Within the entire thousand-zhang radius, every single person—friend or foe—who could witness the head thrown high into the air fell into a sudden, dead silence, which then erupted into a violent roar.

The man from the Tiger-Leopard Cavalry was so horrified he lost his voice, only able to watch Yang Xuan’s head soar up and then fall back down. It was only when Yang Xuan’s entire body was atomized by the impact of true qi and lightning that he still could not accept that this commander, who seemingly won every battle, who almost never knew defeat, who possessed profound martial strength as a leader of the Xuanwu Seven Meridians, had perished by the spear of this red-armored man who hadn't even reached the Earth Meridian Five Meridians. Behind Zong Yuan, Hu Zhongyuan and Tan Tao also stared fixedly at the scene. The latter was slightly better, but Hu Zhongyuan momentarily held his breath. He had personally witnessed Yang Xuan clash with his father several times. The Tiger-Leopard Cavalry of Yunxia Mountain City and the Iron Tiger Great Halberdiers of the Iron Tiger Clan fought nearly every year. Except for the very first time, which ended in a rout, they managed to maintain an undefeated record in all subsequent encounters, even when their frontal assault failed.

Yet today, this renowned general, nearly comparable to his own father, Hu Qianqiu, had met his end here!

Zong Yuan himself was momentarily dazed. At that time, he thought he was surely dead. Then, when he recalled that his body was currently being controlled by Zong Shou, estimating that even if he didn't win, he wouldn't lose, his body had already begun to move.

The myriad lightning arcs on the Purple Thunder Spear instantly retracted to a single point. Some of the lightning even entered his body, stimulating every muscle, causing his strength and speed to erupt and increase once more. All the true qi, all the power, instantly surged to the absolute maximum, and the vast essence stored within the yellow bead at the spearhead was completely unleashed. In a flash quicker than the eye could follow, with a single strike, he annihilated Yang Xuan, who commanded the might of fifty thousand cavalry!

In retrospect, this strike was still his Purple Thunder Spear technique, yet the profound intricacies of the technique, the timing of its execution, far surpassed his own abilities!

If he himself could master such spear techniques, what might that entail?

His chest churned with surging emotions, yet his body involuntarily urged the Dragon Horn Winged Horse onward, continuing the charge. He flicked the spear tip, sending the massive, white-striped saber-toothed tiger flying back over a hundred zhang. Then, with a violent gasp that felt like his chest would explode, he poured all his strength into a roaring shout: “Yang Xuan is dead! Today, where there are enemies, there is only me! Invincible! Kill!”

The three thousand Xuan Mountain Knights behind him first froze in unison, then their blood boiled, and their fighting spirit soared. They immediately followed with a furious howl: “Invincible! Kill!”

As this roar echoed for ten li, these entire three thousand men finally fused into one entity. Everyone’s ‘momentum’ became vigorous and connected, causing a layer of an invisible, blood-red aura to envelop the three thousand riders beyond their physical forms. Zong Yuan’s own battle aura ignited once more, inexplicably bringing to mind Zong Shou’s previous words.

“I am not asking you, Zong Yuan, to seek death. Among all these people, you are the only one I can control. You should know how to cooperate with me. However, whether you survive this fight ultimately depends on yourself. If you lack the will to fight, the desire to live, then this battle will ultimately be lost.”

“This is your opportunity. Whether you wish to break free from my control or seek revenge, how can you know the outcome if you don't fight with everything you have?”

Indeed, if he didn't fight fiercely, how could he know if the final outcome might change? And how could he know if he’d ever have a chance to escape the control of that Young Lord in the future?

If he possessed the spear skills and the spiritual martial prowess of that Young Lord, wouldn't avenging himself be as easy as turning his hand?

And wasn't this very moment the best opportunity to comprehend the Martial Way of that Young Lord? He could clearly sense how his internal true qi was being mobilized, how his muscles and joints needed to coordinate. Furthermore, every thrust of the spear in his hand, every change, every angle of attack, was imbued with profound meaning. If he could carefully grasp it, it would benefit him for a lifetime.

With his mental barriers removed, Zong Yuan no longer suppressed his surging emotions. His battle fervor was equally intense, his blood burning fiercely. His entire body felt as if it were exploding, continuously surging with vital energy and latent potential. The condensation of his internal true qi instantly increased several times according to his will. He wasn't just observing and experiencing Zong Shou’s spear techniques with all his might; he also allocated part of his focus to observe the Young Lord's tactics for charging and commanding troops.

Having slain Yang Xuan, the morale of the fifty thousand Yunxia Mountain Iron Cavalry scattered. Zong Shou’s style, however, shifted again. Previously, he concentrated on the sharpest point of the attack. Now, he specifically targeted the elite units that could still maintain formation and morale. That reckless, almost frenzied momentum seemed intent on completely shattering and scattering the fifty thousand elite cavalry of Yunxia Mountain!

Zong Shou’s spear techniques were already peerlessly strong. With his full power complementing them now, he was unstoppable, unrivaled.

Coincidentally, six Martial Ancestors above the Earth Meridian Four Meridians launched a coordinated attack right in front of him. A sharp gleam flashed in Zong Yuan’s eyes, and his spear vanished before everyone’s sight. When it reappeared, it manifested as six points of purple lightning that burst out like plum blossoms. This caused blood to well up at the throats of the six men, and they immediately tumbled off their horses.

