To be honest, in fact, the casualties brought by the two rounds of giant crossbow shooting, plus the fish oil bomb attacks, were not very large.
Added together, it was only three thousand dead and wounded, less than ten percent casualties.
But the rhythm of the Silver Alliance’s forty thousand vanguard great army was completely broken.
Previously, the four formations charged in orderly ranks.
But now, they had been completely thrown into chaos.
The most fatal thing was that barrage of lime bombs.
The dust storm raised by several tens of thousands of jin of lime powder almost enveloped thirty or forty thousand people within it. Fifty or sixty percent of the soldiers had quicklime enter their eyes.
Even though barbarian soldiers were fierce and tough, the eyes were the most vulnerable part.
Once the eyes could not see, and there was burning pain like fire, they obviously fell into absolute panic.
And once they lost formation and fell into panic, the command system completely collapsed.
Several tens of thousands of soldiers ran around like headless flies.
Strictly speaking, using fish oil bombs after lime bombs was a somewhat unreasonable tactic.
Eyes that had lime in them could not be washed with water, but could be washed away with oil.
However, it was clearly the barbarians’ first large-scale contact with quicklime, so they obviously did not understand this point.
After weighing the pros and cons repeatedly, Suo Mo still decided to take advantage of this panic and use fish oil bombs to create large-scale casualties.
Compared to gunpowder, the attack power of fish oil bombs was much smaller, but they still caused more than two thousand casualties.
More importantly, the scene of more than thirty thousand troops in panicked chaos, with flames rushing to the sky everywhere and rolling smoke, was indeed very shocking.
Constantine and Alfonso desperately shouted and whipped soldiers, but it was all useless.
The entire battlefield order had completely collapsed.
…
Seeing this scene, the Silver Alliance leader was shocked, and the Rakshasa King’s son-in-law Nai Shu was also shocked.
They had thought that the Flame Demon Tribe, only established a few months ago, was absolutely a mob. After all, the near-human race’s combat power had always been inferior to the barbarians.
Therefore, Nai Shu and all the chieftains believed this was a battle that could be won without lifting a finger.
Forty thousand great troops would charge onto the wall, and then the battle would be over.
They had not expected that just as the battle began, such a scene would appear.
The fierce and tough forty thousand vanguard army, still several hundred metres from the wall, had been caught off guard and thrown into panicked chaos.
The Silver Alliance leader could not help but look towards Nai Shu to see what instructions he had.
However, Nai Shu merely stood up, looking at the battlefield with a surprised expression, giving no orders at all.
He was truly very surprised, and he discovered that the one commanding the battle had always been Suo Mo, not Lanling. It seemed he was not within the tribe. Then where was he?
Instantly, the Silver Alliance leader shouted loudly, “Constantine, Alfonso, what are you doing? Quickly reorganise the army and continue charging.”
Constantine and Alfonso were already trying very hard.
When the lime powder filled the sky, they did not know what this thing was. They only instinctively released demon qi shields, bouncing the lime powder away.
When the soldiers shouted that their eyes hurt and that their eyes were blind, they then knew how terrifying this thing was, and became even more careful.
But wanting them to restore the army’s order was truly too much to ask of them.
Because a considerable number of soldiers could not see with their eyes, and would only spin in place or run around everywhere.
The entire command system had collapsed. Wanting to restore it was impossible.
At this time, the most correct choice was to sound the gong and withdraw troops.
The soldiers were already in panicked chaos, completely unable to distinguish north, south, east, and west. Once they heard the sound of the gong, they would instinctively run towards the direction of the sound. Thus, the vast majority of soldiers could safely return to the great army’s formation.
However, Nai Shu did not say a word, and the Silver Alliance leader, burning with the desire for revenge, actually had Constantine and Alfonso restore the army’s order on the spot and continue charging. This was completely a huge mistake.
The consequence of doing this was that it gave the Flame Demon Tribe time for a new round of attacks.
Third round of giant catapults, fire.
Again giant lime bombs. Several tens of thousands of jin of quicklime powder once more smashed into the panicked army, once again raising a dust storm of several hundred thousand square metres of lime powder.
However, this time the number of soldiers hit was much smaller.
Because the vast majority of soldiers had eyes that burned with unbearable pain, as if blind, and simply did not dare open their eyes.
But this round of lime bomb attacks made more soldiers who originally had unharmed eyes fall victim.
They finally experienced eyes that were almost blind, with burning pain like fire.
“Ah… ah…”
The miserable cries on the battlefield became even more unceasing.
The army that was already in great chaos became even more chaotic.
Several minutes later…
The catapult attacks once again whistled in.
This time, what was thrown were still fish oil bombs.
But what was even more fatal was that together with the attack, there were also three thousand fire arrows.
Therefore, the fish oil bombs were almost completely ignited the instant they exploded, even exploding.
“Boom boom boom boom…”
The vanguard great army in complete chaos once again fell into a sea of flames.
