Another flurry of blurred silver spear-lights shot out like lightning!
It was Moluo Yinfeng seizing the moment when Jidu showed a flicker of distraction to press his attack once more! In the blink of an eye, he was upon Jidu’s chest!
However, Jidu’s mount, the Earth-Scorching Thunder, reacted with startling swiftness, executing a series of quick sidesteps, nimbly carrying Jidu to safety by slipping past the blows.
“Withdraw the troops.” Jidu roared!
On the battlefield, military orders were absolute. Even Jidu, a Heavenly Demon Warrior, had to obey the command of the main army’s general. Although he had no idea what could have happened to make Yinshuang order a retreat at such a critical juncture.
But one thing was certain: Yinshuang’s action must have stemmed from some profoundly important reason.
Though Jidu was reluctant, he dared not delay even a moment! He fought while retreating.
Moluo Yinfeng behind him gave chase relentlessly! If he could exploit the chaos in the Black Mist Legion’s formation to slay Jidu, that would be for the best.
But he ran straight into opposition! The Dragon-Riding Knights who sacrificed themselves to intercept and cover Jidu’s retreat.
By the time Moluo Yinfeng fought his way past the interception, Jidu had already fallen back to his main formation.
Moluo Yinfeng could only sigh in frustration!
It seemed slaying Jidu would not be a simple matter.
However, judging by the situation, something drastic must have occurred within the Black Mist Legion. As for what exactly transpired—
“Let’s hope! Cangyue Qianyu’s assassination plot succeeds!” Moluo Yinfeng stared gloomily in the direction Jidu had retreated. But would the Nine Luminaries Divine True succumb so easily to an assassin’s blade?
For some unknown reason, Moluo Yinfeng had a bizarre premonition. Although Cangyue Qianyu’s assassination plan seemed flawless, even perfectly rational.
Two Heavenly Demon Warriors against one Celestial Venerable Daoist, with the element of surprise on their side—how could they possibly fail?
Yet, recalling the Nine Luminaries Divine True’s long history of unbelievable luck, Moluo Yinfeng had no confidence whatsoever.
He felt deep down that things were not that simple!
On the other side, Jian Wu and the others managed to disengage and return to their lines under the desperate cover of a contingent of Dragon-Riding Knights!
Seeing no opportunity left, Yin Nu Qu Lei and the others could only retreat sullenly.
Perhaps neither the forces in Mancheng nor the soldiers of the Black Flag Army expected this initial clash to conclude in such a manner.
But nobody could figure out why the garrison of Mancheng would send out cavalry to confront Byron’s Dragon-Riding Knights—it was practically courting death.
In fact, of the cavalry Mancheng sent out of the city, aside from the long-range magic cavalry, nearly all the heavy cavalry were wiped out.
And even more incredibly, facing such an advantageous situation, the Black Mist Legion sounded the gongs and retreated!
Back to the main camp!
The heavy armored generals gathered in the center, each face radiating fierce killing intent!
“General Yinshuang, why did you sound the gongs for retreat?” Jidu, having returned to the rear, asked grimly.
When two armies clash, morale is paramount, especially in head-on charge battles like this. Suddenly calling a retreat mid-engagement was a grave military taboo.
The Black Mist Legion had lost many Dragon-Riding Knights covering the retreat of Jidu and the other heavy armored generals, making Jidu’s question understandable.
Meanwhile, Jian Wu and the others looked at Yinshuang with grim expressions, awaiting a reasonable explanation.
“There is trouble in the rear. I just received a telepathic message: the Marshal has been assassinated by an unidentified Heavenly Demon Warrior.” Yinshuang sounded somewhat flustered.
“What?” Jidu’s face changed drastically: “Heavenly Demon Warrior, the Marshal assassinated.”
“We’ve fallen for it.” Jian Wu stated: “It was a trap.”
Connecting this news with the unusual actions of the Mancheng defenders, everyone immediately realized the gravity of the situation. If their commander, the Nine Luminaries Divine True, were killed, it would be a fatal blow to the hastily assembled Black Flag Army!
“Go!” Chi Ming and Chi Hao immediately urged their mounts forward, flying toward the rear lines.
Jidu, Jian Wu, Cangyue Zhenxian, and the others followed closely behind.
On the other side!
“It seems Cangyue Qianyu’s assassination plot succeeded.” Yin Nu Qu Lei remarked.
“Perhaps,” Chi Yue Qin Shuang said in a deep voice.
“.........” Only Moluo Yinfeng remained grim, quietly observing the Black Flag Legion’s Byron chariots and Dragon-Riding Knights slowly withdrawing! No one could decipher what he was thinking.
“Even if the Nine Luminaries Divine True is killed by the assassin,” Gong Gong Zhenqin worried, “Wiping them out completely will not be easy.”
“In all their movements, there is only structure, not a hint of disorder,” Zhu Rong Mingyang observed. “Truly worthy of being the former strongest legion.”
“Order the forces to prepare for the Annihilation Operation.” Moluo Yinfeng commanded next.
When Jidu, Yinshuang, and the others returned to the rear lines, the scene before them was one of utter devastation!
The medical tents had been reduced to scattered fragments, with wisps of indistinct green smoke still rising intermittently.
What chilled them to the bone, however, were the dozen or so bloody, mangled heads lying on the ground, and the severed limbs scattered everywhere.
Everything testified to a fierce battle having taken place here! The air still retained a searing, turbulent heat, lending the atmosphere a tragic desolation.
“Ah!” The sight stunned everyone into silence!
