Chapter 222 - 156: Lightning Raid on the Shengman
Chapter 222: Chapter 156: Lightning Raid on the Shengman
An unknown amount of time passed.
Data appeared in his mind once again.
[Fourth-Grade Array: Shocking God Slaughter Array (60,242/50,000 Entering the Stance). Use 10,000 Skill Level points to advance? Added Effects: Doubles Defense, doubles speed. In large-scale warfare, can produce a shock effect, lowering enemy morale.]
Lu Yuan didn’t hesitate, immediately choosing to advance it.
The next moment, a flood of insights regarding the Array appeared in his mind.
It was as if he had spent a lifetime dominating battlefields, finally creating a new Array after a great war.
[Fifth-grade Array: Hurricane Slaughter Array (242/1,000 Minor Achievement). Added Effects: Doubles Defense, quintuples speed. In large-scale warfare, can trigger a critical strike effect, causing an explosive boost to speed, attack power, and Defense Power, tripling them from their original base.]
Seeing the description that appeared, Lu Yuan nodded in satisfaction.
’This Array is perfect for a blitz attack on the Shengman,’ he thought. ’Plus, it won’t expose the Shocking God Slaughter Array. After all, I used that one at the Celestial King Stronghold.’
’If anyone saw it again, it would naturally arouse suspicion.’
’Now that the Military Array has been upgraded, no one will connect it to me.’
Now, the only thing left was to have the troops master this Military Array during the march.
Having sorted out the Military Array, Lu Yuan rested.
The night passed uneventfully. Early the next morning, the fifty-thousand-strong army assembled once again.
The gates leading out of the pass were already open, revealing a vast expanse of white ahead.
Although the coming of spring had melted much of the snow, in the Shengman territories, the snowpack in ordinary areas still reached past their ankles.
In addition to their heavy armor, each Warrior had animal furs sewn onto the outside for warmth.
After Lu Yuan arrived, he gave the order.
Fifty thousand Beast Riders charged out Beyond the Passes.
The weather outside was even harsher than in the lands of the Northern Barbarians. The moment they rode out, they could feel the temperature drop significantly.
Fortunately, the Warriors were well-equipped, and their cultivation levels were not weak.
Such low temperatures wouldn’t cause them much harm.
During a rest stop along the way, Lu Yuan handed the Array Map to Xiao Lie, instructing him to have the Warriors practice and familiarize themselves with it during the march.
The following days were spent in a monotonous, grueling march.
Lu Yuan did his best to avoid the Shengman tribes; their target was the Royal Tent.
When they did encounter a tribe, they annihilated it directly and took the opportunity to replenish their supplies.
In the blink of an eye, more than ten days had passed. The Beast Riders under his command had become proficient in drilling the Military Array.
Lu Yuan and his men were finally approaching the Royal Tent.
Watching from a high vantage point, they saw a massive, sprawling camp stretching out below like a dark cloud.
Inside were civilians and armor-clad Warriors.
The tents were arranged in an orderly fashion, almost like houses, showing no signs of disarray.
However, it was clear the population was enormous, perhaps numbering in the tens of millions.
The army numbered in the hundreds of thousands.
CLIP-CLOP!
Just then, a squad of Scouts galloped over. They leaped from their horses and bowed to Lu Yuan. "Your Highness, we’ve finished our reconnaissance."
"The Royal Tent is surrounded by an army of three hundred thousand, all of them Shengman Wolf Riders."
"The Shengman Barbarian King’s tent is located beneath the tallest grand banner in the army."
Shengman Wolf Riders, much like the Northern Barbarians’ Beast Riders, were a top-tier cavalry unit.
However, their warhorses had the heads of wolves and the bodies of horses. They were not only robust but also incredibly fierce.
They could even be considered a decent combat force on the battlefield.
Because of this, the Shengman Wolf Riders were famous throughout the world, with other Imperial Dynasties even spending fortunes to purchase them.
After hearing the report, Lu Yuan looked toward the camp and, sure enough, spotted a Battle Banner that stood like a green pine tree. It was several dozen meters high—that was the Shengman Barbarian King’s grand banner.
It was said that surrounding it were thirty thousand Banner Guards, each one an elite Shengman Warrior.
What Lu Yuan and his men had to do was capture the Shengman Barbarian King first, and these Banner Guards were, of course, an obstacle.
However, they had to act fast.
Otherwise, facing an enemy several times their number would be quite a strain.
After a moment of contemplation, Lu Yuan said to Xiao Lie, "Have everyone take cover and rest. We’ll raid the camp tonight."
"As you command!"
Xiao Lie acknowledged the order and went to relay it.
Lu Yuan continued to gaze at the camp, his expression unchanging.
