Chapter 573: The Decisive Battle! The Wind Blows, Generals Clash!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Warhorses neighed as Jiaosiluo led thousands of Tibetan cavalry charging up the mountain slope. This immediately had an effect on the two sides fighting on the mountain.
Neeeeigh!
A warhorse flew forward as one with its rider, and a heavy hoof smashed against the shield of a Tang soldier. With a scream, the soldier was sent flying into the air by the massive impact.
Bangbangbangbang!
One Tibetan cavalryman after another charged up the slope, and with each one, another Great Tang soldier would be sent flying. Cavalry was the most powerful fighting force on the continent, so the power the Tibetan cavalry were able to display far surpassed that of the Whitestone Corps.
Even though their speed was inhibited by the terrain and the metal walls, the Tibetan cavalry were still able to display more power than the Mengshe Zhao soldiers.
“Anyone who stops me dies!”
There was a heaven-shaking roar as the Swordfanged Beast of the Five Tiger Generals, Jiaosiluo, charged into battle. Boom! A massive explosion with Jiaosiluo at the center rippled through the battlefield.
“Aaaaah!”
All the soldiers of the Annan Protectorate army in the area were thrown aside together with mud, rock and gravel, and even a few Whitestone Corps soldiers who were too slow to dodge.
Clang!
Even a few of those massive metal walls were pulled out of the earth by this explosion, crashing back down onto the Annan Protectorate army.
“Die for me!”
Jiaosiluo’s helmet suddenly exploded, his hair wildly flying in the air. He leaped off his horse, vanishing into the ranks of the Annan Protectorate army. Boom! A massive Halo of Thorns began to expand through the crowd.
“Aaaaah!”
Shrill screams filled the air as the Tang soldiers were thrown around like ragdolls. These Tang elites who had experienced so many battles were insignificant ants before a top-class general like Jiaosiluo.
Boomboomboom! Jiaosiluo jumped left and right, no one able to stop him. A Great Tang officer charged forward in an attempt to stop him, but he was still three zhang away when Jiaosiluo’s plentiful Stellar Energy sent him flying with a jolt.
His chest was caving in while in midair, and he was already breathing his last.
“Hahaha, foul brat! All shitty tactics are nothing before absolute strength! Your death is certain today!”
Jiaosiluo seemed to be insane as he roared in Tibetan.
He was treating the Annan Protectorate army before him as a manifestation of Wang Chong, each individual as a Wang Chong through which he could vent his rage.
Bangbangbang!
Jiaosiluo was like a dragon in human form, slaughtering wherever he went and invigorating the Tibetan soldiers. The armored cavalry rushed behind him, inflicting heavy casualties on the Annan Protectorate army.
“Hahaha, this is all the Tang are!”
“Last time, they needed to rely on the rainstorm and the night. These bastards don’t even dare to face us head-on!”
“You’re completely right, hahaha!”
“Kill, kill them all!”
……
All the Tibetans immediately regained their energy, especially those who had experienced those two consecutive defeats with Jiaosiluo. Before the battle, each of them had a thick shadow hanging over their hearts, but now, this shadow was no more.
“Kiiiill!”
The arrival of the Tibetans had completely altered the course of this battle, and altered the balance of power between the Whitestone Corps and the Annan Protectorate army. In the northeast corner, wherever the Tibetans struck, the Tang lines would fall into utter chaos.
And once they sensed the changes brought about by the Tibetans, the Mengshe Zhao troops in the other areas also rallied.
“Everyone, don’t be afraid! The Tibetans have moved out!”
“Hold! The Annan Protectorate army isn’t invincible. The Tibetans are their bane!”
“Everyone, work hard! The Great Tang is about to lose! They can’t be any match for us!”
……
All the Whitestone Corps soldiers had originally been fearful and only thinking about fleeing. Suddenly, however, their morale was revived, and one by one, they began to turn and fight back against the Annan Protectorate army.
And despite the fighting power of the Annan Protectorate army, it couldn’t do anything against them for a few moments.
The situation had rapidly reversed, Mengshe and Ü-Tsang working together to put the Great Tang at an extreme disadvantage. Yet on the other side, Zhao Wujiang gave a faint smile.
“It really is as Young Master said. Ü-Tsang wasn’t able to restrain itself!” Zhao Wujiang said as he listened to the fighting. Besides holding down Duan Wuzong, he had also received another order.
Everything was going as Wang Chong had predicted. Even the Tibetans had mobilized their forces at the exact time.
“Jiaosiluo, you won’t be able to go back this time!”
Sheathing his blood-red saber, Zhao Wujiang smiled as he pulled on the reins of his horse and rode off toward the northeast corner, not caring about the battle before him.
“Jiaosiluo, I’ve come to fight you!”
