The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  “There’s no need!” Khatabah coldly replied, not even glancing at Abu Muslim. “Apolis is enough for the first wave. I have my own plans for when you need to be sent out.”

  Abu Muslim could only kneel there in silence, his face turning red.

  Rumble!

  A few moments later, Apolis, Khatabah’s outstanding vanguard general, rode off with ten-some Governors and Deputy Governors, commanding an army that surged toward the City of Steel in a vast wave.

  “Kill!”

  “Kill these infidels and be richly rewarded by the Caliph and the Hierophant!”

  “Destroy them! Tear them to pieces!”

  Wang Chong and Gao Xianzhi had been correct in their judgment. In the first wave, the Arabs had only sent two-hundred-thousand-some cavalry.

  This army still occupied the entire horizon. This was a force about half the size of the army that had been present at the Battle of Talas.

  But for the Arabs, it was just the first wave, meant merely to test the enemy’s defenses.

  Seventy thousand feet, sixty thousand, thirty thousand…

  The distance was closing rapidly, those Behemoths moving with surprising speed.

  Chapter 1832 - Reappearance of the Beast Taming Art!

  Chapter 1832: Reappearance of the Beast Taming Art!Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: MichyrrTheir enormous bodies allowed the seemingly slow pace of the Behemoths to reach the level of a cavalry charge.And at this distance, one could even see the thick armor covering the Behemoths.“They’re completely covered in armor!”Upon seeing that every inch of the Behemoths was covered in armor, even their underbelly and head, Gao Xianzhi grimaced.In the Battle of Talas, the Behemoth Army had also been covered in armor, but not to this level.It was clear that after the battle, the Arabs had gone to great lengths to extend the armor to every part of the Behemoths’ bodies. This would greatly reduce the effectiveness of the Tang ballistae.Whoosh!A gust of wind blew into the Tang army, causing Wang Chong’s hair to dance, but that young face remained cold and unperturbed.The Behemoths possessed unimaginable ferocity and savagery, and in front of these massive beings, martial artists were insignificant ants. But this was not Wang Chong’s first time dealing with these enormous creatures.When the Behemoths were about ten thousand feet from the defense line, Wang Chong bellowed, his eyes gleaming. “Su Hanshan, get ready!”Crack!Following Wang Chong’s order, there was an explosion from the back of the army. A wooden crate that had been more than five hundred feet wide and seventy feet long burst open, revealing the giant metal weapons within.Each of these metal weapons was about ten meters long. They looked very similar to ballistae, but they were ten times larger.“Giant ballistae!”In the distance, Abu Muslim immediately recognized those weapons, and his face paled.“How did he manage to produce so many of them!?”In the Battle of Talas, Abu Muslim had treated the Behemoth Army as his trump card, but in the end, it had fallen at the hands of Wang Chong. And amongst Wang Chong’s many tricks, his giant ballistae had left the deepest impression.If not for the fatal damage this weapon had done to the Behemoths, the Battle of Talas might have turned out entirely differently.But there had been only two giant ballistae at Talas. Here, he could see at least thirty, perhaps even up to forty of them.Moreover, these giant ballistae were intricately constructed, both beautiful and brimming with explosive force. They were on a completely different level from the ones at Talas.More importantly, the Great Tang side was amply prepared. Each of these giant ballistae had a metal platform about ten meters high below them, allowing them to fire while still protected by the steel defense line.“This bastard!”Abu Muslim clenched his fists, his face turning ghastly white.Scouting and intelligence gathering was a basic skill in war. Before this battle, Abu Muslim had sent numerous spies, scouts, hunting falcons, and even Hu spies to investigate how Wang Chong’s army was arranged within the City of Steel.Those massive wooden crates—or perhaps they would be better called wooden houses—had been reported to Abu Muslim as storehouses for weapons.As numerous metal components had been moved into these storehouses, Abu Muslim had taken them to hold replacement parts for the steel walls, or else held steel modules that Wang Chong would use to fill gaps in his defense line.He had never imagined that they contained these giant ballistae.Bang!As these thoughts were going through Abu Muslim’s mind, the air exploded.A massive ballista bolt, more than ten meters long and as thick as a child’s arm, howled through the air like a dragon and shot straight toward the rhino Behemoth at the very front.Awooooo!There was a scream as the Behemoth that weighed thousands of