421 What Right Do You Have to Be Yutang’s Enemy? (1/2)
Ziyou's army was approaching collapse.
Time and again, they released tens of thousands of arrows, attacking from a wide and open range. Their opponent rolled up his sleeves and charged for the front lines, his face covered. Almost effortlessly, he broke through the dense shower of arrows with his solid mystical Qi; at times, he miraculously avoided arrows that almost skewered him, soaring up high and moving at least three hundred feet in a single leap. Even though there were tens of thousands of arrows in the air, none of them came close to him once he was airborne.
He would then fall from the sky and continue the slaughter of Ziyou soldiers.
Unfortunately for the attacking army, the tens of thousands of arrows that were released did not disappear; they remained fatal, falling back on the comrades who were pursuing Yun Yang. The casualties were staggering, waves of men falling under the onslaught of friendly fire.
The cycle had repeated itself for over a dozen times now. The tactics remained unchanged, while their opponent was equally unharmed. There was an empty path behind Supreme Cloud now.
No one dared to stop and attack him from the rear.
If they had the misfortune to end up behind him, they would be greeted by millions of arrows from their own comrades.
Supreme Cloud's back was the prohibited zone of death; anyone who dared to venture there would only find death waiting.
This realization was embedded deep in everyone's minds and hearts!
”A true warrior!”
In a tower far away, Ziyou's emperor, who was all in royal yellow, stood watching the battle by the window. He exclaimed sincerely with a grim gaze.
”Old Hei, are you confident of our victory?” His Majesty asked the old eunuch beside him.
The old eunuch frowned and said, ”If his true power is judged from the duration he stays afloat and his great ease in performing, I am certainly not a worthy opponent. Oddly enough, he looks like he is, at most, a second heaven cultivation base practitioner. Theoretically, he would have reached his limit by staying in the air for a quarter of an hour, but he has been hovering there for almost two whole hours! This is mind-boggling! At the same time, it throws doubt on this servant's estimation of his ability.”
The emperor said with a solemn face, ”With the casualties we're facing, doubt isn't something we can tolerate now.”
Ziyou's emperor was obviously urging Elder Hei to act.
Elder Hei frowned, vexed, and slowly stood up, saying, ”Your Majesty, this battle is dangerous. The palace artisans… at least ten of them have to be sent if we are to have any chance of victory!”
His Majesty glanced at him with a chilling gaze.
Elder Hei did not continue to speak. The atmosphere was cold and tense.
His Majesty considered for a moment and spoke faintly, ”Fine, send ten artisans. However, pass my dictum to the five noble families' higher authorities – every family has to provide assistance!”
A deep sliver of rage flashed in his eyes.
Even in such a critical moment, those families were still reluctant to help. The emperor was utterly enraged!
Does this empire belong solely to me?
If Supreme Cloud were to flee unscathed, can each of you remain safe and unharmed?
When Supreme Cloud retaliates with his various manifestation powers, can all of you save yourselves and continue to remain alive?
Yun Yang suddenly felt Whitey Two, who was under his legs, showing signs of fatigue. Without slowing down in the least, he gave an order and soared up high. Whitey Two turned into a ray of white light and entered in Yun Yang's robe. Only Yun Yang and Whitey Two were aware of the process while the outsiders could hardly fathom what had actually transpired.
With a pat, a ball of green melted into Whitey Two's tiny body as it rested contentedly. At the same time, Whitey Three appeared to be in high spirits and snuck under Yun Yang's crotch.
Seeing a ball of green blink in the sky, Ziyou's soldiers were hit by another wave of hopelessness and despair.
It had been the same scenario throughout the entire skirmish. The bear and snake were almost injured to the point of death, and they were about to take them down, but as Supreme Cloud rushed downwards and delivered a ball of green – no one had known what it was - the two beasts recovered their combat powers right away. To top it off, their severely damaged bodies were healing at a speed that was almost visible to the human eye. It was akin to resurrection!
Now that this sense of green had appeared again, did it mean that Supreme Cloud's combat powers had returned to his peak once more?
Was this nightmare going to continue or was it developing a darker purpose?
