The Human Emperor c1-2382
Page 1343
“Reporting! The ballista army has come under attack and is requesting reinforcements!”
“Milord, the gap on the western side has been breached! The city defense division is under assault from both the front and the rear and is requesting aid!”
……
In short order, at least seventeen more messengers arrived.
Each report brought Wang Chong’s heart down more and more, and next to him, Zhangchou Jianqiong nastily scowled.
Boom!
At this moment, the entire fortress swayed like a plank in the middle of a turbulent ocean, and there was so much groaning and cracking that it seemed like the entire world was falling apart.
Boom!
Behind Wang Chong and Zhangchou Jianqiong, the rows of fortifications and barracks collapsed. In the middle of these buildings, the earth fractured open, a giant fissure appearing and creeping toward the depths of the fortress.
And as the fissure crept forward, more and more buildings collapsed in its path.
“It’s over!”
Zhangchou Jianqiong turned ghastly pale. Without the guidance from the formation, the energy accumulated beneath the steel fortress had erupted, creating a giant earthquake.
Most importantly, in this war, they had run many scenarios, including the worst-case scenario where they had to fight amidst the buildings and alleys.
But this earthquake had opened up fissures throughout the fortress that had torn apart and destroyed key buildings, throwing into disarray their plans to fight in the streets.
Wang Chong said nothing, but his expression was extremely grave. He had never imagined that the situation would deteriorate so quickly.
“Hahaha, Wang Chong, your fortress has fallen. Do you have anything to say now?”
Brazen laughter came from the distance, and a moment later, a giant thundercloud crackling with lightning advanced on the steel fortress. Beneath this thundercloud was a familiar figure, his body wreathed in lightning.
“An Lushan!”
Wang Chong’s eyes chilled as he recognized the figure.
In that suit of World Armor, An Lushan was brimming with vigor and smugness, and above him was an imposing figure exuding a majestic aura.
Genesis Supreme!
These two had appeared at the same moment.
Neigh!
As they appeared, a chorus of neighs tinged with the aura of death and corrosion came from the distance.
These loud neighs pierced through the snowstorm like sharp arrows, clearly audible from ten-some li away.
Wang Chong, Zhangchou Jianqiong, and the nearby Tang generals felt their hearts sink.
The Yeluohe!
When it rained, it poured. The formation had shattered, the walls had collapsed, and An Lushan’s sharpest weapon had appeared.
No one except the Wushang Cavalry could hold up against the terrifying offensive power of the Yeluohe.
Even worse was that they did not have the protection of the walls, the Yeluohe had been bolstered by the cold wave, and the Wushang Cavalry had already suffered heavy losses from the earlier battle.
Moreover, the descent of the cold wave had further weakened the Wushang Cavalry.
The result of these two armies clashing was obvious.
“Pass on my order! Inform Crown Prince’s Junior Guardian Wang Zhongsi, Tongluo Great General Abusi, and Protector-General Zhang Shougui to do their utmost to stop the enemy army! In addition, mobilize the Divine Martial Army, Xuanwu Army, Azure Martial Army, and Mo Saber Unit… All of them are to cover the retreat!
“Other than the elite armies, all other divisions, including the craftsmen teams, are to retreat at full speed and abandon the steel fortress!” Wang Chong grimly ordered.
This war had been much more difficult than he had imagined. Through this steel fortress, Wang Chong had utilized his steel modules to their maximum extent, and it far exceeded any of his past steel defense lines or steel fortresses.
Besides that, Wang Chong had spent more than one billion taels of gold on this fortress, and each steel module carried numerous defensive inscriptions and formations.
From a certain perspective, this steel fortress had been made from gold.
But this steel fortress that had cost so much had fallen. This was the first time this had happened since Wang Chong had taken command of the army.
Wang Chong no longer had the time to think about such things. The interior of the fortress was a scene of chaos, with hundreds of thousands of soldiers at a life-or-death moment.
If they were defeated today, there would be no strength left in the Central Plains that could stop An Lushan.
And the ‘nightmare’ from his last life would reenact itself.
Buzz!
As Wang Chong spoke, his dantian trembled, and a halo emerged from his body. Two clones made from Stellar Energy walked out from Wang Chong, remaining here to defend the area with Zhangchou Jianqiong.
As for Wang Chong’s original body, it shot into the sky.
The Tang army charged out following Wang Chong’s orders. All of them understood that this was the final moment.
“Kill!”
The Divine Martial Army, Xuanwu Army, Mo Saber Unit, and Wushang Cavalry left their posts and charged out to the alliance army.
Everyone was harshly affected by the current situation. Their hair, armor, and weapons were all covered in frost, and without the protection of the formation, each of them was weakened in varying ways. However, as elites that had been honed in blood and fire, they still possessed overwhelming fighting power.
Bang!
Several dozen Mo Saber Unit soldiers fanned out in a row, raising up their Mo Sabers and then swinging them down. Boom! Blood burst out everywhere as several dozen alliance cavalry were cleaved in two by the terrifying Mo Sabers. Before the blood could fly very far, it froze in the air and dropped to the ground as crimson slabs of ice.
Roooar!
