The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  As swords swept through the air, countless White Braves were felled, their blood pooling and seeping into the earth, their shattered weapons falling alongside them.

  Dayan Mangban's heart was dripping blood. Never in the history of the White Braves had they suffered such a massive wound. This was not a matter of ten to twenty losses, not even one hundred or two hundred.

  In these few short moments, the White Braves had lost more than one thousand soldiers, and the White Braves only had five thousand in the first place!

  Chapter 787: The Second Layer, the Vast Heaven Earth Art!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  "The Great Snow Seals, the Devil Dragon Destroys All!"

  Dayan Mangban's expression turned savage, his eyes bright red as Stellar Energy exploded out of his dantian. In a flash, the temperature in a radius of several dozen zhang dropped as if this area of the plateau had been transported into a world of ice and snow. Frigid winds howled, and the sky was suddenly inundated in a flurry of snow.

  Roooar!

  Thousands of dragons began to bellow in the skies and the entire world dimmed. Dayan Mangban vanished, and above his former position, a dragon as large as a mountain with blazing eyes slashed with a claw at Wang Chong and Li Siye.

  "Careful!"

  Wang Chong's heart turned cold as he felt a terrible danger. He was extremely familiar with Dayan Mangban's Devil Dragon Art by now, but the technique Dayan Mangban was using now was different from the one he had used before. While the name was the same, it had a completely different manifestation and was on a whole new plane of power.

  "The heavens spin and the earth turns; the sun and moon rise and fall! Vast Heaven Earth Art!"

  At this crucial moment, Wang Chong chose to charge forward without the slightest hesitation. There was a thunderous explosion and in mere moments, the air was filled with countless images of suns and moons.

  As countless people watched on, the White-hoofed Shadow cried out. At that moment, all soldiers in a radius of several hundred zhang, both White Brave and Wushang Cavalry, felt a strange sensation. They felt like the heavens and earth had reversed, putting the ground above and the sky below, a misperception that made them feel dizzy and uncomfortable.

  The Vast Heaven Earth Art!

  This was a supreme technique of the Great Yinyang Heaven Creation Art even more powerful than the Great Yinyang Art. At the Imperial Martial realm, Wang Chong did not have the ability to use this technique, but with the Karmic Battle Armor, he did.

  "Mountain River Cyclic Slash!"

  Another roar ripped through the sky. The moment Wang Chong used the Vast Heaven Earth Art, Li Siye also moved, both hands gripping his sword as he spun in the air and unleashed the most powerful blow of his life. Boom! A black storm surged into the sky, and in the midst of this storm was a stream of saber energy that extended into the heavens, twenty-some zhang tall.

  Buzz! The massive stream of saber energy paused in the air for a moment, and then it slashed down at Dayan Mangban with the weight of ten thousand jun.

  Rumble!

  Three supreme experts and three peerless techniques clashed at the triangular gap. Stellar Energy mixed and collided in a deafening explosion, transforming into a blazing 'sun' with a diameter of twenty-some zhang.

  The moment this 'sun' appeared, it began to rapidly expand, swelling to a height of fifty to sixty zhang before finally exploding. Time seemed to freeze for a moment, and then endless winds infused with destructive energy began to ravage the battlefield.

  The thunderous rumbling drowned out all sounds of fighting, and even the Qixi Protectorate army and Dusong Mangpoje's army had to close their eyes in fear.

  The levels of power that Dayan Mangban, Wang Chong, and Li Siye had achieved were far beyond the imagination of ordinary soldiers, and even a White Brave or Wushang Cavalry was insignificant in a clash of experts like this.

  Rumble!

  When the white light dispersed, a stalwart figure and his horse flew out from the center of the clash.

  It was Dayan Mangban!

  The combined might of Wang Chong and Li Siye had managed to utterly vanquish the stronger Dayan Mangban. At this sight, let alone the Wushang Cavalry, even the White Braves were stunned!

  It was true that Dayan Mangban had been defeated at the City of Steel, but that had been an assault on the city, not the flat terrain of the plateau the Tibetans were masters of, and Wang Chong had had more than two hundred experts assisting him.

