Chapter 74

At midnight, another major battle erupted at the border. Over 40,000 troops from Cai State surged forward, and the remaining 30 war magic platforms slowly ascended into the air.

At this moment, Zhang Hongtao reported to Li Liang, "Sir, all 2,000 bullets have been used up, with a hit rate of over 70%. 440 people were killed on the spot, and over 100 were severely injured. The rest were lightly wounded. The targets were all leading figures in the army."

Li Liang nodded and arranged for Zhang Hongtao and others to rest. However, he remained silent, gazing at the brutal war. Cai State's dual-pronged approach indeed put Anyang in a difficult position!

The war was extremely brutal, with deaths occurring every moment. There were spells and crossbows.

The 30 war magic platforms gathered together, concentrating their firepower on a section of the border wall. Strong crossbows and spells rained down continuously, causing that section of the wall to begin shaking. The protective array was already under great strain. Once the array collapsed, only ordinary rock walls would remain, which could not withstand the attacks of cultivators.

The defense was in grave danger!

——

In the Yellow Rock Valley, Li Xian stood on a hilltop, commanding the battle with a commanding presence.

144 gun barrels fired continuously, mainly targeting squad leaders and strategists.

The ambush had already surprised and panicked Cai's troops. Now, facing such bizarre weapons, seeing squad leaders and strategists mysteriously fall by the dozens in an instant, panic was inevitable.

But Wang Qisheng, as the commander of the Imperial Guard, was not to be underestimated. With a single command, all the soldiers formed a back-to-back defense, using their shields to protect themselves as they advanced.

After several gunshots, Wang Qisheng roared, "Charge! They have fewer than 150 people!"

The number 150 clearly stimulated Cai's soldiers, who were no longer as afraid and charged forward with all their might. Despite the constant fall of comrades, the loss of a few hundred did not significantly affect the overall fighting strength of the 4,000-strong army.

A dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators led the charge, holding talismans. These talismans mainly included various unique escape techniques and illusions, making the sniper rifles temporarily ineffective.

"Let them go, target the strongest soldiers," Li Xian commanded from his vantage point, maintaining eye contact with Wang Qisheng from a distance.

The darkness of night could not obscure the vision of cultivators, though it might be a bit blurry, they could still see clearly.

"Li Xian?" Wang Qisheng looked from afar.

Li Xian smiled, "General, welcome. Are you satisfied with the reception?"

"How did you discover this?" This was what Wang Qisheng was most concerned about.

Li Xian smiled slightly, "General, do you know the stratagem of feigning injury? In fact, no one from the Kong family died; they just executed a death row inmate!"

"The Kong family?! Impossible, if you had advance information, why are there so few of you!" Wang Qisheng naturally did not believe it.

But the next moment, Wang Qisheng believed it 70%!

The Cai State soldiers charging forward encountered the ambush set by Wang Jian and his men. Then, a flash of light appeared. These were night lights. In the pitch-black dawn, the sudden burst of brilliant light instantly blinded the Cai State soldiers.

Most of the soldiers were only at the Qi Condensation stage, with very weak divine senses. With their eyes rendered useless, they could only...

Ah... Ah...

In an instant, a chorus of screams erupted as 5,000 elite soldiers charged out, and over 2,000 souls were claimed in the flashing of blades.

The next moment, the blades flashed again, and another wave of screams followed. The 4,000 Imperial Guards of Cai State were reduced to just 700 or 800 in the blink of an eye.

The sudden and shocking turn of events left Wang Qisheng speechless. Then, the general roared and summoned his magic sword to fly towards Li Xian. The sword, driven by the rage of a Golden Core cultivator, was no slower than a bullet.

But Li Xian watched calmly, without a hint of panic.

Wang Qisheng sneered...

Whoosh! A net flew out, ensnaring Wang Qisheng's flying sword!

Li Xian rubbed his nose, "Sorry, General Wang, my cultivation is not high enough, so I had to resort to this. Men, give General Wang some filled candies."

Filled candies? Of course, they were not candies, but armor-piercing rounds! Although these rounds were primitive, they were large, and six large-caliber sniper rifles aimed at Wang Qisheng.

At this moment, Wang Qisheng's heart was filled with dread. An instinctive sense of danger overwhelmed him.

But it was too late. The gun barrels continuously spewed fire, and massive projectiles swarmed towards him.

"Ah!" Wang Qisheng roared, pushing his Golden Core true essence to the limit. A layer of faint, glass-like protective aura enveloped his body, a last-ditch effort to summon true essence.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The bullets struck the protective aura, causing it to tremble like jelly. Wang Qisheng's face turned deathly pale, and a trace of blood appeared at the corner of his mouth. However, the bullets did not completely penetrate the protective aura, but were embedded in the aura layer.

"Don't stop! Everyone, aim!" Li Xian shouted.

The next moment, even more gun barrels aimed at Wang Qisheng.

"I will return!" Wang Qisheng finally roared, no longer caring about the lives of his subordinates, and vanished in a flash. As a Golden Core cultivator, he could still escape.

The reason Kong Donghua from the Kong family did not escape last time was partly due to the close distance and partly because he did not know how to release the protective aura—perhaps due to insufficient cultivation.

With Wang Qisheng's escape, the remaining hundred or so Cai State soldiers finally surrendered, thoroughly terrified. In just a short time, 4,000 men were reduced to a hundred or so. The surrounding area was filled with shameless individuals constantly using night lights.

"Too damn satisfying!" Wang Jian shouted joyfully, "I've fought so many battles, but none have been as easy as this!"

Li Xian grunted, his voice stern, "Wang Jian! Count the men, and treat those who need it immediately!"

"Uh..." Chastised by Li Xian, Wang Jian sheepishly smiled and quickly counted the wounded. It turned out that only a few men had charged too recklessly and sprained their ankles. This ambush was indeed a brilliant victory.

The captured Cai State soldiers had their true essence sealed and their hands bound with iron wire. After a brief reorganization, Li Xian led the riflemen to the border, while Wang Jian led his men forward, each carrying a prisoner.

Soon, the battlefield was left with only a field of corpses. After a while, night owls and vultures arrived to feast.

——

Under the blood-red sunrise, the battlefield was a scene of carnage! The rising sun brought not life, but illuminated the brutal scene.

When Li Xian reached the border, the sun had already risen in the east. However, the battle at the border had been ongoing since midnight, without a moment's pause.

From a distance, Li Xian could smell the nauseating scent of blood and hear the cries of battle carried by the wind.

He even saw a soldier pierced by a crossbow bolt, a spray of blood following as he was flung from the wall.

"Brother, I'm here!" Li Xian roared, immediately leading his men to the top of the wall from the rear.

Upon ascending, Li Xian's face turned pale. The wall was red with blood, and the arrows and fallen bodies had not been cleared. The battle was still ongoing. In front of the border wall, the ground was a bloody mess, resembling a hellish scene.

But what caught Li Xian's attention most were the 12 war magic platforms still flying in the sky. These 12 platforms were attacking a section of the wall, which was already partially destroyed. A fierce battle was raging there.

...