Chapter 2216 - 2201: Heu Qi’s Request to Retreat (Third Update)

Chapter 2216: Chapter 2201: Heu Qi’s Request to Retreat (Third Update)

The Second Crown Prince of the Demon Emperor, Zhuiri, is not an ordinary man; naturally, he would learn from the failure of the Seventh Crown Prince Congyun.

This time, his march was exceptionally cautious, and he even retained a mobile unit primarily composed of Winged Demons to swiftly maneuver on all sides.

Therefore, this time, Ye Zhen took no risks.

Risk-taking is a tactic usually employed when forces are insufficient.

At present, the forces Ye Zhen can command at Blood River Fortress have already approached 800,000 in number.

This number is more than enough for defending the city against the elite forces of over a million from the Demon Clan.

Thus, what Ye Zhen is doing now is rigorously sealing off information.

In war, one is fighting for logistics and intelligence.

Now, Ye Zhen is focusing on the intelligence aspect.

The Human-Demon Battlefield has long had a defensive line between humans and demons.

Therefore, both sides find it quite difficult to spy on each other’s intelligence, but after so many years of deployment, both sides still have a certain ability to probe each other’s military intelligence.

However, during wartime, the difficulty of spying on intelligence increases exponentially.

In these few days while the army of the Second Crown Prince of the Demon Emperor, Zhuiri, approached, Ye Zhen almost issued the most severe intelligence blackout order.

No messages may ascend without a military order.

If discovered, pursue relentlessly; regardless of the reason, those who send talisman communications without permission are to be executed immediately.

If talisman communications are found ascending and the responsible party cannot be identified, and there is a team in the area where the communications were sent, then the entire team shall be confined, receiving 300 lashes daily. If there is a battalion, the same applies; the whole battalion is punished, and if there is a group, and the sender of the unauthorized communication cannot be identified, the group leader will be shackled and displayed to the public.

Anyone privately using small communication transfer formations, once discovered, will be executed immediately, and those who report it will be promoted by one level on the spot.

At the same time, a system of collective responsibility was implemented.

If someone within a team is found to have privately used a small communication transfer formation or sent talisman communications, and nobody reports it, and it is later verified as a Demon Clan spy, the entire team will be executed, and the commanding officer demoted three ranks and retained by lowering them one level.

Once this most severe military intelligence blackout order was issued, over a hundred heads were hung within a day, causing a state of panic within Blood River Fortress, leaving everyone on edge and incredibly tense.

However, there were successes.

Three Demon Clan spies who had been bribed were successfully rooted out, along with a Shadow Demon and an Enchantress Demon who had infiltrated.

This made Ye Zhen break out in a cold sweat and immediately strengthened his resolve.

No matter how harsh the military laws, in the face of war, they are worth it, and immediately added another military rule.

For three days, no one may act alone; for any matter, they must be accompanied by colleagues.

If anyone is found acting alone, they are to be detained for interrogation immediately!

In the blink of an eye, three days passed, and on May 16th, the boundless Demon Clan army surged like waves beneath Blood River Fortress, as the low, somber assault horns blew slowly.

At the same moment, Ye Zhen, sitting inside Blood River Fortress, slowly stood and lightly commanded, "Send word to each unit, act according to plan!"

Almost simultaneously, dozens of talisman lights shot skyward, scattering in all directions.

Below the Yang Gate Fortress, half of the 200,000 Demon Clan troops were making an all-out attack on the city.

According to the intelligence of the Second Crown Prince of the Demon Emperor, the garrison at Yang Gate Fortress numbered only 100,000, half of which were militia.

According to the plan, the initial fierce attack should quickly force the garrison here to show signs of collapse, prompting the Second Crown Prince of the Demon Emperor, Zhuiri, to immediately deploy additional troops with the aim of capturing Yang Gate Fortress in one swift stroke.

Stimulated by the order not to stop fighting after breaching the city, the elite of the Demon Clan charged towards Yang Gate Fortress, eyes blood-red, howling amid wave after wave of arrow showers.

Especially those Iron-armored Demons, with Spirit Light flickering around them, even dozens to hundreds of Fire Crossbow bolts merely caused flashes of fire without doing any harm.

Rows of Iron-armored Demons carried Giant Shields, charging towards Yang Gate Fortress at the forefront.

Just as they were about to mount the city walls, the thunderous sound of the Sky-Breaking Dragon-Slaying Crossbow bolts rang out, stringing through rows of Iron-armored Demons and blasting them into pieces.