  Moreover, Dayan Mangban had left mostly unscathed, with few real injuries. In the hearts of the White Braves, that battle had not counted as a loss.

  But in this battle, Dayan Mangban had truly lost, and Wang Chong had defeated him without two hundred experts.

  "Milord!"

  After rousing from their initial shock, all the White Braves fell into panic, beginning to ride toward the place Dayan Mangban had fallen in hopes of saving their commander.

  But before they could do anything, the thunderous rumbling of hooves heralded the arrival of the Wushang Cavalry, wave after wave scattering the White Braves.

  "Kill him!"

  A vicious light flashed in Wang Chong's eyes as he gazed at the area where Dayan Mangban had fallen. Without a second thought, he immediately urged his horse to gallop forward.

  Today was the day to kill off Dayan Mangban and resolve this threat to Qixi.

  The Vast Heaven Earth Art truly is formidable. It's like night and day compared to the Great Yinyang Art! Wang Chong thought as he charged forward. Wang Chong was sure that Dayan Mangban had been wounded by the impact, and these were serious wounds to his internal organs.

  As an even higher technique of the Great Yinyang Heaven Creation Art, the Vast Heaven Earth Art possessed an inconceivable power. Not only could it absorb and control an opponent's Stellar Energy, it could shift around their internal organs, directly dealing them serious injuries.

  No matter how much Stellar Energy an opponent had, they would find it very difficult to deal with this move.

  The Demonic Emperor Old Man was a person who would make every member of the evil path tremble in fear at the mere mention of his name, so his techniques were all meant for dealing with the strongest experts, all of whom had extremely firm energies, with some of them even cultivating techniques specifically meant to harden their energies against the Great Yinyang Heaven Creation Art.

  Unfortunately, these techniques were useless against the Demonic Emperor Old Man's Vast Heaven Earth Art. This move jolted and shifted their organs, slowing the flow of their energy, and then the following Great Yinyang Art would suck these mighty figures of the martial arts world dry.

  The Demonic Emperor Old Man had been very open about this point.

  Dayan Mangban was a Saint Martial expert with a much higher quality of energy, so absorbing it would be a great boon to Wang Chong.

  Rumble!

  Wang Chong, and Li Siye trailing him, left a wake of energy behind them as they charged toward Dayan Mangban. This was an incredibly rare chance, and they had to seize it.

  But at this very moment, the situation changed…

  "Kiiill!"

  Thousands of shouts combined into a massive wave of noise. Five thousand Tibetan cavalry surged out from the flanks of the White Braves and attacked the Tang.

  Although they had come late, one could say that these five thousand Tibetan cavalry had come at the perfect moment. Although they were far weaker than both the Wushang Cavalry and the White Braves, their sudden assault immediately threw the battlefield into chaos.

  "Withdraw!"

  The moment Wang Chong's and Li Siye's attentions were diverted, a figure galloped out of the dust, shouting out an order.

  When they saw that snow-white steed of the Great Snow Mountain, Wang Chong and Li Siye both felt their hearts leap. It was Dayan Mangban! Even after taking their combined attacks, Dayan Mangban did not seem to have suffered wounds as serious as they h
ad imagined.

  "Hyah!"

  Dayan Mangban's order immediately triggered a response from the White Braves. Without the Heart of the Great Bon, the White Braves were no match for the Wushang Cavalry, and with Dayan Mangban's order, their lines utterly collapsed.

  "Pass on my order! All soldiers, chase them down! In addition… kill off this second group of Tibetan cavalry!"

  Wang Chong's cold voice rang over the battlefield. The Great Bon Formation was truly too formidable. Not even Wang Chong could see through the mysterious energy of the ancient Zhangzhung Dynasty. Although the Bane of the Battlefield and Bane of Generals were still effective against the White Braves, their effects were greatly reduced.

  This was the first time Wang Chong had encountered such a situation.

  But even though his two powerful halos were affected by the mysterious power of the Great Bon Formation, they were still operating at full power on the ordinary Tibetan cavalry. Dayan Mangban's Great Bon Formation was not capable of shielding them.

