The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  One hundred zhang!

  Only three hundred meters remained, and even Gao Xianzhi was getting nervous. If they could not stop this Behemoth, the one hundred thousand Tang soldiers would be completely wiped out, Talas would be destroyed, and Anxi, Qixi, and maybe even Longxi would all fall into enemy hands.

  “Release!”

  Wang Chong swung his Wootz Steel sword down, and the entire world seemed to go still.

  Bang!

  More than three thousand ballistae fired, their sharp and thick bolts rising like dragons breaking out of the sea, howling through the air to fall upon the Behemoth.

  Bang! A ballista bolt struck, leaving a bloody wound on the Behemoth’s body as it vanished within. This was only the beginning, as soon there was a second, a third, a fourth… Not one of the more than three thousand ballista bolts was repelled, and the Behemoth now sported more than three thousand bloody holes.

  Owwww!

  The seemingly invincible and unstoppable rhino-shaped beast finally gave a howl of pain, wounded for the first time. The heavy weaponry that had allowed the Great Tang to dominate the world had finally managed to wound this beast that had stepped out from the realm of myth.

  “How could this be!”

  Even the distant Masil couldn’t help but be shocked. This was the first time since the Behemoth Army had been established that a weapon belonging to another empire had been able to harm one of his Behemoths.

  Bang!

  The steel defense lines once more exploded with cheers. The three thousand ballistae had finally given the Behemoth a painful blow.

  “Release!”

  Wang Chong swung his sword down without hesitation as he gave the order to fire.

  The three thousand ballistae fired another volley, their bolts once more howling through the air and vanishing into the Behemoth’s body.

  “Release!”

  In the blink of an eye, a third volley was fired, another wave of bolts vanishing within. The morale of the army was at its peak, their cheers reaching the heavens. But Wang Chong quickly sensed that something was wrong.

  Three volleys, more than ten thousand ballista bolts, had been fired into the beast, and while the Behemoth had clearly wavered and slowed, the much-anticipated sight of the Behemoth collapsing had not occurred. Despite its wounds, the Behemoth was still charging at the defense line.

  Wang Chong could still feel that its enormous body was humming with life and vigor.

  There was no sign that this Behemoth was on the verge of dropping dead!

  “Shit! Tenth unit, fifteenth unit, seventeenth unit, twenty-eighth unit… all of you, retreat!”

  Wang Chong’s sharp order resounded through the army.

  “Lord Protector-General, General Cheng, Father… prepare to move out!”

  The vitality of this beast was simply too great. Ten thousand ballista bolts were enough to sweep the battlefield of sixty thousand soldiers, but they could not deliver a fatal blow to this monster. It was injured and moving slower, but it was still advancing.

  Boom! An enormous foot slammed down, unleashing a cloud of dust. Fifty zhang…

  The distance was closing!

  Thirty zhang!

  At a distance of one hundred meters, anyone who looked up at this Behemoth would truly feel insignificant. The lives of humans were truly weak and feeble before such a beast. Even a peak Saint Martial Imperial Great General could not compare to the Behemoth.

  Bang! The foot of this monster, larger than five horses, swept past a steel wall. With a metal clattering, this steel wall that had stood up against the constant attacks of the Arab army was pulled off the ground and sent flying through the air.

  “Ah!”

  Ten-some Tang cavalry too slow to react were struck by the flying wall and carried away. But this was not the end, as the enormous foot descended from the heavens, no longer smashing against any steel wall, but plummeting straight onto the massed ranks of the army.

  Crush! Blood immediately gushed over the earth. Twenty-some unlucky Ferghanan mercenaries and Qixi soldiers didn’t even have time to scream before they were flattened into metal pancakes.

  “Damn it!”

  Wang Chong grimaced at this sight, his eyes turning red. The Behemoth’s body was simply too massive, allowing it to cover vast distances with each step. Even though he had taken precautions, he had still failed to stop the beast.

  “Godking Yama Formation!”

  In a flash of light, an enormous four-armed god with a savage expression rose from the earth, immediately sending two vicious punches at the Behemoth. At almost the same moment, Gao Xianzhi, Cheng Qianli, Wang Yan, Banahan, and the other experts of the army mobilized.

