The first wave of five thousand cavalry sent out was wiped out in an instant.
Nai Shu was merely startled for a moment, but then gave a cold laugh.
How ridiculous of Lan Ling to hide away like a coward, for what meaning could there possibly be in concealing an army inside a forest?
How many troops could he have, twenty thousand, thirty thousand?
Before his million-strong army, before his mammoth army, before his aerial legion, a mere twenty to thirty thousand troops were not even enough to fill the gaps between their teeth.
The alliance master of the Benlie Alliance stepped out from the ranks and said, “Lord Consort, the Benlie Alliance requests permission to join the battle!”
The Benlie Alliance was considered an ace cavalry unit within the territory of the Black Demon Banner, and their Fierce Leopard Cavalry was renowned even across the entire territory of the Rakshasa race.
As mounts, the fierce leopards were not particularly large in build, even slightly smaller than warhorses from Earth. However, their speed was extraordinarily fast, capable of running at nearly two hundred li per hour, and especially when charging, they were almost as swift as lightning.
Not only that, for city walls four or five metres high, these fierce leopards could even surge straight up them in a single breath. Whether navigating precipitous peaks or dense jungles, they moved as if on flat ground.
Moreover, these fierce leopards possessed boundless strength, and though their bodies were not colossal, they could easily carry heavy loads exceeding two thousand jin.
The entire Benlie Alliance possessed over twenty thousand Fierce Leopard Cavalry in total, with every fierce leopard wearing head armour and chest armour, weaving freely through dense jungle, which made them most suitable for engaging in jungle combat.
Nai Shu was overjoyed upon seeing this, thinking what bloody use was there in Lan Ling hiding an army within the jungle, as twenty thousand Fierce Leopard Cavalry could effortlessly charge inside and slaughter every single one of them.
“Permission granted!”
Nai Shu issued the order!
The alliance master of the Benlie Alliance was ecstatic, for the moment to make contributions and shine brilliantly had arrived.
“Strike!” an order rang out.
Twenty thousand Fierce Leopard Cavalry stepped out of the ranks, moving completely silently and swiftly as lightning.
The other cavalry of the Black Demon Banner looked on with immense envy, for these fierce leopards truly were the dream mounts of all cavalrymen.
With twenty thousand cavalry running, they barely made any sound at all, save for soft footpads gliding across the earth and the clinking of the armour on their bodies.
In just a brief moment, twenty thousand Fierce Leopard Cavalry stepped forth and once again formed their battle array.
They employed a sharp blade formation, and every single cavalryman held a massive shield in hand!
“Charge into the forest and slaughter the enemy down to the last man!” the alliance master of the Benlie Alliance roared at the top of his lungs.
“Yes!” the twenty thousand Fierce Leopard Cavalry shouted sharply, and then, like a keen blade, charged towards the forest like lightning.
Their speed was unimaginably swift, closing in within the blink of an eye to two thousand metres, one thousand metres, five hundred metres, three hundred metres!
Just a moment ago, the five thousand cavalry had been shot dead within a distance of three hundred metres.
This time, after entering within five hundred metres, all the Fierce Leopard Cavalry raised their massive shields.
However…
No arrows flew out from within the forest!
The twenty thousand Fierce Leopard Cavalry drew closer and closer.
Lan Ling issued a command, saying, “Fall back!”
Instantly, he and the thirteen Death Warriors retreated into the forest.
Nai Shu sneered, wondering what meaning could there be in this lowborn Lan Ling retreating again at this point?
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
The twenty thousand Fierce Leopard Cavalry charged like lightning into the dense, vast forest.
And then…
The sounds of countless blades and swords clashing rang out.
Inside the forest, swords gleamed and blades flashed as sprays of blood burst forth.
“Ah… ah… ah…”
Tragic screams rang out without end!
Naturally, merely hearing the screams made it impossible to tell which side was suffering casualties.
