“Brat! I don’t believe that I can’t kill you today!”
In the sky, Duwu Sili’s furious roar was like a peal of thunder. His enormous black steed was shuttling through the air like a thunderbolt, attacking Wang Chong’s Godking Yama from every direction. Thunderclouds formed from Stellar Energy had gathered around it, hiding Duwu Sili within them. His black halberd that was thicker than a child’s arm was constantly jabbing and thrusting, moving as if it was as light as a feather, but every strike contained enough power to sunder mountains.
As one of the best Great Generals, Duwu Sili made each move with extreme proficiency, none of them made with excessive strength and all of them lethal. But no matter how fast Duwu Sili was, how crafty the angle of attack, or how much power was contained in the strike, the four arms of the Yama blocked them all.
Duwu Sili had never encountered this sort of situation. Wang Chong had barely met the strength requirements of the Great General level, essentially occupying the lowest level, while Duwu Sili was far above him, someone who had even defeated Beiting Protector-General An Sishun.
However, despite using all his techniques, Duwu Sili could not win against this young upstart.
Wang Chong’s strength was not large, but every one of his moves struck Duwu Sili’s blows at their weakest points. At times, Wang Chong would nullify a technique before it had even been fully expressed. Duwu Sili was the Celestial Wolf Great General, one of the three strongest Great Generals of the Western Turkic Khaganate, a powerful existence that even Ishbara Khagan treated with great regard, but in what should have been an easy battle, he found his strength completely sealed.
Boomboomboom!
One stream of destructive energy after another exploded in the air. Duwu Sili gave a superb display of skill, his attacks enough to topple any ordinary Imperial Great General, but Wang Chong managed to neutralize every single one of them.
“Duwu Sili, it’s not that I’m looking down on you. You just don’t have the ability!”
Wang Chong’s light chuckle resounded in Duwu Sili’s ears. During this entire battle, Wang Chong had been completely at ease.
“Brat, by provoking me, you truly are suicidal!!”
Duwu Sili was even more incensed at Wang Chong’s words. Whether in age, seniority, or qualifications, Duwu Sili was far above some young rising star of the Great Tang like Wang Chong. He had made his name many years ago, and he was acknowledged to be a powerful existence who could lord over many other Great Generals. Tiger of the Empire Zhangchou Jianqiong, Big Dipper Great General Geshu Han, and Beiting Protector-General An Sishun were all weaker than him. The only people in the Great Tang capable of suppressing him were probably Andong Protector-General Zhang Shougui and former Great Tang War God—current Crown Prince’s Junior Guardian—Wang Zhongsi.
If it weren’t for the fact that Wang Chong had defeated Dalun Ruozan in the war of the southwest, defeated Dusong Mangpoje at the battle of the triangular gap, and killed the Black Wolf Yabgu Agudu Lan of the Western Turks, Duwu Sili wouldn’t have given him a second glance. To Duwu Sili, Wang Chong was truly nothing more than some ‘nameless soldier’.
“Haha, then do your best to display your true capabilities!”
Wang Chong’s loud voice echoed over the battlefield. Boom! At this moment, one of the Godking Yama’s black arms turned and blocked another one of Duwu Sili’s thunderous blows. Another one of its arms raised a golden vajra pestle and swept forward to smash Duwu Sili’s steed.
The Godking Yama’s four arms allowed it to defend and attack at the same time, making it the best of the ten God Formations to deal with Duwu Sili.
Buzz!
Though infuriated, Duwu Sili was forced to beat a hasty retreat, falling back twenty-some zhang.
Even Wang Chong couldn’t help but sigh with praise at this sight. The Celestial Wolf’s Divine Procession was truly a mysterious technique. He couldn’t help but slightly covet this mystical technique that could allow one to fly in the air along with one’s horse, so one could easily imagine what others felt. Alas, even though so many martial arts manuals had been gathered during the calamity, the Celestial Wolf’s Divine Procession had not been among them.
The Celestial Wolf’s Divine Procession did not truly allow one to fly, only increased the height and duration of one’s jumps. It was better suited on the battlefield, and a part of the power that allowed one to jump so high came from using the enemy’s strength. Still, the Celestial Wolf’s Divine Procession was an extremely mystical technique.
