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Chapter 577: River Flow Reversed
Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT, Rock
Under the urging of his violent true energy, the Heaven Splitter resembled a ferocious mountain cleaver as it carved out chunk after chunk of rock from the cliff that was even harder than steel. Every block weighed more than a hundred kilograms, and they were constantly being thrown out into the river, with signs that Ling Tian was even speeding up!
The Heaven Splitter was recorded in history as the sharpest godly tool for a reason, and added with Ling Tian's domineering and pure true energy, the destruction it wrought to the cliff was naturally huge! When he finally sighed and took a rest, a wide fan-shaped hole was already dug on the cliff face about as high as two people, seven meters deep, and over ten meters wide!
If the entire continent, as well as the major influences, were to find out that Ling Tian actually used the legendary Heaven Splitter to carve out rocks they would likely drown themselves in hatred and anger…
"This should be it!" Ling Tian wiped the sweat from his brows, staring absentmindedly at his results.
As though thinking of something, Ling Tian once again brandished the Heaven Splitter, carving out a few more dozen blocks of stone, stacking them at the cave entrance. He had to ensure that it would be shielded from the water spraying up. If it got wet, then what kind of show would he perform? That toy of his was completely vulnerable to water, so if he accidentally got it wet, then wouldn't he have to go collect a new batch? Furthermore, to collect those things, they had already deployed the entire force of Sky Bearing, so how was it possible that they find another batch?
Once everything was fully prepared, Ling Tian sheathed his sword, grabbing onto the rope before swinging himself up like a monkey….
"Stop! Stop stop stop…." Ling Tian suddenly hollered, "It looks like you guys really wanted to hollow out this mountain, am I right?"
Our young noble Ling was shocked. Without a clear limit in his instructions, this bunch of dumb brutes had somehow become pangolins, digging out a beautiful hole that looked like it was polished repeatedly countless times…
One by one, the unsophisticated monkeys came walking out of the hole, and their sheepish smiles made Ling Tian totally speechless.
Who was it that said digging through a mountain was a monumental task? Wasn't it easily achieved? Ling Tian whispered inwardly. Of course, Young Noble Ling never thought about the fact that not everyone possessed a loyal troop of steel-skinned and strong subordinates, who not only possessed above average cultivation but also good equipment. What was considered as impossibly hard rocks to normal people were just like tofu to them!
With their backs carrying the explosives, Ling Tian and Ling Jian went down in the hole. This time, the amount used was smaller. Since it was the first time, our Young Noble Ling who was well versed in using explosives knew that if he wanted to achieve the greatest effect on his first attempt, then it would be the best to first do a few small explosions, allowing the stone in the mountain to loosen up a little before giving it a big explosion from the other side…
After thoroughly checking the specific locations, Ling Tian brought the completely confused Ling Jian back to where they came from. However, this time on the way back, a string hung on Ling Tian's waist… which was the fuse.
Every few feet he looped the fuse around the overgrown vines around the mountain. This was a must, for Ling Tian did not forget that the mountain was less than 100 feet away from the water! If after he lit the fuse it dropped into the water as it burned, that would be a disastrous consequence! The worst part was that to check on it you would run the risk of it exploding right in your face….
Finally, at the top of a boulder, Ling Tian gave the command, "Everyone, back off at least three kilometers!" After thinking a bit, he added, "The mountain is going to explode!"
It would be better for him not to have spoken that sentence, for the group of men immediately had an expression of interest, all of them suddenly rooted to the spot and refusing to move! Everyone wanted to see what was this explosion that the young noble was going to perform to the mountain. How could a large mountain suddenly explode for no reason? Was their young noble the incarnation of Mara 1 , spouting nonsense in their ears?!
It was only after Ling Tian jumped up in anger, lashing out at all of them, did they then unwillingly turn back to start walking. However, every three steps, they would turn back to take a look, as though they were reluctant to leave…
Seeing that everyone had retreated to a safe distance, Ling Tian no longer hesitated and lit the fuse. In an instant, a bright flame traveled down the mountain, letting out a green smoke trail.
At the same time, Ling Tian stuck close to the ground as he flew backward. His movement technique this time was employed to move the fastest he had ever done in his entire life! It might even have surpassed the speed he used when he was escaping Justice. As he ran away, his back was covered in a cold sweat.Dammit! It's been so long since I last used these toys that I forgot how fast the fuse would burn!
One cannot escape from evil of their own doing! Ling Tian was afraid that the fuse would become damp due to the water spray, so he added more gunpowder inside it. The result almost scared him out of his skin.
Standing there with a cool poker face, Ling Jian gazed at the spot that Ling Tian was speeding away from.
"Pa!" Ling Jian's head was unceremoniously slapped hard by Ling Tian when he reached him, causing him to stumble. "How are you still acting cool at a time like this! Lie down for this daddy! The heavens and earth are going to shatter!"
"All of you lie down! Open your mouths for this daddy!" Ling Tian viciously spat this command at all the big men. Opening their mouths would lessen the reverberations within the eardrums of everyone, preventing them from rupturing. However, Ling Tian had no time to explain this to everyone right now. He could only harshly command them to prevent any losses to his men…
The moment his words were spoken, a forceful and oppressive explosion was heard. It came so suddenly, and this booming noise was more than hundreds of times louder than the waters crashing along the gorge. For a moment, nobody could hear anything other than the majestic explosion, and even the land trembled. Even when sprawled on the ground, it felt as though they were sitting atop a bucking horse. A few of them were even bounced up by the tremors, before sprawling back down.
This was closely followed by the sound of toppling as the stones on the mountain rolled down one by one in all directions. It was only after a long time did all the heaven-shaking movements then subside.
A group of big men with waists like a bear, unafraid of the heavens and earth, shakily got up with pale faces. Fear and shock washed over their faces and they resembled children who were stunned and unable to move.
Ling Chi stuck out his tongue as he muttered, "When young noble spoke about a heaven and earth-shaking effect, I was still wondering if he had gone mad. To think that he was actually speaking the truth, oh my goodness, that power, not to mention destroying a mountain, if you told me that could destroy the very heaven and earth, I might just believe it."
The few men by his side still had their ears ringing, and it felt as though a bunch of giants were holding onto huge mallets, repeatedly smashing them on their eardrums. They only saw Ling Chi's lips moving but failed to register what he was saying at all. They opened their mouths to speak, only to realize that they could not even hear what they were trying to say.
What a frightening power. Was this something possible to be guided by mankind?
The only one who was mentally prepared, Ling Tian, slowly uncovered the hands he used to cover his ears, and stood up. While he was extremely confident in the standard of his explosives, he hadn't dabbled in this hobby for a long time, and furthermore, he did not think that there would be such an immense impact from something so crude. He had almost ruptured his eardrums in this process…. And to think that the explosives used were just the excess ones!
The next time, I had better run farther. Ling Tian made up his mind.
Everyone present was still considered to have decent cultivation, coupled with the fact that they had some preparation beforehand, so they quickly recovered. They eagerly rushed towards the peak of the mountain, only to let out a disappointed sigh. The peak of the mountain retained its original shape, as though the previous explosion did not affect it in any way.
With his sharp eyesight, Ling Tian could naturally see the multitude of fissures that now encompassed the entire mountain. He let out a wide smile in response, glad that the effect was better than his own expectations.
"Young Noble, I see that the water level seems to have increased by a bit." By the side of the boulder, Ling Jian peered down at the raging river as he calmly said, "It seems like young noble's plan has a certain amount of success. See that lone tree sticking out over there? It used to be 10 feet above the water, but now it's already half submerged inside."
Ling Tian shot him a praising look as he smiled, "Ah'Jian, your eyesight is finally able to catch even the smallest of details. That's right, the water level has indeed increased. While it looks like the previous explosion did not seem to do much to the overall situation, a lot of boulders were loosened. When those heavy boulders are dumped into the river, the water can't possibly move them away in an instant, hence the increase in water level. However, all of these will not be enough." Ling Tian viciously smiled, "I'm not looking for an increase in the water level, I want the river to be cut off!"
"Young Noble, let me be the one to place the things this time around." Ling Jian was eager to give it a try.
"Are you looking for death?" Ling Tian shot him a glare in return. "Can't you see that the entire mountain is already extremely shaky, with the foundations already cracked? If you go down there again it would be as good as sending you to your death!" Ling Tian waved his hands towards the huge hole dug by the majority of the men present. "Throw the rest of the stuff down inside."
Looking at the group moving in single file and placing all their explosives into the cave, Ling Tian tilted his head to look at the peak of the mountain. After some calculations, he commanded everyone to leave.
Naturally, the group did not need Ling Tian to urge them. All 150 of them immediately ran away like startled rabbits. Ling Tian then carefully avoided the shifting sand and rubble, cautiously gathering the explosives into one bundle. He checked the explosives once more, and after ensuring that everything was in place, he then attached the fuse, slowly unraveling it. This time, he made sure that the cord was much longer than before. After all, the payload this time was much larger than before.
