If he had known that the Winter Monarch was currently on this ship, the proud Guragar would not have stabilized his formation so quickly and captured the riverbank.
Seeing the ships of Taedael docking one after another, General Xiong, amidst the chaotic army, unexpectedly spotted Taedael clad in armor. His heart filled with immense joy, and he shouted loudly, "The Winter Emperor Taedael is on shore! Whoever can capture Taedael alive will be rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold and promoted three ranks!"
As soon as this statement rang out, it instantly incited the beastly army to launch a furious offensive against the Winter Army. However, Guragar's troops knew the Winter Emperor was on the ship, so how could they not fight with their lives?
The two armies clashed, forming a colossal meat grinder at the point of contact, continuously devouring and shredding living souls.
Yet, the beastly army could not break through the Winter Army's defense line. Anxious, General Xiong personally charged into the fray on his horse. With the commander participating, the beastly warriors were all spurred to fight to the death.
Seeing Taedael disembark, General Xiong could no longer concern himself with anything else. He drew his bow, nocked an arrow, and aimed its tip directly at Taedael.
A vast killing intent rapidly spread, and magical energy surged and swelled, causing General Xiong's robes to flutter as if about to explode. His personal guards doubted whether the General would suddenly self-detonate.
General Xiong's body did not explode. The moment the arrow was loosed, all the energy seemed to concentrate onto the arrow and shoot out. Rolling magic filled the arrow, striking Taedael several yards away like a thunderbolt from the heavens.
Meanwhile, Taedael, still unaware, slowly stepped off the warship.
General Guragar Botu watched as the arrow pierced through the gaps in the dense crowd, fifty paces, thirty paces, ten paces… streaking towards Taedael like a meteor.
Botu's heart was pounding. If he could kill the Winter Emperor, he would undoubtedly achieve an unprecedented feat, elevating him to the ranks of the beast race's top generals.
The instant the arrow light penetrated Taedael's chest, Botu's gaze was finally obscured by the vast throng of people.
On the slope of Dragon Ridge Valley, a stern shout halted an unavoidable fierce battle.
Everyone looked towards the sound and saw several figures standing on the hilltop. Many of the Saint Roman generals were among them, but the one leading them was none other than Madam Mileydi.
Upon seeing them appear together, the barbarian soldiers were all surprised, exchanging bewildered glances. Saien was even more astonished, staring at Mileydi with an extremely complex gaze, and exclaimed, "Madam?"
As Mileydi's intimate companion, Saien was naturally the first to recognize that the command to "stop" came from Mileydi.
Madam Mileydi walked slowly into the midst of the barbarian and Saint Roman armies, passing through the dense ranks as if in an uninhabited realm, directly to Saien. A hint of a smile even appeared on her face. "My King, my revenge is finally avenged!"
Her voice was as calm as if she were discussing something unrelated to herself, yet Saien knew how much bitterness lay hidden beneath Madam Mileydi's serene tone.
For the sake of her great vengeance, most of her life had been spent in the barbarian king's tent. Who would have thought that today, her revenge would finally be achieved? Saien slowly embraced Mileydi and whispered into her ear, "Madam, you can finally lay down your burden."
Madam Mileydi's shoulders trembled uncontrollably. This heroic woman, who rarely shed tears, now wept like a child in front of thousands of soldiers on the battlefield.
For a moment, the soldiers of both armies were somewhat stunned, unsure how to react.
But neither commander gave an order, and thus neither army moved, their weapons still held at the ready.
After a long pause, Saien gently cupped Madam Mileydi's face and softly asked, "Madam, did Swain help you achieve your great revenge?"
Mileydi, tears streaming down her face, nodded.
Saien then asked, "Your enemy was Banturader?"
Mileydi nodded again.
Saien closed his eyes, and Mileydi's voice echoed in his ears, "Stop fighting, please?"
Saien nodded.
"Barbarian King!"
Zuan's eyes, looking at Saien, flickered with an indescribable complex emotion.
Saien opened his eyes, and his gaze intertwined with Zuan's in the void. He sighed and said, "Zuan! Since things have come to this, what is there left to fight for?"
Zuan's gaze gradually dimmed, as if all the color had instantly drained from his entire being, making him appear a whole circle older.
He raised his head and stared intently at Aaron, whose gaze was fixed on him. Zuan could genuinely feel Aaron's sharp killing intent; clearly, his aura had triggered Aaron's.
Zuan tightened his grip on the snake-headed staff with his rough hand. The snake on the staff seemed to be incited by Zuan's powerful fighting intent, rearing up and staring ferociously at Aaron.
Zuan's eyes narrowed, but the fierce glint in his pupils grew ever more menacing.
The powerful auras of the two individuals forced everyone to hold their breath. Saien and Madam Mileydi, locked in an embrace, could not help but shift their gaze to Zuan. Sbotan, GerGon, and the others, with a hint of playful expression in their eyes, sheathed their weapons.
Zuan and Aaron's fighting intent had reached its peak, the contained energy accumulating and growing, seeming as though it could erupt at any moment, unleashing a world-shattering blow.
Beside the water river, the din of voices and the clash of weapons, screams and cries, intertwined.
Amidst the chaos, a surge of killing intent shot out, and upon entering a radius of about ten feet around Taedael, it was finally detected by him. However, the arrow's trajectory had already locked onto Taedael, and the boundless killing intent and powerful impact momentarily rendered Taedael incapable of reaction, fear widening infinitely on his face.
In the panic, hardly anyone noticed the appearance of this swift arrow, and it was General Xiong's full-power strike, its might extraordinary and not something anyone could withstand.
Just as the arrow tip was about to pierce Taedael's body, a figure flashed and blocked the path between Taedael and the swift arrow. A muffled thud was heard, followed by a pained groan.
The powerful impact sent the figure hurtling into Taedael's arms. Taedael steadied the person, and their face, pale and gaunt, was revealed to be Guragar.
When Guragar discovered the hidden arrow, it was already too late. He could only use his own body to block General Xiong's swift arrow, with no time to consider anything else.
A sharp, stinging pain shot through his waist, causing Guragar to emit a heart-wrenching groan before collapsing onto Taedael.
The immense pain made Guragar's vision blur. The flames of war seemed to recede, and Taedael held him tightly…
At the entrance of Dragon Ridge Valley, the chilling killing intent had reached its apex, and a fierce battle was now inevitable.
Suddenly, someone stepped forward. The powerful auras of both sides dissipated, like a deflated ball, and the accumulated fighting intent vanished in an instant.
The gazes of both men fell upon the person who had stepped forward amidst their potent auras. It was none other than Barbarian King Saien.
Saien had already indicated his willingness to surrender, yet he now intervened. No one understood his intentions. Aaron, puzzled, looked at Saien, "What is the meaning of this, Barbarian King?"
Saien glanced at Zuan before returning his gaze to Aaron and sighing, "General Aaron! Zuan was invited by me to assist. Since Zuan is unwilling to surrender with us, how can I stand idly by?"
Aaron inwardly praised Saien's righteousness but still advanced with his spear, respectfully stating, "My apologies, Barbarian King! I am acting under the orders of my Lord Swain to capture this person, and therefore, I cannot let him escape. I hope the Barbarian King will forgive me!"
Saien's facial muscles twitched: "If General Aaron is willing to let Zuan depart, then I and my people will surrender ourselves! Otherwise, I can only fight back!"
"My King..."