The Thunder Flame Legion split its forces, using heavy cavalry and magic cavalry as the main pursuit element, coordinating with the two ambushing forces previously set up at Tian Tu in the south and Tian Jue in the north to launch this encirclement operation.
When the cavalry burst out from Mancheng, shattering the mobile defense line formed by Byron's chariots, it indeed caught the Black Flag Legion somewhat off guard, resulting in considerable losses in men and mounts.
However, upon reaching the Nine Bends Forest, they were effectively slowed by the magical traps mixed with poison powder laid out by the Black Flag Legion. Even more vexing was the fact that within this maze of poison-laced mist, the Blood Wolf Knights managed to inflict further losses upon their own ranks.
This caused a slight deviation from the original plan for pursuit and encirclement.
Nevertheless, both Chi Yue Qin Shuang and Mo Luo Yin Feng remained full of confidence regarding this pursuit and encirclement operation.
Indeed, the news that the commander of the Black Flag Legion, Jiu Yao Shen Zhen, had been assassinated had already spread, causing widespread panic throughout the Black Flag Legion. Although Yin Shuang's retreat maneuvers were executed with great subtlety, repeatedly obstructing Mo Luo Yin Feng, they also clearly revealed the Black Flag Legion's urgent desire to break free.
This only strengthened Mo Luo Yin Feng's resolve to seize this opportunity to eliminate the Black Flag Legion. Yes, the current opportunity was a godsend: Jiu Yao Shen Zhen was dead. If they could catch and kill Yin Shuang now, the morale of Byron's contingent would be utterly crushed.
Once Byron's contingent was annihilated, the remaining Nu Jiao Contingent and Blood Wolf Contingent would struggle to amount to much, and the crisis on the Fengmo Continent could be resolved right then and there. Thus, Mo Luo Yin Feng was determined to succeed in this pursuit and encirclement operation.
The cavalry sent from Mancheng, combined with the forces previously ambushing at Tian Tu in the south and Tian Jue in the north, totaled two million soldiers—nearly three-quarters of the entire Thunder Flame Legion's strength.
Of course, committing such a massive force was extremely risky, as the garrison left guarding Mancheng numbered less than half a million troops, with only Teng Shuo and Teng Kui, two Heavenly Demon Warriors, remaining as heavy armored commanders. The defenses were critically weak!
Mo Luo Yin Feng felt helpless about such a deployment. If he hadn't done this, there would have been no way to muster enough combat power to completely wipe out the Black Flag Legion. And once the Black Flag Legion recovered, he would hardly get another chance to destroy them.
Yes, no one understood the terror of the Black Flag Legion better than Mo Luo Yin Feng. Apart from the commander Jiu Yao Shen Zhen, Ji Du Jian Wu was also overwhelmingly powerful. Coupled with the entire Bi Qi Military Strategy Department providing tactical and strategic support from behind, and the exceptionally brilliant Yin Shuang making on-the-spot decisions, once they stabilized their positions and recovered their breath, they would remain a major threat to the Fengmo Empire.
To ensure the smooth execution of the battle plan, Mo Luo Yin Feng had to initiate the largest troop mobilization since the founding of the Thunder Flame Legion—it was virtually an all-out commitment. If this battle still failed to completely destroy the Black Flag Legion, there would never be another chance. In that case, the Fengmo Continent would become the second battleground established by the Holy Word Alliance on native Fengmo soil, which the Fengmo Empire absolutely could not tolerate.
No matter what, they had to seize this opportunity to completely wipe out the main force of the Black Flag Legion: Byron's contingent.
Within the thick fog, thanks to the efforts of Zhu Rong Ming Yang and Man Cang Qin Feng, the mages of the Thunder Flame Legion stopped casting spells randomly. Instead, guided by Man Cang Qin Feng's directions, they concentrated large-scale destructive magic towards specific coordinates!
Countless dense fireballs, lightning spells, and ice roars flashed brilliantly in the dense smoke, hurtling toward their targets.
However, Chi Ming and Chi Hao were not easy opponents to deal with.
"Scatter in a diamond formation." Chi Ming gave the order, and the Blood Wolf Knights within the dense fog immediately dispersed! They maintained astonishing speed, circling around the Thunder Flame Legion. They neither attacked nor retreated, yet they firmly tied down this contingent of over one hundred thousand Thunder Flame cavalry.
And the Blood-Colored Giant Wolves possessed startlingly powerful speed and perception.
In the dense mist, various spells flew everywhere, slamming towards the Blood Wolf Knights, but the swift-reacting Blood-Colored Giant Wolves easily evaded them.
The magical attacks launched by the Thunder Flame Legion's magic cavalry consistently missed their mark. What enraged Zhu Rong Ming Yang and Man Cang Qin Feng further was that these scattered Blood Wolf Knights showed no sign of retreating; they constantly maintained a certain distance from the Thunder Flame Legion. The moment the Thunder Flame Legion showed any lapse in vigilance, the Blood Wolf Knights would charge in, wreaking havoc before pulling back again.
