Sudden!
Too sudden!
Dusong Mangpoje had succeeded before anyone had even realized what he was up to, suppressing the Demonic Emperor Old Man beneath the Sacred Bell. All who saw this sight felt their minds reeling, and even the sounds of fighting began to die away.
“Success!”
In the distance, Dalun Ruozan clenched his fists with joy in his heart as he stared at the golden bell.
From the killing of the ordinary soldiers, to the injuring of Cheng Qianli and Wang Yan, to the joint attack on the black-armored guard… all of these had been links in a chain, plans within plans. All of it had been for the sake of borrowing the black-armored guard’s hand to ‘send’ Dusong Mangpoje to the side of Qutaybah and the Demonic Emperor Old Man without stirring suspicion.
At the Demonic Emperor Old Man’s cultivation level, he was simply far too perceptive. Even when he was fighting with an equally powerful existence like Qutaybah, trying to catch him in a scheme was still unrealistic. Only by using this method of getting close that did not seem too out of the ordinary would they be able to fool the Demonic Emperor Old Man.
But in the end, they had succeeded. The powerful existence of Wang Chong’s master had still been engulfed by the Great Snow Mountain Holy Temple’s secret artifact.
Bang!
After a short period of silence, the nearly one hundred Arab soldiers exploded with heaven-shaking cheers at the sight of that golden bell. Qutaybah’s men, the elites of the northern war zone, were cheering the loudest.
“Arabia!”
“Arabia!”
“Arabia!”
Their shouts shook the heavens as all the Arab cavalry rallied. Even though none of them knew who this black-robed elder of the Great Tang was, all of the Arabs knew him to be the strongest enemy on the battlefield. It was precisely this person’s existence that had caused the several hundred thousand Arab soldiers to face defeat and be turned back time and time again. Without this mysterious old man, there was no one else left on the battlefield that could stop Qutaybah.
“Qutaybah!”
“Qutaybah!”
“Qutaybah!”
The name of the Arab War God shook the heavens. After four days of bitter fighting and the lives of countless soldiers, Arabia had finally emerged victorious.
In contrast to the cheers of the Arabs, Tibetans, and Western Turks, the soldiers on the Great Tang side all had ghastly pale faces.
Wang Chong, who was in the middle of a battle with Ziyad, heard the commotion and turned to look. With a glance, Wang Chong suddenly understood something.
“Master!” All the blood seemed to drain from his body while his hands and feet became as cold as ice.
“Brother Wenfu!”
At almost the same time, the Wushang Village Chief saw the six-meter-tall golden bell in the distance and shivered. His breathing became ragged as if he had been dealt a mighty blow.
“Venerable Senior Zhang!”
Gao Xianzhi, Cheng Qianli, Su Hanshan, and everyone else was stunned, their faces as white as sheets of paper. Even the black-armored guard holding the Nine Dragon Blood War Banner grimaced, his aura rippling with energy.
Even the slowest of them had realized by now that they had completely fallen for the scheme of the Arabs and Tibetans. Their target had not been Wang Yan or Cheng Qianli, nor had it been the Nine Dragon Blood War Banner. Their target had always been one person: Wang Chong’s master, the Demonic Emperor Old Man!
After four days of vicious fighting, both sides no longer had many soldiers, but the Arabs were still unable to overcome the Great Tang armies. But if they imprisoned the Demonic Emperor Old Man, removing the strongest force on the Great Tang’s side, then even with the Nine Dragon Blood War Banner, the Great Tang would still face defeat.
Even though formations were extremely important, in any war, the strength of Great Generals would always make them a powerful existence equal to formations.
Chapter 1124 - Intricately Linked Plans!
Chapter 1124: Intricately Linked Plans!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
“Lost… we’ve really lost this time!”
In the rear of the Tang army, Su Hanshan gripped his sword while the twenty-five thousand former bandits and brigands stood behind him. At some point, the sheath of his sword had dropped from his left hand, but not even Su Hanshan had noticed when.