tons threw its head back. The heavy armor around its head had been instantly pulverized by the ballista bolt, and the bolt had pierced deeply into its head.The enormous impact forced the rhino Behemoth to stop so suddenly that the Behemoths behind it crashed right into it.Boomboomboom!This was like a sort of signal, and the thirty-some giant ballistae began to fire, the long ballista bolts wreathed in the aura of death as they struck the mountainous Behemoths.Plush! Plush! Plush! Blood splattered as the thick armor crumpled like fragile roof tiles. This sudden barrage caused the Behemoths to run into each other and threw their ranks into disarray.Buzz!In front of his golden tent, Khatabah trembled, losing some of his initial composure.These weapons of the east had clearly surpassed his expectations. Even though Abu Muslim had spoken of them, neither of them had imagined this weapon to be this powerful.“Hmph!”But a few moments later, the High Priest snorted. His black robe rustled as his staff tapped down. A moment later, an immense wave of Psychic Energy spread out and engulfed the Behemoths.In a flash, the disorderly ranks of the Behemoth Army became orderly once more.“Bad!”King Song was alarmed by this sight.He had known about these giant ballistae for some time. The military had even allotted money to the Bureau of Works so that they could assist in building them.The original plan was to use the barrage to cause chaos in the Behemoth ranks and at least hamper their momentum, but it seemed less effective than they had predicted.“Something’s not right!”Wang Chong immediately sensed something strange and frowned.Wang Chong was somewhat familiar with these massive beasts created using the technology of a lost civilization. These beasts had enormous vitality, so strong that Wang Chong could use the amount of vitality they lost to determine just how powerful his ballista bolts were.All of the giant ballistae had hit their targets, but the results were far weaker than anticipated. Though a good chunk had been taken out of the Behemoths’ enormous vitality, it was far from a fatal level.As his eyes passed over the thick armor and the complicated patterns that covered it, he understood.“…It’s because of the armor. The Arabs strengthened the armor with many inscriptions so that the ballista bolts were greatly weakened by the time they struck!”On the other side, after soothing the Behemoths, the High Priest raised his hand and gently stroked the air.“Go, my pets!”The Behemoths roared and kicked up clouds of dust as they once more charged at the Tang defense line.The giant ballista bolts, rather than forcing the Behemoths to retreat, provoked them into a frenzied charge.Right behind them were Apolis and his soldiers.Eight thousand feet! Seven thousand feet! Closer and closer!Wang Chong’s eyes coldly flashed as he ordered, “Change tactics! One team to each giant ballista! Focus fire!”Boomboomboom!On the metal platforms, the elite ballista men swiftly adjusted their ballistae and began to fire, two men to each ballista.With thunderous booms, the thick ballista bolts flew at a Behemoth.Awooo!One bolt, two bolts, three bolts… That rhino Behemoth charging at the very front howled as ten-some ballista bolts thudded into its head. After running another four-thousand-some feet, it crashed to the ground, leaving a long furrow of around seven hundred feet behind it.As the giant ballistae continued to fire, one Behemoth after another howled and was brought down to the ground.Their blood gushed across the landscape. Even these kingdom-destroying Behemoths were weak and fragile in the face of the giant ballistae Wang Chong and Zhang Shouzhi had worked together to create.At the very least, they were no longer invincible.The threat of the Behemoths was simply too
great, and Wang Chong had been making a plan to deal with them this whole time. The giant ballistae were one of the most effective methods to deal with them, so Wang Chong had been secretly constructing them this whole time, allowing him to field more than thirty of them in this battle.Awooooo!As the Behemoths got closer, Wang Chong gestured to Su Hanshan. “Loose!” Su Hanshan cried out, and another barrage of bolts soared through the air at the charging Behemoths.It’s about time for me to make my move! Wang Chong said to himself.The Behemoths were now so close that he could smell their powerful stench and even see the dust and sand coming out from between the chinks in their armor.The moment he failed to stop them, his defense line of several hundred li would become like toys and be instantly uprooted by the Behemoths.Buzz!The several dozen Behemoths were now three-thousand-some feet from the defense line. Wang Chong’s eyes flashed, and a massive stream of Psychic Energy flew out of his body, transforming into a visible shadow that surged at the mountainous Behemoths.The Beast Taming Art!

