Fierce Battle

"Escort the General back!" E Ming ordered after assessing the situation. Now that their objective of burning the grain depot had succeeded, there was no need to fight to the death with Bai Ze.

"Halt, you dogs!" Ren Mo roared, seeing E Ming and the others supporting Wang Ben as they fled. He pursued them furiously, his long saber lashing out in a fierce chase.

"If we wish to leave, can you stop us?" E Ming sneered contemptuously. Being unable to defeat him did not mean they could not escape.

The speed of E Ming and Xuan De was no joke. Although Ren Mo's long saber was blindingly fast, his every step forward was blocked by West Mountain soldiers. He felt as if he were mired in a swamp, unable to catch up.

"Song Zuo, help me!" Ren Mo roared, his eyes nearly splitting with rage, unwilling to let Wang Ben escape.

"Both of you, halt! Do not fall for the enemy's trap!" Bai Ze shouted soberly at this moment, causing Ren Mo and Song Zuo to stop instantly.

"If you pursue them blindly like this, they will use their soldiers to gradually wear down your strength. If you foolishly keep chasing, once your energy is depleted, they will turn back and slay you," Bai Ze said, frowning.

Ren Mo was drenched in sweat, and Song Zuo gasped in realization.

"Have you forgotten that the Prince has always valued wisdom over brute force? Although Wang Ben leans toward valor, his roots still lie in strategy. Fighting a brave warrior is not terrifying; what is terrifying is fighting someone who possesses both valor and wisdom. I have a feeling that the West Mountain Dynasty is actually not as weak as the rumors suggest. Perhaps they have been quietly accumulating strength for a resurgence," Bai Ze speculated.

"If it is truly as you deduce, General, then this matter is not as simple as it appears on the surface," Song Zuo frowned.

"I do not believe West Mountain is truly hiding its strength," Ren Mo disagreed.

"Ren Mo, you rely too much on brute force. That will make you easily fall into the enemy's schemes," Bai Ze reprimanded.

Being scolded, a trace of defiance flashed in Ren Mo's eyes. Even if the one before him was of the Three Great Heavens, he would not change his resolve. He swore in his heart that he would slay Wang Ben and his companions.

Ren Mo mounted his horse and continued to pursue Wang Ben's trio, his long saber sparing no True Essence.

"Let me go after him," Song Zuo turned and said to Bai Ze.

Bai Ze stood still, watching Song Zuo chase after Ren Mo. Today, he had fallen into Wang Bi's trap, bringing shame upon Great Le. Currently, he had no face to continue pursuing Wang Ben. Even if he did, he might fall into another scheme. It was better to nurse his wounds, hoping Ren Mo would learn a lesson.

...

"Haha! Your Great General Wang Ben has been defeated by our Three Great Heavens, Bai Ze! All troops, hear my command, charge!" Wu Tong laughed heartily, waving his hand with a jubilant expression.

Although the Great Le soldiers had lost their grain depot to the fire, the victory in the duel between the two commanders caused their morale to soar instead of decline. Conversely, the West Mountain side suffered a significant drop in morale.

The military achievement at the grain depot was thus neutralized. Bai Ze had successfully tilted the scales of morale back.

"Reporting to the General, Great General Wang Ben's defeat has caused the enemy's morale to rise instead of fall. Our side is suffering severe casualties," a military intelligence officer said anxiously.

"No need to worry. I anticipated this when planning. I am using a large loss of soldiers to exchange for the final victory. Losing a minor battle is of no consequence," Wang Bi said calmly.

"By the General's words, you mean...?" the intelligence officer asked in shock.

"From the beginning, our high-level forces have been inferior to theirs. Even if we have superior numbers, if we engage in a conventional confrontation until both sides have only about twenty thousand soldiers left, the generals will decide the final outcome. In that case, we would inevitably face defeat. Currently, by exchanging a large number of soldiers for their grain, they will run out of food in three days and lose all combat capability," Wang Bi explained.

"The General's wisdom is truly boundless!" the intelligence officer marveled.

"A minor trick. Order the archers to fire a volley of chaotic arrows to disrupt the advance of the enemy's two generals," Wang Bi commanded.

"Archers, prepare!" the soldiers shouted upon receiving the order. All West Mountain archers drew their bows.

"Fire!" the commander roared. All West Mountain archers released their arrows, and thousands of shafts rained down upon the Great Le soldiers on the battlefield.

Wu Tong used his long saber to deflect the arrows flying toward him. The volley of arrows slowed his army's advance.

Ding Feng used his long saber to make things difficult for Wu Tong, his True Qi running along the blade as he slashed forward. Wu Tong had to protect himself from the rain of arrows while struggling to block Ding Feng.

The two sides clashed fiercely, Wu Tong's eyes burning with fury. A piece of his shoulder armor was sliced off by Ding Feng's saber, and fresh blood gushed out. Ignoring the rain of arrows, he furiously counterattacked Ding Feng.

