https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-828-The-Decisive-Battle-at-Tiger-Pass/12920046/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-830-Little-Ancestor-Grandma-s-Sweet-Potato-Burn/12920050/
Chapter 829: The Head Array
Chapter 829: The Head Array
"The Divine Bestowed King, Iron Gate King, Penny Sect, Mudskippers from the Pond as Dragon Seeds, dare you challenge me?"
The three armies arrived at Tiger Pass, their might overwhelming and their killing intent soaring.
Behind Tiger Pass, the soldiers who had arrived in a dark mass looked at the approaching army with cold, resentful eyes, as if they had been humiliated and enraged by the soldiers at the pass.
The Divine Bestowed King had risen to prominence, his reputation soaring. He had experienced countless battles, always emerging victorious. Wherever he went, either people surrendered or were completely annihilated.
Never had he been humiliated by having a city taken from him, forcing him to retreat to the pass.
He was known for his arrogance and indulgence of his soldiers and followers, which earned him a bad reputation among the people. However, this same arrogance made his subordinates extremely loyal, and their frequent battles cultivated a fierce aura.
At this moment, the soldiers were filled with anger, waiting for the chance to unleash it.
"Your Majesty, should we talk to them?"
Amidst the anger, someone suggested in a low voice from within the pass, "Talk? What's there to talk about?"
But the man seated on the throne, clad in black armor, with a tall and slender figure and cold features, merely laughed coldly.
This grand battle was, in fact, an unexpected disaster for him.
Previously, while sweeping through the northern regions, he had already inquired about why his grand alliance plan had turned into a situation where everyone was against him.
Illusionary Dao Sect!
They had switched the tiger token, incited and provoked conflicts, and within a few days, they had turned many against him, leaving no traces. Who else could it be but those demon sorcerers from the martial world? However, he had also heard that the founder of Illusionary Dao Sect was surnamed Zhao, but he had never offended anyone with that surname.
It was only before that he had killed a sorcerer named Chen in Quzhou.
This Chen had dared to act mysteriously under his very nose, pretending to be a sage, pointing and gesturing, talking about the world's situation and fate's entanglements. He had no patience for such nonsense and immediately ordered his men to capture and behead him.
But it seemed that these strange troubles had started since then.
Speaking of which, although he had already figured out that someone was causing trouble, even these three armies outside must have been incited, the Divine Bestowed King had no intention of explaining.
Now, the enemy had already invaded Quzhou, dispersing many troops nominally under his command and capturing several counties. With both sides facing off and their killing intent rising, any explanation now would only further diminish his prestige.
"Since they dare to come, let's see what they're capable of."
As he spoke in a deep voice, the man in black armor slowly stood up, causing his iron armor to clatter.
Drip, drip, clatter, the seams of his armor were filled with accumulated blood, which spilled onto the ground.
"I've always despised alliances and coalitions, and I hate those martial sorcerers who hide behind the scenes, pulling strings. If I have the heavenly mandate, I'll conquer the world, and whoever stands in my way, I'll cut off their heads."
"If I don't have the heavenly mandate, I'll kill until everyone fears me, and no one dares to challenge me. Then, I'll still be an emperor."
After days of continuous battles, almost without rest, the Divine Bestowed King's iron armor had not been removed for several days. Now, instead of showing fatigue, his killing intent was even stronger.
As he stood up, his aides and deputy generals were startled, stepping back and kneeling, their bottoms raised high in reverence. He slowly waved his hand, "Open the pass."
"I'll go and see for myself and give them this grand gift."
"Don't let my men remove their armor. After delivering this gift, they'll have time to rest."
"..."
"..."
"It's well-known that the Divine Bestowed King is cruel, killing people like cutting grass, and oppressing the people like a vicious tiger. How dare you include the character 'divine' in your title! Today, our three armies have come to the pass together to erase that 'divine' from your title and seek justice for the people of Quzhou."
"You who follow the Divine Bestowed King are aiding a tyrant, and your crimes are equally heinous. Surrender quickly, open the pass, or it will be too late!"
"You won't shed tears until you see the coffin. By the time the pass is broken, it might be too late to surrender!"
"..."
At the same time, in front of the pass, they saw that Tiger Pass was built against the mountain, appearing extremely formidable. On the ground in front of the pass, various formidable generals had stepped forward.
Lined up, they displayed their banners: General Shen Hongzhi of the Grain Guard Army, Right General Zhou Liang, Vanguard Commander Zhao Zhu, the Four Strong Generals of Old Yin Mountain, and beside them, Iron Gate King Zhou Datong with the Left and Right Gate Guardians of the Iron Gate Army.
On one side was Tiger General Elder Sun of the White Armor Army, Snake Soup Master Tang Clan Master, various commanders, and the Vanguard Commander.
Each of them had their own unique abilities, having experienced battles and formations, they stood in a row, their might awe-inspiring and their aura powerful.
Now, having arrived at Tiger Pass, if the defenders did not come out to fight, it was customary to engage in a verbal battle.
Armies often raised a group of soldiers specifically for this purpose, skilled in verbal abuse.