The Celestial Wolf’s Divine Procession allowed one’s movements to be unpredictable. This ability, combined with Duwu Sili’s formidable power and superb techniques, could make any Imperial Great General feel a deep apprehension. If anyone except Wang Chong had come forward to stop the Celestial Wolf Great General, they would have been heavily injured or killed.
The waves of the river behind drive on those before, as do the new generations replace the old. I worried that he didn’t have enough strength for this mission, but it now seems that I was lucky it was him. Anyone else, even an equal in terms of strategy, would find it very difficult to stop Duwu Sili!
While Gao Xianzhi was still locked in fierce combat with Dusong Mangpoje, he had still been paying close attention to Wang Chong. Although Wang Chong’s understanding of the art of war stood above his peers like the noon sun, his grasp of martial arts remained a mystery. Gao Xianzhi had originally believed that Wang Chong would be in great danger by clashing with Duwu Sili, but it was now apparent that he could rest easy.
His understanding of the military arts was formidable, as were his martial arts!
“Gao Xianzhi, rather than worrying about the new Qixi Protector-General, you should spend more time worrying about yourself!” A voice tinged with fury interrupted Gao Xianzhi’s thoughts. “The Great Tang’s defeat is certain in this battle! After this, all the land between Longxi and the Cong Mountains will belong to Ü-Tsang!”
The words still hung in the air as the black-skinned Buddha sent a mountain-shattering palm at Gao Xianzhi’s head.
Though this was not Dusong Mangpoje’s first time fighting with Gao Xianzhi, that Gao Xianzhi still had the nerve to pay attention to Wang Chong’s battle had infuriated Dusong Mangpoje.
“Haha, the ravings of a madman! After this battle, I would more like to know whether Ü-Tsang will have anything left in the north to even fight with! Of the Four Royal Lineages of the Ü-Tsang Empire, only two might be left!” Gao Xianzhi chortled.
“You!!”
Enraged, Dusong Mangpoje sent his enormous palm shooting even faster toward Gao Xianzhi.
Buzz!
In the face of this astonishing strike, Gao Xianzhi’s face was as unperturbed as an ancient well. With a slight wave of his sword, the air boomed and a magnificent bolt of Sword Qi slashed through the skies. Bang! Fierce gales of wind swept in all directions, even blowing away the corpses on the ground.
At the center of this tempest, Gao Xianzhi stood unmoving, but Dusong Mangpoje’s black Buddha took two steps back.
Dusong Mangpoje’s pupils slightly constricted at this sight, but he immediately lunged back into the fray. On the other end, Huoshu Huicang was also engaged in battle. The Vairocana Buddha was a veritable sun, its moves open and forthright, each strike of its palms leaving massive holes in the ground.
Huoshu Huicang was quite experienced in dealing with God Formations by now. Each of his moves was leisurely and confident, able to slowly force his opponent back. However, the Supreme Desolation God, the mighty formation of the Anxi Protectorate army, was a completely new experience.
The chains wrapped around Cheng Qianli’s Supreme Desolation God seemed to have a life of their own, constantly attacking and wrapping around Huoshu Huicang’s joints. The Vairocana Buddha felt restrained and unable to express its full power.
Chapter 924 - The Eastern Front Withdraws, the Western Front Begins!
Chapter 924: The Eastern Front Withdraws, the West
ern Front Begins!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Rumble! An enormous chain of Stellar Energy slid through the air, wrapping around an ankle of the Vairocana Buddha, but Huoshu Huicang slashed down with a palm, cutting it off. In the blink of an eye, another chain of Stellar Energy had wrapped around Huoshu Huicang’s wrist, and then came a third, a fourth… Huoshu Huicang’s fists were flying, blasting apart the chains or burning them away, and then he stepped forward and pushed toward the Supreme Desolation God.
“The Vairocana Burning Body Mantra! Get out of my way!”
The palms of the Vairocana Buddha came together, and a ball of searing fire as bright as the sun exploded from between them. The waves of energy stirred fierce gales, and yet the Supreme Desolation God needed only a few punches to disperse the energy of the scorching strike.
“Great General Huoshu, with me, you should temper your expectations. You won’t be able to get one step past me!”