  “Six Ultimate Majesties God Technique!”

  “Supreme Desolation God Formation!”

  “Mighty Miracle God Formation!”

  “Great Fire Crow Art!”

  Three mighty gods, four experts of the Great General level, and several Brigadier Generals began to attack. Boom! Bang! Boom!Their attacks exploded on the Behemoth’s body. Even this enormous monster felt threatened and pressured by so many experts. Though unstoppable before, it was now suffering serious wounds.

  Chapter 949 - Behemoth Battle (III)

  Chapter 949: Behemoth Battle (III)

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Awoooo!

  The rhino-shaped Behemoth let out an extremely shrill howl as blood fountained out from its body, sloshing down in waterfalls to drench the cavalry below in blood.

  Wang Chong’s Godking Yama chose a different approach from the other combatants. Its four arms shot out like lightning bolts at the entry sites of the ballista bolts, unleashing blasts of Stellar Energy that pushed the thick ballista bolts even deeper into the Behemoth.

  Wang Chong’s goal was to have these bolts shoot right into the organs of the Behemoth.

  “Attack its head! And do your utmost to push the ballista bolts into its organs!” Wang Chong sharply called out, and the Tang generals immediately began to unleash a storm of attacks on the beast’s head.

  On the ground, many cavalrymen had taken up formation and were charging at the four pillars that were the Behemoth’s legs, some of them even leaping from their horses and plunging their Wootz Steel swords into the limbs so that they could climb up.

  “Gao Xianzhi, Wang Chong, Wang Yan, and Cheng Qianli have all entered the fray,” the commander of the Mutri Great Cavalry, Huoba Sangye, suddenly said. “Even this massive beast will find it hard to stand against four opponents of the Great General level. It seems that just one of these beasts is not enough!”

  One hundred thousand soldiers were attacking a single enormous monster, producing a breathtaking battle. Most striking of all were the three gods and Anxi Protector-General Gao Xianzhi. Even this enormous Behemoth could not suppress the radiance of these four supreme foes, and its plaintive howls clearly indicated that there was a problem.

  “It’s not that simple! Those four truly aren’t weaklings, but that massive beast isn’t that easy to eliminate!” Celestial Wolf Great General Duwu Sili was watching the battle through narrowed eyes as he replied to Huoba Sangye.

  “Ah?”

  Huoba Sangye turned his head in surprise.

  “You haven’t noticed? Although that monster has been injured and its aura has weakened, its vitality is still flourishing and exuberant. Its hide is far too tough. The attacks of Gao Xianzhi and the others are only able to get through three or four layers before being stopped,” Duwu Sili slowly explained, his hands held behind his back.

  “Duwu Sili is correct.” Dalun Ruozan spoke in his graceful voice, his body exuding an elegant air. “Beasts are still beasts, and they can’t compare to humans. They can’t learn martial arts or use techniques, but they do have one advantage: a tenacious vitality. If Gao Xianzhi and Wang Chong want to kill this enormous beast, it will take some time and come at a great price.”

  Huoba Sangye
gazed in a daze, his eyes glancing between the pair. He then turned back to observe the battle with a pensive look on his face.

  Everything went exactly as Dalun Ruozan and Duwu Sili had surmised. The Behemoth was roaring, but the pain drove it into a frenzy, unleashing all its energy. It raised its golden horn, and Wang Chong’s father Wang Yan was its first target. Unable to hold his ground, he was sent flying, after which the beast threw its massive body at Cheng Qianli’s Supreme Desolation God. Cheng Qianli was unable to stand firm. Clangclangclang! He took several steps back, almost completely falling over.

  “Damn it!”

  Even Gao Xianzhi was forced to beat a retreat before the attacks of the Behemoth. It was simply too powerful, and though it had been heavily injured, it would still take some time to kill. In addition, the beast’s golden horn gave off an extremely dangerous feeling.

  Seeing the Behemoth lower its horn at Wang Chong, Gao Xianzhi gave a cry of warning. “Wang Chong, careful! It’s coming for you!”

