The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  Chapter 1830 - The Decisive Battle Begins!

  Chapter 1830: The Decisive Battle Begins!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  On the Arab side, countless falcons flew through the air, constantly gathering information on the Great Tang.

  While the Arabs might not have had a military text stating ‘by knowing yourself and knowing your enemy, you will win one hundred out of one hundred battles’, there was no doubt that they had already put that principle into practice.

  Three days went by quickly, and soon, the curtain of darkness fell on the last day. Only one night remained until these two armies would clash, and the tension was only rising.

  Buzz!

  The day of the decisive battle had finally come!

  As the first ray of sunlight shot out from the east, gradually illuminating the world, the tension in the northwest suddenly began to rapidly thicken. Bwooooom! A resounding metal horn was blown, and the earth began to tremble as if some enormous beast was waking from a long slumber.

  Space seemed to freeze as the horn’s blare resounded over the earth. Looking down from the sky, one could see countless Arab cavalry charging out of their base in mighty rivers of black steel.

  Roooar!

  The Behemoths roared as they stood up, their enormous bodies like mountains rising from the middle of the sea of soldiers.

  A few moments later, the millions of Arab soldiers had taken up formation like an immense war machine, their weapons gleaming with cold light.

  At the same time, to the southeast, drums began to pound within the City of Steel, rising to the heavens and shattering the calm of the city.

  Clang!

  With clattering armor, a soldier strode out of his tent, spear in hand, and just a few moments later, he had marched into the torrent of steel flowing past his tent and soon arrived at the steel walls set up outside the City of Steel.

  With a clang, his long spear was tilted forward.

  Behind him were countless infantry, cavalry, ballista soldiers, master archers… The six-hundred-thousand-some elites of the Great Tang were marching to the front line.

  Their orderly marching rumbled like thunder!

  Buzz!

  Wang Chong, dressed in full armor, was seated on a raised platform in the City of Steel’s main hall. His eyelids twitched, and then his eyes flew open, blazing with dazzlingly bright light. At the same moment, an energy heavier than a mountain erupted from his body.

  “Your Highness!”

  Li Siye, Su Hanshan, Guo Ziyi, Old Eagle, Young Master Qingyang, Zhang Que, Xu Keyi, Su Shixuan, Chen Burang, Sun Zhiming… all of his subordinates had gathered in the hall, and they bowed in reverence.

  “Move out!”

  With no other words, Wang Chong rose from his chair and swiftly walked out of the hall. With a neigh, the waiting White-hoofed Shadow raised its hooves and shook its mane.

  Wang Chong mounted his horse, grabbed the reins, and made for the front line.

  His subordinates closely followed behind him.

  Whoosh!

  As the air rushed past him, Wang Chong could see his vast army, as impregnable as a fortress, arrayed before him. The mighty figures of Wang Zhongsi, Gao Xianzhi, Cheng Qianli, An Sishun, Abusi, Chuluohou, Zhangchou Jianqiong, and Xianyu Zhongtong were mounted upon divine stallions and in full armor.

  Upon seeing Wang Chong, everyone turned to await his orders.

  Wang Chong nodded and slowly rode the White-hoofed Shadow to the very first row, to the thousands of steel walls forming the defense line, and looked to the northwest.

  Bwoooom!

  Clouds of dust billowed into the air. Those millions of Arab cavalry that had lain in wait in the Western Regions for more than twenty days were now charging toward the City of Steel, the earth groaning and shuddering at their approach.

  Those mountainous beasts within the army had also awoken, their powerful and brutal bodies blocking the sun, their imposing auras terrifying to behold.

  But Wang Chong ignored all these figures and focused on that elephant Behemoth, on that golden tent on its back and that hallowed and divine silver-robed figure standing there.

  The moment of the decisive battle has finally begun! Wang Chong said to himself, a sharp light in his eyes.

  “Ready!”

  Clang! Wang Chong roared as he pulled out the Origin Immortal Sword and pointed it toward the skies.

