Ch. 461Fire the Cannon!
Chapter Summary: “Fire the Cannon!” (Second Update)
Key Plot Points and Events
- Yang Ming unveils the enormous Dora Cannon, a World War II-era German super-heavy artillery piece he has summoned into the Spirit World.
- The cannon’s immense weight damages Spirit Hall Plaza as it aims at the densest concentration of Spirit Hall forces.
- Thousands of Spirit Masters sense the cannon’s lethal threat. Low-level fighters panic and attempt to flee, but Yang Ming fires before they can escape.
- Spirit Hall’s mid- and high-level Spirit Masters intercept the first shell with a combined barrage of Soul Skills, believing they have neutralized the attack.
- Yang Ming responds by firing continuously. Unlike Spirit Masters, the cannon does not require recovery time between attacks, allowing it to overwhelm their defenses.
- Most shells are intercepted, but those that land produce devastating explosions comparable to a Spirit Emperor’s full-strength attack, with a far greater area of effect.
- Six successful impacts kill at least two hundred low-level Spirit Masters, seriously injure dozens of Spirit Kings, and wound several stronger experts.
- The bombardment disrupts Spirit Hall’s previously coordinated assault against Poison Douluo Dugu Bo, scattering their formation and weakening their forces.
- Dugu Bo takes advantage of the chaos, unleashing his Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Avatar and counterattacking with poison, crushing, biting, tail strikes, and other attacks.
- He kills more than a hundred additional Spirit Hall members, particularly Spirit Kings already wounded by the cannonfire.
- Yang Ming continues firing despite overheating and damaging the Dora Cannon, prioritizing the destruction of Spirit Hall’s forces over preserving the weapon.
Character Developments
- Yang Ming demonstrates tactical brilliance, ruthlessness, and confidence. He uses the Dora Cannon not merely as a powerful weapon but as a means of breaking Spirit Hall’s formation and creating an opening for Dugu Bo.
- Dugu Bo shifts from enduring Spirit Hall’s assault to launching a merciless counterattack. His restrained frustration gives way to explosive killing intent once Yang Ming disrupts the enemy.
- Spirit Hall’s forces reveal both their strength and vulnerability. Their high-level members can defend against individual shells, but they are unprepared for continuous artillery fire and struggle once their formation collapses.
Significant Themes
- Technology versus supernatural power: The unfamiliar Dora Cannon challenges the assumptions of Spirit Masters, who initially underestimate it after stopping the first shell.
- Continuous fire versus limited resources: Spirit Masters require Soul Power and recovery time, while the cannon can keep firing as long as it has ammunition, creating an overwhelming tactical advantage.
- Psychological warfare: The cannon’s presence generates an instinctive “death premonition,” causing fear and panic before the attack even lands.
- Teamwork and battlefield disruption: Yang Ming’s bombardment is most effective because it breaks Spirit Hall’s organization and enables Dugu Bo to exploit their confusion.
- Merciless warfare: The chapter emphasizes the devastating consequences of large-scale combat, with both sides exploiting wounded and disorganized enemies without hesitation.
Character Interactions
- Yang Ming directly opposes Spirit Hall by targeting its concentrated forces with artillery.
- Spirit Hall’s stronger Spirit Masters cooperate to intercept the shells, but their coordination breaks down under sustained bombardment.
- Yang Ming and Dugu Bo work in effective, complementary ways: Yang Ming scatters and weakens the enemy, while Dugu Bo charges into the disrupted formation and finishes off the wounded.
- The battle transforms from Spirit Hall’s organized assault on Dugu Bo into a chaotic slaughter driven by Yang Ming’s cannonfire and Dugu Bo’s counterattack.