The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  Buzz!

  The plateau trembled. The Tibetans weren't traveling very fast, but their momentum was frightening.

  Gallop!

  While Wang Chong's troops quietly waited, a Tibetan horseman suddenly broke out of the ranks and began galloping ahead of the rest.

  "Milord, they're sending an emissary!" Zhang Que said.

  From the moment he had created the 'eagle team', Zhang Que had been formally registered into the army by Wang Chong and given the duties of both messenger and scout.

  "There's nothing to discuss!"

  Wang Chong looked at the emissary and sneered. If two armies were of equal strength, they had a custom of sending emissaries to each other. However, although they were called emissaries, they were actually meant to seek out information. The Tibetans still had no idea of the capabilities of the Tang force, nor did they know how the Tang had managed to get onto the plateau.

  Wang Chong naturally would not give them this chance.

  "Xu Keyi, get ready!"

  "Yes, Lord Marquis!"

  Xu Keyi immediately took a large bow from his back. The bow was nearly four fingers wide, and the bowstring was made from a combination of alligator sinews, water buffalo tendons, and metal string, endowing this bow with incredible strength.

  Bang!

  There was a whistle as the bowstring vibrated. A moment later, a metal arrow four feet long shot through the air like a lightning bolt, swiftly piercing through the Tibetan horseman some several li away. The sharp arrow stabbed through the front of the neck and out the back, the enormous power within it separating the head from the rest of the body.

  This sight was so sudden and unexpected that the vast sea of Tibetan cavalry came to a sudden stop.

  "Bastard!"

  A thunderous roar of fury came from the distance, not in Tibetan, but in the familiar Han language. In front of the sea of Tibetan soldiers, a muscular general riding a red warhorse angrily unsheathed his sword, his eyes fixed on Wang Chong's forces, his body churning with an aura as vast as a mountain.

  "Ready! Attack!"

  Rumble!

  The clattering of metal rang out through the earth. Even from several li away, it was still possible to hear this sound. A dark red Halo of Thorns emerged from that general's body and sank to the ground, forming halo after halo that spread to the rest of the army.

  In the blink of an eye, the twenty-thousand-some Tibetan warriors began to exude an intimidating aura, their strength rising to a completely different level.

  Bwoooom!

  The earth quaked, and the release of that massive halo seemed to be a sort of signal. The plaintive yak horns began to sound from the side of the army, and the vast wave of Tibetans began to move once more, rapidly picking up speed.

  In a few seconds, the army of twenty thousand had reached an incredible speed, traveling with the force of an avalanche toward the five thousand Wushang Cavalry.

  "Kiiill!"

  "Kill them all!"

  "Charge!"

  Tibetan shouts filled the sky and the neighing of horses shattered the serenity of the plateau. Battle and slaughter seemed to have awakened that desire hidden deep within the Tibetans. The air was fraught with tension as the twenty-seven thousand members of the Zhangzhung Training Camp army surged forward.

  The halos that these Tibetans personally cultivated began to emerge, rumbling as they fused together, exploding with such astonishing power that the surrounding air began to blur.

  Tsongkha was one of Ü-Tsang's recruit training camps and a target that was liable to be attacked, but this did not mean that Tsongkha was an easy target.

  Twenty-seven thousand Tibetan cavalry wearing plate armor was a force powerful enough to make any opponent withdraw their claws and check themselves.

  Rumble!

  The earth shuddered and dust roiled. The distant fields of grass, subjected to the impact of that distant energy, began to tilt in Wang Chong's direction.

  Yet the five thousand Wushang Cavalry remained unmoving in the raging winds, as steady as a mountain.

  The distance continued to close, the shuddering growing larger. Ten li, eight li, five li…

  "Ready!"

  When the distance closed to three li, clang! Cold light flashed as a sharp sword was unsheathed and aimed into the air. In the light of the morning sun, Wang Chong's clothes flapped in the wind as his cold voice resounded over the area.

  "Charge!"