  “Bastard!”

  Wang Chong punched out. He was just now realizing that even though he was in the Godking Yama form, he had no suitable weapons at hand. The vajra pestle made from Stellar Energy was of little use against a hardy creature like this Behemoth, and the Wootz Steel sword wouldn’t even be able to get any deeper than the surface of its skin.

  Wang Chong could only clench his teeth and face the charge of the Behemoth. The army was right behind him, meaning that he could not retreat. If the Behemoth were allowed to get into the ranks, it would take only a few seconds to wreak gruesome casualties on the Tang army.

  “Get out of my way!”

  The four arms of the Godking Yama shot forward, two of the steely arms grabbing at the golden horn while the other two pushed against the head. The Godking Yama leaned forward, its two legs bracing against the earth as it exerted all its power.

  Rumble! The earth quaked, and Wang Chong’s legs drew two massive fissures in the ground as they were pushed back several dozen zhang. He had managed to stop the charge, but the Behemoth was still as lively as ever. The charge had thrown the army into chaos, and more mercenaries and Tang soldiers had once more been flattened. The area in a radius of a hundred zhang was a scene of corpse-covered chaos.

  This simple charge had led to the deaths of at least four thousand men under the Behemoth’s feet.

  Unacceptable! It must be killed as quickly as possible! Wang Chong anxiously said to himself, clenching his teeth.

  This Behemoth was still some ways from being felled. The longer it remained alive, the more soldiers would be killed. The losses would be ten times, perhaps even several dozen times, the current number. As the commander of the army, Wang Chong could not retreat.

  “Cheng Qianli, Wang Yan, hurry and help him!”

  Gao Xianzhi’s voice rang out as he led the charge. But before the rest of them could join him…

  Roooar!

  With an earth-shaking roar, the Behemoth grew even more savage, an enormous energy exploding from within. Unable to proceed any farther in Wang Chong’s direction, it broke free of Wang Chong’s grip and began to charge in another direction.

  “Not good!”

  Everyone paled at this sight. This was the desperate struggle of a cornered animal. It seemed like this savage beast of the Arabs grew stronger the more it was injured. The closer it was to death, the more of its potential was stimulated. If it could not be controlled, it would render the area between the two defense lines into a living hell.

  Boom! With no time to think, Wang Chong immediately mounted the rhino-shaped Behemoth. At this abrupt scene, even the distant Masil and the Celestial Wolf Great General Duwu Sili couldn’t help but widen their eyes.

  This fellow is truly a madman!

  This was the thought of Duwu Sili and the other spectating generals. It was plain to see that the beast had gone berserk. In this state, not even Masil, the commander of the Behemoth Army, was capable of controlling it.

  “I have to stop it!”

  Wang Chong’s Godking Yama was completely tensed up and ignorant of the outside world. All of his focus was on the Behemoth.

  Bang! Wang Chong smashed a fist at the Behemoth’s head, and then a second, a third, a fourth. The four arms began to rain down punches at the monster, but this still was not enough to stop it. Wang Chong could sense the flame of its vitality dimming and weakening, but it was still not dead. More importantly, without all four of them there to stop the beast, it was able to push its enormous body forward.

  “Ah!”

  Panicked and fearful cries came from the ground. Pile after pile of soldiers was being crushed under the Behemoth’s feet in every moment, their blood gushing out. Many of them didn’t even have time to scream before they were pulped.

  Wang Chong’s heart was bleeding from the losses. He could tell that at least five thousand soldiers had now been killed. If he could not stop the rhino-shaped beast, this number would continue to climb.

  “Stop it!”

  At this crucial moment, Gao Xianzhi, Cheng Qianli, Wang Yan, Xi Yuanqing, and the others finally arrived. The Mighty Miracle God, the Supreme Desolation God, and Gao Xianzhi finally managed to hold the maddened beast down. Boomboomboom!One heavy punch after another landed on the Behemoth while the chains of Cheng Qianli’s Supreme Desolation God whipped through the air, wrapping around the beast to hold it down.