This time, the casualties were even greater.
Some were burned to death, but a larger portion were casualties caused by mutual trampling.
Suo Mo on the wall, and the Flame Demon Tribe soldiers, looked at all this with extreme surprise.
The battlefield was truly a place full of accidents and miracles.
The vast majority of people felt that among the secret weapons designed by Chieftain Lanling, the giant crossbows were certainly the most awesome, shooting out more than ten giant arrows at a time, with tremendous power.
Next were the fish oil bombs, with great burning power, even able to explode.
And the worst were the lime bombs, after all, they could not cause direct lethality.
However, they had not expected that when it truly came to the battlefield, what played the decisive role would actually be these lime bombs.
Regarding these lime bombs, the Flame Demon Tribe had already conducted many secret experiments. Wanting to counter them was very simple. When seeing the lime bombs land, close your eyes and charge past, and nothing would happen.
However, on the battlefield, the enemy knew nothing about lime bombs, and completely did not know to charge with eyes closed.
Moreover, group effects would amplify the lime bomb’s power many times over.
If it were merely two or three people who had lime in their eyes, that would not be a big deal. It would not cause great chaos. As long as one person among them could see, they could lead them out and restore order.
However, in an army of forty thousand, as long as one third of the soldiers had lime in their eyes, the entire army’s order would completely collapse, trampling each other, a complete mess.
Just like this, under the Silver Alliance leader’s erroneous command.
This forty thousand man vanguard great army fell into a situation of passively taking a beating.
“Boom boom boom.”
“Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh…”
The soldiers of the Silver Alliance vanguard army were already in chaos. Some ran towards the wall, some ran towards the rear, some ran towards the sides.
The Flame Demon Tribe side seized this golden opportunity, round after round of catapults madly throwing fish oil bomb attacks.
More than one hundred giant crossbows madly fired.
And some soldiers who could not see with their eyes directly charged towards the Flame Demon Tribe’s wall, welcoming a true rain of arrows.
The twenty thousand soldiers on the wall fired ten thousand arrows simultaneously.
Just like this, not long after the battle began, the forty thousand vanguard great army led by Constantine and Alfonso completely fell into a situation of passively taking a beating.
This was a once-in-a-thousand-years golden moment. They had to try to cause as many casualties as possible.
Every second, who knew how many soldiers died.
On the battlefield, flames rushed to the sky, miserable cries unceasing.
Watching soldiers of their tribe fall one after another, the chieftains observing the battle from behind were completely burning with anxiety.
“Leader, sound the gong and withdraw troops, otherwise it will be too late.”
Numerous chieftains requested to sound the gong and withdraw troops.
The Silver Alliance leader truly did not want to withdraw troops. It was too humiliating. They had just launched the attack and were withdrawing troops, and they had not even touched the enemy’s wall.
But by now, not withdrawing troops was completely impossible. Several tens of thousands of vanguard troops had completely lost command, like a tangled mess. Continuing like this would only increase casualties for nothing.
“Sound the gong, withdraw troops.”
Instantly, a special bell sound rang out.
This was the signal to retreat.
Indeed, many soldiers who could not see, soldiers in panicked chaos, instantly distinguished direction and ran wildly towards the direction of the bell sound to retreat.
A quarter of an hour later, all the vanguard siege troops had returned to the great army’s formation, leaving behind corpses everywhere.
After counting heads, the chieftains present felt their hearts bleeding.
A full forty thousand great troops, but only twenty-seven thousand returned.
A full thirteen thousand were lost on the battlefield. Of course, they were not necessarily dead. Most were merely injured.
But no one brought them back. All that awaited them was death.
In this huge casualty count, the Silver Alliance leader undoubtedly bore the greatest responsibility, because when the vanguard army fell into panic, he had not promptly sounded the gong to withdraw troops, thinking that with Constantine and Alfonso’s abilities, they could restore order once again.
However, these soldiers were not disobeying commands, but rather their eyes could not see. No matter how formidable the battlefield commander was, it was useless.
Faced with such huge casualties, the Silver Alliance leader had no choice but to order a temporary halt to the attack and convene an emergency meeting.
The battle had just begun less than three hours, and the time was not even nine in the morning, yet the battle was actually paused.
This was a huge blow to morale.
They had thought it would be a crushing battle, but they had not expected to fight so embarrassingly and uglily.
…
“There is a large-scale soldier report that after the white powder enters the eyes, it can be washed away with oil. Although the eyes will be injured, they will not truly go blind.”
“Actually, the Flame Demon Tribe’s giant arrow attacks, and even fish oil bomb attacks, did not cause great lethality. The key was the white powder, which made the great army’s order instantly lose control. As long as one third, or even one quarter, of the soldiers could not see with their eyes, the army was finished.”
“Wanting to counter the near-human mongrels’ white powder attack is actually very simple. When seeing large packages being lobbed over, close your eyes and charge past, and that is all.”