Ao Qiao looked at the rain of arrows, his competitive spirit rising. He called upon the Great Le archers to retaliate. In an instant, the battlefield turned into a chaotic storm of arrows.

"Thud!" Arrows fell like rain, piercing both Ding Feng and Wu Tong. The two martial generals ignored them as if they were nothing, charging at each other, their long sabers aiming directly at the opponent's head.

"Boom!" The two horses beneath them were reared up by the massive counterforce. Ding Feng gripped the reins tightly to maintain his balance, his legs clamping the horse's flanks as he swung his long saber at Wu Tong.

Wu Tong raised his saber to block, but was pushed back by the immense power. His horse, unable to stabilize itself, trembled under the continuous onslaught, its legs shaking.

Wu Tong's eyes were bloodshot; the battle had turned against him. Another arrow pierced his back, making him hate Ding Feng even more.

Ao Qiao notched his bow, firing seven arrows simultaneously at Ding Feng, intending to rescue Wu Tong.

But before the seven arrows could fly, another arrow from the West Mountain side aimed at his longbow, intercepting them. The arrows collided with a "clang," shocking Ao Qiao.

"You!" Ao Qiao glared furiously in Liang's direction. Liang's current appearance was bloody and disheveled, barely recognizable.

Liang did not stand still to let him pinpoint his location. Instead, he moved like a young monkey, weaving through the battlefield. He did not attack directly but merely distracted and annoyed Ao Qiao. In a direct confrontation, he was no match for Ao Qiao, but he was fully capable of causing trouble.

"Ah!" A giant of three meters, with arms as thick as pillars, charged forward. He grabbed the head of a Great Le soldier and crushed it, his entire body falling toward Ao Qiao like a meteor.

"Greetings, Lord of the Ten Bows," Cheng Xiu, who was riding on Li Xin's shoulder, teased Ao Qiao.

"Protect the General!" Seeing two assassins appear at the same time, the soldiers shouted in panic.

"Scram!" Li Xin was like a demon god. His massive arm swept out, turning the surrounding soldiers into a pile of mangled flesh.

Cheng Xiu leaped down, his wooden sword slashing toward Ao Qiao's head. Ao Qiao raised his longbow to block, but the bow cracked under the immense force.

"Get back!" At this moment, a long spear thrust forward. The spearhead resembled a dragon's head, and the shaft curved like a dragon's body. It deflected Cheng Xiu's wooden sword and thrust toward him.

"Li Xin!" Cheng Xiu quickly called out, throwing himself backward. Cooperating seamlessly, Li Xin used his fist to clash directly with the spear.

Ao Qiao leaped backward, his cracked longbow notched with an arrow aimed at Cheng Xiu. Compared to Li Xin, he preferred to attack Cheng Xiu, as he felt the giant's body was too tough to pierce.

"Swoosh!" Liang did not miss the opportunity. His pre-notched arrow flew toward Ao Qiao, unexpectedly piercing through his hand.

"Ah!" Ao Qiao roared in pain. The bloody hole in his hand drove him mad, and he wanted to draw his bow to retaliate against the culprit.

The sudden changes on both sides were unexpected, with countless unforeseen situations. Wu Tong was once again plunged into a dire situation.

"Die!" Ding Feng's long saber, enveloped in True Qi, did not relax for a single second as he clashed with Wu Tong once more.

"You!" Wu Tong's eyes widened. He was pierced by another arrow, and immediately after, he was cleaved in half by Ding Feng, dying on the spot.

"A worthy opponent," Ding Feng said, looking at Wu Tong, whose body was half-drenched in blood. His horse stepped over the corpse, charging once again into the battlefield toward Ao Qiao.

The entire West Mountain army moved to assassinate Ao Qiao, determined not to let him see tomorrow's sun.

"Get back!" Fan Ri shouted upon seeing Ao Qiao wounded. His long spear swept in a circle, striking toward Li Xin. Cheng Xiu, who was supporting Li Xin from behind, was also blown away by the shockwave.

Fan Ri of the Five Spears instantly demonstrated formidable strength, taking on two opponents alone. As his spear swept around, Li Xin's iron-hard skin was pierced, and fresh blood flowed. Suddenly, Fan Ri felt his spear gripped tightly by Li Xin's flesh, realizing the opponent was using his body to lock the weapon.

Cheng Xiu scrambled up. Seeing that Li Xin had successfully controlled the opponent's weapon, he glided forward, his wooden sword sweeping across Fan Ri.

Fan Ri's tiger-like eyes widened as he roared. At the spot where the spearhead pierced Li Xin, a large amount of blood erupted. Li Xin staggered in pain, and Fan Ri successfully extracted his spear, using the shaft like a staff to smash down on Cheng Xiu.

Cheng Xiu's strength was no match for an Eighth Grade expert. In the blink of an eye, he was struck heavily by the spear shaft. His internal organs shattered, and he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood as he was sent flying backward.