Outside the forest, whether it was Nai Shu or the army of the Black Demon Banner, they could only hear the screams, blades, and swords within the woods, unable to see anything.
Yet everyone held only one single thought, that with these screams being so dense, one could see the fighting was fierce, and clearly the tens of thousands Lan Ling had ambushed within the forest were bound to be wiped out, for the Fierce Leopard Cavalry were truly astonishingly powerful when fighting in jungles.
“Lan Ling’s army is finished.”
“In at most half an hour, the battle will be over!”
“Precisely, all the credit has been snatched by the Benlie Alliance, and the tens of thousands brought by that low dog Lan Ling must have all been slaughtered by them.”
“Lan Ling truly is a fool, actually attempting to exploit a jungle advantage, completely unaware that the Fierce Leopard Cavalry are best suited for jungle combat.”
“Fortunately, we still have to destroy the Flame Demon Tribe, and we can still go and violate the women of the Flame Demon Tribe.”
Nai Shu’s million-strong army quickly entered spectator mode, waiting for the battle to conclude.
However…
One fierce leopard after another was seen running out from within the forest, their backs entirely empty, only mounts without riders.
At first, there were only dozens, hundreds, but later thousands, several thousand fierce leopards fled in panic, and rather than fleeing back to Nai Shu’s main army formation, they scattered about in all directions as though terrified out of their wits, dispersing like birds and beasts.
The screams within the forest still continued.
The sounds of blades and swords remained dense as well.
The combat situation still could not be seen, yet the clear scent of blood could be smelled.
Nai Shu’s expression instantly turned exceedingly unsightly.
…
The screams grew fainter and fainter, the sounds of blades and swords grew sparser and sparser, and the fierce leopard mounts fleeing from the forest became fewer and fewer.
The bloody stench across the entire forest was already exceptionally heavy.
Half an hour later!
The sounds of blades and swords within the forest ceased, and all the screams stopped as well.
The battle was over!
The ace cavalry of the Black Demon Banner was completely annihilated.
Nai Shu’s million-strong army was completely silent, while Nai Shu turned pale with rage, his entire body trembling.
Today, filled with grand ambition, he had led a million troops to subdue the Flame Demon Tribe, yet before he had even marched a few paces, Lan Ling had brought people straight to his doorstep, firmly blocking the army right in front of his home.
Not only that, the loss in the first battle could still be called carelessness.
Yet the complete annihilation in the second battle could only prove that the army Lan Ling brought was exceptionally powerful, otherwise it would have been impossible to wipe out the Fierce Leopard Cavalry in half an hour.
Nai Shu roared in fury, “Lan Ling, you low dog, why bother hiding and concealing your head while showing your tail?”
Lan Ling rode a gigantic horse out of the forest once again, and with a gentle wave of his hand!
Instantly, row upon row of centaur warriors marched out of the forest!
Centaur warriors over five metres tall and nearly ten metres long, filled with ferocity and laden with murderous intent!
This was the true king of cavalry!
Nai Shu’s eyes snapped wide open!
Had not Lan Ling’s centaur army already been finished? Instigated by Nai Shu, Khan Chi Yan had led a coalition of over twenty thousand centaurs to besiege the Xie Li Tribe, completely destroying them, so how could Lan Ling possibly still possess a centaur army?
Row upon row of the centaur army walked out of the forest.
One thousand, two thousand, three thousand, five thousand, eight thousand, ten thousand…
The million-strong army of the Black Demon Banner gasped in unison, almost holding their breath!
Nai Shu’s pupils shrank, staring at the scene before him in sheer disbelief!
Countless centaurs emerged from within the forest, more and more, endless in number!
After a full quarter of an hour!
All of Lan Ling’s centaur army had stepped out of the forest, forming their battle array upon this vast plain.
After the thirty thousand centaur army formed their array, they occupied five square kilometres of land.
The grand formation spanned ten li horizontally and two li in depth.
