Undying Life

Chapter 310: Chapter 310: Ambush

Zhong Shan led his million-strong army into Da Ye City. The scene was incredibly tragic; the millions of city residents had turned into corpses, transforming the city into a massive graveyard, filled with death and despair. The soldiers couldn't help but break out in cold sweat, secretly thankful that if not for the commander's foresight, they might have become one of these lifeless corpses.

Although Da Ye City had become a dead land, it also represented a treasure trove. All the shops and resources within the city were now unguarded, all belonging to Zhong Shan. However, Zhong Shan did not immediately send people to collect the wealth; instead, he quickly issued a series of commands to set a trap.

"Shui Wuhen!" Zhong Shan called out.

"Here!" Shui Wuhen responded immediately.

"Close the eastern, western, and northern gates, leaving only the southern gate open. Have our soldiers put on our armor and dress the corpses of the city residents near the southern gate, scattering them around to create the appearance that our army was annihilated by the Nefarious Demon." Zhong Shan instructed.

"Yes!" Shui Wuhen quickly complied and set about the arrangements.

"Find some high-ranking officers, disguise them to look extremely haggard and miserable, and have them mourn over the corpses near the southern gate." Zhong Shan continued.

"Yes!" Shui Wuhen answered once more.

"Attack anyone who enters the city indiscriminately, attacking with rage. Let them flee if they escape, do not chase them. The role they are playing is that of soldiers who have lost their sanity." Zhong Shan stated firmly.

"Yes!" Shui Wuhen affirmed.

"Everyone else, prepare. Some of you go to the city walls, get ready to use the Break-the-Sky arrows for an ambush. Others, hide in areas where they can block divine senses, waiting for my command." Zhong Shan directed.

"Yes!" The generals responded in unison and began their preparations.

Da Ye City returned to a state of eerie quietness, with only the occasional heart-wrenching cries echoing in the air.

Zhong Shan, ignoring the temptation of the city's wealth, instead set up a well-crafted ambush. As expected, the next day, a massive army appeared outside Da Ye City, coming from the south as Zhong Shan had predicted. Leading them was none other than Xiao Yuandeng, who previously garrisoned the area.

"Commander, we have returned," a general beside Xiao Yuandeng said with a sigh.

"Yes, let's hope Zhong Shan has perished inside." Xiao Yuandeng frowned and said.

In the distance, a scout quickly flew over, bearing some injuries.

"Reporting to the commander, the interior is filled with countless casualties, especially the bodies of soldiers from the Daluo Heavenly Dynasty, scattered everywhere. Some survivors are wailing in grief. When our men entered, they were attacked madly by these survivors." The scout quickly reported.

"Move out!" Xiao Yuandeng waved his hand, and the army headed toward the southern gate.

As they reached the city gate, the "remaining soldiers" inside suddenly stopped crying, each showing a look of "fear."

"Protect the commander!" shouted one of the "remaining soldiers" who had a knack for acting.

Then, the "remaining soldiers" within the city flew towards the inner city, leaving only one or two people still "immersed" in their grief.

"Something's wrong, Zhong Shan isn't dead, he's trying to escape. Let's go!" Xiao Yuandeng decided immediately and rushed into the city.

The army also swarmed into the city, chasing in the direction where the "remaining soldiers" had fled. Xiao Yuandeng led the chase, with the generals following closely behind. Although the regular soldiers couldn't keep up, they also charged into the city with all their might.

From the city wall, Zhong Shan smiled slightly, "This Xiao Yuandeng really can't keep his cool. If he had waited a bit longer, he might have gotten crucial information from the fleeing civilians. But now...."

Zhong Shan's eyes flashed with ruthlessness as he shouted, "Fire!"

In an instant, numerous silhouettes appeared on the city wall. Soldiers of the Daluo army suddenly raised their Break-the-Sky arrows and launched them towards the men below.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

...Xiao Yuandeng had fallen into the trap. In this first volley of arrows, nearly 150,000 soldiers were struck down.

But the Break-the-Sky arrows were far from few. In no time, they were drawn again, aimed at the soldiers packed like an ant colony in the city. Another volley rained down, causing countless casualties.

As Xiao Yuandeng charged into the city, he suddenly heard sounds from the city wall in the distance and knew immediately that something was wrong. He turned his head to look.

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

From hidden positions around the city, large numbers of troops suddenly emerged, charging at his forces with overwhelming killing intent.

"Form ranks!" a commander from the Daguang army shouted.

The troops quickly tried to form up to resist, but the arrows from the city wall, like death's summons, harvested lives like cutting wheat, preventing them from organizing effectively.

By the time the Daluo soldiers arrived, nearly 400,000 had already fallen, and those remaining were in disarray, lacking discipline and organization. Under the assault of the wolf cavalry, they became even more chaotic.

Defeat! Defeat! Defeat!

There was no suspense; with Zhong Shan's thorough preparation, countless lives were lost. When Xiao Yuandeng looked back at the city wall, he realized he had underestimated the enemy. Truly underestimated!

What to do? A counterattack was impossible; there was no time to organize. It was a massacre! Escaping into the city to regroup was also not an option. Xiao Yuandeng knew the city would be another trap laid by Zhong Shan.

