Chapter: Chapter 451
This was indeed the case. Shortly after the Steel Spear cavalry emerged from the jungle, another unit of cavalry followed closely, rapidly pursuing along the hoof prints left by those ahead.
This unit of cavalry was not led by Linglong, but had spontaneously gathered and pursued after seeing their族长 (chief/patriarch) flee.
“The primary objective this time is to kill that clan chief. Alive or dead!” Linglong had so ordered during the pre-battle meeting. It didn’t matter if the Steel Spear tribe’s encampment wasn’t taken; as long as the clan chief was killed, that was enough.
In the orc tribes, leaders played an extremely crucial role. This indeed provided a certain guarantee for the orcs’ combat effectiveness and morale. However, a problem also arose: once the leader was beheaded, the morale of the entire unit would instantly collapse.
Therefore, from the outset, Linglong had established an offensive strategy with the Steel Spear clan chief as the primary target. Nothing else was important; the most important thing was for the Steel Spear clan chief to die!
This pursuing cavalry unit from the Bone Wing tribe was not numerous, and their equipment was not very good. Their armor was tattered, and their weapons were ordinary lances and sabers. Within the Bone Wing tribe, they could only be considered a rather miscellaneous unit.
Under normal circumstances, they would certainly not dare to proactively pursue the well-equipped Steel Spear elite cavalry. However, today, the celestial phenomena had first bolstered their divine maiden, and then their divine maiden had shattered the enemy’s city walls with a wave of her hand. This had made these warriors’ blood boil. Upon seeing the target flee, they had immediately given chase without a second thought.
They knew that relying on themselves alone, they would not be able to stop the cavalry ahead. However, they did not need to engage the enemy in battle. If they could discover the target fleeing, then their allies would surely be able to discover it as well.
They were the first wave of pursuers, and there would definitely be many more waves of support following behind. They only needed to stick close to the cavalry ahead and harass them with attacks.
“Captain, allies are catching up too!” a beastman cavalryman looked back and quickly shouted.
Following them, several more units of cavalry emerged from the jungle and joined the chase on the vast grassland.
“Good! Charge at full speed!” When the cavalry captain heard his subordinate’s shout, he immediately issued an order.
The enemy was fleeing; they needed to conserve their horses’ stamina. Otherwise, once the horses’ stamina was depleted, those cavalrymen would have very little ability to resist their own cavalry.
As for themselves, they could simply pursue with all their might. It didn’t matter if their own horses were exhausted and died, because the allies behind them could take over and continue the pursuit.
Sooner or later, the cavalry ahead would have to slow down due to their horses’ stamina. At that time, they would be able to surround and annihilate them!
The Bone Wing tribe’s cavalry accelerated, gradually closing the distance with the Steel Spear tribe’s cavalry, finally reaching a range where they could attack with bows and arrows.
“Release arrows!”
A few scattered arrows were shot, but due to the distance, they failed to cause any significant damage.
The Steel Spear tribe’s cavalry was not just fleeing. After the Bone Wing tribe fired a round of arrows, the last few beastman cavalrymen in the rear guard of the cavalry team turned around and shot arrows at the pursuers without showing any weakness.
Compared to the embarrassing performance of the Bone Wing tribe just now, this unit of Steel Spear tribe cavalry was clearly more powerful, not only in terms of equipment but also in terms of the quality of its personnel.
Several Bone Wing tribe cavalrymen were hit by arrows and were directly knocked off their horses by the kinetic energy of the arrows, rolling several times on the ground in a sorry state.
Even more unlucky ones, instead of dying from arrow attacks, were trampled to death by the hooves of their own allies’ horses.
“Keep chasing! Chase!” The cavalry captain roared with bloodshot eyes. Now was not the time to mourn fallen comrades. Their mission was to tie down the enemy and create an opportunity for their allies to surround them. Until this objective was achieved, they could not retreat a single step, even if they all perished.
As the distance continued to close, the archers of the Bone Wing tribe finally achieved some results. Although the Steel Spear warriors ahead were fully armored, ordinary arrows did not cause much damage to them. However, their warhorses did not receive such favorable treatment.
As the saying goes, “shoot the man, shoot the horse first.” Once the horse was attacked, the cavalryman on it would naturally fall. After falling, the cavalryman wouldn’t even need the Bone Wing tribe’s cavalry to specifically deal with him; they could simply have their horses trample them.
Yet another volley of arrows was fired, and several more unfortunate individuals in the cavalry formation ahead fell. The Bone Wing tribe’s cavalry captain cheered inwardly. Immediately afterward, he noticed that the enemy ahead seemed to have made an unusual decision.
