Chapter 204 : Scourge Army Legion VS Wan City Legion
Chapter 204: Scourge Army Legion VS Wan City Legion
Hang Yu opened his Lord Vision and took in the entire battlefield situation.
He could freely switch perspectives and observe this live-action war spectacle from various angles.
It had to be said—
Aside from browsing the forums every day—
Watching the Scourge Army pull ridiculous stunts and get beaten up had become one of the most entertaining daily pastimes.
If only he had some soda and popcorn right now, it would be perfect.
Back to the battlefield.
Scourge Army Legion VS Wan City Legion!
Over two thousand troops VS more than five thousand!
Whether in troop numbers, military composition, or soldier quality—
The Scourge Army was clearly at a disadvantage.
Hang Yu nodded.
“Before eliminating Zhang Xiu, using him to harvest another wave of leeks isn't bad. I've earned quite a lot of Essence Points lately, but they really aren't enough to spend freely.”
Of course—
The Scourge Army had improved during the past twenty-four hours.
Many players had advanced in rank, upgraded equipment, learned new skills, and significantly improved their overall combat power.
The players were not idiots.
Although their clumsy ambush had failed—
They had no intention of smashing eggs against rocks head-on.
So instead of recklessly charging into battle, they first began their verbal assault.
“We have come under the Lord's orders!”
“To exterminate you shameless, despicable invaders who betrayed the alliance!”
Toasting the Moon shouted loudly:
“Zhang Xiu, you've underestimated the Scourge Army—and you've underestimated Lord Feather even more! Your foolish ambitions and schemes are utterly insignificant!”
Little Bell immediately joined in.
“That's right! Our wise, great, brave, and invincible Lord Feather saw through everything long ago! You're nothing but lowly vermin! Lord Feather wouldn't even need one finger to deal with you!”
“Surrender!”
“Before the immortal Scourge Army!”
“Before the great Lord Feather!”
“Everything you've done is laughably pathetic!”
“It's not too late to turn back now! Given Lord Feather's mercy, he might forgive your crimes and spare your worthless lives!”
“That's right!”
“Don't cling to false hopes!”
“Otherwise, what awaits you is a merciless slaughter!”
“In front of our Feather God, you have absolutely no chance of resistance!”
“...”
The two armies confronted each other.
The Wan City Army was clearly the stronger side.
Yet before they had even spoken much—
The Scourge Army commanders were already shouting louder than one another.
Using Hang Yu's name—
They wildly exaggerated and boasted.
Although obviously the weaker force—
They appeared completely relaxed.
There wasn't the slightest tension of facing a life-and-death battle.
Instead—
They acted as if victory was already guaranteed.
As if their two thousand men had somehow surrounded the enemy's five thousand troops and trapped them in certain doom.
Hang Yu found it amusing.
The players were not necessarily just showing off.
This was likely a psychological warfare tactic.
Whether they could win was another matter.
But they absolutely couldn't lose in momentum!
Zhang Xiu was already shocked and suspicious because of the Scourge Army's apparent resurrection.
The more arrogant and confident the players appeared—
The more cautious and suspicious he became.
Under these circumstances—
When battle broke out, Zhang Xiu would likely hesitate to commit all his forces immediately.
He might even hold back most of his strength in preparation for the still-unseen Lord.
As a result—
Pressure on the players would be reduced.
Giving them a better opportunity to achieve results.
These Scourge Army players clearly understood a thing or two about psychological warfare.
A disturbance immediately spread throughout the Wan City Army.
Han Ji, Deng Zhi, and the others widened their eyes in disbelief.
Had the Lord somehow withdrawn his troops from Xinye in time?
No—
That couldn't be right.
Several of those commanders had been killed before countless witnesses outside the fortress.
Everyone had seen it with their own eyes.
There was no way they could be mistaken.
Even Zhang Xiu felt uneasy.
However—
There was no turning back now.
“No need to panic. These Starsea outsiders may possess unknown methods, but that is insufficient to alter the overall situation.”
Zhang Xiu continued:
“Whether this army used illusions to deceive us or some special means of resurrection, they are still incapable of standing against our forces. They are nothing more than chickens and dogs awaiting slaughter.”
