A sumptuous goose yellow robe set off her noble character even more. As the first ruler of the Spirit Empire, she was facing the most important battle in her life.
On either side of Bibi Dong stood four grave mannered elders. They included the Blowfish Douluo and Serpent Spear Douluo Tang San had once met. These eight had a manner that the officers behind them couldn’t compare to by far. With their existence, plus Bibi Dong herself, they had an imposing manner that didn’t even lose to the million man army stretching out across the field fifty li away.
“Reporting to Your Majesty, the Heaven Dou Imperial Army has already been camped for two days, their rest should be complete, and they will definitely begin to move shortly.”
One tall, sixty something elder deferentially reported to Bibi Dong.
Bibi Dong nodded,
“How is our military situation?”
“The three armies have high morale, the spirit master legions are ready, we are ready to break the enemy.”
Bibi Dong spoke calmly:
“Is there news from the raiding parties? They’ve already been gone for two days.”
“None.”
“Wait. When there is news, report to me immediately.”
“Yes.”
“Report——”
Just at this moment, an orderly swiftly ran over. From the way he moved, it was clear this orderly was a quite strong spirit master.”
“What are you panicking for? What is it?”
Bibi Dong turned her gaze to that orderly. This was an exclusive Spirit Hall scout answering directly to her. The power of Spirit Hall could be said to be the foundation of the Spirit Empire, and Bibi Dong would naturally keep this power firmly in her grasp.
“Reporting to Your Majesty. There’s news of our raiding parties.”
“Oh?”
Bibi Dong’s eyes flashed,
“How is it?”
“Your, Your Majesty……”
The orderly slowed, raising his head to look at Bibi Dong, not quite daring to speak.
“Speak——”
Bibi Dong’s eyes radiated light, and her sharp shout almost made the orderly collapse on the ground.
“Yes. It’s, of ten raiding parties, less than thirty people have return alive. By their reports, the other members have already, already……”
“Already what?”
An unreassuring feeling rose in Bibi Dong’s heart. With a wave of her right hand, an incorporeal spirit power instantly grabbed that orderly.
“Have already died for the nation……”
“What?”
Bibi Dong’s expression changed, sharply pulling the orderly close to her,
“Tell me the details.”
“People only returned from four of the ten raiding parties, and they’re all heavily wounded. They said they were ambushed by powerful Heaven Dou Empire spirit masters, should be Title Douluo level powers. There is no news of the other six raiding parties, I fear they’ve already been completely wiped out.”
“Could they burn the Heaven Dou Empire’s rear supply line provisions?”
“No? They didn’t even see the supplies before they were ambushed. The enemy was extremely powerful, four people. Among them was one female spirit master from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, but she had eight spirit rings. WIth her support, the other three, also spirit masters with eight rings, all reached the Title Douluo level of strength. The raiding parties couldn’t resist.”
Bibi Dong’s breathing was clearly a bit uneven. Releasing the orderly, her eyes flashed. Behind her, a relatively old Title Douluo spoke in a low voice:
“Your Majesty, where did Heaven Dou Empire get so many powers from? The teams we sent were all rank sixty Spirit Emperor experts and up. There was even one team led by Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan. Something’s strange here!”
Bibi Dong could still keep calm, showing her bearing as Empress. If she showed confusion now, the fighting spirit of all those high ranked officers from the kingdoms and duchies would drop even more.
“Elder Tian Feng, you go. Question the returning spirit masters in detail. Also, go see if Yue Guan is back. Above all, you must ask them about the spirits and spirit abilities of the four people that attacked them.”
“Yes.”
Elder Tian Feng quickly walked away.
Bibi Dong gazed at the distant vast Heaven Dou camp, her expression changing repeatedly. Even if Spirit Hall had numerous experts, these ten raiding parties were absolutely the elite of Spirit Hall’s elite. An ordinary spirit master who had reached rank sixty or above was at least fifty years old. Those with good aptitude would be forty. Rank seventy Spirit Sages, rank eighty Spirit Douluo, were even more a thousand li distant. This one loss was difficult to bear even for the spirit master founders of the Spirit Empire.
