The Human Emperor

Chapter 624: The Decisive Battle! The Whole Front Collapses!

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

Xianyu Zhongtong found it impossible to believe that while he had been staring at Duan Gequan all this time, Duan Gequan ended up appearing in another area of the mountain. And he had also chosen the most exquisite of moments, tearing open the Myriad Stars Formation that Wang Chong had taken such efforts to establish with a single blow.

Xianyu Zhongtong had been in a state of absolute vigilance, yet he had still lost. The screams rising from the Annan Protectorate army were like jeers ringing in his ears.

“Stealing a beam and replacing it with rotten timber—I’ve been deceived!”

Xianyu Zhongtong clenched his fists as he shook off the initial shock, finally beginning to understand. He had spent the entire day being played by Duan Gequan’s substitute.

That person standing on the chariot, concealed in the shadows, was definitely not Duan Gequan.

“Geluofeng!”

An idea emerged in his mind and Xianyu Zhongtong instantly understood.

In all of Mengshe Zhao, only Geluofeng had a similar aura to Duan Gequan. And if Geluofeng was playing the part of Duan Gequan, then there was no doubt that the ‘Geluofeng’ on the chariot was also a fake.

Xianyu Zhongtong knew that he had made the greatest mistake. His attention had been constantly fixed on Duan Gequan, making him disregard the King of Mengshe Zhao, Geluofeng.

Despicable!

This thought flashed through his mind and was gone. Immediately afterward, Xianyu Zhongtong used the most powerful formation of the Annan Protectorate army, the Vajra God Formation.

Roar!

A furious bellow shook the heavens as an enormous god, imbued with boundless strength and shining with a metallic luster, stood up over the mountain.

“Duan Gequan, shameless cur, fight with me to the death!”

Xianyu Zhongtong’s furious voice was like a clap of thunder, echoing in the skies over the mountain. Even the mountain itself trembled at the anger in his voice.

Boom! A massive foot strode over ten-some zhang as the great god began to move toward Duan Gequan.

……

Duan Gequan was quickly stopped by Xianyu Zhongtong, the two godly avatars immediately descending into an intense battle.

This was the first time since the start of this battle that all the commanders of the army were fighting—Wang Yan with Huoshu Huicang, Xianyu Zhongtong with Duan Gequan.

But the course of this battle could no longer be changed. Duan Gequan’s appearance had completely shattered the Annan Protectorate army, leaving death as their only fate.

“Haha, Royal Father, we’ve won.”

Standing on the chariot, Fengjiayi heartily laughed as he tore off the dragon robe on his body. With the plan complete, there was no more reason for the Crown Prince of Mengshe Zhao to continue the pretense of being his father.

“Jiayi, I’ve troubled you. In the future, the southwest will be a world belonging to you and me, father and son. Once this battle is settled, the two of us will be forever recorded in the annals of history as heroes of Erhai’s Six Zhao.”

Geluofeng also could not contain his excitement and joy. He had been waiting for this battle for far too long, and after all he had paid, the moment was about to arrive.

Mengshe Zhao would no longer be restricted to its corner of the world, and he, Geluofeng, was not meant to be only a meager monarch of Erhai.

Annexing the southwest and lording over the world—this was his greatest dream.

Today, it was finally going to be realized.

“Royal Father, your child is going. I want to become the first Crown Prince of Mengshe Zhao to thrust the banner onto that summit!”

Fengjiayi was so excited that his face was red. Leaping off the chariot, he mounted an Erhai steed and quickly charged off to the summit.

……

“Young Master, the southwest has fallen!”

“Young Master, the southeast has suffered extensive casualties!”

“Young Master, they have too many soldiers! We simply aren’t a match for them!”

“Young Master, what should we do now?”

“Young Master, Young Master…”

One worried and panicked voice after another entered Wang Chong’s ears. To the southeast and southwest, the entire defensive line was on the verge of falling, and countless pieces of information were gathering in Wang Chong’s hands.

The soldiers of the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army were pouring endlessly into the gap and pressuring other areas by widening the gap. The Annan Protectorate army was on the verge of being drowned under an ocean of soldiers.

In a few short moments, the Annan Protectorate army had suffered enormous casualties!

“Warning! 12344 soldiers of the Annan Protectorate army have died!”

“Warning! 14056 soldiers of the Annan Protectorate army have died!”

“Warning! 18423 soldiers of the Annan Protectorate army have died!”

“Warning! 21714 soldiers of the Annan Protectorate army have died!”

……

The warnings of the Stone of Destiny deluged his mind. It took mere moments for the corpses of Tang soldiers to litter the mountainside, the number of casualties already surpassing the number from the last major clash.

Everything before Wang Chong’s eyes was dyed in blood, and the air itself was thick with the stifling stench of gore. Meanwhile, the vicious laughter of the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army echoed in the air.

Wang Chong could even see that a Tibetan soldier was not far from his current location.

The summit was about to fall, and after many days and nights of defense, he was about to be thoroughly defeated.

It took only a second to go from being as hardy as a boulder to complete collapse.

At this moment, Wang Chong felt as cold as if he had been plunged into an ice house. But in the blink of an eye, Wang Chong responded.

Clang!