This time, Ling Tian was extra meticulous and calculated the angle even more carefully. He had to ensure that the moment the explosives were set off, the peak of the mountain would collapse, with the majority of this mountain falling into the river.
All things prepared without exception!
Looking at the flare wriggling its way towards the cave opening like a snake, Ling Tian's figure also blurred and disappeared. The next time he appeared, he was 100 feet away, and he continued to speed farther and farther away.
From the reports given by Ling Jian and his group in the future, they described this day as truly heaven and earth-shattering, reversing the flow of rivers!
It was just like a tremor of Armageddon, or the shock from a volcanic eruption!
The tall and towering peak swayed just like a roly-poly toy. And then…
Like in a slow-motion film, the entire mountain elegantly collapsed downward…..
PENG!
This time, a humongous colliding sound was heard. The broken mountain had actually slammed into another mountain near it, causing the entire area to quiver and shake…
Rumble…
The originally towering and lofty mountain peak disappeared just like that in an instant, and the opposite mountain was also shortened by a good half of its size. Rumbling sounds sounded over and over as though the whole earth was dancing in ecstasy, jumping around like crazy on the dance floor. Patches of forest were trembling in the dance, with all the animals sprawled on the ground unable to move….
Gululu…
Ling Tian suddenly felt a tremor approach them, and upon mustering the courage to take a look, he discovered a boulder the size of a tiny mountain rolling in their direction. Its imposing manner was perfectly shown, as it rammed and flattened everything its path. It slowly neared where the group was situated…
"Dammit! Does it even know how to take revenge?!" Ling Tian was dumbfounded! They placed themselves so far away, and yet the boulder was still able to roll all the way to their location?! Looking at its momentum, there was no possibility of it stopping any time soon! This…. This was too much of a curse, right?
"Scram now!" Ling Tian hollered at the top of his lungs, yet no one could hear. The hundred or so of them were exactly like ostriches, burying their heads in the sand, with their butts sticking up straight behind… None of them had any reaction to Ling Tian's hollering, having become deaf long ago. Actually, Ling Tian's holler also sounded only like a mosquito buzzing around in his ear…
Unable to care any more, Ling Tian drew his Heaven Splitter and dashed toward the huge rock. It looked like he had to risk his life this time! This was really like the saying that one cannot escape his own evil misdeeds!
"Hong!" Out of Ling Tian's expectations, after the boulder rolled for another 100 feet it suddenly rammed head-on to a tall and mighty pine tree. The tree resisted and groaned for a while before falling over, but managed to resolve the momentum of the boulder, ending its quest for revenge. It leaned on the fallen trunk of the tree, coldly 'looking' at Ling Tian who was in the air.
"My goodness!" Ling Tian wiped off his sweat. "Could it be that it even has a spirit inside? Why does it know to look for me for revenge?" Ling Tian spat out in contempt.
It was only after two hours that everyone recovered sufficiently to rush towards the riverside.
The group of huge men who normally emitted killing intent all over suddenly seemed like timid wives who had entered their mother-in-law's houses for the first time, softly stepping and not even daring to speak a single word. Everyone had on an expression of trepidation.
The scene in front of them was really too scary! Even though it was not on a scale that was able to alter the world, but if not for the fact that they had seen the towering mountain with their own eyes, no one would believe that this flatland had hosted a towering mountain in the past!
The cliff was in a terrible state, with a multitude of caves and deep holes yawning wide open. From far off, all of them could see a snake's head the size of a water tank thrashing around in pain, with purplish-black blood flowing non-stop. It looked as though it was in the throes of death.
With its size and place, the snake was probably a native of this place, and it was unknown just how long it had lived. However, like the fish trapped in the pond where a calamity occurred, it was unknowingly involved in this man-made disaster. How unfortunate!
"The entire river is now blocked! Young Noble… actually… did it…" Ling Chi's face turned pale as he stuttered, his voice in disbelief.
"Not just merely blocked! If they want to bring it back to its former state, I'm afraid the Xiao Family would have to use a workforce of over ten thousand men, with at least half a year of time to achieve it, excluding the deaths that would occur in the midst of clearing it." Ling Tian shook his head as he spoke with schadenfreude. "If not, just the amount of water here would be enough to destroy the three thousand miles of mountains and rivers that the Xiao Family have! The so-called 'Land of Immortality' of the Xiao Family will no longer have the same appearance as before!"
Looking at the increasing water level that could be actually perceived by the human eye, Ling Jian coldly remarked, "I don't know anything about their so-called land of immortality. But I know that the natural advantage of terrain that the Xiao Family enjoyed has definitely been destroyed! By today at least, the water level will increase by over three times!" But at the same time, he felt a sort of feverish excitement. What was called vicious? This was! So what if he could draw out his sword and kill someone in a split second? So what if he could reign supreme on the battlefield?
Just look at this, without even the death of a single soldier, just a finger could cause the heaven and earth to shake, and a millennium-old unassailable terrain was destroyed just like that!
At least, before the river channel was cleared again, the Xiao Family could forget about being able to leave! Of course, the troops together with Xiao FengYang outside could also forget about returning!
Regardless of whether the Ling Family would choose to initiate the war, Ling Tian believed that no power would give up this chance to inflict heavy losses on the Xiao Family!
Along the same note, regarding the great Xiao Army that was severely short on food, this was indeed an unprecedented disaster! From now on, the lives of the 450,000 troops of the Xiao Family were in the palm of Ling Tian!
Either surrender and be reorganized, or else just die in war or of hunger! What huge amount of supplies did an army of 450,000 have to consume every day? This was an astronomical amount, and after losing their logistics lifeline they could last a few days at most, and even with the supply wagons they already had, at most half a month!
Maybe there was one other route left to take, which was to swallow another power within this half month and use it to recuperate. However, would Ling Tian give them this chance? The answer was simple, just three words: In their dreams!
Especially since the army now was scattered across three different camps instead of being in a single group. With Southern Zheng soon to be in the hands of the Ling Family, and Eastern Zhao still embroiled in their own internal crisis, Xiao FengYang was firmly trapped on Sobbing Ghost Mountain, unable to take a step!
The worst situation was Xiao FengYang's middle camp. At the Southern Zheng and Eastern Zhao camps, the Xiao army could still pillage the nearby villages for food, but the middle camp did not even have any villages to raid and pillage!
The most crucial point now was, when the Xiao Family knew that their supply lines had been cruelly cut, would they burst forth with their final terrifying strike, or would they simply give up?
Chapter 578: Unexpected Rewards
Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, Rock
After losing this 450,000 man army, it could be said that the Xiao Family was finished from now on! Furthermore, even after the waterway is unblocked, the Heavenly Water Ravine Pass would no longer be the natural barrier that it was. At the same time, Ling Tian would never give the Xiao Family a chance to stage a comeback. Ling Tian would definitely seize this strategic location and the Xiao Family's natural barrier would be transformed into the Ling Family's battle station!
After losing a large number of soldiers and causing their people to lose their wealth, the Xiao Family would not have any ability to contend with the Ling Family!
As long as Ling Tian cleared up the current mess, he would be able to stably sit on half the continent.
A flood which should have never happened had actually created such a huge effect!
His victory with Yu ManLou's five-year bet was determined!
No wonder their young noble would spend so much effort to dam up this huge river! Thinking about the benefits that diverting the river brought them, Ling Jian finally understood what Ling Tian's plan was!
However, only their young noble had the ability to make such a plan into reality. Even if someone else was able to come up with such a plan, how would they have the ability to dam up the river?
Looking at Ling Tian who was standing by the cliff, everyone could not help but be filled with reverence in their hearts!
A human was actually able to perform such a miracle that only a deity can perform!
"I never imagined obtaining such unexpected gains." After carefully studying the water level, Ling Tian was finally at ease. With both the mountain peaks collapsing, it was like a gigantic dam separating the upstream from the downstream. The water level of the upstream increased and the downstream… the downstream no longer had any water and was drying up.
At the highest point of the dam, it was still about a hundred feet away from the water. It was impossible for the river water to rush through the dam because it had already begun flowing in all different directions and towards the battlefield…
The many members of the Xiao Family would definitely receive a huge 'surprise'!
Being at ease, Ling Tian could finally study that 'aboriginal' gigantic snake.
Ling Tian never imagined that this explosion would give him such a unique complimentary gift. The head of the snake in front of him was as thick as a water tank and the body of the snake was probably 50% thicker than the head. For a snake to grow to such a humongous size, at least 800 to a thousand years would probably be required.
Such a gigantic snake was enough to be called a demon. If he didn't dissect this gigantic snake, it would be a waste of the heaven's blessing.
