dmims Page 148
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Am I fighting the Song army?!
"Hold on! Hold on for me! Stop them at all costs!"
Wanyan Zonghan could no longer maintain his composure. His voice trembled slightly, a tremor he himself didn't even notice, as he roared hoarsely. However, the situation on the battlefield was already slipping out of his control. This earth-shattering attack by the Qi cavalry was about to shatter his entire plan, along with his confidence!
Chapter 434: The Great Sage of Chaos Seizes the Flag
Under Wanyan Zonghan's orders, the large number of Jin infantry and cavalry reserves originally deployed on the flanks and rear were suddenly unleashed like a bursting dam! The heavy infantry attempted to flank and block the gap; but even more threatening was the sheer number of Jin cavalry, who began to maneuver and outflank from the outer perimeter, intending to form a huge, deadly encirclement, completely locking down and crushing the main force of Liangshan cavalry that dared to venture deep into enemy territory!
At this moment, the light cavalry responsible for covering the heavy cavalry's breakout began to move. They indeed lacked the overwhelming frontal impact of the heavy cavalry and were also unable to withstand the tightly formed heavy infantry squares.
However, their value lay in their extreme speed, unparalleled mobility, and keen ability to seize opportunities. When the massive Jin army's infantry and cavalry legions began to mobilize, change formations, and move on a large scale to carry out the encirclement order, their weaknesses became apparent—several thousand light cavalrymen shot out from the flanks at astonishing speed like arrows released from a bow! They did not directly attack any solid formations, but rather, like a deadly pack of wolves, swept at high speed past the flanks or rear of the moving Jin infantry units whose formations were inevitably loose! Then they drew their bows and nocked their arrows!
call out! call out! call out! ! !
The dense rain of arrows wasn't a volley, but a continuous downpour! They landed precisely among the Jin infantrymen who were running and adjusting their ranks. Although the arrows weren't necessarily fatal immediately, they caused sustained casualties and immense psychological pressure and chaos. Jin soldiers kept falling to the ground, wounded by arrows, screaming in agony and disrupting the steps and formations of their comrades.
Even more devastating was the psychological blow. These light cavalrymen were swift as the wind, striking and retreating without lingering. Just as the Jin infantry were about to form defensive lines, they had already swept past, unleashing another volley of arrows from another direction. The Jin army was relentlessly harassed, their morale plummeted, and their marching speed was severely hampered.
When a unit is weakened by the death of its commander or by chaos, a light cavalry unit will suddenly accelerate and launch a terrifying feint attack! Although it is mostly a feint, the thunderous hoofbeats, gleaming sabers, and ferocious faces are enough to instantly break the already panicked infantry, causing them to stop all movement, form ranks on the spot, and directly interrupt any attempt to reinforce.
Some poorly organized Jin troops were even routed by the light cavalry's charges, while many more were forced to halt, retreat, and attempt to re-form tight circular or square formations for self-defense. These Jin infantrymen, who should have rushed to the encirclement point, were pinned down by the Liangshan light cavalry and unable to reach the core battlefield in time to complete the encirclement. Wanyan Zonghan's meticulously planned encirclement was torn apart by these agile light cavalry before it could be fully closed, rendering it ineffective.
Just as the Qi light cavalry were tearing at and delaying the Jin infantry reinforcements like a pack of wolves, covering all the heavy cavalry as they charged toward Wanyan Zonghan’s main force, a more intense and rapid sound of hooves suddenly came from the horizon, approaching like rolling thunder!
How could Wanyan Zonghan sit idly by and watch his encirclement plan be disrupted? He immediately ordered his light cavalry force—mainly composed of elite riders from the Khitan, grassland, Bohai, and Xi tribes who had surrendered—to advance in full force, determined to annihilate this troublesome Liangshan flanking force!
On the horizon, countless Jin light cavalrymen bearing the banner of the Great Jin swept in like a flood bursting its banks! They were equally skilled in archery and horsemanship, moving swiftly like the wind, and now, with the fierce momentum of annihilating the enemy, they rushed straight towards the Great Qi forces!