Indeed.
The two sides had already passed the point of reconciliation.
Since this battle had to be fought—
The sooner, the better.
If they could not win now, they certainly would not win later.
The only reason they had not attacked Luoshui City earlier was because the Day of Ultimate Darkness disaster had tied them down.
Now that the disaster had passed—
And New Wan City no longer faced threats from Dian Wei and Cao Ang—
All available strength could be focused on Luoshui.
There was no possibility of defeat.
No matter how one looked at it—
Retreating now made no sense.
“Hu Che'er!”
“Kill them all!”
Zhang Xiu issued the command.
He personally did not move.
The most dangerous figures of the Starsea faction had yet to appear.
This included Hang Yu, whose strength was unfathomable and potentially comparable to Jia Xu.
It also included Zhou Cang, whose power rivaled Wen Pin.
And Zhang Zhongjing, whose support abilities were extraordinarily potent.
Zhang Xiu suspected the army before him was acting as bait.
This force alone could not possibly challenge Wan City's elite troops.
The true threat was likely hiding in the shadows.
Hang Yu could emerge from an unexpected direction at any moment.
“Kill!”
Hu Che'er roared as he charged forward.
He was Zhang Xiu's fiercest general and most loyal subordinate.
During the original Battle of Wan City, he had earned the greatest merit by helping kill Dian Wei and Cao Ang and defeat Cao Cao.
A hundred years had passed.
Having spent that century fighting on the front lines against the Abyss—
His body had undergone severe mutation due to Abyssal corruption and endless warfare.
Now—
He stood over ten feet tall.
His skin was crimson red.
He resembled a red-skinned version of the Hulk.
Though little intelligence remained—
His combat power still ranked among the best in Wan City.
Most of Hu Che'er's body was covered in black heavy armor.
His weapon was a gigantic black spiked club.
“Black Iron Battalion! Advance!”
Nearly half of the Wan City Army separated from the main force.
Zhang Xiu dispatched only Hu Che'er and roughly two thousand elite troops to engage the Scourge Army.
This force represented the infantry arm of Wan City's military.
Every soldier wore heavy Black Iron Armor that exposed only their eyes.
Each carried a massive wheel-sized iron axe and a Black Iron Shield.
Hu Che'er was a Tier-3 Commander.
These axe-and-shield soldiers were elite troops as well.
Every one of them possessed at least Tier-2 Elite strength.
Nearly two hundred were Tier-3 Elites.
Their strength absolutely could not be underestimated.
Before Hu Che'er's troops even reached melee range—
Han Ji and Deng Zhi launched suppressive attacks against the Scourge Army.
Han Ji was a powerful Tier-3 spellcaster.
Several hundred caster troops accompanied him.
Deng Zhi, meanwhile, was a powerful archer.
Several hundred ranged soldiers armed with bows and crossbows followed him.
Instantly—
Arrow after arrow rained down upon the Scourge Army.
Then came hurricanes.
Explosive flames.
Ice rain.
Falling boulders.
Lightning.
Faced with endless arrows and large-scale spell bombardment—
Even with terrain as cover—
The Scourge Army suffered casualties and quickly found themselves in a miserable state.
“ROAR!”
Hu Che'er, now little more than a ferocious beast—
Leapt through the air like a giant tiger crossing a ravine.
Then crashed directly into a dense cluster of players.
His massive spiked club slammed downward.
Two players unable to dodge were instantly smashed into pieces.
At the same time—
A crimson shockwave erupted outward.
Dozens of nearby players were blasted away.
“Holy crap!”
“He's that fierce?”
“Why are you shouting so loudly?”
“You think a loud voice makes you impressive?”
“This guy's even more violent than we are! That's unacceptable! Everyone, get him!”
Far from being intimidated—
The Scourge Army immediately swarmed him.
Arrows, wind blades, and Qi Gathering Slashes struck his body simultaneously.
The results were negligible.
Although humanoid—
Hu Che'er possessed a beast's constitution.
His health pool was massive.
His defenses were tremendous.
His regeneration was equally powerful.
“ROAR!”
Hu Che'er unleashed another deafening roar.
All nearby players became stunned.
Red energy erupted from his enormous frame.
