Chapter 1871: Tongluo, Strike!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Countless eyes were focused on the battling pair.
w.a.n.g Zhongsi had killed Saleh in a single blow, and there should have been no one in the Arab army except Khatabah who was capable of matching him. But to everyone’s surprise, this foe’s vigorous and forceful moves had stopped him in his tracks. The petrifying blade was also a constant source of danger for w.a.n.g Zhongsi.
Boom! More stone shards popped out of thin air and then rained down, acc.u.mulating around the pair. The largest of these stone shards was several meters in length and weighed several thousand jin.
All of these were brought about by the Blade of Mukala!
And as Adnan fought, he got stronger and stronger. Raaa! He roared, and his already ma.s.sive body began to crack and pop, growing even larger, muscles bulging outward while his skin turned to steel.
The Beast of Brutality!
At this moment, Adnan was the real Fierce Beast, and he savagely swung his sabers at w.a.n.g Zhongsi.
Meanwhile, behind him…
“Kiiill!”
Arabic war cries resounded through the air as the cavalry of the Savage Fang Army put down their visors, raised their scimitars, and charged into battle.
Metal clashed against metal, and a small region was quickly packed with soldiers from both sides: the G.o.d’s Ordained Cavalry, the Nine Dragon Army, the Savage Fang Army, the elites from the other protectorates… Shattered weapons littered the field while blood flowed from bodies, turning the place into a h.e.l.lish landscape.
“Milord, what do we do? Should we support the Lord Junior Guardian?”
A ballista officer at Su Hanshan’s side nervously observed the battle in the distance.
On the Great Tang side, the Crown Prince’s Junior Guardian and w.a.n.g Chong were considered the two princ.i.p.al commanders. If w.a.n.g Zhongsi could not hold, the center would crumble and the morale of the army would be obliterated.
The only force that could support him at this time was the ballista army.
“There’s no need!”
Su Hanshan only glanced over before rejecting the idea. His expression remained cold and aloof.
“No one can help them now. We can only believe in the Junior Guardian!”
With w.a.n.g Zhongsi’s entry, the Great Tang had committed almost all of its six-hundred-thousand-some soldiers. Meanwhile, the Arabs had committed at least 1.8 million men. Moreover, after this period of intense battle, the soldiers of both sides were mixed together. This was now the worst time for the ballistae to fire, as there was a high possibility that they would injure soldiers on their own side.
We can only try and shoot down as many of the enemy as we can! Su Hanshan mentally remarked.
It was no longer important whether they had the advantage in one particular region. As Su Hanshan observed the battlefield, he understood that if he could not cut down the overwhelming advantage of two million soldiers the enemy possessed, they would eventually face defeat.
The ballista army was currently the best tool for weakening the Arab cavalry so that the Tang elites could focus on the enemy elites. This was far more important than supporting the center army.
“Release!”
Su Hanshan swung his arm down, his expression cruel and callous.
Boom!
A dense rain of ballista bolts howled through the air, a wave of death. Arab cavalry cried in panic as another great swath was cut down.
A general behind Khatabah, apparently some close aide, suddenly said, “Hierophant, the enemy is much more formidable than we imagined. The Blade of Mukala is not achieving the suppressive effect we antic.i.p.ated. Adnan’s offensive is not proceeding very smoothly. Should we dispatch reinforcements?”
The Blade of Mukala was a cursing saber, and it was the Hierophant’s personal weapon. Normally, when battles reached a stalemate, it was used to swiftly end them. The Blade of Mukala’s petrifying power placed an immense burden on even Great Generals, draining their strength.
It was rare for a Great General to resist its effects, much less while also fighting evenly with the Beast of Brutality.
But that Tang commander had done it!
This sort of situation had never happened before.
Whoos.h.!.+
A gust of wind blew across the back of the elephant Behemoth, but Khatabah was as calm as a placid lake.
“There’s no need!”
Khatabah coldly refused.
The general was taken aback, but as Khatabah had spoken, he shut his mouth.
The battle continued!
On the Tang defense line, numerous people were also watching the melee in the center.