  Their joint efforts had finally succeeded in capturing the beast. Swooshswooshswoosh! Gao Xianzhi sent fierce rays of Sword Qi into the Behemoth’s body, each one rewarded with a gushing stream of blood.

  Wang Chong, Cheng Qianli, Wang Yan, Xi Yuanqing… all the experts, alongside the agile Wushang Cavalry, fists, vajra pestles, Stellar Energy, Wootz Steel swords, and ballistae, were attacking the Behemoth, causing its vitality to rapidly drop. But despite these serious wounds, it was still not dead.

  It was still struggling, still trying to push forward, its vitality far more dreadful than imagined.

  “Perhaps… we can use this chance to strike and kill them!”

  As Duwu Sili gazed at the distant battle of man versus Behemoth, his eyes began to shine with cold light. These abrupt words left even Huoshu Huicang and Dusong Mangpoje dazed. But after a brief moment of thought, their eyes brightened as well.

  The Behemoth’s charge had already thrown the Tang formation into chaos. In this state, if the Tibetans and Turks attacked, they might be able to increase the chaos or even rout the Tang.

  Although they were hesitant at first, they slowly began to come around to the idea.

  However, neither Huoshu Huicang, Dusong Mangpoje, nor Duwu Sili chose to act on their own, their eyes instead turning toward another.

  Chapter 950 - Wang Chong's Hidden Move!

  Chapter 950: Wang Chong’s Hidden Move!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  “We will be striking, but now is not the right time…”

  As if sensing the gazes of the three Great Generals, Dalun Ruozan spoke, but his reply left them dazed and confused.

  “But will it not be a great pity if we miss this opportunity?” Duwu Sili said.

  The winds caused Dalun Ruozan’s wide sleeves to dance as he shook his head.

  “Have none of you noticed? Such an excellent chance, but the Arabs have still done nothing!”

  These words immediately caused the mood on the hills to shift. The three Imperial Great Generals frowned, turning to the Arabs as one. Looking past the two defense lines, they saw the vast Arab army to the west, a black sea that stretched to the horizon.

  But it was precisely as Dalun Ruozan had said. Even though the Behemoth’s attack had provided such an excellent chance, the Arabs remained like an unmoving fortress, showing no intention to attack.

  The three Great Generals fell silent, their brows furrowing even tighter.

  “The Arabs have remained silent. If they are not attacking, that can only mean one thing: Abu Muslim does not bel
ieve that this is the ideal chance to strike… They still have more moves waiting in reserve!” Dalun Ruozan said, his eyes glowing with wisdom.

  The trio were silent, but the shock was plain on their faces. This was an impressive beginning, but if the Arabs still had more methods up their sleeves, then the Tang army at Talas was truly facing an unavoidable calamity.

  Most shocking of all was that the Arabs apparently had even more dreadful moves. With such power at their command, who could possibly stand against them?

  “This is still a war between Arabia and the Great Tang. We already did all we could earlier, so it’s not right for us to once more supersede the host. Moreover, even though the Tang army is in chaos, they still have the strength to counterattack. Don’t forget, with their formations, they have at least four Imperial Great Generals on their side. If we force the issue right now, we might ourselves fall into chaos, and if we take heavy casualties, the Arabs might view us with contempt,” Dalun Ruozan said.

  These last words sent a tremor through the three men. As generals, they only thought about how to defeat their opponent on the battlefield. In political matters, their insights were much less clear and penetrating than Dalun Ruozan’s.

  It was true. While the Tibetans and Turks had agreed to ally with the Arabs, it was not a very deep alliance. If their impulsiveness caused a large drop in strength, drawing the disdain of the Arabs and the end of the alliance, the losses would far outweigh the gains.

  And neither Duwu Sili nor Huoshu Huicang wished to confront those enormous Behemoths!

  “Heh!”

  Dalun Ruozan softly chuckled, knowing that the generals had understood.

  “Intimidation is far more useful than actually attacking. Just by standing here, we block the retreat path of the Tang. This is the true threat we pose. Right now, they don’t dare to retreat, but if we do actually begin to attack, at least half of the Tang will use this chance to escape… That truly wouldn’t be worth the gain.”