  With Wang Chong’s thunderous roar, the Tang army suddenly transformed. It was like a vast cloud of iron sand suddenly coalescing into a forest of steel, as tough as a fortress.

  To the northwest, that distant figure sensed the change in the Tang army, and Khatabah slightly grimaced. These eastern infidels were clearly not easy opponents. But a moment later, Khatabah regained his composure.

  “Move out!”

  This sharp and resounding cry swept through the skies of the Western Regions, and countless horses neighed in response. The greatest army ever gathered by the western world, more than two million elite cavalry, surged toward the front line in a great flood.

  “Kiiill!”

  Savage war cries rang out as the cavalry erupted with killing intent and stirred up a great cloud of dust that blocked out the sun.

  This was the greatest and most experienced force of cavalry on the continent. Whether it was the Turkic cavalry or Tibetan cavalry, they all paled in comparison to the Arab cavalry. Theoretically speaking, two million Arab cavalry could easily crush an army of six to seven million infantry on flat terrain, perhaps even ten million infantry. In any world, this was an overwhelming force.

  The world was drained of any other sound, and the only thing that could be heard was the rumbling approach of millions of cavalry.

  Behind the steel defense line, not a single person spoke. The six hundred thousand soldiers silently waited. Even though they couldn’t sense what was happening far in the distance like Wang Chong, these soldiers could sense the north wind getting stronger and stronger, the grim and somber mood getting thicker and thicker. But the soldiers remained resolved and fearless.

  “The battle will begin soon!” someone softly muttered.

  In the surrounding area, numerous spies from various countries were watching the northwestern region, watching that enormous ‘beast’ get closer and closer. Four hundred li, three hundred li, two hundred li, one hundred and fifty li… the long distance was swiftly covered, and soon…

  “It’s here!”

  Zhangchou Jianqiong suddenly turned to the northwest, and a second later, Li Siye, Su Hanshan, Cheng Qianli, Chuluohou, and the many titled generals all turned in the same direction.

  Rumble! The thundering was so great that it seemed like a hole had been torn in the heavens. A moment later, tens of thousands of Arab cavalry flooded over the horizon, extending all the way to the edge of vision.

  One hundred thousand, five hundred thousand, one million, one and a half million… the Arab soldiers coming out of the north seemed endless.

  Around five minutes later, all the Arab soldiers stopped around eighty thousand feet from the Tang defense line, and the world suddenly stopped trembling.

  Rumble! The army parted, and a massive elephant Behemoth slowly came to the front. Atop the Behemoth was a golden tent, and in front of the tent was the Hierophant, Khatabah.

  His expression was cold and utterly devoid of emotion.

  “Infidels, today is the last day, and also your last chance. Before your utter destruction, is your choice still to pointlessly struggle?”

  Khatabah’s voice rumbled over the world.

  “Heh, Khatabah, this is your last chance. Do you still choose to bring Arabia down the path of destruction?” Wang Chong sternly said.

  “Hmph! I understand. Since that is the case, I will fulfill your wish!”

  Khatabah waved his hand, anger flashing in his eyes, and he said no more. Raaaa! The elephant Behemoth roared and quickly retreated to the rear.

&
nbsp; “Get ready! The battle is beginning!”

  As Khatabah vanished, Wang Chong’s face chilled and the smile on his lips disappeared.

  At the same time, Khatabah shot a murderous glance in the direction of the City of Steel.

  “Begin!”

  Khatabah waved his hand and gave the order to attack.

  Bwoooom!

  Horns began to blare from the army, heralding the beginning of this unprecedented war in the northwest. Raaaa! The skies suddenly darkened as those massive ‘mountains’ suddenly moved to the front of the Arab army and began to approach the defense line.

  Chapter 1831 - Behemoth Charge!

  Chapter 1831: Behemoth Charge!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  “Focus! The Behemoth Army has mobilized! The enemy wants to use these Behemoths to break our defense line!” Gao Xianzhi called out. At this moment, six powerful mental waves intersected together.

