"General, the greater picture must be considered." Jian Wu watched Ji Du's worried expression. "The Black Flag Legion was personally established by the Marshal.
Are you truly prepared to watch the Black Flag forces be annihilated?" "......." Ji Du's face was contorted in a savage mask. He stared fixedly at Cangyue Zhenxian and Cangyue Qianyu.
It was clear he had no intention of letting this matter rest. "Whoever dares to strike first," Yin Shuang declared with iron resolve, "will be slain without mercy." "Ah." Ji Du, Chi Ming, and Chi Hao could scarcely believe what they had heard.
"Yes." Yin Hu and Yin Tao drew their swords, moving to shield Cangyue Qianyu. Jian Wu also drew his sword, standing guard beside Cangyue Zhenxian, watching Ji Du tensely.
The situation was obvious: Ji Du, Chi Ming, and Chi Hao would not easily forgive Cangyue Qianyu and Cangyue Zhenxian. As for Cangyue Zhenxian and Cangyue Qianyu, their faces burned with righteous indignation, their eyes fixed on Ji Du, Chi Ming, and Chi Hao.
"Are you determined to shield these two?" Ji Du questioned in a deep voice. "I don't want everyone to die here," Jian Wu sighed helplessly.
"General, the overall situation takes precedence!" "......." Ji Du clenched his teeth until they ached. After a long moment, he relented with bitter unwillingness, "This will not end here." The Frost-Condensing Greatsword he had held aloft slowly dipped downward, yet the terrifying killing intent gradually receded.
Chi Ming and Chi Hao exchanged a brief look of surprise, but they quickly understood Ji Du's motive. Resignedly, they also stood down, though their gazes toward Cangyue Qianyu and Cangyue Zhenxian remained thick with malice.
Cangyue Qianyu and Cangyue Zhenxian appeared to let out a collective breath of relief! But just then!
Swish! Thwack!
Two streaks of dazzling light flashed forth! "Agh..." Cangyue Zhenxian let out a choked gasp, unable to believe his own eyes!
With immense difficulty, he twisted his head to look beside him! There, Jian Wu's Frost-Condensing Greatsword was buried deep into his flank!
And those icy pupils displayed a chilling, heart-stopping murderlust and coldness. On the other side, Cangyue Qianyu screamed in agony.
He had been simultaneously stabbed in the waist and upper back by the swords of Yin Hu and Yin Tao, who stood near and behind him! Everything had happened too quickly!
Cangyue Zhenxian instinctively lashed out with his foot toward Jian Wu. But Jian Wu sidestepped nimbly, and the Greatsword plunged into Cangyue Zhenxian's abdomen pulled free, trailing a crimson afterimage.
The searing pain, the tearing sensation, and the violent clash of the Fiery Battle Qi surging within him made Cangyue Zhenxian feel as if he were about to explode. He lacked the strength to fight back, unable even to process what had happened, when Ji Du and Chi Ming and Chi Hao, who had just been about to sheath their weapons, darted forward like lightning.
Thwack! Ji Du's impossibly fast sword punched viciously into Cangyue Zhenxian's chest.
He then violently twisted the blade before wrenching it out! On the other side, Cangyue Qianyu’s heart-wrenching scream echoed simultaneously!
"Ah!" Cangyue Zhenxian felt the life force draining rapidly from his body, his consciousness nearly fading, yet he stared at Jian Wu and Ji Du with disbelief and despair: "Why! Why?" "I told you, this matter will not be dismissed so easily," Ji Du’s grim face held a strange mixture of savagery and triumph.
"General Zhenxian," Jian Wu sighed softly. "He who judges shall be judged.
Do you truly not know in your heart what you have done?" "En! Hah." Cangyue Zhenxian revealed a trace of bitter sorrow.
"Did you already anticipate this? Did you know that the Marshal, Jiuyue Shenzhen, never died?" "The Marshal is blessed by heaven; how could a despicable wretch like you possibly plot against him?" Yin Shuang looked at Cangyue Zhenxian calmly.
"You can only blame your terrible luck. Even the heavens side with the Marshal.
Cangyue Qianyu’s secret invitation to Moluo Yinfeng and your assassination plot were overheard by us by chance." "So that's how it is." Cangyue Qianyu’s face turned ashen, but his hand gripping the sword lodged in his lower abdomen remained eerily stiff and trembling. Never before had Cangyue Qianyu clung to the value and fragility of life so desperately.