“Their secret weapons can only fire twice per quarter of an hour. In that time, our army would have long since charged beneath the wall.”
At the meeting, one chieftain after another became wise after the event, offering strategies one after another, blaming the previous battlefield command errors.
That’s right, regarding the counter method for lime bomb attacks, after the fact and in a calm state, anyone could think of it.
But on the battlefield, things happened in an instant, and there was simply no time or opportunity to respond.
“In the afternoon, continue attacking the Flame Demon Tribe.” The Silver Alliance leader said, “Moreover, we must first destroy the Flame Demon Tribe’s secret weapons.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Although they now had a counter method for the white powder, the Flame Demon Tribe’s giant crossbow arrays and throwing weapons could still bring huge casualties.
If before the great army charged, they could destroy all these attack weapons of the Flame Demon Tribe, then charging towards the wall would be even more unobstructed.
“Order three hundred griffin warriors to drop giant stones from high altitude, destroying the enemy’s giant crossbows and secret throwing weapons.” The Silver Alliance chieftain said.
Generally speaking, large-scale air raids were indeed the most effective method.
At this time, suddenly a chieftain said, “Leader, the enemy’s giant crossbows can shoot very far. Will our griffins be in danger?”
The Silver Alliance leader laughed coldly and said, “You also saw, how far can their giant crossbows shoot?”
“More than four hundred metres.” This chieftain said.
The Silver Alliance leader said, “That is from a commanding height. If shooting towards the sky, how far can they shoot? Moreover, the Flame Demon Tribe’s those giant bows are all placed on the wall, weighing a full thousand jin. You want these near-human mongrels to carry them on their shoulders and shoot?”
This chieftain’s doubt was ruthlessly rebuked.
However, what the Silver Alliance chieftain did not know was that the Flame Demon Tribe had built more than a dozen concealed high towers, all aimed at the sky.
Moreover, the anti-air crossbows used were all specially made, able to shoot to heights of more than three or four hundred metres.
And what was most terrifying was that these giant crossbows could move freely to aim, able to shoot more than ten arrows at a time. Every high tower was equipped with three such giant crossbows.
…
Half an hour later.
At the Silver Alliance leader’s command.
Three hundred knights, riding three hundred griffin beasts, turned out in full force, carrying a giant stone on their backs, flying towards the Flame Demon Tribe.
Target: destroy the Flame Demon Tribe’s giant crossbows and catapults.
A griffin beast’s normal load should be around five hundred jin, with a maximum load of around one thousand jin.
The entire Flame Demon Tribe only had twenty griffins, and through the battlefield feedback just now, they knew that Lanling, who possessed heaven-defying archery, was not within the Flame Demon Tribe. Therefore, these three hundred griffins going out on attack would not carry any risk.
To achieve the greatest attack effect, the Silver Alliance leader ordered without restraint, having every griffin beast take off at maximum load. Apart from carrying a knight, there was also a stone of nearly one thousand jin.
The griffin beast’s strength was indeed astonishing.
With a load exceeding one thousand jin, it could still fly up, but it was already rather strained, and the speed was also very slow.
To avoid the Flame Demon Tribe’s aerial attacks, the three hundred griffins formed neat ranks, and the griffin knights above drew their bows and nocked arrows. Once the Flame Demon Tribe’s griffins dared to ascend, they guaranteed they could not escape the arrow rain of three hundred griffin knights.
Just like this, the Silver Alliance’s three hundred griffin beasts, in neat ranks, flew towards the sky above the Flame Demon Tribe.
Every griffin beast carried a stone of nearly one thousand jin, flying at a speed of several dozen kilometres per hour.
Seeing this scene, Suo Mo was completely stunned.
Who exactly was the enemy’s supreme commander? He was completely a pig teammate, actually using such a tactic.
It was as if he feared the Flame Demon Tribe’s anti-air giant crossbows could not hit them, actually having three hundred griffins form neat ranks and fly slowly.
This had the same wonderful effect as when Cao Cao chained all his warships together with iron chains.
Little did they know, the Silver Alliance leader was merely trying to maximise the attack effect, and to defend against the Flame Demon Tribe’s griffin army, concentrate firepower, and avoid being defeated one by one.
Looking at the neatly arranged, slowly flying griffin legion.
On the dozen or so high towers, more than fifty anti-air giant crossbows truly aimed again and again.
They wished they could polish every crossbow’s arrows until they were shiny and bright, truly making one impatient with waiting.
They just waited for the three hundred griffin beasts to draw closer and closer, entering range.
Eight hundred metres…
Five hundred metres…
Three hundred metres…
Two hundred metres…
The three hundred griffin beasts entered the anti-air giant crossbows’ range.
“Shoot.”
At the command, from the concealed high towers, fifty giant anti-air crossbows, seven hundred giant arrows, shot out like a rainstorm.