  Although all six Great Generals could stand together, each of them was a top-class commander. Thus, by having each of them preside over their army, they could strengthen the morale of the soldiers and more effectively exhibit the strength that had allowed them to rise to the very top of the empire.

  “If all goes as expected, the Behemoths are being used to open the way, and the cavalry will be right behind them. Without the steel defense line, we’ll find it hard to resist the charge of such a large army.”

  Gao Xianzhi had fought against the Arabs multiple times, and he still remembered those massive Behemoths and the fearless Arab cavalry like everything had just happened yesterday. He did not dare to take them carelessly.

  In the center of the army, Wang Chong subtly nodded.

  “I’ll deal with the Behemoths. I estimate that there are two to three hundred thousand cavalry using those Behemoths as cover. If his plan proceeds smoothly, Khatabah will probably order a full offensive!”

  Even though this was his first time clashing with Khatabah, Wang Chong was no stranger to his record. Moreover, twenty-some days ago, Wang Chong had ordered his subordinates to gather all the information they could about Khatabah, including accounts of his battles.

  Khatabah was a man who was outwardly coarse and inwardly meticulous, both courageous and shrewd. His most defining attribute was his strategy of extreme pressure, using an assault of numerous soldiers to crush the enemy.

  Through this high pressure, he would expose the flaws of his enemies, and when these flaws were exposed, Khatabah would commit his entire army and tear that flaw into a gaping wound that would lead the entire enemy army to collapse.

  It was a simple but effective tactic!

  “Thus, in this first wave, we have to crush those several hundred thousand cavalry no matter what!” Wang Chong said.

  Even though the first wave seemed to have the smallest number of soldiers, it would have at least two hundred thousand at minimum while the Tang army as a whole only had six hundred thousand. This was no small number, and it would be no easy task to rout this Arab force.

  But Wang Chong had barely spoken when a voice rang out in his mind.

  “Leave the soldiers on the left flank to me. My Annan Protectorate army has not fought in a long time, so it’s high time they were honed to a sharp edge.

  “Moreover, I truly wish to see how different the Arab cavalry are from the Tibetan cavalry!” Zhangchou Jianqiong firmly declared.

  His sharp eyes were burning with intense fighting intent.

  The renowned Minister of War of the Great Tang suddenly began to exude a completely different aura.

  It was like a dusty sword was finally taken out of its sheath, revealing its sharp and brilliant edge.

  He couldn’t even recall the last time he had taken part in such a large-scale war.

  The blood of a soldier and the will to fight had already seeped deep into every part of his body.

  No matter how dusty it was or how long it had been forgotten, as soon as a battle was imminent, a Great General’s blood would begin burning, and he would once more radiate his former glory.

  As all their minds were connected, they could sense the transformation in Zhangchou Jianqiong, and all of them subtly nodded. This Zhangchou Jianqiong was the true Tiger of the Empire, the one they wanted to see.

  “As for the right flank, leave it to me!” Right after Zhangchou Jianqiong, Beiting Protector-General An Sishun’s voice rang out.

  “I have almost entirely cavalry under my command. Alas, Beiting is too far from the Western Regions. This time, let me see just how formidable this empire west of the Cong Mountains really is. Let me see if its soldiers are stronger than the Beiting Protectorate army!”

  An Sishun spoke in a nonchalant tone, yet within this nonchalance was a tyrannical energy.

  The Beiting Protectorate was the region that saw the most combat, and An Sishun had many border generals under his command. He needed to defend against both the Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganates.

  While An Sishun was not the most famous of the empire’s Great Generals, nor did he have any miraculous victories under his belt, few people recognized that the Beiting Protectorate army was singlehandedly holding off two great empires.

  His army might have been larger than the other protectorate armies, but he was still fighting outnumbered.

  Without any outstanding trait, it would have been impossible to survive in that environment, much less restrain those two Khaganates.