They stepped forward and spoke a few harsh words, but seeing no response, they prepared to retreat and rest, leaving it to the professionals to continue the verbal assault.
"Coffin?"
Just then, they heard a cold laugh from within the pass, distant yet clearly audible to everyone.
"I've never liked coffins. I've killed so many that the coffin-makers can't keep up with digging graves."
Everyone was startled, and when they looked up, they saw the pass gate opening, and the man riding a red-eyed white horse at the front of the cavalry was none other than the Divine Bestowed King himself, clad in black armor.
And by his side, a formidable force of men stood, their bodies seemingly shrouded in an impenetrable dark aura, as if they had been tormented by malevolent spirits for years, forming an intense and oppressive aura of malevolent energy.
Hula!
At the same time, on the pass, row upon row of soldiers appeared, stretching as far as the eye could see, all of them drawing their powerful bows.
At this moment, everyone seemed to hear a faint tiger's roar in their ears.
As the pass opened wide, a fierce wind rolled in, and the soldiers appeared, charging straight towards their faces. The oppressive aura of vengeful spirits was so strong that it made people feel unsteady on their feet.
"Is this the aura of the Divine Bestowed King, the one who kills without restraint?"
"Damn it, this is no blessed general protected by ghosts and gods, but a demon that even ghosts and gods fear!"
"Not only him, but his bodyguards, each one of them has taken countless lives. They've killed so much that they've become indifferent, even numb to the distinction between life and death."
"..."
"..."
Even though they were still at a distance, everyone's hearts were already screaming. Among the generals, only those inside the New Year Gate remained, while the others couldn't help but retreat.
The red lanterns hanging in the Grain Guard Army seemed to dim slightly when the enemy appeared.
"Others call me cruel, but I don't feel that way."
The Divine Bestowed King emerged from the pass, stopping about fifty zhang away from the three armies. He spoke casually, without any forced bravado, and simply pointed with his horsewhip.
"I've never kept my blessings to myself, so my brothers are willing to follow me. Even now, you've killed my men and taken over my counties and resources."
"But I'm still willing to give you one last chance."
"..."
As he spoke, he slowly pointed his horsewhip towards the central command tent of King Yang Gong, "You!"
Then he pointed at the Iron Gate King's command tent, "You!"
He pointed at the White Armor Army and paused slightly in front of Elder Sun, "You're included too."
After pointing at the three armies, he didn't stop with his horsewhip but moved it again, this time searching carefully and pointing towards the distant mountains.
No one could see anyone there, not even a shadow, but he seemed to sense the presence of Hu Ma and other outsiders watching over the battlefield. He pointed his horsewhip towards them and coldly smiled, "And you bunch of self-proclaimed martial artists."
"This is your last chance!"
"If you come and kneel before me now, I'll spare your lives."
"When I rule the world, those who want official positions will have them, those who want women will have them, and those who want fame will have it."
"..."
For a moment, silence filled the air, and everyone was stunned by the arrogance in his words, their hearts beating slower. Countless thoughts seemed to be stuck in their throats.
The most critical thing was that this arrogant speech didn't seem like a joke; it felt genuine.
"Still boasting even when death is near?"
Amidst the oppressive atmosphere, someone from the White Armor Army finally couldn't hold back. A young general stepped forward, drew his bow, and shouted, "Surrender your life first!"
As he spoke, a sharp arrow flew towards the Divine Bestowed King, piercing the air.
In ordinary armies, strong bows could shoot up to sixty or seventy zhang, but without enough force, they couldn't cause much harm.
That's why, when two armies faced off, they usually kept a distance of fifty zhang.
But this young general was a New Year Gatekeeper with incredible strength in both arms. He didn't spare any expense in creating this treasure bow, which could still kill from a hundred zhang away. Now, with his heart filled with frustration and knowing that killing this Divine Bestowed King would be a great achievement, he took a deep breath and shot the arrow.
This unexpected move caught the Divine Bestowed King off guard, but he merely coldly smiled. His iron armor and face mask hid his expression, but the contempt on his face was clear.
In the midst of his cold laughter, he suddenly grabbed a long spear from his side without exerting any visible effort. The spear flew towards the young general, tearing through the air with a gust of wind.
"Hiss!"
After knocking down the arrow mid-flight, the spear's momentum didn't diminish. In an instant, it reached the young general, about to pierce through his chest.
"No!"
Elder Sun, standing beside the young general, was startled. He quickly reached out to grab the spear, feeling an immense force on it. Despite his skills as a New Year Gatekeeper, he couldn't hold it steady. The spear's force cut his palms, making them bleed.
Looking at the young general, they saw that his heart protector mirror had been pierced, and the spearhead had penetrated his body.
The injury wasn't severe, and he wouldn't lose his life, but his face had turned pale, clearly terrified.
"I've said my piece. If you insist on seeking death, I won't stop you."
After throwing the spear, the Divine Bestowed King lazily waved his hand and said, "In recent days, there have been strong bandits and various sects causing trouble in the north, provoking me. I just went for a stroll and killed people for a few days, but I'm getting tired."
"But I did bring back some things, so I'll give them to you first. See for yourselves what happens to those who dare to defy me."
"..."
