Chapter 531: The Swordfanged Beast,Jiaosiluo!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
As wave after wave of energy surged through his body, Wang Chong felt an unprecedented pleasure. This was war. The Stone of Destiny might not have been able to immediately give him power, but it seemed like it had been made for war.
He was still the War Saint!
And only war could grant him that most powerful strength.
At this moment, Wang Chong's mind was crystal-clear.
"All forces, advance!"
Seeing the Tibetan army in chaos, Wang Chong put aside tactics and strategy, giving the order for a full assault. The Tibetans were already crumbling, and an army in turmoil could pose no threat to the Great Tang. Everything Wang Chong had done was to prepare for a full offense, to put the enemy army under an enormous pressure.
He wanted their army to be completely wiped out and beaten into the ground.
Rumble! Once Wang Chong issued his order, the two armies in the northeast and southeast transformed into an avalanche, relinquishing all defense and beginning an all-out assault. The shield soldiers, axemen, spearmen, and all the other soldiers charged forward.
"Aaaaah!"
Screams filled the air as horses thudded to the ground. In both the northeast and southeast, the Tibetans had truly fallen into a complete rout.
"Congratulations to user for killing 31977 Tibetans!"
"Congratulations to user for killing 33455 Tibetans!"
"Congratulations to user for killing 36703 Tibetans!"
"Congratulations to user for killing 39911 Tibetans!"
In a few short moments, a string of messages built up like a rolling snowball in Wang Chong's mind. Now that Wang Chong had committed the entire Annan Protectorate army and his Bane of the Battlefield, the Tibetan army was truly being routed in a landslide, their casualties rapidly rising.
Thin streams of energy, as numerous as the hairs on a bull, surged across space-time toward the summit.
"Success!"
Wang Chong clenched his fists as he spread his arms apart, his mind raging with emotions. The Tibetan army numbered from seventy to eighty thousand. With the amount of soldiers he had crushed in the northeast and southeast, their army could no longer pose a threat to him.
"Damn it!"
Suddenly, a furious bellow filled with a murderous intent exploded over the summit like a clap of thunder. This voice clearly came from afar, yet it also sounded like it was right next to his ear. Wang Chong cringed, but before he could react, he heard a massive boom from the mountain below.
"Aaaaah!"
There was a fierce explosion that sent waves of energy in every direction. Midway up the mountain, where the Annan Protectorate army's attack was most intense and also where the Tibetan casualties were greatest, a massive energy burst out. Several dozen charging Tang cavalry screamed as they were sent flying with their horses.
In a flash, a massive hole had been opened in the dense ranks of the Annan Protectorate army.
"This is…!!"
Wang Chong's eyes widened as he instantly saw a muscular figure standing in that gap, glaring at him from the distance. This stare was so cold and murderous that it chilled Wang Chong to the bones.
But it was only for an instant, as that figure vanished. It was so quick that it seemed like an illusion.
Roar!
The wind suddenly howled, and the heaven-shaking roar of a tiger resounded in everyone's ears. Space began to twist in that gap in the ranks as the image of a white tiger as large as a small mountain manifested. A primitive, ancient, ruthless, and ferocious energy surged out, traveling where it pleased.
No!
This was no mere image!
Bang! Four claws struck down as a massive white tiger appeared in the middle of the Annan Protectorate army, more than three zhang high and around seven zhang long. This white tiger's muscles were bursting with a destructive energy.
A massive Halo of Thorns, perfect and pristine, sparkled under the white tiger's feet, perfectly complementing the metallic totems and mysterious tattoos on its back. The tiger exuded an aura of mystery that harkened to a bygone era.
Roar!
Its cold gaze locked on the summit as the white tiger swept its claws, sending five or six Great Tang cavalry flying like they were mere pebbles. And with a casual sweep of its tail, the entire formation collapsed.
"Not good—it's the Swordfanged Beast, Jiaosiluo!" Chen Shusun said with a grave voice as he drew his saber and stepped in front of Wang Chong.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
At almost the same time, the bodyguards on the summit pulled out their own sabers and swords and formed ranks, standing with solemn expressions in front of Wang Chong.
The job of bodyguards was to protect the general, so they did not take part in the battle.
The safety of the commander-in-chief far outweighed the loss of a single soldier!
Roooaaar!
Roars like the ringing of bells resonated over the peak, scattering the misty rain. The entire mountain range trembled under the tiger's roars, countless pieces of gravel and stone rolling down the slopes.
"Kill!"
"Milord is here!"
"Follow General!"
"Kiiiill!"
Midway up the mountain, Jiaosiluo's presence immediately made an impact. The Tibetan morale had already been at its nadir, and the geography was extremely disadvantageous to them. But now, it seemed like they had been given a shot in the arm. All of them rallied, roared, and followed Jiaosiluo in a counterattack against the Tang army.
