Chapter 305: One Strike, One Kill

Meanwhile, they still had over twenty boats on the river that had not yet landed.

"We can win!" Zhao Pan declared, his resolve firm. He let out a long laugh. "My lads, push these scoundrels back to the river! I want to personally see that old bandit Nian jump into the river!"

From the moment he gave that order, the Wren soldiers overcame their initial panic and began to compose themselves, organizing a counterattack.

The army, which had been contracting, began to push back, gradually forcing their way north.

Every inch of advance was accompanied by rivers of blood.

However, the Xunzhou army did not retreat to the riverbank. Instead, they withdrew west under pressure.

The terrain to the west was higher, with a vast expanse of open country behind them.

They understood that if they were forced to the riverbank and still couldn't resist, it would be a dead end.

He Lingchuan swung his Soaring Dragon Spear, killing several people. He heard a scream nearby and saw a Wren soldier whose head had been blown apart by cannon fire. Half his scalp was peeled back, dangling precariously by his ear. By the light of the fires, He Lingchuan could see red and white matter oozing from his skull.

He fell to the ground but was not immediately dead; he only knew to reach out to the others, wailing continuously.

He Lingchuan, at last, relented. He thrust his spear, piercing the man's throat.

The man died instantly, a release for him.

As He Lingchuan withdrew his spear, he glanced at the overall battlefield. He saw vast seas of people on both sides, with shouts of battle and screams of agony intertwined. Cannons and catapults added to the fray, sending dirt, stones, flesh, and blood splattering everywhere.

This scene was a true hellscape.

In a daze, he suddenly recalled that, whether in reality or dream, this was his first time experiencing a large-scale battle firsthand, with sixty to seventy thousand people from both sides fighting on the field.

Chaos was the dominant theme here; individual power in such a massive battle was too insignificant to be worth mentioning.

Yet, just as this realization dawned on him, over a hundred cavalry suddenly charged out from the woods not far behind the Wren army, heading straight for the Wren army's commander-in-chief.

The closer they got, the faster they went.

The horses were excellent, and the riders' horsemanship was even more superb. Wren soldiers along the way either didn't react in time or were just about to raise their blades, only to be effortlessly cut down from their horses.

In the midst of the chaotic battle, these hundred-plus cavalry were like a sharp dagger thrust directly into the heart of the Wren army. The knight at the "tip of the blade" had a terrifying aura, cutting down enemies as if slicing vegetables, moving as if through uninhabited land.

Along his path, some soldiers were swept away by the surging energy wave before they could even get close.

In just a few breaths, these hundred-plus cavalry, amid the clamorous dust, tore through the Wren army's outer defenses.

He Lingchuan glanced back, his pupils constricting sharply. He immediately spurred his horse and charged towards the high ground:

The one riding at the very front of that troop was none other than Hong Chenglue!

He had seized the perfect moment. The Xunzhou soldiers were being forced back step by step by the Wren army, which meant the Wren army would naturally have to dispatch troops to pursue them towards the riverbank, thereby reducing the number of guards around their commander-in-chief.

But no matter how few, that layer of close guards still numbered four to five hundred, all elite Wren soldiers.

In the chaos and panic, no one noticed He Lingchuan throwing something.

Hong Chenglue seemed to pay them no mind at all. As the guards roared and stepped forward to intercept him, Hong Chenglue nudged his horse's flanks with his legs. The steed suddenly accelerated, and he seized the opportunity to swing his arm, hurling his long spear like a javelin!

The power and speed of this move were truly no less than that of the Great Wind Army.

Moreover, the spear shaft crackled with blue light, sparking and flashing along its path, imbued with the power of lightning!

Its speed was so great that two elite guards nearby, attempting to intercept it, missed completely.

The spear tip was aimed directly at He Chunhua, who was being protected by everyone!

Hong Chenglue had hidden in the forest for a long time. Even as the Xun people retreated north in defeat, he paid no attention, solely focused on waiting for the perfect opportunity to settle accounts with the murderer of his wife.

The moment He Chunhua turned his head, he saw the blinding flash of lightning and was scared out of his wits.

He tried to dodge, but the powerful qi of the spear locked onto him, seemingly immobilizing him; he couldn't even turn his neck.

Hong Chenglue had concentrated the primal energy of over a hundred people onto himself, determined to succeed with a single spear thrust.

Just as the long spear was about to reach him in an instant and pierce through He Chunhua's skull, in that very instant, a yellow light flashed about ten feet in front of He Chunhua. A tall figure, solid as a mountain, appeared, completely shielding He Chunhua!

The long spear plunged into this figure with a dull thud, going in one side and out the other, piercing it clean through.

Although its momentum was not exhausted and it tried to continue through to pierce He Chunhua, this figure reached out and grabbed the spear's shaft, pulled it out, and threw it away!

No blood flowed from the wound, and lightning still coursed through its body, but it still stood tall, facing Hong Chenglue.

The soldiers nearby gasped in surprise and felt immense relief.

Sweat from He Chunhua's brow only now began to trickle down.

Standing in front of him was a bronze automaton in golden armor, over fifteen feet tall!

He, of course, knew this was a new "toy" his son had made; just two days ago, he had seen it strolling in the small grove. He Chunhua hadn't expected it would be put to use so quickly.

Without the automaton as a shield, even surrounded by a hundred soldiers, he would likely still have lost his head.

Although his vision was obstructed, He Chunhua didn't have time to clearly see the attacker's face, yet he immediately guessed who it was, and a chill ran through him.

The unease of the past few days had come true; Hong Chenglue had indeed arrived.

There was deep-seated animosity between them; one of them had to die here.

The golden armored automaton's sudden appearance overwhelmed two Wren cavalrymen. Hong Chenglue was only about thirty feet away from it, and at his current horse speed, he could reach it in an instant.