As he spoke, he turned his horse around, and his soldiers followed suit. They were heading straight back to the pass.
Just as everyone was about to speak, they suddenly saw large carts pushing through the army formation and coming to the front.
One by one, row by row, the heavily loaded carts were pushed forward. With a mighty heave, the cart covers were lifted, and dark, unrecognizable objects tumbled out.
Upon closer inspection, they were all human heads.
There were too many, and the wooden carts filled the field, one row after another, quickly forming small mountains of heads.
Despite the initial shock, before it could fade, they suddenly heard a whistle from the mountainside.
They turned to look, and saw that the mountain pass was also filled with wooden beams, and above the pass, there were baskets upon baskets, piles upon piles of heads, enclosed in fishing nets and wooden fences, rolling down the mountain.
The sheer number of heads was staggering, like an endless avalanche of stones. Some heads rolled with such urgency that they almost reached their feet.
Among them were men, women, the elderly, children, and even some who appeared to be under the age of one, all black and pressed together like blood-filled gourds, their hair and blood, and the terrifying wounds on their necks, all mixed together.
"This..."
The sight of these heads was chilling, let alone the sheer number of them?
The dense array of heads had already caused countless people in the field to panic.
Some, upon seeing this, felt a slight dizziness, and subconsciously thought that with the mountain covered in a battlefield, it would take...
...nearly ten thousand heads? "These are the heads of the soldiers from the Divine Bestowed King's campaign to the north, where he swept away over a dozen invading forces?"
Realizing this, everyone was terrified. Normally, in such an array, whether winning or losing, the victors would only execute the main culprits and either recruit or disperse the rest. But here, every single head had been cut off?
Even with ten thousand laborers, it would be difficult to gather so many heads. Now, there were tens of thousands of heads, and it seemed that wherever the Divine Bestowed King went, he slaughtered without distinction between officials and civilians, young and old, or good and evil.
Looking at the wooden heads covered in dust and blood, with tightly closed eyes, everyone felt their scalp go numb.
Flies buzzed around the heads, and the stench of blood made them nauseous.
Many wanted to say something, but they didn't dare open their mouths. Some soldiers, with heads rolling at their feet, didn't dare kick them away or crouch down to touch them. They instinctively recoiled, wanting only to get away.
Threats and curses were useless.
The Divine Bestowed King had thrown out tens of thousands of heads, enough to terrify anyone and shatter their courage.
"We... we..."
Among the Three Armies, there were many capable people, but at this moment, they didn't know what to do.
Should they pursue the Divine Bestowed King?
But with the ground covered in heads, even the horses lifted their hooves, afraid to step down. Who would dare to trample over these heads and charge forward? Or shout insults?
In the face of so many heads, all words seemed feeble.
Just then, as the Three Armies fell silent, the Divine Bestowed King returned to the pass. On Tiger Pass, a hunched figure in tattered robes stood, squinting at the battlefield with a sneer.
"If you want to enter the pass, see if you have the ability to break through our Head Array..."
As he spoke, he jumped and hopped, his hair loose, holding a wooden sword and chanting a spell for a while before waving it outwards.
"Huff!"
An extremely cold wind blew down from Tiger Pass, sweeping through the entire battlefield.
The next moment, the countless heads on the ground were simultaneously blown by the wind, their dull eyes opening.
The dense array of heads rolled in various directions, and the dense eyes looked in different directions, as if each person in the field was being stared at by different heads.
Strangely, none of these eyes looked back towards Tiger Pass.
As the eyes opened, stiff mouths also opened slightly, releasing a faint black mist.
The endless black mist intertwined, and a dark fog seemed to surge in the field, slowly covering the entire area and enveloping the Three Armies.
"Not good..."
Among the Three Armies, a voice shouted, it was the Military Advisor Iron Mouth from the Grain Guard Army: "Retreat quickly!"
The souls of the soldiers seemed to awaken at this moment, and they hastily retreated.
At Tiger Pass, the dark mist arrived swiftly, but they retreated even faster, retreating for several miles until they were finally far from the pass.
Looking up, Tiger Pass was now shrouded in dark mist, and occasionally, a pale face would flash in the fog, with a dazed gaze that swept coldly over the crowd.
"Head Array..."
It wasn't until the army had retreated to a safe place that the Military Advisor Iron Mouth's heart finally settled: "Upon reaching Tiger Pass, we first encountered such a Head Array."
"Are they human or demons?"
Amidst the countless exclamations and roars, there was undeniable fear: "Demon Army, Ghost Army!"
"I've fought in many battles, and I've seen many demonic auras dispelled by military tactics, but this is the first time I've seen a demonic tactic force an army to retreat."
"How can we fight this battle?"
The Three Armies had formed an alliance, and their military discipline was strict. But now, a sense of uncontrollable panic rose in the field, and many faces turned pale as they sucked in the cold air, saying, "Who dares to fight in such a haunted place?"
"We've seen many skilled sorcerers from various sects in the martial world, some powerful and some just getting by, claiming to control the wind and rain, and turn stones into gold..."
"But compared to this Head Array, those martial arts tricks, no matter which sect they're from, seem like child's play..."
(End of Chapter)
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