Chapter 99: Myriad Steeds Galloping

The fractured black armor on his body, with one shoulder completely severed by the blade, spewed forth a deep crimson spray, swiftly drenching half of the cavalryman's body in red. Seizing this opportune moment, Lu Li unleashed another slash.

His physical defense at this moment was astonishing; even if he had to endure a blow, he would not be at a loss. However, just as Lu Li's blade descended, the remaining two cavalrymen swiftly parried his sword.

"Retreat!"

One cavalryman roared at the heavily wounded companion. Despite having lost an entire shoulder, the cavalryman still spurred his warhorse forward, heading back towards the official road.

At this point, the figure in the treetops signaled again to the cavalry on the official road. Ten black-armored cavalry, armed with spears, charged towards Lu Li. Meanwhile, the two sword-wielding cavalrymen who had engaged Lu Li in a clumsy battle began retreating from the field.

Controlling the pace of their horses, the ten spear-wielding cavalrymen, mounted on scale-patterned horses, approached. In mounted combat, the long spear held a distinct advantage. Relying on the formidable speed of the scaled horses, coupled with the martial cultivation of these cavalrymen, who were no less than transcendent realm practitioners, and wielding spirit-ranked long spears, Lu Li dared not confront them head-on.

As the ten riders approached, the situation became increasingly precarious for Lu Li. The figure in the treetops, seemingly losing patience, strung an arrow, preparing to coordinate with the cavalry to eliminate Lu Li.

In the midst of a critical moment, a distant horizon resonated with the twang of a horn. At that sound, the charging warhorses were swiftly halted by their riders. The figure in the treetops glanced at the direction of the horn, then looked back at Lu Li.

"Consider yourself fortunate today; we'll settle the score another day!"

"Withdraw!"

The cavalry that had surged like a tide on the official road suddenly receded just as abruptly.

Lu Li surveyed the thoroughly lifeless horses; the carriage was now rendered unusable.

"Young master, let us proceed on foot!"

"You two wait here; I have something to attend to!"

"Young master, what are you going to do?"

"Secure two horses; rest in the woods for a while!"

Lu Li, observing the direction from which the horn had sounded, seemed to be contemplating something.

Their use of a horn to gather their subordinates indicated an urgent matter. However, around Tonghua City, there were no demonic beasts, and Yunzhou was not on the western border of West Qin. There was no external threat.

Moreover, their forces had only stationed outside Tonghua City a little over a month ago. It didn't seem like a routine rotation of forces, given the high status of their leader, who wouldn't need to station troops in Tonghua City.

What were they doing here, and what urgent matter required them to use a horn to summon reinforcements?

Lu Li was curious!

"Could they be searching for something, and they've found it now, prompting an urgent gathering of their subordinates?"

Lu Li decided to investigate; sometimes, curiosity could lead to peril.

The location from which the horn sounded was not far from here. Lu Li summoned his other demonic pet, the Ironclad Rhinoceros.

Since obtaining this demonic pet, Lu Li had barely used or trained it, keeping it in reserve until a suitable demonic beast could replace it. At present, with no horses available, he decided to employ it as a riding companion.

The transcendent realm Ironclad Rhinoceros, not slower than warhorses, galloped steadily on the official road. Lu Li lay prone on its back, resembling a small mountain. Soon, they left the official road, entering a range of small mountains where the horn had echoed from. The figure should be within these mountains.

Approaching the area, Lu Li witnessed flashes of lightning amidst the mountain peaks, followed by a thunderous roar reverberating through the valleys.

Lightning on a clear day—what could this mean?

Encouraging the Ironclad Rhinoceros towards the source of the thunder, Lu Li suddenly heard the neighing of warhorses. In a valley, he observed numerous scale-patterned horses—easily close to a thousand—quietly grazing.

Several black-armored cavalrymen stood guard nearby. If there were a way to startle these scaled horses, Lu Li thought it would be quite amusing.

"Unfortunately, I have no firecrackers on me!"

Shaking his head, Lu Li recalled the Ironclad Rhinoceros. Suddenly, he heard a disdainful voice in his mind.

It was the voice of that scoundrel of a system, uttering just four words: Thousand Calamities Thunderwood.

With an excess of scaled horses and the soldiers standing guard huddled together, considering this place secure, they remained here for routine tasks.

Without anyone noticing, Lu Li had already infiltrated the herd of horses. At that moment, he took out the Thousand Calamities Thunderwood. The thunderous energy within it immediately caused the tails of the scaled horses around him to jump, akin to a broom tied to their hindquarters.

The scaled horses were turned into long-tailed porcupines by the electricity.

Although the scaled horses were not frightened, they merely avoided the dark piece of wood.

"Darn, this is entirely ineffective in startling the herd!"

The Thousand Calamities Thunderwood only caused the scaled horses to evade. It was frustrating for Lu Li. That scoundrel of a system had truly deceived him!

Just then, the thunderous sounds from the valley grew louder. Thunderclouds had transformed the daytime sky into a spectacle resembling broad daylight.

A few scaled horses, glancing at the terrifying scene in the distance, continued grazing, seemingly indifferent.

Just at that moment, a lightning bolt struck directly from above. One scaled horse, engrossed in grazing, was struck by the thunderbolt. The powerful beast, with its formidable demonic bloodline, was instantly charred, collapsing to the ground and convulsing twice before succumbing.

The surrounding scaled horses finally ceased grazing, looking at their fallen comrade with lingering fear.

At that moment, thunderclouds brewed in the sky above Lu Li, and several bolts of lightning descended in quick succession.

It was the thunderbolts drawn by the Thousand Calamities Thunderwood, leaving Lu Li stupefied.

Rolling thunder echoed, finally startling the herd. The scaled horses, now distressed by the thunder, began galloping. The soldiers desperately tried to block their path, but how could they restrain the chaotic rush? One soldier was trampled, and in the blink of an eye, he breathed his last. The remaining soldiers were disoriented by the stampeding horses.

Observing the valley filled with tumultuous horses, Lu Li couldn't help but burst into laughter. "You wanted to kill me, but I took care of your mounts first. Without their steeds, can they still be called cavalry?"

Lu Li retracted the Thousand Calamities Thunderwood, causing the thunderous scene to dissipate in the sky.

There was no need for thunder at this point; these horses were unlikely to stop now. Startled warhorses would run until exhaustion, and who knew where these

 endurance beasts would end up.

The soldiers, now out of sight, prompted Lu Li to walk towards the valley where the thunderous sounds persisted, growing more frequent. The closer he got, the more uneasy he felt.