This gigantic snake was also extremely unlucky. It was originally having a good rest after its meal but was rendered unconscious by the sudden explosion. After finally regaining consciousness, it tried fleeing towards the outside. In the end, the cave over its head collapsed down and a gigantic boulder smashed on its weakest point… In all of its life, it probably never dreamt that it would die such an unjust death…
If it chose to hide in the cave obediently, even if the mountain collapsed, it would only suffer some injuries and fall back into the river. However, it was frightened by the previous explosion and had tried to escape from the cave… as such, the tragedy unfolded.
"Damn! What a gigantic snake!" Ling Chi finally snapped back from his daze and realized that there was another unlucky fellow near him. This fellow was already addicted to Ling Tian's barbecued food and upon seeing a live animal, he was used to thinking, 'Is it fat? Is it yummy?'…
With a 'hmph', Ling Tian lifted up his sword and sliced off the head of the snake without a single shred of mercy. The purplish blood of the snake spurted out and apart from a dense fishy smell, there was actually a fragrant plant scent.
Ling Tian quickly took out a jade bottle from his embrace and licked the blood of the snake. In Ling Tian's memories, even though snake's blood was a supplement, this was the first time Ling Tian had seen such a gigantic snake. Before he could be certain of whether or not there was venom in the blood, Ling Tian would not allow Ling Jian and the rest to drink it. If he were to test it first, even if there was venom in the blood, he would be able to endure it with his inner strength of the tenth level of the Divine Shocking Dragon Formula. However, the others may not be able to endure it.
As the snake blood went down his throat, it was not as spicy as Ling Tian imagined it to be but had a freshness to it instead. Knowing that the blood had no venom, Ling Tian stopped suppressing it with his inner qi and used his inner qi to speed up the absorption of the snake's blood instead. After a complete circulation, Ling Tian's inner qi returned to his inner core and Ling Tian felt a slight wave of heat surging through his body before quickly dissipating. At the same time, his spirit was also lifted.
Not only did the snake's blood not contain any venom, it was also rather beneficial. Ling Tian had consumed the best spiritual herbs before and the top quality Great Cyclic Pellet. It was difficult for ordinary herbs to have a large effect on Ling Tian anymore but the snake's blood was actually capable of creating a reaction in his body. The effect of the blood was naturally extraordinary!
After coming to a conclusion, Ling Tian opened his eyes, "Everyone is in luck. All of you should drink some of the snake's blood. Not only is the blood not venomous, it is beneficial to one's cultivation. But even if it is beneficial to the body, it wouldn't be good to drink too much of it. Everyone should be limited to a single bowl." Although there wasn't venom in the blood, Ling Tian was still worried. Snake's blood had an aphrodisiac effect, and even the blood of an ordinary snake was a great supplement. All of Ling Tian's subordinates who followed him here were all young and vigorous men. If their hormones were to go out of control right now, it would be an unbearable feeling for sure. Being in the depths of the mountains, there wasn't a place for them to vent their urges…
The moment they heard that there wasn't venom, everyone was immediately energized and rushed forward to swallow the snake's blood. With such a beneficial supplement in front of them, how could they be bothered about the one bowl limit that Ling Tian said? Each person quickly swallowed a couple of bowls.
After drinking a couple mouthfuls, Ling Tian took out two jade bottles and filled them up. Thinking about how his body felt a wave of warmth when consuming the snake's blood, Ling Tian wanted to bring it back to see if it was beneficial for Divine Black Negative Meridians.
With the combined efforts of everyone, the gigantic boulder that was pressing down on the snake was moved. Only after a full hour of effort were they finally able to uncover the huge snake.
"My goodness, is this still considered a snake?" a burly man shouted as he looked at the gigantic corpse in amazement. "This fellow is far too big! I wouldn't be surprised if this fellow can swallow a cow whole! I dare to make a bet that even three to five cows aren't enough to feed this snake. No wonder we didn't see any large beasts along the way here. All of them were probably eaten up by this fellow."
According to Ling Tian's estimates, the thickest cross-sectional area of this fifteen meter long snake was at least two square meters and the overall weight of this snake was two to three thousand catties at the very least!
Everyone was astounded.
Just how did a snake grow to such a size? When Ling Jian was drifting around the continent, he had once killed a three to four hundred-year-old snake. The body of that snake was also extremely large but in comparison to this gigantic snake, it was akin to comparing a rabbit to a pig!
"We're rich!" After seeing the layer of exquisite scales on the snake, Ling Tian tried pulling one off with his hands. Seeing that it wouldn't budge, Ling Tian put away his Heaven Splitter and grabbed the blade of one of his subordinates. Swinging it down on the snake, he was only able to make a small mark on the snake's scales.
Even though the blade was forged from ordinary iron, the edge of the blade was tempered by Black Iron. Together with Ling Tian's strength, even if he didn't use all of his might, it was enough for him to slice through steel like it was mud. However, Ling Tian was only able to make a small mark on the snake! The toughness of the snake's skin was unimaginable!
With the gigantic body of this snake, just how many pieces of soft armor would they be able to make?! If Ling Tian could equip some of his Ling Family Courtyard subordinates with this armor and also forge a top quality armor for his father, he wouldn't need to always worry for his father's safety. Especially Ling Jian and the other assassins of the First Pavilion, if they put on a soft armor of this quality, they would be virtually unkillable when carrying out an assassination! With Ling Jian's assassination standards, if he had such a heaven-defying piece of equipment, how many people in the world would be able to escape from him?
Thinking about this, Ling Tian almost wanted to let out a loud roar of excitement!
The Heaven Splitter left its sheath again and Ling Tian carefully peeled off the skin of the snake; only this ancient sword would be able to damage this extremely tough snake skin. Ling Tian then carefully cut it up into more than ten pieces and commanded his subordinates to carry it on their backs before continuing to dissect the snake in seek of treasures.
With regards to dissecting a snake, Ling Tian was extremely familiar with it. He first made an incision at the seventh part of the snake where the gallbladder and other goodies of the snake lay.
The first thing which Ling Tian retrieved was the gallbladder. The gallbladder of such a mythical creature was definitely a sacred item that could cure poison and Ling Tian would definitely not let go of it. Holding the gallbladder in his hand, Ling Tian gasped at the weight of it as it was close to the weight of three bear gallbladders.
After keeping the gallbladder of the snake into a purse of his bag, Ling Tian continued dissecting the snake. However, Ling Tian's expression gradually became intent this time around. After searching throughout the body of the snake countless times, Ling Tian finally stood up with frustration.
"Dammit! Why isn't there an inner pellet?! Isn't this too exaggerated? An old monster like this should be the king of snakes at the very least, right?! There isn't anything else that's of value other than the skin and meat?" Ling Tian looked at the snake and cursed, "Aren't you a little too useless? You actually didn't condense an inner pellet? How can it be missing?!"
Young Noble Ling looked thoroughly enraged as though he was furious that this snake did not condense a powerful inner pellet. The tone with which he cursed the snake was as though the snake owed him a living. He was just far too shameless…
The more he looked at the snake's corpse, the more enraged Ling Tian was and kicked it furiously, "Slice of the meat of this fellow and we are going to have a snake banquet tonight! After having a good meal, we will carry the rest away."
Everyone cheered loudly with Ling Chi's voice being the loudest. Knowing that they were going to have a feast, they all pounced forward like starving wolves.
"Young Noble, what is an inner pellet? This subordinate has never heard of such a thing before. May Young Noble instruct me," Ling Jian asked with a tinge of frustration. This was a question that everyone pondered about but only Ling Jian had the right to ask Ling Tian about it!
"Inner pellet? How… how should I explain this? Wild beasts that are alive for a long time have a powerful life force and will not die easily. When this life force accumulates to a certain point together with them swallowing the essence of the heaven and earth, a mystical essence similar to the essence of heaven and earth would be formed in their bodies. This would also be the quintessence of the beast. This quintessence of the beast is extremely beneficial to all living beings! It is even more beneficial to martial arts practitioners. Most beasts that have been alive for a few hundred years will form such an essence but this snake that is more than a thousand years old actually did not form an inner pellet. This is also extremely strange." Ling Tian scratched his chin and looked at his subordinates slicing off the flesh of the meat while sinking into deep thought.
"Oh, I see," Ling Jian nodded his head with understanding. "I killed a gigantic black snake before and sliced its head apart with my sword. There was a small black stone within it but it was a little soft…"
"It can't be right, the inner pellet of a snake should be condensed at its weakest point and is usually at the seventh part of a snake. Why would it be at the head of the snake?" Ling Tian asked with doubt and looked at the head of the snake which was already cut off. "Let's give it a try anyway."
Ling Tian lifted up his sword and walked over while asking casually, "How did you deal with that snake? A black snake is good stuff and a black snake that is capable of forming an inner pellet is even more extraordinary."
Ling Jian's face reddened and he lowered his head, "I threw that thing to Old Feng when I returned to the Courtyard and Old Feng brewed a jug of wine with it…"
"What! Using an inner pellet to brew wine?!" Ling Tian's eyes widened in shock and looked at Ling Jian with his jaw wide opened, "Was Old Feng not afraid of being bloated to death? Dammit."