Like a giant slingshot releasing its tension—
He launched himself forward.
Charging like a runaway locomotive into the Scourge Army formation.
Like a knife slicing through watermelons—
He effortlessly smashed aside and killed over a dozen players, tearing open a gap.
Every swing of his gigantic club unleashed violent shockwaves.
No player could survive a direct hit.
Players were continuously hurled away.
Before him—
They truly seemed like mere chickens and dogs.
The Black Iron Battalion had also reached the front lines.
These battle-hardened elites of Wan City formally entered melee combat with the Scourge Army.
Their heavy armor and iron shields made them extremely difficult to damage.
“Mountain-Splitting Slash!”
The soldiers raised their giant axes.
Weapon aura surged outward.
The axes expanded into three-meter-long energy blades.
One fierce round of attacks forced the Scourge Army's front line to retreat.
“Whirlwind Slash!”
Sweeping blade auras then drove back players attempting to close the distance.
Black-Eyed Rui Ge and the others changed expressions.
They knew Wan City's army was strong.
But they had not expected even the ordinary soldiers to be this formidable.
The Black Iron axe-and-shield troops possessed limited attack patterns.
Yet their power was extraordinary.
A direct hit generally meant death or severe injury.
First came overwhelming ranged bombardment from archers and spellcasters.
Then Hu Che'er rampaged through their formations.
Finally the Black Iron Battalion advanced in perfect formation.
The Scourge Army immediately fell into a disadvantageous position.
Casualties rapidly mounted.
The generals of New Wan City relaxed slightly upon seeing this.
The Scourge Army was certainly not weak.
Their fighting spirit was exceptionally strong.
But compared to Wan City's finest elite forces—
The gap remained obvious.
Wan City had committed only about half its troops.
The most elite and powerful force—
The Blood Spear Battalion.
The swift Liangzhou Cavalry Battalion.
And the commanders led by Zhang Xiu himself—
Had yet to move.
The Blood Spear Battalion consisted of more than three hundred sixty warriors.
Every one was a Tier-3 Elite.
Every one practiced the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Spear Art.
The Liangzhou Battalion, personally established by Zhang Xiu, contained fifteen hundred cavalry.
Descended from the famed Xiliang Iron Cavalry—
They possessed tremendous mobility.
Their overall combat power exceeded that of the Black Iron Infantry.
Not only were they as strong—
They were more mobile and deadlier overall.
If the entire Wan City Army entered battle—
The Scourge Army would be crushed.
The disparity was simply too large.
Yet Zhang Xiu remained highly cautious.
He continued to believe the Scourge Army before him was merely bait.
This force alone could never challenge Wan City's elite.
The true threat likely lurked in darkness.
Hang Yu could strike at any moment.
The fact that Zhang Xiu remained so suspicious proved the players' psychological warfare had succeeded to some degree.
The Scourge Army used this breathing room to retreat into the forest.
With trees providing cover—
Han Ji and Deng Zhi's ranged support weakened.
Pressure on the players lessened.
They reorganized their forces and launched a counterattack.
“Listen up!”
“The enemy is stronger than us!”
“We definitely aren't winning this battle!”
“The key isn't victory or defeat!”
“The key is destroying enemy effective strength! As long as we weaken and wear down their army, it's a major victory for us!”
Ye Li Meng, Toasting the Moon, and Black-Eyed Rui Ge quickly assigned responsibilities.
Toasting the Moon and Black-Eyed Rui Ge would lead the main elite force to establish defensive lines.
Their mission was to delay and block the Black Iron Infantry—
While separating Hu Che'er from them.
Meanwhile—
Ye Li Meng would lead a group of experts to surround and kill Hu Che'er.
He was the most valuable target on the battlefield.
Killing him would be worth more than three to five hundred Black Iron or Liangzhou soldiers.
As long as he died—
The players considered the battle won.
They immediately put the plan into action.
When the Scourge Army feigned retreat into the woods—
The Black Iron Battalion continued advancing steadily.
“Now!”
Black-Eyed Rui Ge shouted.
“Attack!”
Arthur King.
Blind Swordsman.
Hua Mulan.
Zhajiang Noodles.
One Sword Comes From the West.
