Chapter 1003 - Clash!
Chapter 1003: Clash!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Under the fluttering banner, the tens of thousands of Turkic cavalry, led by Duwu Sili, looked in a single direction. The darkness was quiet, as if nothing was happening, but it was permeated with an air of unease. Everyone knew that in that direction, at the very limits of their vision, the illustrious and dreadful Wushang Cavalry were galloping toward them.
A faint rumbling came from the distance, which rapidly intensified until it seemed like it was a vast landslide approaching. Beneath the feet of Duwu Sili, the ground began to tremble.
“They’re here!” a Western Turkic general suddenly said.
There was no need for him to say any more. If one looked in the direction of Talas to the west, one could see a roiling flood of black steel approaching, moving as quickly as lightning. Leading this army was the enormous dragon banner of the Great Tang, which exuded an intimidating aura as it fluttered in the wind.
The Great Tang of the Central Plains!
This was not the first time the Turks had heard of this country, nor was it the first they had ever fought with them. Before today, they had always regarded this country with a little scorn and disdain. But then, they had seen the Great Tang reverse the tides of this Battle of Talas, sweeping away Abu Muslim and his vast Arab army. Now, all of them felt fear and shock.
This name now held a completely different weight.
“Shamask, Chekun Benba, listen for my order. Get ready to fight at any moment!” Duwu Sili said, gazing into the distance.
“Yes, Milord!”
The two bowed and affirmed. Shamask in particular was burning with a desire for battle.
“Milord, be at ease. This general will do his utmost!” Shamask declared.
In the battle with the Wushang Cavalry, Shamask had lost all his dignity. This matter was now in the past, but it remained an enormous disgrace for Shamask. He spent every moment thinking of ways to wipe away this smear on his record.
Time slowly passed, the atmosphere turning more solemn. As the Turks watched, Wang Chong and his Wushang Cavalry approached with astonishing speed. Eight thousand zhang, six thousand zhang, four thousand zhang, two thousand zhang… Wang Chong finally stopped.
The two armies stood in a distant standoff, the air between them saturated with tension. The countless gray wolves in the Turkic camp bared their teeth and prepared to attack. The Turkic elites were even more nervous than the wolves, their bodies tensed up, their eyes focused, and their sweating hands tightly gripping their weapons.
The sight of the Tang sweeping unstoppably through the Arabs had left a deep fear on each of their hearts. In comparison, Wang Chong’s Wushang Cavalry were far more composed and leisurely.
“Great General, have you thought about my proposal?”
At a distance of more than one thousand zhang, Wang Chong rode up on his White-hoofed Shadow and cut straight to the point. His sharp voice cut like a knife through the darkness, shattering the silence between the two armies.
“Hmph!”
Duwu Sili glared at Wang Chong and rode forward, sweeping his halberd before him.
“Brat! I have no idea what you’re talking about, but there is one thing I know. That you dared to come to my door and find me means that you are so reckless that you have no idea what death is. You escaped me last time, but I’d like to see who can save you now!”
Duwu Sili’s eyes exploded with killing intent.
Wang Chong’s strength was insufficient, but he had a mountain of schemes and tricks. His Godking Yama transformation only made him a basic Great General, yet he had been able to stop a peak Great General like Duwu Sili. The mere mention of this filled Duwu Sili with shame. Although he was after the formation phenomena, Duwu Sili wouldn’t mind if he could kill Wang Chong in the process.
“Hahaha…”
Wang Chong heartily chuckled at Duwu Sili’s words. Not only was he unafraid, he even rode a few more steps forward.
“Since that’s the case, Great General, why don’t you try?”
“Impudent!”
Duwu Sili’s pupils constricted as his body exploded with rage. Boom! While everyone was still under the impression that the opposing commanders were still exchanging ‘pleasantries’, unconsciously believing that they were not yet going to fight, Duwu Sili suddenly shot forward in a flash of light, creating a sonic boom in the air around him. Duwu Sili used the Celestial Wolf’s Divine Procession to transform into a black beam of light that thundered toward Wang Chong.
The power behind this attack was terrifying. As his black halberd moved, it cut through the air like it was water, and the air in a radius of several dozen zhang around him began to twist and contort into black fissures that seemed to reach into the underworld.
Even more frightening was the destructive energy contained within the halberd. As Duwu Sili moved forward, he was like a giant plough digging through the earth, and countless rocks and bits of earth exploded in every direction, leaving behind large pits and holes.
