Honghuang: My understanding is beyond belief. I am the first immortal of Jiejiao.

"kill--!!!"

Without any unnecessary words, the moment the two vast, yet distinctly different, torrents collided with a deafening roar on the expansive plain, the heavens and earth paled in comparison! The deafening shouts of battle, the clang of clashing weapons, the booming of exploding spells, the screams of the dying... all instantly intertwined into a symphony of destruction!

Blood and flesh flew everywhere, and severed limbs rained down like a storm! Buddhist light clashed violently with various spiritual, demonic, and blood energies, exploding into dazzling yet deadly halos of light! Warhorses neighed and fell, massive war machines were blasted into fragments, and sturdy shields twisted and shattered under the heavy blows infused with Buddhist power!
In a single charge, tens of thousands of troops on both front lines were instantly turned into a bloody mess, like being thrown into a meat grinder! A thick, nauseating stench of blood, mixed with the smell of burning and dust, rose into the sky, forming a suffocating blood-red mist covering an area of ​​dozens of miles!
Yuchi Gong, clad in heavy armor and wielding a newly forged, gleaming Mo Dao, stood atop the towering walls of Fengxue City, his eyes bloodshot as he gazed at the brutal carnage below.

Although the Tang army was brave and its individual combat strength was not bad, the Indian Buddhist soldiers fought in formation with excellent coordination and were connected by faint Buddhist light. Their defense and attack were highly organized, and for a time the battle was evenly matched. In some local areas, the well-trained Buddhist soldiers even had a slight advantage.

Especially when he saw some of his own righteous men from the common people, who, despite their bravery in their battles, were often surrounded by Buddhist soldiers and torn to pieces due to a lack of coordinated battle formations, Yuchi Gong felt as if his heart was being torn apart.

These are all passionate young men who answered His Majesty's call and risked their lives for the country!
"We can't let this drag on! We must boost morale and disrupt their formation!"

Yuchi Gong gritted his teeth and turned to shout at his deputy.

"Hold the city walls! This general is off!"

Before he finished speaking, this fierce general, who had just been resurrected and whose body was still flowing with the power of merit reconstruction, actually shattered the battlements with one foot and, like a meteorite falling from the sky, jumped directly down from the city wall, which was more than ten feet high!

"General Yuchi!"

The soldiers guarding the city walls cried out in alarm.

Yuchi Gong, however, disregarded everything. While still in mid-air, the long sword in his hand unleashed a fierce blade light that stretched for tens of feet, like a roaring silver dragon, and slashed fiercely down at the most densely packed Indian Buddhist soldier formation below!

"Get the hell out of my way—!!!"

Boom!!!

Wherever the blade's light passed, it ploughed a deep trench in the earth, and the hard frozen soil mixed with gravel and flesh and blood shot into the sky! The first hundred or so Buddhist soldiers in formation, along with their armor and weapons, were instantly shredded and vaporized like paper under the terrifying blade's light, which contained the furious attack of a Golden Immortal-level warrior!
A violent surge of energy swept outwards, knocking hundreds of Buddhist soldiers off balance and creating a huge gap in the battle formation!

"It's General Yuchi!"

"The general has attacked!"

"Brothers! Kill them! Follow General Yuchi and slaughter these bald monks!!"

Yuchi Gong's earth-shattering strike instantly ignited the suppressed anger and fighting spirit in the hearts of all the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty! This legendary general, who had followed Emperor Taizong in his campaigns five hundred years ago, made great achievements, and miraculously came back to life yesterday, his personal intervention was undoubtedly the strongest boost to morale!
"Roar--!!!"

The million Tang soldiers roared in unison, and the murderous aura that had been somewhat suppressed by the Buddhist soldiers' battle formation suddenly surged like a raging fire doused with boiling oil! Crimson blood and wolf smoke mixed with various colors of mixed yet powerful spiritual energy rose from the heads of every Tang soldier, faintly gathering in the air, and temporarily dispersing some of the auspicious clouds of Buddha's light!
Inspired by this, the Tang army's offensive suddenly became frenzied and reckless! The cultivators no longer held back their magical power, and all kinds of powerful spells, flying swords, and talismans rained down on the Buddhist soldiers' battle formation; the warriors launched a fearless charge, trading wounds for wounds and risking their lives for each other.
Even some of the largest demon warriors fully revealed part of their true forms, charging and rampaging through the enemy ranks like ancient ferocious beasts!
In an instant, with this sudden and fierce determination, the million-strong Tang army managed to suppress the 1.2 million well-equipped and well-trained Indian Buddhist soldiers, forcing them to retreat slowly!
Two million of the most elite soldiers fought fiercely across this vast battlefield, spanning tens of thousands of acres. Every moment, tens of thousands of lives were lost, their blood soaking the frozen earth, forming trickles that quickly froze into dark red ice crystals. The world was awash in blood, a scene of carnage and carnage, as if hell itself had been reborn!

