Chapter 176 - 139: Fame Shakes the Northern Barbarians
Chapter 176: Chapter 139: Fame Shakes the Northern Barbarians
Just as Lu Yuan made his move, the Mantuo Tribe’s army approached the imperial camp and charged straight in without a moment’s hesitation.
But a strange scene unfolded in the next moment. The Warriors guarding the entrance saw the enemy raid the camp, but instead of panicking, they simply leaped onto their horses.
They fled toward the rear, vanishing from sight moments later.
When the army charged into the camp, they found it completely empty.
"What’s going on?" someone cried out.
The Mantuo Leader’s expression changed. "This is bad! It’s an ambush! Retreat! Retreat now!"
But his warning came too late.
The words had barely left his mouth when Lu Yuan led his army in a charge, slamming into the Mantuo formation’s flank and cutting it in two.
Their arrival was too sudden, too ferocious. They were like a savage beast unleashed upon the battlefield.
As Lu Yuan charged forward on his warhorse, he could see the terror blooming on the face of the Mantuo commander before him.
His saber swung.
"SLICE!"
A large head flew high into the air. Perhaps from tasting blood again, the Cyan Dragon Crescent Saber seemed to hum with excitement.
A bewitching luster flashed across its edge.
Lu Yuan didn’t pause for a moment, his saber continuing its deadly advance. The cavalry behind him were even more frenzied, howling as the sight of blood filled their faces with exhilaration.
It had to be said that the Northern Barbarians’ cavalry had their own unique strengths. They were considerably stronger than Dayong’s Border Army.
They were only vulnerable because of major internal problems. Otherwise, they would have no reason to fear Dayong.
As the two armies clashed, the advantage was instantly clear.
The Shocking God Slaughter Array was deployed. A crushing black fog materialized behind the army, a seemingly world-ending, apocalyptic sight.
Sparks and serpents of lightning coiled within the gloom.
Terror filled the faces of every soldier in the Mantuo Tribe army.
Their bodies trembled uncontrollably.
They had never seen such a celestial phenomenon before.
Some turned to flee, but the Northern Barbarians’ army latched onto them, refusing to let go.
The Mantuo Tribe dissolved into chaos in an instant. Those in the rear surged forward while those at the front tried to retreat.
In the panic, men fell from their horses, only to be instantly trampled into a bloody pulp.
The shrieks of warhorses and the screams of Warriors blended into a chaotic cacophony.
In less than a quarter of an hour, the Mantuo Tribe was completely routed.
As the saying goes, an army in retreat collapses like a landslide. Even the Mantuo Leader was powerless to turn the tide.
In smaller skirmishes, the outcome often depends on the strength and willpower of the combatants, and such fights can drag on for a long time.
In a large-scale slaughter like this, however, once the first wave is repelled and morale shatters, the battle is utterly lost.
It’s like a bursting dam; even the bravest warriors who wish to fight back are simply swept away by the torrent of fleeing men.
The Mantuo Leader was also trapped within the Array. He was a formidable powerhouse, and with every swing of his Wolf-toothed Club, he swept away great numbers of Warriors.
However, on Lu Yuan’s side, the Array had already taken form. Any man struck down was instantly replaced. Within this Battle Array, even with his overwhelming power, the formation’s restrictive force made it nigh impossible for him to simply fly up and escape.
This wasn’t unique to the Shocking God Slaughter Array. Any Entry-Level Array, when manned by enough people, could be used to constrain a powerful expert.
Sensing more and more enemies closing in and seeing his own Warriors utterly scattered and slain, the Mantuo Leader realized he had no choice but to try and break out alone.
"Kill!"
But at that very moment, Xiao He, who had approached unnoticed, burst from a cloud of black mist, his refined bronze armor gleaming.
His spear tore through the air, looking as if it might rip the heavens asunder.
Behind him, a colossal figure of black mist condensed into being.
He led a contingent of ten thousand men. Under the Array’s influence, not only were his own speed and Defense doubled, but more importantly, he could channel the power of all ten thousand men behind him.
As his spear thrust forward, the very air around it rippled like water.
"BOOM!"
The spearpoint slammed into the Mantuo Leader’s chest, sending his body flying backward.
A look of utter shock filled his eyes.
He coughed up a mouthful of blood. ’I’m stronger than Xiao He, but with the power of this Military Array, I actually lost to him.’
Such was the power of a Military Array.
It was no exaggeration to say that against an opponent without an array of their own, it was an utterly one-sided slaughter.
Once the two armies became entangled, the soldiers of the Mantuo Tribe found themselves submerged in a heavy, black mist. With Swordsmen appearing from all directions, who wouldn’t be terrified?
The Mantuo Leader ignored his wounds, charging desperately in one direction with no regard for anything else.
He swung his Wolf-toothed Club with wild abandon.
He left a trail of splattered blood in his wake, completely ignoring the fact that the violent movements were aggravating his wounds.
He no longer cared if he was killing his own men. He had only one thought: ’I have to get out of here! Otherwise, I’ll definitely die in this Military Array!’
As time passed, dawn eventually broke, and the battle was finally over.
Lu Yuan stood atop a small hill. The blood at his feet had frozen into a crust of ice.
Large numbers of Mantuo Tribe Warriors were being marched as captives toward Ancient River Pass.
Xiao He came over, dragging two men behind him. Their shoulder blades had been pierced through, and their faces were ashen.
They collapsed to the ground, screaming in agony.
Blood seeped from their pierced shoulder blades as they struggled in the snow, but Xiao He paid them no mind.
The two men were the Barbarian Crocodile Race Leader and the Manhun Chief, captured during the previous night’s battle after they had become exhausted.
Xiao He reported excitedly, "Prince, in this battle we killed over twenty thousand enemies and captured more than fifty thousand. The rest have scattered, and I’ve already sent men to hunt them down."