Chapter 691: Fighting Chao Li (Part 5) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Wei Shou: "..."
He was feeling like he'd never been so damned before.
Upon seeing this lifelike dragon, Wei Shou could sense the powerful literary aura and threatening presence it contained.
He had spent his life on the battlefield, encountering countless scholars and intellectuals, but if asked who among them he feared most... he couldn't think of anyone other than Chu Wu Hui. This was because Chu Yao understood all too well how to exploit human weaknesses; the larger the scale of the war, the more advantageous it was for him. More people meant greater difficulty in command and control, and once chaos ensued, it would be extremely difficult to maintain order.
Chu Yao rose to fame at a young age, becoming known as one of the "Three Heroes" alongside two other second-rank scholars from the Chu Kingdom. This wasn't something that could be achieved through mere strategizing behind the scenes or commanding from the front lines. He was elevated to a divine status by stepping over the bones of eighty thousand people in the Northern Desert!
Eighty thousand skeletons—that's a real number, no less.
All of it was his own achievement.
The battle quelled the arrogance of the Northern Desert.
The Northern Desert even offered ten thousand taels of gold for Chu Yao's head.
Jiang Ao has led 100,000 troops out of Chaoli Pass. If Chu Yao is not stopped, it is hard to say how many of these 100,000 will be able to return!
"Chu Wuhui!"
At the same time, he cursed Jiang Ao in his heart.
Before the troops were dispatched, he had subtly warned Jiang Ao not to be careless, practically implying that once the war began, Jiang Ao must charge into the allied forces and kill Chu Yao. Jiang Ao completely disregarded his words. Later, when Chu Yao made his move, Jiang Ao knew he had an old enemy on the other side, yet he was still lured away by two less powerful figures. Did he really think that a sixteenth-rank Grand Master level cultivator could act with impunity?
Unreliable garbage!
Ignoring everything else, Wei Shou kicked the young military officer away.
The latter flew backwards and crashed into several people.
When he landed, he was cushioned by the corpses of two enemies, their bodies mangled beyond recognition. This showed just how much force Wei Shou had used in that kick. Had the young general not been protected by his armor, that kick would have surely pierced his chest!
Although the young general escaped with his life, the breastplate on his chest shattered, pieces falling off. He raised his hand to his aching chest, circulating his martial energy to restore his armor and stabilize his broken ribs, preventing them from piercing his internal organs and causing further internal injuries. Amidst the chaotic battle, an enemy soldier attempted to ambush him from behind, but the young general, without turning his head, fired a spear.
The spear tip pierced the attacker's forehead.
puff--
He easily withdrew his spear and swept it again.
The gunfire swept away the enemy soldiers who were attacking.
At that moment, he saw the end of the path, and Wei Shou shouted at the giant dragon: "Chu Wuhui, you've gone mad!"
But what responded to him was a giant dragon swooping down.
When Wei Shou and Chu Yao were on good terms, Wei Shou once curiously asked Chu Yao if his move was unsolvable. The arrogant young scholar replied: "There are no unsolvable words of magic in this world..."
He even revealed some key information to his friends.
Wei Shou roared to the sky, frantically circulating his martial energy, which instantly gathered in his palm. He raised his hand and struck the giant dragon with his palm. The resulting palm wind hummed and instantly condensed into a giant, pale pink martial energy shield wall, spanning nearly a hundred feet!
"Someone move this thing!" The simplest and most direct way to counter Chu Yao's move is to move the "dragon" away. Once it's off the battlefield, even if it has the destructive power of a plague, it's useless without a target. However, he hadn't seen Chu Yao for over twenty years. The latter clearly knew the weakness; how could he not try to find a way to improve it?
There are also many literary figures in the Chaoli Pass area.
Wei Shou himself also had scholars and officials under his command.
However, none of them were as fast as Chu Yao.
The dragon disintegrated in mid-air, transforming into specks of grayish-black snow that drifted down to earth. Wei Shou's face was ashen, and he gritted his teeth.
"The wind is rising!" As long as these damned things don't touch anyone. Or, as long as the number of people who get infected is minimized.
Wei Shou had already made the worst-case scenario plan.
But he didn't expect Chu Yao to be even darker than he was back then!
Upon receiving the order, the scholars of Chaoli Pass immediately summoned wind, and three or four different streams of literary energy caused the gray-black snowflakes to flutter and fall towards the horizon. The strong wind whipped Chu Yao's robes and hair, and the silver-gray monogram hanging at his waist gleamed with an ominous light. Chu Yao lowered his eyes to observe the battle, a cold smile playing on his lips, and as he uttered the incantation, literary energy surged through his meridians.
"The wind is fierce, the sky is high, and the monkeys howl mournfully."
Beneath the sky, a hundred-foot-tall white ape phantom appeared out of thin air. It opened its mouth towards the ants fighting chaotically below, letting out a shrill cry. A gale spewed from the white ape's mouth, knocking back all the gray-black snowflakes that had already flown high into the sky.
The sonic boom caused the eardrums of the enemy soldiers to bleed.
With a long howl, the white ape's beastly shadow vanished.
