Chapter 419: Bloodshed in Ziyou
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Although Yun Yang didn't seem to have used much force, the results of his action were astounding.
With a loud crash, the Siege Quarrel returned the way it came and the Bolt Bow situated there was instantly reduced to kindling, as the soldiers beside it were bathed in blood from the explosion.
Ziyou's troops were stunned, reduced to silence in fear and shock. They never knew that someone in this world could physically pick up and turn around a Siege Quarrel that was in flight. It was no longer just a miracle but a deific wonder!
Having achieved a miracle, Yun Yang began trying to control the direction of the Siege Quarrels. They did not need to make a complete about-turn; as long as the massive bolts were deflected slightly, just enough to strike the Bolt Bows or even some hapless members of the enemy, it was already an accomplishment. It was too bad that Yun Yang's wonderful wish was futile, as this place was not a familiar place. It was impossible for him to aim his arrows perfectly!
The general who stood at the high point, commanding the tide of war, was a rare prodigy!
He drove his limited forces relentlessly in constantly changing formations. They were ordinary men in the army with common cultivation bases and insignificant combat powers. In the eyes of cultivators, they could be put to more efficient use.
More importantly, he coordinated the attacking tempo of the bows, cavalrymen, infantry, and crossbows. Amazingly, each wave of attacks become increasingly distressing to Yun Yang, who found that he might possibly have met his match.
What was rarer and caused Yun Yang the most headache was that the general could even command the cooperation of the people of the martial world and the army in a collaborative siege.
It was efficient and impactful!
Such a commander did not need a high cultivation base or even an intermediate class of mystical Qi. As long as his warfare tactics were sufficiently foresighted, his commands could already fill in the gaps that came from his lack of a high cultivation.
This battle was proof of that.
At this point in time, Ziyou's relief troops had arrived in large throngs, causing the commanding general's efficiency to pick up. As a result, the pressure Yun Yang faced grew with each passing moment; it was escalating exponentially.
Yun Yang's state of mind began to clear. Despite the precarious situation, he was calm and collected, not burdened by any emotion. He maintained his slow advance but felt a growing hesitation. Each step was harder than the previous one, and the feeling of trudging in mud was growing more apparent.
Yun Yang was still energetic. The amazing improvement in his cultivation base which put him in the heaven realm allowed him to recover faster than before, while the current enemy he faced would not expend too much of their mystical Qi. Besides, there was Emmie's spiritual Qi as a form of support, so there really was not much of a worry.
Still, the gradual decrease in Yun Yang's speed was undeniable.
A baritone voice rang melodically from far away, "Lord Supreme Cloud, even if you had a pair of wings, it'd be hard to escape our net. Why not surrender and save us some honor?"
Yun Yang snorted indifferently.
The real intention behind this act was obviously not to ask him to surrender, but to cheer their own people on. Pointing out that Supreme Cloud was helpless and stating as if it was a fact would boost their own morale immensely. After all, Yun Yang's previous display of indomitable aura was petrifying; there were not many present who did not feel a sense of panic.
Right now, once it was asserted that Supreme Cloud was unable to flee, everyone's mood and temperament began to stabilize.
Alright, he was unable to escape.
The next thing to be considered was how to capitalize on this fact.
A morale boost was the most straightforward method to pacify the nightmare of facing one of the Nine Supremes – it was a method that was worthy to be set as a milestone!
Yun Yang replied faintly, "This general's tactics are commendable. You should be among Ziyou's well-known generals. I wonder what is your name?"
Even though he was standing amidst a noisy army, Yun Yang's voice still carried far, clear and calm. There was not the slightest bit of agitation and everyone along the way could hear him loud and clear as if the voice had crept into their ears on its own.
Everyone could hear Supreme Cloud distinctly as if he was actually talking to them face to face.
Their expressions immediately changed, twisting in fear.
How could such a cultivation base be merely petrifying? It was absolutely devastating!
The thoughtful ones contemplated the situation further than the others. Caught in the middle of a fierce battle, Supreme Cloud could still talk calmly. It was obvious that his energy was not depleted. In other words, his current state was unscathed, or perhaps he wasn't even fighting with his all. If that was the case, was the thought of keeping Supreme Cloud here in their territory only a wild dream? A request for the moon?
It was not a very promising situation.
The general's stable voice drifted over, "It's this general's utmost honor to receive Lord Supreme Cloud's compliment. I'm Ding Yunlu. A pleasure to meet you, Lord Supreme Cloud."
