Before the blood-red shadow even reached Hua Xiong, he could already feel the immense pressure. The cloud energy, gathered through the formation and equal to the strength of his entire army, began to shatter at this moment. Some of the soldiers following him were even blown off their horses by the fierce storm.
"Trample the mountains and rivers!" Hua Xiong roared with wide eyes. The undefeated Xiliang cavalry couldn't allow their unbeaten streak to end here. As he gazed at the dark red flag and the overwhelming blood-red arrows, seemingly alive and aimed at his cavalry, Hua Xiong roared in defiance, unleashing the killing move of the Eight Gates Heavenly Lock.
In an instant, countless fiery red horses shot out from all directions of Hua Xiong's army, radiating an intense glow that distorted everything in front of them with searing heat.
The clash between the blood arrows and the fiery horses began. It was a battle of extremes, where the overwhelming numbers from both sides frantically countered each other.
Amid this chaotic assault, the massive blood-red flag remained unfazed, pressing down on Hua Xiong like an unstoppable force.
Meanwhile, the three fiery wings slashed through countless blood arrows, only to destroy fewer than three hundred First Ascendants after their power had been greatly reduced.
Hua Xiong watched helplessly as the killing move of the Eight Gates Heavenly Lock, after nullifying a large number of blood arrows, proved powerless against the massive flag.
"How could I die here? Trample the mountains and rivers!" Hua Xiong roared once again. Blood burst from his eyes under the immense pressure, but it was as if he had broken free from something, charging recklessly toward the flag. His Xiliang cavalry, filled with a death-defying resolve, followed him in the charge against Ju Yi.
The previous "Trample the Mountains and Rivers" that Hua Xiong unleashed, with its suffocating density of attacks, would have shattered any other army except the First Ascendants. Drawing on all his potential, sacrificing half his inner energy, and carrying an indomitable spirit, it was one of the final killing moves of the Eight Gates Heavenly Lock!
Under Ju Yi's command, the First Ascendants managed to counter Hua Xiong's last trump card with their powerful counterattacks. However, Ju Yi could feel that at least half of his army's soul energy had been consumed by the previous strike. Yet, before he could finish off Hua Xiong, his opponent roared "Trample the Mountains and Rivers" once more!
Seeing Hua Xiong charging toward him, Ju Yi felt a wave of tragic determination—knowing he was destined to die, but still fighting to give his comrades a chance to survive.
"Crack!" As Hua Xiong desperately mobilized the energy of all his remaining cavalry, he realized that the inner energy of his soldiers responded to him as if they were extensions of his own limbs. The thin cloud energy seemed to undergo a mysterious transformation, and for the first time, he sensed the inklings of his army's innate talent.
"Boom!" Ju Yi's unstoppable strike finally hit Hua Xiong's entire formation. The massive attack covered a thirty-degree angle across a kilometer in front of Ju Yi, encompassing the majority of Hua Xiong's cavalry, including Hua Xiong himself.
But contrary to Ju Yi's expectations, his strike did not immediately shatter Hua Xiong's cloud energy. Instead, it was blocked for a moment before breaking through, resulting in the deaths of 90% of Hua Xiong's cavalry in that direction. Hua Xiong, targeted by the attack, was also hit hard and sent flying.
The remaining Xiliang cavalry, even those not directly hit, were heavily impacted by the powerful strike. Most of them lost their fighting capacity, and as they saw Hua Xiong being thrown into the air, they hurriedly pursued him.
"Advance! Finish off Hua Xiong!" Ju Yi looked at his hands, puzzled by why Hua Xiong hadn't been torn to pieces and why he seemed only gravely injured.
But there was no time to dwell on it now. Ju Yi immediately led his forces toward the place where Hua Xiong had fallen. The Xiliang cavalry, under Hua Xiong's command, had posed a significant threat to him. If Hua Xiong had led 5,000 cavalry from the start and used that terrifying move, Ju Yi estimated that half of his First Ascendants would have been wiped out.
"Protect the general!" As Ju Yi moved, the remaining Xiliang cavalry launched a desperate charge against the First Ascendants.
This time, it wasn't the hit-and-run tactics from before. Every Xiliang cavalryman charged forward with a death wish, without any formation or defense. With the belief that every enemy they killed increased Hua Xiong's chances of survival, all the Xiliang warriors threw themselves at the First Ascendants in a final, desperate assault!
However, the vast difference in strength meant that the Xiliang cavalry were like moths flying into a flame. They threw themselves at the First Ascendants, using their lives to block the enemy's advance, desperately trying to buy time for Hua Xiong.
The loyalty and brotherhood accumulated over the years, built on the promise of "if I have a bowl of food, you'll never go hungry," erupted in full force when Hua Xiong was critically injured. The Xiliang cavalry, outnumbered and outmatched, managed to hold back the First Ascendants just a few hundred paces from Hua Xiong, while some of them rushed to save their general.
"Retreat!" Hua Xiong struggled to extend his hand from the ground, looking at the blood-soaked path filled with the corpses of horses and men. He spat out a mouthful of blood and glared at the First Ascendants with bloodshot eyes.
When the Xiliang cavalry saw Hua Xiong stand up, they let out a cheer. The vanguard soldiers glanced back at their comrades and then charged at the First Ascendants. A cavalryman, with a blade lodged in his chest, seemed unaware of his mortal wound as he lunged at the enemy, furiously slashing at the First Ascendants.
"Thunk!" Another soldier was struck down, yet the Xiliang cavalry continued to throw themselves at the enemy. As one of them leaped forward, three arrows pierced his vital points, but he still managed to swing his blade, striking the enemy's shoulder. Unfortunately, the fatigue that overwhelmed his body prevented him from beheading his foe, and he collapsed, unable to rise again.
Ju Yi silently observed the battlefield, watching the First Ascendants and Xiliang cavalry fall. The Xiliang cavalry's final, desperate charge had left a deep impression on him. Over half of the 1,000 casualties among the First Ascendants were caused by that last stand of the Xiliang cavalry.
Yet, Ju Yi knew that the Xiliang cavalry had suffered even greater losses—out of 2,500, fewer than 500 would return intact.
"Gather our dead and the enemy's corpses. Return the bodies of Hua Xiong's soldiers to them," Ju Yi said wearily.
Ju Yi noticed that the infantry that had been fighting Yan Liang ahead was now slowly retreating. Perhaps pursuing them would yield some additional merit, but given the combat strength Hua Xiong had shown earlier, Ju Yi estimated that even if he defeated them, his First Ascendants would lose half their number.