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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Seventy-Seven: The Battle Begins
At the border of the Tang Empire, in Dongping County, winter had settled in.
After a silence of forty-five years, the Demon Army could no longer hold back and launched a full-scale attack on the human race of the Tang Empire. All seventy-two Demonic Followers of the Demon Clan led their troops into battle, commanding thirteen thousand Armored Soldiers, thirty thousand Cavalry, and one hundred thousand infantry. In total, there were one hundred forty-three thousand soldiers.
The Snowfield stretched wide, an endless expanse covered in pristine white snow. The Demon Army surged into the Snowfield like a tide, galloping on horseback and stirring up flurries of snow.
In Dongping County, all factions were making their final preparations, with three hundred Armored Soldiers, one thousand Iron Cavalry, and ten thousand infantry ready to fight. Tang Jiner ordered all Guardians of Dongping County to launch a full-scale assault against the Demon Clan in a decisive battle at the northern river county of Dongping.
In the Horizontal Blade Camp of Dongping County, Shen Jiahe donned his battle gear and raised his voice in Dominance. He looked at the soldiers and said, "Brothers, encountering this Centennial Battle is our misfortune, but it is also our great fortune. We guard the frontier; who does not wish to achieve merit and leave a legacy? How do we achieve merit? Only by facing such a Battle, slaying demons, and drinking Demonic Blood can we create great accomplishments."
"Brothers, let us kill the demons and raise the might of our Tang Empire!" Shen Jiahe called out passionately.
"Kill the demons and raise the might of our Tang Empire!"
"Kill the demons and let our Tang soar high!"
The soldiers of the Horizontal Blade Camp shouted in unison, their voices echoing through the skies with grandeur, shattering the silence of the white snow.
Lin Feng quietly observed this scene, filled with worry. He pondered what this Battle might signify; it had come too suddenly, like a conspiracy unfolding.
Not far away, Mo Mo Yi Ren stood alone, gazing at the vast expanse of white snow. The cold wind lifted her delicate hair and fluttered her white dress. She stood gracefully like a snow lotus blooming amidst the snow.
Lin Feng gazed at Mo Mo's figure and murmured to himself, "She comes from Yunlu Xian Sect, yet she does not know what kind of sect Yunlu Xian Sect truly is."
Snow fell heavily, blanketing the ground in white. On a snow-covered hill stood two figures. One was short and stout, dressed in a thin coat adorned with copper coins, playing with two copper balls in his hands. This man was Jiang Wannian, the largest and only warlord of the Tang Empire's borderlands.
The other figure was astonishingly tall. Jiang Wannian's head barely reached the man's abdomen. He wore black clothing, his long black hair flowing down, and his face was as cold and hard as iron, exuding a chilling aura.
Both men were powerful practitioners of the Walker arts. As the snow continued to fall, not a single flake landed on them. They radiated a formidable presence that turned any snow that fell upon them to ash.
"To kill Tang Jiner, how confident are your Cultists?" Shen Jiahe asked, looking at the two armies below.
"A mere pampered princess; my disciple Meng Han alone is enough," Jiang Wannian replied.
"The First Demon General's First Demon Disciple is indeed sufficient. However, to ensure absolute certainty, you need to send more reinforcements. Tang Jiner must die today."
"Our demon clan's attack originally had but one purpose. This year’s heavy snow has put our people’s livelihoods at risk; we had no choice but to fight for food. Now it has evolved into a conspiracy with you to kill the Emperor's precious jewel. So be it; let my demon disciples sharpen their blades and prepare for future battles."
"Once this girl is dead, I wonder who the Emperor will dare send to disturb my tranquility here. In truth, the demon clan is my ally. If the demon clan is eliminated, what business do I have left in these borderlands?"
"We demons enjoy watching your human clan scheme against each other, deceiving and betraying one another. It’s just a pity that our resources and population are far inferior to yours; otherwise, we wouldn’t worry about failing in our grand ambitions."
Dongping County, General's Office, Imperial Guard Headquarters.
Sima Shangshan finally awoke, and the first thing he did was summon his subordinates to ask, "What is the situation on the battlefield?"
After receiving an honest report from his subordinate, Sima Shangshan's face turned pale with alarm. "This is bad; the General is walking into an ambush!"
Ignoring his injuries and without bothering to put on proper clothing, Sima Shangshan rushed out of the room. He chose a warhorse and began to whip it relentlessly; the horse neighed and galloped toward the battlefield.
However, just after exiting the city gates, the warhorse suddenly stopped and began to back away, trembling uncontrollably as if gripped by immense fear.
"Quickly! We must go!"
Sima Shangshan swung his whip repeatedly, his gaze falling upon two figures ahead. These two were Jiang Wannian and Shen Jiahe.
Sima Shangshan couldn't help but gasp, his already pale face turning even whiter.
"Young nephew, in such a hurry, where are you off to?" Jiang Wannian asked with a smile.
Sima Shangshan dismounted, looking at Jiang Wannian, suppressing the fear in his heart as he forced himself to say, "Of course, I'm here to deliver a message. Last time you failed to kill me; this time, have the two of you come personally?"