Yun Yang answered indifferently, "So, I have the honor of meeting the renowned general of Ziyou, Ding Yunlu. You are amazing, your ability in warfare tactics and command is more impressive than the rumors indicate. However, to seize me with the bit of prowess you have currently shown, will be a wild wish indeed."
Ding Yunlu said, "Whether it's a wild wish and if it will come true, we will know soon."
"That's right. We will!" Yun Yang replied in a low voice.
As he spoke, he advanced another two hundred feet forward.
Yun Yang had become a man of blood.
On a battlefield this severe, it would be a joke to speak of avoiding blood and remaining free of dust – an extreme joke!
As Ziyou's general looked on in wonder, Ziyou's greatest enemy, Supreme Cloud, soared into the sky amidst the havoc. He ascended to a height of seventy feet and turned to sprint in the air. He was moving as fast as a rocket and had traveled no less than thousands of feet in the blink of an eye.
Against such terrible odds, it was the biggest taboo for the besieged to maintain any semblance of hope and not set their feet on solid ground. It would only cause them to be without any advantage, and once they were injured, their performance would only suffer. Yun Yang was in such a situation right now.
No matter how Ding Yunlu had wracked his brains and studied combat tactics, he would never have expected Supreme Cloud to use such a dangerous countermeasure and take the battle into the sky.
Yun Yang did have an advantage, though. He could move remarkably swiftly.
In fact, he was moving too fast
Once he arrived at the city gates and left the sealing cage of Zilong City, it would be impossible to track even a strand of his hair, despite a large number of men in the army.
"Quickly, archers!"
Ding Yunlu was shocked, but he issued his orders decisively, "Open fire!"
The semaphore official almost dropped his flags on the ground in shock, hesitating slightly before sending the required signal.
Yun Yang was in the air and moving swiftly. The Deicide Bow archers could barely lock onto their target. If they missed, the falling arrows would definitely injure their own people. This was an uncontrollable variable that they could not avoid.
They would have preferred a clean shot. After all, it would ensure the final destination of the arrows and avoid accidental injuries as much as possible.
The execution of this command meant that there was a chance of wounding Supreme Cloud, but it would also definitely lead to a large number of accidental casualties on their side.
However, the priority now was to take Supreme Cloud down and attack him. Even if there was a huge risk to their own people, they had to take it!
With a single command, Ziyou's Deicide Bow archers released their arrows. It resulted in another downpour of arrows that obscured the sky.
Yun Yang's silhouette in the sky was an illusory shadow, but behind this illusory shadow, a massive tail followed him. Whichever direction he took, endless arrows tailed him.
This manoeuvre caused the arrows to fall into the crowd; each turn that Yun Yang made sent a volley of arrows into the throng of innocent men. It caused cries of agony and a significant amount of casualties.
Then, another row of arrows formed another long tail, giving chase to Yun Yang.
Hearing the agonized cries of hundreds of thousands of his comrades, Ding Yunlu gritted his teeth. Even as he issued his commands and watched the war play out, the muscles in his cheeks twitched.
His eyes were already bloodshot.
"I don't believe that his mystical Qi is endless and that he can fly in the sky forever!" Ding Yunlu spat through clenched jaws.
After all, according to the knowledge of common cultivators, it was an exhaustive exercise to fly like how Yun Yang was flying now.
A reservoir of mystical Qi that could support six hours of ground battle could only sustain a quarter of an hour of flight, if not shorter.
Ding Yunlu decided to bet the outcome of the war on this.
He was gambling that Supreme Cloud's mystical Qi would not hold out for long.
For this, he was willing to pay the price of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of casualties from his army!
If Supreme Cloud were to escape, the casualties he could cause would be a hundred times more than what Ding Yunlu was willing to pay now. The entire country could fall and become extinct if this devil got away.
No matter how agonized and pained he was now, he had to endure the heartache until he killed this devil. It was all for the greater good of the future, a future that promised peace and prosperity!
"I, Ding Yunlu, will go to each of the families of my brothers who have fallen today and apologies. Even if I go bankrupt, I shall bring all your children up! If I ever defy this oath, I will be despised by both men and God!"
Ding Yunlu swore in an enraged frenzy and continued to issue his commands, "Do not stop the arrows!"
Even as he gave his orders, the tears brimming in his eyes finally fell.
Yun Yang's gaze was sharp and unyielding, full of contempt.
Are you willing to bet on my mystical Qi being exhausted?
As you wish.
Let us play, then.