Chapter 1919: As If Entering an Uninhabited Territory

This is a distinctive feature of the Longye tribe. Some Longye people even make sectioned whips from the long antennae of beetles, leading the Luodian people to jokingly call them the "Bug Shell Tribe."

But now, the Luodian people found no humor in them; they could only grind their teeth in seething hatred.

When the dust and smoke could no longer obscure them, the Luodian soldiers were astonished to realize that these were not the Black Armored Army at all!

Just as a rake has many teeth and leaves the ground loose and grooved, the original intent of this order was for the Luodian army to disperse into small teams, avoiding concentration in one place, to better withstand the impending charge.

Those wearing dark yellow surcoats and wielding gleaming scimitars were members of the Kasha tribe.

Those in light leather armor, with shoulder guards that were either green or black, and some even featuring irregular stripes, were from the Longye tribe.

Qu Ruhai urgently commanded, "Form into columns and spread out, quickly!"

The Illusionary Music Spiders were named for their venom's powerful numbing and hallucinogenic effects, which can disorient prey or induce vivid illusions. Dong Rui had used this venom to create a painkiller, but the spider venom itself was so potent that even weaker humans could die from extreme overstimulation.

Luodian soldiers, protected by primal energy, were immune to the illusions. Yet, even severely weakened, the spider venom still caused a slight relaxation in their muscles and spirits, making them feel lethargic and unmotivated.

This wasn't all; the Luodian people then noticed the shadows of demonic beasts behind the giant elephants.

Wolves, bears, tigers, and leopards, in astonishing numbers, charged alongside the Kasha tribesmen without conflict. Dozens of giant wolves looked strikingly familiar, with white spots on their foreheads; Qu Ruhai recognized them at once as Northern Wolves from the Northern Plains Forest.

Could it be that the Great Emperor of Nine Serenities had subdued all the monsters from the northern mountains and forests too?

This was illogical. If the monsters of the Northern Plains were so easily managed, the You tribe would have settled there long ago, and there wouldn't be so many uninhabited zones.

In just a few months since they last met, how much had this fellow truly achieved?

Just then, a wild boar as large as an ox charged towards him, its body encased in a thick layer of mud. His personal guards fired three arrows in quick succession; only when the last arrow struck its eye did the massive beast finally fall.

The Luodian army was currently split into five or six sections by the charging giant elephants and enemy cavalry. Although they had fought several major battles in Yaoguo, they had never faced an enemy formation like this and were momentarily thrown into disarray, suffering significant casualties.

Qu Ruhai calmly took command.

The Great Emperor of Nine Serenities employed the elephant formation and demonic beast hordes as a surprise force, charging through their ranks as if unopposed, indeed striking fear into the enemy's hearts.

No wonder He Xiao dared to place the battlefield on an open plain; this terrain was, in fact, far more advantageous for giant elephant charges.

Any other army might have collapsed at the first impact, unable to organize any effective resistance.

But the Luodian army was different!

Even amidst the chaotic scene and their seemingly bleak situation, Qu Ruhai still believed they held the advantage, for a simple reason:

He had more soldiers!

Their own well-trained army numbered over thirty-five thousand, whereas the combined strength of the two enemy forces, including elephant soldiers and demonic hordes, totaled no more than four or five thousand!

An eightfold difference in troop numbers was not a gap that giant elephants and demonic hordes could bridge. This had to be a weakness He Xiao was desperate to conceal, which was why he unleashed the elephant soldiers at the very beginning, aiming for a decisive opening blow to seize the initiative.

Despite enduring such an assault, the Luodian army, though disorganized and retreating, did not collapse!

The Luodian people were the plains' finest warriors, resilient and courageous; they would not be intimidated by temporary difficulties.

Once the giant elephants' momentum waned and they were forced to turn, the Luodian army could then launch its counterattack!

Therefore, Qu Ruhai's orders were relayed one after another, all aimed at reorganizing their formations and reshaping the army's vanguard.

His opponent had another fatal weakness:

Primal energy.

The primal energy of the Luodian people was quite formidable across the entire Glimmering Gold Plain; originally, only Yaoguo could compare.

However, the Great Emperor of Nine Serenities' army—this seemingly powerful mixed force of demons and humans—showed no glow of primal energy.

The two armies had only just engaged for less than two rounds, so it was too early to determine a victor. But once the battle reached a stalemate, the crucial role of primal energy would immediately become apparent.

Their side would benefit from less energy consumption, heavier defenses, and stronger resistance to divine powers and spells, often allowing them to endure longer.

Holding these two major advantages, Qu Ruhai's resolve for battle was unwavering.

Only one thing made him uneasy:

The Black Armored Army to the north remained arrayed in front, completely motionless. They hadn't even taken advantage of the chaos to launch a charge; otherwise, if their army's front and flanks were attacked simultaneously, they would surely be in even greater disarray.

He gazed at the Great Emperor of Nine Serenities on the hillside; the figure remained like a statue, while the Black Spotted King beneath him merely flicked its tail a few times.

This fellow was calmly observing the battlefield; did he have some hidden trick up his sleeve?

The Great Emperor of Nine Serenities only brought four to five thousand people, yet dared to directly confront the Luodian army led by Qu Ruhai. Did this indicate he was extremely confident—that he could fight and win?

Although the Luodian army possessed primal energy, the individual power gap between the elephant demons and human soldiers was too immense—a gap that primal energy simply could not bridge.

Some clever Luodian cavalrymen attempted to ride away, but before they had gone more than a few yards, the hairy elephants surprisingly sprayed out sticky webs, directly pulling them from their horses!

Only upon closer inspection did everyone discover that some giant elephants also had long-legged, black-and-patterned spiders clinging to them. Hidden beneath the long fur and obscured by the dim light, they had gone unnoticed in the initial encounters.

In an instant, the elephant horde crashed into the Luodian army's flank.

The sight was like a great wave crashing upon the shore, splattering crimson everywhere!

Although the Luodian army had dispersed to evade, the consequences of this collision were even more severe than Qu Ruhai had imagined. This was because the Luodian people did not know that the charging elephant horde generated an invisible wall of air. Even if they avoided the elephant demons, they could not escape the impact of this air wall.

When He Lingchuan first subdued the elephant horde, even the Illusion Sect cultivators suffered greatly from this very tactic. How much more devastating would it be for these Luodian soldiers?

First, men and horses were sent flying, then they were crushed into a bloody paste.

These monstrous accomplices!

Their shoulder guards were neither leather nor metal, but rather the outer shells of a locally abundant, extra-large beetle, also known as carapace. Tough enough to deflect blades and spears, they were also extraordinarily light.

After capturing the Luodian soldiers, they swiftly wrapped them into cocoons, then bit their prey and injected venom.

These were not Cave Spiders, but Illusionary Music Spiders from the northern forest. The three spider nests originally had three leaders; two of whom were devoured alive by Granny Zhu during single combat. The remaining one, finding fortune in disaster, now commanded the entire spider horde.

However, in the dim light and dust, there was also the thunder of hooves.

There was cavalry!

No one dared to directly confront this horde of elephant demons. No one.

While these monsters were formidable in their charge, they were very clumsy when turning. The Luodian army first needed to evade their initial thrust, and once their momentum was spent, they could then stab and shoot arrows into the backsides of these massive, moving targets.

Of course there was cavalry; Qu Ruhai was not surprised, but his heart grew heavier. Since giant elephants were clearing the way, cavalry would naturally follow to exploit the breaches and maximize the battle's outcome.

But these cavalrymen roared so loudly, completely unlike the silent Black Armored Army directly in front.