The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  Wang Chong could tell at a glance that the level to which the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army had trained this tactic was definitely not enough to deal with a general of Luo Ji's caliber.

  It was like how a bag could cover a staff but couldn't cover a spear.

  Withdrawing his gaze from the southeast, Wang Chong turned his attention to the north, where an army dressed in armor of gold and white was currently charging up the mountain. Not even the elites of the Annan Protectorate army were capable of stopping it.

  The Dragon Son Corps was the most elite corps of Mengshe Zhao. Under the command of Crown Prince Fengjiayi, it was displaying a most terrifying offensive power. Even without the assistance of the other armies or the protection of the White Elephant Corps, it had already succeeded in piercing more than halfway through the Annan Protectorate army's lines.

  Weapons, armor, strength… the Dragon Son Corps occupied the highest place in Mengshe Zhao. In terms of pure strength, neither the Annan Protectorate army nor the Tibetan armored cavalry were a match for the Dragon Son Corps.

  Even Wang Chong's Bane of the Battlefield was much less effective against them, its debuff effects greatly limited.

  The Dragon Son Corps was Mengshe Zhao's trump card. In the battle of Erhai, Geluofeng had drawn this sharp sword to shatter the defensive lines of the Annan Protectorate army in a single blow and deal Xianyu Zhongtong a crushing defeat.

  In this mad assault of the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army, the greatest threat to the Tang did not come from Duan Yangyan's White Elephant Corps, but Fengjiayi's Dragon Son Corps.

  To Wang Chong, the Dragon Son Corps was the claw of the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army that he most desired to clip.

  "Begin!"

  Wang Chong turned his head to Lin Wushou.

  "Your general will carry out the order!"

  Lin Wushou gave a solemn bow before quickly leaving the summit.

  ……

  "All soldiers, hear my order!

  "Everyone only acts according to my orders. Those who disobey will be executed!"

  ……

  A fierce blaze crackled in Fengjiayi's eyes, burning with an unprecedented fighting intent. His gaze seemed perpetually fixed on the summit, nothing else seeming to exist in his eyes except Wang Chong.

  Kill him!

  For Jiaosiluo, and for myself!

  Fengjiayi's mind was in great turmoil. He was like an arrow fired from its bow, never stopping until it reached its target. The only thought in his mind was to kill Wang Chong.

  "Crane Wing Formation! Advance at full speed!"

  Fengjiayi unsheathed his sword, his entire body covered in blood as he strode over the corpses of Tang soldiers and continued to advance. Behind him, the armor on these corpses seemed to come to life, struggling free of their former owners and transforming into metal men.

  Clang! Clang! Clang!

  Fengjiayi stretched out a palm, and before any Tang soldiers could approach, the swords would be ripped out of their hands, the writhing of their armor causing them to fall screaming to the ground.

  Rumble!

  While Fengjiayi's Dragon Son Corps was boldly advancing, the stampeding of hooves and countless screams came from behind it.

  Fengjiayi shivered as he turned around. A group of unknown cavalry had suddenly thrust into the side of his troops, cutting the Dragon Son Corps in two.

  "Great Tang cavalry!"

  Fengjiayi's pupils constricted, his entire body trembling in rage. In all these days battling with the Great Tang, Fengjiayi had never seen their cavalry.

  This sudden strike from the Tang cavalry was like a needle stabbing into Fengjiayi's heart.

  "Defensive retreat!!!"

  His heart turning ice-cold, Fengjiayi let out the loudest order he had ever given in his life. An army divided in two had always been the most dangerous signal for any kind of soldier.

  If the Great Tang succeeded in this move, half of the Dragon Son Corps would end up at the Great Tang's mercy. In that battle several days ago, Fengjiayi had personally witnessed what had happened to the eight thousand Tibetan cavalry that had ended up surrounded by the Great Tang.

  If he could not promptly break out, the Dragon Son Corps would receive its greatest blow since its establishment.

  Boom!

  Nearly one hundred metal men led the charge, after which the whole of the Dragon Son Corps began a defensive retreat.

  "Defensive retreat!"