“Marshal!” Jidu, nearly driven mad, lunged toward the ruins! Next to him were several pieces of human remains, their bodies unrecognizable from the blast. A few scraps of blue cloth—fragments from the blue robe worn by the unconscious Nine Luminaries Divine True!
Only one head, relatively intact, was faintly visible, half-buried beneath the wreckage.
Ahhh!
Jidu’s trembling hands gently cupped the head! The entire skull appeared to have been split clean in half, one side revealing grotesque, vivid bone and flesh, red and white intertwined.
The other side was a bloody mess, a half-face burned beyond recognition, yet the distinct, long hair, though heavily charred and matted into a blurry, dark brown mass, was still discernible as the rare black hair found on the continent!
A shockwave exploded in everyone’s minds. They could only stare blankly at the half-skull Jidu held cradled in his arms.
“Aaaah!” Jidu let out a painful, beast-like shriek. His once silver-white pupils were instantly overlaid with a strange, dim crimson.
“.........” Chi Ming and Chi Hao were equally consumed by grief.
“Why did Moluo Yinfeng attack today?” Chi Ming seemed to lose control, his icy gaze fixed intently on Cangyue Qianyu and Cangyue Zhenxian.
“Are the Chi Ming Army suspecting us?” Cangyue Qianyu looked somewhat surprised.
“.......” Chi Ming offered no words, but everyone felt the terrifying, suffocating killing intent radiating from him. His right hand instinctively moved toward Blood Drink at his waist.
Indeed, given the long-standing animosity between the Cangyue Demon Dragon nations, Cangyue Qianyu and Cangyue Zhenxian carried the greatest suspicion among those present.
However, both had participated in the previous engagement alongside everyone else, meaning that even if Chi Ming suspected their involvement, he lacked concrete evidence! Still, Jidu felt certain that even if they weren't the direct perpetrators, they were inextricably linked to this!
And many others felt the same way!
“Even if it costs us our lives,” Chi Ming declared decisively, “We will avenge the Marshal.”
Yin Tao, Yin Hu, and Yinshuang also wore expressions of deep sorrow!
“Hmph! Stop spouting slander here.” Cangyue Qianyu drew the Frost-Condensing Greatsword from his back, fixing his stare on Chi Hao, Jidu, and Chi Ming.
Although Jidu said nothing, everyone could sense the terrifying murderous aura emanating from him.
Yes, Chi Ming’s suspicion had merit, it only lacked direct proof.
Jidu desperately wanted to kill Cangyue Qianyu immediately, but years of warfare had honed his nerves to a degree unimaginable to ordinary men. Even with murderous intent raging, reason still controlled his instincts.
“.........” Cangyue Zhenxian, while silent, his dark gaze and the surging battle qi around his body made his stance clear to all.
Anyone who dared lay a hand on Cangyue Qianyu would face Cangyue Zhenxian’s most terrifying and ferocious attack!
For a moment, swords were drawn and tension mounted to an unbearable degree.
“Everyone, calm down.” Jian Wu said in a deep voice: “Let’s wait until Jian Qi awakens before deciding anything. We will soon know who the true culprit is.”
With Moluo Yinfeng poised like a hungry tiger, they absolutely could not afford internal collapse.
“Until the matter is clarified, anyone who dares to fight privately will be dealt with according to military law.” Yinshuang stared grimly at Chi Ming and Cangyue Qianyu: “Put away your weapons.”
Yin Hu and Yin Tao beside him also looked stern, instinctively resting their hands on their weapons.
In the legion, only the main central general held power second only to the Marshal.
And Yinshuang was the central general at this moment. If Chi Ming or Cangyue Qianyu engaged in any rash actions, Yinshuang had the authority to intervene. Although Yin Hu and Yin Tao owed favors to the Nine Luminaries Divine True, ultimately they were warriors of the Byron tribe, loyal only to their Great Chief!
The surrounding Byron warriors all drew their blades, but looking toward the charred remains in Jidu’s arms, everyone hesitated.
“Rumble, rumble, rumble! Kill them!”
Just as everyone stood in mutual confrontation, suddenly, sounds of earth-shattering battle cries erupted.
“Ah!” Yinshuang exclaimed: “What is happening?”
“The Mancheng garrison has opened the city gates and launched an attack.” A messenger reported in panic.
“Damn it.” Yinshuang cursed: “It was all premeditated.”
“.........” Jidu, Chi Ming, and Chi Hao remained unmoved, as if the world-shaking shouts of war had nothing to do with them.
They simply stared blankly at the half-skull in Jidu’s hands, their gazes lingering on Cangyue Qianyu and Cangyue Zhenxian.
Still displaying an attitude of refusing to let the matter rest.
“The Marshal is assassinated and dead.” Jian Wu grew very anxious: “Morale is in chaos now, and Moluo Yinfeng is taking the opportunity to attack. General Yinshuang, you must decide quickly.”
“Order the front lines to hold the chariot defense line.” Yinshuang commanded: “The rear and central armies, begin the withdrawal.”
“Yes.” The flag bearers and buglers beside him immediately waved two small flags.
The entire Black Flag Army formation began to operate!
“Generals, with the great enemy at the door, let us set aside our grievances for now.” Yinshuang urged anxiously.
“Hmph, the great enemy at the door?” Chi Ming gritted his teeth: “This general suspects that Cangyue Qianyu and Cangyue Zhenxian colluded with the enemy to assassinate the Marshal. We should arrest them now.” Deal with internal threats before external ones.
“.........” Chi Hao instinctively retreated a distance, his long Blood Drink already gathering profound magical fluctuations.
The two opened their stances, facing Jidu! Clearly, they were waiting only for Jidu’s command to begin the slaughter.
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