A portion of the cavalry, which had been fleeing at full speed just moments ago, actually changed direction and charged towards them.
It seemed they intended to divide their forces and eliminate this annoying little bug first. The cavalry captain immediately judged that his own cavalry could not match the enemy in a head-on confrontation. They could only delay the time as much as possible to await reinforcements from their allies.
“Disperse!”
As the cavalry captain roared, this already poorly trained cavalry scattered with a rumble, fleeing in all directions. At any other time, this would undoubtedly have been a crime punishable by military law. But at this moment, it truly frustrated the Steel Spear cavalry who had turned back.
If it were a head-on charge, they were confident they could annihilate more than half of the enemy in one charge. But in this situation, they couldn’t just kill them one by one, could they?
The enemy’s support was not far behind. If they delayed for too long, they would surely be surrounded and annihilated.
But if they didn’t kill these guys, they would cling to them again, preventing their clan chief and the others from being at peace.
“Hoo…” After a moment of thought, the leader of this cavalry unit made a decision. Even if they all died here, they had to buy enough time for their clan chief.
Taking out a vial of golden liquid, this cavalryman opened his helmet and poured the entire vial of divine blood into his mouth.
Seeing his actions, the other Steel Spear cavalrymen did not hesitate and acted the same way.
As the golden liquid entered their stomachs, the cavalrymen’s breathing became heavy. Their originally well-fitting armor was torn by their suddenly expanding bodies. A wisp of golden flame flickered in their eyes. Looking at the approaching cavalry, their faces showed bloodthirsty expressions.
“Kill them all!”
A hoarse voice sounded. The Steel Spear cavalrymen, whose bodies had expanded several times, tightened their grip on their weapons and charged towards the enemy who outnumbered them several times.
The Bone Wing tribe’s pursuing cavalry did not retreat either. They let out roars, and their warhorses gradually accelerated.
After a few breaths, the two units of cavalry collided head-on!
Pure black iron lances pierced through bodies, and warm liquid splattered onto faces. The red-eyed beastmen began a not-so-fierce battle on the green grassland.
Despite having a numerical advantage, the Bone Wing tribe’s cavalry was still no match for these Steel Spear cavalrymen who had drunk divine blood. In just one charge, the Bone Wing tribe’s pursuers had already suffered heavy losses.
As for their opponents, not a single Steel Spear tribe cavalryman fell. Some cavalrymen sustained minor wounds, but they quickly healed on their own.
Seeing this outcome, the Bone Wing tribe’s cavalry immediately made a wise decision: they could not engage in a direct confrontation. These enemies were not someone they could defeat. If they continued to fight like they had just done, they would likely be completely annihilated, while these opponents would not even suffer any casualties.
Oh, it couldn’t be said that way either. After drinking that golden liquid, these beastman cavalrymen had entered a countdown to their lives. Regardless of what happened thereafter, they would not live for more than a day.
“The rest of you continue the pursuit. We will stay behind to contain these guys!” The leader of the second wave of cavalry quickly issued an order. He did not know about the existence of something like divine blood, but he also knew that these beastmen with exceptionally strong combat power did not have much endurance.
As long as they kept these guys occupied, they would die.
“Yes! Captain, take care!” The cavalrymen who received the order did not hesitate and galloped towards the distance.
They did not argue, because they knew that this was a battlefield, and there was no time for any performances of deep affection. The enemy’s blades were always near their necks. Any delay would cause the situation to develop in a direction they did not want.
The Bone Wing cavalry who remained behind to tangle with the divine blood cavalry were not many. They scattered and took out bows and arrows, aiming at the horses beneath the divine blood warriors.
Arrows had limited damage to these divine blood warriors, which was something all warriors in the Bone Wing tribe knew. However, their horses were not as formidable. They would die after being hit by a few arrows.
Once their horses were lost, it would become almost impossible for these divine blood warriors to catch up to the cavalry ahead.
At this moment, some of the cavalry who had avoided the charge of the divine blood beastmen also came to support them. After a volley of arrows with poor accuracy, several cavalrymen from the Steel Spear tribe had already dismounted.
“Good!” The beastmen of the Bone Wing tribe cheered.
But their joy lasted for less than a few seconds before it was interrupted by the confusing actions of the divine blood warriors.
Under the gaze of the cavalry, the Steel Spear tribe’s divine blood warriors actually abandoned all their horses. They stood on the ground, regardless of whether their own horses were injured or not. All the divine blood warriors dismounted.
What were they trying to do? The Bone Wing tribe’s cavalry thought with confusion.
Trying to surrender? Impossible. Looking at them, they were the type who would never surrender.
