Chapter 919 - Collapsed With a Loud Bang
Translated by: Berrrybunz
Edited by: TN and DeAndreR
Mu Zhi Xia stood with a grave and stern expression, like a rock that had been eroded by the wind, his appearance was one of hardships, but his interior was still as unshakeable as before. This was the most familiar expression the soldiers knew, one without warmth, one that would constantly remind them of the years of snow and hardship in Wei Ye Guan Continent.
But it was the face that made them feel safe.
Everyone gasped for breath and rested on the boulders, maintaining silence and recovering their strength. The worrying battle progress and the strength of the enemy had formed a heavy pressure that choked all of them, but the determination on their faces never wavered.
After recovering slightly, they started to clean their swords. Affected by Mu Zhi Xia, the soldiers under him loved their ceremonial swords, to the point that all their designs were the same. But they were the Number One Great General's direct subordinated army, although their designs were of ceremonial swords, they were made with precious materials and Temple's most advanced refinement techniques. The cost of manufacturing one was exorbitant.
In the black market, one of these ceremonial swords was priceless, and was a treasure that countless of people sought after.
They were all treasures, with its greatest feature being its durability. These swords could withstand immense intensity of attacks without being cracked. In the history of his army, there had never been an instance where a sword had suffered damage before.
But at that moment, every single sword in their hands were laced with cracks and flaws that could be seen.
The soldiers had pain in their eyes, even their wiping actions were extremely gentle. In their eyes, the swords had been their longest companions, accompanying them day and night.
They had never thought that there would be a day where their closest and most trustworthy companion would be injured.
~Aren't you made out of the most precious materials of Temple? Aren't you made out of the most advanced techniques? Why are you hurt?~
At the beginning, after every battle, there would be wails of disbelief. But as the number of battles increased, their understanding towards their enemies became deeper, and they no longer cried out in surprise.
Just like how they never ever thought that
there would be an army as strong as they were, and there would be a military general that was not inferior to their master in terms of wit and might.
The Southern Cross Army, a name unknown to all of them. The Master had told them, the army belonged to the Southern Alliance. The soldiers had never heard of the Southern Cross Army, but they knew of the Southern Alliance, although they had stood guard in the Wei Ye Guan Continent for a long time and did not participate in the Southern Expedition, they were not unfamiliar with the name, Southern Alliance.
~But, is the Southern Alliance really that strong?~
That was the doubt they had, ~If the Southern Alliance holds such a powerful army, how is it possible that they are losing and retreating in the main battlefield?~
Alright, that is already old news. They were oblivious to the latest battle situation. Their connection to Temple had been severed, and they stood in the Savage Continent without any support.
It had to be said, they were overly optimistic before setting off, and the largest variable in the equation was the Southern Cross Army. No one had thought that in the barren Savage Continent, there would actually be a Southern Cross Army, what's more, a Mechanical Army, furthermore, they were extremely powerful.
Their battle plans had long failed, and not only did they not find the Goddess of War, they were stuck in a tangle with the Southern Cross Army. They did not dare return from where they arrived from, because once the Star Door to the Wei Ye Guan Continent was exposed, the Wei Ye Guan Continent would immediately become a dangerous location. Furthermore, with the Southern Cross Army stuck right to their backs, they were never given an opportunity to regroup and defend.
The Savage Army was extremely huge and overwhelming, but Mu Zhi Xia was not worried. On usual days, he took training very seriously, and before moving out, he had instructed the military generals in defense to exercise caution. The Wei Ye Guan Continent's layout was created by Mu Zhi Xia, and he was clear of its durability.
As long as they held up for the initial phase, Temple would definitely send people for reinforcements, and Mu Zhi Xia knew that it would be Jia Ya even with his eyes closed. Who was stronger in defense compared to Jia Ya?
Ya? And where else but the Wei Ye Guan Continent that could be the perfect battlefield for Jia Ya?
~Jia Ya should already be in control of the Wei Ye Guan Continent~, Mu Zhi Xia assessed and made the judgement.
~With Jia Ya stationed there, the Wei Ye Guan Continent is unbreakable.~
Mu Zhi Xia threw the problem of the Wei Ye Guan Continent to the back of his mind, and started to consider about his current predicament.
The Southern Cross Army's strength had exceeded his expectations, he had never thought that his own army would suffer so heavily. The disadvantage was that they were in the Savage Continent, where every tribe were enemies with him, but it was the opposite for the Southern Cross Army.
He had to bring his own army back, not only because he viewed every soldier as his nephew, not only because he had built deep emotions with the army, but because Temple needed them, Temple needed Mu Zhi Xia's Army!
It could be said that the Southern Cross Army had caught Mu Zhi Xia off guard and broke all of his plans, causing him to fall into a passive state. But he did not lose his rationality and judgement despite being trapped.
