The shattered cavalry had not even managed to regroup properly to counterattack.
No sooner had Shang Chao Zong's reformed cavalry given them a moment's breath than they struck again.
One could well imagine the difference in troop disposition and the impact of their renewed assault.
Seeing Shang Chao Zong attack once more, the commander of the Wolf's Fang bandit cavalry bellowed:
"Quickly, regroup! Faster..." He couldn't even finish giving orders before fear seized him.
Shang Chao Zong, sword in hand, flew towards him and instantly struck him down. His bodyguards swarmed in behind. The defenders hadn't even had time to react before they were shattered once more.
The bandit formation was already in chaos, and now they were attacked yet again. Shang Chao Zong seized the moment, determined to finish off the enemy. He galloped, striking down all in his path. The opponents' morale had already collapsed. Some even turned their horses and began to flee.
More than a thousand horsemen, facing fewer than five hundred, were utterly routed after enduring just two attacks!
Witnessing this slaughter, Niu You Dao was quite shaken. How many battles had he seen! He had seen about a hundred people shattered. But for them to be killing each other on such a scale and in such an absurd manner, it was beyond his comprehension. They were like a mob of boys who had gathered for a brawl. Only these were fighting to the death. Yet, he could discern that one side was scattered and lacked proper command, while the other moved as a single unit, effortlessly passing through enemy ranks wherever the banner rode!
Meanwhile, Yuan Gang's blood was boiling. He clenched his fists.
"I must obtain the training methods of the Wuli and Yinyang Guards..." Feng Ru Nan murmured to herself. Fewer than five hundred cavalrymen shattering more than a thousand had also deeply shaken Feng Ru Nan.
She admitted that if she herself had led a thousand horsemen, she would most likely have been defeated in the same way. Shang Chao Zong had skillfully attacked the opponents twice and shattered them.
She understood that on this flat terrain, the strongest weapon was cavalry. And the enemy's cavalry had already been shattered by Shang Chao Zong. Now, all that remained was to finish them off.
"Cavalry on the left, attack the enemy infantry on their left flank! Cavalry on the right, attack the enemy on their right flank! Pinch them!"
"Kill!" the cavalry on the left roared. Their leader dispatched two hundred riders.
"Kill!" the cavalry on the right shouted, their commander leading two hundred riders to attack as well.
"All attack!" Feng Ru Nan, clad in red, cried out loudly, waving her whip and ordering all the infantry to charge into battle.
"It's the Yinyang and Wuli Guards! Indeed, Shang Chao Zong leads them!" Xiang Wu Ren, standing before the infantry, recognized Shang Chao Zong. This was one reason why he had been summoned – to identify Shang Chao Zong.
Yang Duo and the others were astonished. They couldn't even comprehend why Shang Chao Zong, in the vanguard, had attacked them.
Xiang Wu Ren quickly shouted:
"Seize him! Quickly, seize him!" He knew that capturing Shang Chao Zong was paramount. Then, even his defeat in battle would turn into victory.
"Let's go!" Yang Duo cried out, and dozens of cultivators soared skyward with him.
Bai Yao also clearly perceived the opponents' actions. He too leaped skyward with his cultivators. Only one Jin Dan cultivator remained to guard Feng Ru Nan; the rest headed to rescue Shang Chao Zong.
Two Heavenly Jade Sect cultivators, already dispatched by Bai Yao, flew towards Shang Chao Zong. They landed on the back of Shang Chao Zong's horse.
"Let's go!"
The two cultivators took him by the arms and began to float away from the battle.
"Princess, follow the Prince!" Lan Ruo Ting shouted to Shu Qing.
Shu Qing immediately turned her horse, following her brother as he soared through the sky.
Little could be heard amidst the din of battle. The bodyguards, who were further back, simply galloped after the banner. So, they found themselves following Shu Qing, who in turn rode after her brother soaring through the sky.
Figures flashed in the sky above. Bai Yao and Yang Duo, soaring at the head of their cultivators, clashed. Bai Yao drew his sword.
Aargh...
A cry rang out, and Yang Duo's leg plummeted. Shoving off Yang Duo's back, Bai Yao surged towards another cultivator.
"Arrows!" Xiang Wu Ren roared furiously.
The pinned infantry raised their shields to form a protective wall. From within, archers began to fire at the advancing cavalry.
One could see the cavalry on both sides also raising their shields. However, at times, horses could be seen falling mid-gallop, and riders were unseated.