However, just as the main battlefield was locked in a fierce stalemate, and everyone's attention was drawn to the meat grinder-like carnage—

Behind the Indian army, several Buddhas who were in charge of the overall command, hidden in layers of Buddhist light, had a glint in their eyes.

"The time has come!"

A Buddha with a withered face but sharp, eagle-like eyes whispered a command.

"Tang general Yuchi Gong has already entered the fray, is embroiled in battle, and is unable to extricate himself. The defenders of Fengxue City are completely focused on the frontal assault, leaving their defenses vulnerable! A surprise attack is imminent!!"

The command was issued instantly through a special communication method.

The 300,000 elite Indian cavalry, who had already maneuvered to a hilly area 30 miles behind the city of Wind and Snow, moved instantly like a pack of wolves that had heard the signal to attack!

Rumble—!!!
Three hundred thousand carefully selected warhorses, fed with spiritual herbs and even inscribed with lightness runes, started moving simultaneously. The sound of their hooves was initially muffled, but then it merged into a terrifying thunder that shook the earth!
This cavalry, with men clad in heavy armor and horses in light armor, each rider wielding a lance or scimitar, and bows and crossbows hanging from the sides of their horses, moved with the speed of the wind, yet were terrifyingly silent. Only the sound of hooves flying and rubbing against armor could be heard, like the silent approach of death!

They completely ignored the chaotic battlefield in front of them, and like a sharp dagger, they moved at an astonishing speed along a pre-planned, relatively flat and concealed route, directly piercing the seemingly weakest rear of Snowstorm City!
"not good!!"

Yuchi Gong, who was wielding his sword to cleave a Buddhist soldier general and his mount in two, suddenly felt a jolt of fear as a strong sense of crisis washed over him.

He suddenly looked up, straining his eyes to gaze in the direction of Snowstorm City, and vaguely saw a plume of smoke and dust approaching rapidly like a golden lightning bolt!
"Cavalry! It's a surprise attack! Their target is Snowstorm City! Retake the city! Quickly, take the city back—!!"

Yuchi Gong's eyes were bloodshot as he let out a heart-wrenching roar, the sound even drowning out the deafening battle cries and echoing across half the battlefield.

However, it was too late! Two million troops were locked in a fierce battle, with the battle line stretching for miles. People were packed together, horses were side by side, spells flew everywhere, and swords and spears were merciless. How could they possibly turn around at will?

Hearing their commander's roar, the Tang soldiers were filled with anxiety and wanted to break away from the battle to return to their aid, but they were entangled by the Indian Buddhist soldiers who were relentlessly pursuing them. If they were distracted for even a moment, they would be beheaded! The entire vast battlefield was like a huge quagmire, mired in a brutal stalemate and attrition, with no way to extricate themselves instantly!
Those 300,000 cavalrymen were incredibly fast! Like a flood bursting its banks, they swept across the final stretch in the blink of an eye and arrived at the foot of Fengxue City!

At this moment, because Yuchi Gong had taken some of his elite troops down the city wall to fight, the defenders on the city wall were indeed much weaker than before, and most of their attention was drawn to the fierce battle on the front. It wasn't until the thunderous sound of hooves approached the city wall that the sentries were horrified to discover the enemy's presence and hastily rang the alarm bell!
"Enemy attack—!! Enemy attack from behind the city—!!" The shrill alarm bells and shouts echoed over the Snowstorm City, but it was already a beat too late!
Leading this extraordinary force was a burly, fierce-looking Indian general. He rode atop an exceptionally magnificent armored war elephant, his eyes gleaming with fanaticism and greed as he gazed at the Snowstorm City, which seemed within easy reach.

To breach this city and capture and kill the Tang Emperor—what an unparalleled achievement! Enough to grant him the status of an Arhat or even a Bodhisattva in the Western Paradise, allowing him to enjoy eternal bliss!

"Break the city!!"

The Indian general roared and took out a precious object from his bosom. It was a black ritual implement about the size of a palm, shaped like a vajra, but covered with fine cracks.

He bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of blood onto it, while frantically pouring all his Buddhist power into it!

"Om-!"

The black artifact suddenly erupted with dazzling dark light. A black beam of light, condensed to the extreme and carrying a terrifying aura of penetration and destruction, struck the seemingly solid rear wall of Wind and Snow City like a poisonous dragon emerging from its cave!

boom!!!
With a deafening roar, the city wall, a mixture of refined iron, diamonds, and defensive formations, collapsed and shattered instantly, as if struck by a heavy hammer, centered on the point of impact of the beam of light. Smoke, dust, and debris shot into the sky, forming a massive breach more than ten zhang wide, large enough for several riders to ride abreast! The defensive runes on the city wall flickered and groaned, before finally fading completely!
The defenses of Snowstorm City have been forcibly breached!