A glance revealed that the two thousand Tiger-Leopard Cavalry were almost entirely dissipated smoke. The more than ten thousand Black-Armored Heavy Cavalry were also broken into pieces.

Zong Yuan felt a surge of relief and a vague sense of emotion filled his chest, mingled with joy and anticipation. With that Young Lord present, perhaps today they could truly stand against an enemy a hundred times their number!

Once this thought arose, it could no longer be suppressed. Zong Yuan took another deep breath, and this time, without Zong Shou's control, he roared furiously again: “A bunch of worthless trash! My Xuan Mountain Iron Cavalry will trample a thousand armies today!”

The three thousand Xuan Armored Knights behind him all looked toward the vanguard commander with eyes full of reverence. They did not know their temporary leader was being manipulated by Zong Shou. They only knew that since the two armies clashed, this Purple Thunder Spear from Qiantian Mountain had consecutively executed twelve Martial Ancestor powerhouses, and had even beheaded Yang Xuan, one of the most famous generals in the West of Donglin Yunlu and a Xuanwu expert, with a single spear thrust!

Following such a person, charging through the masses and slaying generals—even dying in the process would bring no regret!

This time, almost no one hesitated. Following a fierce cry, they roared in unison: “My Xuan Mountain Iron Cavalry will trample a thousand armies today!”

Feng Yu stood on the high platform, composedly watching the site of the battle between the two cavalry forces.

He had examined the situation carefully beforehand. Although the three thousand Xuan Mountain cavalry were all elites selected from a hundred miles around, as long as Xuanyuan Tong and Zhu Junhou were absent, any replacement commander for Xuan Mountain City would at best be on par with Yang Xuan, certainly no match for him. Commanding sixteen times the number of elite cavalry, eliminating these meager three thousand should have been a trivial matter for Yang Xuan. He only needed to wait a little while longer; the result might come in less than half an hour.

Xiong Kui seemed to think the same. A faint smile played on his lips, but his eyes were like those of a vulture, fixed on the encircled wagon formation several li away.

Once that small cavalry force was eliminated, that Young Lord of Qiantian Mountain would be within their grasp. Earlier, he had been thoroughly tricked by Zong Shou in Jie Fu City, followed by verbal humiliation. If he could capture this man, he certainly wouldn't let him off lightly. And Zong Yuan too—hehe, Feng Yu’s perverse chambers might genuinely gain two more playthings in the future.

As he pondered this, Xiong Kui suddenly felt something was amiss. He looked again towards the left side of the battlefield. Unexpectedly, he saw that the organized formation of the fifty thousand Yunxia Mountain Iron Cavalry was beginning to show signs of disarray, and a faint clamor could be heard emanating from that direction.

“Could it be over already?”

Feng Yu and Xiong Kui exchanged stunned glances, their eyes filled with surprise. Yang Xuan was notoriously strict with his troops; even when routing the enemy, he would never allow his formations to show any weakness. What was going on?

In the next instant, the intensifying clamor finally reached the ears of those on the high platform, causing them heart palpitations.

“Yang Xuan is dead! The Tiger-Leopard Cavalry has been routed!”

“The Ninth Battalion of the Black Cloud Cavalry has also broken! And it was that red-armored general again; the Battalion Commander is also reported dead!”

The sixty infantry squares lined up before the high platform all swayed violently. The experienced officers of the Yunxia Blazing Flames Army immediately exerted full control, but they couldn't restore silence to the entire army for a long time.

On the platform, Feng Yu's face turned ashen. He stared fixedly towards the left, grinding his teeth so hard they clicked. His voice leaked out from between clenched jaws: “What is this—Yang Xuan is dead, the Tiger-Leopard Cavalry is routed? Commander Yang is a great general of Yunxia Mountain; who here can possibly deal with him? The Tiger-Leopard Cavalry is invincible; how could they break? Spreading rumors to disturb military morale deserves death!”

Xiong Kui frowned. He held the same belief, but the current situation offered no grounds for optimism; the formation of the Yunxia army’s cavalry was growing increasingly chaotic.

The next moment, a message crane flew in from that direction. A nearby Spirit Master caught it, and after reading it, his face cycled rapidly from pale to dark. Forcing himself against the predator-like gaze of Feng Yu and Xiong Kui, he bowed and reported: “This is news from the Fifth Battalion of the Black Cloud Cavalry. Yang Xuan is dead, slain by a red-armored knight with a single spear thrust. The entire Tiger-Leopard Cavalry army is routed; eight of the ten Tiger-Leopard Cavalry Captains are dead. Six out of the ten battalions of the ten thousand-strong Black Cloud Cavalry have collapsed.”

Feng Yu felt an unbearable pressure in his chest and spat out a mouthful of clotted blood, nearly fainting. The four thousand men of the Tiger-Leopard Cavalry were not only the most elite cavalry of Yunxia Mountain, but they were also the core military power the Fengbao Clan used to suppress the various demon clans of Yunxia. The Black Cloud Cavalry was only slightly inferior to the Tiger-Leopard, having cost immense sums to establish as armored heavy cavalry. In this battle, more than half of them were lost.

But all of this paled in comparison to the deaths of Yang Xuan and the eight Tiger-Leopard Cavalry Captains—the blow to him and Yunxia Mountain was unprecedentedly heavy!

“Who… who is this so-called red-armored knight?!” (To be continued)