  Rumble! This order was like a boulder splashing into a lake, stirring countless ripples. The silent mountain of Wushang Cavalry suddenly shot forward like an arrow leaving the bow, leaping out from behind Wang Chong. In that moment, the heavens and earth shuddered in fear.

  When these five thousand Wushang Cavalry charged forward with the same movements and the same speed, they produced an aura that could intimidate any opponent.

  Neigh!

  Amidst the fierce gusts and neighing of horses, the peaceful steppe was suddenly enveloped by the thick clouds of war. The atmosphere was so tense that it was stifling.

  "Kiiill!"

  Though far outnumbered, the five thousand Wushang Cavalry showed no signs of retreating. These warriors who knew no fear charged straight into the enemy.

  One second, two seconds, three seconds…

  Time seemed to slow to a crawl, and the earth shook under the hooves of the Wushang Cavalry as if it couldn't take their weight. And the Wushang Cavalry were only getting faster and faster, faster and faster.

  Four seconds, five seconds, six seconds…

  Churning clouds of dust flew into the sky. A massive hoof rose and then came down, stomping a blade of grass into powder and leaving behind a deep hoofprint, its owner continuing to gallop forward. On the backs of their horses, the Wushang Cavalry were nervous, but they were also determined.

  This was the first battle for these newly-trained cavalry, and they were facing an opponent several times their number.

  But compared to ordinary soldiers, the five thousand Wushang were far more composed.

  Wushang Village was surrounded by steep cliffs and high mountains. To walk amongst them was to travel on the edge of life and death, the slightest misstep resulting in a plunge into an abyss and having their bodies shattered at the bottom. After living for so long in such an environment, the Wushang had a far smaller fear of death than the average person, making them even more suitable for the cruel battlefield.

  Seven seconds, eight seconds, nine seconds…

  The two sides drew closer and closer, the Tibetans no longer black dots on the horizon. At these distances, it was even possible to make out the details of their armor. Clang! A pitch-black Halo of Thorns suddenly emerged from the body of a Wushang cavalryman, sinking into the ground and completely enveloping him.

  There was a second, a third, a fourth… In these few seconds, five thousand pitch-black halos, their edges as sharp as swords, suddenly emerged from the Wushang Cavalry. Their strength instantly swelled, and their auras became much heavier.

  Even light seemed to be twisted as it passed through.

  Whoosh!

  As a black halo swept over the plain, bits of grass flew into the air as if the grass had been cut down.

  The Wushang Halo!

  The five thousand Wushang Cavalry were finally using that supreme cavalry halo that had awed the world!

  Rumble!

  The earth quaked and dust seethed as the five thousand Wushang Cavalry grew faster and faster, drawing closer and closer to the twenty-seven thousand Tibetan soldiers.

  Chapter 753: First Battle! II

  Chapter 753: First Battle! (II)

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  "Ready!"

  With a shout, Wang Chong finally unleashed his 'Halo of Dusk Stallion'. With a metal clattering, a dark-black halo tinged with red rapidly expanded under Wang Chong's feet, spreading to all the Wushang Cavalry.

  Buffed by the Halo of Dusk Stallion, the alre
ady formidable Wushang Cavalry instantly became even stronger, their strength, speed, and dexterity all receiving massive boosts.

  But this was only the beginning. Buzz! A second Halo of Dusk Stallion emerged from Wang Chong's body to cover the army, and then a third!

  The Halo of Dusk Stallion had also grown stronger after the journey to the southwest. As Wang Chong's cultivation level rose from the True Martial realm to the Imperial Martial realm, the halos had increased from one to three.

  Three Halos of Dusk Stallion pushed the power of the Wushang Cavalry to an inconceivable level. Most frightening of all was that the five thousand Turkic warhorses seemed to break through some sort of threshold. They shot through the air like they were flying, leaving blurs behind them.

  The Wushang Cavalry were currently traveling at double the maximum speed of a normal warhorse.

  "Ah!"

  As if sensing this change, the Tibetan army began to cry out in alarm.

  "What's going on?!"

  "How could they be so fast!"

  "How did these Tang do it? How could they have such fast horses?"