The First Demon General coldly regarded Sima Shangshan, his tone laced with an overwhelming pressure as he stated, "This man killed my eighth disciple; today he must die."
Jiang Wannian waved his hand dismissively. "It was not this person who killed the Eighth Demon Disciple; it was Lin Feng from Solitary Moon City."
"Solitary Moon City!" The First Demon General ground out through clenched teeth. Solitary Moon City was a humiliation that the demon clan could hardly forget. The First Demon General would never forget it either; far too many of his brothers and sisters had died at the hands of Solitary Moon City.
"This person hails from Flowing Cloud Sect and is their disciple. If he is killed, it will provoke a conflict between Flowing Cloud Sect and Fire Departure Sect. In such a case, it will only benefit Solitary Moon City and the royal family," Jiang Wannian replied.
"Lord Jiang brought me here to help me erase some of his memories," the First Demon General realized Jiang Wannian's intention.
Upon hearing this, Sima Shangshan wasted no time. Regardless of his injuries, he formed hand seals, unleashing all of his Vital Energy. Behind him, streams appeared, clouds gathered, and the Manifestation of Divine Powers from Flowing Cloud Sect emerged.
The First Demon General casually uttered a single word: "Break."
As the word left his lips, the phenomena behind Sima Shangshan immediately exploded. The terrifying Vital Energy surged like ripples in water, stirring up layers upon layers of snow and creating a snowstorm.
Sima Shangshan coughed up blood repeatedly, utterly weakened. With the phenomena shattered, nearly all of his Vital Energy was exhausted.
This was the power of a cultivator; with mere words, they could kill. Faced with such a Supreme Being, Sima Shangshan felt utterly insignificant, left to be slaughtered at will.
The First Demon General extended his right hand, releasing an invisible eagle claw imprint that fell into Sima Shangshan's Sea of Consciousness.
Ah, ah, ah...
Sima Shangshan felt as if the Sea of Consciousness was about to collapse, an unbearable pain surged through him. The Sea of Consciousness was far too important for a Cultivator. If it collapsed, a Cultivator would be unable to cultivate for eternity.
In the vast Snowfield, the armies of the human race and the demon race began to converge. They lined up in formation, stretching endlessly.
Neither side immediately engaged in a full-scale battle. Instead, they sent out their Cavalry to charge into the fray, testing each other's strength.
The warhorses of the Cavalry were Spirit Steeds, astonishingly fast and possessing powerful Divine Consciousness that could help their riders avoid dangers and strike at the enemy's weak points.
The warhorses of the Demon Cavalry were also Spirit Steeds, albeit in different colors. The human Spirit Steeds were white, while the Demonic Spirit Steeds were black. As both armies' Cavalry charged forward, they kicked up a flurry of snow, creating a blizzard-like scene that obscured visibility. Yet, it could not hide the Divine Consciousness of the Spirit Steeds.
Amidst the swirling snow, countless sounds of hooves echoed, along with neighing and the cries of the wounded. Occasionally, a sharp cry of "Winter!" would ring out as someone was thrown from their horse.
"The Demon Race is too numerous. This is merely the vanguard of their forces," Shen Jiahe said softly.
The others felt a chill run down their spines. If the vanguard of the demon race outnumbered the Horizontal Blade Camp, how terrifying must their main forces be?
In less than half an hour, hundreds of Cavalry from the Horizontal Blade Camp had perished. The Demon Cavalry burst forth from the snowstorm, brandishing their spears and charging toward the Horizontal Blade Camp with an air of fearless determination.
Seeing the Demon Cavalry closing in, Tang Jiner immediately ordered, "Fire!"
The archers and crossbowmen among the infantry had long been ready and sprang into action at Shen Jiahe's command.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."
Countless arrows flew through the air in a dense cloud. The rain of arrows fell upon the Demon Cavalry. Despite their sturdy bodies, they were quickly thrown into disarray.
The Demon Cavalry seemed undeterred by death; those who fell were replaced by others charging forward. At the same time, demon archers drew their bows and fired at the humans.
"Form up," Tang Jiner commanded once more.
The human shield infantry stepped forward, eight battalions forming a square formation, their bodies pressed tightly against one another, creating an unbreakable wall of flesh. Black iron shields were placed in front of them, each engraved with a large character for 'Tang.'
Countless arrows from the demon army rained down instantly, striking the shields with a cacophony of clattering sounds. The Shield Bearers, each robust and particularly strong in their arms and waists, gritted their teeth and held their shields high to withstand the onslaught.
Seeing the human forces had arranged themselves, the Demon Cavalry dared not charge forward to test their strength. They scattered to the sides. Meanwhile, the rain of arrows from the humans showed no signs of stopping. Those Demon Cavalry struck by arrows were turned into pincushions, their bodies flying backward. The Demonic Spirit Steeds sensed their riders' deaths and immediately bolted to escape.
As a deep and resonant sound echoed, the surviving Cavalry of the demon army continued to rush toward both flanks, and amidst the swirling snowflakes, the Demon Army appeared before everyone.
"The Demon Army Main Force has arrived."
Everyone understood that the true life-and-death battle was about to commence.
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