"Hahahaha... Cangyue Qianyu, you never expected this!" Chi Ming and Chi Hao could no longer contain their explosive laughter.
Witnessing the tragic state of Cangyue Zhenxian and Cangyue Qianyu brought them a satisfaction words could not describe. "I knew you weren't trustworthy!" Yin Hu suddenly ripped his longsword free.
Yin Tao followed with a powerful kick, sending Cangyue Qianyu flying a great distance! Thump!
Boom! With a muffled roar, Cangyue Qianyu’s grievously wounded body slammed heavily onto the ground.
"Ah!" Cangyue Qianyu fought back the urge to faint and stared in panic at the slowly approaching Yin Tao and Yin Hu. His right hand desperately covered the wound at his waist from which blood jetted out, and he struggled to drag himself backward.
"Hah! En." Cangyue Zhenxian could only collapse onto the ground in despair, but his gaze toward Ji Du and the others remained fierce and menacing: "If Prince Qianyu meets with any misfortune, the Cangyue Empire will absolutely not stand idly by." "Hahahaha, old devil," Ji Du gloated.
"Cangyue Qianyu still holds value. As for you, rest in peace." "........" Cangyue Zhenxian had nothing left to say; everything had been calculated flawlessly by Ji Du and his allies.
Indeed, as long as Prince Wei, Cangyue Qianyu, remained in Ji Du's grasp, even if King Wei knew the plan had failed, he would not dare to make a rash move. Who could have foreseen that the assassination plot would end in such a manner?
As the saying goes, man proposes, God disposes. It could only be fate.
Yet, neither Cangyue Qianyu nor Cangyue Zhenxian could figure out how Yin Shuang, Ji Du, and the others had discovered their assassination plan. "Curious, are you?" Ji Du intoned.
"If you wish to know, ask the God of Death in hell." Swish! Another flash of silver light erupted!
Stirring up a cloud of flying blood mist! Plop!
Cangyue Zhenxian’s head tumbled across the ground like a rolling gourd, rolling far away. The headless corpse twitched neurotically a few times before settling into absolute stillness.
"No, Old General!" Cangyue Qianyu could bear it no longer and roared in absolute despair. However, Yin Tao struck him with a heavy punch, knocking him unconscious.
"Woooo... wooo...
wooo..." A deep, dull horn blast sliced through the sky. "Withdraw according to plan!" Yin Shuang gave a sharp command.
The prepared Sword Dragon Knights and Ji Du’s contingent swiftly mounted their steeds. Like a surging tide, the million-strong legion of Sword Dragon Knights retreated eastward.
The ground vibrated fiercely toward the direction of Mancheng, as countless magic cavalry and heavy iron cavalry poured out like a whirlwind. "The Mancheng cavalry are trying to encircle us!" Yin Shuang exclaimed quietly.
Everyone looked and saw a massive, overwhelming swarm of Thunderflame Legion cavalry rapidly splitting into two columns, closing in like a giant pair of scissors on their retreat path. Leading this cavalry charge were Moluo Yinfeng and the other heavy-armored generals, who had already broken through the mobile defense line formed by the Byron Chariots and were bearing down upon them.
Fortunately, the Black Flag Legion was prepared, preventing utter chaos! However, if the encirclement were completed by the enemy, the situation would become extremely troublesome.
"Ji Du, Yin Hu, and Yin Tao, take five thousand heavy-armored Sword Dragon Knights to shatter their encirclement," Yin Shuang ordered sternly. "Yes!" Ji Du, Yin Tao, and Yin Hu drew their swords and roared, "Warriors, charge with us!" "Kill!" The five thousand Sword Dragon Knights following Ji Du crashed into the oncoming Mancheng cavalry like a gale.
These Sword Dragon Knights were all elite warriors, unsurpassed in horsemanship, with exceptional spear skills; almost every one possessed strength beyond the Red Moon First Stage. For ranged attacks, they wielded powerful longbows and javelins, while in close combat, the Dragon Lance Charge was their primary tactic.
Although their combat methods were similar to other continental cavalry, the astonishing size of the Saber-toothed Dragons, combined with terrifying speed and impact force, and the specially crafted Ebony Heavy Steel Armor they wore, made their defense freakishly robust! They were the strongest among all Sword Dragon Knights: the Heavy Armored Sword Dragon Knights!
