harleyscars Page 104
Page 104
The instant the mask was applied, space centered on Sun Li was torn open by an invisible force, creating a twisted rift filled with viscous, dark psionic energy, like a piece of cheap cloth. A terrifying killing intent from the depths of the subspace, enough to instantly plunge any living being into chaos and madness, crashed down.
The viscous, churning dark psionic energy boiled and writhed unnaturally behind Sun Li. It was not growing, but rather blasphemous shaping—first condensing into a gigantic skeleton so large it was suffocating. The pitch-black bones twisted and stretched in the air, emitting a tooth-grinding, void-grinding sound.
Then, an even more bizarre scene unfolded! The churning black tide eroded the framework in reverse, not enveloping it, but filling it in! Countless screaming fragments of souls were forcibly crushed, like filthy mud, coating the giant's bones and solidifying into crimson, writhing muscle bundles.
The foul-smelling shadows were compressed and solidified, weaving a dense network of eerie blue blood vessels covered with strange runes! Finally, the slippery, lifelike, pitch-black skin spread and covered the muscles, like a cheap doll's skin, exuding a chilling aura of death.
Finally, the blasphemous darkness abruptly solidified and contracted! A mottled, ancient Tang Dynasty Mingguang armor, riddled with sword marks and arrow holes, yet shrouded in a viscous, dark aura, appeared out of thin air, its three thousand armor plates emitting a dark red, blasphemous glow, like burning coal dust. The condensation on it was not ordinary dust and blood, but rather the corpses and blood of an ancient battlefield, and the vengeful spirits of millennia past. A pair of gigantic steel whips, sharp and angular, twisted like two towering structures, emerged from the churning darkness with a piercing metallic wail, grasped in the twisted iron palm of the colossal figure! The whips were so massive they seemed capable of shattering city gates!
Suddenly, two fiercely burning, ghostly blue soul flames erupted from the location of the giant's pupils, blazing with overwhelming rage and boundless bloodlust as if forcibly dragged into the mortal realm, staring down upon this battlefield of flesh and blood! The gatekeeper of the subspace, carrying its desecrated divine power and pure will to destroy, had descended upon the mortal world!
At this moment, the giant claw of the blue dragon, wrapped in heavenly punishment lightning, was already close at hand. Sun Li suddenly swung his whip upwards, and the killing giant in the subspace also raised a ferocious steel whip like a sin tower, whipping upwards with a gale that tore through space! It collided violently with the blue dragon's sky-covering giant claw!
"boom!!!"
In an instant, the spiritual energy and resentment on the steel whip and the lightning arcs wrapped around the dragon claws exploded! The mournful sound of metal mixed with the cracking of bones overwhelmed the dragon's roar. The terrifying blow that the blue dragon could crush a city gate was actually shattered by Yuchi Gong's steel whip! It was like a divine mountain collapsing and a thunderous cauldron shattering!
All that could be seen was a torrent of cobalt blue dragon scale fragments, splattering out like a torrential downpour, mixed with scorched lightning and blasphemous black flames of scorching dragon blood. It was like a cascading waterfall of lava! Those five dragon toes, once capable of tearing mountains apart, were instantly twisted into chillingly sharp angles, every joint turning to dust under the savage force of the impact! The entire forearm structure, from the base of the claws to the elbow, shattered inch by inch, as if completely destroyed from the inside by an invisible giant hammer!
The blue dragon let out a heart-wrenching scream, its giant claws drooping like a fallen meteor, leaving only broken flesh and severed tendons with pale bone fragments hanging from them, swaying in the wind.
The giant's vicious whip, wreathed in ominous black flames, left only a few barely perceptible scratches before silently and arrogantly rising again amidst the distorted light and shadow! It pressed down on the eyes of Huyan Zhuo and the blue dragon beneath him like a nightmare.
"Roar!!!"
The madness in the blue dragon's eyes was finally overwhelmed by the fear of impending death! It recklessly raised its neck, and a terrifying thunderous roar, powerful enough to tear space apart, erupted from deep within its chest. A thunderous dragon breath, capable of engulfing mountains, melting metal and stone, and eclipsing the world, carrying a world-destroying power capable of overturning rivers and seas and devouring light, crashed down upon the tiny Sun Li on the ground and the twisted, blasphemous projection behind him! Its force was like a mountain collapsing, its form like a raging torrent; the violent plasma torrent instantly engulfed Sun Li and the Yuchi projection behind him! All that remained in sight was the destructive blue-white lightning capable of evaporating steel and burning souls.
