The Roasted Meat Strategy + The Ultimate Brawler's Art, with overwhelming effect.

The generals on the city walls continued eating and drinking on the surface, but their hearts were in their throats, sweating bullets for Li Mo.

Not only had Young Hero Li verbally roasted the enemy commander, but he had also turned his back to the opposing army.

The enemy forces had arrived with overwhelming momentum, fully intending to crush Qingmu City like a storm.

Yet now, they had been utterly halted in their tracks!

One man had stopped an army of over a hundred thousand and thousands of calamity beasts!

Was this the sheer prestige of the Best Leading Actor?

"How are the defensive preparations coming along?"

"At least another half hour is needed."

"But the flying calamity beasts are unpredictable. Even if we intercept them with all our might, the situation in the city might still be exposed."

The generals looked up.

In the distance, hundreds of birds of all kinds were soaring straight toward Qingmu City.

These airborne targets weren’t particularly powerful, but they flew high and fast—even Inner Realm experts might not be able to intercept them all.

"Archers, ready your bows! Stop as many as you can!"

Li Mo stood with his back to the enemy.

Watching the soldiers raise their powerful bows and notch their arrows, he silently clenched his fists.

Right now, he couldn’t move. He couldn’t act.

He was the protagonist of this "Roasted Meat" strategy. Until the ruse was exposed, he had to play his part flawlessly.

At least Zhuge Liang had the decency to sit and play the guqin.

Now, he could only hope the soldiers' archery skills were sharp.

Well, accuracy didn’t matter much anyway—this was a blanket bombardment, with volleys of arrows raining down in waves.

Scout calamity beasts occasionally plummeted from the sky, but many still slipped through.

"Trouble! Among those scouts is a peak seventh-tier flying calamity beast!"

It was a member of the Great Wind Clan.

With a gust of wind, it deflected the arrows aimed at it, and dozens of flying calamity beasts behind it rode the wind, breaking through the defenses and charging toward the city.

"Looks like we’ll have to lower the gates..."

Just as Li Mo was thinking this—

Suddenly, a radiant beam of light shot up from the city, piercing the heavens.

The sword-light resembled a celestial river, carrying hundreds of sword auras imbued with bone-chilling lunar energy.

A graceful figure, swift as a fleeting shadow, rode her sword through the void, cutting across the sky.

Crack—

Including that peak seventh-tier calamity beast, dozens of flying creatures were instantly frozen into ice sculptures before shattering into glittering fragments under the explosive sword energy.

Li Mo recognized this move.

The city walls fell silent.

Ice crystals drifted down like the first snow of winter as she landed gracefully on the battlements, her black hair fluttering and her immortal robes billowing like a goddess descended from the heavens.

"It’s the Frost Fairy!"

"She’s come to aid us! Victory is assured!"

"Did anyone see that sword strike? It was faster than a blink!"

"This is the youngest top-ten talent on the Hidden Dragon Ranking across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths!"

The soldiers' morale soared.

They hadn’t forgotten how this woman, upon first encountering military formations, had commanded armies with the skill of a seasoned general.

Even Young Li had to admit—Ice Block’s swordplay was downright cool.

His heart raced just watching it.

Mostly because she was currently in her "Frost Swan" form. Her silver-white immortal robes, the short skirt accentuating her long legs, gave her an ethereal, icy beauty beyond words.

She was only half a head shorter than Li Mo, who stood over six feet tall, but her sheer presence made her seem even taller.

Yet for all her frostiness—

The look she gave him held a trace of warmth.

"What are you doing here?" Li Mo, the tactical genius, finally snapped out of his daze.

"Why are you standing here?"

Ying Bing slowly sheathed her sword, her cool gaze lowering slightly.

"Is it for the fallen? For the people in the city? For peace and happiness?"

"All of the above."

"Then... is it also for me?"

Li Mo: "!"

The tactical genius stiffened.

Ice Block, what are you doing?!

Do you have any idea how hard I’ve been working to maintain this calm, confident act? My heart just skipped a beat—I almost lost my composure!

"Don’t forget what I told you that day," Ying Bing said seriously.

Li Mo remembered.

