CHAPTER 471: CHAPTER 455: END OF MIDLINE BATTLEFIELD _1

"Run... Run now!" Xiong Lie’s eyelids twitched violently. Without hesitation, he led his 300,000 confidants in a flight towards another direction, his movement technique pushed to its extreme, leaving a trail of afterimages.

"You all stay back and hold off the Qin army!"

If one were to speak of someone ruthless, it would have to be Zheng Guiqiong. Even before fleeing for his life, he ordered his confidants to remain behind as rearguards.

Facing soldiers of the Desert Long Army, battle-hardened warriors who had journeyed thousands of miles and slain countless foes, were they not sending these men to their deaths?

"Yes, sir!"

Yet, these 500,000 confidants were all deathly loyal. Despite knowing they trod a path of certain death, they did not hesitate for a moment, rallying their army souls and charging towards the Desert Long Army. They exuded an aura of embracing death!

And their leader, Zheng Guiqiong, Master of the Qionghua Sacred Land, had fled without a backward glance, terrified he might lose his life if he lingered.

The stark contrast painted an utterly ironic scene!

"Kill!"

Huo Qubing roared, his jet-black hair dancing as his figure rose, imposing as a towering God Mountain. His war lance danced, creating flurries of spear images, terrifying to behold.

Behind him, the 8,000 soldiers of the Desert Long Army had expressions as cold as ice, their gazes filled with hatred, exuding a powerful aura.

Tempered through thousands of miles of bloody battles, their potential awakened in life-and-death crises, their strength had increased by at least one entire realm.

Though numbering only a little over 8,000, the might they projected was in no way inferior to the charge of an 8,000,000-strong army!

BOOM!

As the two forces collided, weapons crossed, and over 8,000 corpses were sent flying, creating a crimson mist that stained the mountainside red.

Without exception, these more than 8,000 corpses all belonged to the soldiers of the Qionghua Sacred Land.

This devastating loss made the remaining soldiers of the Qionghua Sacred Land swallow hard, their eyes filled with terror. Yet, they still gritted their teeth and charged forward, like moths drawn to a flame.

"Die! Die! Die..."

The soldiers of the Desert Long Army roared, unleashing a suffocating killing aura. They sought revenge for their fallen brothers.

Wherever their weapons pointed, death followed.

Before long, the sounds of battle dwindled. All 500,000 soldiers of the Qionghua Sacred Land had perished.

Huo Qubing and the 8,000 soldiers of the Desert Long Army stood amidst a pool of blood. The chilling wind howled, swirling the dense Evil Qi around them, making them resemble warriors from the Netherworld.

A moment later, a streak of purple lightning rent the sky, landing on the gory battlefield.

"They’ve escaped!" Li Yuanba, carrying his twin hammers and covered in fresh blood, grumbled in frustration.

He had spotted Xiong Lie escaping and immediately gave chase. However, at the critical moment, 300,000 deathsworn warriors of the Thousand Demon Saint Court collectively self-detonated, momentarily trapping him.

In that brief interlude, Xiong Lie had torn open the Void and escaped.

"It doesn’t matter. They won’t live much longer!" Huo Qubing shook his head calmly, a cold light in his eyes.

Whether it was Zheng Guiqiong, Xiong Lie, or even the higher-ups of the Qionghua Sacred Land and the Thousand Demon Saint Court, all were marked for death.

"True enough!" Li Yuanba nodded in agreement. He then looked towards the Godfall Dao Domain, where Evil Qi roiled, licking his lips with a murderous glint in his eyes. "There’s still time for a satisfying slaughter!"

With these words, he soared into the sky, radiating a mighty Evil Qi. Countless streaks of purple lightning trailed behind him, crisscrossing the heavens as if to shatter the Void into innumerable pieces.

"Brothers, let’s go!" Huo Qubing grinned, waving his war lance, leading the Desert Long Army as they charged towards the Godfall Dao Domain, forming a pillar of bloody, malevolent light that shook heaven and earth.

On the chaotic, blood-soaked battlefield, where the funereal song of death resounded, hundreds of millions of troops from the Qionghua Sacred Land and the Thousand Demon Saint Court were routed by the Qin army, scattering like panicked rats.