  "Defensive retreat!"

  Fengjiayi had bellowed with all his might, but his order had come too late. Cries of war filled the air as a unit of Tang axemen came charging over, a wave of giant flying axes preceding them.

  Axemen were the infantry with the most offensive power and were also the best kind of infantry for breaking defenses. Fengjiayi had never expected Wang Chong to bring these soldiers over to deal with him.

  "Block them!!!"

  Fengjiayi's eyes were wide in rage, a tension that he had never felt before gripping his body. But before his troops could even start working to stop the axemen, screams came from his front-left ranks as a unit of shield soldiers came charging out.

  "Kiiiill!"

  Their bellows shook the skies. The Annan Protectorate army which had been slowly giving ground suddenly reversed, soldiers charging in from all around, their weapons coldly gleaming. Not even Fengjiayi could tell just how many soldiers Wang Chong had prepared to kill him.

  "Success!"

  The elated cheer of a Great Tang general came from the chaos behind Fengjiayi. Turning, he saw that the Annan Protectorate army had worked with the cavalry to strike a thunderous blow through the Dragon Son Corps, successfully cutting off and encircling a part of it.

  "Damn it, I've fallen for the trap!"

  Fengjiayi was both furious and shocked, his vision seeming to go black. He had never imagined that Wang Chong would react so quickly and fiercely, leaving him no time to respond.

  "That's what it means when they say that the hard is easy to break!"

  Wang Chong only snorted as he watched his troops slowly retract around the Dragon Son Corps, his attention quickly turning elsewhere.

  In the end, Fengjiayi was too young, and his understanding of the art of war was not even on the same level.

  "If it were possible to unite the world solely through the strength of troops, shouldn't the Great Tang have already united the world? What need would it have for any military strategy?"

  The fate of the Dragon Son Corps was set. There were more important things that Wang Chong needed to deal with.

  "Careful!"

  "All troops, stand ready. Focus on defense."

  A nervous air hung over the base of the mountain, the Tang soldiers peering warily down the mountain. They gripped their weapons so tightly that the veins on their arms bulged out while cold sweat dripped from their brows. All of them could smell the thick scent of death.

  Chapter 607: The Decisive Battle! A Great General's Fight!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Roar!

  Ruthless and beast-like roars came from down below. The earth rumbled, and the pounding steps seemed to be treading on the hearts of the Tang soldiers.

  "Careful! They're coming!"

  "Hold them! We can't let them break our defensive line!"

  At the outermost edge of the front line, countless soldiers watched on as giant black silhouettes emerged out of the dust. Their hands were so tightly clenched that cold sweat was beginning to drip out.

  After all this time, the giants of the Skyquaking Army had finally arrived.

  Boom!

  A metal rod as thick as a thigh swept down, the massive energy within it sending five or six Tang soldiers flying. Before any other soldiers could come to fill the gap, a massive arm rested on the edge of a steel wall and pushed the weighty object away.

  "Asilan kedafeilu!

  "Qie'erseilipa!"

  ……

  A strange language emerged
from the lips of the Skyquaking Giants as they charged up the mountain. Compared to their massive bodies, the soldiers of the Annan Protectorate army were insignificant ants.

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  The giants wreaked havoc on their formations, steel walls, and shield barriers, none of which were able to withstand even a single blow.

  "Aaaaah!"

  The Great Tang soldiers were sent flying here and there, none of them able to hold down the giants or even slow their steps slightly.

  Wherever the giants passed, the Tang were thrown into disarray…

  "Old Eagle!"

  As Wang Chong watched the Skyquaking Giants kill their way up the mountain, he suddenly spoke.

  "Your subordinate understands!"

  Without another word between them, Old Eagle unsheathed his Wootz Steel sword and looked behind him, his expression grave.

  "Zhang Long, Zhao Hu, all of you, follow me."

  Old Eagle mounted a horse and galloped down the mountain, the Black Dragon Bandit elites close behind.