They had covered a journey that should have taken nearly two months in just over ten days, not daring to rest for a moment.
Neither the Shengman nor any other power would ever imagine that he was already this close to the Royal Tent.
There was only one chance for a surprise attack. If they failed, it would mean the Shengman would become even more vigilant.
Therefore, this battle had to be a success. Failure was not an option.
Meanwhile, inside the Shengman Royal Tent, the Barbarian King Mangu Tun sat in the seat of honor. Below him, flames in a brazier leaped a meter high.
The flickering light cast shifting shadows on everyone’s faces.
The Barbarian King’s powerful, muscular torso was bare.
His muscles bulged like rolling hills, and his head was massive, crowned with a messy, fluffy mane of hair that made him resemble a lion.
This ferocious-looking man’s cultivation was at the Earth Immortal Realm, and his Divine Techniques were astonishing.
Behind him lay a massive, jet-black tiger with mottled fur, its crimson eyes glinting.
Judging by the aura it emitted, it too seemed to have reached the Divine Power Realm.
Man and tiger together were utterly savage.
Below sat the upper echelons of the Shengman.
Mangu Tun swept his gaze over the assembly and asked in a raspy voice, "Where are the men from the Northern Barbarians now?"
"The most recent incident was the annihilation of a tribe by our Snow God Lake seven days ago. They should still be lingering on the fringes of our territory."
"Several nearby tribes and the closest Wolf Riders are searching for them. They should be exterminated soon," a Shengman General immediately replied.
"Mm, that’s fine. Not many of them have come in, so deal with them as quickly as possible. Our Shengman Tribe has just survived the winter, and our people’s lives are difficult. If we let the Northern Barbarians run rampant, the situation will only worsen," Mangu Tun said.
He then waved his hand, dismissing everyone.
「In the Northern Barbarians’ imperial palace」 The Xiao sovereign sat on the dragon throne, their gaze slightly darkened. "Where is Prince Qin’s army now?"
The Grand Minister of Rites said softly, "According to the latest message from Xiao Lie, they are deep in the Shengman heartland, already approaching the Royal Tent. Scouts have confirmed three hundred thousand Wolf Riders near the Royal Tent, along with many of its Elders."
"So fast? Yuan is being too reckless. Three hundred thousand Wolf Riders is no small number. Grand Minister of Rites, what do you think his chances of victory are?"
"I have run an Inference with several veteran generals. The chances of victory are very low. Their numbers are too few. Although their speed is indeed fast and allows for a surprise attack..."
"...they have almost no advantage. If it were me leading them, the chance of success would be less than ten percent," Xiao Gu said softly.
"Can we recall them?"
"With Prince Qin’s temperament, I’m afraid he would be difficult to recall. Besides, he’s already outside the Royal Tent. Even if they tried to flee, it’s not certain they could actually get out."
"Word from the Shengman spies is that they are already organizing a large army to encircle and annihilate them," Xiao Gu finished.
The Xiao sovereign said no more, only letting out a sigh.
「In the Dayong Imperial Palace」 After listening to his subordinate’s report, the Yong Emperor said with a laugh, "The last sighting was near Divine Snow Lake? That means they’re still near the border."
"Just as We guessed. Fifty thousand Beast Cavalry charging into a sea of people is a dead end."
"It seems We overestimated this Lu Yuan."
Dayong had been closely monitoring the battle between the Northern Barbarians and the Shengman.
After all, for them, it was definitely a good thing.
"Your Majesty is wise," a Eunuch hurriedly said.
「In the Eastern Barbarians’ Cyan Emperor Palace」 The Cyan Emperor’s face remained expressionless. He offered a four-word evaluation of Lu Yuan: "Grandiose and utterly senseless!"
After saying this, he paid it no more mind.
As for Lu Yuan, after he and his army had eaten some dry rations and finished resting, the sky had gradually darkened.
The Royal Tent camp ahead was brightly lit.
Lu Yuan and his men slowly emerged from the woods. Once they were in formation, he addressed them all: "If we succeed in this battle, our names will be immortalized. If we fail, our lives will end here. Form the Array! Charge!"
As his voice rang out, the warhorses neighed beneath them.
The fifty-thousand-strong army followed close behind.
The moment they began to gallop, a faint black whirlwind swirled around every single Warrior.
As their speed increased, the whirlwinds gathered and grew.
Above the army, a world-destroying tornado actually coalesced, enveloping the entire force.
Faintly visible within the hurricane, the phantom of an expert floated. Clad in heavy armor like a Demon God, its jet-black eyes glowed with bloody light.
A system notification popped up in Lu Yuan’s mind.
[Hurricane Slaughter Array activated. Army Defense doubled, speed increased fivefold.]
[Hurricane Slaughter Array critical strike mode triggered.]