This was Su Hanshan’s first time participating in such a large-scale and high-level war. Intelligence had played a crucial role in reversing the battle, allowing strength to once more exert its suffocating pressure.
Qutaybah with no Demonic Emperor Old Man to stop him instantly became a sharp sword hanging over the heads of all the Tang soldiers. Any sort of scheme or strength would appear fragile and insignificant before Qutaybah. Not even Su Hanshan firing all his ballista bolts would be able to stop the Arab War God.
For the first time, Su Hanshan felt the stifling pressure of terror. This sort of helplessness and despair was enough to make anyone lose the will to fight.
“It’s over! We’re doomed! All of us will die here!”
“Even the Demonic Emperor Old Man was defeated, so what can we do!”
The ballista soldiers stared at the six-meter-tall golden bell, despair in their eyes as the morale of the army hurtled to rock-bottom.
Although the Great Tang side still had the Wushang Village Chief and the black-armored guard, if not even the Demonic Emperor Old Man was a match, how could the other two be? This battle was already lost, with defeat only a matter of time.
“Get out of my way!”
As everyone’s hearts turned cold with despair, a furious roar resounded over Talas.
Rumble!
There was a massive explosion, and before anyone could tell what was going on, a terrible scream ripped through the air. A disheveled and blood-drenched figure flew out of the explosion like a deflated leather ball, impacting with the ground some distance away.
The impact stirred a large cloud of dust, but as the dust settled, everyone could clearly see that this blood-covered figure was none other than the person fighting with Wang Chong: the Deputy Governor of the East, Ziyad!
Buzz!
The entire battlefield fell deathly still, everyone frozen to the spot by this sight.
“How could this be!”
The fallen Ziyad stared in shock at that crazed figure in the air. He had been fighting very evenly with Wang Chong up until now, with neither able to get the upper hand, but just a moment ago, the bastard had suddenly exploded with inconceivable strength. Ziyad had unexpectedly been unable to hold and was sent flying.
But at this moment, Wang Chong could no longer see Ziyad. His eyes were completely red and his entire body was trembling. The only thing left in his vision was the Sacred Bell of the Great Snow Mountain, crackling with lightning.
A trap!
It had been a trap!
Wang Chong suddenly understood everything. His master had been hoodwinked, with Dalun Ruozan and Dusong Mangpoje being the archcriminals. No matter what, he had to save his master.
“Get out of my way!” Wang Chong roared.
Several Arab officers charged at Wang Chong with shining scimitars, but before they could get close, Wang Chong waved his hand. A flood of Stellar Energy immediately swept up the Arab officers and the ten-some Arab cavalry around each one, and hurled them yelling in fear for more than a hundred feet before they crashed into the ground.
Wang Chong was completely overcome by rage. He would kill anyone who got in his way, even gods and devils!
“This bastard!”
Aybak and Huoshu Huicang saw this sight and were slightly taken aback. They knew how strong Ziyad was, and even though he hadn’t actually reached the Great General level yet, with the power of the Ocean Ring, he was on the same level as any actual Great General.
No one had expected the furious Wang Chong to beat him up so badly.
Bang! The two stepped forward, but at this moment, Wang Chong seemed to notice something, and with maddened eyes, he turned his head and shot a glare at the two. This single glance was enough for the two of them to pause in alarm.
“What dreadful killing intent!”
“This is a madman!”
Both of their minds trembled in apprehension. The current Wang Chong with his crimson eyes and thick, suffocating killing intent was like a frenzied beast. For a moment, the two of them felt that anyone who dared to try and stop him would be betting their life against Wang Chong’s, perhaps even joining him in the grave!
Even though both of them were renowned Great Generals, they still hesitated, Wang Chong’s intimidating glare making them lose any will to pursue.
“Wang Chong, watch out!”
A frantic voice came from behind him. The Wushang Village Chief was also alarmed by this sight. Wang Chong was so devoted to saving his master that he no longer even cared about his life, but the person he was facing was the supreme War God of Arabia. Someone of Wang Chong’s abilities was no match for him. But Wang Chong was no longer listening.
