Tang Dynasty Bandits

Chapter 229 Gao Yan's Breakthrough
Gao Yan, who was leading his cavalry in a fierce battle against the grass army, received news of the collapse of his rear guard and his vision went black.

Gao Yan tried his best to suppress his emotions and detached half of his cavalry from the left flank to support the rear.

The government troops had more cavalry than the rebel army. With Gao Yan's skills, he could hold off the rebel cavalry with only half of his remaining cavalry.

The rescue operation did not go well.

The defeated knights fled in panic, conveying the message that the rear guard had completely collapsed.

There's no need for a report now; Gao Yan only needs to look back to see the chaos spreading forward at a visible speed.

Despair and resentment overwhelmed Gao Yan like a flood, leaving him feeling helpless.

"Useless brat, just like Ming Shiyin, a coward who fears death."

Gao Yan suddenly recalled Pang Xun's mocking gaze and words before his death.

These words remained etched in his heart like knife marks.

Gao Yan was by no means lacking in bravery on the battlefield. In every battle, he would beat the drum, take the hits of arrows and stones, lead his cavalry in a charge, and be at the forefront.

The courage that Pang Xun spoke of, however, is something on a different level.

That is the lofty ambition to defy the heavens and the heroic spirit to laugh and carry on even when facing death with one's enemy.

The government troops were overwhelmed by each other and collapsed.

All of Gao Yan's calculations are about to vanish like a dream.

At that moment, however, he sensed a fleeting glimpse of heroism.

Gao Yan removed his mask, looked up to the sky and roared. His bones cracked like popping beans, and his blood surged, as vast as the sea.

Some difficult questions about martial arts and mindset suddenly became clear at this critical moment.

It was just like: lightning flashing and thunder roaring, hills collapsing and mountains crumbling. The stone gate of the grotto suddenly swung open. The vast blue sky stretched endlessly, and the sun and moon shone on the golden and silver terraces!
Gao Yan halted his horse, spear in hand, his eagle eyes scanning the assembled knights.

The imposing presence in his eyes reminded the knights of Lei Shuai Gao Pian's composed and commanding demeanor.

"My comrades, charge with me! We shall die rather die than surrender!"

Gao Yan shouted to boost morale, thrusting his spear with tremendous force, like a tidal wave. In an instant, he sent one of the grass army cavalrymen flying off his horse like a ball being hit, directly colliding with another knight. Their heads collided at high speed, shattering like eggs being smashed.

His rapid advancement was beyond reason.

Only Gao Yan himself could understand the excitement and joy he felt at that moment.

His martial arts skills have been stuck at the previous level for five whole years.

This is a dilemma often encountered by martial arts prodigies; Meng Kai had also encountered it before.

Teachers would say, "Don't rush. After accumulating knowledge and experience, you will naturally achieve great things."

But how long can one accumulate knowledge and skills before making a breakthrough? If one can never break through the bottleneck, then one will never make any progress in life.

Gao Yan never expected that in his most desperate moment, his unwillingness would pry open a crack in the Heavenly Gate, allowing him to comprehend the realm of "entering the inner chamber".

This is what Zen Buddhism refers to as sudden enlightenment.

Led by Gao Yan, the Changwu Cavalry completely ignored the Grass Army cavalry behind them and charged directly towards the most intense battleground between the two armies.

With the rear guard broken, the government troops at the front also lost their morale and retreated, finally giving the grass army the opportunity to enter the plains in their entirety.

Gao Yan judged that this was also a fleeting opportunity to launch a surprise attack on the central army.

After making rapid progress, Gao Yan felt as if the clouds had parted and the sky had cleared, revealing a bright and clear view.

The fierce soldiers, like tigers descending the mountain, were slaughtered by Gao Yan and his cavalry, who fought desperately and carved a bloody path through the enemy lines.

At the end of the bloody path lay Zhu Wen's central army.

Upon returning from the raid on Yang Fuguang, Meng Kai saw Gao Yan charging towards him and coldly said, "Gao Yan, you little thief, you actually came here to die?"