  The Skyquaking Giants were all equipped with thick and sturdy plate armor, forged through the collaboration of Ü-Tsang and the Abbasid Caliphate. In the entire army, the only weapons capable of cutting through this army were the Wootz Steel swords wielded by Wang Chong's subordinates.

  Neigh!

  Old Eagle's warhorse charged down the mountain, colliding with a Skyquaking Giant charging up from below. The massive impact caused Old Eagle and his horse to be flung into the sky, but Old Eagle flipped in the air and slashed down at the giant with his Wootz Steel sword.

  "Owwww!"

  A scream broke out of the giant's mouth, its mountainous figure staggering back down in retreat. Close by, an arm thicker than an adult's waist dropped to the ground, its stump gushing blood.

  Old Eagle dropped back down, half-kneeling on the ground. As he looked at the severed arm, a smile crept onto his lips.

  For a moment, all was silent. The bronze-colored eyes of all the giants around Old Eagle stared at him, or rather, at his sword. For the first time, they showed fear.

  This was the first time they had seen something in the hands of these weak and puny humans that could injure them!

  ……

  "It's seems like it's time for me to enter the field!"

  At the base of the mountain, in the center of thousands of gazes, a tall and imposing figure smiled and suddenly began to stride forward. Boom! The earth quaked and dust plumed. The entire battlefield and the tens of thousands of soldiers fighting upon it all trembled at this single step, the earth seeming ready to sunder.

  "This is…"

  Sensing the frightening vibration behind him, Wang Chong narrowed his eyes, his heart beginning to madly thump. In the entire southwest, the number of people who possessed such a tyrannical aura could be counted on one hand.

  And in that direction, Wang Chong could only think of one person.

  "Huoshu Huicang!!"

  Wang Chong turning his head to the southwest and quickly spotted that figure, who seemed to be standing at the center of the world. Other than that roar that had interrupted the sound attacks on the Erhai elephants, Huoshu Huicang had not engaged in a single attack in this battle. He had not shown any sort of technique or skill, until now…

  Boom!

  Merely by setting eyes on Huoshu Huicang, Wang Chong could feel a massive wave of pressure assailing him, sweeping over him. Even from this distance, Wang Chong could feel that incredibly oppressive aura. It was like a blazing fire that could explode with terrifying power at any moment.

  Bzzt!

  Though this was only a tiny bit of power, Wang Chong could clearly see a blue ray of energy soaring out from the top of Huoshu Huicang's head. This energy which seemed shapeless and yet physical at the same time was a sharp sword that threw the black clouds above him into turmoil.

  "So powerful!"

  Wang Chong's eyes widened, his mind experiencing an unprecedented pressure.

  There were many legends about Huoshu Huicang.

  Although there was no proof for many of these things, there was one thing that could be guaranteed: Huoshu Huicang was an Ü-Tsang Great General, one of the most elite experts, a Saint Martial realm expert. Although it was said in the Great Tang that Zhangchou Jianqiong was definitely the strongest of the powerhouses of the southwest, Huoshu Huicang was not far behind.

  "Alas, Zhangchou Jianqiong isn't here."

  Wang Chong's heart sank. His father's strength was definitely not enough to deal with Huoshu Huicang, and Xianyu Zhongtong was also no match for Duan Gequan. There was a still a gap between these two and the individuals at the Great General level.

  Right now, the only things allowing the Annan Protectorate army to contend with the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army were the Great Tang's numerous generals and the power of formations.

  This was the Great Tang's distinguishing feature in its foreign campaigns, and it was also the defensive measure the Great Tang used when confronting powerful foreign experts.

  A familiar voice rang out at his ear. "Chong-er, no matter what happens next, you can't get close. This is our fight with Huoshu Huicang." Wang Yan's voice was calm and composed, imbued with a sort of understanding.

  'Officials did not receive rewards and generals did not mind death.' This was a principle that every general needed to grasp before embarking on a foreign campaign. Huoshu Huicang was the strongest opponent Wang Yan had ever faced, and this was certainly not the first time the two had fought against each other. But no matter what, Wang Yan would never cower.

  The eighty-thousand-some Great Tang soldiers would also not allow him to cower.