Talking about that, Ling Jian replied with a smile, "During that period of time, Old Feng was extremely energetic and continuously ran to the brothel for two months. Every time he went, he would spend a full day there and the ladies there did not dare to receive him alone…"
Ling Tian's veins bulged and his eyes glowed with malevolence. "An extremely rare inner pellet of the black snake was used by Feng Mo as an aphrodisiac??? Dammit, he is truly trampling on such a heavenly item." The more he thought about it, the more furious Ling Tian got. "Ah'Jian, I really want to smack you to death for your idiocy. Did you know that if I guided you in consuming the inner pellet, it would be equivalent to two Great Cyclic Pellets and it would not conflict with the medicinal effects of the Great Cyclic Pellet? In a single night, you would be able to gain sixty years worth of cultivation! It would be equivalent to two of you bundled together! However, you actually gave it to Old Feng to brew wine?! I am utterly impressed with the two of you! What is called a waste of heavenly treasures?! This is a waste of heavenly treasures!"
Ling Tian almost puked blood and had completely forgotten slice open the snake's head, "That Old Feng is also too much! Since he didn't know how to use it, he should know how to ask at the very least, right?! He could come and ask this young noble instead of pretending that he knew how to use it! Even if he wanted to brew it in wine, he actually chose to vent the medicinal effect in the brothel after consuming it… He truly wasted this heavenly supplement on a bunch of prostitutes. I… I am really going to puke blood!"
Ling Jian listened with his mouth wide open with shock and his face transformed from red to white before turning ashen. He jumped up in utter regret and started scratching his head as though he had turned crazy and turned around two times on the spot. He then sat on the ground with his soul in despair without saying a single word!
He had actually given away such a rare treasure and brushed by the chance to become an unparalleled expert! To Ling Jian who pursued the peak of martial arts, such news was as good as the heavens collapsing.
"I once had the chance to turn into an unparalleled expert in a single night but I didn't treasure it. By the time I understood it, I was filled with utter regret. If the heavens would give me another chance…" Ling Jian muttered under his breath.
"Scram!" Ling Tian kicked Ling Jian, "Where did you learn this from?"
Ling Jian raised his perplexed eyes and let out a soulless sigh, "When I was injured in Northern Wei and sent back to Sky Bearing by Miss Li Xue, I heard her mumble these few words. I didn't think much about these few words back then but now that I find about this matter, haiz… I truly understand the meaning of those words…"
Ling Tian was dumbfounded.
As someone from the modern generation, Ling Tian naturally knew where these words came from. However, he never expected Ling Jian to pick it up from her and copy it word for word.
Ling Tian didn't know whether to laugh or cry!
However, what Ling Tian didn't know was that Li Xue's abuse of Ling Jian had started from these words. When Li Xue was recalling these words, she thought about the many events of her previous life and became extremely depressed. As she muttered these words, Ling Jian who was in a bad mood from being injured mocked her and it became the beginning of Ling Jian's nightmare. Not anyone in the world can mock the demoness and even Ling Tian didn't have the guts to do so…
Looking at Ling Jian's soulless expression, Ling Tian could not bear to continue reprimanding him and sighed, "This is life and fate. If you do not have the fate, you cannot force it. Old Feng originally had the fate but he wasted it. Let us see if there is an inner pellet in this snake's head. If there is one, we can make up for your loss slightly. If there isn't, you will just have to cultivate slowly and occasionally become the sandbag of me and Li Xue…"
"There will definitely be one." Hearing this suggestion, Ling Jian's eyes narrowed and his body trembled slightly. His gaze was fixed firmly onto the head of the snake with a fiery gaze as though he was looking at his dream come true. The malevolent head of the snake was suddenly so beautiful in his eyes.
Ling Tian turned around and slashed his sword down at the snake's head.
Chapter 579: Treasures All Over
Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, Rock
With a 'peng' sound, the Heaven Splitter sank half a foot into the snake's head before being unable to go any further. Ling Tian never imagined that the bones of this snake would be so hard. With half of his strength and the sharpness of the Heaven Splitter, he was actually unable to smash apart the head of this snake! Taking in a deep breath, he pulled out the Heaven Splitter from the snake's head and circulated all of his inner qi. With a dense green glow on the Heaven Splitter, Ling Tian did not hesitate any further and slashed downward!
With a 'shua' sound, the head of the snake was split into two with one part being big and another part being small. It wasn't because Ling Tian missed his mark but because he was afraid of the inner pellet in the middle being smashed up.
Tearing open the milky-white brain of the snake, Ling Tian dug out a jade-like item that was the size of a goose egg. It was cold to the touch and there seemed to be a semi-liquid substance inside of it. Ling Tian laughed happily at the discovery of the inner pellet. This time, he had truly struck a fortune! This inner pellet was probably enough to be split among the members of his Courtyard and the strength of his upper echelon would take a huge leap forward.
With war breaking out in the continent, apart from emerging victorious from his battle with the Xiao Family, he had unexpectedly received such a treasure. This was akin to a pie dropping down from the heavens and Ling Tian could not help but be overjoyed. Even with his calm demeanor, Ling Tian had the urge to dance with joy.
Ling Jian's eyes were fixed on Ling Tian's hand as he swallowed a mouthful of saliva, "Young Noble, is this it? Why is it white in color? The previous inner pellet I got was black in color and was only one fifth the size of this!"
Ling Tian chuckled, "Ah'Jian, this gigantic snake is much more frightening than the snake that you killed. This inner pellet is an item which can only be happened upon but not sought for. When we return to the Courtyard, you can wait for a huge increase in your cultivation."
Crazed happiness could be seen on Ling Jian's face and he seemed to have thought of something as he said seriously, "Young Noble, if this inner pellet is going to be split up for consumption, I am afraid that everyone would only be able to receive limited benefits from it. Why don't you consume it alone so that your martial arts will exceed Justice and become the number one expert in the world? Perhaps this would be for the best."
Ling Tian looked at Ling Jian for a moment before smiling, "Ah'Jian, you are my brother and I will not hide anything from you. I thought about this matter before but number one, this inner pellet is too large and no one in the world would be able to endure such an immense energy. Number two, ah ah, Ah'Jian, so what if I reach the peak of the world? I would only be replacing Justice to have a taste of that loneliness. Number three, if we were to consume this inner pellet with our current cultivation, we wouldn't be too far away from Justice. So what is the point of me consuming it all? The final point, which is also the most important one, is something that I have said before. If I do not have my brothers to accompany me, what is the point of being the number one in the world? I am not a solitary man like that Justice after all."
Ling Jian went silent.
Ling Tian chuckled and put away the inner pellet. "However, whether or not this inner pellet can be used, how it should be used, the effect of the pellet and how much each person can consume, will have to be refined when we return. It is still far too early to talk about this."
Just when Ling Tian was talking, a light thud sounded and the both of them turned to take a look. The two large eyeballs of the snake rolled out of its sockets and onto the ground. These two eyeballs were originally bloodied and mutilated, and both Ling Tian and Ling Jian did not notice it. After dropping out of their sockets, a portion of the bloodied meat fell off and a creamy white glow was actually revealed.
Ling Tian immediately tore off a bit of his sleeves and began wiping the eyeballs of the snakes clean. Following that, a duck egg sized pearl that was crystal clear gave out a slight warmth in his hand and was glowing slightly. It was actually a rare night illumination pearl!
"I blamed this snake wrongly previously and it is truly filled with treasures all over. This snake before me is a model citizen and its selfless donation truly makes this young noble extremely moved." Ling Tian was overjoyed. Even though he seemed to be extremely moved on the surface, he didn't stop dissecting the snake's body. Picking up the other eyeball, Ling Tian cleaned it up and it was indeed another night illumination pearl. With both the night illumination pearls glowing in his hands, the sight looked extremely spectacular.
At this moment, Ling Chi and the others had already finished slicing up the snake's meat. Upon seeing the two pearls in Ling Tian's hands, they all let out a gasp of surprise.
Ling Tian looked at the two pearls in his hands and his whole body broke out in a sweat.
Inner pellet in the body, scales forming armor. Eyes like pearls, blood like gold. Lightning and thunder strikes in three thousand years, leaping into the dragon's gate in a single night!
This was something that Ling Tian had read in his previous life in a book called 'Unusual Creatures in the Mountains and Rivers'. This was the description of a snake species that had the ability to transform into a flood dragon and it was called the 'Scaled Armor Dragon'. This snake was capable of training to the point its skin was impenetrable by weapons. When this Scaled Armor Dragon formed an inner pellet, its eyes turned into pearls and the blood in its body turned completely gold, this snake would transform into a flood dragon when it was in the water!
Ling Tian never imagined that such a beast would exist in this world and he would also be able to meet it. Looking at this snake's condition, apart from the fact that its blood was still purple and had yet to turn gold, it had almost fulfilled all the conditions of transforming into a flood dragon.