He picked up his axe, spurred his horse, and charged forward to engage Gao Yan in fierce combat.

Before the battle had even reached the third engagement, Gao Yan spurred his horse and fled.

Meng Kai sneered, swung his axe and rushed forward, about to chop Gao Yan in the back.

Gao Yan suddenly twisted his body and thrust his spear forward, unleashing a tremendous force from the spear.

A counterattack.

Meng Kai was a seasoned veteran and was no stranger to the "counterattack" tactic.

But Meng Kai never expected that the force of this shot would far exceed his imagination.

The axe was deflected by the spear shaft in an instant.

Meng Kai was about to rein in his horse and retreat when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his lower back, which made him feel completely weak.

That was the wound he sustained when he was shot by Qian Liu with a powerful crossbow during his attack on Yang Fuguang's main camp.

Meng Kai was incredibly brave; he didn't feel any pain when he was injured, and after returning, he only had his wounds simply bandaged.

Unexpectedly, the wound suddenly became extremely painful during the fierce battle, rendering him completely powerless.

Gao Yan's spear pierced through the gap in the armor skirt, striking Meng Kai squarely in the thigh. Blood gushed out like a fountain, and he instantly fell from his horse.

Deputy Generals Ban Fanlang and Peng Baihu acted quickly and rushed to rescue Meng Kai.

"Meng Juehai is nothing special!" Gao Yan glared angrily, his voice like a cleaver: "Where is that brat Zhu Wen? Let him come out and face his death!"

For a moment, all the heroes of the bandit army trembled with fear.

Even someone as brave as Meng Kai, who was unparalleled in the army, was defeated by Gao Yan.

Anyone who isn't blind can see that Gao Yan has undergone a complete transformation and his abilities are far beyond what they used to be!
"Good, good, good." Zhu Wen clapped his hands and leisurely rode out from the formation, his expression unusually cold: "Gao Yan, I want to take your life, and you've delivered yourself to my door."

"What nonsense are you spouting!" Gao Yan rebuked angrily, "Zhu San'er, you're probably facing certain death and have lost your mind."

Gao Yan brandished his spear and spurred his horse, roaring bravely amidst the vast army: "Today, I am as wise as a god and as courageous as Lanling!"

"Zhu Wen, it is your honor to die by my hand."

Shenwu and Lanling were Gao Yan's two ancestors, Emperor Shenwu of Northern Qi, Gao Huan, and Prince Lanling, Gao Changgong.

At this moment, Gao Yan fully revealed his long-suppressed ambition and determination in his words.

He wanted to kill Zhu Wen and pull off a miraculous comeback. From then on, he would be unmatched among the younger generation in both wisdom and courage.

The severe blow to Meng Kai boosted Gao Yan's confidence even further, making him feel that taking Zhu Wen's head would be as easy as taking candy from a baby.

As Gao Yan continued to approach, Zhu Wen already felt an overwhelming pressure emanating from him. The extent of his opponent's improvement was immediately apparent.

Facing an opponent whose strength was clearly superior to his own, Zhu Wen remained quite calm and composed.

Gao Yan charged forward on horseback, his spear flashing, and thrust down six times in succession.

These six styles are respectively named as follows: Hanling Sunset, Xiaoguan Wolf Smoke, Shayuan Startling Frost, River Bridge Flowing Waves, Mangban Battle Dust, and Jade Wall Sunset.

The Gao family's spear technique from Bohai Gao clan is named after the deeds of several heroes from the Northern Qi dynasty.

The six moves Gao Yan used were all derived from famous battles fought by Gao Huan throughout his life.

As the spear rose and fell, Gao Yan felt as if he had followed his ancestors through a lifetime.

The sunlight in the sky suddenly began to dim.

Solar eclipse!

Gao Yan's heart pounded, and he tightened his grip on Zhu Wen with a spear.

Before his death, our ancestor Gao Huan uttered a heroic last word that has resonated through the ages: "Whether the solar eclipse is mine or not, I have no regrets even in death!"

Today, during my life-or-death battle with Zhu Wen, a solar eclipse has occurred.