Rumble!
Screams filled the air as Wang Chong forged a trail of chaos through the Arab army, knocking around soldiers as if they were made of paper and sending them crashing into the ground.
“Kill!”
Arab horsemen charged over while waving their scimitars and were sent flying away with just as much speed as they had come charging. Wang Chong was unstoppable as he killed his way to Qutaybah and the golden bell. Even the godlike Qutaybah floating high in the air slightly creased his brow at this sight.
But Qutaybah quickly regained his composure.
“Nothing but an ant!”
Rumble!
No one saw how Qutaybah attacked, only a dazzling beam of golden Sword Qi splitting open the sky as it slashed down at Wang Chong. Plush! Wang Chong seemed to be struck by a mountain, instantly raising his head and vomiting blood. Like a meteor, he flew backward before finally colliding against the earth, stirring up a cloud of dust hundreds of feet high.
Clang!
In the rear, Su Hanshan’s eyes had turned red as he suddenly flourished his sword. From the moment he had entered Talas, he had prepared to remain here forever. If Wang Chong did not retreat, he would never back down.
“Everyone, focus! Even if we die, we cannot kneel. All of you, stand straight!”
Su Hanshan clenched his sword and gritted his teeth, his body bursting with a fighting intent that did not fear death.
“I don’t care that you were all once bandits or brigands. As long as you were soldiers for a day, you are soldiers of the Great Tang for life. On this battlefield, I will not permit you to shame the Great Tang. Take up your weapons and fight for the Great Tang!”
Su Hanshan’s words seemed to thump against the ground as he strode forward.
On this cruel and vicious battlefield, Su Hanshan had always been commanding his troops from the rear. This was because there were too many Saint Martial experts here, Brigadier Generals, and Great Generals, even peak Saint Martial experts. Su Hanshan was far too weak in front of such figures.
But when he saw Wang Chong determinedly charge at the divine Qutaybah, Su Hanshan was given a jolt and suddenly understood.
As the supreme commander, Wang Chong had still not given up, was still courageously pressing forward to do battle with Qutaybah. As Wang Chong’s good brother and one of his trusted subordinates, Su Hanshan had no reason to hesitate.
“Get up!”
“Everyone, take up your weapons and fight together!”
“Now is the time to show our loyalty to the Great Tang! In front of these western barbarians, we can’t shame the Great Tang!”
This mood spread infectiously through the army, and all the ballista soldiers began to pull out their swords and face the enemy. Whether they were strong or weak, or whether they could pose any threat to these elite Arab cavalry, was unimportant. All they had to do was fight to the death.
A sword flashed from the front lines of the army. Su Hanshan had not been the only one to be stunned and enlightened by Wang Chong’s display.
Imperial Army Marshal Zhao Fengchen unsheathed his Earth’s Scar and roared at the opposing Arab soldiers.
Time seemed to regain its normal flow as everyone shook off their shock. Rumble! The earth quaked as an invisible strength poured through all the elite Tang armies. Like a giant turning wheel, the Tang armies charged into the sea of Arab soldiers.
Clangclangclang!
Halos resonated with a metallic clattering as the army pressed forward with a fearless momentum. “Aaaah!” Countless Arab soldiers were cut down like weeds.
The Tang army left mangled flesh and rivers of blood in its wake!
An army fueled by desperate courage was bound to win!
The entire Tang army had been stimulated by Wang Chong in a frenzy, and they madly slaughtered a path through the Arab army.
“Fools!”
The Arab War God rested his hands on his massive sword as he floated in the air, his eyes glimmering with frigid light. In front of supreme strength, brute courage was useless. Without the Demonic Emperor Old Man, the Tang soldiers were nothing but ants to him.
In his eyes, even the Nine Dragon Blood Formation was pointless.
At a certain level of strength, all formations and schemes could be ignored.
Buzz!
Just as the Tang army was frenziedly attacking and wreaking havoc, clang! The aloof Qutaybah raised the golden ‘God’s Might’ and slashed!
Boom!