Light Dust.
Sword God of Ten-Mile Slope.
Uncle Tree.
And over a dozen other elite players—
Each led squads from different directions to disrupt the Black Iron Battalion.
This offensive achieved limited casualties.
Yet it successfully created confusion.
“Swift Shadow Instant Strike!”
Black-Eyed Rui Ge instantly seized an opening.
Three afterimages flashed forward at incredible speed.
Several sword strikes landed on the throats of three squad leaders.
Instant kills.
The Blue-Grade skill was truly useful.
After obtaining the skill card from the Golden Treasure Chest—
He immediately sought out Hang Yu and learned it.
Aside from Hang Yu—
He was the only person capable of using Swift Shadow Instant Strike.
The skill was absurdly fast.
It granted stealth.
It amplified damage.
It could either harvest multiple targets or focus on a single enemy.
Black-Eyed Rui Ge's strength had risen tremendously.
Meanwhile—
Toasting the Moon drew a black greatbow.
It was none other than the Demon Night Greatbow.
The loot dropped by Cao Anmin.
As a Tier-3 weapon—
Only Tier-3 cultivators could wield it.
After the Day of Ultimate Darkness mission—
Toasting the Moon had spent Essence Points from the Undying Dragon Soul Legion's reserve pool to break through early and join the ranks of top-tier players.
One arrow after another flew forth.
Each infused with dark-purple magic energy.
-655 (Critical Hit!)
-656 (Critical Hit!)
A Tier-3 battle bow.
Top-tier arrows.
Weapon skill enhancement.
Even without reinforcement—
The Demon Night Greatbow's power was terrifying.
Two Tier-3 Black Iron squad leaders were shot through their heavy armor and killed.
Blind Swordsman and Arthur King finished them off.
A gap immediately appeared in the Black Iron Battalion.
The Scourge Army launched a fierce counterattack.
The battle officially entered full-scale combat.
Meanwhile—
Hu Che'er became engulfed in crimson energy once more.
He was preparing another berserk charge.
His goal was to shatter the battle line the players had finally established.
“Not happening!”
Mad Blade Old Wang and Street-Slaughter Berserker simultaneously activated Army-Breaking Charge.
The two collided head-on with Hu Che'er.
A powerful shockwave erupted.
Although both were forced back and injured—
They successfully neutralized the charge.
“Die!”
Hu Che'er roared again.
Fortunately—
Both had activated Heart-Protecting Talismans beforehand.
They avoided being stunned.
Hu Che'er swung his club toward them.
“Telekinetic Barrier!”
Mad Blade Old Wang absorbed part of the impact.
Then blocked the rest with his shield.
As he was blasted backward several meters—
He unleashed a blazing blade aura.
Boom!
Direct hit.
Hu Che'er staggered backward.
A molten slash mark appeared across his chest armor.
Had the armor been weaker—
The attack would have wounded him seriously.
Before Hu Che'er could recover—
Another figure arrived.
Street-Slaughter Berserker wielded dual blades.
Having activated Fierce Tiger Wild Blade—
He unleashed five consecutive strikes.
Each strike echoed with tiger roars.
Each strike triggered explosions.
Hu Che'er staggered repeatedly.
His armor cracked apart.
His health rapidly declined.
“AAAAAAAH!”
Enraged—
Hu Che'er's eyes turned red.
His muscles swelled.
Veins bulged like ancient tree roots.
Clearly—
Some berserk skill had been activated.
His attributes surged.
He forcibly halted his retreat.
One swing.
Street-Slaughter Berserker narrowly dodged.
But the shockwave launched him into the air.
Damn!
There wasn't enough time to react!
Howling madly—
Hu Che'er struck again.
The club hit him squarely.
Like a baseball player crushing a home run.
Street-Slaughter Berserker was launched into the sky.
The fatal critical damage left no possibility of survival.
【Player "Street-Slaughter Berserker" has died. Abyssal Essence +40,000...】
One top player dead.
Another seriously injured.
Yet they still failed to defeat Hu Che'er.
However—
Their attacks had weakened his momentum and shattered portions of his armor.
A black flame struck Hu Che'er from behind.