Only Man Cang Qin Feng, possessing the Eye of Death's Desire, and Zhu Rong Ming Yang could sense the movements of the Blood Wolf Knights. But facing the dispersed and circling Blood Wolf Knights, the two leaders had no idea which direction to instruct their mages to focus their concentrated firepower.
"All troops, form up with the Mo Luo Holy Shield and hold your positions." Helpless, Zhu Rong Ming Yang could only opt for the most passive, defensive tactic: hunkering down.
"Yes!" Soon, guided by Man Cang Qin Feng, all the mages concentrated their magical power and condensed it into a massive magical shield.
Yes, this move was the ultimate defensive technique once employed by Ao Tian's mage contingent during the battle of Yuncheng! Even Jiu Yao Shen Zhen, who possessed the Demon Devouring Body, had to retreat without success against it back then.
Naturally, by doing this, the Thunder Flame Legion effectively gave up all pretense of offense and switched entirely to passive defense.
Although it was frustrating, this was the only viable option!
Facing the nearly rogue tactics of the Blood Wolf Knights, Zhu Rong Ming Yang, Man Cang Qin Feng, and the hundreds of thousands of Thunder Flame cavalry were completely neutralized, unable to do anything!
A force of over a hundred thousand Thunder Flame cavalry was effectively trapped within this foggy forest by a mere five thousand-plus Blood Wolf Knights, unable to move. For the proud Man Cang Qin Feng and Zhu Rong Ming Yang, this was a profound humiliation, yet they dared not relax even for a moment.
After a long time, the mist enveloping the area finally began to dissipate. The Blood Wolf Knights, who had been scanning their surroundings, were gradually exposed without the cover of the fog!
"Damn it, let's see what tricks you have now." Zhu Rong Ming Yang and Man Cang Qin Feng were greatly invigorated and immediately led their army charging toward the Blood Wolf Knights!
"Brothers, retreat!" Chi Ming had no intention of fighting a prolonged battle. With a wave of his hand, the few thousand Blood Wolf Knights vanished like the wind, speeding away in the blink of an eye.
Zhu Rong Ming Yang and the others did not wish to pursue. Seeing the Blood Wolf Knights flee, they immediately led their army toward the Nine Bends direction.
However, to Zhu Rong Ming Yang's surprise, the fleeing Blood Wolf Knights had not gone far. Seeing the Thunder Legion heading toward the Nine Bends, they suddenly wheeled around and launched harassing attacks from the right flank of the Thunder Legion!
In an instant, several thousand Thunder Flame magic cavalry were blasted off their saddles by the sudden magical assault from the Blood Wolf Knights and trampled into bloody paste.
"Damn it, they just won't leave us alone," Man Cang Qin Feng's face looked extremely grim, and he immediately organized forces to counterattack.
But by the time the Thunder Flame Legion adjusted its formation, the Blood Wolf Knights were already long gone.
And whenever the Thunder Legion ignored them, they would suddenly emerge from a corner on the flank, attacking again!
After several such back-and-forth cycles, Man Cang Qin Feng and Zhu Rong Ming Yang were boiling with rage, and the knights of the Thunder Legion were cursing vehemently.
Yet, the Blood Wolf Knights remained undeterred and tireless, using every method to delay the rapid advance of these over one hundred thousand Thunder Flame cavalry!
"It seems they are determined to oppose us head-on," Zhu Rong Ming Yang recognized the Blood Wolf Knights' intent and understood that if they couldn't decisively deal with this annoying group, these one hundred thousand men wouldn't reach the Nine Bends.
Under these circumstances, the most logical tactic would be to divide forces to deal with the Blood Wolf Knights' harassment. However, while the enemy's regular cavalry was fewer in number, they were backed by two Heavenly Rainbow Arch-Gods, Chi Ming and Chi Hao.
If they divided their forces, Zhu Rong Ming Yang and Man Cang Qin Feng would inevitably have to separate.
This would upset the balance of combat effectiveness among the heavy armored commanders. Yes, although Man Cang Qin Feng and Zhu Rong Ming Yang were individually extremely powerful, they stood no chance of winning in a two-against-one engagement.
Chi Ming and Chi Hao had clearly seen this, which is why they were so fearlessly dangling around the periphery of the Thunder Flame Legion, slaughtering wantonly.
"As expected of the Blood Wolf Knights," Zhu Rong Ming Yang felt a great headache. "They have mastered the art of wolf tactics."
On the Mafa Continent, wolves have always been regarded as synonymous with treachery, cunning, and cruelty, and the tactics of the Blood Wolf Knights were just like those used in a wolf pack hunt.
With no other choice, Man Cang Qin Feng and Zhu Rong Ming Yang steeled their hearts: "Damn it, you want to die, do you? We'll grant your wish. Brothers, catch up to them and hack them into mincemeat."
"Yes!" The Thunder Flame cavalry, already enraged by the Blood Wolf Knights' harassment, became even more frenzied, charging after them.
"Haha, come chase us if you're not afraid of death," the Blood Wolf Knights shouted back, adding icy ridicule! At the same time, their agile forms did not pause, heading straight toward the southwest.
Soon, the two groups—one pursuing, one fleeing—burst out of the foggy forest!
Before them lay a vast, open plain!