Yun Yang held the upper hand. Everything was within his control; he even had time to cast his deific consciousness to sense the surrounding atmosphere, preparing for the worst. It was also then that he realized a tall and slim figure stood on the roof of a building far away and was looking in his direction; it was an anxious expression.
It was Shangguan Lingxiu!
Shangguan Lingxiu's hand was tight on the sword's grip. There were several senior veterans who were known to have gone through hundreds of wars to catch a glimpse of it; they were filled with impatience. Beneath them, two hundred people were fully armored, waiting to fight.
In spite of this, Shangguan Lingxiu did not ignore her orders to help Yun Yang. She knew that the addition of her and her two hundred subordinates would not be of any help or advantage but would only cause a loss of two hundred lives unnecessarily.
They might even be a burden to Supreme Cloud!
Ziyou's commander, Ding Yunlu, was Ziyou's notable general. Shangguan Lingxiu could foresee that her abrupt interruption might force Ding Yunlu to order Ziyou's army to refrain from wiping them all out. Instead, they were meant to lure Supreme Cloud into a trap.
Therefore, she wanted to help, but she dared not make a move.
”We have to do something!” Shangguan Lingxiu's brows were pressed together in a frown.
What did she have to do though? How should she go about it?
She had no idea.
Yun Yang's deific consciousness was spread wide and far; how could he not see Shangguan Lingxiu's restlessness? With a shudder, he suddenly hollered, ”Ding Yunlu, do you know who's asking for the moon now? Who's peering at the sky from his frog's well? How can your inexperience let you know the entirety of the vast heaven and earth? I, Yutang's Supreme Cloud, have entered from Zilong City's west gate, I shall exit from the western gate! Even if the Empire of Ziyou has millions of army personnel, what can you do? Have you decided that you will block my way?”
He then chortled long and far, his laughter shaking the sky and earth as well as the millions of Ziyou soldiers present; their morale fell even lower.
Ding Yunlu was growing increasingly despondent. It was not that he did not want to cheer his troops on, but his oath was utterly shattered and had become a complete joke. He honestly did not know what else he could or should say!
Shangguan Lingxiu, on the other side, blinked as she heard the words, suddenly understanding what she should be doing now.
”Let's go!”
Shangguan Lingxiu hopped off the roof.
”To the western gate!”
Shangguan Lingxiu wore an expression of utter resolution. ”Let us go to the westgate to receive Lord Supreme Cloud!”
”Yes!” Her men roared their agreement in unison.
Someone spoke hesitantly, ”We should go to assist Lord Supreme Cloud, but we are truly out of luck, entering Zilong City at this time… If we leave just like this, Lord Wudi's remains might have to…”
Shangguan Lingxiu's delicate face twitched. It was an inevitable question, as much as it was a difficult choice.
Leaving now would mean that it would be harder than ascending to heaven when they wanted to retrieve their ancestors remains the next time. Perhaps there would not even be a next time!
Besides, all of the other party's manpower had been set up to guard Supreme Cloud this time; it was arranged so that she had the opportunity to do so.
If she had given it up and took the west gate with her men to assist Supreme Cloud, they would definitely become implacable enemies with the Empire of Ziyou; there would simply be no room for discussion.
Afterward, Ziyou's simplest and most direct form of revenge against the Shangguan Family of Generals would be to destroy her ancestor's remains!
This was absolutely foreseeable and certain!
That would be the Shangguan Family of General's greatest regret, one that could never be redeemed.
However, she only hesitated for a moment before deciding, saying in a determined tone, ”It's a critical situation now and we have to make a choice. Ancestor Wudi will understand my difficulty. If I don't go and Supreme Cloud perishes from my decision, Yutang might be annihilated!”
”As for Ancestor Wudi, it's the Shangguan Family of Generals' matter!”
”The urgency and priority of things are clear!”
”Let's take care of the living first, and talk about the rest after.”
”Let's go!”
Shangguan Lingxiu left quietly along with her men.
Just like her or Yun Yang's prediction, all of Zilong City's forces were currently focused on the battle of the century; taking Supreme Cloud down. No one noticed the lady's departure at all.