Yelü Dashi snorted coldly and ordered the five thousand Khitan heavy cavalry to continue their charge. He then led out fifteen thousand steppe goblin wolf cavalry to engage the equally swift and swift Jin light cavalry in a head-on battle!
In an instant, the vast plains on the flank of the entire battlefield were transformed into a death race and a blood grinder for the light cavalry!
The two high-speed torrents did not collide directly, but rather, like two parallel whirlwinds, constantly approached, intersected, and separated as they raced against each other! The goblins and golden hunters on horseback practically stood on their stirrups, using their astonishing strength and horsemanship to draw their bows and nock their arrows amidst the bumpy, rapid gallop! In an instant, the air was filled with the chilling sound of arrows piercing the sky! A black rain of arrows poured out from both groups, crisscrossing and colliding in the air before falling into each other's cavalry formation.
Cavalrymen were constantly struck by arrows, screaming as they fell from their horses, only to be trampled into a bloody pulp by the surging torrent of iron hooves from behind. Their warhorses neighed and collapsed, throwing their riders off their backs. Casualties were rising rapidly, but neither side slowed their pace in the slightest!
Both sides' horse archers were essentially copying each other, with each archer carrying an average of two quivers and fifty arrows. Within just two minutes of the light cavalry engaging, both sides' horse archers had exhausted their arrows! On this plain, which could only accommodate a little over 20,000 cavalrymen galloping across, in a mere two minutes, millions of arrows had been densely packed into the ground. Both sides' formations were incomplete, and the dead were numerous and decimated. Their ranks were completely broken, yet neither side retreated; hatred and killing intent had been ignited to the fullest!
“Charge! Charge! Charge!!!”
It's unclear who roared first, but as if by unspoken agreement, the two cavalry forces abruptly turned their horses around, no longer flanking and shooting arrows, but instead drawing their weapons and charging fiercely into the enemy's ranks!
In an instant, spears and sabers clashed violently, sparks flying! The two light cavalrymen passed each other at high speed, slashing and thrusting with their swords and spears in the blink of an eye, relying on the momentum of their horses to kill their enemies with a single blow! The dull thud of blades cutting into flesh, the crisp sound of bones breaking, and the screams of the dying instantly replaced the whistling of arrows!
Within minutes, the two cavalry forces were completely entangled in a fierce battle, their formations shattered, transforming into countless chaotic, bloody whirlpools. Knights fought one-on-one, their warhorses colliding and tearing at each other. Men fell from their horses constantly, rolling and writhing on the ground, stabbing each other in the throat with daggers, or being trampled to death by the hooves of the fleeing riders.
Blood stained the manes of warhorses, the knights' uniforms, and soaked the land. Severed limbs and broken arms lay scattered everywhere, and stray horses fled in terror. This was a battle with no way out. Light cavalry's defenses were already weak, and once engaged in battle, the casualty rate was extremely high. Both sides understood that only by killing all the enemies before them could they survive. The instinct for survival and the honor of soldiers intertwined, making the battle exceptionally brutal! The entire flank of the battlefield transformed into a massive, noisy, life-devouring vortex of death.
With heavy cavalry charging and light cavalry providing cover, Wanyan Zonghan was about to have his defenses breached by Liangshan. He was preparing to bring out the Iron Pagoda Cavalry and deploy it to fight against Guan Sheng and others on the right flank when intelligence suddenly came from the left flank: a cavalry force of about four thousand men was charging toward our left flank!
Wanyan Zonghan frowned, thinking it was just a harassing detachment, but when he looked back, he was shocked to find that the small force of four thousand men was carrying the royal banner of the King of Qi! The soul of the entire Qi army, the banner of the commander-in-chief, the general was rapidly approaching him.
Liu Hongchao is coming towards me? ???
Chapter 435: Armored Cavalry Charge into Battle
"Stop them! Stop them immediately!!!"
On the left flank of the battlefield, the Jin infantry reinforcements sent by Wanyan Zonghan immediately set out. They were originally ordered to rush to the left flank in an attempt to intercept Liu Hong's four thousand cavalry.
But Liu Hong quickly changed tactics. Two thousand armored cavalrymen advanced relentlessly like a destructive steel torrent, while the other two thousand light cavalrymen quickly dispersed to intercept the massive Jin infantry of tens of thousands, buying precious time for the armored cavalry to charge, fight, and capture flags.
