Chapter 565: The Ambush
Chapter 565: The Ambush
The commander's face, concealed by a metal mask, remained unreadable, but his eyes, fixed on Chen Chuan, betrayed his intense focus. As Chen Chuan leaped into the air, he raised his spear, aiming at the commander's approaching direction. Simultaneously, the deputy general, having switched to a new horse, lifted his spear, mirroring Chen Chuan's movement.
The two spears, positioned to the left and right, almost completely blocked Chen Chuan's path. Moreover, a faint glow flickered on the tips of both spears, intensifying the threat.
Chen Chuan's sudden charge caught them off guard, but they knew it would take him some time to reach them, and for seasoned fighters like themselves, it was ample time to prepare and muster their strength.
Confident in their combined might, they believed that even opponents of their caliber would be unable to break through their joint defense and counterattack.
In their eyes, the sacrifice of the duty samurai was insignificant; as long as they were alive, they could continue to recruit and mobilize more.
To them, ten duty samurai were no match for a fighter who had reached their level, and killing such an opponent would significantly increase their chances of breaking through the rift. This trade-off was worth it.
However, as they thrust their spears forward, an extreme sense of danger gripped both men, causing their hairs to stand on end. This feeling... emanated from behind them!
Chen Bitong, after dismounting, had not waited idly but circled around, stealthily reaching the rear of the group, his rich experience and unique power ensuring that no one noticed his approach.
When he saw Chen Chuan unsheathe his sword, he knew the opportunity had arrived and acted decisively.
The military general had not anticipated an attack from above, let alone an enemy approaching from their well-guarded rear.
At that moment, everyone, including the two generals, was fully committed to the battle ahead, leaving them vulnerable to the rear attack with no resistance.
Despite being just a step away from the limit, the warriors did not lose their composure in the face of this sudden turn of events. Instead, they reacted swiftly with self-preservation measures.
Their horses, sensing their urgency, took a step forward, while they summoned every ounce of strength left in their bodies and squeezed essence blood from their hearts to counter the anticipated fierce assault.
In an instant, two palms struck the generals, causing them to shudder.
However, their eyes widened in shock and anger, for the strike carried no force, as if it were a fragile bubble ready to burst.
Chen Bitong, still at a distance, had utilized the rift to deliver that strike. Although he was several kilometers away from the rift, he could still use it for evasive maneuvers, but the farther he was, the slower the process of entering and exiting the rift, rendering it almost useless in a same-level battle.
Yet, he deliberately exploited this weakness, using the rift from a distance to teleport and launch his attack. As his spirit and power arrived first, the generals sensed the threat and reacted instinctively.
Following the initial strike, a phantom remained at the original spot, while Chen Bitong materialized behind them. With a double palm strike, two loud bangs echoed as he hit both generals.
The generals never expected that, at such a critical moment, their rear attacker would use a feint, but this move was a calculated tactic. They dared not assume their opponent would hold back, risking misjudgment in their own adjustments.
As the true offensive arrived, a powerful force surged through their bodies, causing their spines and limb joints to crackle and pop.
The string void force raged within their bodies, wreaking havoc and causing a series of destructions. The faint glow on the spear tips instantly vanished, and the force within their bodies dissipated.
At that moment, Chen Chuan raised his sword high, ready to strike.
The blade flashed in a swift arc.
Chen Chuan and the commander brushed past each other, and after traveling several meters, Chen Chuan's feet landed with a loud thud, his posture still poised to strike.
Behind him, the commander froze for a moment before half of his head and chest slid off his body, hitting the ground with a dull thud.
Simultaneously, the flag symbolizing the commander, its pole snapped, fell to the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust.
Chen Chuan slowly sheathed his sword and straightened his stance.
He had intended to decapitate his opponent, considering their peculiar nature, as if they had transformed into another being. He feared that even after beheading, they might reconnect or switch bodies, so he opted to split them vertically, using his power to shatter their brain tissue.
At this moment, Chen Bitong had successfully landed a blow on the deputy general, and in that instant, he unleashed a series of over ten punches. Even though the String Void Force was not primarily for inflicting damage, the intense impact was too much for his opponent to bear.