The Heaven Dou Empire really had come prepared! Bibi Dong’s eyes glinted with cold light. It seemed she might not be able to compete with the Heaven Dou Empire in stratagems. This powerful enemy that had for so many years dominated the Continent together with Star Luo, really had a depth in military strategy that her improvised alliance could measure up to.
“Pass on my orders. Recall all scout troops, focus on investigating the Heaven Dou Imperial Army camp, pay close attention to the movements of their spirit masters. At the same time, send orders to Shuiyun Pass[2] not to go into battle. Place all strength on defense, and don’t confront the Star Luo Empire head on. Until I’ve routed the Heaven Dou Empire.”
“Yes.”
“Heaven Dou Empire, if I’m not your opponent in ambushing, then we will fight head on. I’d like to see just how you block my ten thousand unit spirit master legions.”
……
Meanwhile, Tang San had also returned with his comrades to the Heaven Dou Empire camp. With the Speed Hall disciples’ tireless scouting, after cleaning up those ten raiding parties, there had been no signs of more enemies. Tang San had promptly decided to send Speed Hall disciples to warn the rear logistics army, and then returned to the camp.
“Haha, little San, this time Bibi Dong might even be in tears. Sending five hundred spirit masters, but barely a handful returning, and these spirit masters should also be the Spirit Empire’s elites. It seems to me that it might be very difficult even for them to send another party. Unless they aren’t planning to fight our army.”
Dai Mubai was in an excellent mood. Even though the more than thirty survivors all escaped from him, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong and Oscar’s interceptions, while Tang San completely annihilated all opponents, he still felt excellent. He hadn’t fought so happily for years, and they had destroyed the Spirit Empire’s most powerful force. This one strike would undoubtedly leave the Spirit Empire wishing they were dead.”
Tang San said:
“Bibi Dong shouldn’t be sending an more troops at our supplies for now. I expect that since her ambushing won’t do, she’ll definitely try fighting head on. If our army is defeated in this battle, then she’s bound to send attacks daily, relying on the spirit master legions to constantly consume our strength. If she fails, she will hole up in Jialing Pass and think of something else.”
Dai Mubai said:
“This battle is the Heaven Dou Empire’s business, we just have to worry about the Spirit Empire’s spirit masters. I just don’t know whether our Tang Sect’s hidden weapons can harm their spirit master legions.”
Tang San smiled slightly:
“I’m a bt worried too, that’s why I was in a rush to return. I hope there won’t be any trouble. Otherwise our years of preparations are useless. Even though Spirit Hall has numerous spirit masters, that’s still mainly low level spirit masters. We will doubtless cause them the greatest losses in this first battle. We have to exploit this chance to let our Tang Army seriously injure the Spirit Empire. I’ll go find Xue Beng and discuss the plans for the next battle and see how they’ve planned to face the Spirit Empire. Works well. One can never know too much, if I’d read a bit on t
he art of war before, I wouldn’t be so puzzled now.”
Oscar snapped:
“Little San, you already know more than enough. If you know everything and become omniscient, we can’t keep up with you.”
Tang San’s heard moved:
“Little Ao, you’ve already reached the Spirit Douluo level now. There might not be any food type spirit masters at your level on the entire Continent. When you make us big recovery sausages, that’s just the first spirit ability, but you still have to make them one by one? Didn’t you say that a Spirit Douluo level food type spirit master can feed an army of thousands? And even an army of tens of thousands at the Title Douluo level. How is that possible when you make them one by one?”
Oscar said a bit proudly:
“You don’t understand that. The big recovery sausages I make for us are the highly concentrated editions. Don’t tell me you haven’t felt that from the first big recovery sausages you ate until now, the sausages have all been the same? That isn’t the effect of the big recovery sausage, but rather the focused spirit power I made for you. If it’s just for the most basic level of recovery, I could produce countless in the blink of an eye.”
Tang San understood:
“So that’s it. Then can you mass produce flying mushroom sausages?”
Oscar said:
“Depends on the quantity. Flying mushroom sausages don’t keep for very long, you know that too. Even if I’m already above rank eighty, my flying mushroom sausages will still only keep for at most ten days. The most basic flying mushroom sausage made with my ability, plus using the Erect Gold Fly, should be useful for ten minutes of flight. In one day, with my full strength, making one thousand five hundred isn’t much of a problem.”