These two thousand cavalrymen were not light cavalry in the traditional sense. They wore light but essential armor, carried composite shortbows, had three loaded flintlock muskets in their saddlebags, and sharp sabers at their waists.
Instead of charging forward like a heavy cavalry force, they employed a tactic the Jin army couldn't decipher. The lead troop of pistol-wielding cavalry suddenly accelerated, sweeping past the Jin army's flank like a whirlwind. When they were less than twenty meters from the infantry, the light cavalry didn't even need to aim—they simply sidestepped, raised their guns, and fired!
boom!boom!boom!boom!
A series of rapid, short explosions followed, followed by billowing white smoke. Countless lead bullets, like the scythe of death, rained down on the Jin infantry. At such close range, even lead bullets fired from short muskets possessed terrifying power, proving difficult for shields and armor to completely withstand. Blood splattered across the Jin flanks, screams echoed, soldiers fell in droves, and a huge gap appeared in the ranks, creating chaos.
After firing, the cavalry didn't linger, giving the enemy no chance to retaliate. Using their speed, they swiftly drew a graceful arc, disengaging from engagement and turning to reload. Almost simultaneously, a second light cavalry unit charged in! A deadly barrage of handgun fire continued to rout the Jin army, before they quickly withdrew, allowing the third cavalry unit to continue firing!
This pistol-wielding cavalry's semi-circular firing tactic was like a sharp razor, continuously and precisely slicing away pieces of flesh from the Jin army! The Jin infantry were completely disoriented and unable to retaliate. They could only passively endure continuous casualties and increasingly severe chaos. Forget about reinforcements, rescues, or encirclement; they were lucky if they weren't defeated.
After several rounds of deadly half-rotation firing, the Jin army's marching column was riddled with holes, suffering heavy casualties, and its morale was on the verge of collapse. In many places, it had lost effective command and formation.
At that moment, almost all the light cavalrymen simultaneously put their empty pistols back into their holsters, drew their spears, sabers, and maces, and instead of flanking and firing, they converged into an unstoppable torrent of fire, launching a final, decisive charge towards the gaps in the Jin infantry who had been decimated by firearms and were filled with terror!
Already on the march, the Jin infantry, already disorganized, were further broken by musket fire, leaving them like lambs to the slaughter before the cavalry! The Qi cavalry charged into the enemy ranks like a hot knife through oil, their sabers slashing and hacking wildly! In an instant, limbs and decapitations flew everywhere, and blood mingled with the sky! Several reinforcements of Jin infantry collapsed instantly. The surviving soldiers cried out for their mothers, abandoned their armor and weapons, and scattered in all directions, unable to form any threatening formation, let alone form any reinforcements to encircle them.
Under the desperate cover of two thousand light cavalry, Liu Hong led all the elite Liangshan troops and two thousand heavily armored cavalrymen to charge right up to Wanyan Zonghan's command flag, forcing him to draw all his Iron Pagodas and launch a devastating, overwhelming charge against the heavily armored cavalry of the Great Qi!
The sky was filled with dark clouds, and the earth trembled. Beneath countless banners, the massive ironclad cavalry began to move—trotting, galloping, charging! These half-giant knights, along with their dragon-blooded warhorses, were encased in heavy, cold-forged iron armor, the plates seamlessly connected, forming a unified whole, like a moving steel fortress. They formed a dense, suffocating wall-like formation, their spears like a forest, pointing straight ahead, only their eyes gleaming with a cold, bloodthirsty light. The thunderous thud of their hooves was perfectly synchronized, advancing with a will to crush everything in its path.
On the other side were the heavily armored cavalry of the Great Qi, meticulously crafted by Liangshan and personally commanded by peerless generals such as Liu Hong, Lu Junyi, and Lin Chong. Their armor was as fine as the Iron Pagoda, and their weapons as sharp as those of the Great Jin. There was no probing, no maneuvering. This was the ultimate clash of aces against aces, a primal and savage collision of power!
"Act on behalf of Heaven!!!"
