The situation was critical. Instead of stabilizing the battle, they decided to send a group of elite troops to cover the rear while the rest withdrew, then gather the remaining soldiers, reorganize the formation, and deal with the enemy's pursuit...
As the commander-in-chief, if all he thinks about is running away, how many of his soldiers will still be able to maintain their fighting spirit? Even the elite troops will have to back down.
Cao Ya was astonished. The Emperor Daojun of the Great Song Dynasty was indeed incredibly stupid. To send out such figures to lead troops... and two of them at once, was simply outrageous!
As expected, the Song army was thrown into chaos, with all the soldiers fleeing in a chaotic frenzy, their escape routes shimmering in the distance.
"Where do you think you're going!" The Liangshan army pursued, but did not continue to form large-scale magic formations. Instead, they attacked the Song army in small groups of three to five, at most a few dozen people.
It should be noted that at this moment, the 200,000 Song soldiers were terrified and only knew how to flee, not how to resist. Killing them would be no more difficult than slaughtering a pig.
"Boom!!"
Divine light shone through the air, and the Liangshan troops appeared to have won a great victory, chasing the Song army away in disarray.
Some powerful leaders set their sights on the Song army's elite troops and commanders!
"Fight!" Lu Junyi, the Jade Kirin of the Heavenly Gang Star, didn't even lead his troops. He charged out alone, brandishing his divine spear. Immortal light surged, and the laws of the Great Dao roared, almost capable of destroying the heavens and the earth!
He single-handedly cut through the Song army, and no one could stop him!
"This Master Lu is indeed quite remarkable," Cao Ya thought to himself.
Lu Junyi, the Heavenly Star, was very strong in his previous life, and in this life he has also reached the peak of the Great Luo realm. His combat power is formidable, and he can completely contend with a Quasi-Saint!
"You scoundrel, how dare you be so insolent!" A troop of elite Song soldiers, numbering a thousand, led by a general of the Great Luo Realm who had received a buff, possessed peak combat power of the same level and came to resist Lu Junyi.
"Haha, just in time!" Lu Junyi laughed, brandishing his spear, and engaged in fierce battle with the general and more than a thousand elite soldiers. He fought against a thousand men single-handedly, with the enemy gradually showing signs of being unable to withstand the onslaught.
The Heavenly Stars are terrifying, and the other Liangshan Demon Stars are also extremely powerful.
"Bang bang!!" Hu Yanzhuo, Qin Ming, Yang Zhi, Hua Rong, Xu Ning, Suo Chao, Guan Sheng and others each commanded a team of men, activated their great supernatural powers, and drew upon the surging magical power to empower themselves, thus possessing even more terrifying strength, and were able to charge out fearlessly in the face of 200,000 Song soldiers!
"Splash..." The three Ruan brothers, Zhang Heng, Zhang Shun, Li Jun, and others used great magic to summon boundless waters that surged through the sky and submerged the Song army.
Hu Sanniang, Shi Xiu, Yan Qing, Li Kui, and others also fought bravely against the enemy, and were invincible in the enemy camp.
"Whoosh!!" Lin Chong, the Leopard Head of the Heavenly Hero Star, wielding his immortal spear, led a team, charging forward relentlessly, getting ever closer to Gao Qiu.
"Lin Chong?" Gao Qiu was initially terrified, but upon closer inspection, he let out a cold laugh.
So this is the guy. As a powerful figure, he couldn't even protect his own wife and didn't have the courage to turn against her. Now that he's joined Liangshan Marsh, he's acting like a fox borrowing the tiger's power, and he's suddenly become brave.
"Boom." Suddenly, a bright light rose from Gao Qiu's direction. It was circular and continuously gathered the surrounding immortal energy, rapidly expanding until it resembled the sun, moon, and stars, suppressing heaven and earth.
"Break!" Just then, Lu Zhishen, the Flower Monk, gripped his staff tightly with both hands, carrying immense power. With divine intervention, he struck Gao Qiu's head with the staff, breaking the spell.