Cheng Qianli’s righteous and chilling voice resounded over the battlefield.
From start to finish, Huoshu Huicang had been slowly advancing in Wang Chong’s direction, and Cheng Qianli could certainly see what was going on. Wang Chong was probably a thorn in the sides of all the Great Generals of Ü-Tsang. Whether it was Huoshu Huicang or Dusong Mangpoje, they all probably wanted to work with Duwu Sili to kill Wang Chong.
But Cheng Qianli would never let them get their wish.
Wang Chong had rushed to the aid of the Anxi Protectorate army with an army of more than one hundred thousand soldiers. If he allowed Wang Chong to be surrounded and killed, he would be disgracing the name of the entire Anxi Protectorate army. Thus, even though he was still slightly weaker than Huoshu Huicang, Cheng Qianli did not retreat even half a step, putting all his strength into stopping Huoshu Huicang.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The two once more fell into a fierce melee.
In the center of the battlefield, the battle between Wang Chong and Duwu Sili had reached a fever pitch. In the air, Duwu Sili’s attacks were exploding all around Wang Chong.
“The Celestial Wolf Bites the Sun!
“The Celestial Wolf Swallows the Stars!
“The Celestial Wolf Topples Mountains!”
Duwu Sili was launching all sorts of supreme techniques from his horse, coming at Wang Chong from every direction. But no matter what technique he used, Wang Chong would always predict and block it. Duwu Sili had originally entered the battle to break the encirclement of the sixty thousand Tibetan and Turkic cavalry, but he had by now forgotten his goal. The only thought left in his mind was to kill Wang Chong!
“Bastard! I’m going to kill you today! The Celestial Wolf Strikes the Moon!”
Duwu Sili’s furious laughter echoed in the skies as he and his horse transformed into a shooting star that rushed toward the Godking Yama. But with an enormous boom, Wang Chong used several moves to redirect the force of this strike.
Duwu Sili’s move was able to express only seventy percent of its strength.
“Duwu Sili, it’s not that I don’t believe you, but that you don’t have the time!”
Wang Chong chuckled as he confidently swung one of the vajra pestles at Duwu Sili in a counterattack.
Buzz!
Duwu Sili made a leap and easily dodged Wang Chong’s attack. Although his attacks were reduced in strength and essentially ineffective against Wang Chong, he was still an extremely powerful individual. Wang Chong’s attacks posed little threat to one of the top three Great Generals of the Western Turkic Khaganate.
“Brat, what do you mean?”
Duwu Sili’s eyes narrowed as he glared at Wang Chong.
“Heh!”
Wang Chong only chuckled in reply, his eyes looking past Duwu Sili to the distant hills. As if in response, the yak horns began to resound over the battlefield. Duwu Sili’s face froze at the blaring of the horns as he felt an indescribable strangeness.
Nearby, Huoshu Huicang and Dusong Mangpoje sensed the same.
This was the signal for the army to retreat!
Although others might not be able to tell the difference in the blaring yak horns, Huoshu Huicang and Dusong Mangpoje could. This was the signal for them to leave, a signal sent by Dalun Ruozan.
“Great General! We should retreat. We can fight them again in the future!” Huoshu Huicang yelled at the Celestial Wolf Great General in the sky.
Duwu Sili said nothing, his face constantly shifting. He had not expected the Tibetans to sound the retreat. But while he was still hesitating, the thousands of Tibetans and Turks below were already carrying out this order.
Buzz! For a moment, the entire battlefield was still, and then everyone began to surge back, a tide retreating to the east of Talas.
Bang! Bang!
Two explosions rang out in Duwu Sili’s ears, to his left and right. Huoshu Huicang and Dusong Mangpoje had almost simultaneously forced back their opponents so that they could break away and cover the retreat of the army.
Duwu Sili’s mind instantly began to seethe in turmoil. Although he was extremely unwilling, he ultimately chose to withdraw.
Although he still had little regard for Wang Chong, if Cheng Qianli and Gao Xianzhi entered the fray, he would not be able to deal with all three. Without the assistance of Huoshu Huicang and Dusong Mangpoje, he would not be able to deal with Wang Chong in peace.
“Withdraw!”