Sensing the increasingly admiring gazes of his comrades, Oscar couldn’t help being even more proud, adding:
“That’s without Rongrong’s help. If I have Rongrong’s boost, doubling the production rate isn’t a problem. This big brother is amazing.”
Tang San exclaimed:
“Really amazing. No wonder Teacher says that the more difficult the spirit is to cultivate, the more frightening it will be at high levels. It seems there’s still no food type Title Douluo in the world. Little Ao, this flying mushroom sausage can completely help us forge an ambush! Only, no matter what, it will have to wait until the battle with the Spirit Empire really starts.”
[1] Blue Silver Sky Blue Dragon’s Soul - (蓝银天青龙之魂)
[2] Shuiyun Pass - (水云关) “Water Cloud Pass”
Chapter 277: Sky Blue Fading Thunderclap
Early morning, without clouds as far as the eye could see, a warm breeze, a deep breath filling one’s lungs with fresh air.
The Heaven Dou Empire’s almost hundred li long camp sprawled like a mythical beast fifty li away from Jialing Pass. At dawn, just after an early breakfast, the army assembled with thundering battle drums.
One square formation after another appeared outside of the camp, each enormous square holding ten thousand people. Along with orders passed from the central army, a hundred thousand Heaven Dou Empire soldiers slowly marched forward. That was a full ten heavy armored cavalry legions, and also all the heavy cavalry the Heaven Dou Empire had brought this time. These were true steel heroes. They didn’t advance quickly, but that enormous force made the ground tremble.
Following closely behind the heavy cavalry were the Heaven Dou Empire’s four thousand spirit masters, escorted onto the battlefield by the twelve thousand strong Tang Army.
By appearance, the Tang Army just looked like light cavalry guarding them, and on an ordinary battlefield, it would also be all light cavalry fighting alongside the spirit masters, enough to show the advantages of speed.
Behind them came another ten light cavalry legions, rushing out on the two wings. For the first battle with the Spirit Empire, the Heaven Dou Empire’s side had actually sent all cavalry. Even those spirit masters were mounted. Relying mainly on heavy cavalry, they could charge at will and guard the retreat.
Up on Jialing Pass, Bibi Dong sneered,
“The Heaven Dou Empire is afraid. All cavalry can indeed easily attack or retreat, but that’s on a conventional battlefield. Don’t tell me they can somehow show the advantage of the cavalry when they clash with my spirit master legions? Pass down my command. The eight heavy cavalry and heavy infantry legions form up in the front, Sacred Dragon Legion, sortie.”
The four gates of Jialing Pass opened almost simultaneously, four great drawbridges lowering with the clattering of chains to bridge the fifty meter moat. With clanking armor, large numbers of heavy armored soldiers swiftly rushed out of Jialing Pass.
Only, Looking at their formations, while they were all heavy armored legions, these Jialing Pass heavy troops wasn’t arrayed as neatly as the Heaven Dou Empire’s heavy cavalry.
First of all, since they came from different kingdoms and duchies, their armors were all of different standards. Compared to the Heaven Dou Empire’s black armor, the Spirit Empire’s heavy troops had at least ten differently colored armors. The speed with which they formed formations was also much slower. Clearly their training within the Spirit Empire wasn’t completed.
Altogether four heavy cavalry legions and four heavy infantry legions, this was already the majority of the entire Spirit Empire’s heavy legions. Because the other pass facing the Star Luo Empire’s attack was mainly focused on defense, they weren’t assigned any heavy units.
The Heaven Dou Empire’s two hundred thousand strong army came to a halt when it was still twenty li away from Jialing Pass. Ten heavy cavalry legions formed up in a straight line, opening a passage in the middle. Guarded by the Tang Army, in actuality more than six thousand spirit masters advanced, only the more than two thousand spirit masters of the Tang Sect were all dressed exactly the same as the Tang Army. The light cavalry spread out on the wings on either side, taking down longbows from their backs. They were actually all cavalry archers.