"Grand Commandant Gao, I'm here to help you!" Tong Guan said, about to intercept Lu Zhishen, but was blocked by Wu Song, the Pilgrim, with a monk's knife.
"You dog, where do you think you're going!" Wu Song was already bloodthirsty, his hair was disheveled, and even his headband was shining brightly, with immortal runes appearing.
Wu Song, wielding a monk's knife, descended from the clouds like a lion shaking the heavens, his blade flashing fiercely, slaughtering all around him!
"Brother Lin Chong, don't let that old scoundrel Gao Qiu get away!" Lu Zhishen shouted.
With the help of Wu Song and Lu Zhishen, Lin Chong got his wish and smashed Gao Qiu with his spear!
Lin Chong was once the instructor of spear and staff techniques for the 800,000 Imperial Guards of the Song Dynasty. His cultivation level was undoubtedly that of a Great Luo Immortal.
Later, his family was destroyed and he was rescued by Lu Zhishen's rampage in the Wild Boar Forest, thus escaping disaster.
After that, there was the snowstorm at the mountain temple, and the snowy night when he went up Liangshan Mountain... In his grief and indignation, Lin Chong attained enlightenment and broke through his realm, reaching the peak of the Great Luo.
His research into the art of the gun has reached an unfathomable level. If he were to have another epiphany, it would not be surprising if he instantly became a quasi-saint.
On Liangshan Mountain, Lin Chong's martial arts skills were among the top few.
For example, Lu Junyi, Yan Qing, Shi Xiu, Lin Chong, Yang Zhi, Lu Zhishen, Wu Song, Hua Rong, Huyan Zhuo, Gongsun Sheng, etc., which one of them is not strong?
On the contrary, Song Jiang, the leader, could never make it into the top ten of Liangshan—in fact, he was unlikely to even make it into the top twenty or thirty!
However, Song Jiang's military and political skills were top-notch in this water stronghold, and no one could match him. Coupled with Song Jiang's consistent chivalry, the brothers naturally unanimously elected Song Jiang as their leader.
The flourishing development of Liangshan also benefited Song Jiang, making his position more and more secure.
Everyone was aware of the situation at Liangshan, whether it was good or bad, and knew that Song Jiang was capable.
"Ah!!!" Gao Qiu screamed as Lin Chong stabbed him with his spear, and his body exploded!
"Grand Commandant Gao!" Tong Guan was shocked. With the boost of the Song Dynasty's national fortune, Grand Commandant Gao, who was at the peak of the Great Luo realm, was actually no match for a traitor... Where was the might of the Song Dynasty?
Whether Gao Qiu and Tong Guan could become the next Great Luo based on their own abilities is questionable.
They were birds of a feather, and the emperor appreciated them, bestowed upon them imperial titles, and with the nation's favor, their careers progressed rapidly.
The positions of Grand Commandant and Privy Councilor are already the top official positions in the imperial court!
"Lin Chong, you treacherous and deceitful villain, how dare you not surrender to the imperial officials?" Gao Qiu roared, his voice carrying a demonic melody that corrupted people's hearts.
Lin Chong remained unmoved. Since Brother Song Jiang had already made up his mind to rebel against the Song Dynasty, what impact would it have on him killing Gao Qiu? Only a positive impact!
Without any reservations, Lin Chong became unusually decisive, his spear thrusting with incredible strength!
"Bang." Another shot pierced Gao Qiu's soul, and the laws of the Great Dao were also crumbling.
"Ah!!" Gao Qiu screamed in agony. His true spirit fled, trying to escape, but suddenly his eyes filled with fear.
All that could be seen was a Zen staff, possessing boundless power, tearing through countless paths, descending from the sky.
"Boom!" In the next instant, Gao Qiu's true spirit was smashed into dust by Lu Zhishen's staff.
"You vile scoundrel!" Lu Zhishen withdrew his monk's staff. It would be best if this kind of corrupt official died!
"Haha, Brother Wu Song, you've also dealt with the scum of the court," Lu Zhishen laughed.
Wu Song's dagger flew like lightning, its killing intent fierce, causing Tong Guan's eyelids to twitch and him to retreat step by step.