The strength of a Profound Martial realm expert was difficult to fathom, and the white tiger that was the transformed Jiaosiluo charged straight toward the summit, sweeping away everything before it. The Tibetan cavalry following close behind continued to amplify the results. A gap that was only four or five zhang wide had suddenly became a fatal gap in the formations of the northeast and southeast.
The situation had suddenly become grim for the Tang army.
"Milord, what should we do?"
"If this continues, our entire army will be routed, and victory will become defeat!"
"We should first consider Milord's safety! Jiaosiluo is moving too quickly!"
"He's coming for Milord. If something happens to Milord, morale will crumble and our defeat will be assured!"
The earth rumbled nonstop, the massive white tiger moving far too quickly to stop. In just a few moments, several hundred Tang soldiers had been sent flying, either dead or severely injured. Even the people on the summit who were only spectating were stunned.
Even worse was that Jiaosiluo's goal was clearly where they were, the summit!
Everyone felt danger, the smell of death.
Young Master?
Chen Shusun said nothing, but he looked at Wang Chong with a questioning gaze. From a general's standpoint, Wang Chong naturally couldn't retreat. If the commander-in-chief retreated, the army would immediately collapse without any need for Jiaosiluo to intervene. But if Wang Chong remained on the summit, he would be in great peril. Moreover, as a subordinate to two generations of the Wang Clan, Chen Shusun had a very deep affection for it and everything related to it, so he did not wish for anything to happen to Wang Chong.
"There's no need!"
Wang Chong's gaze flitted around, but he very quickly waved off these implorations.
"If the army is routed, the only thing awaiting us will be death. Moreover, even if we can't kill him, that doesn't mean we need to put everything on the line. This isn't what I'm worried about right now. Everyone, keep an eye on the surroundings. Since Jiaosiluo has appeared, Fengjiayi isn't far behind! This is the person that we need to be careful about."
These words immediately caused the expressions of the surrounding soldiers to change, and Chen Shusun felt his heart sinking.
One Jiaosiluo was already hard enough to deal with. If he worked with Fengjiayi, who would be a match for them? Chen Shusun had originally wanted to defend, but right now, he was beginning to lean toward retreat. This was no longer a question of defending, but of whether they wanted to wait for their deaths or not.
"Young Master, if this is the case, we might have to retreat!" Chen Shusun said with a grimace.
"Haha, that's not necessary right now. Don't forget, weren't Jiaosiluo and Fengjiayi originally in my father's area? There's no way Father wouldn't notice Jiaosiluo's sudden disappearance! Uncle Chen, have the drummers send the signal. In addition, send the ballistae over!" Wang Chong waved his hand and spoke with a confident tone.
Ballistae were essentially useless once the troops had clashed, but they might still be effective against a powerful foe like Jiaosiluo. Moreover, the white tiger was a massive target.
It took only a few moments!
As Wang Chong was speaking, the battle in the mountains below was reaching a critical juncture.
Boomboomboom!
The northeast lines had been thrown into chaos by Jiaosiluo, but everyone had also noticed what Jiaosiluo's goal was. After all, he was making no attempts to hide his goal, driving forward in a straight line, knocking away all the Tang soldiers who dared to stand in his way.
"Protect Milord!"
"Even if we have to die, we can't let him get close to the summit!"
"Everyone, listen to my order! Anyone who retreats will die!"
In the army, all the officers grew extremely nervous, their eyes becoming bloodshot. If the commander-in-chief were killed and the banner cut down, the army would completely collapse. This was no longer a problem of protecting Wang Chong alone. Given the current state of the Annan Protectorate army, if such a thing really did happen, there would be no chance of survival.
The land of the southwest would be their final grave!
"Sixth and Seventh Square Formations, retreat and assume Turtle Shell Formation! Passive defense!
"Master archers, free fire! After three volleys, all archers should withdraw to the southwest!" Wang Chong suddenly said.
Master archers were not very strong in close combat. If Jiaosiluo made it to the summit, the master archers would truly be just lambs waiting to be slaughtered.
Bangbangbang!
Dense volleys of arrows whistled down. Even in this chaotic battle, the master archers were unaffected, all of their arrows flying toward their targets. But to their surprise, when those arrows were still several zhang from that massive tiger, they were stopped in midair as if running into some invisible wall of air.
"Hahaha, I don't care if you're Wang Fu or somebody else, but you're too naive if you think such a method could work against me!"
The derisive laughter rumbled like thunder in the skies. Even at this distance, Wang Chong could still see that sneering look in the white tiger's eyes. In that moment, he had a very bad feeling.