On the other side, the Spirit Empire’s eight legions were directly arranged in front of the pass, and immediately after, a ten thousand man strong army rushed out from the pass. They weren’t mounted, all advancing on foot. But they didn’t move any slower than speeding horses. These ten thousand men actually formed up in a line in front of Jialing Pass, all wearing light fighting gear. Their clothes were decorated with patterns of golden thread, and on banners waving behind them were two large golden words, Sacred Dragon.
Grandmaster and Tang San stood side by side, and together with them was also that marshal Ge Long.
Marshal Ge Long waved his hand,
“Army advance. Cavalry archers ready, after entering the ten li range, launch crossfire.”
Tang San simultaneously also passed down orders to the Tang Army,
“Check crossbows. Wind mechanisms.”
With sonorous clangs, the Tang Army quietly took down the Godly Zhuge Crossbows on their backs. Placing them level on their saddles, they quickly inspected the weapons, especially the condition of the loaded arrows and the mechanism. After completing the inspection, they immediately readied them.
Banners fluttered in the wind. Behind them, Heaven Dou emperor Xue Beng personally commanded two hundred thousand men to bring up the rear.
The distance between both sides constantly shrank. When ten li still remained, the light cavalry legions on the Heaven Dou Empire’s side reacted. Ten light cavalry legions set off simultaneously, tens of thousands of hooves pounding the ground, charging straight at Jialing Pass.
On the Spirit Empire’s side, the two heavy infantry legions closest to the Sacred Dragon Legion quickly closed, blocking in front of the Sacred Dragon Legion, wielding giant shields.
Up on Jialing Pass, Bibi Dong couldn’t help frowning when she saw a hundred thousand light cavalry charging,
“Do these Heaven Dou Empire fellows want to commit suicide?”
Even though she didn’t know much of the art of war, she still knew that there could
only be one result of light cavalry charging heavy cavalry and heavy infantry, especially when there wasn’t much of a numerical difference between both sides. It was simply no different from suicide. Even if these light cavalry was attacking with bow and arrow, what faced them was still all heavy cavalry and infantry. Bow and arrow was practically useless. There wasn’t even a need for her Sacred Dragon Legion to move.
While Bibi Dong was puzzled, the Heaven Dou Empire’s light cavalry legions had already arrived. When they were still one li away from the Spirit Empire side they instantly changed directions, nocking arrows, and with whooshing sounds, countless arrows flew towards the Spirit Empire legions.
The majority loosed volleys. At this distance, and when their target was ninety thousand enemy troops, there was basically no need to aim. As intended by the light cavalry, the majority of the arrows were shot towards the Sacred Dragon Legion. The heavy infantry blocked in front of them, but they could do nothing against arrows falling from above.
One volley complete, the light cavalry didn’t pause. One curve of rising dust after another, they relied on swift horses to directly slip past the flanks and returned to their original positions.
It was one volley, but that was a hundred thousand arrows! The ten Heaven Dou Empire light cavalry legions suitably revealed their high quality before the Spirit Empire. As the hundred thousand strong army shot one wave of arrows, their formation barely shifted. As they circled around, returning to their own side, the Heaven Dou Empire army had already pushed forward five li. Under cover of the rising dust, they seemed like ghosts, teleporting into their new positions.
Bibi Dong sighed to herself, calmly asking:
“Can our light cavalry perform at this level?”
The light cavalry generals standing behind her each and everyone kept quiet out of fear. Not one dared utter a word.
“Didn’t you tell me that the Heaven Dou Empire is as unreliable as a sheet of sand. The troops lazy, mostly names filling out the payroll? This is a carried army? Then what are you?”
Watching those ten light cavalry legions show off their strength in neat formations, even if they couldn’t seriously harm the Sacred Dragon Legion’s spirit masters or their heavy troops, it was undoubtedly an enormous blow to the Spirit Empire’s morale. Bibi Dong understood that she wasn’t the only one who had been patient these years, the Heaven Dou Empire had equally endured. According to previous estimations, the Heaven Dou Imperial Army would be less than six hundred thousand, and the majority without real combat strength. But this? Arranged before her was an excellently trained and suitably supplied army of millions. Even if the Heaven Dou Empire’s military strength was compared to the Star Luo Empire, there wouldn’t be much difference.
Douluo Dalu - Volume 01-48 Page 476