It seemed like even if this snake hadn't reached 3000 years of age, it wasn't too far off! No wonder this fellow would stay near the river. It was probably preparing the enter the river to transform into a dragon…
Ling Tian was completely covered in a cold sweat!
He had indeed met with dogsh*t luck! If this snake wasn't knocked unconsciousness by the explosion of the gunpowder and Ling Tian met a live and kicking snake instead, this gigantic snake would definitely cause plenty of trouble for them today. Even if they were able to take care of it, there probably wouldn't be many of his 150 subordinates left and it was even possible for them to be all wiped out!
Regardless of how confident Ling Tian was, he wouldn't be arrogant to the point he thought that he was capable of dealing with this ancient beast. This was supposed to be a beast that only existed in the legends. Since when had anybody ever seen it in reality?
However, not only was Ling Tian able to see it, he was even able to skin it, eat its meat and drink its blood…
Goodness! It is truly a gigantic fellow!
Thinking about this, Ling Tian could not help but study the corpse of the snake carefully again. Being unable to find anything, Ling Tian let out a sigh and lamented about his inability to drink all of the blood which had flowed away. All of the blood which had flowed away was definitely a great supplement! He only filled up two bottles of blood! If he had thought about the snake's blood earlier, then even if he had to throw away everything in the containers that they brought, he would do so and fill them all up with snake blood!
Looking at his hundred plus subordinates carrying large slabs of snake meat, Ling Tian finally found some balance in his heart. Let them eat it then, there wouldn't be any harm to eating it. It seems like after these 150 subordinates of his had a huge snake feast, they would definitely experience a huge increase in their strength.
Just when Ling Tian had such a thought, he realized that these hundred plus subordinates of his turned completely red and were shaking unsteadily. They looked as though they couldn't stand any longer and they were full of perspiration with steam coming off of their heads.
Ling Tian was stunned for a moment before quickly realizing that it must have been the snake blood taking effect!
Ling Tian immediately ordered for his subordinates to put down everything on their backs, sit down cross-legged and begin circulating their inner qi. Thus, Ling Tian's exhausting task of guarding a hundred plus people began.
Ling Tian originally wanted Ling Jian's help but upon turning behind, he realized that Ling Jian had also sat down.
Ling Tian had overlooked something. With the depths of his cultivation, especially after his recent breakthrough, the two mouthfuls of snake blood was quickly assimilated into his body after two complete circulations. However, his subordinates did not have such profound inner qi but had even drunk more than Ling Tian. Thus, their suffering was unavoidable.
However, the moment they endured the powerful effect of the snake's blood, they would all experience a large increase in the quality of their bodies. From today onward, these 150 individuals would no longer be ordinary individuals. This was something that Ling Tian had never expected.
Ling Jian's cultivation was also extremely profound and apart from Ling Tian, he was the first who assimilated the snake's blood into his body. Standing up, his face was also flushed red.
With a single look, Ling Tian knew what was going on. He smiled evilly and chuckled, "Ah'Jian, do you want to vent your urges like Feng Mo?"
Vent his urges like Feng Mo? Ling Jian blinked his eyes in frustration and finally understood what Ling Tian meant. He had to admit that there was truly such a peculiar feeling in his body. He felt his whole body burning and his vessels dilating. In his whole life, this was the first time Ling Jian had such a feeling. After barely being able to control the urge in his body, Ling Jian stubbornly said, "I won't go."
"Hehe…" Ling Tian smiled and winked at Ling Jian, "When these fellows get up later, they will definitely reveal their ugly selves. Even if a wild boar was in front of them, these fellows probably wouldn't be able to hold themselves back. After all, they probably do not have willpower like yours."
Ling Jian thought about the burning sensation in his heart and the sudden outburst of lust. Looking at the reddened faces of the burly men, Ling Jian burst out into laughter.
"Brother Jian, after knowing you for more than ten years, this is the first time I have seen you laughing as such." Ling Chi stood up unsteadily and his suave face was flushed red as well. It was apparent that he wasn't feeling well either but his eyes were beaming with joy. Upon hearing Ling Jian laughing so heartily, he was extremely happy for his big brother and he had forgotten about his suffering.
Ling Jian looked at Ling Chi as though he wanted to say something. However, he didn't say anything in the end and only smiled.
Ling Tian, however, wouldn't let go of Ling Chi and he lamented, "Haiz, Ling Chi. Look at how miserable you are currently. If only Die'er was by your side right now."
Ling Chi had originally suppressed the heat in his body but upon hearing Ling Tian mention Die'er, he felt a miserable sensation coursing throughout his whole body. He immediately felt as though his whole body was exploding and bent down pitifully, "Young noble… you really know how to tease me…"
"Hahaha…" Ling Tian and Ling Jian both burst out laughing together.
Just like Ling Tian's expectations, in fact it was far worse than Ling Tian's expectations. After all the burly men endured the effects of the snake blood, they all stood up with their eyes bloodshot. They were like wild beasts in the mating season and were breathing heavily with their arteries dilated. All of them looked as though they had consumed an extremely potent aphrodisiac. If they weren't able to vent their urges in time, all of them would definitely be consumed by their lust!
Facing this situation, both Ling Jian and Ling Chi were at a complete loss. Just what should they do?
Ling Tian let out a long sigh before standing up. He stood in front of all the burly men and his cold gaze swept past all of them, "Listen to my commands. Get into your pushup position!"
The powerful pressure emanating from Ling Tian's figure and his cold gaze shook everyone awake and they immediately carried out Ling Tian's orders.
"Begin the exercise!" Ling Tian ordered, "Using the fastest speed possible, all of you are to do a thousand pushups within two hours! Ling Jian is in charge of supervising everyone. If anyone does not complete the exercise, you can punish them as you want!" After giving this order, Ling Tian shut his eyes and sat on a tree stump.
Hehe, what aphrodisiac? The blood snake is just bringing out the natal urges of these men. The best way to deal with these men would be to train them crazily. After training them to the point they cannot even move a single finger, let's see if all of you have the energy to think about other things.
Ling Tian sneered in his heart. Not to mention drinking a few mouthfuls of snake blood, even if you guys consume viagra, I will be able to let you vent it all out by doing pushups!
Hearing the command of doing a thousand pushups in two hours, the hundred and fifty burly men who were burning with lust all let out wails and groans.
Through Ling Tian's design, pushups, situps, squats, duck walks, and planking had become the most basic training method in the Ling Family Courtyard. However, doing 1000 pushups in two hours was truly too cruel. It was no wonder that these burly men were wailing out in bitterness.
"Hurry up! Stop wasting time." Ling Jian wouldn't show mercy to them and he immediately sent out his boundless killing intent. All of them felt a shiver down their spines and hurriedly got to work.
******
Xiao Family.
An unexpected flood completely changed the situation of the battlefield!
Xiao FengHan spat out a mouthful of blood and stained his snow-white beard.
After experiencing the slight tremors, the Xiao Family didn't think that anything serious had happened. However, they didn't expect to receive news of the river water being diverted a mere half a day later. The river water surged into the southeast hinterlands and there were thousands of people who had suffered from the flooding. As for the Heavenly Water Ravine Pass which bore the brunt of the flood, they only had the chance to send out a messenger pigeon.
After waiting nervously for a full four hours, Xiao FengHan finally received news. The two mountain peaks by the side of the river collapsed for some unknown reason and fell into the river, cutting off the water of the river! With nowhere for the river water to be drained, the river water could only flow backward. The surrounding banks of the river was already a large lake. As for the Heavenly Water Ravine Pass, it was already decimated and not a single person could escape alive!
It was like thunder in a clear sky!
Chapter 580: Sudden Winds of Change
Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT, Rock
For the Xiao Family, this abrupt news was akin to having the sky just fall straight down on their heads. This was especially so since their 450,000 strong army was out on a campaign. They were the elite forces of the Xiao Family and their hand for world domination! While they had similar forces of that size around the Northeastern regions, they were too scattered, and to form them into a huge army was not something that could be done in a short time.
As for their strongest ally, the Above Heavens, they had also sent out a good half of their experts to coordinate with the Xiao Family. The Xiao Family was already public enemy number one, and the loss of their entire logistics supply line would have consequences beyond their imagination!
Could it be that their ancestors' sayings were true? "If the Xiao Family focuses just on commerce, then it will remain for many eras to come. However, if their ambitions grow too wild, and they attempt to obtain dominance, then the entire clan would die without a grave to be buried in!
When the Xiao Family Head, Xiao FengHan heard this piece of news, he immediately vomited out a mouthful of flood and fainted!
If the sky dies, so will I!
After a series of medical treatments, the resuscitated Xiao FengHan immediately gave down a series of commands as though he had gone crazy. No matter the price, no matter what, they had to clear the river channel in the fastest time possible!
In addition, they were to organize troops to pass through the water to reinforce and provide supplies to the other side, or else their army outside would surely perish!