The cavalry on the left unleashed their Meteor Hammers.
("Meteor Hammer" (a metal striking weight attached to a rope)
A crash resounded. Warriors on the front line began to fall or drop their shields.
Numerous horses from the left flank crashed into the infantry ranks. At great speed, the cavalry shattered shields with their hooves. Initially, warriors from the rear ranks of the infantry thrust spears against the cavalry. The horses at the front suffered, either toppling over or throwing their riders into the path of the spears. Only the subsequent riders plunged deeper, continuing to break through the formation with immense speed.
A breach in the phalanx—a great danger. In such a situation, infantry against cavalry was truly weak. Chaos descended once more among the bandits. The same situation unfolded on the right flank. Rivers of blood flowed again, and cries of pain echoed.
Feng Ru Nan, leading the infantry, paid no mind to the Yinyang and Wuli cavalry encircling them. As soon as she reached arrow range, she immediately ordered the horn to sound. Her cavalry promptly began to surge out from the enemy infantry's positions. Feng Ru Nan's three thousand infantry roared belligerently, while a thousand archers drew their bowstrings and instantly released their arrows.
"Swish, swish, swish!" A rain of arrows appeared in the sky.
Just then, Bai Yao and the others, who had been fighting in the sky, descended after the horn sounded. Cultivators could protect their bodies with protective qi. However, in battles, protective qi consumed strength and reduced movement speed. Therefore, it was best not to be caught in an arrow shower.
The rain of arrows fell upon the enemy infantry. Wave after wave of arrows attacked the foe. Untold numbers of people died and cried out in pain.
And when the enemy infantry began to react by raising their shields, the two cavalry columns once more attacked them, charging into their positions.
At this time, the Wolf's Fang clan was in utter chaos. Feng Ru Nan's three thousand infantry were already closing in. Their morale was at its peak. Their opponents, conversely, were on the verge of fleeing. The cultivators who had descended were surrounded by the three thousand infantry. Lone cultivators began to attack. Powerful surges of force erupted from them. They killed people in waves. But there were simply too many people. Kill the first row, and a spear would pierce you from the second. Kill the second row, and a spear from the third would finish you.
A thousand archers near Feng Ru Nan cast aside their bows and, taking up other weapons, went to their aid.
Shang Chao Zong's cavalry had already returned to Feng Ru Nan. Bai Yao, who had already slain more than ten cultivators and fought like a god of war, turned and headed towards the lone cultivators who were advancing on Feng Ru Nan.
The two cultivators who had brought Shang Chao Zong nodded to the Jin Dan cultivator guarding Feng Ru Nan, then turned and went to stop the other cultivators. But they only managed to halt some of them; three lone cultivators continued to advance on Feng Ru Nan.
Feng Ru Nan coldly waved her hand, and the hundred bodyguards standing near her drew their arrows and released them at the cultivators.
The three cultivators in the sky exerted their power to resist the arrows.
"Archers! Another wave of arrows!" Shang Chao Zong, standing next to Feng Ru Nan, cried out. The Yinyang and Wuli Guards, still mounted, began to shoot at the cultivators, blocking their path. This was enough time for Bai Yao to arrive back.
Seeing Bai Yao, the god of war, return, those cultivators understood that they would no longer be able to capture Shang Chao Zong. So they immediately scattered and fled into the mountains.
Xiang Wu Ren, seeing the army's morale collapse, struck his chest:
"Ah! A thousand well-trained cavalry, ten thousand well-trained infantry, and yet so utterly shattered!"
He knew that there was no turning back now. Xiang Wu Ren, leading more than ten scattered riders, headed back into the mountains.
Seeing the enemy army shattered, Bai Yao returned. The Heavenly Jade Sect disciples did not pursue the lone cultivators. They focused on protecting their master.
Seeing that the enemies were fleeing into the mountains and were unlikely to regroup, Feng Ru Nan did not pursue them.
Lan Ruo Ting approached Shu Qing and took the banner. However, he was alarmed. He saw that the princess was swaying. And someone cried out:
"The Princess is wounded!"
Shang Chao Zong immediately turned and quickly rushed to Shu Qing. He seized her and discovered that she had been wounded in the back by an unknown weapon. Having fought in many battles, Shang Chao Zong understood that his sister had lost a great deal of blood. Yet, she had paid no mind to it, constantly gripping the banner tightly, caring only that it might flutter in the wind.
Shang Chao Zong's eyes reddened, and he roared furiously:
"Master!"