And now, leading the charge were heavy armored generals like Ji Du, Yin Hu, and Yin Tao, their morale soaring, their killing intent like rainbows! Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!
From afar, the Mancheng magic cavalry unleashed a dense barrage of magical attacks! A massive wave of fireballs, lightning bolts, and ice roars rained down madly!
Yet, the charging Heavy Armored Sword Dragon Knights paid them no mind, maintaining their high-speed rush. Boom boom boom, roar!
Countless muffled explosions, accompanied by dazzling fire and lightning, and wildly surging ice shards and electric currents! The exploding fireballs, lightning ice roars, and other offensive spells that struck the Heavy Armored Sword Dragon Knights were all deflected far away by their astonishingly defensive Ebony Heavy Steel Armor!
They were unable to inflict any damage. Under such a dense magical assault, the Heavy Armored Sword Dragon Knights advanced like tanks, steadfastly driving toward the enemy formation.
"Javelin attack." In the blink of an eye, the two cavalry forces were less than two hundred meters apart. The Heavy Armored Sword Dragon Knights, having already built up momentum, hurled their specially made spears with all their might.
Swish swish! Leveraging their astonishing arm strength and the momentum generated by the Saber-toothed Dragons’ furious gallop, countless spears flew toward the enemy formation like a torrential downpour.
The heavy cavalry at the forefront of the Mancheng forces immediately fell in large numbers. Many cavalrymen and their warhorses were pierced through, pinned immovably to the ground.
But even more terrifying was that many of the impaled heavy cavalrymen, thrown from their mounts, were instantly trampled into bloody pulp by the following heavy cavalry. In an instant, shrieks of agony rose and fell across the field.
But all of this happened in a mere breath! The two torrents of cavalry finally collided with irresistible force!
"Kill! Kill..." The giant scissors formation of the Mancheng cavalry began to close.
But Ji Du's contingent of Heavy Armored Sword Dragon Knights broke through first. The Heavy Armored Sword Dragon Knights were individually skilled warriors, and led by Ji Du, Yin Hu, and Yin Tao, they proved utterly unstoppable.
Five thousand riders sliced and carved through the vast encampment of the Thunderflame Legion cavalry, cutting left and right. Wherever they passed, they swept away the enemy like wind clearing fallen leaves, instantly taking down several thousand Thunderflame Legion heavy cavalrymen.
Ji Du and the other two leaders intentionally bypassed Moluo Yinfeng and the others, focusing only on striking down the other heavy cavalry. During such a high-speed charge, Moluo Yinfeng and his generals dared not alter their own path of assault to intercept Ji Du and his group for fear of causing chaos within their own cavalry formation.
They could only watch with resentment as Ji Du’s group slipped past. Ji Du, Yin Hu, and Yin Tao formed a sharp, penetrating wedge, charging back and forth through the massive array of Thunderflame cavalry!
On the other side! Yin Shuang and the others began organizing the army's withdrawal!
The injured and unconscious Cangyue Qianyu had already been stripped of his Celestial Demon Armor by several Byron Warriors, bound, and stuffed into a carriage! Though it was a planned retreat, the main central formation appeared somewhat panicked.
The news of the assassination and death of the former commander, Jiuyue Shenzhen, had already spread. Even with Yin Shuang and the others overseeing the center, panic spread like an epidemic.
Indeed, if mishandled, the planned feigned defeat and retreat could easily devolve into an uncontrollable rout—the very definition of the saying that collapsing armies fall like a mountain of rubble. This was Yin Shuang and his allies' greatest fear.
Therefore, Jian Wu, Chi Ming, Chi Hao, and the others were extremely tense, striving to maintain order. The presence of the major generals helped calm the somewhat unsettled Byron Warriors.
Although many Thunderflame Legion cavalry pursued them, under the cover of the five thousand Heavy Armored Sword Dragon Knights led by Jian Wu and others, they managed to maintain a stable formation as they retreated toward Jiúqū. "Kill!
Kill!" Inside the grand formation of the Thunderflame Legion! Ji Du and his contingent carved back and forth through the heavy armored Sword Dragon Knights with almost no resistance.