However, at the very core of this thunderous hell, amidst the torrent of energy powerful enough to tear everything apart, a giant iron fist, scarred and riddled with holes by lightning, suddenly ripped through the lightning curtain! A ferocious steel whip wreathed in ominous black flames was raised high, seemingly condensing the blasphemous power of the entire subspace, and fiercely lashed out!
"Boom!!!"
A muffled, deafening roar, like a mountain collapsing, instantly drowned out the thunder's howl. The steel whip lashed solidly at the dragon's jaw as it spewed out thunder with all its might, the terrifying impact like a ten-million-ton hammer hitting the bullseye!
The blue dragon's massive lower jaw swung wildly upwards as if struck by a battering ram, slamming into its upper jaw! Its hard dragon teeth shattered and broke like rotten wood! Hot dragon blood crackling with electricity sprayed wildly along with fragments of broken teeth!
Even more deadly was that the earth-shattering shockwave traveled directly into the brain without any hindrance! Inside the dragon's skull, the brain matter boiled and churned instantly like boiling water! The dragon felt endless darkness and excruciating pain explode upon it, its vision spinning! Even its soul was shaken so badly it almost left its body! It fell into complete dizziness and unconsciousness.
The massive dragon body, under this irresistible, pure brute force, was lifted off the ground like a broken doll hurled by a giant god! With a series of cracking sounds as bones burst and blood splattered, it tumbled uncontrollably, helplessly, and heavily backward, leaving a shocking parabolic trajectory on the battlefield and a trail of broken teeth and dripping dragon blood!
Faced with Lan Long, a young woman who had torn through thirteen layers of Liangshan's defenses, was impervious to swords and spears, possessed a fierce aura, and had killed countless people, Sun Li defeated her with just two lashes.
Chapter 280: The Great Demon Huyan Zhentian is Flogged
"Hu-hu-"
Sun Li's breathing was somewhat heavy. The Yuchi Gong she summoned was on the same level as Lu Bu and Xue Rengui summoned by Lu Fang and Guo Sheng, but she was indeed much stronger than Lu Fang and Guo Sheng. Therefore, she could maintain Yuchi Gong's existence for a long time, instead of only being able to maintain it for six seconds a day and then it would be gone after a burst of power.
Even so, this would severely deplete her stamina. She was already covered in wounds from the blue dragon's thunderous breath, her limbs were numb from the electric shock, and her speed had also decreased.
Just then, Huyan Zhuo jumped off the back of the heavily injured and unconscious Blue Dragon, and his black and white whips, with the force of shattering the Milky Way and overturning the Five Sacred Mountains, along with the dazzling starlight and gale, attacked Sun Li! The terrifying double whips that shattered armor and shattered demons struck Yuchi Gong's phantom image at the same time!
Just look at the radiant armor covering the projection's surface, formed from millennia of resentment and blasphemous darkness. Like a thousand-year-old icefall under the scorching sun, it didn't even have time to struggle before it crumbled inch by inch under Huyan Zhuo's double whips. Large swaths of thick, tar-like demonic energy, exuding hellish sulfur and the stench of blood, gushed and raged like desperate pus!
The golden light that shone on the steel whip, along with the wrathful thunder that slayed evil, instantly purified and dispelled the viscous darkness surrounding the projection. The ancient scriptures on the whip even burned as if they were alive. Countless tiny black and white runes detached from the whip and, like a swarm of bees, burrowed into the gaps in the projection's collapsing armor, frantically burning its dark core.
In an instant, Yuchi Gong's subspace projection, like snow exposed to the scorching sun, or a wax figure thrown into the true fire of purgatory, saw its crimson, twisted muscle bundles forming its arms melt and peel away like boiling water! The blasphemous bones supporting its body emitted an unbearable shriek from the void and shattered inch by inch! The pale skin turned to ashes like a tattered curtain.