~They cannot be defeated in the Savage Continent.~
Mu Zhi Xia used various methods to throw the Southern Cross Army off his tail. But the enemy's General was so cunning and experienced that it surprised him, his disguises, and feints had all failed. The enemy was always able to see through his plan, and every time, he felt as if he was wearing a reflective shirt that reflected the sunlight, revealing their own position.
He had a misconception that the enemy was an old fox that had gone through ten thousand battles, and relied on his abundant experience. Mu Zhi Xia was greatly puzzled by his misconception, ~regardless of the Sacred Saint Galaxy or Heaven's Road, there hasn't been a great war, how can such an old freak appear.~
Mu Zhi Xia tragically realized that regardless of tactics or battle abilities, the enemy was stronger than him.
He still had an extremely deep impression of the cross light aura that dazzled and created the largest setback for them.
~What should I do?~
Mu Zhi Xia suddenly realized he did not know what to do. He was suddenly roused, his back had unknowingly
had unknowingly formed a layer of perspiration. He knew that he was completely suppressed in all aspects, leading to his imbalance mentality.
He smiled bitterly.
He had never expected that there would still be an existence in the world that could suppress him in all aspects, leading to his disorientation. ~This is a bad omen, it means that my confidence is wavering~ he warned himself.
Although he was completely suppressed, he still struggled to inflict a wound on his enemies. Although his confidence had wavered, he struggled to control the situation and prevented it from collapsing.
His pupils regained clarity, he had always been a resolute and tenacious man, and the setback did not cause him to lose his courage.
He summoned his generals, and called for a short meeting. Through the frequency of the attacks launched by the enemy, he did not even have the time to gasp for breath, and Mu Zhi Xia reckoned that the next wave would be soon. That was another point that Mu Zhi Xia felt was inconceivable, his army had trained extremely harshly and their toughness were unfathomable and could not be compared to. But even on this point, the enemy was still stronger.
The only thing that consoled Mu Zhi Xia was that under the immense pressure, their growth was equally stunning.
At the beginning, they were in terrible shape, and their casualties were alarming. But as time passed, they were still in terrible shape, but occasionally, they could counterattack, and their casualties lessened. If the Southern Cross Army did not belong to the Southern Alliance, Mu Zhi Xia thought that being able to fight with them was not a bad thing.
"Pay attention to our flanks, the last time, we suffered because there was no protection to our flanks. The reason is not because we did not view it heavily, but because we came apart. I will repeat myself, the duration that we can be apart is about six seconds, give or take. If it were in the past, it would not be considered a flaw, but our enemies are experts. Six seconds is enough for them to launch an attack. They are proficient in assaults, which is what we need to avoid. Remember, once the battle begins, do not give them the opportunity to assault, and maintain the brawl. Do your best to slow the battle rhythm, their tactics rely on a fast rhythm…."
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a fast rhythm…."
Mu Zhi Xia did not speak fast, he was calm and emotionless, as though he was talking about something completely unrelated to him.
The generals listened attentively, they would always convene in a meeting before a battle. They were able to know how much they lost, what they had not done well etc, which attributed to their fast growth.
With the countless battles, they grew speedily, although they were still at a disadvantage, but their confidence in returning to Temple increased. They were all elites, and Mu Zhi Xia had never been lax in their training, and beat their foundations strongly.
They were like unpolished gems, and high intensity battles with powerful enemies were their best grindstones. They started to unleash their brilliance, and no matter how powerful their enemies were, they never feared them.
They knew that their Master would bring them back to Temple.
They knew that they would definitely claim victory against the Southern Cross Army, just like how they believed that Honorable Martial Continent would claim the final victory against the Southern Alliance.
~The predicament in front of us is just a training, that's all.~
They raised their heads up and listened to their Master's every words.
Suddenly, without any omen, Mu Zhi Xia looked as though he was struck by lightning, his voice stopped abruptly and he became dumbstruck.
His appearance attracted everybody's attention.
Mu Zhi Xia, who was frozen like a statue, slowly turned his head, and gazed into the distance.
Everyone's heart jumped. It was the first time they saw panic in their Master's eyes. It was the first time they saw fear in their Master's eyes. They saw a loss, the hole of despair.
They followed their Master's gaze, but did not discover anything.
~What's wrong with Master?~ Everyone became worried.
In the depth of his pupils, it looked as though his life was drawn out from him, there were no longer any imposing and strict aura around his body, and he simply looked like an old and drawn-out man.
His white hair turned snow white at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Blood tears started to pour out from his dull eyes, meandering down his face.
"The Saint Continent…..why?"
The man who was as tough as steel, opened his eyes that was shedding tears, and collapsed with a loud bang.