingdom against the west, that frontier fortress naturally had a multitude of defensive works. However, the use of Crocodile Tooth Spikes on city gates had been extinct for nearly a hundred years, and this was his first time seeing them.

Siege warfare often required scaling ladders to send ground troops to the enemy's ramparts. But with Crocodile Tooth Spikes in the way, the top of the siege ladder could only rest on the spikes, and soldiers would have to personally climb over them to jump onto the wall.

Needless to say, these "crocodile teeth" were perfectly round, and before battle, they would be greased to ensure they were slippery; a person couldn't stand on them at all. If that wasn't enough, the defenders would throw a few torches up to roast the human flesh.

The Iron Fir used to make the long spikes was fire-resistant, but humans certainly were not.

"Armed to the teeth" seemed like an appropriate description for this city wall.

Situ Han's eyes went wide, and he muttered, "It, it really is like that!"

"Let's go in." Sun Fuping was the first to look away, leading the group through the outer wall.

The outermost Iron Fir gate had one leaf half-open and the other lying on the ground, clearly having been subjected to brutal treatment in the past. The marks of blades, axes, and fire were still evident on the door.

Seeing the Iron Fir, which was harder than steel, so scarred and battered, He Lingchuan felt he had truly seen something new.

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

Behind the outer wall, there was only two hundred zhang of open space, and then...

A second high wall!

He Chunhua couldn't help but say, "This is the first time I've seen such a high barbican."

Compared to the outer wall, the second city wall was another five zhang higher! And every defensive fortification the outer wall had, this one had another set.

He Lingchuan even saw several catapults on the city gate.

Sun Fuping shook his head. "Who said this was a barbican?"

The group walked through the second gate and stared, speechless.

They saw a third wall!

This wall was another five zhang higher than the second, reaching a height of fifteen zhang (over forty meters)!

Three gates, three walls; Coiling Dragon City was indeed armed to the teeth.

"This is the real barbican!" Situ Han gasped. "The enemy who fought their way here must have been very frustrated." After all the trouble of crossing the natural chasm and breaking through two city walls, the invaders would have torn through the prey's tough outer skin, expecting to feast on the tender meat, only to find their teeth cracking against something else—there was another layer of thick scales underneath.

Having to face a high wall again and again after fighting this far would drain the spirit of any army; it was a bitter pill to swallow for anyone.

He Lingchuan felt that the person who built this city was quite malicious.

However, he also discovered scorch marks near the air vents of the third high wall, showing that the coalition forces had indeed fought their way to this point back then.

The peril of that battle went without saying.

Crossing the three gates, the team finally entered Coiling Dragon City.

What met their eyes was a massive plaza, or perhaps a flat expanse, capable of holding at least two thousand people. Now, with a team of two hundred inside, it still felt remarkably empty.

Turning his head, He Lingchuan saw a giant relief of a long serpent embedded in the urn wall.

The sculpture resembled a snake or a python, with distinct scales, but it possessed horns on its head, whiskers beneath its jaw, and bulging eyes and a protruding snout.

He Lingchuan recognized it; this was the origin of the city's name: Coiling Dragon.

However, it was not a true dragon, but a flood dragon.

Beneath the Black Flood Dragon Totem stood a long stone offering table for residents to present their tributes. The offering pagoda and incense burner nearby were nearly ten feet tall and quite imposing, though, naturally, there was no incense smoke now.

At the end of the plaza was a large pool, though it was bone-dry today. After more than a hundred years, it remained largely intact, save for a few cracks. Situ Han tapped the edge of the pool: "What was this pool used for?"

Sun Fuping replied: "Ancient cities in the Coiling Dragon Wilderness all had a tradition of drinking water and swearing oaths before marching to war."