This was undoubtedly the best idea, but this best idea was just merely wildly searching for a random doctor to treat one's illness. For a country that was mostly comprised of flatlands, how many ships could they actually have? Furthermore, even if they could gather up the necessary members to form a crew, they could not operate the boats. While the water level right now was already on the level of a calamity, it still was not deep enough for actual ships to travel! Although the water level had increased by more than 2 meters, which they considered a disaster, it was not even enough for a tiny ship to float, let alone a battleship that could hold hundreds of people!
All the various Xiao Family members who looked like they had lost their souls immediately started to remember the sayings of their ancestors!
A thought rose unbidden in the minds of everyone's heart, 'Is the beginning of the end of the Xiao Family?'
As for the complete opposite of the Xiao Family, that was the Ling Family!
Upon receiving the tentative plan from Ling Tian, Meng LiGe immediately understood the intentions behind Ling Tian's plan. Initially, no matter how confident Meng LiGe was in Ling Tian, he still did not dare to fully believe he was able to cover the rains and overturn the clouds. After checking multiple times with another person he respected, Miss Li Xue, he finally took action.
However, he did not strictly adhere to Ling Tian's instructions in the plan, for Miss Li Xue's suggestions had increased the scope of Ling Tian's plan by more than two times! As someone belonging to the School of Diplomacy in the military, Meng LiGe was, of course, aware of the hidden meaning behind such a matter. If Ling Tian really managed to block the Blue Jade River, then the commotion it would cause as well as the benefits that the Ling Family could reap were clearly known by him!
As such, he gave out the highest level command available in the Ling Family Courtyard, that other than the hidden cards inside the West and North that were not to be activated, the rest of the hidden cards that Ling Tian possessed would now be put onto the playing field. All were to gather and ceaselessly flow towards the east.
On the side of Sky Bearing, they left a small portion of guards and soldiers for Ling Chen to hold the fort. Meng LiGe then gathered another 100,000 troops and warhorses, as well as pulling out 10,000 people from the Violent Wind Gang before bringing the army out for the expedition, led by him personally. Li Xue served as his hidden guard, and together they rushed towards the Southeast.
This time, Meng LiGe intended to not only totally swallow the 450,000 elite troops of the Xiao Family, but also to unify Eastern Zhao and Southern Zheng. If it was possible, he would even slaughter his way into the lands of the Xiao Family that they had held for centuries!
Meng LiGe's thinking was even more extreme than Ling Tian himself!
The Ling Family Courtyard also sent down the highest order towards Ling Xiao's troops, commanding them to take down the Golden Jade City within five days. They believed that Ling Xiao, having the advantage, would not find it a difficult task. Once Southern Zheng was taken down, they could trap another group of soldiers from the Xiao Family outside of Southern Zheng. Through harassing them, be it poison, arson or attacking, they had to ensure that all their logistic support was destroyed. As time passed and their food and supplies dwindled, the army would also begin to panic.
However, Meng LiGe did not know that he had actually sent out the command a little late. Just as he had sent down the command, Grand Marshall Ling Xiao had already taken down Golden Jade City, confronting the 150,000 Xiao Family soldiers head-on. It was likely that war would be the first to break out over there!
As for Shen RuHu's side, Meng LiGe strictly commanded him to retract his attitude of an observer, mobilize his army, and cooperate with DongFang JingLei to arrange a pincer attack. They had to ensure that the Eastern Zhao imperial soldiers, as well as the other 150,000 troops of the Xiao family, were firmly trapped!
Meng LiGe's intention was to deal with the important matters first. Nothing could surpass swallowing up the 150,000 soldiers stationed in the middle with Xiao FengYang!
Any other matters could be pushed aside for now!
Just one day after the troops set off, Meng LiGe received the good news from Ling Tian. The Blue Jade River had been successfully cut off and Ling Jian was already making haste towards Eastern Zhao to assist Shen RuHu. On the other hand, Ling Chi had set off by himself to visit Southern Zheng in order to assist Ling Xiao. As for Ling Tian himself, he had already retreated based on the arranged route, and once he had gathered Ling Seventeen as well as Feng Mo, they would attack Xiao FengYang from the rear!
Upon receiving this news, Meng LiGe felt his anxiety burn even higher.
The war situation was highly tense at this moment, their opportunity fleeting. They had to completely eliminate Xiao FengYang's army and return to Sky Bearing before the Yu Family in Northern Wei got hold of the news. This was in order to remain absolutely safe! And it was only if they managed to do so that they would be able to swallow this big piece of meat that was the Xiao Family army in peace.
Thus, Meng LiGe set down the order once more, to throw out all excess baggage, and make full speed for the road!
At the Sobbing Ghost Mountain pass, the troops belonging to the Ling Family increased over and over, with many similar banners flapping in the wind. All those indicated their allegiance to Ling Family.
Of course, it was the peerless military strategist Xiao FengYang that felt as though his five organs were truly smoldering!
Concerning the news about the Blue Jade River being cut off, Xiao FengYang would naturally be the last to find out!
Before this, the Xiao Family only had a hypothesis and did not dare to inform Xiao FengYang. In the event that they were wrong and disrupted the mental state of the army, then that would be a terrible consequence! By the time the pigeon letter was sent off, almost a day and night had passed!
At that time, Xiao FengYang himself was still calm and unruffled, awaiting the news of success from Meng RuoYun.
But when the pigeon letter arrived, it was more akin to a stick that hit him right in the head! Xiao FengYang vomited blood and passed out!
No one could blame Xiao FengYang for his actions. Anyone in his shoes would probably do the same.
With the Blue Jade River suddenly having its flow interrupted, flooding and devastating the riverbanks, this caused the Heavenly Water Ravine to no longer have a passable road, cutting off his retreat route! The worst part was that without supplies from the homeland, he only had less than half a month's rations for his army. This was a surefire path to defeat!
The only option they had left was to rush and conquer the Sobbing Ghost Mountain in front of them, entering the Ling Family's lands to plunder and rob for themselves!
However, was it still possible at this time?
No, it was too late!
If Xiao FengYang had really attacked the moment Yu YanHai arrived, ignoring his losses, he might have really broken through, but it was already too late now.
The iron had already gone cold!
Right now, there were more than 50,000 men standing guard at Sobbing Mountain Pass! And this figure was in the process of increasing. Xiao FengYang could be said to have lost his last and final chance.
But no one could blame him. After all, with the route of Heavenly Water Ravine Pass, he could constantly receive supplies and choose when to attack or retreat without fear for any future consequences. Not only Xiao FengYang, any general when placed with this scenario, would do the same! Who would have thought that someone actually existed in the world who could blast off part of a landscape countless years old?
That was supposed to be the work of a god!
But now, that miracle actually happened. The world's most majestic mountain city had turned into a city surrounded by water. The people outside could not enter, nor the people inside exit! Xiao FengYang and his 150,000 troops were placed in an awkward position.
Only death awaited!
In his despair, Xiao FengYang almost went crazy.
There was no chance for him to still remain sane, faced with defeat at this juncture, as well as to be reduced to a mere prisoner. He was even more unwilling to see the 500 years of hard work and accumulation of the Xiao Family all destroyed in his hands! Under this extreme despair, Xiao FengYang took the action of burning all his bridges!
Or maybe, this was the only thing left that he could do!
To gather all his soldiers and do a head-on assault at Sobbing Ghost Mountain! Whatever the losses, he had to cut out a path of safety for himself! This was the only chance of survival he had left right now!
As such, before the flames of war had cleared, while the scent of blood was still fresh in the pass, the silence that had reigned for six days was shattered once more! Furthermore, this attack was more desperate than the previous times by over a hundred times!
The Xiao Family soldiers who knew that their supply lines were cut off went all-out in desperation!
This sort of madness even let Yu YanHai, who was purportedly the number one commander for defense, feel a great headache!
The Xiao Family soldiers had no fear of death. Even if they had to sacrifice a hundred lives just to take one step or even half a step, they had no hesitation in doing so, to the point that they could not wait to die! They were even more swift and fierce as compared to the Ling Family's troops. Yu YanHai was depressed and thought to himself, 'When did this group of soldiers suddenly convert their occupations to become death warriors?'
Yu YanHai was actually over-complicating matters, for the underlying reason was with the Xiao soldiers. All of them knew that their retreat route had been broken, and if the status quo didn't change, they would sooner or later starve to death. There was no difference between them dying from hunger or dying from an enemy's sword, and furthermore, even if it was a slim chance, there was still a possibility of breaking through Sobbing Mountain Pass. Under such circumstances, all that filled their heads was to kill one to break even, kill two to profit! Thus they displayed such madness.
This was also the meaning behind an army burning with righteous indignation would be bound to win!
It was this sort of grieving soldiers that posed the worst nightmare to the Ling Family soldiers! The death count rose to an extreme level, such that even those injured Blood Iron Warriors that Wang Han had left recuperating in the pass were forced to clench their teeth and pick up their weapons to rush into the battlefield!