Then, Wu Song drew his knife, creating an opening. Tong Guan fell for the trap and tried to escape, but Wu Song punched him down from mid-air, killing him completely!
"Thank you both, brothers." Lin Chong clasped his hands in thanks, deeply grateful.
"What are you saying? I'd love to kill all those corrupt officials!" Lu Zhishen laughed loudly.
"In the imperial court, only such scoundrels hold high positions... Heh, how can this Great Song Dynasty not perish?" Wu Song held his monk's knife, blood dripping from the blade, his aura like that of a demon god.
"We should win this battle," Lin Chong said, looking around. The two commanders of the Song army had died one after another, and the soldiers were naturally thunderstruck.
Those who lay down their weapons and surrender will not be killed! Those who resist will be killed!
Suddenly, Song Jiang's voice, imbued with magical power, resounded throughout the surrounding area.
It is obvious that during a major defeat, the most effective way to persuade the Song army to surrender is to offer them a way to surrender!
Song Jiang understood that if he wanted to conquer the world, the 100,000 troops supported by Liangshan, which covered eight million miles, would definitely not be enough.
In fact, the Song court had a large army stationed in various places to guard against the Western Xia and the Liao Dynasty, and even to suppress Fang La in Jiangnan, Wang Qing in Huaixi, and Tian Hu in Hebei. Not to mention, there were as many as 800,000 imperial guards in the area of Tokyo alone!
The loss of 200,000 yuan would hurt Song Ting, but it wouldn't be enough to cripple him.
If the surviving Song soldiers joined Liangshan... the improvement in the strength of the water stronghold would be immediate!
"Ta-da!"
More than 100,000 Song soldiers, terrified, threw down their weapons and surrendered to Liangshan.
This battle ended in a great victory for Liangshan Marsh!
However, Song Jiang did not stop there. On the advice of Wu Yong and Zhu Wu, Song Jiang made up his mind to press on and send 20,000 to 30,000 cavalry and infantry under the command of top leaders to attack and seize territory throughout Shandong.
Before the Song court could react, Shandong, including parts of Henan, Hebei, and Jiangsu, had been conquered by the Liangshan army, which was victorious in every battle!
Wherever the army passed, they did not commit any offenses and were loved and respected by the people.
In addition, the Liangshan trial, which resulted in the execution of corrupt officials, local bullies, and the distribution of land resources to the people, earned the utmost respect from all the spirits, who wholeheartedly accepted Liangshan.
Song Jiang was very strict in enforcing discipline among the Liangshan troops, thus creating a super army!
At this time, Liangshan's influence far surpassed that of other rebel kings, its vastness astonishing the entire world.
Song Jiang even established himself as the "Star King" at Liangshan!
The term "star" refers both to the stone tablet that fell from the sky and to the aspirations of Song Jiang and his companions: that everyone in the world possesses a power as magnificent as the stars!
Meanwhile, under the command of Song Jiang, the Star King, there was an army of over 300,000!
In addition to the existing 100,000 and the 100,000 or so recruited through surrender, the remaining 100,000 were recruited from various prefectures and counties.
Having witnessed the might and discipline of Liangshan's army, a considerable number of people wanted to join, and all of them needed to be screened. This task was entrusted to Wu Yong.
The former minor leaders of the water fortress were all promoted and given command of even more men.
The number of soldiers under the 108 Demon Constellations is also increasing daily.
Of course, in addition to this, Song Jiang was also recruiting other talents, mainly in logistics and internal administration.
Although there are such characters on Liangshan, they are too few. They can manage to be busy if they are only in charge of one part of Liangshan, but if the territory expands, they will be too busy to handle it.
People like Wu Yong and Zhu Wu led large groups of people to help Song Jiang with his problems.
On the contrary, Song Jiang was not too worried about the generals.
The Liangshan Mountain is full of people like this.
If necessary, meritorious individuals can be promoted from among the initial soldiers.
Having experienced countless battles, one must have some insights into warfare. While one may not be able to lead independently, being able to follow orders and serve as a deputy is not a big problem.
"elder brother!"