  Wang Chong smiled. Amongst these Great Generals, he had only ever worked with Gao Xianzhi. Not once had he fought alongside Zhangchou Jianqiong and An Sishun.

  “Then I will leave the flanks to you two!” Wang Chong said.

  He couldn’t help but feel a hint of anticipation over how Zhangchou Jianqiong and An Sishun would do on the battlefield.

  “As for the rest, they won’t be able to get past the defense line.”

  Wang Chong looked at the silver-colored steel walls that covered the land like fish scales.

  In setting up these defense lines, Wang Chong had taken into account a cavalry charge. Unless the defense line were entirely dismantled, a force of cavalry could never even dream about charging through to the very end!

  “High Priest, I leave those steel defense lines to you! As long as you can dismantle those steel walls, I can end the battle today and wipe out these Tang!” Khatabah said from atop his Behemoth.

  “Heh, you can leave them to me!”

  There was a soft rustle as the tent flap behind him was raised. A man came out and stood shoulder to shoulder with Khatabah.

  Boom!

  A moment later, the earth began to tremble, and then a massive silhouette blotted out the sky, casting a shadow over tens of thousands of Arab soldiers.

  Roooar!

  A deafening roar resounded in everyone’s ears, bleak, savage, and terrifying.

  “It’s a Behemoth!”

  A Tang soldier who had taken part in the Battle of Talas immediately recognized that massive creature and was stricken by fear.

  Only those who had taken part in the Battle of Talas knew just how terrifying the Behemoths were. Back then, the charge of a single Behemoth had nearly destroyed the walls of Talas and decided the battle.

  Ballistae, arrows, and spears were powerless against a Behemoth. These terrifying creatures were truly not something he wished to face a second time.

  As this rhino-shaped Behemoth stomped forward, the shuddering of the earth only intensified.

  Everyone could only watch in shock as another small mountain of a Behemoth appeared behind the rhino, an enormous ape.

  And then came a third, a fourth… A few moments later, twenty-some massive Behemoths had made their way through the army in an orderly fashion and drawn themselves up on the front line.

  But there were still even more to come. Thirty, thirty-five, thirty-eight…

  In the end, sixty to seventy Behemoths had gathered, so many that they completely blocked out the millions
of Arab soldiers behind them.

  This shocking sight and that frenzied storm of energy made everyone behind the steel defense line pale.

  “This is going to be difficult!”

  Gao Xianzhi’s heart instantly sank.

  Although the Arabs had also sent their Behemoth Army in the Battle of Talas, there had been far fewer. These Behemoths alone would be enough to deal a destructive blow to the Great Tang.

  Creee!

  A sharp and incredibly high-pitched whistle penetrated through the air.

  Awooooo!

  Raaaah!

  Roooar!

  The beasts instantly roared, the ape, rhino, wolf, tiger, and bull Behemoths all turning red in the eyes as they began to charge toward the southeast.

  The earth shuddered under the charging Behemoths, and even the City of Steel swayed. The air instantly became fraught with tension.

  “Apolis, take ten Governors and Deputy Governors and immediately charge right behind the Behemoth Army! Once the Behemoths destroy the defense line, kill all the eastern infidels!” A domineering mental wave carrying Khatabah’s cold voice resounded in the mind of a powerful Arab general stationed in the front.

  This general had an imposing and muscular figure that was bursting with power. His pitch-black armor was covered in spikes, making him seem like a human hedgehog. This man was none other than Khatabah’s vanguard general.

  “Yes! Hierophant!”

  Apolis turned to Khatabah and bowed, and then he stood back up and mounted his armored steed.

  At this moment, another mental wave traveled up to the elephant Behemoth. “Hierophant, Abu Muslim requests to join the battle!”

  In the rear, Abu Muslim kneeled on the ground.

  Abu Muslim had been looking at the Hierophant from the very start, but even though Apolis was about to head into battle, he had not heard his name.

  The east was where he had been defeated, and he could not accept being a spectator.