  The ability that Wang Chong had used against Masil at Talas once more took the stage.

  Chapter 1833 - The High Priest's Psychic Seal!

  Chapter 1833: The High Priest’s Psychic Seal!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  The world dimmed as Wang Chong’s Psychic Energy rushed into the several dozen Behemoths, traveling along their nerves into the depths of their minds.

  Although the Behemoths were extremely tenacious and possessed terrifying strength, they had fragile minds and souls. If Wang Chong could take control of the Behemoths, he could even use them against the Arab army.

  Buzz!

  A few moments after that shadow appeared, Wang Chong’s mental energy had swept unstoppably through the nerves of those Behemoths and reached the core. This was where he could take control of those Behemoths.

  Through his mental energy, Wang Chong could even see that the core of the Behemoth appeared like a walnut.

  The Behemoths’ Psychic Energy was far weaker than their size implied. The Beast Taming Art simply needed to control their core and Wang Chong could make them his own, granting the Great Tang its own Behemoth Army.

  “It’s useless!”

  Just when Wang Chong was about to seize control of these Behemoths, an emotionless voice resounded through Wang Chong’s mental domain. Wang Chong was shocked, but he had no time to think.

  Boom! Just when he was about to interact with the cores of the Behemoths, Wang Chong’s Psychic Energy slammed into what felt like a steel mountain and instantly splintered apart. The exposed Behemoth cores had suddenly been locked down, and Wang Chong’s Psychic Energy was no longer able to make any progress.

  Not only that, Wang Chong could even see an intense halo of light radiating from the Behemoth cores. As this bright halo expanded, all of his Psychic Energy was annihilated.

  A Psychic Seal!

  Wang Chong realized in alarm what this was. The Arabs had come prepared this time, setting up powerful Psychic Seals in the Behemoths to guard against psychic practitioners.

  “You’re Arabia’s High Priest, Masil’s master!”

  Wang Chong slowly raised his head, his enormous Psychic Energy tracing down the source of that voice and finding an ancient and powerful will that was many times stronger than Masil’s.

  Wang Chong followed that mental will all the way to the distant elephant Behemoth, where, standing behind Khatabah, was the almost negligible presence of the High Priest.

  The High Priest was cloaked in a black robe, and his staff was covered in mysterious inscriptions. But at this moment, that cold voice once more spoke into Wang Chong’s mental domain.

  “As I have said, it’s useless! After what happened at Talas, did you think I would not come prepared?”

  The man’s voice was aloof and devoid of emotion.

  Wang Chong’s heart shivered. Even though he had put up all his defenses, his enemy’s thoughts had still managed to penetrate into his mind.

  Through this alone, his foe had exhibited unimaginable power, making him stronger than any Psychic Energy practitioner he had previously faced.

  “I have already placed an ancient Ring of Sealing on the minds of the Behemoths, an external seal meant specifically for dealing with Psychic Energy practitioners. No matter what method you use, you cannot invade their minds and take control of them.”

  In the dim mental world, the High Priest’s cold voice resounded through every corner.

  “Hmph, is that so?”

  Wang Chong coldly snorted and then immediately began his assault.

  Psychic Storm!

  An explosion like that made when the universe was brought into being resounded through the mental world. Tangible Psychic Energy exploded over the area in a furious storm.

  As this energy spread, all the Behemoths were engulfed.

  Awooo!

  The Behemoths howled in pain and once more fell into chaos.

  The ancient Ring of Sealing that the Arab High Priest had placed on the Behemoths could not stop Wang Chong from directly attacking the Behemoths with Psychic Energy.

  This was like a large house with a locked door. The lock on the door prevented outsiders from getting inside, but this didn’t mean that the person outside couldn’t damage the exterior of the house.

  Bangbangbang!