While the scene was breathtaking, the battlefield was already ablaze with bloodshed, and no one cared about such sights. Compared to the spectacle of the white ape's appearance, its destructive power was negligible. It gave the impression of being all show and no substance, impressive but ultimately ineffective.
However, only Wei Shou knew just how formidable he was.
On the battlefield, only a few are truly courageous and skilled warriors.
The outcome of wars is often decided by the most ordinary, unassuming soldiers. Chu Yao's Word of Power is primarily focused on this—how to break through enemy lines and kill them by disrupting their morale. A large army, once thrown into disarray and its morale collapses, is not far from utter defeat.
"When two armies clash, how can there be any reason to show mercy?"
Chu Yao landed gracefully on the battlefield where blood was everywhere, his scholar's robe was clean and refreshing, untouched by dust.
Wei Shou considered whether he could cleave Chu Yao in two with a single stroke, but the latter seemed to see through his thoughts: "I am currently just an incarnation of Daoist Qi. If Yuan Yuan wants to vent her anger, then raise your sword!"
Wei Shou once said: "Venting anger and taking it out on others is something only incompetent bastards do; it's utterly useless!"
Wei Shou's finger was trembling as he pointed at Chu Yao.
"Your literary talent is ultimately limited. Now, you don't have dozens of scholars to lend you their literary influence. Out of a hundred thousand people, how many can you influence?"
Chu Yao's feat of causing the enemy army to slaughter each other, leaving 80,000 corpses, was far beyond the reach of his own literary talent. The scholars from the northwestern states who served in the army all lent him a hand. Even now, many years later, with his literary skills greatly enhanced and his position as a highly capable second-rank scholar, Chu Yao's literary influence is limited to a maximum of three to five thousand people; it's impossible for him to cover the entire army!
Chu Yao said, "Yuanyuan underestimated me."
Chu Yao, the embodiment of Wenqi, raised his hands and opened his arms, asking, "Yuanyuan, take another look. Are you sure there are only three to five thousand people?"
Martial artists of Wei Shou's caliber could clearly perceive the flow of different auras. Only after Chu Yao's reminder did he realize that the gray-black snowflakes formed from Chu Yao's spiritual energy could drift out from a recently deceased corpse, searching for its next target.
It is known that gray-black snowflakes can disturb the mind, causing mild cases of self-harm or suicide, and severe cases of mutual slaughter, a fight to the death...
Furthermore, it is known that this thing is not a disposable item.
so--
It now possesses not only the lethality of a plague, but also the ability to spread it? Wei Shou's jaw muscles twitched with rage. In a flash, he realized something. Without hesitation, he cleaved Chu Yao's avatar in two with a single strike.
He gave a forceful order: "Go all out!"
This was entirely out of necessity, forced upon us by Chu Yao.
Chu Yao's words can bewitch people, attacking the most vulnerable parts of their hearts. Ordinary soldiers have weak minds, and coupled with being on the battlefield where they could die at any moment, their mental defenses are almost zero. Following this line of thought, as long as their morale is greatly boosted, their hearts are pure, and they are fearless of death, Chu Yao's influence can be minimized. Of course, the downsides are also obvious.
Boosting morale will accelerate the depletion of soldiers' energy and stamina.
Once morale peaks, it will decline steadily, meaning the army can no longer sustain a protracted war.
The battle was at a stalemate, and the one who lost was Chaoli Pass.
Now, all we can do is hope that Jiang Ao, that good-for-nothing, can get rid of Shao Chong and Shen Tang as soon as possible, boost morale, and restore the army's fighting spirit.
Unfortunately, life is full of disappointments.
Neither Shen Tang nor Shao Chong is easy to deal with.
Jiang Ao hadn't expected these two young people to be so difficult to deal with.
If Shen Tang's fighting style still had some discernible patterns, then Shao Chong's was a completely beastly style—savage, violent, ruthless, and insane. He was like a wild beast that knew no pain, only knowing how to bite off a large chunk of flesh from his enemy, completely disregarding the price he would have to pay in the process.
He occasionally let out a rough, beast-like "heh heh" sound from his throat, and his eyes had turned completely scarlet at some point.
but--
Compared to Shao Chong, Jiang Ao was more wary of Shen Tang.
He felt that Shen Tang was different from before, not only stronger, faster, and more ruthless, but also undergoing some other change he didn't know about. Her beautiful face was now expressionless, her eyes cold, looking at him as if he were a dead man.
"He fought across three thousand miles."
The speed of the sword-wielding youth was beyond the perception of the naked eye.
"One sword once defeated a million soldiers!"
Thousands of chilling sword shadows descended from the sky.
Jiang Aobao retreated, but when there was no way to avoid it, he forcefully knocked the opponent away with his martial energy. The martial energy, like mud splatters, landed on the ground, and from the ground emerged burly, faceless figures, each wielding a giant shield. Sword shadows struck the shields, clanging and rattling like rain.
He quickly condensed his inner energy, remaining composed even under the barrage of sword strikes. The ripples created by the sword strikes failed to break through his defenses. Jiang Ao had to admit that the "landscape bonsai" he had his eye on had given him a long-lost sense of urgency!