Ye Li Meng charged forward atop a Black Dragon Warhorse.
His warhammer slammed down.
Shield-Breaking Wave activated.
Hu Che'er's armor finally shattered completely.
“Explosive Charge Flame!”
Ye Li Meng immediately activated his mount's skill.
The Black Dragon Warhorse stomped upon Hu Che'er.
Explosive flames erupted.
The attack inflicted damage and tremendous force.
Interrupting Hu Che'er's counterattack.
Ye Li Meng and horse soared ten meters into the air.
Hu Che'er instantly stabilized himself.
He intended to strike while Ye Li Meng was airborne.
Repeating what had happened to Street-Slaughter Berserker.
“Leaping Flame!”
The Black Dragon Warhorse stomped repeatedly through the air.
Small explosions erupted.
It nimbly evaded the attack.
Then circled behind Hu Che'er.
A flying warhorse capable of running, turning, and leaping in midair—
It was unbelievably useful.
Ye Li Meng's excitement reached its peak.
No longer hiding his strength—
He burned all his Mana.
Activating a newly learned skill.
In an instant—
His hair turned crimson.
His skin turned crimson.
Molten energy flowed from every pore.
Flames surrounded his body.
A tiger demon phantom appeared behind him.
At that moment—
His attributes nearly doubled.
The Thousand Skull Warhammer collided with Hu Che'er's club.
For the first time—
Ye Li Meng did not clearly lose the exchange.
Nearby players stared in astonishment.
“What skill is that?”
“Looks like Fierce Tiger Battle Soul!”
“No way!”
“Fierce Tiger Battle Soul doesn't have that kind of presence!”
“...”
Watching from behind the scenes—
Hang Yu nodded in satisfaction.
Ye Li Meng had learned Fierce Tiger Battle Soul and Fierce Tiger Mountain-Crushing Drop from Zhou Cang.
Fusing those two skills could potentially create Tiger Demon Descends from Heaven.
A powerful Blue-Grade transformation skill.
One of Zhou Cang's signature techniques.
Originally—
Hang Yu thought Ye Li Meng would pursue that path.
However—
After the Day of Ultimate Darkness campaign—
Ye Li Meng received a Dao Comprehension Tower recharge card and a large amount of Essence Points.
He chose a different route.
Tiger Demon Descends from Heaven was powerful.
But only in the hands of someone like Zhou Cang.
Zhou Cang possessed an Abyssal Physique and Commander-level aptitude.
His base attributes were already absurdly high.
The transformation naturally became overwhelming.
Ye Li Meng knew that even with excellent equipment—
His attributes could not compare to a Commander's.
Thus—
He adopted a different approach.
He fused Burning Fighting Spirit, obtained after the Xinye mission—
With Fierce Tiger Battle Soul.
After spending more than one hundred thousand Essence Points—
He comprehended a new skill.
Wild Tiger Burning Soul.
Also a Blue-Grade skill.
Fierce Tiger Battle Soul enhanced attributes and fire damage through partial transformation.
Burning Fighting Spirit compressed latent potential to provide explosive short-term buffs.
After fusion—
The effects became even stronger.
Although severe side effects followed afterward—
The boost during activation was terrifying.
After exchanging blows repeatedly with Hu Che'er—
Ye Li Meng actually showed no obvious disadvantage.
Hu Che'er was stunned.
After failing to crush him through several exchanges—
He began preparing a powerful finishing attack.
Suddenly—
A figure appeared behind him.
A spear stabbed directly into his backside.
-626 (Critical Hit!)
“How's Grandpa's Shadow Pierce taste?!”
The shameless attacker was none other than Salty Fish Pierce—
The player hailed as the most sinister warrior of the Scourge Army and self-proclaimed Scourge Zhao Zilong.
In truth—
His strength was not inferior to Mad Blade Old Wang or Street-Slaughter Berserker.
His fighting style was simply unique.
As a warrior—
He had long maxed out Shadow Sneak Step.
Rather than learning blade techniques like Fierce Tiger Roaring Slash—
He focused on Gale Step and Instant Shadow Step.
He was arguably the fastest warrior among players.
After the Battle of Xinye—
He became obsessed with the Shadow Piercing Spear.