Inside the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness, the leaders bowed and paid homage to Song Jiang.
At this point, the number of people present had far exceeded 108, more than two or three times!
“I think we should now call him the Star King,” Wu Yong said.
Everyone was taken aback, but they all nodded. Indeed, Liangshan had grown much stronger than before, and Brother Song Jiang had been promoted to "Star King." It was time to change the way he was addressed.
"Greetings, Star King!" The crowd bowed once more.
Song Jiang smiled slightly and gestured for everyone to take their seats.
His gaze swept over Qin Ming, Huyan Zhuo, Suo Chao, and other surrendered generals of the Song court. These men were all completely convinced and no longer mentioned the matter of being granted amnesty.
It is obvious that the allure of becoming a loyal subject to the emperor is far greater than that of being granted amnesty!
"Next, I've decided to wage war against Wang Qing of Huaixi. What do you all think?" Song Jiang asked.
"We are willing to share the Star King's burdens!" everyone shouted in unison.
Everyone knows that if Liangshan is to be unified, it cannot afford to delay in the slightest.
We must defeat all forces as quickly as possible and seize control of the world.
Otherwise, if this continues, serious problems will inevitably arise!
The factions of Song Ting, Wang Qing of Huaixi, Fang La of Jiangnan, and Tian Hu of Hebei all need to be dealt with one by one.
Among them, the weakest is definitely Wang Qing, the King of Chu in Huaixi!
When Wang Qing learned of the movements at Liangshan, he couldn't help but curse loudly.
"We're all rebels. If we don't join forces, we'll first destroy the Song court, then compete for the throne. Why are you, Song Jiang, attacking me?"
Despite the insults, the Liangshan army arrived in a flash, and Wang Qing had no choice but to deploy his troops to confront Song Jiang.
Even the Song army on the other side couldn't afford to be on guard.
As Wang Qing had predicted, the Song army did not take the opportunity to attack his territory, but maintained a stance of watching the tigers fight from afar.
However, Wang Qing did not expect that in the battle on the main battlefield, his Chu army would collapse at the first contact and be utterly defeated by the army of Liangshan Star King Song Jiang.
Wang Qing himself was also killed on the spot by Wu Song!
Song Jiang ordered the army to continue its march, and after incorporating the Chu army on the spot, they directly occupied Wang Qing's territory.
"???" The Song army was dumbfounded.
Wang Qing was too weak; he was defeated by Liangshan so easily.
The problem is that Wang Qing repelled the Song army's several attacks... Could it be that Liangshan is too strong?!
Afterwards, Liangshan, adhering to the military strategy of attacking with fire, continued their offensive, resulting in a major defeat for the Song army and confirming their initial suspicions.
Upon receiving the report, Emperor Daojun was greatly alarmed. He heeded Cai Jing's advice and dispatched experienced generals to the front lines, abandoning the plains and moving to the mountains where they fortified cities, thus halting the Liangshan army's advance.
However, the news of Liangshan's actions reported by the scouts almost suffocated Song Ting.
Originally, Liangshan had never intended to destroy the Song court in one fell swoop, after all, the Song army still numbered over a million!
Under Song Jiang's command, some troops attacked the Song Dynasty to lull the court into a false sense of security, while the main force headed straight for Jiangnan!
Of course, there were also some soldiers who, under the command of leaders such as Lu Junyi, Yan Qing, and Shi Xiu, and with the advice of Zhu Wu, stayed in their homeland to guard against Tian Hu in Hebei and any possible attacks from the Song army from other places.
Lu Junyi is strong in battle. Although he is not cautious enough, Song Jiang is quite at ease with Yan Qing and Shi Xiu filling in the gaps.
Furthermore, Song Jiang trusted Zhu Wu, the Divine Strategist of the Earthly Star, enough to stabilize the situation at Liangshan.
Meanwhile, the strategist Wu Yong went on the expedition with the army, first defeating Wang Qing and the Song army, and then fighting Fang La!
"This time, Fang La, you will not let our brothers suffer heavy casualties again!"
Song Jiang personally led the expedition, vowing to defeat Fang La!
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