Before it could even let out a proper scream, it was forcibly dispersed and annihilated by Huyan Zhuo. The enormous projection, like a punctured and decaying colossus, silently collapsed and disintegrated before Huyan Zhuo! First, its core in the chest was completely purified and evaporated, leaving a huge void. Then, its arms and head crumbled like dried sandcastles. Finally, its massive body collapsed powerlessly forward, turning into thick, turbid black smoke that tumbled and rose and was eventually blown away by the wind the moment it touched the ground.
Amidst the smoke and dust, only fragments of the demon-subduing scriptures, burning with black and white embers, drifted down like funeral paper money. The steel whip of resentment, manifested by Yuchi Gong's will, also disintegrated into sparks of blasphemous spiritual energy amidst mournful cries, unwillingly extinguishing itself on the scorched earth.
"What a brilliant double-whip Huyan Zhuo!"
Seeing his subspace projection being destroyed, Sun Li was not in a hurry. He faced Hu Yanzhuo head-on. The spear in his hand, covered with dark patterns, was like a venomous dragon that pierced the abyss. With a sharp cry that pierced the soul, it was straightforward and went straight for Hu Yanzhuo's face!
Hu Yanzhuo's crimson-gold eyes burned like the sun. His two whips, carrying the residual power of the shattered projection and the overwhelming demon-suppressing aura, swirled and roared towards her. He blocked the steel spear with his left whip and smashed Sun Li with his right whip, forcing her to hold the spear in her left hand and draw a steel whip from her waist with her right hand, which clashed with Yuchi Gong's steel whip!
In an instant, the two fierce generals clashed. Huyan Zhuo wielded two heavy steel whips, each strike seemingly capable of shattering the earth's skeleton, creating sonic booms that exploded one after another.
Sun Li's left hand held a long spear that seemed to be perched in the abyss, which transformed into thousands of elusive, venomous snakes that seemed to spit out unpredictable energy and devour souls. These snakes trembled in the air, creating countless spear flowers. The sharp whistling sound generated when the spear tip pierced the air was no weaker than the sonic boom of a whip. His right hand also wielded a steel whip with great force, smashing against Hu Yanzhuo's double whips again and again with the power to shatter mountains and shake the heavens.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!!!"
The clanging of three whips and one spear resounded like the terrifying roar of chaos being constantly hammered in a divine furnace. Each clash unleashed concentric ripples of destruction, a mixture of stellar energy and blasphemous black flames. Wherever these ripples passed, the ground didn't crack, but rather crystallized and pulverized into dust. The dissipating energy sliced through the air, forming continuous vacuum blades that silently shattered nearby rocks and even distant trees.
The two fought to a standstill, a battle of equals. Their whips moved like dragons soaring through the clouds, their spears like monstrous sea monsters leaping across the ocean. At times, Huyan Zhuo's double whips were like twin peaks standing side by side, crashing down with immense force; at other times, they were like shooting stars clashing, slicing through everything in their path.
Sun Li's long spear would sometimes unleash soul-corroding starlight, piercing through the whip curtain; at other times, it would swirl into a deep abyss vortex that devoured light, deflecting immense force. Sometimes, when engaged in close combat, he would also wield his ancient steel whip to fight against the two whips. The two figures moved so fast within the endless, destructive light circle that their physical forms were indistinguishable, and only afterimages could be seen.
However, Sun Li had exhausted too much energy summoning Yuchi Gong's subspace shadow, and he had also taken a direct hit from a blue dragon's breath, so his injuries were not light. On the other hand, Hu Yanzhuo was in his complete form and was unharmed. In the end, Sun Li was at a disadvantage.
The two fought for over fifty rounds. Sun Li gradually became exhausted, and his whip techniques became chaotic. Just then, a dazzling emerald light pierced through the dust! Hu Sanniang's delicate body was clad in willow-leaf armor, and her slender hands wielded the Sun and Moon Twin Blades.
Dragging two streaks of cold light, one crimson gold and the other moon white, she charged into the battlefield! Her slender waist swayed like a willow in the wind, and her twin blades were like slender pythons in her mind. She actually met the double whips that came with the force of ten thousand jun and rolled like a raging wave, and instead of retreating, she advanced! Her speed was so fast that it even caught Huyan Zhuo off guard, and she slashed hard on her black gold battle armor, leaving two white marks and sending sparks flying everywhere.
