Why did a sense of foreboding grip my heart? Why did I have this feeling? Could there truly be some unforeseen contingency in this battle?

The enemy numbered only eight thousand—that was the intelligence scouts risked their lives to bring back; there was absolutely no room for error. How could there possibly be a variable when facing them with over forty thousand troops?

This sensation had surfaced before. It was when I was twelve, leading troops out for the first time to quell a rebellion. On the way, I was nearly assassinated by a master from the opposing side. That time, had my Elder Brother Yu not appeared just then, I might have been killed...

But this time, who could possibly kill me?

Bai Xiaomo gazed around in confusion, noticing everyone else advancing with stern faces, radiating an aura of grim determination, ready to crush the enemy in one swift blow...

Forget it. Perhaps I was overthinking things. With over forty thousand men, how could there be any unforeseen development? How could I possibly be in danger? Even if the enemy possessed divine archers, they couldn't possibly strike me from this distance, could they?

The thought of divine archers made Bai Xiaomo slow his pace slightly. His personal guards, however, surged ahead, quickly enveloping him within the protective formation...

Far in the distance, Ye Jingyu, perched atop Ni Bo, hadn't known which one was Bai Xiaomo. But he understood that as a commander, the leader would surely be near the main banner. Now, peering through the scope of the sniper cannon, he could clearly make out the youth being constantly shielded by his personal guard within the enemy's main formation...

"Heh heh, the genius Bai Xiaomo, a Grandmaster at seventeen. Farewell..." Seeing this, a wicked smile spread across Ye Jingyu's face as he nonchalantly pulled the trigger...

With a deafening "Boom," the massive recoil nearly threw Ye Jingyu off his feet. The sound startled the warhorses nearby into piercing whinnies. However, Ni Bo and Lin Jiao Xi beneath him remained utterly still...

Chen Qi, Ying Xiaoxiao, and others unfamiliar with the sniper rifle flinched inwardly. Only Liang Xiaoke, who had covered his ears the moment the shot was fired, remained unaffected by the noise. Ignoring Ye Jingyu's recoiling body, he continued gnawing on his beef shank...

Several miles away, seven or eight li from Ye Jingyu's main army, the sense of foreboding in Bai Xiaomo intensified. Suddenly, a sharp sound pierced his ears. Before he could react, a massive black dot appeared directly before his eyes, sending a shockwave through his heart...

His body hadn't even begun to react before consciousness instantly vanished...

The few personal guards beside him clearly saw their general's entire head explode. Even his chest beneath his neck was pulverized by an invisible force, spraying chunks of white brain matter and multi-colored viscera everywhere, with crimson blood splashing across the surroundings...

"General..." Terror seized everyone. They had only vaguely heard a sound, and then their general was blasted down to half a body. This was utterly bizarre...

The personal guards immediately reined in their horses, scrambling down in alarm toward their general. In their panic, they even forgot to issue the order to halt the advance. The cavalry following behind had no idea why the men ahead had suddenly stopped, nor did they know their general had died so inexplicably. They continued to charge forward, causing the once-orderly ranks to descend into chaos...

Horses collided into one another. Even with the cavalrymen's expert horsemanship, controlling the animals became momentarily impossible... When they finally realized what had transpired, sheer horror filled their hearts...

The invincible General Bai, without even seeing the enemy, had been blasted into fragments. How could this be? Could the opposing camp harbor some peerless master?

But even a peerless master shouldn't be able to slay their commander amidst tens of thousands of troops without even showing themselves, right?

A creeping emotion—sheer panic—began to spread through the ranks...

Seven or eight li away, Ye Jingyu, having finally stabilized himself, saw the sudden disarray in the enemy's neat formation. He knew he had miraculously succeeded in blowing away their commander with that single shot. He waved his right hand, issuing the order to attack...

He himself leaped onto Ni Bo's back, transforming into a streak of black lightning, and charged forward...

Chen Qi also noticed the massive chaos erupting in the enemy ranks. Though he didn't understand the cause, he instinctively knew it related to the weapon Ye Jingyu had just used, and his heart filled with dread. Seeing Ye Jingyu already breaking cover, he seized the moment, grabbing the standard-bearer's banner and vigorously waving it, commanding his army to surge forward...

"Hey, I haven't even finished eating! Why are we starting the battle already?" Lin Jiao Xi bolted out first. Liang Xiaoke, who was mid-drink, nearly tumbled off...

It was the dining platform that fell from his back and was instantly crushed under the hooves of the following Lin Jiao Xi...

Ni Bo led the charge, followed by four hundred massive Lin Jiao Xi, and then eight thousand dark cavalry. They moved like a black tide, rushing toward the silver-armored legion seven or eight li distant...

For cavalry charging at full speed, seven or eight li was at most a quarter of an hour. For the massive Lin Jiao Xi, however, the distance was covered in only about five minutes, bringing them right before the silver-armored legion...

The cavalry of the silver-armored legion were struggling to reform their lines when they suddenly heard booming sounds. The immense noise felt like a great beast trampling on their chests, making them uncomfortable. Coupled with the death of their commander, their fear multiplied. When they saw the source of the tremendous noise, everyone gasped in shock...

At the forefront were a youth mounted on a colt—yes, a black warhorse only slightly larger than a foal—wearing absolutely no armor, charging straight at them...

That black warhorse moved with incredible speed, like a sharp arrow...

But what truly stunned them was the colossal monster riding behind the knight: a rhinoceros over seven or eight meters tall, another over six meters tall, and all the rest were behemoths exceeding four meters in height...

And they were completely covered in black scales. The single horn on their heads looked exceptionally sharp. What in the world were these creatures?

As these monsters appeared, the warhorses they were riding began to neigh restlessly, throwing the already fractured formation into greater disarray. Many horses began turning back uncontrollably, galloping toward the rear. As a result, before any real engagement even occurred, numerous riders collided with each other, sustaining injuries...