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Chapter 294: Probing the Twelve Cities

"Yes, indeed. No one knows their true purpose. Back in those days, Unmatched City was just one of the many cities under the Hongtian Dynasty," Ah Da explained.

"So, the Hongtian Dynasty distributed the seventy-two Immortal Monuments across seventy-two different cities?" Zhong Shan quickly deduced.

"Exactly. For reasons unknown, each of these cities had an Immortal Monument placed at its center. It\'s quite astonishing that the monument in Unmatched City ended up being used as part of the foundation for the central hall," Ah Da said, shaking his head with a wry smile.

"There\'s no such thing as a pointless artifact. Even though we don\'t know its purpose, it\'s likely that the other Immortal Monuments have also been divided among the major dynasties of the world, correct?" Zhong Shan probed further.

"Your analysis is spot-on, as always, sir. After the fall of the Hongtian Dynasty, the seventy-two monuments were scattered. Our Great Luo Heavenly Dynasty has managed to collect fifteen of them, all of which are currently stored in the Ancient Holy Capital," Ah Da replied.

"Have any significant findings come from studying them?" Zhong Shan inquired.

"None at all. Even the emperor couldn\'t decipher their secrets. To be honest, the emperor hasn\'t put much effort into researching them. He simply handed them over to the Ministry of Works for continuous study. I happened to learn about them because I accompanied the princess there once," Ah Da revealed.

"No breakthroughs at all?" Zhong Shan asked, puzzled.

"Not a single one. The monuments are incredibly sturdy, impervious to scrutiny by divine sense, and we don\'t even know what material they are made of. This has remained one of the unsolved mysteries for the Ministry of Works. To understand their true purpose, one might need to gather all seventy-two Immortal Monuments, but that\'s practically impossible," Ah Da said with a bitter smile.

"Why is it impossible?" Zhong Shan queried.

"Because these Immortal Monuments are scattered among various powerful factions across the world. The Great Luo Heavenly Dynasty, the Great Li Heavenly Dynasty, the Taisui Heavenly Dynasty, the Pure Land of Bliss, and the Netherworld all have some. Who could possibly gather them all?" Ah Da sighed, shaking his head.

"Hm." Zhong Shan nodded thoughtfully. Even though it was just preliminary information, it piqued his interest. The Great Luo Heavenly Dynasty had fifteen Immortal Monuments? This warranted further attention.

Ten days later, within the city lord\'s mansion in Unmatched City, Zhong Shan sat at the commander\'s desk, flanked by two rows of generals.

"Liu Wushuang!" Zhong Shan called out.

"Present!" Liu Wushuang responded immediately.

"The wolf cavalry has now been assembled. The next step is training. If they continue to operate in a disorganized manner like before, their potential will be wasted. You must leverage their inherent strengths. Over the coming year, focus on training the wolf cavalry into a disciplined military force. For specific training methods, consult with the tiger cavalry commander," Zhong Shan instructed seriously.

"Yes!" Liu Wushuang replied promptly.

"Shui Wuhen!" Zhong Shan called out next.

"Present!" Shui Wuhen responded immediately.

"While I am away, guard Unmatched City with your life. The city is easy to defend and hard to attack. As long as you don\'t act recklessly, no one can take it from us. Screen everyone who enters and leaves the city thoroughly. Even if it means forming long queues, ensure that no one gets through without a proper check," Zhong Shan ordered.

"Yes!" Shui Wuhen responded dutifully.

"Also, keep your troops in constant training. If you treat peacetime as if there is an invisible enemy, then when the real enemy comes, you will be prepared," Zhong Shan added.

"Yes!" Shui Wuhen answered.

"During my absence, Shui Wuhen will be in charge of Unmatched City. Anyone who disobeys his orders will be treated as a traitor," Zhong Shan declared.

"Yes!" All the generals responded loudly.

"Zhao Chuan!" Zhong Shan called out.

"Present!" Zhao Chuan quickly stepped forward.

"Take five Nascent Soul-stage generals with you and prepare. Tomorrow morning, we will leave the city to start investigating the twelve coastal cities!" Zhong Shan ordered.

"Yes!" Zhao Chuan promptly accepted the order.

Two months later, Zhong Shan, along with Da, Nian Youyou, Zhi Huo, Zhao Chuan, and five other Nascent Soul-stage generals, headed south to scout the terrain.

The ten of them stood atop a mountain peak, with Zhong Shan at the forefront, gazing into the distance.

"I can\'t miss this time. Last time, I went out for just a few days and missed the whole show because the Xidu Emperor showed up!" Nian Youyou complained to Zhong Shan.

Zhong Shan only smiled faintly without replying, continuing to look at the distant scene.

Far away, dark clouds gathered, indicating an imminent downpour. Under the clouds lay a grand city. The city walls were black, bristling with sharp spikes, resembling a giant hedgehog. On the towers, shadows of people were bustling, and well-trained soldiers could be seen patrolling.

"What a solid fortress!" Zhong Shan remarked.