"Sister! You go back and rest first! Leave this to me!"
Hu Sanniang brandished her twin swords, shouting wildly as she fought, covering Sun Li's retreat to rest. Huyan Zhuo's copper bell eyes widened, his arms bulging with muscles like mountains. His pair of water-polished dragon-patterned steel whips, crackling with the force of thunder and tearing silk, delivered a devastating blow. One whip, like a mountain crashing down, aimed straight at Sanniang's head; the other, like a giant python churning a river, swept across her midsection and abdomen! Where the whips passed, the air was compressed, whistling and wailing!
As the whip's shadow descended upon her, Hu Sanniang's lips curled into a cool, aloof smile! Her figure moved like a swallow pulled by invisible threads, gracefully spinning along the edge of the devastating whip's wind, skillfully dodging Hu Yanzhuo's attacks. At the same time, her twin blades, like venomous snakes, launched another deadly attack from two very strange angles!
Hu Yanzhuo felt a chill run down his spine. This woman looked delicate, but her swordsmanship was so swift and cunning.
She roared and twisted her wrist sharply! The whip that had been deflected lashed out like a dragon awakening and lashed down to protect her elbow, while the steel whip that swept down pushed horizontally like a battering ram, aiming straight for Hu Sanniang's elusive waist, only to be dodged again.
The two clashed fiercely. Huyan Zhuo's double whips were domineering and unparalleled, his moves were wide and sweeping, and each strike had the power to split mountains and shatter rocks, and the force to destroy the heavens and the earth.
Hu Sanniang's twin swords moved with lightning speed and precision, each strike like a venomous snake emerging from its hole or a dragon plunging into the sea. The ultimate power clashed with the ultimate speed, and for a time the two were locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle. Their twin whips and twin swords danced in the air like four dazzling fireworks.
After forty rounds, Hu Sanniang was also struggling to keep going. Hu Yanzhuo's greatest advantage was strength and destructive power, but her speed and skill were also considerable. Hu Sanniang couldn't dodge all of her attacks. Once she was forced to raise her twin swords to block the steel whip's attacks, the terrifying destructive power would make her feel weak all over and her arms tremble. After taking a few hits, her whole body would be numb and tingling from the double whips, and she wouldn't be able to block them for long.
Chapter 281: Five Tigers Battle Double Whips in the Killing Arena (Bonus Chapter)
Just as Hu Sanniang's nimble twin swords were being suppressed by Huyan Zhuo's domineering whip wind, causing her blood and qi to stagnate slightly, a silver light tore through the blood mist, and reinforcements broke through the enemy lines! Little Li Guang Hua Rong, clad in gleaming silver chainmail and riding the Jade Lion of the Night, moved like a blazing fire. His horse galloped like a shooting star, and as he hurtled towards them, he suddenly drew his bow at breakneck speed!
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Hua Rong drew his bow and nocked his arrows with such speed that they left afterimages. In a series of twelve rapid arrows, twelve steel arrows, accompanied by sharp whistling sounds, pierced straight into the sky! The arrows, like shooting stars flying in reverse, disappeared instantly into the dark clouds.
"Third Sister, step back! Hua Rong is here!"
At the same time, Hua Rong's wrist flicked, the golden eagle bow was returned to its scabbard, and the Dragon Gallant Silver Spear was already in her grasp! With a clear shout, she and her horse became one, transforming into a white rainbow piercing the sun, the silver spear carrying a sharpness that could pierce mountains, heading straight for Huyan Zhuo's vulnerable back! Before the spear even arrived, the sharp killing intent that threatened to destroy everything had already pierced Huyan Zhuo's back!
Hu Yanzhuo heard the fierce wind behind him and his pupils contracted. At this moment, with Hu Sanniang's twin swords restraining him in front and this cold silver spear attacking from behind, he was naturally in great danger.
