But before Xu Jiujiu could leave the city wall, a Soul Tool Missile hurtled toward the tower.
The blast tore a gap in the once-solid Water City Wall.
Stone, dust, and shattered Soul Tool casings spread outward on the shock wave.
Xu Jiujiu stood at the center of the explosion.
In that instant, a streak of light shot in from the horizon and landed squarely before her.
Yan Shaozhe unfurled his Bright Phoenix Martial Soul, and a golden barrier stopped the flying stones and debris.
Only when the dust had cleared did he slowly fold his pair of wings.
He looked at Xu Jiujiu, who had been knocked to the ground by the blast, her face covered in dust, and smiled.
"Good, good. This old man is still as fast as he was back then."
Smiling, he looked toward the other side of the battlefield. With a clattering whine, Flying Soul Tools raced toward them.
Xu Jiujiu's expression turned grave. She used Soul Power to approach the wall and surveyed the scene below.
This time, the Sun Moon Empire had not sent the lightly armored cavalry and infantry that usually harassed them or struck their flanks. It had sent the Demonic Soul Engineer Legion: swift-moving troops equipped with high-level Soul Tools and capable of tremendous destruction.
"It looks like they intend to launch an all-out assault this time."
No sooner had Xu Jiujiu spoken than horns sounded along the wall.
Thousands of soldiers climbed the tower, loaded incendiary rounds and Soul Guidance ammunition, and fired at the advancing legion overhead.
At the center of the enemy's flying formation stood Mad Bull Douluo, Wang Yiheng.
He surveyed the battlefield, picked out the city gate, and gathered a faint glow around the Soul Tool Shell mounted on his right arm.
It was