Maintaining what they considered a safe distance, the beastman cavalry of the Bone Wing tribe wanted to continue attacking with their bows and arrows.
As for charging, that was impossible. They knew the combat power of these divine blood warriors. Even with the help of horses, they could not defeat these powerful guys, and might even be counterkilled.
But was the distance they maintained truly safe?
The Steel Spear tribe’s divine blood warriors, with their actions, told everyone that it was not safe.
These divine blood warriors looked up at the cavalrymen in front of them and sneered dismissively.
“What weaklings.”
Warriors as massive as small mountains began to run. Their speed reached its maximum within a few seconds. Dark shadows rushed into the formation before the cavalry could even react, and then, crimson began to spread.
Beautiful blood flowers bloomed on the grassland. These divine blood warriors began their slaughter with the most primitive means, pulling their enemies off their horses, and then with a strong tug of their hands, the enemies they held in their grasp would be torn into two halves.
Such terrifying power, such bloody means, the beastman cavalry who had avoided the first wave of attacks could not help but shudder. They were not people who had never seen death, nor had they never encountered powerful enemies. But such terrifying enemies, they had truly met for the first time.
“Disperse! Disperse!” The cavalry leader, who had just issued an order, shouted.
The surviving cavalry of the Bone Wing tribe immediately obeyed his command and scattered. But his shouts also drew the attention of the divine blood warriors.
Four divine blood warriors immediately strode forward and charged towards this cavalry leader. Their speed was so fast that even warhorses running at full speed could not match it.
Seeing the four beastmen getting closer and closer, the cavalry leader gripped his spear tightly and roared, charging his horse towards the four divine blood beastmen.
He knew he could no longer escape. The warhorse beneath him could not outrun these beastmen. To flee was death; to charge, there was still a slim chance of survival.
Maybe I can take one down? He thought bitterly.
Bang!
The spear accurately pierced the shoulder of a divine blood warrior. With the breaking of the wooden spear shaft, that divine blood warrior was pushed back two steps by the powerful impact.
But that was all.
This cavalry leader was not a particularly strong warrior. Facing these divine blood warriors who were transformed Steel Spear tribe top warriors, this was perhaps all he could do.
Three cold lights flashed, and a brave warrior fell on the grassland.
In his dying moments, he seemed to hear the rumble of thunder in the distance.
No, this was not thunder, but… the sound of galloping warhorses.
Had the main force of the Divine Maiden arrived? The cavalry leader closed his eyes. In that case, his mission should be considered complete, right?
Whoosh!
A crossbow bolt shot from the distance.
Perhaps in the eyes of other beastmen, this arrow flew very fast. But in the eyes of the divine blood warriors, the speed of this crossbow bolt was too slow, so slow that they could easily reach out and catch it.
The target of the crossbow bolt, with a disdainful look, reached out and caught the arrow. He exerted force with his hand, wanting to perform a feat of snapping the arrow shaft.
However, he did not manage to complete this feat. In his hand, the arrow suddenly burst into a splendid golden spark.
Several divine blood warriors close to this beastman, along with this beastman, disappeared in the golden fireworks, leaving no trace in this world. The divine blood warriors who were slightly further away were also affected. They clutched their heads in pain, completely failing to notice that a white figure had already appeared before them.
A white arc of light flashed, and as crimson bloomed, the remaining divine blood warriors simultaneously fell to the ground.
The white-haired dragon girl stood amidst the severed corpses holding her spear, her face devoid of any expression. She raised her hand and coldly said, “Continue the pursuit. Don’t let that guy escape.”
For ordinary beastmen, even the divine blood warriors temporarily controlled by mental shock were tough opponents. However, in front of Linglong, these powerless divine blood warriors were no different from chickens.
With a tap of her toe, Linglong lightly flew back onto her warhorse. Over short distances, she could indeed burst out with speed faster than a horse. However, over long distances, it was better to obediently let the horse carry her.
She needed to conserve some energy to deal with the final great battle. That lion clan chief would definitely not sit idly by. Even if she caught up to him, she would face a fierce battle.
That clan chief was already a famous powerful warrior on the border of the grasslands. Now that he had obtained new weapons and abilities, if he drank another vial of divine blood, Linglong frankly did not have absolute confidence in defeating him.
Even so, she had to pursue. This was the necessary path for her to unify the border of the grasslands, a hurdle she must overcome!
Only by defeating that former number one warrior in a one-on-one combat and bringing back his head would the neutral tribes truly submit.
Moreover, this battle might not be that dangerous.