  The Tibetan highland steeds grew up on the plateau and were blessed with a muscular physique, a powerful endurance, and a frightening charge. They were why Ü-Tsang could contend against the Great Tang and intimidate the kingdoms of the Western Regions.

  To the Tibetans, the highland steeds definitely ranked amongst the best warhorses in the world. But the Tang, who did not breed warhorses and did not have any good pastures, somehow had warhorses even faster than theirs.

  "Ready!"

  Just when the Tibetans were falling into minor turmoil, a dignified, calm, and resounding voice echoed through the skies. At this moment, only one person had been able to maintain their calm: the commanding general of Zhangzhung Recruit Training Camp, Dayan Pugyal.

  His face of steely determination showed no flicker of emotion. From start to finish, his gaze had been locked on the distant Wang Chong.

  As the commanding general of Zhangzhung Recruit Training Camp, Dayan Pugyal knew the military systems of the surrounding countries like the back of his hand, including Great Tang's. At a glance, he could tell that the youth in the very center was the leader of the Tang army.

  Dayan Pugyal did not recall there being such a young cavalry general in the vicinity of Longxi, but there was another person who seemed to match this youth's appearance. However, at a time like this, his exact identity was not important.

  "Echelon Formation! Concentrated charge!"

  Dayan Pugyal and his red horse stood in the center of the army, and as he waved his sword, the twenty-seven thousand Tibetans shifted.

  The speed of the army did not undergo any change, but the soldiers began to separate into layer after layer and close around the center. In the blink of an eye, the training camp cavalry had formed into the famed Tibetan Echelon Formation.

  Eight hundred zhang, seven hundred zhang, six hundred zhang…

  As the distance grew smaller and smaller, the killing intent grew denser and denser. On the flat plateau, both Tibetan and Wushang could see the individual pieces of armor on their foes, the hairs in the manes of their horses, even the breath coming from their mouths.

  Five hundred zhang, four hundred zhang, three hundred zhang…

  The air was growing tenser and tenser, and each person felt like the blood in their body was about to freeze. Everyone was looking forward, their eyes locked on their foes.

  Two hundred zhang, one hundred zhang, fifty zhang!

  "Kill!"

  All the soldiers, whether Tibetan or Wushang, raised their weapons and gave a heaven-shattering roar.

  At this moment, the atmosphere was saturated with killing intent. For the Tibetans and Wushang, fifty zhang was a distance that could be covered in mere seconds.

  This distance was continuing to shrink. Thirty zhang, twenty zhang, ten zhang…

  Rumble!

  With an earth-shaking boom, the five thousand Wushang Cavalry clashed against the twenty-seven thousand Tibetans in Echelon Formation like two massive beasts ramming into each other.

  At this moment, the whinnies of warhorses, the crashes and thuds, the clashing of swords and scimitars, and the screams from soldiers on both sides mixed into a single din.

  Surprisingly, the valiant Tibetans lasted for only a few moments before the five thousand Wushang punched through the first echelon.

  All the Tibetan cavalry in front of the Wushang were cut down, the warriors cleaved in two. In this land far from the Central Plains, Wang Chong's five thousand Wushang Cavalry debuted their oppressive and crushing strength.

  Many of the Tibetan cavalry failed to get close before being cut in two by the peerlessly sharp edges of the Halo of Dusk Stallion.

  "Don't panic! Hold the formation!"

  "Charge in from the sides!"

  The panicked shouts of the Tibetan officers rang out over the battlefield, but there was no time for them to adjust their tactics. Boom! The five thousand Wushang Cavalry punched through the second echelon, then the third, the fourth…

  In front of the Wushang Cavalry, the Tibetan attacks and defenses might as well have been made of paper. None of the Tibetan cavalry could stop Wang Chong's army for even a moment.

  Neeeigh! Horses reared up in fright. In a few short moments, the Tibetan losses had reached an astonishing number. Three thousand, four thousand, five thousand…

  "How could this be? How could they possess such a formidable strength!"

  Even Dayan Pugyal paled at this sight.