"Crush the Southerners!!!"
Almost simultaneously, both sides unleashed deafening roars, then accelerated to their limits, launching a desperate charge! The earth trembled violently under the trampling of countless iron hooves, dust billowing into the sky. These two torrents of steel, representing the pinnacle of impact in the era of cold weapons, were like two meteors about to collide! Closer and closer!!!
boom! ! !
This was not a single impact, but the ultimate destructive sound of thousands upon thousands of impacts occurring simultaneously and merging within a hundredth of a second! The vanguard of cavalry clashed together with overwhelming force, without any finesse, in a solid, unadulterated manner! In an instant, the scene was utterly horrifying. Long spears pierced through the outermost armor, only to be jammed by the tough armor plates and the inner armor, unable to advance an inch. The sound of the charging force shattering ribs mingled with the sound of spear shafts twisting and breaking under the strain!
The heavy spiked clubs slammed into the armored cavalry's shields, sending them and their horses staggering backward. The sound of bones shattering was clearly audible. The crescent blades, carrying immense kinetic energy, cleaved through the heavy armor of the armored cavalry, sending sparks flying and leaving deep dents. A lance, with its tremendous impact, pierced the breastplates of both sides' elite cavalry generals, sending them flying and plunging them from their horses! The immense impact caused the front-line knights and their horses to deform, shatter, and fly through the air like toys struck by an invisible hammer! Blood bloomed and splattered like giant red flowers at the point of impact. Broken limbs, twisted armor, and shattered weapons flew everywhere!
Even more terrifying was that the momentum of the charge did not stop because of this horrific collision. The cavalry behind continued to charge forward without hesitation, trampling over the flesh and bones of their comrades and enemies, before crashing heavily into the enemy's body and losing momentum. The entire battle instantly entered its most brutal and chaotic close-quarters strangulation phase.
The center of the battlefield had become a blood-and-flesh furnace that devoured everything. Both sides' cavalry had completely lost speed, crowding together and killing the enemy in front of them by any means possible.
They completely abandoned their slashing and piercing weapons, grabbing spiked clubs and maces and swinging them wildly. Every moment, people fell; every moment, people were trampled into mud by iron hooves! The sounds of clashing steel, cracking bones, dying screams, and angry roars blended into a brutal battlefield symphony.
Whether it's the Ironclad Cavalry of the Jin Dynasty or the heavily armored cavalry of the Qi Kingdom, the training costs are terrifyingly high. Dragon-blooded warhorses are an extremely rare and difficult-to-regenerate resource, and their growth cycle is as long as that of a young dragon.
On this bloody and terrifying battlefield, the elite of both sides perished instantly, like ants. Wanyan Zonghan and Liu Hong, heartbroken, had tears welling in their eyes.
Chapter 436: The Ten Cavalrymen Sweep Away the Dry and the Weak.
"You can't get through here!!!"
In the midst of the battle, three frost giants riding ancient mammoths roared in, attempting to shatter Liang Shan's offensive. These three mammoths, like mountains of flesh and steel, stood relentlessly in the face of the armored cavalry. Their trunks, clad in frost-covered iron armor, swept across the crowd, sending eight or nine armored cavalrymen, each weighing over a ton, flying with their horses! A tusk thrust pierced through five or six armored cavalrymen, their armor shattered, the blood frozen solid before it could even spurt – the power was terrifying!
In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen Qi cavalrymen had met the same fate. Their corpses were hoisted high atop the ghastly white ivory, their heavy armor and limp limbs making the whole scene exceptionally eerie and terrifying. These former warriors, now like prisoners displayed in public, or cruel ornaments on a giant beast, swayed and collided helplessly with each step of the mammoth, clanging and jingling like a set of deathly wind chimes made of flesh and steel, wailing in the wind!
The three frost giants on the elephant's back: the first swung a ten-meter-long club and smashed it down, turning two armored cavalrymen into a bloody pulp. The second hurled the giant net the frost giants used against the white dragon, instantly immobilizing seven or eight cavalrymen and trapping them within its iron cage. The third simply conjured a massive block of ice weighing over two tons with magic, and, using his innate physical advantage, hurled it at the iron torrent before him, sending shards of metal flying and blood and flesh flowing freely.