Looking up at the azure sky, Linglong saw a faint starlight. That was a hint from a certain lady. As long as she followed this starlight, she would be able to find the location of that clan chief.
…
“It will probably take until dusk for Linglong to catch up to that lion head.” Bai Ling, while manipulating the starlight to guide the dragon girl, turned to look at Leticia beside her, only to find that the black-haired girl had jumped off the clouds at some unknown time. “Where did she go?”
Hoo… flapping her black dragon wings, which could only serve as decoration, Leticia landed steadily in the Steel Spear encampment, which was still engaged in battle.
Casually tilting her head to dodge a spear thrust from behind and smashing the head of the attacker with her tail, Leticia didn’t even turn her head.
She crouched down, thrust her right hand deep into the ground, and sensing the flow of energy beneath, her expression gradually became solemn. “As expected, there’s a problem with the energy flow underneath.”
Ever since the battle began, she had sensed a sense of incongruity. The direction of the energy flow in this area was highly problematic; it should have been artificially interfered with.
She couldn’t clearly detect the energy flow underground from the sky, so Leticia came down to the ground, intending to carefully investigate what was going on.
“It feels like some kind of sacrificial array. Speaking of which, these arrays really are always the same.” Carefully sensing the direction of the energy flow underground, several similar magic arrays immediately came to mind in Leticia’s mind.
Unfortunately, these few magic arrays were absolutely forbidden spells among demons. They could only be found in the restricted section of the Demon King’s Palace library. Without the Demon King’s permission, no demon could learn them.
Once discovered to have mastered such a spell, one would face the pursuit of the entire demon race, and even the Demon King himself might take action.
The reason was simple: this spell was too cruel. Sacrificing living people to transform them into energy was something that no one could accept.
“This here should just be a small node, and the collected energy will be transmitted to…” With light steps, following the subtle energy fluctuations under her feet, Leticia slowly wandered through the Steel Spear encampment.
Many of the Bone Wing tribe’s warriors knew her identity. Seeing her appear here, they avoided her from afar. The aura emanating from this lady was truly somewhat chilling.
As for the Steel Spear tribe’s warriors, after paying the price of several lives, they also chose to temporarily ignore this girl who was out of place on the battlefield.
Didn’t you see that three people pounced together, only to turn into ashes ten meters in front of her? Such peculiar abilities, the Steel Spear tribe’s warriors were also fearful in their hearts.
Compared to this seemingly unarmed girl, the fierce-looking Bone Wing orcs wielding axes and clubs were much more amiable.
Thus, the petite black-haired girl circled around the Steel Spear tribe. She passed by many important buildings originally belonging to the Steel Spear tribe and saw many strange items hidden in concealed places.
These things should be the foundation of the array, she thought.
To be honest, this sacrificial array was not very advanced, and its energy conversion efficiency was not high. In Leticia’s opinion, it was no different from a child’s trick.
If she were to do it, this array’s effect would be several times better than it was now.
Of course, this didn’t seem to be something to be proud of.
“It can only take effect on the dying… Placing it here is quite reasonable.” After walking a full circle, Leticia had a general understanding of this array. This array would extract the souls of the dying and then transmit these souls, converted into energy, to other places.
As for the physical body, this array seemed to have no function targeting the physical body.
It was understandable. Extracting the souls of the dying would be difficult to detect, but if the physical body were also converted, the probability of being discovered would be much higher.
If Leticia hadn’t been sitting in the sky watching the show today, perhaps no one would have discovered that such an evil and terrifying sacrificial array was hidden beneath the Steel Spear tribe.
Who was causing trouble? Leticia didn’t know. She didn’t understand matters of the Steel Spear tribe, but she could roughly guess that it wasn’t the people of the Steel Spear tribe doing it. Although this array was simple and low-level, it was not something these ordinary beastmen could research and create.
Moreover… the grade of the materials used to form the array was not low.
Digging out a jade bone half-buried in the soil and sensing the surging energy within the bone, Leticia did not remember any jade mines rich in such energy in the vicinity.
Oh, it should be said that there were probably no mines at all nearby.
This kind of thing could only have been transported from the central area of the distant grasslands.
In that case, there seemed to be a suspect… Leticia slowly floated into the sky, scanning the chaotic Steel Spear tribe at a glance.
Then, she noticed a suspicious goat-horned beastman. That beastman was wearing a black robe, holding something in his arms, and was bent over, running towards the outside of the Steel Spear tribe.
This was not a person from the Bone Wing tribe, but it also didn’t look like a warrior from the Steel Spear tribe left to resist. That black robe seemed to be the same style as the dog-headed merchant left in the Bone Wing tribe…