However, Hu Yanzhuo only roared, and with one whip, he drove back Hu Sanniang with the power to split mountains and shatter rocks. Then, like a mad python returning to its nest, the whip suddenly lashed back, firmly blocking the tip of the bright silver spear that was piercing like a poisonous dragon! The huge impact made Hu Yanzhuo's body sway, and the scorched earth beneath his feet cracked! The silver spear was instantly bent slightly by the force of the single whip, but it also successfully bought Hu Sanniang a moment to retreat and catch her breath.
Hu Yanzhuo's face was as cold as iron. His steel whip, which had repelled Hu Sanniang, was like a dragon overturning the sea. He returned to defend once more, and his two steel whips directly blocked Hua Rong's silver spear, rendering her unable to move.
Huyan Zhuo stared intently at the female general in silver armor and spear before him, a hint of contempt flashing in his eyes.
"The damage from your spear charge was blocked by my single whip while I stood still. The difference in our strength is already obvious. Do you still want to fight?"
However, just as Hu Yanzhuo's words were about to fall, and in that brief moment of distraction, twelve piercing screams, seemingly from the depths of the underworld, tore through the air and fell precisely from the sky directly above her! The twelve steel arrows that Hua Rong had previously shot into the sky, drawn by gravity, now reached the end of their descent, carrying terrifying kinetic energy accumulated to its limit, shooting down like a celestial meteor shower! A guttural thud and the sound of bones shattering exploded instantly!
"Clang! Clang! Clang!!!"
The heavy steel arrow struck its target with pinpoint accuracy! Several deep dents were carved into Huyan Zhuo's finely forged steel helmet, one arrow even piercing her neck guard and embedding itself diagonally in her shoulder armor! The violent impact, like the hammer of a giant god, slammed her head downwards! Golden lights flashed before her eyes, her mind buzzed like a thousand bronze bells vibrating simultaneously, and a sweet, metallic taste instantly rose in her throat! The fine iron shoulder guards shattered with a resounding crash, the incredibly hard shoulder bones cracking under the weight of the armor, and excruciating pain, like an electric current, instantly paralyzed her arms!
At that very moment, a cold glint flashed in Hua Rong's eyes! His wrist suddenly twitched and vibrated! The gleaming silver spear, which had been held captive, was pulled back instantly like a serpent breaking free of its shackles! The spear drew a dazzling silver arc in the air, without the slightest hesitation, and under the impetus of Hua Rong's fluid movements, it transformed into a deadly storm that completely engulfed Hu Yanzhuo's vision!
The sharp spear light, like a cascading galaxy, wove together a net of deadly cold light from countless spear blossoms!
Hua Rong is indeed not strong enough to go toe-to-toe with Hu Yanzhuo like Qin Ming and Sun Li, but his skills and speed are comparable to Lin Chong and Yang Zhi.
Each thrust she made was aimed at Huyan Zhuo's exposed throat, eyes, heart, and chest, which were exposed due to the excruciating pain and dizziness! The shrill whistling of the silver spear tearing through the air became a deafening death symphony. The speed, density, and ruthlessness of the attack seemed to be aimed at completely nailing, piercing, and crushing Huyan Zhuo and the small area around her!
Amidst the dizziness that felt like her skull was about to shatter and the excruciating pain of her shoulder bones breaking, Hu Yanzhuo frantically parried, looking utterly disheveled! The white rainbow that she had just moments before regarded as a reckless suicide attempt had now transformed into a violent and raging torrent that was slamming her to the brink of life and death!
But at that moment, Hu Yanzhuo also unleashed her trump card. With a roar, two steel whips sprouted terrifying phantom images of the Big Dipper, echoing the seven-star patterns on her black robe. Terrifying and violent stellar energy erupted forth, shooting straight into the sky!
Hua Rong looked up in shock, only to see two steel whips, each carrying a Sevenfold Heavenly Gang Slash, simultaneously striking Hua Rong from the left and right. They were like two galaxies stretching across the sky, roaring down with a terrifying momentum that could cause the heavens to collapse and stars to shatter! One whip forced Hua Rong to parry with her spear, while the other whip directly smashed the head of her mount. Blood and broken bones exploded like fireworks, causing the horse's carcass to fall in a pool of blood, along with Hua Rong!
It's now!