The weapon's skill, Shadow Pierce, allowed instant charges and devastating strikes.
Now—
Seizing the perfect opportunity—
He launched a surprise attack.
Not only did he inflict serious damage upon Hu Che'er's weak point—
He also interrupted the powerful skill Hu Che'er had been preparing.
“Die!”
Ye Li Meng activated the Thousand Skull Warhammer's skill.
The hammer instantly expanded tenfold.
Then smashed down with overwhelming force.
Bones audibly shattered.
Hu Che'er was blasted over a dozen meters away.
Chi Mei Wang Liang.
Little Bell.
Little Ma.
All immediately launched spells to follow up.
Faced with the combined assault of so many elite players—
Hu Che'er naturally fell into disadvantage.
He struggled to endure.
Yet he still refused to retreat.
Then—
Midnight Pig Slayer successfully landed a Dan Devour attack.
Hu Che'er was already heavily injured.
Now poisoned—
His combat power dropped sharply.
His health plummeted.
From afar—
Zhang Xiu sensed Hu Che'er's perilous state.
His expression changed dramatically.
He had never expected these Starsea citizens to push his strongest general to such a point.
“Hu Che'er!”
“Fall back!”
Though little intelligence remained—
Hu Che'er obeyed Zhang Xiu's orders without hesitation.
His body transformed once again.
His enormous physique compressed.
Muscles shrank like a deflating balloon.
From a gigantic crimson giant—
He became a thin black figure.
Meanwhile—
His nearly depleted health rapidly recovered.
This was Hu Che'er's unique survival technique.
Whenever he approached death—
He could enter this second form.
By consuming his muscles and blood energy—
He removed all negative status effects and restored health rapidly.
Although his combat power temporarily declined—
His agility increased dramatically.
Perfect for escaping danger.
This ability had saved him countless times.
Although he could not defeat the players now—
Retreating safely remained easy.
Several rapid movements allowed him to break free.
Salty Fish Pierce shouted:
“Not good! He's escaping!”
Little Bell responded:
“Not that easily!”
She immediately cast Soul Seizing Art.
Hu Che'er briefly faltered.
Then instantly broke free.
Little Bell's face changed.
“It didn't work!”
In this form—
Hu Che'er's physical defense decreased significantly.
But his magical resistance skyrocketed.
This was the key to his escape.
“Leave it to me!”
Chi Mei Wang Liang raised a strange-looking staff.
It was the Evil Infant Spine Staff obtained from Xinye.
Activating Evil Infant Nightmare Realm—
He dragged Hu Che'er into an illusion.
Unlike hypnosis—
Illusion attacks distorted perception itself.
Hu Che'er immediately lost all sense of direction.
He could no longer distinguish east from west.
Escaping would not happen anytime soon.
“Now!”
The players launched another barrage.
His health plummeted again.
Zhang Xiu roared furiously:
“How dare you?!”
Ye Li Meng shouted:
“Little Zhou! Go!”
Lone Boat used Shadow Leap to close the distance.
Then activated Assassination Secret Art.
Dodging Hu Che'er's attack—
He cleanly decapitated him with a single sword strike.
Thus—
Zhang Xiu's strongest general fell.
The moment Zhang Xiu sensed Hu Che'er's death—
His calm, sinister expression completely changed.
He could no longer suppress his fury.
Hu Che'er had followed him for countless years.
Like a loyal hunting hound.
He had rendered tremendous service.
Yet—
One moment of carelessness.
And disaster struck.
Zhang Xiu had focused entirely on guarding against Hang Yu.
He never imagined these Scourge Army warriors could be so dangerous.
Their abilities were diverse.
Their methods unpredictable.
Their tactics treacherous.
“I will tear every one of you into pieces!”
Zhang Xiu finally stopped holding back.
He immediately ordered Zhang Hong and the Blood Spear Battalion into battle.
At that point—
The outcome became obvious.
The players were already disadvantaged against the Black Iron Battalion.
Their efforts had merely bought enough time to surround Hu Che'er.
Now—
With the Little Spear King and Blood Spear Battalion joining the fight—
The players were driven into a hopeless situation.
But it didn't matter.
For the players—
Their objective had already been achieved.