No one dared to move!
Just moments ago, the martial saints of Longting had exuded a fierce and intimidating presence, but now they were as docile as frightened rabbits, hardly daring to breathe.
Only the low-ranking soldiers, oblivious to the gravity of the situation, continued their reckless charges, consumed by thoughts of promotion and wealth. In their minds, they believed that the stronger fighters on their side would naturally keep any formidable foes in check. The idea that they should even consider the enemy's power never crossed their minds.
Unbeknownst to them, the formidable warriors from their own ranks were trembling with fear, resembling quails in the face of danger. The soldiers' shouts echoed around them, but the six martial saints in Longting felt a surge of anxiety. They feared provoking the great emperor into unleashing his wrath upon them.
At that moment, Zhou Huangye realized the truth: his royal ancestor had summoned the envoy for a reason. With the powerful martial emperors now present, who could possibly stand against them?
Though Zhou Huangye and his comrades felt intimidated by Emperor Qingyun's overwhelming presence, Orion remained unfazed.
"Yuan Zuozong!" Orion commanded, his voice cold and resolute.
"The end is here!"
"Luo Yi!"
"The end is here!"
"Lead the army to attack and crush the forces opposite us! Leave no survivors!"
Orion's intent was clear: to seize the luck that had so conveniently presented itself and eradicate every last one of them.
"Understood!"
In response to Orion's orders, Yuan Zuozong and Luo Yi surged with murderous intent. Yuan Zuozong raised his hand, and the 100,000 dragon cavalry behind him erupted from their petrified formations, transforming into a formidable charge.
"Dragon Cavalry, attack!" Yuan Zuozong roared, embodying the spearhead of their assault with his martial prowess.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!" The thunderous war cries of the dragon cavalry shook the very heavens, sending chills down the spines of the aristocratic soldiers facing them.
A wave of fear washed over those charging soldiers, momentarily paralyzing their courage. Despite their training as martial arts masters, the fear induced by the dragon cavalry's imposing presence was palpable.
However, Zhou Huangye's earlier promises of wealth and promotion rekindled the fire of greed in their hearts. With fervent shouts, they rushed to engage, imagining that each kill would bring them closer to their dreams of kingship and fortune.
"Kill! One enemy down means enough food and wealth! Two, and we're set for promotion!" they bellowed, their faces twisted with bloodthirsty anticipation.
But reality struck hard as the dragon cavalry tore through their ranks like a hot knife through butter. Dreams of glory shattered in an instant.
Boom!
The noble soldiers were sent flying by the thunderous hooves of the charging cavalry. Some were trampled beneath the roaring warhorses, while others found themselves scattered and crushed underfoot.
Although these soldiers possessed martial prowess, they lacked any cohesive formation. They were merely a collection of warriors from various aristocratic families, unable to cooperate effectively in battle.
In isolation, they might have been skilled, but in the chaos of combat against a well-trained and disciplined enemy, it was nothing short of a massacre.
Gradually, the smiles that had adorned their faces faded, replaced by panic as they realized their numbers were dwindling. They were not accumulating military exploits but instead were being hunted like prey.
"No! Don't kill me!"
"Let me go! I'll retreat!"
"I'm a Martial King! I surrender! I can serve as your slave army—just don't kill me!"
Their bravado crumbled into desperate pleas for mercy. It wasn't that they lacked the will to fight; it was simply impossible against such overwhelming odds. Their attacks met with no resistance, and instead, they found their own weapons turning against them.
In the moments of their shock and confusion, the dragon cavalry's onslaught descended upon them like a scythe.
Cultivation, strategy, equipment—all these advantages were brutally stripped away, leaving them vulnerable and exposed. The once-proud ranks of the noble army disintegrated as swiftly as snow under the sun.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Luo Yi led the Eighteen Cavalry into fierce combat against several martial arts masters from the Great Zhou Dynasty. Although the Eighteen Cavalry bore injuries, they were peak-level Martial Saints, a force to be reckoned with.
Facing them were only six of the Zhou Dynasty's martial saints—a stunning imbalance!
But Orion, ever the strategist, opted not to let the Eighteen Cavalry swarm their opponents. After all, he knew that a siege would mean penalties on his luck values. Instead, he proposed a fair fight: six against six.
Zhou Huangye watched in disbelief as the Eighteen Cavalry revealed their might.
"Eighteen? Martial Saints?!" he gasped, incredulity twisting his features. "No, this can't be! How could that little wretch Orion command such power?"
The appearance of a martial emperor was enough to shake him to his core, and now he was confronted with the realization that Orion commanded not just one but a total of twenty martial saints—an unfathomable force.
The truth began to dawn on him: "Could it be that Orion hails from the Upper Domain?"
The thought sent shivers down his spine. How else could he explain the existence of such strength? The upper realm was not a place to be trifled with—an ironclad rule among the transcendent forces!
In the past, the Dongzhou Continent had been unified under a single superpower, but that dynasty had fallen after offending a minor envoy from an upper realm force. Now, the balance of power was precarious, with multiple factions vying for dominance.
As realization settled in, a wave of dread washed over Zhou Huangye. He was facing an enemy he could not afford to underestimate.