Hu Yanzhuo once again brandished her double whips, simultaneously unleashing two Heavenly Gang Slashes, each carrying a destructive galaxy as if splitting the heavens and earth, roaring as she swung downwards, preparing to seize the opportunity to kill Hua Rong, who had fallen to the ground. Fortunately, at this moment, another reinforcement arrived on the battlefield. This time, the arrival was so fast that no one present could see it. A ten-foot-long serpent spear, as powerful as a dragon emerging from its shell, pierced fiercely into Hu Yanzhuo's breastplate. Although it did not pierce her armor, the newcomer raised his wrist and sent her flying!
"I'll teach this old hag a lesson! I've heard of Huyan Zhuo from Shanxi for a long time! It's a pity I'm stuck in the capital and can't go far enough to see what she's made of!"
Lin Chong immediately assumed the fierce and powerful stance of the Demon Prince, his beautiful eyes radiating the fanatical light unique to martial artists. Wielding his eighteen-foot spear, he charged towards Huyan Zhuo like an approaching storm!
On the other side, Hu Yanzhuo regained his balance instantly after being thrown into the air and landed steadily on his feet. However, Lin Chong was too fast. As soon as he landed, he had to use his double whips to block another deadly piercing blow from the eighteen-foot spear!
Lin Chong's gaze was as calm as a frozen pool. In his hand, the eighteen-foot-long steel spear, its tassel dancing like blood, its tip gleaming with countless poisonous glints within a small space! His spear techniques unfolded like a python writhing, unpredictable and treacherous! At times, the spear moved like a dragon, its tip tearing through the air, aiming straight for Huyan's throat, its trajectory cunning and ruthless. At other times, the spear danced like a flying dragon, its shaft trembling and transforming into a hundred swirling illusory shadows, even deflecting the heavy whip's strike, powerful enough to shatter monuments! With each parry or thrust, the point where the spear clashed with the steel whip exploded with dazzling sparks and a bone-scraping, iron-crushing sound!
As Huyan Zhuo's fury intensified, his hair and beard bristled, his face burning red! A pair of heavy, water-polished steel whips with dragon patterns danced in her hands, transforming into two roaring, surging black torrents! She moved with the grace of a celestial warrior, her arms bulging with muscles as if cast in iron! The whips moved with sweeping, powerful strokes! One whip crashed down like a collapsing mountain, carrying immense force, the resulting gale-force winds causing the ground to churn with dust! The other whip swept across the ground like a raging sea locking a dragon, the whip's gusts whipping up gravel and sand like an iron sand storm, blocking all of Lin Chong's escape routes!
As the two fought fiercely, they saw only each other, their battle so intense that the sky darkened, the sun and moon lost their light, and the shadows of spears twisted like snakes and the wind of whips crashed like mountains collapsing!
Liu Hong was itching to fight, but unfortunately, only he and Song Jiang among the Liangshan heroes had experience in commanding large armies, so he couldn't spare the time.
If you count carefully, with Sun Li (Sickly General), Hu Sanniang (One-Zhang-Qing), Hua Rong (Little Li Guang), Lin Chong (Leopard Head), and Qin Ming (Thunderbolt), who was captured earlier, Huyan Zhuo has already fought against five of Liangshan's top-ranking generals! However, she showed no signs of defeat, standing firm like a majestic mountain amidst raging waves, unmoved by the fierce attacks of all the Liangshan generals.
Chapter 282: Jeju's Long Spears Overcome Cavalry
However, even someone as strong as Huyan Zhuo was indeed somewhat exhausted at this moment. She had fought Sun Li for fifty rounds, Hu Sanniang for forty rounds, and was severely injured by Hua Rong's arrows. Exhausted and bleeding profusely, she then faced Lin Chong at his peak!
Even if Huyan Zhuo were at his peak, it would be hard to say who was stronger between Lin Chong and Huyan Zhuo. Moreover, she was exhausted and covered in wounds. After fighting Lin Chong for forty rounds, she could no longer hold on.
When Huyan Zhuo looked around the entire battlefield, he also felt an overwhelming sense of despair. The reason was simple: his armored cavalry could not break through the Liangshan formation.
These armored cavalry were indeed the elite of the elite. When they launched a frenzied attack like a tsunami, even if Liangshan used a spear formation specifically designed to counter cavalry, it would still cost four or five brothers their lives to barely take down one armored cavalryman.