  "Father…"

  Wang Chong looked at his father's back, his mind in great agitation. His father had always given him a grim and harsh impression. He rarely smiled or showed any other emotion. This time, however, Wang Chong got a completely different feeling.

  My strength is still too lacking. I have to find a way to increase it as quickly as possible. Father, be at ease. No matter what, I'll never let you fight alone.

  Wang Chong clenched his fists, his hair scattering and dancing in the wind. Starting from his reincarnation, his strength had been increasing very quickly, at a rate which no ordinary person could ever imagine, but in this level of battle, he was still far too weak.

  I only have that method now!

  Wang Chong suddenly recalled the 'Bane of Generals' that the Stone of Destiny had once mentioned.

  ……

  Regardless of Wang Chong's thoughts, the movements of Wang Yan and Huoshu Huicang had attracted the notice of the entire battlefield.

  "Wang Yan, even now, do you still insist on putting up a desperate struggle…"

  A voice rang out over the mountain like a peal of thunder, resounding over the entire battlefield. Huoshu Huicang looked at Wang Yan as well as the Great Tang generals ringed around him like the stars twinkling around the moon. Slowly, his lips formed into a smirk.

  Throughout the length of this war, no matter what tactics Wang Chong had used or how many losses he had inflicted, Huoshu Huicang had never cared very much.

  'Soldier against soldiers, general against general.' Regardless of how the Central Plains regarded a war, Huoshu Huicang had always believed that wars were always decided by a clash between the strongest powers on both sides.

  As long as he could defeat Wang Yan and Xianyu Zhongtong, the Annan Protectorate army would collapse without any further fight.

  "If Great General wishes to fight, Wang Yan will keep you company!" Wang Yan indifferently said, his voice rumbling across the skies. Although it was nothing as domineering, it carried daring and persistence that would never break or move. Like a rock protruding out of a river, it would never fear any waves. Like the bamboo forests of the mountain, it would never snap under any storm.

  A look of surprise flickered through Huoshu Huicang's eyes. "Wang Gengzhi is truly the descendant of ministers and generals. Just through this alone, you a
re worthy of being my opponent!" Even the Ü-Tsang Great General couldn't help but admire the demeanor and spirit displayed by Wang Yan.

  "Since this is the case, let us fight!"

  Clang! Huoshu Huicang unsheathed a long saber and strode forward. Dust roiled behind him and warhorses neighed as his elite guard and the cavalry under him, a force numbering more than ten thousand, began to sweep toward the mountain with a dreadful and shocking momentum.

  After all this time, Huoshu Huicang had finally mobilized his entire army.

  "Disperse!"

  A harsh order was issued from the summit, causing the army to instantly part. The forty thousand soldiers that the Great Tang had not committed for the entirety of this battle finally began to move.

  Bzzz! Several dozen spirited energies soared into the sky. A pitch-black horse, exuding the demeanor of a dragon, leaped down from the mountain. Wang Yan led the charge, surging toward Huoshu Huicang, with countless elite generals of the Great Tang behind him.

  Huoshu Huicang was an Ü-Tsang Great General. No one in the southwest was any match for him, and no defensive line would be able to stop him. The steel walls that Wang Chong had erected on the mountain were mere decorations to a supreme expert like Huoshu Huicang.

  Boom!

  As Wang Yan stepped down, several dozen Mengshe–Ü-Tsang soldiers blocking his way were suddenly sent flying away like ragdolls.

  Just like how the Tang soldiers could not stop Huoshu Huicang, the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang soldiers could not stop Wang Yan.

  "Retreat!"

  An order came from down below as Huoshu Huicang led his countless Tibetan warriors up the mountain. In the middle of the mountain, the summit, the base, to the southeast, the southwest… thousands of eyes nervously watched as these two figures approached each other.

  Chapter 608: The Decisive Battle! The Mighty Miracle God!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  The battle between Wang Yan and Huoshui Huicang had attracted the attention of countless people. The Tibetan, Mengshe Zhao, and Great Tang generals were all watching, as if this fight that had yet to begin was even more important than their personal battles.