“Great General!”
Even Shamask and Chekun Benba were alarmed by this abrupt attack. By the time they reacted, Duwu Sili was already in front of the Tang army, unleashing his heaven-shaking attack on Wang Chong.
“Lord Marquis!”
“Not good!”
The Wushang Cavalry were similarly alarmed. No one had expected Duwu Sili to abruptly attack.
But Wang Chong was not surprised at all.
Wang Chong faintly smiled as he countered.
Boom!
In a flash of light and howl of wind, the Godking Yama appeared and clashed with Duwu Sili. For a moment, the entire world seemed like it would tear apart, enormous shockwaves and explosions forcing the Wushang Cavalry and Turks to back up while covering their ears.
A cold snort could be heard amidst the fierce winds, and Wang Chong’s Godking Yama could be seen standing firm in its position. Duwu Sili, on the other hand, was forced back a distance before stabilizing himself in the air.
Silence!
The battlefield was deathly still.
Everyone felt their hearts leaping into their throats. That battle had simply been too fast, ending before they had even finished reacting. When one reached the cultivation level of Wang Chong or Duwu Sili, many soldiers could only look up in fear and admiration. No one besides Wang Chong and Duwu Sili knew the exact specifics of that battle.
“This foul brat!”
As Duwu Sili sat upon his black divine steed, floating in the air, a sharp and savage killing intent flickered through his eyes. He appeared calm on the outside, but great waves were raging in his mind. He clearly understood what had transpired. Duwu Sili was one of the strongest Great Generals of the world, and this point was beyond question. Although he was still a little lacking compared to someone like the Governor of Iron and Blood Abu Muslim, he undoubtedly surpassed Wang Chong.
But this attack that had contained all his power had been firmly blocked by Wang Chong, and without the use of any technique or skill. In just a day, the Godking Yama had ascended to a whole new level of strength.
“Just what in the world happened? How did this brat’s strength rise so quickly!”
Duwu Sili clenched his fists in disbelief.
In that exchange just now, he had been floating in the air using the Celestial Wolf’s Divine Procession, not firmly planted on the ground like Wang Chong, so he had been in the more disadvantageous position. But there was no question that Wang Chong’s strength had risen to the point where it could equal his own.
Duwu Sili found this simply unacceptable.
He could not allow some obscure junior to stand on his level!
“How was it? Duwu Sili, do you want to try again?”
As Duwu Sili tried to digest this fact, Wang Chong spoke, his expression elegant and natural. Even though he was facing a powerful Great General like Duwu Sili, he felt no fear. After absorbing all the energy of the King of Giants Ghareeb Hassam, Wang Chong had reached an astonishing level of power. He was now a true Brigadier General, one who was only a sliver away from reaching the Great General level.
One could easily imagine the power of the Godking Yama at this level of strength.
“Bastard thing, do you really think I can’t kill you!”
Duwu Sili leveled his black halberd, contorting the air in a radius of several dozen zhang with torrents of killing intent. Even from a distance, he exuded an aura of dread and terror.
“Duwu Sili, I know that you’ve captured one of my men. Bring him out! If he’s missing even a hair on his body, you know what I will do.”
Wang Chong pretended not to hear. He spoke in a flat tone to Duwu Sili, but his voice was backed by a powerful threat.
In any negotiation, strength was the most basic foundation.
Wang Chong might not have had the right to negotiate in Duwu Sili’s eyes before, but in this clash, he had amply displayed his power and gained this right!
The winds blew across the battlefield as the Turks and Wushang Cavalry stared at their respective commanders. All of them understood that everything hinged on the conversation between these two commanders. There were no hostilities as of now, but a gruesome battle could ensue at any moment.
The atmosphere was tense.
“Watch his hands!” Shamask suddenly whispered. “If something looks fishy, Milord will give us the signal. Everyone should attack as soon as the signal is received!”
“Mm.”
Chekun Benba nodded his head. Both of them stared at Duwu Sili’s right palm. After serving Duwu Sili for so long, they had both come to understand Duwu Sili’s unique habits. He would never issue an obvious call to attack, but would signal his orders using special hand gestures. At that moment, the Celestial Wolf Cavalry would explode forward, catching the enemy off guard.
All was quiet as Duwu Sili stared at the Great Tang youth with constantly shifting eyes. No one knew what he was thinking.