However, the situation inside the city was far more complex than he had imagined. The helpers Shengong Bao had called upon were scattered throughout every corner of the city. Whether they were adept at sensing or experts in Array, their presence made Tu Xingsun's stealth movements filled with danger.

An inadvertent step caused Tu Xingsun to trigger a hidden Array, almost trapping him underground. Luckily, his exceptional alertness allowed him to quickly change his route and narrowly escape.

Returning to Jiang Ziya's side, Tu Xingsun's face was pale, clearly showing great exhaustion. Shaking his head, he said, "The city's Defense is extremely tight, and the helpers called upon by Shengong Bao are not to be underestimated. It is difficult to open the city gates alone."

Jiang Ziya remained silent upon hearing this. He knew that neither brute force nor infiltration in small teams could succeed, and Chaoge's defenses were much stronger than he had imagined.

On the battlefield, the clash between the two armies grew more intense, but no matter how hard the Xi Qi army tried, the walls of Chaoge stood like an insurmountable rift, unbreakable at all times.

For a time, the Xi Qi army was at a stalemate. A trace of seriousness flickered in Jiang Ziya's eyes; he knew that to conquer Chaoge, they must find an alternative path, identifying the key to victory.

At that moment, Li Jing approached with light steps, his demeanor exuding an unquestionable confidence.

He stopped in front of Jiang Ziya and spoke in a deep voice, "Prime Minister, the fortress of Chaoge is as solid as a metal soup, it cannot be taken in a day's work. Perhaps we should hold off on besieging the city and first assist the Eastern Marquis and the Southern Marquis in taking Youhun Pass and Three Mountains Pass. Once their forces are consolidated, we can surround Chaoge again. This is the most foolproof strategy."

After hearing this, a hint of contemplation flashed in Jiang Ziya's eyes.

Li Jing's proposal made sense; indeed, the defenses of Chaoge were impregnable. If they could combine the forces of the Eastern Marquis and the Southern Marquis, they might form an overwhelming pressure on Chaoge.

But he immediately frowned and said with worry, "The plan is good, but it will take too much time. If Chaoge cannot be taken swiftly, then Wen Zhong's troops at Linhuan Pass will take advantage of the situation."

Li Jing, however, was brimming with confidence. A slight smile curled at the corner of his mouth as if victory was already in sight. "Prime Minister need not worry. Though Linhuan Pass is strong, Wen Zhong's troops are few, and he does not have the strength to threaten us. Once we have united with the Eastern Marquis and the Southern Marquis, our combined forces will exceed a million strong. What is Linhuan Pass in comparison?"

Hearing these words, the hesitation in Jiang Ziya's heart began to dissipate.

He knew Li Jing never spoke lightly; since he was this confident, the plan was indeed worth trying.

"Very well, let's go as you say," Jiang Ziya finally nodded in agreement, his tone revealing a sense of determination. "Issue the order to halt the siege!"

He instructed Li Jing to lead Jinzha and Muzha to assist in Youhun Pass and sent Wei Hu, Tu Xingsun, and others to assist at Three Mountains Pass, with the aim to break through these two checkpoints as quickly as possible and consolidate the forces of all vassals.

Li Jing and the others accepted the command and left.

They were all beings with profound abilities, able to ride clouds and command the fog with ease, so reaching Youhun Pass and Three Mountains Pass wouldn't take long.

The war drums of the Xi Qi army suddenly stopped, and the tense atmosphere within Chaoge city eased a little. Di Xin stood atop the city wall, looking at the enemy camp with confusion in his heart. He could not understand why Jiang Ziya had suddenly ceased the attack. Did they have a new strategy?

He turned around and urgently summoned Shengong Bao. As the State Preceptor, Shengong Bao always had the answers he needed at critical moments.

"State Preceptor, do you know why the Xi Qi army has suddenly stopped besieging the city?" Di Xin's voice carried a hint of urgency.

Shengong Bao closed his eyes in concentration, his hands swiftly forming mysterious hand seals, muttering words under his breath. After a moment, he opened his eyes, his face showing a gravity.

"Your Majesty, Jiang Ziya's move is likely part of a larger plan. He has not truly given up on besieging the city but is preparing to first attack Youhun Pass and Three Mountains Pass to consolidate other vassals' forces before coming back to surround Chaoge," Shengong Bao's voice was low, each word hitting Di Xin's heart like a heavy hammer.

Di Xin's face turned pale instantly; he knew that if Jiang Ziya really consolidated the other vassals' forces, Chaoge would indeed be difficult to hold onto. For a moment, he felt an unprecedented sense of despair.

However, Shengong Bao remained composed, lightly shaking his head to reassure Di Xin, "Your Majesty need not worry, I have invited talented and unique individuals from Three Mountains and Five Mountains. Each of them possesses exceptional abilities that will certainly help You, Your Majesty, to hold Chaoge."

Hearing this, a flicker of hope reignited in Di Xin's heart. He eagerly asked, "Are there truly such individuals? What ingenious strategies do they possess that can help me defend the city?"

With a faint smile full of confidence, Shengong Bao replied, "Your Majesty, among these people, some are masters of Qimen Dunjia, some are adept at setting up Arrays, and others can summon winds and call for rain. They will lay down the Heaven and Earth Net both inside and outside the city, and even if Jiang Ziya has Divine Skills, he will not be able to easily breach Chaoge."

Upon hearing these words, a surge of wild joy passed through Di Xin's eyes. He knew Shengong Bao was not one to talk idly; since he spoke so confidently, these unique talents must surely be extraordinary.

"Good, the entire matter is entrusted to you, State Preceptor. Arrange for these people to swiftly showcase their abilities and protect Chaoge," Di Xin ordered, his tone filled with anticipation.

Shengong Bao took the command and left, his words serving as a soothing promise to Di Xin.

Inside Chaoge, Shengong Bao gathered all the talented and unique individuals, who convened and discussed how to set up Arrays, how to use their specialties to defend the city.

Standing on the towering city wall, Di Xin watched the bustling figures below and felt his despair slowly being replaced by hope. He believed that as long as these people could exert their strengths, Chaoge would surely withstand the siege.