Everyone watched as Hong Chenglue, practically man and horse combined, crashed head-on into the golden armored automaton's embrace!

Such astonishing impact made even the firmly rooted golden armored automaton stumble, taking a step back before regaining its balance.

Of course, under He Lingchuan's control, it wouldn't miss this opportunity. Its two arms closed in a bear hug, intending to crush Hong Chenglue against its chest.

He Lingchuan had learned this move from Meng Shan.

Unfortunately, Hong Chenglue's movements were as agile as Meng Shan's had been. Though his horse collided with the automaton's copper skin and iron bones, breaking its tendons and bones and letting out a long, mournful whinny, Hong Chenglue himself used the momentum to leap and drew his waist saber!

The fierce, brutal gleam of that saber was difficult to describe in words.

The golden armored automaton's movements abruptly halted, and a crack appeared on its thick neck.

If it were human, blood would have gushed from its neck at this moment.

Hong Chenglue used its shoulder as a pivot, pushing off, and lunged at He Chunhua again.

Just after being blocked by the golden armored automaton, He Chunhua turned around and sprinted frantically in the opposite direction, ignoring his disheveled state.

Unfortunately, he was surrounded by people who now became obstacles in his path.

He Chunhua simply hid behind two tall men.

Hong Chenglue lunged forward. Regardless of how brave these two men were, he sliced them both in half with a single strike!

Just at this moment, the corner of his eye caught a flash of cold light—a long saber hurled directly at him.

The saber's qi was ferocious, and Hong Chenglue dared not be careless. He had to cancel his prepared strike midway and first bat the saber away.

With a crisp *ding*, the Floating Life Saber flew sideways.

He Chunhua used this moment to pull something from his sleeve.

Hong Chenglue let out a long laugh. His figure blurred, suddenly appearing behind He Chunhua, and with a backhand swing, delivered a saber strike!

Three or four flashes of light erupted from He Chunhua's body in quick succession, appearing only to vanish instantly. They were protective magical artifacts activating, only to be instantly shattered.

Using this time, he managed to take one more step.

"Father!" He Lingchuan, who had just ridden up, was greatly alarmed by the sight.

He watched as Hong Chenglue's saber tip swept past He Chunhua's neck!

Agile, swift... merciless!

He Chunhua instantly lost his balance and fell to the ground, clutching his neck.

Hong Chenglue was about to step forward to check when he unexpectedly felt a slight breeze behind his head. He sharply turned his head, only to see the long saber from earlier shooting towards him from mid-air.

From that angle, there was no one.

This weapon had the ability to return and pursue.

In the nick of time, Hong Chenglue struck it away again.

The long saber spun twice in the air before flying into He Lingchuan's hand.

It had the characteristic of not resting until it wounded its target, but its master had now recalled it to defend against the enemy.

The moment the saber was in hand, the Azure Steed accelerated, and He Lingchuan passed by Hong Chenglue.

With a resounding *clang* of metal, its reverberations long and lingering, the resulting wave of qi knocked the surrounding soldiers off their feet.

He Lingchuan, on horseback, also reeled backward, blood oozing from the web between his thumb and forefinger.

His previous strike, fueled by rage, poured with all his physical and primal energy, and the full power of the Azure Steed, finally unleashed the most perfect Wave Slash he had ever executed.

His essence, qi, and spirit were all at their peak.

Even the large tent ten feet behind Hong Chenglue had its tent pole, thicker than a bowl, snapped in half.

However, this saber strike felt like chopping into an unyielding pillar. Not only did it fail to cut Hong Chenglue in half, but He Lingchuan himself was so severely jolted that the web between his thumb and forefinger split, and his internal organs felt like they had been struck by a heavy hammer.

One must know that Hong Chenglue was standing on the ground, moving from a static position, and had directly withstood his saber strike.

After just this one exchange, He Lingchuan basically determined that Hong Chenglue's skill was probably no less than Commander Xiao's.

Hong Chenglue himself also retreated three large steps, each footprint deeper than the last. He only barely managed to dissipate the impact from his body, preventing himself from falling onto his backside.

He Lingchuan was distressed, and Hong Chenglue was also uncomfortable; his treasured saber almost flew out of his hand. The opponent's force, transmitted from the blade, was both hot and cold, drilling into his meridians, and would cause trouble if not dealt with promptly.

Only he himself knew that a surge of qi and blood roiled in his chest, and his internal organs had indeed suffered some shock.

The saber strike unleashed by this youth was complete in spirit and brimming with energy; its angle and killing intent were impeccable. The only flaw, perhaps, was that it wasn't cunning enough.

If he were allowed to grow, within five years, the Wren Kingdom would gain another great general.

Thinking of this, Hong Chenglue's killing intent flared up instantly.

He recognized this lad. During the Hundred Cries Valley negotiations a few days ago, this lad had stood beside He Chunhua; he must be He Lingchuan, the eldest son of that official.

Baili Qing had his arm severed by this lad's saber strike. It now seemed that his defeat was not unwarranted.

What a pity that a treacherous person like He Chunhua should have such a fierce and capable son.

Unfortunately, this delay allowed the surrounding Wren soldiers to surge forward like a tide, surrounding Hong Chenglue in the center and separating him from the He father and son by layers of bodies.

Hong Chenglue could only give He Lingchuan a regretful glance.

He Lingchuan also had no time to bother with him anymore. He immediately dismounted and rushed to He Chunhua: "Father!"

Since his transmigration, he had lived with the He family for several months. His relationship with this nominal father, He Chunhua, was actually subtle—distant yet wary. However, seeing him fall to the ground with a critical stab wound, He Lingchuan's heart leaped into his throat.

He Chunhua was the commander-in-chief of the Xiazhou army; how could he fall at a time like this!