  The Tibetans were renowned across the world for their ferocity in battle, and there had never been a force like this Tang cavalry before him, possessing such a frightening strength.

  The Echelon Formation came in wave after wave, like the ceaseless tide. In the past, the Echelon Formation had always succeeded in stopping a charge, eventually bringing the speed of the enemy down to zero.

  In this open plain, cavalry without speed was doomed. But this Tang cavalry had pierced through ten-some echelons now, yet showed no signs of slowing.

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  "Ah!"

  The sounds of heavy collisions could be heard as more and more Tibetan cavalry were killed and their formation was thrown into chaos. If one looked down from the sky, one could see that Wang Chong's forces had completely punched through the army of twenty-seven thousand Tibetans.

  "Cutting Formation!"

  The moment the five thousand Wushang Cavalry had punched through, Wang Chong waved his sword and gave another order. Boom! While still traveling at extreme speeds, the Wushang Cavalry suddenly turned around, maintaining their speed.

  Gallop!

  In a stomping of hooves, the five thousand cavalry suddenly adopted a completely different tactic. The army had suddenly divided itself into many small squads that began to stab into the sides of the Tibetan army, weaving and intersecting with each other.

  Buffed by the three Halos of Dusk Stallion, the five thousand Wushang Cavalry had reached a monstrous speed. In a few seconds, they had once more caught up to the Tibetan army.

  These Tibetans had started off charging toward Wang Chong's army, but carried on by the inertia of their charge, they were now being attacked in the rear. The army instantly fell into chaos.

  Boom! Countless warhorses whinnied as they fell. Wang Chong's forces were moving far faster than they were.

  "Ah! They're coming from the rear!"

  "Run, run!"

  "What sort of army is this?"

  "How could cavalry be this fast?"

  All the Tibetans were stunned by this Tang army. In their experience, even cavalry had a limit to their speed, yet this Tang army seemed to be shattering this limit.

  There had never been an army like this, charging at high speeds through their formation and then turning around and swiftly catching up to them. It was like they were completely unaffected by inertia.

  This had completely overturned their understanding of c
avalry.

  Flee!

  This was the only thought left in the minds of the Tibetans.

  Rumble! The Tibetan rear was in complete disorder, and this was only the beginning. Their sharp weapons slicing through flesh and armor, Wang Chong's five thousand soldiers had divided into fifty groups, fifty snakes crisscrossing the Tibetan army at high speeds.

  Not even plate armor could resist this enormous strength. Although the armor was externally unharmed, the internal organs within were pulverized by the impact.

  The power of cavalry, the power of the high-speed charge, and the power of the halos—these three powers had layered over each other into a strength that no ordinary person could imagine.

  The Wushang Cavalry were simply rolling over the Tibetans.

  Six thousand, seven thousand, eight thousand!

  Wang Chong's five thousand had completely shattered the Tibetans. Only five minutes had passed, yet the twenty-seven thousand Tibetans had already lost more than eight thousand of their number, and this number was continuing to rise like a snowball rolling down a hill.

  All the Tibetans showed a deep fear and panic in their eyes. The number of deaths was truly too astonishing, and the power of this Tang army had exceeded their most terrifying nightmares.

  "Bastard!"

  In an area a hundred-some zhang from where the Tibetan formation had been punched through, Dayan Pugyal's entire body was trembling, his eyes red. During the first clash, he had intended to rely on his overwhelming numbers and the charge of the Echelon Formation to block the enemy. After that, he would have his forces wrap around from both sides and exterminate the five thousand Tang.

  But he hadn't expected the Tang to pierce through his entire formation, and they were traveling at such frightening speeds that his two flanks were unable to wrap around them.

  Chapter 754: First Battle III

  Chapter 754: First Battle (III)

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  "Gather the Qinghai Soldiers! Deal with these enemies in a single exchange!"

  Flames of anger seethed in Dayan Pugyal's eyes, fueled by the deaths of more than eight thousand Tibetan warriors. No soldier of any people could act so wantonly on the Tibetan Plateau, especially the primarily-infantry Tang.