Not to be outdone, Liangshan sent out three fierce generals, Yang Zhi, Xu Ning, and Suo Chao, to fight against the mammoth.
With a roar, Yang Zhi, the blue-faced beast, transformed into a terrifying azure dragon, only slightly smaller than Guan Sheng. It instantly coiled around a mammoth and its master, the dragon constricting like a giant python slaying its prey, its long, powerful body like chains binding mountains, strangling the mammoth's massive frame and the frost giant on its back. In an instant, the dragon's scales rubbed violently against the mammoth and giant's frost-covered armor, producing a chilling cracking sound and a piercing metallic scraping noise.
"Roar!!!"
The frost giant roared in terror and struggled violently. Terrifying waves of ice surged from every pore of its body and every crack in its armor, attempting to freeze the mad dragon. The mammoth also howled in agony, stomping and thrashing its feet, its immense force causing the earth to crack open repeatedly.
But the azure dragon that Yang Zhi had transformed into was indestructible. The azure flames in its dragon eyes burned to their fullest extent, completely disregarding its own injuries, and its body tightened more and more. Although the frost mammoth and the giant were incredibly strong, they were struggling to breathe, their internal organs were being squeezed by the immense force, and blood began to spill from their mouths and noses. The frost giant on its back was even more restricted in its movements, and it was difficult to swing its giant club.
Finally, with a deafening crack, the ribs of the mammoth and the giant were snapped by the majestic azure dragon that Yang Zhi had transformed into! The broken bones pierced the lungs, heart, and other organs, and the enormous beast let out a desperate wail, collapsing to its knees and rolling to its side like a mountain collapsing! The frost giant on its back also lost its balance and tumbled off in a sorry state.
Yang Zhi herself was also covered in wounds. Many of her dragon scales were shattered, revealing terrible injuries. The flesh in the places frozen by the icy breath was necrotic, but she still fought. With a flash of her dragon claw, the head of the frost giant flew off! Kill one of the Mouke first.
On the other side of the battlefield, Xu Ning, the Golden Spearman, withstood the mammoth's charge with his terrifying defensive power, only being forced back a dozen steps by the tusks. His hook-and-sickle spear grew dozens of meters in the wind, hooking the giant on the mammoth's back. The first shot knocked off the helmet, and the second shot pulled him off the mammoth's back. He then dodged the mammoth's trunk sweep, stepped on the giant's chest, and charged in front of him, forcing the frost giant to roll on the ground. He tried to crush her with his weight advantage, but the armor was too sturdy, and he couldn't even deform it.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Suo Chao used her leaping strike once more. Despite wearing a fifty-pound suit of armor, she felt no heaviness whatsoever. Her feet slammed into the ground, causing it to crack and shatter under her weight, sending debris flying everywhere!
Using the explosive recoil, Suo Chao shot into the sky like a cannonball or a meteor streaking backward, leaping dozens of meters into the air! His golden axe was raised high above his head, accompanied by a piercing shriek that seemed to tear the heavens apart, and with the purest, most savage power, he brought it down with devastating force! It shattered the frost giant's rough, frost-covered helmet and relentlessly cleaved into its skull, which was harder than rock!
The violent impact penetrated to the bone. Although it failed to pierce the head, the force slammed the giant off the mammoth's back, causing it to crash to the ground like a collapsing mountain. The entire battlefield trembled violently, and dust mixed with ice shards shot into the sky, forming a massive ring-shaped shockwave that spread outwards! The terrifying tremor even caused soldiers within dozens of steps to stagger and fall, their ears ringing!
The other seven Mouke, along with the supreme commander of the entire Iron Pagoda, and a Frost Giant Meng'an, also charged in. However, even with their war beasts, their average strength was only at the level of an Eight Tiger General. Hua Rong drew his bow and nocked an arrow, Sun Li swung his steel whip, Luan Tingyu cleaved with his iron rod, Zhang Qing used his golden spin, Li Cunxiao roared with thunder, Shi Jin was proficient in all martial arts, and Hu Sanniang wielded her twin swords wildly. They blocked or even killed these Meng'an and Mouke of the Iron Pagoda, as well as the ancient mammoth.