"Yes, Commander, this city is the first of the twelve coastal cities. The other eleven are just as difficult to conquer. Unless there\'s internal chaos, it will take heavy casualties to capture just one of these cities," Zhao Chuan explained.

"Internal chaos? That\'s tough!" Zhong Shan sighed as he looked at the distance.

"Indeed. The Da Yu Empire is now on high alert for war. The city gates are almost always closed, opening only at fixed times after thorough checks to let a group of people in or out," Zhao Chuan added.

"Zhao Chuan, in your opinion, how long would it take the Grand Heaven Army to capture this city?" Zhong Shan asked.

"That depends on how many troops we use!" Zhao Chuan thought for a moment before answering.

"One million?" Zhong Shan smiled.

"One million? Impossible. This city is no weaker than Wushuang City. One million soldiers wouldn\'t be enough to take it," Zhao Chuan shook his head.

"How about four million?" Zhong Shan asked again.

"Four million? If we attack forcefully, it would take at least four months, and we\'d suffer heavy casualties. It would be a bloody battle," Zhao Chuan calculated.

"Four months? Then it\'s not invincible, just difficult to conquer," Zhong Shan reassured.

"Yes!" Zhao Chuan responded immediately.

"Sir, have you come up with a plan?" Da asked from the side.

"I\'m not a deity. Conquering such a formidable city is not that easy," Zhong Shan shook his head.

"Commander, could we enlist the help of the people like we did in Wushuang City last time?" Zhao Chuan suggested.

"Last time was different. The people of Wushuang City had their belongings taken and were homeless, filled with anger. Driven by great benefits, they could reclaim their possessions and even gain more, which is why they succeeded. But even then, tens of thousands of people died. Even if we asked them to do it again, they might not dare. Here, it\'s even less likely. As for the outer sects? Forget it; they\'re just a rabble," Zhong Shan dismissed Zhao Chuan\'s idea.

"How about sneaking people in and coordinating an inside attack?" Nian Youyou proposed.

"An inside attack requires people on the inside to coordinate. Even if we manage to sneak in a few, what difference would it make? It\'d be like delivering them on a platter. Even if you, a Sovereign Realm expert, got in, it wouldn\'t help. An entire city\'s army targeting you would be overwhelming. This is a battlefield, a place of slaughter. Individual power has limited impact here unless you are strong enough to single-handedly defeat an entire city. Clearly, we\'re not at that level yet," Zhong Shan explained with a smile.

"If I sneak in, I could capture and kill the enemy commanders. Without their leaders, they\'d be like a headless snake, falling into chaos," Nian Youyou protested.

"Most of the commanders are experts; they\'re not so easy to kill. Moreover, during this period of war readiness, commanders will surely be in the safest places, surrounded by countless soldiers for protection. As long as you\'re held off for a bit, a large number of troops will arrive and completely target you. It would be very dangerous then!" Zhong Shan shook his head, rejecting the idea.

"You think you\'re so smart!" Nian Youyou said angrily, but there was a strange look in her eyes as she glanced at Zhong Shan.

"So, Commander, what should we do?" Zhao Chuan asked with a frown.

"Let\'s continue observing. In the meantime, you all should meticulously record the surrounding terrain. Also, send scouts to find out what kind of people these garrison commanders are," Zhong Shan considered and said.

"Yes!" Zhao Chuan responded immediately.

A month later, Zhong Shan and the nine others had scouted the remaining eleven cities.

It was hard! Very hard! Capturing these twelve cities proved to be an incredibly difficult task. Given their high state of alert, taking them quickly seemed almost impossible.

The twelve cities were all located along the eastern coast, with very few nearby sects. However, there were a few small villages, truly low-level settlements.

One noon, Zhong Shan and his group arrived at a small town and booked a room at an inn.

"Commander, our scouts should arrive soon," Zhao Chuan reported.

"Hmm, have the innkeeper bring us some local specialties. It\'s been a long time since we\'ve had a good meal," Zhong Shan nodded.

"You still have the appetite to enjoy food? It\'s been almost three months with no progress. Aren\'t you worried?" Nian Youyou looked at Zhong Shan, puzzled.

"What\'s there to worry about? The twelve cities are so fortified that there\'s nothing we can do for now. Just because they are secure doesn\'t mean I should change my lifestyle. I\'ll eat when I need to eat and drink when I need to drink. For a commander, maintaining a calm mindset is crucial," Zhong Shan laughed.

"So, we just wait idly?" Nian Youyou asked oddly.

The others also looked at Zhong Shan, knowing that his words determined the fate of millions.

"Rather than smashing eggs against rocks, it\'s better to wait for the right opportunity. Besides, we only have a preliminary understanding of the twelve coastal cities. We need to learn more about their history before making detailed plans. Zhao Chuan, your task is to gather all historical records about the twelve coastal cities, as well as the personal histories and conflicts of the garrison commanders," Zhong Shan instructed Zhao Chuan.

"Yes!" Zhao Chuan responded immediately.