Although it could not match the Black Demon Banner’s million-strong army extending dozens of li, this lineup was nevertheless incomparably astounding, looking boundless and blotting out the sky when viewed from the heavens.
Nai Shu saw a familiar silhouette, the powerful Khan Chi Yan, and the powerful Khan Xie Li.
Had he not been deceived into destroying the Xie Li Tribe, so why was he also standing beside Lan Ling?
After Khan Chi Yan wiped out the Xie Li Tribe, he was supposed to lead the army of over twenty thousand centaurs to attack the Flame Demon Tribe.
Why were these thirty thousand centaur troops all standing behind Lan Ling?
“Khan Chi Yan, have you lost your mind? Do you intend to betray His Majesty the Rakshasa King?” Nai Shu roared sternly.
Khan Chi Yan said, “I am no longer a khan of the centaurs, but the dedicated knight of my Lord Lan Ling. However, I can still answer your question, yes, the Rakshasa King and I did have a loose covenant, where I was to fight for him when necessary, and all centaurs were to regard him as their master. But… the true deity of our centaur race has appeared, our true master has arrived, and so the previous covenant has naturally vanished into thin air!”
Nai Shu said in fury, “You fool, you have been deceived by this low dog Lan Ling, he is not some God of the Moon Demon at all, he is merely a shameless fraud!”
The moment these words were spoken, he felt his entire body tighten.
Because he felt a terrifying murderous aura, as thirty thousand pairs of eyes filled with killing intent converged upon him.
Nai Shu actually dared to speak blasphemy against their great deity? He was now the common enemy of all centaurs.
Chi Yan said coldly, “Any lowborn creature who dares to desecrate our great master is a lifelong enemy of our centaur race! I, Chi Yan, swear an oath once again, that I will slaughter the Black Demon Banner family down to the last person, exterminating their entire clan and lineage!”
Following this, Khan Xie Li, Khan Chi Huo, and all the centaur khans shouted in unison, “When the master is insulted, the subjects must die, I swear an oath to slaughter the Black Demon Banner family down to the last person, exterminating their entire clan and lineage!”
The thirty thousand centaur army roared aloud in unison, “Slaughter the Black Demon Banner family down to the last person, exterminate their entire clan and lineage!”
The colossal sound shook the heavens, heard clearly by everyone. Nai Shu’s face turned pale and his body trembled.
The obstinacy and cruelty of the centaurs were well known, and with all the centaur khans swearing this oath, it meant that all centaurs for generations to come would remember this enmity, remaining in an irreconcilable struggle to the death against the Black Demon Banner family.
Even with the strength of the Black Demon family, they would still feel terror in their hearts.
To avoid the total catastrophe of the Black Demon family, there was only one method, which was to slaughter this thirty thousand centaur army down to the last soul!
“Good, good…” Nai Shu said with a trembling voice, “Since it is already an irreconcilable fight to the death, then today I might as well exterminate your entire centaur race and lineage.”
Nai Shu turned his gaze towards Chief Blood Fang of the Mammoth race, feeling exceedingly fortunate at this moment that his father had used a three-hundred-year-old debt of gratitude covenant to summon the mammoth army, otherwise, facing a thirty thousand centaur army, even with a million troops they might face a disaster.
Six thousand centaurs had annihilated seventy thousand troops of the Silver Alliance in merely a few minutes!
How many enemies could thirty thousand centaurs destroy? It was utterly unimaginable!
Even if he could ultimately achieve victory, the million-strong army of the Black Demon Banner would lose more than half its numbers.
Yet with the mammoth army, none of it was a problem any longer.
No matter how powerful the centaur army was, they were fundamentally no match for the mammoth army!
Every single mammoth warrior was a moving fortress!
A centaur weighed ten thousand jin, whereas every mammoth warrior weighed over a hundred thousand, or even two hundred thousand jin.
The greatswords of the mammoth warriors could easily cleave a centaur in two.
The trampling of the mammoth warriors could effortlessly crush a centaur into mincemeat.