  "Kill!"

  Their swords ringing, the Wushang Cavalry immediately turned and began to pursue. Boom! The group of five thousand cavalry were routed and cut apart in a single clash.

  Neigh! All was in chaos as the Ten Charges Ten Victories Formation crashed unstoppably through the Tibetan cavalry. The fall of each horse sent up a cloud of dust, and the plateau was quickly shrouded over.

  "Shit, run!"

  They hadn't noticed at a distance, but when they finally clashed with the Wushang Cavalry, the Tibetan cavalry realized that they had been newborn calves that didn't know the terror of tigers, and finally understood just how powerful this Tang army that had dared to invade the plateau was.

  The ones who had been the first to charge into the fray were the fastest to flee.

  Rumble!

  Dust continued to churn as the army was cut down. When the Ten Charges Ten Victories Formation was at its peak, these Tibetans were incapable of stopping the Wushang Cavalry.

  Rivers of blood flowed across the plateau, and events moved too quickly for anyone to react. Five hundred, six hundred, seven hundred… One thousand Tibetan corpses were added to the plateau. Although they had come to offer their aid, they had almost instantly been routed.

  As the Wushang Cavalry pursued, screams resounded over the chaotic battlefield. Not even Dayan Mangban would be capable of salvaging this situation. He could only fully exert the power of his halo to cover as much of the army as possible and reduce the losses.

  As for covering the retreat, Dayan Mangban didn't even dare to think about it!

  Wang Chong's Vast Heaven Earth Art had truly surprised him. Dayan Mangban had never believed it possible that such a powerful technique could exist, and even someone of his prodigious might had not been capable of blocking it.

  Chapter 788: Defeat!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  "Kill!"

  Roars and shouts of fighting resounded over the plateau. This clash of supreme cavalry, White Braves versus Wushang Cavalry, had in the end transformed into a one-sided pursuit.

  "All soldiers, withdraw!"

  As Wang Chong watched the Wushang Cavalry chase down the Tibetans, his eyes flashed and he suddenly raised a hand and ordered the retreat.

  This order was so sudden that the Wushang Cavalry, who had been immersed in the chase, were momentarily dazed. Their lightning speed rapidly dropped, and the dust began to settle.

  "All soldiers, hear this order! Withdraw!"

  Li Siye's order rang out over the plateau, and with both commanders sounding the retreat, all hesitation vanished. All the cavalry drew an arc on the plateau as they gave up on the pursuit and returned to base.

  The agility of the Wushang Cavalry was on full display here. It took only a few seconds after the order for the several thousand cavalry to completely turn around, immediately widening the gap between them and the Tibetans.

  Neigh!

  Not long after Wang Chong's forces had begun to withdraw, fierce neighs could be heard from in front of the fleeing White Braves. A massive black banner was slowly raised into the air, a massive white eagle emblazoned upon it.

  Dusong Mangpoje!

  This Ü-Tsang Imperial Great General had been holding the rear this entire time, appearing unworried, but when Dayan Mangban was defeated by Wang Chong and Li Siye, he could no longer sit still.

  "He ran rather fast! If he had remained just a little longer, I would have been able to catch him!"

  The army parted and Dusong Mangpoje rode out on his divine steed. His eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, and the energy rising from his body was as heavy as a mountain range. Although Dayan Mangban was praised as the Asura War God of the plateau and was a Brigadier General, only a step away from a Great General, it was clear that he was still quite lackluster in comparison to Dusong Mangpoje.

  This was what it meant to be so close, yet worlds apart. Although it seemed to be only a step away, this step was a vast chasm.

  "Milord, should we pursue? Perhaps we could catch up to them before they reach their camp?" a deputy officer probed as he reluctantly stared at the retreating Tang forces. During a battle, it was difficult to pay attention to what was happening in the rear, and they had taken great pains to remain out of sight.

  If Wang Chong's reaction had been just a little slower, the Great General's destructive strike would have been waiting for him, and the course of the battle would have been completely reversed.

  "There's no need."