Subsequently, the Flame Spirit Burst Demon Crossbows covered the area, instantly clearing Iron-armored Demons within a kilometer radius.

But as this batch of Iron-armored Demons was cleared, another batch immediately charged forward.

"Assault!"

Amid the angry shout, a force of 500 elite from the Realm King Realm, led by two Dao Realm combatants, charged towards Yang Gate Fortress, exploiting the intervals of Sky-Breaking Dragon-Slaying Crossbow volleys.

"Do you really take us for rookies?"

With a cold sneer, the Northern War Zone’s most valiant general, Heu Qi, under Marshal Ye’s command, waved the Command Banner; instantly, another hundred Sky-Breaking Dragon-Slaying Crossbow bolts volleyed, with a thousand Flame Spirit Burst Demon Crossbows joining in synchronously, repelling this wave of elite forces.

The battle entered a fever pitch right from the start.

In the initial battle, both sides exerted themselves immensely to boost morale, erecting banners, and achieving military merit.

In the blink of an eye, the battle had continued for over an hour, with corpses piling high on Yang Gate Fortress.

Within two hours, the Demon Clan had sacrificed at least 10,000 bodies, and the defending warriors of Great Zhou suffered at least 5,000 casualties.

However, the Demon Clan leaders remained unfazed.

Once they reached the city walls, this attrition would quickly equalize, then surpass.

In melee combat, the warriors of the Demon Clan are the bravest.

As the first wave of Iron-armored Demons climbed forcefully onto the city walls of Yang Gate Fortress, engaging in brutal combat with the warriors of Great Zhou, the flags atop the fortress suddenly changed, with a large ’He’ character banner unfurling to the wind.

Almost simultaneously, the acute reports from the Demon Clan’s Scouts resounded, "Report to the General, a Zhou Army unit of about 100,000 has appeared ten miles to our left wing."

The Demon Clan General’s expression did not change but smirked, "Just as the Second Prince expected, this guy Ye likes to play this game."

"Go, send the signal!"

Half a quarter-hour later, the elite reinforcements from the Northern War Zone led by Heu Qi launched fierce combat engagements with the Demon Army.

The Demon Army, caught in the ambush, remained unflustered and fought determinedly, giving the surprise-attacking Heu Qi little advantage.

In less than half an hour of fierce fighting, the sky suddenly darkened as a unit of approximately 50,000 Winged Demon troops swooped down at high speed, aiming directly at the rear of Heu Qi’s army, forming a reverse encirclement with the Demon Army attacking Yang Gate Fortress.

This drastically changed Heu Qi’s expression.

"Send word to Marshal Ye, inform him the pincer strategy failed, our army is now under pincer attack from swiftly arriving Winged Demon reinforcements, the situation is extremely critical, request retreat!"

Quickly, Heu Qi received a reply from Ye Zhen’s military command, but the order made his expression change, "Continue to hold off the Demon Army, reinforcements are on the way."

"Reinforcements?" This reply threw Heu Qi into a rage, "Tell Marshal Ye if reinforcements can’t arrive within the hour, prepare to collect my corpse."

Moments later, the Messenger Soldier delivered another military order, "General, Marshal Ye instructs us to rest assured while awaiting reinforcements!"

"Rest assured while awaiting reinforcements?"

These words sank Heu Qi’s heart deeply; suddenly, he felt as if Ye Zhen betrayed him.

He suspected that Ye Zhen might be sacrificing his troops as pawns in a depletion tactic against the Demon Army?

The soldiers under his command, each one was like a brother; casualties were inevitable, but if....

In his agitation, a Scout urgently rushed over, suddenly cheering, "General, the Winged Demon army suffered a fatal blow, an unidentified reinforcements unit appeared behind them!"

Upon hearing this, Heu Qi’s eyes lit up sharply, "Reinforcements? Already here so quickly?"

Then, as Heu Qi ascended, using his Eye Power, he witnessed a scene that would remain etched in his memory forever.

Ye Zhen stepped forward, silver ripples spreading; those Winged Demons, swift as the wind, suddenly staggered as if drunk, slowing to a crawl.

Subsequently, volleys of Crossbow Bolts, Flame Spirit Burst Demon Crossbow Bolts, and Sky-Breaking Dragon-Slaying Crossbow Bolts began pouring down seemingly in an endless rhythm.

The Winged Demons in the sky started falling like dumplings.

"So battles can be fought like this, but isn’t this burning money...." Heu Qi murmured as he witnessed this scene.