With the last punch landing on the back of his head, a cracking sound was heard, and the man's eyes burst open as his head slumped to one side. Although his armor held his body in place, the insides had already turned into a mess.
Chen Chuan glanced at the battlefield and saw that the situation unfolded as they had anticipated. They had planned to kill either the commander or the deputy general, and they were prepared to pay a price for it.
Unexpectedly, the two generals worked together seamlessly, and in one fell swoop, they managed to take down both the commander and the deputy general.
Originally, to avoid being surrounded and trapped after the mission, they had planned to retreat immediately after the kill. But seeing the current situation, with both the commander and deputy general dead, there was almost no one on the field who could hold them back.
Several duty samurai in front, who had also been knocked down in the charge, were nearly incapacitated. The remaining soldiers were all terrified, and these were the elite troops of the army. If they were to be eliminated, the ordinary soldiers would pose even less of a threat.
He turned his attention to Chen Bitong, seeking his opinion. However, Chen Bitong shook his head.
Chen Chuan's thoughts shifted, and with Chen Bitong's extensive experience, if he didn't approve of this plan, there must be a reason. He wouldn't insist on his own idea.
Without hesitation, he sheathed his sword and quickly turned back towards the rift.
As he passed by the commander's corpse, his gaze fell upon the auxiliary general's sword, with its black hilt, vermillion scabbard, intricate engravings, and jade pendant, looking extremely exquisite. He used the Snow Lady Saber to pick up the sword as he moved forward.
Chen Bitong, on the other hand, tore down the fallen flag and, together with Chen Chuan, headed back towards the rift.
Not long after they returned to the top of the mountain, they heard the booming sound of artillery fire from behind. Turning back, they saw that the shells were landing at their previous position, and the area was now engulfed in flames and smoke.
"Aren't they afraid of blasting their own people?" Chen Chuan asked.
Chen Bitong shook his head. "They must have already known the situation ahead and made that judgment. If we had stayed there, their losses would have been even greater if they hadn't fired the cannons decisively."
Chen Chuan nodded in agreement.
"Chen Bitong, with a commander killed, they will go crazy. They might launch a full-scale attack. Get ready to counter," Chen Bitong added.
In the midst of this intense battle, Chen Chuan tried to sense his surroundings. After such a long period of cultivating the Spirit Illumination Reflection Technique, his spiritual essence had been continuously permeating his body, significantly strengthening his spirit.
The consecutive high-intensity battles had intensely stimulated his spirit, especially the successful killing of the enemy commander, which had greatly boosted his morale.
At this moment, he seemed to sense something, but it was still not quite there.
After some thought, he asked, "Chen Laoshi, what is the term for the ability to manipulate power with the spirit?"
Chen Bitong slowly replied, "In the ancient era's records, there is a saying, 'A spark of spiritual illumination knows my nature, and true perception transcends life and death.' So, you can call it 'Spiritual Perception'."
"Spiritual Perception?" Chen Chuan exhaled deeply.
At this moment, they heard the sound of propellers, and looking up, they saw an airship appearing in the distant sky.
Chen Bitong's expression turned solemn. "Chen Captain, fall back inside."
"Alright," Chen Chuan agreed without hesitation and retreated towards the rear.
Less than five minutes after their retreat, a series of massive explosions erupted from the rift.
More artillery shells whistled and fell towards them, as the rear artillery had extended its range to this position.
At this moment, at least twenty artillery pieces were simultaneously bombarding the mountain peak with shells.
Chen Chuan and Chen Bitong retreated to the edge of the rear rift, just one step away from exiting.
However, they were already safe here because the artillery was only hitting the middle area of the rift, and the other end of the rift's internal exit was not directly penetrable by the shells.
It seemed that the death of a general had indeed provoked a fierce response from the enemy. This round of bombardment lasted for a full fifteen minutes.
After the artillery fire ceased, an airship approached, and its machine guns spat fire at the rift below.
At the same time, a swarm of White Plague soldiers, under the cover of the machine guns, surged onto the mountain peak and rushed into the rift, one after another.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