A plain charge was the specialty of the High Furnace Warhorses. Faced with such an opportunity, how could Zhu Rong Ming Yang miss it! He led his army at full speed in pursuit.
Yes, the massacre inflicted by the Blood Wolf Knights inside the foggy forest earlier had already made the Thunder Flame Knights furious. Now that they were on open ground, they were desperate to tear the Blood Wolf Knights to shreds, chasing with a suicidal fervor.
On the other side, the Blood Wolf Knights were also moving with incredible swiftness.
In terms of speed, the Blood-Colored Giant Wolves were in no way inferior to the High Furnace Warhorses. However, in a head-on charge, they could not match the latter. Of course, matching the speed of the High Furnace Warhorses was no easy feat for the Blood-Colored Giant Wolves either.
This chase and flight immediately transformed into a grueling, evenly matched marathon.
Across the open plain, one in front, one behind, one large, one small, the two long formations raced like two blurred gales, sweeping across the terrain.
The northwest direction led toward the Qila Great Desert. Clearly, the Blood Wolf Knights intended to flee into the Qila Great Desert to escape the relentless pursuit of the Thunder Flame cavalry! This was a common escape tactic the Blood Wolf Knights often employed when facing powerful enemies in the past.
They thought they could use the same old trick now.
This made Zhu Rong Ming Yang grit his teeth in fury.
How could they expect such a thing? After slaughtering the Thunder Flame troops inside the misty woods, now that these Blood Wolf Knights had had their fill of slaughter, they simply wanted to escape? There was no such good fortune in the world. And the other cavalry of the Thunder Flame Legion were fully aware of the Blood Wolf Knights' scheme, but this only strengthened their resolve to hunt them down to the death.
Yes, the northwest led to the boundless Qila Great Desert.
However, reaching the Qila Great Desert would take at least a full day's ride.
In terms of endurance over long distances, the High Furnace Warhorses and the Blood-Colored Giant Wolves were evenly matched. But during the earlier skirmish within the misty woods, the Blood Wolf Knights had darted around, charging back and forth, exhausting a considerable amount of stamina. In contrast, the Thunder Flame cavalry had advanced steadily, maintaining formation, and emerged from the misty forest without significantly depleting the stamina of the High Furnace Warhorses.
Therefore, Zhu Rong Ming Yang was confident that before the Blood Wolf Knights reached the desert, the High Furnace Warhorses would have enough stamina to catch up to those detestable Snow Wolf Knights. That would be their doom!
Both forces galloped forward at high speed. The ground was no longer a mixture of green and yellow grass; instead, it was covered in patches of yellowish-brown sand and barren wilderness. Soon, the Blood Wolf Knights in the lead began taking down objects resembling brooms tied to the backs of their mounts!
Anyone who had fought the Blood Wolf Knights on the continent knew what those things were!
"Curse it, they're planning to deploy the Wolf Tail," Man Cang Qin Feng quickly grasped the Blood Wolf Knights' intention.
The so-called Wolf Tail was a special item frequently used by the Blood Wolf Knights when marching or fighting in desert regions. Essentially, it was an oversized broom. On sandy, desolate ground, while galloping at high speed, the specially made large broom was dragged behind the Blood-Colored Giant Wolf, creating thick plumes of dust due to intense friction with the ground! This effectively obstructed the enemy's line of sight.
Because this special large broom was dragged behind the Blood-Colored Giant Wolf, from a distance, it resembled a massive tail hanging to the ground, hence the Fengmo armies called it the Wolf Tail.
The Wolf Tail tactic was arguably one of the most roguish and characteristic life-saving strategies of the Blood Wolf Knights.
Although they hadn't fully entered the desert yet, they had reached its edge, and the already desertified ground allowed them to use the dust raised by the Wolf Tails to easily escape!
In the blink of an eye, thick clouds of dust billowed skyward, raised by the violent friction of thousands of Wolf Tails dragging across the ground!
Although not as exaggerated as the mist in the forest earlier, it still left the pursuing Thunder Flame cavalry with blurred vision! They could barely make out objects a hundred meters ahead. More critically, facing this overwhelming wave of rolling dust, Zhu Rong Ming Yang dared not advance rashly.
Yes, the current situation was a sandstorm and dust array deliberately created by the Blood Wolf Knights, which was also the specialized environment where they fought best. Once trapped within it, the situation would be identical to the misty forest engagement, and the Thunder Flame Legion would have no chance of winning.
With no other recourse, Zhu Rong Ming Yang could only order a halt to the pursuit!
By the time the swirling dust settled and dispersed, there was no sign of the Blood Wolf Knights anywhere!
"Damn Blood Wolf Knights," Man Cang Qin Feng was so angry he nearly spat blood.
The remaining knights of the Thunder Legion could only glare in frustration, looking at the plumes of dust still rising on the distant horizon, filled with anger and resentment.
On the continent, no conventional military unit dared to confront the Blood Wolf Knights head-on in a sandstorm. Regarding this rogue tactic of the Blood Wolf Knights, virtually every legion of the Fengmo Empire had a headache dealing with it.
But no one had discovered a foolproof countermeasure!