I desperately want to add it to my collection!
The more impressive it is, the more valuable it is to collect.
"You will be my most cherished head!"
It must be held close to one's heart and played with every day.
It would be a waste to process it into a landscape pot.
"Ironclad Cavalry, take them down!"
A level 16 Grand Master can command 800 martial arts soldiers.
These martial arts soldiers before Shen Tang were far beyond anything he had ever seen before. Each of them was clad in heavy armor, wielding a massive sword, and wearing two layers of chainmail. They wore shoulder guards, armored bodies, and leg guards, with helmets draped over their necks and faces completely protected. The rest of their bodies were protected by thick metal, with only their eyes exposed, and an oppressive aura emanated from them!
The armor was extremely sturdy; spears and arrows could not penetrate it.
The 20th rank of Martial Warrior, soldiers formed from the Great Supreme Martial Qi of the 16th rank, already possess exceptionally fine equipment and astonishing defense. The higher the rank, the more room there is for further improvement in equipment. For example, a 20th rank Marquis can summon a thousand heavily armored cavalry.
Both men and horses were clad in heavy armor, and the armor was of excellent quality!
Although they are not good at long-distance raids, once they have completed their charge and accelerated, the place where they gather becomes an impregnable wall! No matter how many enemies are blocking their way, they can crush all obstacles with overwhelming force and overwhelming power.
Until it's reduced to dust!
The Iron Pagoda that Jiang Ao mentioned is one of them.
The higher the strength of a martial artist, the different types of soldiers and their combat abilities vary, but without exception, they can all cause enormous damage!
but--
"You don't even have a horse, so why are you calling me Ironclad Pagoda?" Facing the heavily armored martial arts soldiers charging towards him, Shen Tang's lips curled up, his almond-shaped eyes narrowed, and a hint of mockery flashed in his indifferent eyes.
In terms of chuunibyou (middle school syndrome), Shen Tang is no less than Jiang Ao.
"Kill one person in ten steps!"
Although the Mother's Sword in her hand was invincible and unstoppable, it was still a short weapon. Compared to two-handed swords or long spears and halberds, its lethality on the battlefield was nothing short of "toys." However, the lethality of a sword still depended on who wielded it. Heavy armored soldiers charged forward with various weapons, like an earth-shattering dragon, causing the sand and gravel on the ground to tremble.
Shao Chong used the most violent method to tear people apart with his bare hands.
It has a strong visual impact, but it is inefficient and costly.
Shen Tang is different.
As the incantation was uttered, he shifted his feet, riding the clouds and wind, nimbly weaving through the dense array of enemies amidst the flashing blades. Heavy armored soldiers, wielding martial arts techniques, coughed up blood from their necks, their bodies exploding on the spot. But, upon closer inspection, one would notice that Shen Tang's swordsmanship first lifted the enemy's helmet and neck, then used the blade to slit their throats along the gaps: "Leave no trace for a thousand miles!"
She calmly and collectedly charged towards Jiang Ao.
The latter was not angry at all; instead, his eyes shone even brighter and he became even more greedy.
"Hahahaha, you're very good! Very good!" Jiang Ao raised his arm and caught Shen Tang's sword with his bare hands. The metal and the scale armor gauntlet rubbed together, sending out dazzling sparks. Then, he held it firmly and laughed loudly as he sent out a palm strike towards Shen Tang's chest.
"You mere ant, how dare you blaspheme against the Mandate of Heaven!"
Although she managed to avoid it, Shen Tang's brows furrowed with anger.
Shao Chong charged forward again.
Instead, Jiang Ao conjured a heavy sword that came straight at them.
That heavy sword was twice as tall as Jiang Ao, with an extremely wide and thick blade. When it hit the ground, it created a terrifying crater!
"Bring it on!"
"I'm getting serious!"
Jiang Ao's words were arrogant and impressive.
However, Shen Tang refused to give him any face.
"Trying to look rich when you're not, pretending to be someone's father! If you're so good at pretending, it would be a waste not to go work on an assembly line and do your job."
Even so, Jiang Ao certainly has the right to be arrogant.
He roared, his already bulging muscles seeming to burst open his armor, his arms as thick as rocks, and he raised his sword and swung it!
Jiang Ao's advancement to the sixteenth rank of Grand Master at his age was not only due to Zheng Qiao's resources, but also largely due to his own exceptional skill. The heavy sword, weighing hundreds of pounds, seemed weightless in his hands. His body moved with the sword, his movements expansive and powerful, yet impenetrable. Shen Tang could barely get close to him, let alone draw her sword to take Jiang Ao's life.
The longsword transformed into a bow, and thousands of arrows pierced the sky like meteors.
Ding ding ding—
They were either blocked by the heavy sword or cleaved in two.
Even when Shao rushed forward, he was swatted away.
Shen Tang let him fly past her, rolling several times on the ground before slowing down and stopping thanks to the rivets on his combat boots.
"This turtle's shell is thick enough."
Shao Chong, panting heavily, said, "Indeed, it's impossible to scratch."
(End of this chapter)
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