"Boom!" As the first wave of catapults slammed into the city walls, everyone felt a thrill of anticipation.

  Just then, a hoarse roar came from deep within the castle, and the fog suddenly grew thicker.

  "Just wait, it will be afternoon soon." Fang Xin thought to himself.

  On the castle, archers take advantage of the high tower to easily shoot arrows at a range of 250 meters, which is an effective killing area within this distance. For safe operation of siege engines, the function of catapults is not only to throw projectiles at soldiers on the city wall but also to clear the top of the castle and attack defensive structures, houses, and personnel inside. Therefore, it is obvious that a range of around 400 meters is required for practical combat effectiveness.

  As expected, although there were a few shrill whistles, the arrow rain poured in, but not a single one hit its mark. The five catapults were busy bombarding, block after block of stones whizzing and crashing down.

  The only thing is that the catapult is very difficult to manufacture, with its strings, long handles, pulleys, crossbeams, iron bolts and levers, all of which are precision instruments in this era.

  Let's just talk about two things. Firstly, the strings of a large catapult can't be made from hemp fibers, but must use thick horsehair ropes, which must be soaked in ox bone oil (a type of oil made from cow femur and tarsal bones) for several days before use. Otherwise, under the action of friction after tightening the strings, they will definitely be damaged or broken. The source of raw materials is not easy to come by, let alone reasonable design and excellent wood.

  Secondly, during the operation process, the timing of the shot must be just right. If there is any hesitation, the huge deformation on the arm can cause the arm to break, and a catapult will be destroyed.

  A heavy stone slab fell, one of which landed on the city wall. In an instant, a loud noise filled everyone's ears, and even the war horses were frightened and whinnied.

  With sharp eyes, even a splash of blood can be seen on the stone, which is a fragment of human body.

  Fang Xin remained silent and still, while the knights quickly calmed their horses. They were indeed professional warriors with military training, calmly forming a line and waiting for an opportunity.

  Twenty minutes later, the arm of a catapult broke, and the heavy stone did not launch out but fell back down. In an instant, the soldiers below had no time to dodge and were crushed. With a loud crash, they were gone. It wasn't until after a moment that blood mixed with rainwater flowed out.

  No one was deterred by this, the other catapult operators, although pale-faced, continued to launch, block after block of massive stones, landing on the city walls and even inside the castle, smashing the houses inside.

  The continuous bombardment made the militiamen on the castle increasingly fearful, and when another bloody carnage occurred, these militiamen who had just emerged from the fields finally dropped their weapons and shields, crying out in terror as they scattered and fled.

  But the peasants, who were wailing and screaming, did not have time to run far. The dark soldiers ruthlessly swung their swords, driving them away with force. Cries of grief, screams of despair, and the sound of swords piercing flesh instantly appeared on the city walls.

  With a sharp and keen eye, he saw a dark knight using a wolf-toothed club to strike the head of a peasant, blood and brain splashing instantly, sprinkling on his helmet and shield.

  "The greater good is a blood sacrifice, the altar feeds on their lives and souls!" Bishop Barniel said matter-of-factly: "If these peasants can resist, they will resist; if not, it will only add to the power of the altar."

  "Well, so they must die!" Fang Xin said with a cold smile, Yu Ruyi was shocked, and a murderous intention flashed in his heart.

  Just then, another stone slab slammed into the city wall. The already battered and tottering wall finally collapsed with a loud "boom", revealing a gap of several meters in size.

  "Charge!" Fang Xin drew his sword and let out a loud roar.

  In an instant, the knight, clad in heavy armor, led his soldiers straight to this gap, horses neighing loudly, shouting and killing shaking the sky.

  As soon as they entered the range of the arrow tower, a wave of arrows rained down from the sky. In an instant, a knight and a group of soldiers at the forefront were shot to the ground. However, the charge had already begun, leaving no room for hesitation. Everyone shouted and charged forward.

  The second wave of arrow rain.

  Third wave of arrow rain.

  Fourth Wave of Arrows Rain.

  Fang Xin's face turned ugly, facing the large-scale charge below, the dark soldiers seemed unshaken, within a short distance of 200 meters, four waves of arrow rain were launched, and these four waves caused 200 soldiers to fall, including several knights.

  However, there were not many archers among the Dark Troops after all, and this time was too short. Fang Xin thought that due to this flood, they had already rushed into the gap and collided with those militia who were driven up.

  Cries of agony, wails of despair, the moment of collision, as if even the air becomes stiflingly dull. Continuous and unrelenting bodily collisions, the sound of blades piercing flesh, with each thrust and withdrawal at such close range, fresh blood spurts out, spraying onto everyone within this area, dyeing everything a deep crimson red.

  The arrow rain is still falling, and people are shooting indiscriminately at each other through the gaps.

  At this critical moment, the knights played a crucial role. They drew their long swords and charged into the militia, possessing extraordinary physical strength, plus the help of horses, wherever the long sword went, the militia lay dead all over the field, and blood became a river.

  It only took two minutes for the militia's defense line to collapse, and they fled in all directions, screaming and ignoring the dark soldiers' pressure behind them. The knights also ignored these militiamen and charged straight at the dark soldiers.

  The three thousand strong torrent continued to surge forward, the soldiers who had emerged from the wilderness charged into the castle and began climbing up the walls and arrow towers, strangling the dark soldiers, while the dark soldiers also dropped their bows and arrows and started drawing their swords for close combat.

  As the number of dead people increased, the fog in the castle grew thicker and more intense. Ten meters away, it seemed that no one could be seen, but the battle did not weaken because of this. Everywhere, there were faintly visible human shadows, as well as intermittent mournful cries, mixed with the sounds of blades piercing flesh and shattering bones.

  But the battle will eventually come to an end, and everywhere is stained with bright red blood.

  In front of the temple (the lord's mansion), Fang Xin stopped his continued attack, narrowing his eyes to look inside, where there was a boundless and profound darkness that was still boiling.

  At this time, Cortade rushed over, riding a war horse, holding a long sword in his hand, and the battle robe and armor on his body were full of red bloodstains. This whole body was stained with fresh blood, but for some reason, it made him look even more noble.

  With a firm grip on the hilt of his sword, he revealed a thoughtful smile: "Your Highness, it's right here. I sensed it earlier and over a thousand lives have perished in this place. The altar has absorbed a massive amount of power, and inside are dark knights and mages. What follows will be a fierce battle!"

  "Really? I don't think so, there's no need for a fight below."

  Fang Xin Hao slowly raised his face, and there wasn't a single speck of blood on his clothes, but for some reason, this warm smile made even Cortade take a step back in surprise.

  "After the death of Viscount Colborne Taverner, a noble finally came to me and revealed the secret. Ah, I didn't know that there were still many oil bullets in existence. It seems that everyone has an ace up their sleeve!" Fang Xin explained with a broad smile, seeing his confusion.

  "In that case, why must we fight? Darkness not only fears light, but also fears flames. What do you think?" Fang Xin said in a gentle tone, his smile even warmer: "We should prepare a huge bonfire for these people, shouldn't we? As long as it doesn't burn down all the castles, that's fine."

  "You're right!" Cortade nodded.

  Is it a stake for burning?

  Cortade looked up to see a small catapult being dragged in, then batches of oil bombs tore through the sky.

  A great fire suddenly burst into the sky, accompanied by extremely mournful wails and curses.

  No matter how many preparations are made or how many plans are devised, sometimes all it takes is a single spark to be enough, whether in society, the country, an organization, or specific battles.