Under their cover, three hundred heavily armored cavalrymen of the Great Qi were not stopped at all and instantly tore through the encirclement of the Great Jin Iron Pagoda, and were still rushing towards Wanyan Zonghan's command flag!
Left with no other option, Wanyan Zonghan was driven to the brink. He personally brandished his staff, leading ten Frost Giant Guards to join the battle. But all he saw was a burst of hellfire erupting from the cavalry, holy light soaring into the sky, and Thunderbolt Qin Ming roaring as he transformed into his hellfire form. His massive hand, flowing with demonic magma, grabbed two Frost Giants of similar ten-meter height, and the demonic magma flames instantly burned away their frost armor.
Dong Ping wielded his two light spears wildly, wounding and entangled the two frost giants. The countless tendrils of light instantly scorched their flesh the moment they bound them.
Meanwhile, Jade Kirin Lu Junyi and Leopard Head Lin Chong attacked in their demon prince forms. With the terrifying advantage of their charge and the superb spear skills of Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix, the sky was simultaneously covered by Samadhi True Fire and extreme frost. Before the two frost giants could react, they were instantly killed by the Eighteen-Foot Serpent Spear and the Golden Dragon Spear! The last four frost giant guards could only briefly hold off the two women before being forced to retreat.
At this moment, Wanyan Zonghan had lost all his guards and could only watch helplessly as Liu Hong charged forward under the cover of everyone. Jidu Nilin transformed into a shadow cannon, almost touching Wanyan Zonghan's face, and unleashed a Heavenly Gang Slash that carried one hundred and eight vast stars!
Chapter 437: Seven Killing Stars Slay Generals and Seize Flags
Wanyan Zonghan remained calm in the face of the attack. The moment the starry sky touched him, a thick, mountain-like yet crystal-clear extreme cold shield instantly enveloped his massive body!
This is his protective spell. No matter the situation, as long as he is attacked, a frost shield will automatically trigger, intercepting fatal damage and buying him time to counterattack. It can even act as a shield, allowing him to withstand several enemy attacks.
The next second, a meteor shower of 108 celestial and terrestrial stars, carrying overwhelming heavenly might, crashed down! An extremely sharp, ear-piercing sound, like a million pieces of glass being crushed by a tremendous force, instantly drowned out all the noise on the battlefield! The starlight and the extreme cold collided and annihilated each other in the most violent way!
The seemingly invincible shield appeared so fragile before the stellar power, which was extremely strong and contained the righteous energy of heaven and earth. Where the beam of light struck, the surface of the shield did not simply crack, but instead experienced a violent energy boiling! The extremely cold ice crystals seemed to be thrown into a furnace, instantly vaporizing and sublimating, bursting out a pale mist that blotted out the sky and mixed with ice shards and starlight.
Then came a chain reaction of collapse! Centered on each point hit by the stars, countless thick cracks, like living black lightning bolts, spread wildly across the entire surface of the ice shield, shattering it! The scene resembled a piece of super-strength glass struck by a heavy hammer, covered with deathly lines in a fraction of a second!
Bang! Crack—Boom!
Finally, with a deafening explosion, the massive shield, which had consumed the giant's endless icy magic, could no longer maintain its structure and shattered completely! Countless house-sized fragments of the giant ice shield, with edges as sharp as knives, were hurled wildly in all directions at terrifying speeds by the shockwave of the explosion! These fragments themselves became the deadliest weapons, easily slicing nearby charging Jin cavalrymen and their horses in half, and carving deep trenches into the ground!
Even more terrifying is the ring-shaped shockwave generated when the shield collapses. It is a death ring that combines the power of star annihilation with extreme cold. It expands outward rapidly in a perfect circle. Wherever it passes, soldiers, whether friend or foe, are blown away and torn apart like straw, or even frozen into ice sculptures and then shattered into dust!
Wanyan Zonghan was stunned—it was shattered. My sixth-ring Frost Shield was shattered by Liu Hong's single strike?!
