CHAPTER 390: CHAPTER 390: IF THE ENEMY CAN GO, SO CAN I

The originally one-sided massacre turned into a fierce and bloody confrontation, with severed limbs flying in the air on the blood-soaked battlefield, and even the heavy rain couldn’t mask the pervasive metallic stench of blood.

Witnessing this scene, the once-composed Centaur Centurion widened his eyes, vaguely sensing something was amiss.

How did these humans become so fierce?

In fact, during the previous war of attrition, the Centaur officers, led by Hong Jila, had already noticed a sign.

The soldiers of Da Zhen were significantly stronger in terms of power, resilience, and endurance than expected!

But since they were battling against vassal cannon fodder and it was a siege defense, the Centaurs didn’t have a tangible sense of it.

However, now on the defenseless plains, the charging Centaur formations faced the exhausted and uncoordinated infantry, which was supposed to be a straightforward slaughter!

But, strangely enough, the enemy erupted with terrifying combat strength, turning the slaughter into a meat-grinding battle!

Watching his Centaur soldiers fall one by one, Chigumantu felt as if his heart was being torn apart.

These were his pureblooded troops, his foundation for survival, and the most elite guards of the Golden Court!

Even against the elite of Da Zhen, these young men could take on ten at a time!

If hundreds formed a unit and used brilliant tactics, they could even annihilate an infantry army without a scratch!

During the previous western expeditions, they had achieved extremely exaggerated kill ratios more than once.

Teams of just over a dozen dared to chase hundreds or thousands!

Whether human or other races, when facing the Centaur army, known for speed and strength, they could only be smashed to pieces in the end.

But now, they fell in droves under the swords and spears of the Da Zhen soldiers.

This couldn’t be explained by the saying "a desperate army will win!"

Suddenly, a ludicrous thought surfaced in Chigumantu’s mind.

Could the intelligence be true, and Da Zhen has started universally spreading supreme skills?

This previously assertive intelligence seemed like a joke to the Centaurs.

In any country, top-level skills are a scarce resource monopolized by the upper nobility, the foundation of their family legacy, so how could it spread easily?

Even if ultimate skills did appear on the market in large-scale spread, the nobles would quickly suppress it, to prevent anyone from threatening their status.

Selfishness and hoarding are biological instincts; Chigumantu didn’t believe the Emperor of Da Zhen could defy human nature to promote the spread of skills!

But the brutal reality in front of him couldn’t be faked, and the desperate Da Zhen soldiers nearly achieved a three-to-one exchange ratio with the Imperial Guard.

For every three Da Zhen soldiers killed, one Imperial Guard would fall!

It should be known that these guys had been fighting for days on end, while his own Imperial Guard had been conserving their energy!

Even resting and waiting led to this, what if they were to fight on equal terms, wouldn’t it be an even exchange?

At this thought, Chigumantu shivered all over.

As a natural cavalry race, Centaurs are inherently stronger than humans, but their reproduction is also more difficult.

Moreover, competing national power against that ancient empire to the south is a nightmare for every generation of the Grassland Empire.

Outlasting ten to one is impossible, let alone one to one!

Gritting his teeth, despite his heart’s reluctance, Chigumantu still issued the order.

"Sound the retreat!"

"Doooo~"

The deep horn sound pierced through the rain screen, echoing eerily in the battlefield, as the ceaselessly battling Centaurs heeded the signal, disengaging in an orderly manner and regrouping.

Simultaneously, the Da Zhen soldiers also seized the chance to reform their battle formations, facing off against the enemy from a distance.

Attempting to draw their bows and shoot, but the rain softened the bowstrings, rendering the arrows powerless, Chigumantu gritted his teeth and glared at the sky.

"Damn heavens..."

However, in a field battle environment, cavalry holds absolute initiative, and the Da Zhen army dared not move, causing a stalemate between the sides.

But as time passed, Chigumantu suddenly realized that the opposing army’s morale was visibly declining at a rapid pace.

Many couldn’t even hold their weapons, some couldn’t even stand, uncontrollably collapsing to the ground.

His eyes lit up, and Chigumantu involuntarily curled his lips into a sinister smile.

"I thought the supreme divine skills were so powerful, turns out they just overdraw life..."

Immediately, Chigumantu looked around and viciously waved his hand.

"They’re exhausted, crush them!"

"Understood!"

The subordinate Thousand Households received the orders, and the world’s most powerful cavalry charge commenced once again.

But this time, the Da Zhen’s army had no strength to retaliate, the thoroughly exhausted soldiers couldn’t even lift a finger, merely watching helplessly as the surging iron hooves blinded their vision and crushed them into fragments, trampling them into the mud.

"Kill, kill, kill! Advance! Break Luxia Pass!"

.........

"What? The enemy broke through three passes? Sweeping across miles?"

Just upon reaching Yong State, Zhu Haomiao was caught off guard, with refugees dragging their families fleeing to the hinterland all along the way.

Amid the chaotic crowd, Zhu Haomiao found several officials. After inquiring about the situation, he fell into silence.

The aftereffects of the Yue King’s fall were more severe than he expected.

When the enemy attacked the pass carrying Luo Ming’s head, the defenders’ morale plummeted instantly.

With the most elite and capable frontline troops annihilated during the retreat, the remaining second and third-line troops almost crumbled at the touch, allowing the Centaur invaders to sweep through most of Yong State within days.

"Are there still any organized resistance forces?"

"None, those four-legged beasts have scattered the defending forces, then ran rampant, pillaging everywhere, turning the whole land of Yong State into a living hell. Duke Yu, you must avenge us!"

The speaking official knelt, clutching the leg of the black-robed youth, crying in anguish.

His entire family, over fifty people, had perished, his parents and spouse slaughtered by the chaotic army. Had it not been for a remaining thought of vengeance, he would have given up long ago.

"Rest assured, now that I’m here, everything will get better."

Helping the official up, the youth’s gentle words carried an inexplicable magical power, soothing his agitated emotions effortlessly, and stirred up his inner hatred, rousing a high fighting spirit.

"Entrust the frontal combat to us, but you need to organize the people and manage logistics; can you do it?"

The once chaotic and crazed gaze gradually focused and condensed, the official’s eyes, filled with hatred, tinged with determination, nodded fiercely.

"I can!"

"Very well, soon the New Army from various provinces will converge on Yong State, using it as a springboard to exit the pass for a western campaign, your task is heavy."

Patting the official’s shoulder, Zhu Haomiao deliberately let slip information, causing an incredulous joy to erupt in his eyes.

"Exit the pass?"

Seeing this, the black-robed youth smiled and nodded slightly.

"If the invaders can come, so can we."