“Great General, the situation is bad. That weapon is surprisingly powerful!” Chuluohou worriedly said. “Why don’t we go out now and support the Lord Junior Guardian?”
Of the six major leaders of the Great Tang, five had entered the fray. The only force left in reserve was the Tongluo Cavalry, and this was also the only force that could a.s.sist the Crown Prince’s Junior Guardian.
“There’s no need!”
Surprisingly, just like Khatabah, Abusi, after a moment’s thought, swiftly rejected the idea.
“The center already has w.a.n.g Zhongsi, Zhangchou Jianqiong, and An Sishun. If we go in there, that area will have four Great Generals. If the battle really reaches that stage, it means that we no longer have any hope of victory. Moreover, we don’t have the ability to take part in the center battle, as our opponent will soon be appearing!”
Abusi’s eyes shone with a profound light.
“Ah?!”
Chuluohou was startled by this claim.
Just when he was about to ask, he suddenly understood why Abusi had said this.
“This is…?”
Chuluohou turned to his right, in the direction of the eastern Turkic steppe. Hwooo! A fierce gale swept over the lush gra.s.s toward the Great Tang.
This was no ordinary wind!
Chuluohou turned grave. Rather than a natural wind, this was something created by a disturbance in the air.
As this thought pa.s.sed through his mind, he heard a soft rustling, coming from the very edge of his vision.
At the start, it was a very weak vibration, but it rapidly intensified until the entire steppe seemed to be shaking like an ocean. A deafening roar came from the horizon.
“Enemy attack! It’s the Arab cavalry!”
A cry of alarm flew across the battlefield like an arrow, immediately causing unease and turmoil in the rear, particularly amongst the powerless craftsmen and logistics members.
A ma.s.sive number of Arab soldiers were engaged at the front, so no one had expected another force of Arab cavalry to come around and strike at the rear. An attack from the rear at a time like this would have unthinkable consequences.
The potential danger and unease made even the Tang soldiers battling the Arabs worried.
Su Hanshan, Xianyu Zhongtong, Li Siye, Cheng Qianli… all of these generals turned to look in the direction of the steppe.
“Kiiill!”
A few moments later, a black line appeared on the horizon. It quickly expanded into a steel flood of thousands of Arab cavalry, all of them shouting and roaring.
The dust behind them rose more than one hundred feet into the air.
Bang!
The most excited by this development were none other than the Arab cavalry, who exploded with cheers.
“Hierophant!”
That trusted general on the back of the elephant Behemoth saw the approaching army and turned to Khatabah.
He finally understood why the Hierophant had called his advice to reinforce Adnan unnecessary.
So the Hierophant already had plans! the general said to himself.
Khatabah remained motionless and cold.
“Finally here…”
This eastern empire was undoubtedly the strongest foe the Arabian Empire had ever encountered, but no matter how strong it was, it could not escape this conquest. Even though both sides were battling fiercely and the Arabs had suffered innumerable losses, everything was still under his control.
The trap had been laid. It was now time to see how the Great Tang reacted.
The more the prey struggled, the greater the pain it would feel, and in the end, it would still not be able to escape its death. Moreover, this would not be the last predicament the Tang would face.
……
Clang!
As that army got closer and closer, Tongluo Great General Abusi suddenly took out his sword and raised it high in the air, the clanging of his sword resounding over the battlefield.
“Get ready! Attack!”
With few words and few soldiers, rumble! Abusi charged out from the rear of the Tang army toward the Arab cavalry approaching from the steppe.
Behind him, the ten thousand Tongluo Cavalry followed.
Behind them were ten thousand reserve Tongluo Cavalry. While they were not as strong as the regular Tongluo Cavalry, they were still much stronger than ordinary cavalry.
Clang!
Three bronze halos appeared in succession, bursting out from Abusi’s feet and spreading across his entire force.
Tongluo Great General Abusi rode forth with his ten thousand Tongluo Cavalry and his reserve forces, surging forward like a frenzied dragon toward that Arab force ten times their size riding out from the Turkic steppe.