The charge of two thousand mammoth warriors was entirely overwhelming and world-destroying. It could pulverise any army, any city, and naturally that included the thirty thousand centaur army before his eyes!
“Chief Blood Fang, I leave this in your hands!” Nai Shu bowed and paid his respects.
Mammoth Patriarch Blood Fang said slowly, “I will fulfil the covenant!”
Then, Blood Fang threw his head back and let out a long roar, a burst of booming bellows.
Two thousand mammoth warriors gathered at his side, assembling their grand battle formation.
“The brave warriors of the Mammoth race are going to battle,” Patriarch Blood Fang said slowly.
Then, the ground trembled with a jolt as the two thousand mammoth army began to advance, breaking away from Nai Shu’s main army formation to confront the thirty thousand centaur army!
…
The two most powerful ground forces in the Southern Desolation stood five thousand metres apart, facing each other from afar!
Both were destroyers upon the land, both ace legions of the earth.
Chief Blood Fang of the Mammoth race bent his waist and offered a half-bow towards the centaur army, saying, “Honourable centaur race, you and I have no prior grievances, but because our clan once owed a debt to the Black Demon family, we must fight for them, forgive us!”
Khan Chi Huo glanced at Lan Ling and said, “Honourable Patriarch Blood Fang, great warriors of the Mammoth race, I can understand your noble sentiment. I hope that after you repay the favour owed to the Black Demon family, we may share wine, converse merrily, and fight side by side!”
Patriarch Blood Fang said, “That will likely be difficult, because on the battlefield, we must act as dutiful warriors, and we will show no mercy! Unless the very last enemy is eliminated, the mammoth warriors will not halt their battle blades, nor will the blood-red hue fade from their eyes!”
And then…
Patriarch Blood Fang roared loudly, “Transform!”
Instantly, the two thousand mammoth warriors threw their heads back and bellowed into the heavens!
“Awoo…”
“Awoo…”
The so-called transformation was not an absolute alteration, but rather all the Mammoth race warriors entering a slaughter state!
In an instant, one could only feel the heavens and earth trembling, as though all the air was about to burst open.
The body size of all the Mammoth race warriors swelled once more by twenty percent, their already colossal figures becoming even more astonishing.
Their originally clear eyes instantly became bloodshot, brimming with murderous intent.
Their originally peaceful faces instantly turned ferocious, overflowing with bloodlust.
This was the transformation of the Mammoth race, for once they entered the slaughter state, either they died, or the enemy died, otherwise the battle would never cease.
Therefore, the transformation of the Mammoth race was a nightmare for any species.
Once transformed, a Mammoth race warrior shifted from a peaceful soul who lived aloof from the world into a bloodthirsty, ruthless butcher warrior.
“Charge, slaughter the enemy down to the last person!” Khan Blood Fang issued the order.
Instantly, the two thousand mammoth army began their charge!
The world truly changed colour!
The entire earth was trembling, truly as though an earthquake had arrived.
Birds a hundred li away were startled into flight one after another.
Even Black Demon City, two hundred li away, felt the violent tremors, and porcelain objects directly fell and shattered.
The weaker individuals within the Black Demon Banner’s million-strong army could not even stand steady, feeling as though their hearts were about to leap out of their chests.
The two thousand mammoth army was like two thousand moving fortresses, and their charge was truly too astonishing.
It was genuinely a force of overwhelming power, as though the entire earth was about to be torn apart!
Nai Shu was boundlessly excited, his face flushed red, waiting for the scene of slaughter, waiting for the two thousand mammoth army to completely crush the thirty thousand centaurs into mincemeat.
Lan Ling raised his right hand!
Instantly, all thirty thousand centaurs drew their bows and nocked their arrows, pointing them diagonally towards the sky!
The arrow of every marksman among them was coated with the venom of the Nightmare Flower!
Once fired, it would bring Nai Shu utter despair!