“The Mo Saber is invincible!” the Mo Saber Unit soldiers furiously roared. As they erupted with energy, white steam rose from their bodies. They fearlessly charged forward as if there was nothing in the way. Not even death could stop them.
With the Mo Saber Unit was the Divine Martial Army. Compared to the Mo Saber Unit, the Divine Martial Army’s attacks were swift and silent. Though their attacks seemed ordinary, they were swift and sharp. Plush! Plush! Plush! Their sharp swords gleamed with cold light as they thrust forward like venomous snakes.
Chapter 2234 - Danger! General Retreat!
Chapter 2234: Danger! General Retreat!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
The sharp swords were always able to find the flaws and gaps in the defense of the alliance soldiers. Their thrusting swords, in a mysterious and extremely simple way, were able to find the chinks in their armor and get past the enemy weapons to plunge into the hearts, foreheads, and temples of the alliance soldiers.
As these swords thrust out, these brave and fierce alliance soldiers were instantly deprived of all life, thudding to the ground like pieces of lifeless porcelain.
Blood gushed out on the ground and then scattered into the cold wind. The callous Divine Martial Army soldiers continued onto the next batch of enemy soldiers.
Strike!
Withdraw!
On this most complicated battlefield, these two simple actions made them seem like gods of death walking the battlefield, and wherever they went, the alliance soldiers toppled like wooden pillars.
On the other side, the Xuanwu Army’s soldiers used much more brute strength. Their armor and their bodies possessed formidable defensive abilities that allowed them to ignore the majority of the attacks from the alliance soldiers.
Roooar!
A Xuanwu Army soldier roared and shot forward like a cannonball, charging into the enemy soldiers in the gap, completely ignoring the fact that his side was far outnumbered.
“Ah!”
Screams broke out as t
he collision of that Xuanwu Army soldier managed to send several alliance cavalry flying through the air.
The Xuanwu Army soldier landed and immediately locked onto a nearby alliance cavalryman. He punched, and with the sound of cracking bones, the Turkic warhorse was instantly slain and crashed to the ground.
Seizing this chance, the Xuanwu Army soldier strode forward and swung his heavy sword at the crack between the alliance soldier’s helmet and armor, plunging it into his neck. With one stroke, he ended the life of this alliance captain.
Many people knew that the Xuanwu Army possessed formidable defensive abilities, but they had forgotten that they also possessed prodigious power. As Imperial Army elites, how could they only know how to defend?
“Charge! Kill them!”
“They’ve lost! They’re no match for us!”
The interception by the Divine Martial Army and Mo Saber Unit had failed to stop the charge, and the red-eyed alliance soldiers continued to charge into the fray.
The steel walls had fallen, and the alliance could already see victory. The Divine Martial Army would find it hard to stop them alone.
But a moment later, a metal cudgel came to welcome them.
Bang!
The King Ape savagely slammed its metal cudgel into the dense ranks of the alliance army.
“Ah!”
Hundreds of alliance soldiers were sent flying through the air by the metal cudgel, screaming as they were tossed about by the shockwave.
The King Ape shook its body, and its crimson eyes and massive silhouette appeared intimidating even in the darkness, exerting a formidable pressure.
Roooar!
The King Ape leaped into the air, flying over the steel walls and dropping into the alliance ranks like a cannonball. Boom! The giant metal cudgel swept out.
At this moment, the King Ape exhibited a terrifying strength that could match that of prehistoric beasts. Boom! Boom! Boom! As winds howled, all the alliance soldiers within one thousand feet suffered a devastating blow.
Once the King Ape had finished with its frenzied assault, the surrounding area was littered with shattered limbs and piled-up corpses, with essentially no survivors. Even the terrain had been altered by the King Ape’s brute strength, pockmarked with craters and holes.
While the King Ape found it hard to display its full strength against top-class experts, ordinary soldiers were utterly incapable of holding out against its destructive power. It could even match a ballista volley in some ways.
“Kill!”
At almost the same time, the pounding of hooves accompanied by frightening war cries could be heard. At other gaps in the walls, Abusi led his Tongluo Cavalry and Bahram led his Aswaran Cataphracts in plunging into the alliance ranks.
The two renowned forces of cavalry sowed chaos wherever they went.
In the face of this frenzied assault from the Tang cavalry, the ceaseless surge of the alliance army finally suffered a heavy blow. Even though the walls had fallen and the formation had shattered, the Great Tang’s elite armies could still exhibit their dominating status on the battlefield.
The alliance army instantly fell into disarray.
“Retreat! His Highness has ordered everyone to retreat!”
With the precious time bought by the elite armies, the rest of the Tang army, including the craftsmen teams, began to retreat.
“Milord, must we really retreat? The walls can still be repaired. Didn’t we repair them in the last battle?”
Within the fortress, the air was tense. An old craftsman was shivering in the cold, his beard, hair, and eyebrows covered in frost. But still, he was reluctant to move, and he looked hopefully at the Tang officer in front of him.
Seeing this old man so agitated, the officer who had delivered the order felt grief.
“It’s too late! The formation has shattered and the collapsed walls can’t be repaired. We can only retreat! This is His Highness’s order!”