  Dusong Mangpoje shook his head. Wang Chong's reaction had been swift and decisive. For his army in the middle of a pursuit, fresh from victory, to quickly come to a stop and turn around was extremely difficult. He could tell that Wang Chong had remained cool and rational throughout the battle. They would gain nothing from chasing down the Tang. Moreover…

  Dusong Mangpoje gave a profound glance in Fumeng Lingcha's direction, a hint of caution in his eyes.

  "Retreat!"

  Dusong Mangpoje raised a hand into the air.

  It was enough that he had stopped the Wushang Cavalry from doing even more damage and lessened the casualties of the Tibetan army. The horns blew the retreat signal, and the Tibetan army drew back to their camp two-thousand-some zhang away. At almost the same time, Wang Chong's forces returned to the shelter of the steel walls.

  The intimidating presence of Dusong Mangpoje had finally brought this fierce battle to an end.

  ……

  "These Wushang Cavalry are truly too powerful!"

  "They actually managed to deal such a large defeat to the White Braves, and even Dayan Mangban lost! If I hadn't seen it for myself, I would have never believed it!"

  "The Young Marquis truly isn't ordinary! No wonder he managed to so thoroughly defeat the cavalry of the Ngari Royal Lineage in the southwest. We've all underestimated him."

  "I can't believe it! How could our Great Tang have such a formidable individual! The soldiers he's trained can utterly crush the Tibetans!"

  As they watched the two sides return to their bases, all the soldiers of the Qixi Protectorate army were stunned. This was five thousand against ten thousand, half of those being the formidable White Braves! The results of this battle felt like a massive wave crashing down in their minds.

  Although the presence of their Protector-General prevented many people from voicing their true opinions, deep down, they had been elated to see Wang Chong crush those vicious Tibetans, felt honored to witness such a sight. After all, at this moment, they were all people of the Great Tang!

  "General!"

  Expectant eyes began to turn toward their commander, Heba Ye. All these soldiers had the impulse to charge down and stand alongside Wang Chong's forces to vanquish the Tibetans on the plateau.

  The Qixi Protectorate army was the true guardian of the plateau's borders, the true opponent of the Tibetans. If a person who did not even have this duty could put everything on the line, what reason did the Q
ixi Protectorate army have to back away?

  Heba Ye said nothing, only looked to Protector-General Fumeng Lingcha. Unlike his subordinates, Fumeng Lingcha had an extremely gloomy expression. Heba Ye apprehensively glanced down and saw that Fumeng Lingcha's hands had clenched into fists, his palms brimming with destructive energy shimmering with a cold, metallic luster.

  Shivering, Heba Ye immediately put aside any thoughts of speaking up.

  ……

  "Li Siye, how are you doing? Pass on my order to get a head count and determine what our losses were."

  Behind the silvery-white steel walls, Wang Chong gripped the reins of his horse and turned behind him to look at Li Siye. Dayan Mangban's Stellar Energy was tyrannical and vigorous, and he was a veteran of many battles. In addition, it was clear that the battle at the City of Steel had riled him up, causing him to bitterly train and grow even stronger.

  Wang Chong could rely on the Karmic Battle Armor to defend himself, but Li Siye could not.

  In the end, it was still too early. Li Siye had still not matured into that almost peerless and despotic Invincible Great General who could singlehandedly change the course of a battle. With only his Imperial Martial realm cultivation, he had definitely suffered in the battle against Dayan Mangban.

  "It's nothing, only a few small injuries."

  Li Siye was calm, with no sign of emotion on his determined face, but Wang Chong could see that the armor on his right shoulder had been shattered, and scarlet blood was seeping out.

  But Li Siye apparently didn't notice, as if this injury belonged to someone else. His posture also remained as straight as it usually was.

  After examining him for a few moments, Wang Chong finally nodded.

  Although he was weaker than Dayan Mangban, Li Siye's vitality was clearly far above his cultivation. The jolts of Stellar Energy might have heavily injured others, but they were clearly still bearable for Li Siye.

  "Mm, there will be another battle coming up. Take this pill. It will be good for your wounds. In addition… find out our losses."

  Wang Chong's expression turned grim.