Chapter 452: Chapter 452
The armies of Jade Flower Sacred Land and Zixiao Sacred Land pursued from behind. All were reinforced with the Army’s Spirit state, moving rapidly in a vast formation that stretched for hundreds of miles.
Soon, the ruins of Zixiao Sacred Land returned to tranquility; aside from the scattered corpses, there was no sign of human life. The dense Evil Qi gradually faded. Pale moonlight quietly spread, illuminating the bloody battlefield. Fresh blood flowed like streams, pooling into rivers, revealing piles of corpses and the mournful wails of tormented souls.
A cold wind swept through, and the figures of Guo Jia and Soul Annihilation materialized, each standing atop a separate mountain peak, gazing westward.
Neither Guo Jia nor Soul Annihilation had any intention of making a move. They both knew well that the time for the decisive battle had not yet arrived.
Three hundred thousand li from Zixiao Territory, pairs of scarlet eyes suddenly appeared within the thick fog of a dense primeval forest.
Those eyes belonged to the soldiers of the Sand Army.
They remained silent, their faces etched with fatigue, yet their gazes were as determined as ever. Their morale was high, and their fighting spirit remained completely undiminished.
Their armor was caked with blood, and even their hair was stained a dark red. An intense Evil Qi emanated from them as they moved, as if they could slaughter all creation.
As they entered the forest, the chirping of birds, the roars of tigers, and the buzzing of insects all vanished, leaving only the sound of their heavy footsteps.
Huo Qubing walked at the head of the army. Gazing at his weary soldiers with a hint of pity, he carefully surveyed their surroundings before commanding in a solemn voice, "Pass the order: rest for a while! All units report your casualties!" Read complete versıon only at novel✶fire.net
"Yes, General!" The Sand Army soldiers visibly relaxed, sitting down on the ground and circulating their Cultivation Techniques to restore their Spiritual Energy.
The commanding officers of each army moved through the crowd, tallying the casualties.
An hour later, the casualty figures were compiled. Three hundred commanders, their faces heavy, came to report to Huo Qubing.
"Reporting, General! The First Army has 300 killed in action, over 150 seriously injured, and more than 2,000 with minor injuries!"
"Reporting, General! The Second Army has 637 killed in action, 96 seriously injured, and more than 1,500 with minor injuries!"
"Reporting, General..."
Each army originally comprised 10,000 men.
Hearing the reports from his subordinates, Huo Qubing clenched his fists, a flicker of pain in his eyes. These fine young men, in the prime of their youth, are gone forever. Their bodies are lost, and who knows if they can even be laid to rest in peace!
After all the commanders had reported, the Deputy General compiled the figures and announced in a mournful voice, "General, in this battle, a total of 136,098 men were killed in action, and 560,000 have lost their combat capability!"
"I understand!" Boundless killing intent surged in Huo Qubing’s eyes.
Just as he was about to speak, powerful auras swept in from outside the primeval forest, startling birds into flight and sending countless wild beasts fleeing in panic.
The resting Sand Army soldiers all opened their eyes and gripped their weapons. The enemy had arrived!
How did they get here so quickly? Huo Qubing’s expression shifted. He had ordered the rest precisely because he was sure the enemy wouldn’t catch up for a while. But barely any time had passed!
Suddenly, as if remembering something, he looked up towards the sky. Within the dark clouds, he sensed a powerful yet indistinct aura. An expert from the Eternal Temple! Huo Qubing gritted his teeth, instantly understanding how the enemy had managed to catch up.
"Pass the order! Continue the retreat!"
Although he now understood why, Huo Qubing felt helpless. The army was exhausted and incapable of organizing a large-scale battle. Even if he risked his life to kill the expert from the Eternal Temple, they would still be trapped by the pursuing enemy forces, resulting in a devastating outcome for both sides.
All I can do now is buy time! Delaying the armies of the Jade Flower Sacred Land and the Thousand Demon Sacred Land will be our greatest victory! For now, we must endure and evade! The moment victory is secured on the other two fronts will be the time for our counterattack!
Above the Nine Heavens, a shadowy figure in a black cloak lurked in the darkness, closely watching every movement of the Sand Army.