“We can’t repair it? We really can’t repair it?” the old craftsman muttered, the energy draining out of his eyes.
Like a deflating ball, the old craftsman lost the will to live.
The craftsmen had traveled over vast distances to reach this steel fortress, and in truth, they had already prepared themselves to not go back.
Many of the craftsmen were extremely old, and they had many things that they needed to protect: relatives, friends, family.
“If the skin is no more, the fur will have nothing to attach to. For them, this is another kind of war.”
The old craftsman quickly departed, and the officer mentally sighed as he left to relay the retreat order to more people.
For many other people besides him, this night would be one of pain, despair, and deep reluctance.
But at this moment, all they could do was faithfully execute Wang Chong’s orders.
However, the land was covered in ice and snow. Where could they run to?
Hundreds of thousands of soldiers, together with the craftsmen, began to retreat. This was perhaps the largest retreat in the history of the Great Tang.
At this time, within the steel fortress, Wang Chong appeared to stop Genesis Supreme and An Lushan.
An Lushan gave a sinister smile, but his feet slid backward several hundred feet through the air, immediately creating distance between him and Wang Chong.
A beast at bay could still put up a desperate fight, and Wang Chong was now a desperate beast. An Lushan wanted nothing more than to end his grudge and kill Wang Chong himself, to see Wang Chong prostrate before him.
But Wang Chong’s original body was far too strong, and he was still capable of contending against Genesis Supreme. This was a major threat to An Lushan.
As for Genesis Supreme, his cold eyes were fixed on Wang Chong.
“Hahaha, Wang Chong, you also have days like these. Your defense line has fallen, so what do you have that can fight me?”
“This is all the mighty War Saint of the Great Tang amounts to! When you tried to kill me in the capital, you probably never imagined that there would be a day like this!”
Borrowing Genesis Supreme’s imposing manner, An Lushan mocked Wang Chong and derisively laughed.
Only the heavens knew how long he had waited for this day. Even if Wang Chong was called the War Saint by the world, what did it matter? What did it matter that he was above all the Great Generals since ancient times? Hadn’t he still lost to An Lushan?
If Wang Chong was the War Saint, then An Lushan could call himself a god.
“A rout like a landslide! Look at your men, all of them running like madmen. Is this how the War Saint commands his troops? This is all the War Saint can do, but alas, no matter how much time you try to buy, all of them will freeze to death. None of them can escape!”
An Lushan arrogantly laughed, venting all of the hatred and displeasure he had accumulated over the years.
Buzz!
As An Lushan spoke, a pair of cold eyes as sharp as swords glared at him, seeming to penetrate through and freeze An Lushan’s organs.
“Foolish clown, you still don’t have the right to speak these words to me,” Wang Chong coldly said.
An Lushan froze for a moment upon seeing Wang Chong’s threatening gaze, but he soon began to heartily laugh.
“Your death is imminent, but you still refuse to yield. The more unruly you are, the more of your men that will die for your arrogance.”
The times had changed, and Wang Chong was still trying to flaunt his strength? He had far too many ways to deal with this bastard.
“Don’t you care about the Great Tang? The people of the Central Plains regard you as a god, but alas, they entrusted their hopes to the wrong person. Relax. Once this battle is over, I will lead the alliance army down south and treat them well.
“The Central Plains has tens of millions of people. With the cold wave around and the food lacking, how can it be okay for the Central Plains to have so many people? At least half need to be killed. No… if we k
ill half, there will still be around ten million people. That’s still too much, hahaha…”
An Lushan brashly laughed.
“You’re seeking death!”
Upon hearing An Lushan’s words, Wang Chong’s eyes erupted with a dangerous light.
“Enough!”
At this moment, Genesis Supreme chose to speak.
Chapter 2235 - : Thunder Strike!
Chapter 2235: Thunder Strike!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Genesis Supreme didn’t mind An Lushan indulging in a little petty-minded flaunting, but everything had to be controlled to a certain degree. Wang Chong had yet to lose his fighting power, and angering him might cause him to risk some dangerous action. This was not a good thing for An Lushan.
“Hmph, blasphemer, you still will not concede? Even at this stage, you still think you have a chance?” Genesis Supreme coldly said.
“Even if you buy yourself some time, you will die all the same.”
The Tang army was in a full rout, but Wang Chong was leading his elite soldiers in charging into the fray. His intention was obvious.
But though he had seen through Wang Chong’s intentions, Genesis Supreme did not care.
To the gods, wars between human dynasties were like struggles between different ant hills. Victory and defeat were both meaningless.
What was most important was Heaven’s Purification Plan.
But regardless of how much time Wang Chong bought, all that awaited him was death.
“The final moment has yet to come, and everything remains unknown. Even if we have lost this battle, things definitely will not go your way. Even if we can’t escape, you will pay a price,” Wang Chong sternly said, his face determined and his body radiating a resolve to fight to the end.
But no matter what the time, even if it was the final moment, he would never easily give up. This had been true in the war of the southwest and the war of the northwest. Whether in the past or future, he would never give up!
“Hmph!”
An Lushan and his Youzhou generals all looked at Wang Chong with derision.