"Retreat, retreat from the city!" Xiao Yuandeng shouted.

Clearing a path through the rain of arrows, he led the remaining troops out of the city in a hasty retreat. On the battlefield, prepared archers are often the most terrifying, and those who had been shooting into the city now turned and fired at the fleeing Daguang soldiers, attacking them furiously.

Defeat! Defeat! Defeat!

It was a disastrous defeat. Xiao Yuandeng fled in ignominy.

"Wuhen, I'm leaving you with 400,000 troops. Remember, only allow 5,000 soldiers to quickly loot all the wealth in the city using special storage bracelets, and then report back to you. Destroy the storage bracelets afterward," Zhong Shan ordered Shui Wuhen.

"Yes!" Shui Wuhen responded promptly.

"Guard the city well until we return," Zhong Shan instructed.

"Yes!" Shui Wuhen responded again.

"Zhao Chuan, let's go!" Zhong Shan called to Zhao Chuan.

Then, the army quickly set off in pursuit. It was the perfect time for a chase, to pursue and eliminate Xiao Yuandeng.

Xiao Yuandeng was truly unlucky. He never imagined that Zhong Shan would be so cunning, avoiding an unguarded city and only entering after the Nefarious Demon had departed.

Who would have thought? Truly, who could have imagined? This miscalculation led to overconfidence, and without further verification, we charged right in.

Defeated. What a ridiculous defeat this time. The most disgraceful one in history.

Fleeing with the army in a frenzy, but Zhong Shan's 600,000 troops, well-prepared, pursued relentlessly. The front was in chaos, while the rear was in organized pursuit. High-ranking generals directly plunged into Xiao Yuandeng's rear guard, breaking up their retreat. Those men were then engulfed by the pursuing army.

The escape and slaughter were bizarre, leaving no breathing space. Even a slight pause could allow them to reorganize, but Zhong Shan's army never gave them that chance.

Especially the wolf cavalry. Xiao Yuandeng noticed that whenever his army tried to stop and regroup, the wolf cavalry would quickly scatter their formation, causing his remaining troops to dissolve completely.

Wolf cavalry? Cavalry? How did Zhong Shan have so many cavalry? On the battlefield, cavalry are used to break formations. With his 50,000 cavalry, how could you fight effectively on the plains?

Xiao Yuandeng's army fled frantically. Some soldiers, seeing the dire situation, even deserted and scattered. Although they became rebels, at least they managed to escape with their lives.

One desertion led to more.

Zhong Shan's army fought with fervor, the wolf cavalry raining arrows down from above, while the infantry slaughtered relentlessly, aiming to gain merit. Bodies were collected into storage bracelets, so although there were numerous casualties, few corpses remained behind.

Upon reaching a large river, Xiao Yuandeng felt a sudden urge to cry. When had he ever been defeated so thoroughly? Of his million-strong army, fewer than 100,000 remained. What a ridiculous battle!

How could he explain this to his foster father?

By the riverbank, Xiao Yuandeng faced a dilemma. Not all soldiers could fly. This river crossing would lead to more deaths!

Xiao Yuandeng was in utter despair, while Zhong Shan's pursuing army maintained a measured pace. Apart from the merit-seeking infantry, the officers carefully controlled their formation, ensuring no chaos.

Yes, in war, the military formation must remain intact. Only then can you fight in an orderly manner.

Just as Xiao Yuandeng was losing hope, a shout came from upstream.

"Yuandeng, come this way!"

The voice invigorated Xiao Yuandeng. He turned to see a figure appear on a distant mountain peak, followed by the sudden emergence of numerous soldiers.

It was Xiao Yuanfeng, the foster son of Xiao Wang!

"Roarrrrrrrr!"

"Roarrrrrrrr!"

"Roarrrrrrrr!"

Had Xiao Yuanfeng brought reinforcements? No, it seemed more like he had been waiting there all along.

"Brothers, head east!" Xiao Yuandeng shouted excitedly.

Seeing the reinforcements, Xiao Yuandeng's troops naturally surged forward in a frenzy. The army on the mountain quickly descended, and more soldiers emerged continuously from behind the mountain, totaling nearly a million.

Standing at the forefront, Zhong Shan waved his hand, and Zhao Chuan quickly raised a small red flag. Zhong Shan's army halted.

The 600,000 troops, having charged and fought their way there, had lost a few thousand but remained strong and formidable.

Facing them, Xiao Yuanfeng's million-strong army stood ready. Xiao Yuandeng's army, retreating rapidly, reached the rear of their formation, leaving only the generals to face Zhong Shan from a distance.

The two armies halted, facing each other. Xiao Yuandeng was full of regret, unable to comprehend how his million-strong force had been reduced to a mere 100,000 in such a ridiculous manner.

"Father was worried something might go wrong here, so he sent me with a million troops to support you. It seems his concerns were justified. You've indeed made a huge blunder," Xiao Yuanfeng said with a strange smile.

"Who knew Zhong Shan would be so cunning? Even old foxes can't compare to him!" Xiao Yuandeng said bitterly.