The entire Godfall Dao Domain was strewn with countless bodies!

As the Desert Long Army joined the fray, many legions of the Qionghua Sacred Land and the Thousand Demon Saint Court that had previously pursued them were so terrified at the news of their arrival that they immediately dropped their weapons and surrendered.

「Three days later, this astonishing war finally came to an end!」

Regarding the Qionghua Sacred Land’s forces, all high-ranking officers were executed; only the surrender of ordinary soldiers was accepted.

As for the Thousand Demon Saint Court’s forces, all soldiers who had partaken of human flesh were exterminated. Only a little over eighty million survived, their courage utterly shattered.

They would probably never dare to consume human flesh again for the rest of their lives!

"Reporting to the General, the Desert Long Army has lost 2,991,327 soldiers. No one was wounded..."

"Reporting to the General, the Bei Wei Army lost 926,053 soldiers, with over 390,000 lightly wounded and over 450,000 severely wounded..."

"Reporting to the General, the Overlord Cavalry has lost 1,600,000 men, with 110,000 lightly wounded and over 300,000 severely wounded..."

On the bloody battlefield, the three great armies stood atop piles of bones and remains, arrayed in neat formations.

A series of low, somber voices echoed across the battlefield.

Though they had won this battle, everyone’s expression was grave, devoid of any celebratory joy.

The main forces of the Qionghua Sacred Land and the Thousand Demon Saint Court were annihilated, with over 600,000,000 enemies killed and over 400,000,000 captured. This was considered the greatest military victory since the founding of the Great Qin Dynasty.

The soldiers were proud to have participated in this battle. The generals, for commanding this battle, would be recorded in the annals of history, having gained supreme honor.

However, Yue Fei, Xiang Yu, and Huo Qubing were all grief-stricken and felt a sense of helplessness.

A general’s triumph is built upon a myriad of bleached bones!

From the Qin Dynasty’s standpoint, they had saved the nation and protected hundreds of millions of its people.

"Alas!" Nearby, Guan Yu stroked his magnificent beard and could not help but sigh. War is always cruel. Even in victory, sorrow far outweighs joy.

Zhang Fei, Ma Chao, Huang Zhong, and the others deeply empathized with this sentiment.

It was currently the afternoon of the sixth day of the New Year. Blood-red clouds obscured the sun, casting an exceptionally oppressive atmosphere over the battlefield. The cold wind howled, its mournful cries like the wailing of vengeful spirits.

Broken weapons lay scattered, thrust haphazardly into the earth, emitting an eerie crimson glow.

As far as the eye could see, all the waterways in the entire Godfall Dao Domain had turned crimson, resembling scars upon the earth.

「Imperial Capital!」

Strands of Fortune flowed from the west, converging into the Sea of Fortune, which radiated with myriad colorful lights. The Fortune Golden Dragon coiled within, its divine might vast and profound, appearing exceptionally majestic.

"Your Majesty, a report of great victory from the front lines!" In the Imperial Study, Zhuge Liang walked in, his face alight with joy, holding a memorial. "A complete victory on the central front! We have annihilated the main forces of the Qionghua Sacred Land and the Thousand Demon Saint Court, killing over 600,000,000 enemies and capturing over 400,000,000!"

Qin Wudao was momentarily stunned. He took the victory report and read it through, his heart leaping with immense joy.

The report was comprehensive. Besides detailing the battle’s outcome, it also described the course of the conflict. This included Huo Qubing’s 10,000-mile forced march to pin down the main forces of the Qionghua Sacred Land and the Thousand Demon Saint Court, thereby buying crucial time for reinforcements on the southern front.

"Good! Good! Good!" Qin Wudao exclaimed three times in succession, his blood surging with excitement merely from reading the battle report.

"Issue the command!" Qin Wudao stood up, his spirits soaring, his voice resonant. "Launch a general offensive against the Kylin Dao Domain! We shall unify the East Border!"

A formidable imperial aura emanated from him, coalescing into a terrifying battle intent that seemed to surge into the heavens, potent enough to shake the entire continent.