Zhang Liao’s icy gaze swept across the battered Lie Fenghou on the opposite bank of the Hun Dang River. The terrifying intensity of his stare caused Lie Fenghou’s eyelids to tremble uncontrollably.
After slaying the副将, Zhang Liao remained still, his hook-sickle blade held aloft in the void, surveying the surroundings. His mere presence struck fear into the hearts of the Blood Sun Dynasty’s grand army.
The Hun Dang River flowed swiftly, its waters already stained a crimson hue by the blood of countless soldiers and demonic beasts. Any corpse that fell into the river was reduced to a mere skeleton.
The fierce battle raged for half an hour. Zhang Liao’s army did not cross the Hun Dang River, but instead halted at the riverbank, their killing intent fixed upon the Blood Sun Dynasty’s forces.
Of the Blood Sun Dynasty’s million-strong army and four融天境 powerhouses, only seven hundred thousand remained. Among the融天境 experts, only Lie Fenghou and one副将 were left.
Lie Fenghou, facing the stoic Zhang Liao, felt that Zhang Liao’s power was even more unfathomable than he had perceived a month ago. However, he now saw Zhang Liao as a coward, unwilling to cross the Hun Dang River for a decisive battle.
“Retreat!”
Lie Fenghou glanced at Zhang Liao, then ordered his army to withdraw. With the army’s morale low and Xu Chu still nowhere in sight, he feared a potential ambush. He immediately commanded his troops to retreat without hesitation.
“Squeak~~”
“Clang!”
On the opposite bank, numerous trebuchets were pushed out by the Vermillion Bird soldiers. Over a hundred of these massive siege engines were aimed at a single point on the other side of the river. This was an ideal location for a dam break, with a colossal blue stone obstructing the flow, completely blocking the swift river.
“Fire!”
Chen Gong, calculating the timing, gave the order without hesitation. Thunderous roars erupted as dense volleys of giant stones rained down into the river.
“Rumble!”
“What was that sound?”
Lie Fenghou instantly turned his head, catching a fleeting glimpse of giant stones soaring through the air. His eyes bulged in alarm. “Not good, retreat quickly!”
The massive stone blocking the Hun Dang River instantly cracked, fissures spreading across its surface. The terrain here, closer to Blood Mountain Pass, was higher. The Han Dynasty’s position was a mere half-foot higher than Lie Fenghou’s.
The relentless bombardment of giant stones caused the hard rock along the riverbank to shatter. With the obstruction gone, the swift river immediately began to erode the earth.
“Rumble!!”
Deprived of the blocking stone, a significant portion of the swift river’s flow surged outwards. The flood, though not a cataclysmic dam break, was still immensely powerful, like a colossal beast devouring everything in its path. Chen Gong’s plan, while appearing to be a simple water attack, truly aimed to unleash the numerous ferocious beasts hidden within the Hun Dang River.
The water surged out of its banks, sweeping towards the Blood Sun Dynasty’s army. Gradually, the water turned blood-red, with dark patches appearing, as if a colossal beast lurked beneath the surface.
As the river advanced, its speed began to decrease, especially at the front where a mass of silt and weeds accumulated, resembling a mudslide. Lie Fenghou grinned. Such a feeble attempt at strategy was laughable; how could this slow-moving torrent be resisted? Furthermore, the terrain here was flat and open, hardly conducive to a flood that could annihilate an army.
“Hahaha!”
“Advance faster!”
The Grandmaster army moved with incredible speed, quickly leaving the surging river far behind, until it was barely visible.
A short while later, the seven hundred thousand-strong army entered the area where Xu Chu had laid his ambush. A副将 galloped up to Lie Fenghou and whispered, “This Han general Zhang Liao is nothing special. The Hun Dang River has no dam to store water, and they expect this meager amount to drown our army!”
“Hmph, Zhang Liao is indeed insignificant. However, do not let your guard down. Xu Chu still hasn’t shown himself.”
Lie Fenghou, riding his weary warhorse, scanned the nearby mountain peaks, which were only a few dozen feet higher. The earthen mounds felt more familiar.
“The Han Tiger General Xu Chu is here! Lie Fenghou, you have kept this Marquis waiting!”
“Fire!”
Suddenly, a tiger-like roar echoed from all directions. Lie Fenghou’s back went cold. He hastily looked up and saw that the two earthen mounds were now raining down rocks and giant logs, completely blocking the path ahead.
A torrent of countless stones poured down, smashing into the army. Instantly, a rain of fire descended from the sky. Soldiers who had just taken to the air were pierced by a thousand arrows, their bodies torn asunder.
Xu Chu, wielding his Fire Cloud Blade, gazed at Lie Fenghou with mocking eyes. “Do you dare to fight me!”
“Insolence!”
With Zhang Liao absent, Lie Fenghou’s courage surged. He drew his long saber, and a blade light streaked across the void.
Xu Chu grinned, watching Lie Fenghou charge. He knew this man was not his intended prey; Gan Ning desperately needed Lie Fenghou’s head to conquer the Southwest Region. However, a few exchanges were necessary. He stepped forward, and his Fire Cloud Blade was instantly wreathed in a layer of crimson Southern Ming Fire. His eyes narrowed as he gripped the Fire Cloud Blade, which trembled in his hand. The blade sliced through the void with a ghostly wail, tearing at the air with a howling sound!
“Swish!”
A streak of blade light shot out, a fiery dragon traversing the battlefield. The air exploded with sonic booms as the raging crimson flames wreaked havoc above. Blade lights crisscrossed the sky. Xu Chu did not unleash his full power, merely toying with Lie Fenghou, waiting for the ferocious beasts from the Hun Dang River to arrive.
“Boom!”
The two collided instantly, their impacts echoing with thunderous roars that shook the very void.
At this moment, the surging water arrived. The hundred thousand Vermillion Bird soldiers did not charge. Half of the army hurled giant stones and logs, while the other half nocked arrows, raining them down from the sky.
Gradually, the water engulfed the area. The front was blocked by stones and logs, causing everything to sink. The water level rose steadily, providing ample space for the aquatic beasts.
“Ah!”
“Ahhh!!”
“The beasts from the Hun Dang River are coming! To the sky!”
Chaos erupted as soldiers crashed into each other. The seven hundred thousand-strong army descended into pandemonium. Soldiers fell one after another, and the river soon turned blood-red.
Some soldiers, barely standing, found themselves bitten by several beasts around their ankles. From their feet upwards, they were torn apart, their flesh stripped away, revealing bare bone. Soldiers who had been fine moments ago were reduced to skeletons and fell into the water.
“Bang!”
“Riiiiip!”
After the giant stones and logs were thrown, and the arrows exhausted, the hundred thousand soldiers drew their spears and long blades, defending their positions on the earthen mounds.
“Rumble!!”
Dense volleys of giant stones suddenly bombarded the area between the two earthen mounds.
Water splashed, and debris flew. While resisting the man-eating beasts from the river, they also had to contend with the hidden attacks from the two mounds. The Blood Sun Dynasty’s army, exhausted and terrified, could not withstand the relentless bombardment of stones.
Explosions erupted everywhere, painting the sky with blood mist!