Both sides were fully immersed in the war, and with every second, someone would fall. Every now and then, a group of people clashing would be left with a bunch of corpses, and Xiao FengYang who had his heart steeled to break past the defenses was staring with reddened eyes at the war zone. So long as he saw that the battle was not in their favor, he would wave his red flag, and a fresh batch of soldiers would then rush up!
Human wave tactics, that was right! Even if he had to use the lives of all his men present, he had to forge an escape route!
Xiao FengYang knew that if he could not break through Sobbing Ghost Pass, he would die either way. Thus he made up his mind to succeed or die trying!
This bloodbath continued for two days straight!
Under the perversely many attack commands given by Xiao FengYang, the Xiao Family soldiers rushed up like waves striking against the shore continuously. Yu YanHai had bloodshot eyes, as he was only left with 5,000 reserve troops that he had yet to send out. However, the Xiao Family's attack showed no signs of ceasing!
Sobbing Mountain Pass looked as though it was about to be lost!
Even if Yu YanHai was an expert in defense, even if he was the best at it, but he could not do anything without troops, just like how even the cleverest housewife could not cook a meal without rice! His opponent had already turned into a lunatic, a completely insane person who disregarded life and death that he could not resist!
Yu YanHai could only let out a long sigh, and with a 'shua', his saber was drawn. His eyes turned bitingly cold at this point as he thought, 'Since things have already gotten to this point, then let me accompany Sobbing Ghost Pass to live or die! To have led such a rag-tag army to defend against the elites of the Xiao Family soldiers for eight days, furthermore with the acclaimed military expert Xiao FengYang in command!'
'This is good enough! The order that the Ling Family Courtyard gave me was to obstruct them for six days. It's the eighth day now, what should I be unsatisfied about?'
Yu YanHai let out a mocking smile as he raised his saber, his left hand gripped the horsewhip, ready to command it to charge forward.
So long as the horsewhip came down, the warhorse would fearlessly charge straight into the fray. With Yu YanHai's frail body and weak cultivation, he would immediately become meat paste!
"General! Look!" Beside him, his aide pulled on the whip, his other hand pointing to another direction. A look of joy was on his face as he spoke, "It's our armed forces troops and horses! It's our main army! They've arrived!"
Where the aide pointed, countless red flags dotted the area in a sea of red, as though it were the clouds at sunset covering the entire sky and earth! Strong and steady hoofbeats sounded with earth-shattering momentum as they rushed over!
The front-most flag was raised above all others, fluttering in the wind. Painted in gold were the two words "Ling" and "Tian"! These two words on the flag seemed to have given it some sort of spirit, as though a monarch had descended from the heavens to earth in the most majestic manner possible, looking with disdain from the corner of his eye at the world below him!
Chapter 581: Outcome Determined
Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, Rock
"It is Young Noble Ling Tian! Young Noble Ling Tian is here to reinforce us!" A loud roar sounded and it spread throughout the battlefield.
Ling Tian! These two words seemed to carry with them a mystical power. All of a sudden, the warriors of the Ling Family seemed to have eaten an aphrodisiac and became extremely lively. As for the Xiao Family soldiers, they seemed to have curled up in fear as their eyes darted around the battlefield. With the Xiao Family's morale dropping to rock bottom and the Ling Family's morale being boosted, the Ling Family army that was originally in danger of defeat had actually defended against the Xiao Family's attacks.
Ling Tian was currently the idol of all the armies and soldiers in the continent. With a mere five men, he charged into a 400,000 man army to save his father and had actually retreated safely. He was even able to create mountains of corpses within the enemy's army and had made use of the battle to wipe out the elites of the Northern Wei army!
His battle record had spread throughout the whole continent and his existence was like that of a battle deity. Hearing that Ling Tian was here, the Ling Family soldiers were immediately at ease. They even felt that Xiao FengYang's 150,000 men army weren't enough for them to kill…
This was Meng LiGe's plan of raising his troops' morale while crushing his enemies' morale! How would the meticulous Meng LiGe let go of such a good opportunity to raise his soldiers' morale? Without a second thought, he carried out such a plan…
Before the shock of 'Ling Tian's' arrival had faded, Meng LiGe's elite reinforcements were already at the front of the formation. A series of sharp shrills could be heard filling the sky and the soldiers of the Ling Family split into two. Following that, arrows covered the sky like dark clouds and turned the whole sky dark before those thousands of arrows landed in the Xiao Family's camp!
Countless miserable shrieks could be heard and three thousand Ling Family cavalry charged into the battlefield and the enemy's formations!
It was like a bunch of adult elephants charging into a herd of sheep!
The 3000 cavalry waved their blades at the same time!
The neat row of blade lights broke through the clouds and formed a white bolt of lightning. As they waved their blades down, a fountain of blood sprayed out from the Xiao army's formation. The faces of the 3000 soldiers remained cold and they continued breaking through the enemy's formation. Leaving behind a path of blood, they arrived at the back of the Xiao Family formation!
Just when everyone thought that this cavalry would turn around and launch a second round of massacre in the formation, the cavalry had sped up and dashed towards the middle army where Xiao FengYang was located!
The middle army where Xiao FengYang was located was undeniably the core of the Xiao Family army but also where the defense was the tightest. Attacking the middle army with three thousand cavalry was akin to seeking death!
That's right, they were indeed seeking their deaths! However, they had to die a meaningful death!
The speed of the war horses was increased to the maximum and the horses were already panting heavily with white smoke coming out of their nostrils and mouth. This was a sign of immense exhaustion and all of the energy was converted into the fastest possible speed! The 3000 cavalry of the Ling Family raised up their blood-stained blades and charged towards Xiao FengYang with a boundless killing intent!
Death warriors!
These cavalry who were seeking death were the elite death warriors of the Ling Family! With certain death in their hearts, they created an opening in Xiao FengYang's army! The used their deaths in exchange for the largest benefits!
On the other side, eight flags were raised in the Ling Family army and another cavalry charged out of the Ling Family army. It was another 3000 men! Following behind the blood path which their comrades carved out, they sprinted forward in an almost fanatical manner!
Another path was created!
Following that… Another path…
A total of eight paths were created and the 24,000 cavalry soldiers of the Ling Family charged out in a crazed fashion! They ignored the malevolent-looking Xiao Family soldiers as though they didn't exist and sacrificed their lives to kill a blood path! After the cavalry, the densely packed infantry charged forward like a raging tsunami!
A full 24,000 elite cavalry and 85,000 infantry! These one hundred thousand soldiers were already the largest military might that Meng LiGe could take out right now. However, he invested them all into this single battle! He sent them all into battle the moment they reached the battlefield without a single shred of hesitation!
He did not leave any reserves behind and did not have any considerations!
Everything would be decided with a single battle!
In the Ling Family camp, only ten thousand Violent Wind Gang members were left to guard the camp! Even if they had some battle prowess, they were not a proper army after all and could not participate in this battle directly! The two gang leaders of the Violent Wind Gang, Ling Three, and Li Lin gripped their blades with their muscles all tensed up and battle intent soaring. They hated the fact that they could not dive into the intense battle to do battle as well! However, under Meng LiGe's strict orders, they did not dare to make a rash move and could only clench their fists in frustration!
This was also an extremely crazy plan!
Ending the battle with the fastest possible speed with the price of a large number of casualties before returning to Sky Bearing immediately! This was Meng LiGe's plan for the battle. Even if Sky Bearing had a robust strength, it was difficult for them to support three different battles at the same time. The three different battles had already exhausted the bulk of Sky Bearing's army and Sky Bearing was currently like a naked virgin without a single shred of defense! Currently, the Ling Family did not have the time to waste with the Xiao Family. Even if the Xiao Family did not have the ability to drag out the battle with the Ling Family, their Ling Family didn't have that ability either. They had to wipe out the Xiao Family in a single blow! They had to end the battle swiftly before the Yu Family had a chance to react to their battle!
If their battle with the Xiao Family dragged on, Yu ManLou would make use of the opportunity to send out his forces and attack the Ling Family from all directions. At that time, the Ling Family would face the risk of being split up into pieces! Even if Ling Tian and Yu ManLou had a five-year agreement between them, none of them including Ling Tian, Ling Chen, or Li Xue felt that Yu ManLou would let go of such a good opportunity in order to maintain his gentlemanly poise.
That was something that was impossible.
Thus, Meng LiGe adopted such a battle strategy despite the large number of casualties!
In order to quickly gain victory over desperate soldiers, they could only pay a huge price!
Apart from this, there wasn't another way!
As long as there was another way, the military strategist Meng LiGe would not have made such a risky decision. However, he had no choice but to make such a huge sacrifice in order to wipe out the threat in the east!
Xiao FengYang's eyes narrowed!
'They have arrived!' He never imagined that the Ling Family would move so quickly. It was as if the Ling Family had already made all of their preparations before this!