Liu Hong remained silent. Amidst the swirling frost and snow, he pressed forward with his dragon-coiled staff, as four dragons, each carrying one hundred and eight brilliant meteors, crashed down on him for the second time!
Facing this devastating second attack, Wanyan Zonghan showed no fear whatsoever, instead unleashing a deafening incantation. He swung the Frost Silent Staff in his massive hand—this terrifying artifact, crafted from the spine of a frost giant, adorned with ancient mammoth tusks and the reverse scales of an ancient white dragon, with a single swing unleashed boundless chilling energy that surged forth from all directions. The icy waves, before Wanyan Zonghan, transformed into a hundreds-of-meters-high, annihilating ice tide, brimming with countless wailing ice souls and absolute zero temperature, crashing directly towards Liu Hong! Its force was like the collapse of heaven and earth—it was the eighth-ring spell, Ice Mountain Technique!
Before the ten-meter-tall frost giant, beneath the mountain-like waves of frost crashing down, Liu Hong appeared as insignificant as an ant, only his eyes blazing with a fighting spirit like boiling molten lava. Though his figure was only a little over two meters tall, he now stood like a pillar supporting the sky, unmoving. The coiled dragon staff in his hand hummed and trembled, the four golden dragons coiled around its body seemingly fully awakened, their eyes blazing with intense golden light, roaring as they drew upon the one hundred and eight demonic stars of the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends in the sky, piercing through the heavens!
"boom!!!"
With a deafening roar, the point where their weapons clashed erupted into a blazing white sphere of light capable of blinding an ordinary person! One hundred and eight demonic stars, along with the earth-shattering, frigid iceberg, exploded simultaneously! The scorching heat that melts all things, and the freezing cold that freezes all things, instantly solidified the dissipated energy and light into countless dazzling yet deadly ice crystals! The two diametrically opposed supreme energies crushed, exploded, and annihilated each other, forming a devastating ring-shaped shockwave that expanded wildly outward in a perfect sphere!
Where the shockwave passed: the earth was turned over as if by an invisible giant plow, collapsing and sinking layer by layer to form a huge circular crater. The air was completely emptied and ionized, emitting ghostly shrieks and terrifying explosions like thunder. The light was violently distorted, making the entire battlefield scene bizarre and surreal, like a dream, under the scorching heat of the stars and the flying frost mirrors.
Liu Hong's body trembled violently, and the ground beneath his feet exploded. However, the muscles in his arms bulged like dragons, and he managed to withstand the backlash. His blood and qi surged like the sea, and he was forced to take three steps back by this eighth-ring spell that exceeded the world's limits.
Wanyan Zonghan's giant body also swayed suddenly, taking three steps back as well. His feet shattered large sections of rock, and the ice armor on his giant arm holding the staff cracked inch by inch, revealing the dark blue skin underneath. For the first time, a genuine look of surprise flashed in his eyes.
The world's energy is gradually being depleted, and level 12 is now the limit. Mortals can only use the power of sixth-circle magic at most. His staff, which is inhabited by the power of ancient giants and dragons, is the only way to break the rules and use the eighth-circle Glacier spell.
However, this kid's Heavenly Gang Slash is comparable in power to bombarding an entire iceberg?
What terrified Wanyan Zonghan even more was that Liu Hong's Panlong Staff was knocked backward by the glacier. He used the force to his advantage, and suddenly lunged forward six steps. He swung the Panlong Staff down a second time, and the terrifying spiritual energy that surged out once again gathered into one hundred and eight world-destroying demon stars in the sky!
This thing can fire in rapid succession???
Wanyan Zonghan was astonished. He needed at least three seconds to make hand gestures and chant incantations to use the Iceberg Technique again, while Liu Hong only needed to swing his arms to unleash the Heavenly Gang Slash!
Seeing the dragon-shaped staff, which seemed to be drawing in the destructive power of the stars, hurtling towards them with overwhelming force, leaving no room for evasion, the frost giant that Wanyan Zonghan had transformed into suddenly narrowed his eyes. In this crisis, he could no longer afford to chant lengthy incantations or mobilize deeper icy power. He could only instantly cast a fourth-level Ice Wall spell.