Gao Yan had an epiphany on the battlefield, breaking through to a higher realm. He believed he had seen through life and death and was even more convinced that he could create a dynasty like his ancestors.

The sight of the solar eclipse made him feel an even stronger sense of destiny.

With a swish, the spearhead grazed Zhu Wen's neck, and blood gushed out.

Faced with Gao Yan's spear, Zhu Wen was clearly no match for him and was struggling to defend himself.

The guards were terrified and wanted to save Zhu Wen, but Liang Zuan and others led the elite cavalry to block them at all costs.

Gao Yan laughed triumphantly, preparing to take Zhu Wen's head with the next shot.

Just then, Zhu Wen, facing Gao Yan, suddenly spurred his horse to accelerate.

Gao Yan noticed a sharp glint in Zhu Wen's eyes that he had never seen before.

Their eyes met, their gazes clashing as if sparks were about to fly in the air.

The Great Xia Dragon Sparrow Sword gleamed with blood-red light, possessing an invincible power.

Gao Yan clearly sensed that Zhu Wen had completely broken through his aura suppression in an instant.

With a clang, the blade struck Gao Yan's abdomen, instantly cleaving the beast in two.

Gao Yan suddenly felt a sharp pain in his dantian.

His spear also pierced Zhu Wen's lung.

The gun was pulled out, and blood gushed out like a fountain.

Zhu Wen's face was splattered with blood, and his expression became even colder.

His pupils were also stained with the murderous aura of the Dragon Sparrow Blade, turning crimson like blood.

"You've talked too much nonsense. All I want is revenge by killing you!"

A burning hatred burst forth from his senses, and a pure killing intent erupted in an instant like a torrent, threatening to fill the entire world.

The pain did not slow down Zhu Wen's attacks at all. He withdrew the Dragon Sparrow Blade and once again slashed down at Gao Yan with the force of splitting a mountain.

This strike contained the resolute determination to slay the heavens and leave the world in ruins.

Gao Yan suddenly felt a chill run through his body.

He never imagined that Zhu Wen's swordsmanship could be so fierce, ruthless, and unstoppable.

Courage, like water leaking from a leaky bucket, seeped away from the wound on Gao Yan's lower abdomen.

In a life-or-death situation, one must never think about life or death.

But at this moment, a thought clearly arose in Gao Yan's mind—

I don't want to die!

He spurred his horse and retreated hastily, avoiding Zhu Wen's deadly strike.

Zhu Wen's personal guards have gradually recovered from the chaos.

The Changwu cavalry, being outnumbered, found themselves struggling to hold out after a brief but intense battle.

When Gao Yan came to his senses, he realized that he had already ridden his horse a hundred paces away.

He dodged Zhu Wen's fatal blow, but the little bit of heroism that had finally sprouted in his heart was killed by Zhu Wen's single strike.

In this duel, Gao Yan suffered a complete and utter defeat.

Although Meng Kai was wounded and fell from his horse, his deputy generals Ban Fanlang and Peng Baihu still led the cavalry in a fierce battle, causing the exhausted Changwu cavalry to retreat in defeat.

Amidst the chaos of battle, Gao Yan sustained several more wounds and had no choice but to rally his defeated troops and retreat on horseback.

He lost his last chance to turn the tide.

At this moment, the celestial dog completely swallowed the sunlight, and the earth was plunged into complete darkness.

Cao Jun's vision was temporarily obscured, which allowed Gao Yan and the others to escape alive.

The sight of the solar eclipse, however, became a complete mockery of Gao Yan.

What "wise as the gods and brave as Lanling"?

Gao Yan's entire life was nothing more than that of a delusional man obsessed with his own crazy obsessions!

Zhu Wen covered his wound with his hand, watching Gao Yan's retreating figure as he rode away on horseback.

He felt no regret; Gao Yan's spirit had been shattered, and he had lost the honor of dying on the battlefield.

What awaits Gao Yan is being captured alive by the rebel army and torn to pieces.

Another gush of blood flowed from the wound.

"Second brother, I'm about to avenge you..."

Zhu Wen murmured something and then fell into a coma.

(End of this chapter)