This mighty shout was like the ringing of a gong, reverberating through the heavens. Even someone several li away could hear it.
“Hmph, not knowing your own strength!”
A derisive snort, equally loud, came from the northeast. At almost the same time, Jiaosiluo was leading his army like a tiger leaping in Zhao Wujiang’s direction.
Although Huoshu Huicang had ordered him to break through the northeast corner, that was purely because the Whitestone Corps had the smallest number of soldiers there, making it most convenient for the Tibetan cavalry to charge onto the mountain.
But in Jiaosiluo’s heart, the main objective was to defeat the general who had defeated Duan Wuzong, Zhao Wujiang!
“What’s the point in defeating someone weaker than you? Only by defeating someone stronger than you can you prove your worth!”
This had been always been the Swordfanged Beast Jiaosiluo’s long-held conviction, the principle that he abided by.
Bang!
Zhao Wujiang’s horse ran seventy-some zhang, but the mountain was too packed with people for him to travel too quickly. He suddenly jumped off his horse, landing on a metal wall ten-some zhang away.
With another jump, he appeared on yet another wall ten-some zhang away. A majestic Halo of Thorns constantly glimmered, making the armored Zhao Wujiang appear like a god, visible even from several li away.
That dazzling light immediately attracted the attention of everyone on the mountain, and even Huoshu Huicang and Dalun Ruozan couldn’t help but look over.
As a high-ranking general of the Annan Protectorate army, Zhao Wujiang had quite the prestigious reputation in the southwest, and almost no one could not recognize him. Even Geluofeng and his son Fengjiayi had heard of this person’s thunderous deeds.
“It’s Zhao Wujiang!”
Crown Prince Fengjiayi’s eyes widened.
Zhao Wujiang was a very special existence in Mengshe Zhao. After all, he had once served as a good-natured emissary from the Great Tang to Mengshe Zhao, and he was intimately related to the establishment of the Whitestone Corps.
Before Mengshe Zhao had fought with the Great Tang, Zhao Wujiang had been very famous within the Six Zhao of Erhai.
The people of Mengshe Zhao had a very complicated attitude toward Zhao Wujiang.
Thus, even though Zhao Wujiang had defeated Duan Wuzong, none of them felt much hostility. It was just that the southwestern war was too important for Mengshe Zhao to allow a defeat.
“Royal Father, I’ll go up with some troops!”
Fengjiayi’s brows rose as he immediately had the impulse to move out.
Geluofeng seemed willing, but when he glanced at Dalun Ruozan and Huoshu Huicang, he immediately restrained himself.
“Wait a moment. It’s still not time for us to act. If we intervene now, we might displease Huoshu Huicang. In addition, as allies, it should be time for them to make a contribution.”
The first part had been spoken in the language of Mengshe Zhao, but for the latter part, he had softened his voice and switched to a dialect that very few people within the Six Zhao could understand.
Fengjiayi looked blankly at him before switching to that Erhai dialect and asking, “But, Royal Father, Jiaosiluo has already moved, so the Great Tang might dispatch another general. Previously, didn’t they dispatch Zhao Wujiang when we sent out Duan Wuzong?”
“Hmph, we don’t need to trouble ourselves over that. Jiaosiluo is at a level where he’ll be able to retreat unharmed as long as Wang Yan and Xianyu Zhongtong don’t act. Right now, both Wang Yan and Xianyu Zhongtong are still on the summit… Haven’t you noticed that both Huoshu Huicang and Dalun Ruozan seem unconcerned?”
Astonished, Fengjiayi shot a glance in their direction. Sure enough, neither Huoshu Huicang nor Dalun Ruozan seemed ready to move, and both had indifferent expressions on their faces.
“Yes, Royal Father!”
Fengjiayi’s muscles relaxed as he quickly returned to his position.
……
Boom!
Halfway up the mountain, a brilliant white flame blazed to life. Jiaosiluo had finally triggered his transformation, his massive Halo of Thorns suddenly retracting into his body.
In the next moment, Jiaosiluo disappeared, replaced by a massive Swordfanged Beast swiftly traveling atop the metal walls. Finally…
Boom!
With an earth-shaking boom, Zhao Wujiang and Jiaosiluo leaped up from metal walls ten-some zhang from each other and collided, their Stellar Energies blazing. Under countless stares, they crashed against each other like two meteors, one red and one white.
Rumble! As these two Stellar Energies of opposite nature clashed against each other, the pair exchanged nearly a hundred strikes in that split second.
“Aaaaah!”
While everyone was transfixed by the battle in the air, Zhao Wujiang suddenly screamed as one of Jiaosiluo’s paws struck his chest and sent him flying.
Boom!
Dust plumed into the air as Zhao Wujiang’s descent sundered the earth.
“General!”
The surrounding Tang soldiers instantly paled in fright and yelled.