The fighting power of the Heavy Armored Sword Dragon Knights was already terrifying, and now they were led by heavy armored generals like Ji Du, Yin Hu, and Yin Tao. More crucially, Moluo Yinfeng and the heavy armored generals had failed to intercept them, causing the once orderly charge formation to appear somewhat scattered and disjointed.
However, Moluo Yinfeng and the others remained completely unconcerned. Yes, they were well aware that Ji Du’s intention was purely to intercept and slow down the advance speed of the Thunderflame Legion cavalry.
Therefore, they refused to let the cavalry's charge speed falter! But by the time Moluo Yinfeng’s forces passed the second defensive barrier and entered the camp area, Yin Shuang’s central and rear troops had already retreated a considerable distance!
"As expected of Yin Shuang," Moluo Yinfeng murmured grimly. "To execute such swift countermeasures and deployment under these circumstances." "They won't escape," Chi Yue Qinshuang stated flatly.
"They intend to flee to Jiúqū and utilize the defensive works there to block our advance," Gonggong Zhenqin said. "Should we initiate the encirclement?" "Send the signal!
The northern and southern ambush forces must intercept immediately," Moluo Yinfeng commanded. Swish swish!
Four dazzling flares exploded in the sky, creating four massive balls of light that were clearly visible even a hundred miles away! Almost simultaneously with the bursting light clusters!
"Roar! Kill!" Hooves pounded, and dust flew up from all four directions.
The ambush forces hidden in the south and north lines, a vast black mass, erupted like a tide! Although they had been somewhat prepared, Yin Shuang and his group were still startled by the sudden appearance of these two flanking forces!
As far as the eye could see, there was a sea of uniform Heavy Crossbow War Chariots, interspersed with countless magic cavalry—an overwhelming, massive wave! These were the main strength cavalry and war chariots of the Thunderflame Legion!
Yes, perhaps against the Byron Heavy Armored Sword Dragon Knights and Byron Chariots, they stood little chance. However, the Byron tribe had been confined to the Byron Great Grasslands for fifty years, suffering from extreme scarcity of resources.
The army possessed only fifty giant Byron Siege War Chariots and a little over a hundred light field chariots. Those fifty giant chariots were currently fully occupied resisting the cavalry pouring out of Mancheng, unable to respond in time.
The remaining hundred-plus light field chariots were simply too few to contend with the overwhelming numbers of Heavy Crossbow War Chariots and magic cavalry before them! Furthermore, those hundred-plus light utility chariots had been deployed elsewhere and were not with the main force!
As for the Sword Dragon Knights, aside from the fifty thousand elite Heavy Armored Sword Dragon Knights, the rest of the Byron Sword Dragon Knights could only be equipped with light armor, and some possessed none at all. With such meager defensive capabilities against this overwhelming deluge of magic cavalry and Heavy Crossbow War Chariots, which relied primarily on long-range heavy fire support, they had no chance of winning!
Although they knew the Thunderflame Legion was numerically superior, only upon seeing this scene did they truly grasp the terror of the Thunderflame Legion. They also realized how much importance Moluo Yinfeng attached to this operation.
Everyone understood that Moluo Yinfeng was determined to capture Yin Shuang in the main force. Yes, with Jiuyue Shenzhen dead, capturing or killing Yin Shuang was the next priority.
Once the Byron tribe lost morale and scattered in panic, they would be unable to resist the onslaught of the Thunderflame Legion. This was the fundamental reason why Moluo Yinfeng personally led the main army in a frontal assault, ignoring Ji Du's interception, and refusing to divert heavy armored generals to engage Ji Du even at the cost of sacrificing other Thunderflame cavalry—all to chase them down here.
Capture the leader first! This was Moluo Yinfeng’s tactic to break their will.
"Full speed ahead! We must not allow them to complete the encirclement!" Yin Shuang's face changed drastically.
The planned feigned retreat had now morphed into a near-total rout. Every Sword Dragon Knight desperately charged toward the direction of Jiúqū!
The heavens rained down arrows and magical attacks instantly! Many of the slower Sword Dragon Knights were immediately impaled and brought down by powerful heavy arrows, while numerous others were blasted beyond recognition by the torrential magic and ice roars.
The sight was utterly horrific. However, more Sword Dragon Knights managed to escape the attack range of the Heavy Crossbow War Chariots and magic cavalry, relying on the astonishing speed of their Saber-toothed Dragons!
They fled rapidly toward Jiúqū!