When the armored cavalry's charge was blocked by the Liangshan formation with their lives, and they held on tightly, bringing the armored cavalry to a stop, the balance of power shifted. The cavalry's two greatest advantages were its superior mobility and its devastating charge.
However, the Liangshan formation is a 25x25 square, with every side facing forward! No matter whether these cavalrymen maneuver to the left or right flanks or the rear, they will find themselves facing twenty-five layers of dense spears, with no weak points whatsoever.
Even more terrifying was that several cavalry officers under Huyan Zhuo, based on past experience, launched a frontal attack, a flanking attack, and a rear harassment, attacking the square formation from four directions. Not only did they fail to destroy it, but after being attacked from all sides, everyone was pushed back towards the center. Instead, the formation became denser and more solid with each attack, and it could not be broken at all.
Once the devastating charge ceased and the fighting turned into melee combat, Xu Ning's hook-and-sickle spear shone brightly. These armored cavalrymen were indeed formidable; the corporal's two-handed giant axe could hardly cut through the horse armor, and even if the spear was aimed at the gaps in the armor, it was extremely difficult to pierce through. These cavalrymen had ridiculously high defensive capabilities.
But this hook-and-sickle spear alone could penetrate the skirt of the horse's armor and sever the horse's leg! Cavalrymen clad in jet-black iron armor fell to the ground with screams, and a large number of soldiers wielding spears and giant axes rushed forward, making the fallen cavalrymen unable to stand up again.
The musketeers hiding in the center of the formation were also very skilled. Matchlock guns could generally only fire in a straight line, so those hiding in the back couldn't fire and their bullets were very likely to hit their teammates in the back.
However, it was a different story when facing cavalry. Cavalrymen were much taller than infantrymen, and these heavily armored cavalrymen riding dragon horses were even taller, standing out like cranes among chickens. The Liangshan musketeers raised their matchlock muskets and fired a shot into their chests. The battle had been going on for a while now, and the muskets had never stopped firing. After Huyan Zhuo had driven Sun Li's square formation to the center, these musketeers simply attached bayonets to their matchlock muskets, turning them into two-meter-long short spears, to engage in a bloody and terrifying melee with the heavily armored cavalrymen, refusing to retreat an inch!
With no other option, Huyan Zhuo could only retreat temporarily under the protection of his guards. His three thousand cavalrymen, upon hearing the order, did not hesitate and immediately retreated. Although the Liangshan infantry were invincible, they were all heavily armored and too slow to catch up, so they could only let Huyan Zhuo retreat.
After Huyan Zhuo led his cavalry, which had failed in their charge, to retreat, the five Liangshan formations, under Liu Hong's orders, quickly regrouped and adjusted themselves. This speed was even faster than the speed at which Huyan Zhuo commanded his cavalry to reorganize their formation.
"All troops, charge!!!"
Huyan Zhuo refused to believe in fate and decided not to fight Sun Li this time. He tried to break through from a different direction, but the same script played out again. His armored cavalry was once again blocked by Liangshan's large square formation and could not advance an inch.
This time, however, what blocked her way was Luan Tingyu with his iron rod; blood splattered everywhere, and a murderous aura emanated from him.
Hu Yanzhuo's twin whips lashed out furiously, like two black, malevolent dragons wreathed in wind and thunder, hissing as they tore through the air. Wherever the whips passed, the gale-force winds were like knives, whipping up dust and pebbles everywhere. One whip, like Mount Tai collapsing, slammed down with immense force toward Luan Tingyu's head, while the other whip, like a venomous scorpion's tail, lashed out ruthlessly toward his lower ankle, determined to shred him! The whip wind howled, as if even space itself was distorted!
Luan Tingyu's tiger-like eyes widened as she faced the overwhelming shadow of whips, roaring like thunder! The hexagonal iron rod, forged from refined iron, transformed in her hands into a raging, black iron dragon that seemed to overturn the sea! Her muscles bulged like cast iron rocks, neither dodging nor avoiding, she exhaled and roared, the iron rod stirring up a low, tsunami-like gale, and with the force of earth-shattering destruction, she fiercely swung it upwards and horizontally, using both ends of the iron rod to precisely block the two falling steel whips at their waists, sparks flying like volcanic eruptions, so bright they were blinding.