That day, Ice Block had looked at him just as earnestly.

She had said that from then on, they would share fortune and misfortune, life and death.

"Mm!"

"Hungry?"

"Whew, now that you mention it, I’ve only had two skewers of lamb since yesterday."

Somehow, Young Li wasn’t nervous anymore—even with an army of a hundred thousand at his back.

Because Ice Block had brought him a skewer of roasted meat, holding it up to his lips.

"Eat."

"Who roasted this? It’s a bit charred..."

"Me."

"Ah, no wonder it’s so perfectly crispy on the outside and tender inside. Absolutely authentic."

Strangely enough—

Young Li had been a little tense earlier, but with Ice Block by his side, all the pressure melted away. He didn’t even need to pretend to be relaxed anymore.

More importantly—

Ice Block’s aura was so regal and imposing, it practically towered at twelve feet tall.

Standing there, she made every enemy think twice.

The Roasted Meat Strategy, already amplified by the Ultimate Brawler’s Art, had just received an epic upgrade!

Seizing the moment—

"Brother Donglai, don’t leave yet," Li Mo transmitted silently.

Huang Donglai paused mid-step.

He knew it—the next phase of the plan, following the empty-city ruse, was about to begin.

On the city walls—

The Best Leading Actor had just been joined by his Best Leading Lady!

"......"

The soldiers suddenly felt full. The roasted meat didn’t seem so appetizing anymore.

If not for military discipline—

They would’ve left already. Sitting here felt inexplicably awkward.

"?"

Below the walls—

The enemy forces, composed of calamity beasts and various tribes, stood in uneasy silence.

Seriously?

Here we are, shivering in the cold, already miserable enough.

And you’re up there, eating delicious roasted meat right in front of us like it’s nothing.

As if that weren’t bad enough, you’re now force-feeding us dog food?

How heartwarming.

"It’s her!"

Han Zhen’s eyes lit up.

This girl possessed the Jade Phoenix Spirit, Blood Phoenix Essence, and Radiant Phoenix Qi!

She had already obtained three of the ancestral spirits! And according to legends, she was a Ten Extremities Physique—a natural-born Phoenix Body!

"Could she be... the Frost Fairy, Ying Bing?" Helian Wu gulped, awestruck.

"What a shame, what a shame. If only she’d join our sect, I’d gladly share equal status with her."

Han Zhen sighed, narrowing his eyes.

"Master Han, the flying scouts were all slain by her. Are we just going to stand here?"

The Beast Hall leader frowned.

Though they knew Qingmu’s supplies might be limited, they couldn’t afford to wait forever.

If the Southern Suppressing King arrived, all would be lost.

"I’ll use a secret art to scout the city. It’ll take some time."

Resolved, Han Zhen bit his tongue, and a phantom of a bronze divine tree emerged behind him.

Among its branches, a dimly glowing divine bird suddenly brightened as his blood splashed upon it.

The bloodlust and killing intent of the army weakened spiritual arts.

Using this technique came at a heavy cost.

Meanwhile, atop the gates—

Ying Bing murmured, "Han Zhen is using blood witchcraft."

Li Mo nodded, understanding her meaning.

"It seems this barbecue ruse won’t hold much longer."

As he spoke, his gaze shifted to the soldiers who had long since left the barbecue stall, now standing in battle formation, and the wisps of smoke from the cooking fires being relentlessly swept southward by the northern wind.

"We’ve already done everything we could..."

"Li Mo."

Ying Bing’s slender fingers tightened around Tianfrost. Though battle was imminent, the faintest hint of a smirk tugged at her crimson lips.

"That day, you gave me a piece of candy. Truth is, I also have something I want to give you."

"What is it?"

"Too many people here. After the battle, I’ll tell you."

Ying Bing opened the big-headed doll and placed the candy from her pocket inside.

"??!"

Li Mo realized that this ice block—no, this mischievous ice block—was teasing him.

And it seemed this ice block had no idea about something called a "flag"...

Not long after.

With less than a quarter-hour left before the appointed time, Han Zhen below suddenly opened his eyes, his face pale but his voice sharp with urgency:

"That brat’s been bluffing us!"

"All troops—attack the city!"