As everyone looked, Wang Chong suddenly drew his weapon, the Wootz Steel sword glimmering with a cold light as it pointed at the sky.

“General Zhang, General Yang, gather the shield soldiers and axe soldiers and reinforce the southwest!

“Archers, nock your last arrows and fire fifty steps straight ahead!

“Everyone else, follow me!”

……

“Messengers, send down my order to have everyone do their utmost to operate the formation!

“Old Eagle, I leave this place to you. The rest of you, come with me!”

In the chaos, Wang Chong’s voice became the core of the army that held it down. The army that was on the verge of collapse now seemed to show signs of stabilizing.

The crumbling Myriad Stars Formation also began to show signs of life. But against the endless ranks of the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army, even the Myriad Stars Formation would find it difficult to hold.

Wang Chong didn’t have much time left.

“Young Master, give the order!”

There were few people on the summit, and it took only a few moments for several dozen people to gather around Wang Chong.

At this stage in the battle, not even Wang Chong had many soldiers at his disposal.

Clang!

Wielding his sword, Wang Chong led the several dozen soldiers toward that gap in the line.

The reinforcements weren’t many, and there weren’t many powerful generals amongst them, but Wang Chong persistently and firmly charged.

No matter what happens, I’ll never concede!

Wang Chong grasped the Wootz Steel sword, this thought flashing through his mind as he leaped into the sky.

“Single Character Consecutive Slash!”

A cold light flashed in the air. In the next moment, Wang Chong flew down from the sky, striking down a Tibetan horseman with a single blow. Squelch! As blood fountained into the air, the horseman’s body remained seated on his horse while his head flew into the air.

Bang!

There was another flash as Wang Chong charged toward the next horseman, sending a second head flying. This was followed by a third, a fourth, a fifth… Wherever Wang Chong went, heads would roll.

“Kill him—he’s Wang Chong!”

A Mengshe Zhao soldier spotted Wang Chong, his eyes shining as he shouted. In an instant, countless soldiers began to charge over.

If there was one person that everyone in the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army wanted to kill, that person would be Wang Chong.

This was not merely restricted to the generals and officers. Even the lowest soldier knew that the war of the southwest had lasted so long and resulted in so many casualties because of this person called Wang Chong.

“Attack! Kill Wang Chong! The one who does will be made marquis of ten thousand households!”

The dense ranks of soldiers began to alter their course and charge toward Wang Chong.

“Leaping Dragon Spear!”

Bang! Wang Chong’s body flickered as he ascended into the sky as swiftly as a bolt of lightning. As everyone looked on, a massive azure flood dragon manifested in the sky with a roar, majestic and mighty.

But before anyone could react, the dragon vanished…

Boom!

A massive tear swept down from the sky, so powerful that it left giant fissures wherever it passed. A trail of corpses was left strewn in Wang Chong’s wake, countless heads rolling across the ground.

Wang Chong’s Wootz Steel sword in such dense ranks was nigh unstoppable.

But Wang Chong’s slaughter not only failed to restrain the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army, it encouraged more soldiers to fill the gap.

“Kill Wang Chong and we win!”

“For our brothers!”

“Kill him! Don’t be afraid!”

……

At this moment, all the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang soldiers became incomparably valiant, death and blood only serving to incite the cruelty and bloodlust in the bottom of their hearts.

But Wang Chong could no longer see any of this. At this very moment, Wang Chong’s heart was dripping blood, and there was only one thought left in his mind.

Kill! Kill! Kill!

Death! Death! Death!

……

‘At the age of thirty, my deeds are naught but dust. My journey will be of eight thousand li, the clouds and moon my companions¹.’ Wang Chong had persevered through countless days and nights since leaving the capital, thought up countless strategies, prepared countless things. Yet now… all of it was about to turn to dust.

Duan Gequan’s final blow had been lethal to Wang Chong!

All Wang Chong’s efforts and pains were about to become dust in the wind.

No matter what happens, I’ll never concede!

Wang Chong’s eyes were red. Clang! A bloody gleam flew out from the left side of Wang Chong’s waist, stabbing into the body of a Mengshe Zhao soldier. It then stabbed into a second, a third, a fourth… Majestic streams of bloody energy began to surge into Wang Chong’s body, provoking him, making him stronger and stronger, more and more majestic.

One, two, three, four…

The soldiers of the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army were felled one after another. Wang Chong was like some war machine that knew nothing of fatigue, fighting alone in the middle of the vast Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army.

Boom!

When the battle had reached its peak, a massive boom made the entire mountain shudder.

“The eastern lines have broken!!”

“The eastern lines have broken!!”

……

In the blink of an eye, panicked shouts came from behind Wang Chong. His heart freezing, he fiercely turned his head!

Buzz! Time seemed to stop for a moment. Under the gloomy skies, he saw that the formation to the southeast had collapsed. Horses neighed as Tibetan cavalry, savage smiles on their face, charged their highlands steeds to the summit.

Countless Tang corpses were scattered and piled around them, their blood forming rivers.

______________

^{1. The quotation is from the poem ‘满江红’, a Song Dynasty poem often attributed to the patriotic Song Dynasty general Yue Fei, who fought to regain the north from the Jurchen Jin Dynasty but was hampered and eventually executed by his political opponents in the court, who favored peace.↩}