Hu Yanzhuo's double whips were blocked, and the murderous aura in his eyes intensified. With a fierce roar, the muscles in his arms bulged out like the gnarled roots of an ancient tree. He twisted and spun the double whips violently, trying to forcefully lock the earth-shattering weapon with his domineering brute force! The star patterns branded on the whips gleamed with a cold, dark light as if they were alive, and the enormous force that could shred fine steel was transmitted wildly along the iron rod!
Luan Tingyu's eyebrows and beard bristled, his tiger's mouth split open, blood staining the staff, yet he refused to yield an inch! Within the battle circle, sparks from the clash between the single staff and the double whips had become a continuous, dark red waterfall, turning the ground into a scorched, dusty wasteland! The two figures, in the core of this collapsing inferno, were using the most primal and wild power to crush, wrestle, and fight to the death!
Seeing that the cavalry still couldn't break through, Hu Yanzhuo felt somewhat desperate. This time, she only charged for a third of the time she had lasted before retreating with her cavalry. After a short rest, she launched another charge, but this time, she was blocked by Li Cunxiao again. A torrent of molten gold, like a mountain collapsing and the earth splitting, spewed out from the mouth of the young dragon! Thousands of electric snakes followed the steel armor, electrifying the front ranks of men and horses, causing them to stagger and spew white smoke from their mouths.
Afterwards, Li Cunxiao realized that she was no match for Huyan Zhuo, so she spread her wings and flew into the sky, bombarding Huyan Zhuo's head with endless thunderous breath. She found Huyan Zhuo's biggest weakness - he had no ranged attack methods and no anti-aircraft methods. So she kept spewing dragon breath in the sky, making Huyan Zhuo feel extremely disgusted.
The commanders of these five Liangshan formations are Sun Li, Luan Tingyu, Hu Sanniang, Li Cunxiao, Hua Rong, and Hu Yanzhuo. No matter which direction they break through, they will not be able to succeed easily. Commanders from other places will also come to intercept and assist them. Moreover, there is a fire brigade captain, Lin Chong, on the outermost perimeter.
Huyan Zhuo led her cavalry in a fierce battle for a whole day and night, launching five charges, only to be repelled by Liangshan five times. She was starting to lose confidence. The heavily armored cavalrymen, who came from the front lines of Shanxi and had fought against the Western Xia their whole lives, even lamented that it was easier to shake Yinshan than Liangshan. They had never seen such a tough infantry formation or such a fearless bandit army in their lives.
At that moment, Han Tao's plea for help arrived again—General Huyan! I can't hold the camp any longer! Didn't you say you'd arrive in four and a half hours? Where are you?!
General Han! Hold the line!
Huyan Zhuo was furious, his hair standing on end in anger.
"Four and a half hours! Hold on for another four and a half hours! The reinforcements will definitely arrive on time!!!"
Chapter 283: The Heroic Dual-Gunner Takes on a Critical Mission
Huyan Zhuo raised his banner high and attempted to launch a sixth charge. This time, he was sure to succeed! Of the five thousand armored soldiers of Liangshan, one thousand had died in battle, one thousand were seriously wounded, and the last three thousand were all injured and exhausted. They were at their limit and Liu Hong could not withstand his sixth charge!
As long as I launch one more charge, I am sure I can break through Liu Hong's Liangshan formation!
However, after Huyan Zhuo gave the order, no one responded. She looked back and counted the losses. She found that of her three thousand cavalry, five hundred had died in battle, five hundred were seriously wounded, and the remaining two thousand were wounded, their horses were convulsing, and they were exhausted and at their limit. Even the Shatuo dragon horses, which were known for their endurance and charging ability, could not stand up at this moment. They were paralyzed on the ground as if they were dead, their lungs convulsing and panting like bellows. It was as if the heavy armor they wore was going to crush these Shatuo dragon horses to death.
With their impenetrable formations and countless spears, Liangshan managed to achieve a brilliant victory against the best cavalry of the Song Dynasty on the vast plains, suffering a two-to-one ratio of casualties and effectively keeping Huyan Zhuo pinned down and unable to move.