Still floating in the air, Duwu Sili waved his hand and gave the order to retreat.
Rumble! The Turkic cavalry who were still hesitating also began to withdraw.
“Wang Chong, should we pursue them?”
Gao Xianzhi had not chosen to chase after Dusong Mangpoje, instead returning to Wang Chong’s side.
Gao Xianzhi was Wang Chong’s senior by a significant margin. For him to ask Wang Chong what to do at this time meant that Gao Xianzhi had wholeheartedly accepted the fact that Wang Chong was a far more capable strategist and tactician.
“There’s no need!”
Wang Chong gave a faint and careless smile.
“Let them go. They still haven’t lost yet, and with Duwu Sili and those other two holding the rear, we wouldn’t be able to get much out of pursuing them! And besides… strategically speaking, we’ve reached our objective. Let them withdraw!”
Dalun Ruozan was truly formidable. While Wang Chong was battling with Duwu Sili, Dalun Ruozan had succeeded in leading the army to break the encirclement and free the trapped Tibetan and Turkic cavalry. But even so, Wang Chong’s forces had succeeded in killing more than forty thousand of them. In addition, the entire battlefield resounded with the dying howls of wolves while the corpses of vultures dropped from the skies like raindrops.
The joint Turko-Tibetan force of one hundred and twenty thousand had suffered a massive loss, cut down to seventy-thousand-some men!
With this reduced force, even someone as learned and intelligent as Dalun Ruozan would find himself with much less leeway. Strategically, Wang Chong had achieved his objective.
“This retreat is truly very prompt. Otherwise, we would have killed even more Tibetans and Turks, wounding their army irrecoverably!”
Cheng Qianli came over, his voice tinged with regret as he gazed at the retreating army.
“He didn’t want to retreat, but he was forced to,” Wang Chong indifferently said, explaining no more. His Bane of the Battlefield Halo had been active this entire time, a constant drain on Duwu Sili’s and Huoshu Huicang’s strength. If they hadn’t retreated, it would take only a little time before they found retreating to be very difficult.
“Let’s go! Only the Arabs are left.”
Wang Chong immediately turned his Godking Yama to the first defense line, issuing orders as he left.
“Li Siye, order the army to withdraw back to the second defense line, and have them work with the rest of the army to attack the Arabs.”
“This general will go!” Li Siye swiftly replied.
The first to react was Xu Keyi’s ballista army. The more than one thousand ballista teams had been stationed in the rear of the force this entire time, so they were the first to reach the first defense line. With the ballista army remerged, the simultaneous fire of nearly three thousand ballistae ascended to a whole new level of power.
Boomboomboom!
Volley after volley of ballista bolts descended upon the Arab army, the sounds of their impacts resounding over the battlefield. In a flash, nearly seven thousand Arabs had been killed, and then came a second wave, a third wave… At a certain number, the power of a ballista army would exponentially rise.
The arrival of Wang Chong, Cheng Qianli, and Gao Xianzhi further struck fear in the hearts of the Arabs. Their warhorses neighing, they began to fall back.
Bongbongbong!
The beating of drums could be heard from the rear of the Arab army. Before Wang Chong and the others could formally enter the battle, Abu Muslim had sounded the retreat, causing the countless Arab soldiers to pull back like the ebbing tide.
If the three elite Imperial Great Generals of Ü-Tsang and the Western Turks could not defeat the Great Tang, the Arabs definitely could not.
“Soldiers, attack!”
Wang Chong didn’t let this chance pass. The Godking Yama swung down its four hands, immediately causing explosions and screams to tear through the battlefield. Hundreds of Arab cavalry were pulverized by the Godking Yama, a bloody mist filling the air as chunks of flesh and limbs rained down over a radius of several hundred zhang.
On the path of martial arts, Great Generals were head and shoulders above Brigadier Generals.
By borrowing the strength of the Godking Yama Formation, Wang Chong could have his every blow shatter the earth!
Boom!
A tremendous boom came from beside him, and yet more screams filled the air. Hundreds of Arab cavalry were thrown into the air and pulverized by a dreadful power. Cheng Qianli’s Supreme Desolation God had also entered the fray.
The Human Emperor c1-2382 Page 601