With a metallic ring, the sky darkened, and then a magnificent golden Sword Qi flitted over the sky like a bolt of lightning. It immediately crossed several thousand feet, rumbling toward the Nine Dragon Blood War Banner, the Divine Martial Army, the Divine Prison Army, the Dragon Stallion Army… All the top-class Tang armies were its targets.
No one could describe the terror evoked by this sword. Even the soldiers engrossed in slaughter could sense the dreadful pressure and raised their heads. At this moment, a golden Sword Qi more scorching than the sun was hanging over their heads.
At first glance, that Sword Qi was still extremely high up in the sky, but in the blink of an eye, it had cleaved down with a mountain-crushing pressure toward their heads.
So vast and grandiose was this golden Sword Qi that it seemed like the end of days had come. The overcast sky was sundered in two and the light illuminated all things in the world, including the Nine Dragon Blood War Banner and the ashen faces of countless Tang soldiers.
To all these soldiers, this strike reeked of death!
Chapter 1125 - Unprecedented Crisis
Chapter 1125: Unprecedented Crisis
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
“Not good!”
Without any time to think, the Wushang Village Chief paled as he shot into the air, the white cane in his hand raising up to strike the dazzling golden Sword Qi.
“Dragons Without a Leader!”
Whoosh! A mighty windstorm instantly roared to life as tens of thousands of dragons suddenly appeared in the air. All of these dragons had appeared around the Wushang Village Chief, circling around his white cane.
Boom!
With a massive explosion, the dragons went from illusion to reality, surging together toward Qutaybah’s massive beam of golden Sword Qi. The tens of thousands of dragons collided against the Sword Qi, each impact creating a metallic boom as if that intangible Sword Qi was actually made of steel.
Qutaybah’s golden Sword Qi swiftly lost its luster under the impact of the dragons.
But a moment later, at the crucial moment in this clash between dragons and Sword Qi, the Wushang Village Chief suddenly shivered and he suddenly became incapable of sending any more Stellar Energy. Vomiting blood, he could no longer keep up the attack, and the dragons scattered, allowing the descending Sword Qi to knock him aw
ay.
“Village Chief!”
“Venerable Senior!”
Cries of alarm came from all around as everyone grimaced. Countless Wushang Cavalry went ghastly pale as they rushed to the Wushang Village Chief. But no matter how fast anyone could react, none of them could be faster than Qutaybah’s Sword Qi.
Without the Wushang Village Chief to stop it, the remaining energy of that magnificent attack descended toward the Divine Martial Army, Divine Prison Army, Dragon Stallion Army, Roaring Tiger Army…
Even after it had been severely weakened by the Wushang Village Chief, this attack was still not something the elite Tang soldiers could stop.
Boom!
But just when Qutaybah’s attack was about to land, a large steely fist, black as ink and as large as a mountain, suddenly shot forward, scattering the remnants of the attack with a single punch. The black-armored guard stood in the fierce winds like a demonic god, his right hand holding the banner while his left fist slowly drew back. He stared at the distant Qutaybah, his eyes cold as ice.
Hwoooo! The gusts swept up the sand from the rear and caused the black and red Nine Dragon Blood War Banner to flap. The battle finally began to calm down, both sides slowing the pace of their assault.
“Village Chief!”
The Wushang Cavalry used this opportunity to rush over, with even Cui Piaoqi among them, all of them tightly encircling the Wushang Village Chief. The Wushang Village Chief had an extremely high status in the village. He had watched many of the Wushang Cavalry mature from children into adults and regarded their fathers as his nephews.
One could easily imagine how disordered their minds had become when the village chief had been injured.
“I’m fine. Don’t panic!”
The Wushang Village Chief held a hand to his chest. His snow-white beard was speckled with blood and his dried-up lips were crimson, but his eyes were always looking outward as if facing down a mighty foe.
The Demonic Emperor Old Man had already been suppressed by that mysterious artifact, but Qutaybah was still here. They were now in an extremely disadvantageous position and were liable to be wiped out at any moment.
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