只
A thick ice wall rose from the ground in almost a fraction of a second, standing between him and Liu Hong! This wall was several meters high, crystal clear, with sharp edges, and exuded a bone-chilling cold, enough to withstand a hundred cavalry charges or the bombardment of ordinary magic—this was the ultimate manifestation that ordinary sorcerers could hardly achieve.
However, in the face of this destructive torrent that gathered the power of the 108 Heavenly Stars and Earthly Fiends and was guided by the divine artifact Panlong Staff, the hastily formed ice wall appeared so thin and fragile. Under the bombardment of the countless stars, the ice wall could not even last a moment. Countless terrifying spiderweb-like cracks appeared on its surface. The next moment, starting from the core of the collision, it exploded as if it had been detonated from within!
The destructive torrent of stars, having shattered the pitiful obstacle, retained almost no energy and, with even greater ferocity, slammed into Wanyan Zonghan's body! The destructive stars mercilessly washed over the frost giant's massive form. His skin, as tough as ten-thousand-year-old cold iron, was easily torn and ripped open! His muscles, as solid as black ice, were ripped apart and carbonized. Blue blood of the frost giant gushed from the enormous wound like a waterfall, only to be instantly vaporized by the intense heat of the stars! He was struck so hard that his eyes rolled back, and he almost lost consciousness.
After he regained consciousness, Liu Hong raised his Panlong Staff high for the third time and unleashed his fourth Tiangang Slash!
Wanyan Zonghan's pupils instantly shrank to the size of pinpoints. With no other option, he had to use his trump card: Fourth Ring Magic - Swift Burst.
In an instant, it was as if an invisible giant hand had pressed the freeze button on the world. The howling wind stopped, the flying dirt froze in mid-air, the burning flames ceased to flicker, and even the roars on the faces of soldiers in the distance were nailed to time. The entire battlefield fell into a suffocating silence, and all the swaying figures and flashing swords turned into a deathly silhouette, frozen in the cracks of time and space.
Wanyan Zonghan took a breath and immediately began chanting an incantation. This spell wasn't a time stop, but rather borrowed six seconds of his future self. Once the spell ended, he would be stunned for six seconds.
However, such a huge price also represents enormous power: during the casting of the spell, one can truly gain an extra six seconds! And others are frozen in place as if time has stopped, unable to move, making it the best choice to launch a desperate counterattack.
Wanyan Zonghan immediately began chanting, but as soon as he uttered the first incantation, Liu Hong's body suddenly moved within the frozen space-time—Wanyan Zonghan was merely using future events, while Shi Wengong's ability was true time-stopping! The countless meteors that had just been frozen in space-time for a moment began to move again, and the four golden dragons coiled around the staff seemed to come alive completely, their roars shaking the heavens and drawing the 108 Heavenly and Earthly Stars in the sky to once again burst forth with dazzling light!
Instead of the 108 demon lords, they transformed into a destructive torrent, like the Milky Way bursting its banks, coiling and compressing around the tip of the Panlong Staff before crashing down on Wanyan Zonghan's skull! The stellar power condensed on it erupted instantly, like billions of miniature stars exploding simultaneously!
The nascent ice magic shattered like fragile glass, dissipating into countless icy blue specks of light. Wanyan Zonghan's giant skull, harder than black ice, was visibly dented by the blow! The immense impact caused his massive body to tilt uncontrollably to one side, crashing to the ground. A mixture of icy giant blood and possibly brain matter, emanating from his fractured skull, gushed forth from his nostrils, ears, lips, and even his eye sockets, like a bizarre rain of icy blood! Countless fragments of ice armor and bone shot out in all directions!
At this moment, only six seconds of real time had passed. The two had only fought for three rounds when Liu Hong exhausted all his spiritual energy. First, he used the Heavenly Cannon to clear a path, then unleashed four Heavenly Gang Slashes in six seconds, followed by a time stop, securing victory and killing Wanyan Zonghan!
It wasn't that Wanyan Zonghan was too weak, but rather that Liu Hong's burst of energy, which exhausted all his spiritual power, could only be used once a day. Even Lin Chong and Guan Sheng, who knew each other well, would have a hard time stopping him, let alone an outsider whose trump cards were unknown.