"Hahaha! Heaven blesses the Buddhist Kingdom! My men, follow me and charge in! Slaughter all the Tang dogs in the city! Capture the Tang King!!"

The Indian general was overjoyed. He brandished his long sword and charged ahead, leading the charge through the massive breach into the Snowstorm City! Behind him, 300,000 ferocious Indian cavalrymen roared and charged in like a flood bursting its banks!

Finished!

On the battlefield, countless Tang Dynasty generals and cultivators who witnessed this scene felt a surge of despair. His Majesty was still in the city! Once the city fell, the emperor would be captured or killed, morale would collapse completely, and this battle would be a utter defeat!
They desperately tried to return to the city's aid, but were once again held back, forced to watch helplessly as the golden torrent surged into the city, letting out a grief-stricken and powerless roar.

The Indian general who stormed into the city was already fantasizing about achieving unparalleled feats, being conferred the golden body of an Arhat, and enjoying eternal peace in the Western Paradise.

He stared wide-eyed, bracing himself for the city's hasty resistance, ready to witness the terrified and desperate expressions on the faces of the Tang soldiers, and searching for the figure in the dragon robe...

However, the anticipated chaos, resistance, and people crying out and fleeing did not occur.

The city streets were deserted, as if the people had already been evacuated. But not far from the inside of the breached city gate, a somewhat abrupt scene caught the eye of the Indian general.

It was a makeshift, simple platform, about three feet high, like those used by a village schoolteacher. Behind the platform stood a schoolteacher, dressed in a faded scholar's robe, with a lean face and three long tufts of beard. He held a book in his hand, his expression peaceful, even carrying a faint air of leisurely afternoon ease.

Below the podium, there were more than a dozen small stools, and the people sitting on them were all different kinds of people, completely out of place in this grim battlefield.

There were old farmers wearing straw hats and with muddy trouser legs, sweeping women carrying brooms and wearing coarse cloth dresses, little girls with pigtails and half a steamed bun in their hands, their faces dirty, vendors carrying loads of goods, blacksmiths, night watchmen... They looked like a group of ordinary people from the city, temporarily gathered by the teacher to listen to lessons on the street.

Next to the podium stood a simple blackboard, on which seemed to have a few large characters written in white chalk, but it was covered by a gray cloth and could not be seen clearly.

Upon seeing the Indian general, radiating murderous intent and leading countless cavalrymen into the city, the schoolteacher showed no panic whatsoever. Instead, he stopped turning the pages of his book, raised his head, and looked at him calmly. Even more surprisingly, the corners of his mouth curved slightly upward, revealing a gentle smile as warm as the spring sun.

However, the moment he opened his mouth, between his neat, white teeth, there seemed to be two... exceptionally long and sharp ones, which gleamed with a cold, iron-like light in the sunlight shining through the gap in the city wall, completely out of place with his refined appearance, like... wolf fangs.

He seemed to have known they would come all along and that he had been waiting there for a long time.

The Indian general who had rushed into the city looked at the unbelievable scene before him and reined in his war elephant. His brows furrowed, and his golden eyes were filled with doubt and scrutiny.

Behind the battlefield, where the smoke of battle has not yet cleared, inside the dilapidated city gate, a three-foot-high platform? A refined gentleman? And below the platform, a group of people who look nothing more than ordinary farmers, women, and children? Has the Tang Dynasty gone mad? At this critical moment when the war is raging and the city gate has been breached, they actually have the leisure to hold a class at the city gate? The words on the blackboard are even covered up, making it all seem mysterious.

He activated his Buddhist divine eye, his divine sense sweeping over the teacher and the crowd below. Their auras were calm, even somewhat weak, no different from ordinary people, without any powerful magical energy or fluctuations in their blood. The last trace of vigilance in his heart also relaxed, replaced by a feeling of being fooled and a sense of contempt that suggested he had won.

"Hmph, playing tricks! Making a show of mystery!"

The Indian general chuckled, completely relieved, assuming it was either a desperate measure by the Tang Dynasty or a ridiculous act by the city's residents who were terrified.

He swung his long sword forward, his voice like thunder, and roared at the 300,000 cavalrymen surging in behind him like a golden tide.

"My comrades! Ignore these ants! Slaughter the city! Kill every single Tang person! Leave no one alive! Capture the Tang king and reward him with a golden statue!!"

"kill--!!"

Three hundred thousand cavalrymen roared in unison, their battle cries shaking the heavens. Their iron hooves shattered the cobblestones, raising clouds of dust. The gleam of their swords and spears reflected on their fanatical faces, like a destructive torrent about to burst its banks, threatening to engulf the seemingly undefended streets and the tiny figures on and off the platform! (End of Chapter)