'Could it be that the flood was a doing of the Ling Family? However, just how did they accomplish such a feat? Knock down the mountain? How could that be possible? Was this something that a human could accomplish? If a human was capable of such a feat, their Xiao Family wouldn't have led such a carefree life for five hundred years!'
With things developing to such a point, Xiao FengYang did not have the time to consider if the Ling Family was prepared before this. He also did not have the time to wonder if the reversal of the Blue Jade River was a scheme of the Ling Family. It was already meaningless to think about these at this point. Xiao FengYang only knew that this could be the final battle of his life!
If the first wave of the Ling Family cavalry really breaks through the defense line of the middle army, Xiao FengYang's army would fall into chaos immediately! Although he knew that his defeat was near, Xiao FengYang would never allow such a humiliation to happen!
He would rather die in a bitter battle!
Xiao FengYang's eyes burned with craziness as he waved his command flag down resolutely!
The sky was immediately covered by a dark wave of arrows! Arrows shot out from the Xiao Family camp continuously and plenty of the Ling Family cavalry fell off their horses. However, they were charging too quickly and the fastest cavalry troops were already out of the arrows' range. In a couple of breaths time, they were only an arrow's distance away from the Xiao Family camp!
At such a distance, unless the Xiao Family gets into a brawl with the Ling army, it was impossible to harm them!
The horns sounded and the remaining hundred thousand Xiao Family soldiers let out a battle cry. With a heaven shaking roar, half of their soldiers charged forward to receive the Ling Family's cavalry!
As the ground trembled, the cavalry of both parties grew nearer and nearer to each other. They could clearly see the faces of each other and could even clearly see the bloodshot eyes of the other party!
The Xiao Family archers only had the chance to let out two waves of arrows before the cavalry of both armies met in an earth-shattering battle! After everyone was blinded by the flashing reflections of the blade, the sounds of bestial cries could be heard in both armies and blood shot to the skies!
A loud roar sounded!
At the rear of the Xiao Family, a squad of cavalry soldiers charged down from a small hill and penetrated into the back of the Xiao Family army!
A loud roar sounded, "Ling Tian is here!"
His voice sounded like thunder!
The person in the lead was clad in black with a golden crown. His face was like a refined piece of jade and had an extraordinary appearance.
He was Young Noble Ling, the number one death god of the continent!
Ling Tian was in the middle, Feng Mo on his left and Ling Seventeen on his right. There were another 1500 burly men behind them charging down like tigers. Anyone who blocked them would be dragged into a storm of blood and a wave of miserable shrieks sounded. Countless broken limbs flew out in every direction and blood spewed out like water sprinklers watering a garden!
A blade in Ling Tian's hands shot out like a shooting star towards the Marshal's flag of the Xiao Family army. Even after slicing the flagpole into two, the force of the blade was not completely exhausted and it continued to weave through the Xiao army, slicing three burly men into six halves!
The Xiao camp had fallen into complete chaos after Ling Tian's appearance!
Ling Tian's sudden appearance was like a huge stimulus to the already intense battle and the miserable battle exploded further! At the same time, the Xiao Family's final bit of morale was also wiped out!
Among the Ling Family cavalry, a skinny officer jumped off his horse and his figure weaved through the enemy's forces like a demon. With a flash of sword light, more than a dozen Xiao Family soldiers miserably collapsed onto the ground.
Before the others could come close, this skinny figure spun around and seven to eight small black goose egg sized balls shot towards the surrounding. After spinning around again, another ten or more goose egg sized balls flew out and a large portion of these black balls shot towards the archers!
Hong hong hong…
Without a single sign, a series of explosions sounded. Wherever the balls exploded, a small clearing would be made and decapitated heads would fly. These decapitated heads would then be sent flying by another series of explosions like they were wingless birds.
"What! Thunderbeads?!" Ling Tian's body trembled, "Even that lass is here?"
That skinny figure then shot to the sky with a crisp roar and levitated in mid-air. At the same time, that figure spun around and countless black balls were sent flying in all directions. Following that, a series of shrieks sounded throughout the Xiao army and limbs were sent flying in all directions!
Lean phoenix eyes with a dense killing intent! She was Miss Li Xue who was carrying her secret weapon!
From her attacks alone, almost a thousand were injured and killed!
The more important thing was that this special weapon had destroyed the spirit of the Xiao Family!
"You still decided to make this thing? Who asked you to use such an item?" Ling Tian's angry roar sounded from afar as though he was extremely dissatisfied. However, his next sentence revealed his intentions. "Using it in such a manner is far too big of a waste! Don't throw it all away! Leave some for me to play with."
Li Xue snorted with anger, "No more, there isn't a single one left. It is best for you to continue being a Confucian scholar! Pretentious fellow!"
Ling Tian's sword swept out and he jumped off his horse. A few Xiao soldiers were sent flying and Ling Tian sped to Li Xue's side while shouting, "Nonsense! Who are you called a pretentious fellow?!"
Li Xue snorted twice and spun around again, shooting out six thunderbeads. The seven or eight enemies around her perished under her sword and she even managed to find the time to mock Ling Tian, "Young Master Ling, apart from you, is there anyone worthy of this title? Only the officials are allowed to use fire but the commoners are not allowed to light up their lamps?"
Ling Tian chuckled and did not stay on this topic with Li Xue, "You don't need to care if I am a true gentleman or pretentious fellow. Don't change the topic! Are you going to give them to me or not?"
Li Xue floated up and flew out seventy odd feet, killing all of the Xiao soldiers along the way, "I am just not going to give them to you! Are you going to bite me?!"
Ling Tian flew into a rage and a white splendor shot out from the Heaven Splitter. The surrounding hundred feet were immediately cleansed and Ling Tian said with his teeth clenched, "Alright, if you dare to not give it to me, you better not regret it in future! When I return, I will carry out the family law to smack your bottom until it becomes raw!"
"Smack my bottom if you dare! Who is afraid of who?" From afar, Li Xue's laughter sounded and a series of explosions could be heard.
These two individuals had actually begun casually chatting in the midst of the battlefield… Feng Mo and the others didn't know whether to laugh or cry. However, despite having a good conversation, the two of them did not stay idle and the number of people who died in their hands was more than in the hands of anyone else.
Ling Tian's figure flashed about like a ghost and a long blood path was carved out. The next moment, Ling Tian appeared in front of Li Xue with his arm stretched out, "Give it to me!"
Li Xue snorted and threw out a bag which was on her waist.
"Thank! Haha… I can have my fun now…" Ling Tian's anger was immediately transformed into joy as he dug his hand into the bag, "I shall give you something good as a reward when we return… err…" His face suddenly contorted in anger, "It's all gone?!"
Li Xue chuckled and made a funny face. Waving her right hand, she merrily threw out the last two thunderbeads. "I already passed everything I have to you!"
Ling Tian was thoroughly incensed! However, he was completely helpless against this demoness!
Following Ling Tian's arrival and a pincer attack from two directions, the situation of the battle had finally tilted in the favor of the Ling Family. With Ling Tian joining hands with Li Xue and the explosions which Li Xue caused, the enemy's camp was completely messed up. As the battle dragged on, the morale of the Xiao soldiers was destroyed but the morale of the Ling soldiers burned even brighter.
In a state of extreme fear, the Xiao soldiers at the outermost rim finally could not hold off the Ling soldiers and their defensive line collapsed. After the first outbreak of fear, this fear would spread across the whole army. More and more soldiers began to escape and the situation began spiraling out of control!
The loss of those soldiers was like the collapse of a mountain!
Xiao FengYang let out a long sigh as he watched Ling Tian charge at him with killing intent. He then looked around at the escaping Xiao Family soldiers and was completely disheartened. Straightening his blade, he placed it beside his neck and let out a loud laugh, "I never imagined that I, Xiao FengYang, who had never experienced defeat would also face such a day!"
His hand moved and he was about to commit suicide.
Dang!
A small copper coin flew from afar and smashed into Xiao FengYang's sword. Xiao FengYang's sword was sent flying and it broke apart in mid-air. Even though Xiao FengYang's sword was sent flying in time, a deep cut was still made on his neck and fresh blood began spewing out. His body then shook unsteadily and he fell down from the horse!
Only at that moment could the sound of the coin slicing through the air be heard.
A skinny black figure shot forward with a speed even faster than an arrow. Before Xiao FengYang landed on the ground this black figure caught him.
Ling Tian held onto Xiao FengYang's body with one hand and used his other hand to press onto his acupoints. Following that, a white cloth was wrapped around Xiao FengYang's neck tightly and Ling Tian let out a roar, "The Grand Marshal Xiao FengYang has been captured! Those who surrender will not be killed!"
"Those who surrender will not be killed!"
His voice rolled out in all directions like the waves.
From afar, Meng LiGe's beard fluttered lightly in the wind and a smile could be seen in his face. The outcome of the battle had been determined!