  Upon seeing the Behemoths begin to crash into each other one thousand feet from the Tang defense line, the High Priest grimaced beneath his black robe.

  The Behemoths had very weak Psychic Energy, but this was only compared to Psychic Energy practitioners, particularly those like Wang Chong who knew techniques like the Beast Taming Art.

  Not using the Beast Taming Art and merely attacking the outside would damage the offensive abilities of the Behemoths, but the Ring of Sealing should still have been able to weaken these external attacks.

  Yet Wang Chong’s Psychic Storm had pierced through the powerful mental defenses and was able to affect so many Behemoths at once. This was proof that Wang Chong’s Psychic Energy had reached an incredibly formidable level.

  This was much stronger than what the intelligence reports had said.

  “Release!”

  As the Behemoths fell into chaos, Su Hanshan seized the moment to strike.

  Boomboomboom!

  Another wave of giant ballista bolts howled through the air and struck those tenacious creatures.

  Awooooo!

  Another six or seven Behemoths howled as they were brought down by the barrage.

  At least nine Behemoths had been killed by now. Nine of these monsters at the Battle of Talas would have long ago inflicted enormous damage on the Tang army.

  But this time, not a single one had managed to reach the defense line, let alone damage it.

  Su Hanshan waved his sword as he firmly ordered, “Ballista corps, target the areas being struck by the giant ballistae. Fire!”

  Bang!

  The ballistae creaked and shuddered, and then tens of thousands of ballista bolts flew through the air and converged on a single Behemoth.

  These ballista bolts were far weaker than those fired by the giant ballistae, but many ants could bite an elephant to death, and the sheer number proved to have a cumulative effect.

  Most importantly, Su Hanshan had trained the ballista soldiers extremely well. Such was their accuracy that all the ballista bolts struck the breaks in the armor of the Behemoths, rendering the armor useless. As the ballista bolts thudded into the wounds of the Behemoths, their condition continued to worsen.

  Awooooo!

  With plaintive howls, four or five more heavily injured Behemoths breathed their last and crashed to the earth.

  “Damn it!”

  The Arab Governors, Deputy Governors, and soldiers all paled at this sight.

  The Behemoth Army was their strongest force and their best weapon for breaking the several hundred li of defensive fortifications. But before the Behemoths had even reached the defense line
, ten-some had been killed, with a significant number badly injured. This situation was simply unbelievable.

  After all, these Behemoths were encased in armor that had been reinforced with countless inscriptions and formations. But none it had been of any use.

  Buzz!

  In the distance, another powerful wave of Psychic Energy rippled out from the Arab side to calm the Behemoths.

  But before this Psychic Energy could soothe the Behemoths, a powerful wave of Psychic Energy rose from the Great Tang side and slammed into the High Priest’s Psychic Energy.

  Boom! The mental world shuddered and swayed, those two powerful streams of Psychic Energy obliterating each other.

  “Your opponent is me!”

  Wang Chong’s voice resounded in the High Priest’s mind.

  The two entered a stalemate. As he stared at the distant Wang Chong, Psychic Energy soaring to the heavens while his body was like a spear thrust into the earth, the High Priest grimaced.

  But his eyes quickly focused, and he slammed his staff into the ground.

  Bang!

  With a heavy thud, a powerful mental wave rippled out from the High Priest’s staff, penetrating through the Behemoth and into the earth.

  Before Wang Chong could react, this mental wave entered the bodies of the five Behemoths in front.

  Roooar!

  With furious roars, those Behemoths suddenly recovered their senses and broke free from the others to charge at the defense line.

  “Not good!”

  In alarm, Wang Chong partitioned off some of his Psychic Energy to deal with those Behemoths. But this time, Wang Chong’s Psychic Energy attack was completely ineffective, and the Behemoths continued to charge.

  “It’s pointless! This is a unique beast taming spell mixed with a Psychic Seal. For at least six seconds, they will be completely immune to your mental attacks.”

  The High Priest’s voice resounded in Wang Chong’s mental domain.

  As the most mysterious existence of Arabia, someone who had lived for countless years, the High Priest knew numerous ancient psychic techniques, one of which he had just used.