「Qin Army Camp, Wanshan Territory.」
Within the central command tent, Zhao Yun, clad in a silver helmet, sat in the commander’s chair. He carefully perused the battle report from the central front, his face filled with heartfelt admiration.
"To venture deep into the tiger’s den and shape the fate of both north and south!" he murmured. "General Huo truly deserves the highest merit for this victory!"
The battle report detailed Huo Qubing’s military intentions.
With a single army under his command, he first aimed to annihilate Zixiao Sacred Land, then tie down the main forces of Jade Flower Sacred Land and Thousand Demon Sacred Land, all while also drawing the attention of the Eternal Temple’s experts.
Even though he wasn’t there himself, Zhao Yun could feel the suffocating pressure of the situation. The slightest misstep would have meant the annihilation of the entire army.
Brother, you must hold on! I will end this battle as quickly as possible! Zhao Yun set down the battle report, his face hardening with killing intent.
He had to quickly besiege the Thousand Demon Saint’s Court and conclude the battle on the northern front. Then, he would lead his forces south to rendezvous with Huo Qubing and confront the experts of the Eternal Temple together.
Besides, they had already tarried in Wanshan Territory for far too long!
"Azure Dragon Army, Vermilion Bird Army, assemble!" Zhao Yun rose to his feet and commanded, his powerful voice echoing over the camp, scattering the dense clouds above.
The rhythmic sound of marching feet thundered. Hearing the command, the resting soldiers of the Azure Dragon and Vermilion Bird Armies swiftly assembled. Evil Qi emanated from the weapons in their hands, and they stood arrayed like a forest of spears.
Two formidable auras billowed forth, obscuring the sky and shaking the very heavens.
His left hand resting on the hilt of his sword, Zhao Yun strode out of the command tent. By the time he reached the inspection platform, the armies had already formed ranks.
"Warriors!" Zhao Yun shouted, his voice ringing out. "We face formidable enemies on the central front! We must crush the Thousand Demon Saint’s Court in the shortest possible time, then reinforce our brother corps! Tell me, do you have the confidence to do it?"
"WE DO! WE DO! WE DO!"
"FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!"
"GREAT WIND! GREAT WIND! GREAT WIND!"
The soldiers of the two armies roared, brandishing their killing weapons, their momentum like crashing thunder.
"March!" Having ignited their fighting spirit, Zhao Yun drew his war spear. A silver dragon seemed to tear through the air, instantly crossing ten thousand li of the Void.
The soldiers of the Azure Dragon and Vermilion Bird Armies roared, condensing their Army’s Spirit as they rapidly advanced towards Wanshan Territory. Their morale soared, as if they possessed the power to command the sun and moon themselves.
Meanwhile, deep within Wanshan Territory, Wang Jian, sword in his right hand, channeled the power of the Black Tortoise Army’s Spirit. He condensed a colossal Sword Qi that then shattered a giant mountain.
The heavens seemed to collapse and the earth to crack. Shattered rock flew high into the air, and dust billowed out in all directions, obscuring the view.
The area covered by the ’Wanshan Grand Array’ had shrunk once more.
"Only two thousand mountain peaks left!" With his troops on defense, Lv Bu flew high into the air, Sky Piercing Halberd on his shoulder, a smile on his face.
After this period of sustained attacks, over 8,000 mountain peaks had been leveled. Regions once considered forbidden zones by the human race—treacherous mountains and perilous waters—were now transformed into smooth, open paths.
"With one more concerted effort, we should be able to clear out all of Wanshan Territory within half a month!" Wang Jian said with a smile.
He had barely finished speaking when two terrifying auras surged from behind them. The Azure Dragon Army’s Spirit loomed vast, and the Vermilion Bird Army’s Spirit blazed with world-scorching intensity.
Turning his head to look, Lv Bu was puzzled. "Aren’t we supposed to be attacking today?"
"The plan might have changed!" Wang Jian said solemnly.
"General Zhao has issued an order!" a messenger shouted as he flew into the sky, waving a command flag. "Deploy the Four Divine Beasts Army Formation and sweep through Wanshan Territory!"
Hearing the command, both Lv Bu’s and Wang Jian’s eyes lit up, their hearts pounding with excitement. They simultaneously issued their own orders:
"White Tiger Army, to formation!"
"Black Tortoise Army, to formation!"