Chapter 67: The Water Assault

Fierce battle raged across the mudflats!

The clash between the two sides had reached a boiling point. It was a classic melee where the human and demon armies were completely intertwined, hacking and slashing at one another in a chaotic mass. All tactics and strategies were rendered useless; now, the combatants relied solely on raw ferocity and fighting spirit. Victory belonged to whoever was fiercer, more ruthless, and wielded sharper blades!

Swords flashed, halberds swept, and battle cries shook the heavens. The air was filled with biting sword glint, whistling arrows, rolling billows of thick smoke, roaring flames, fierce gales, and biting frost, completely obscuring directions and boundaries.

Suddenly, with a whistling shriek, a massive fireball fell from the sky, scorching the opponent right in front into charcoal. A stray spark ignited the edge of a warrior's uniform, but before he had time to extinguish it, another enemy lunged forward with a raised blade. They fought desperately until one slew the other or was killed in turn, the growing flames finally being doused by gushing blood.

Amidst the lingering smoke, a blade flashed by, and the man who had narrowly claimed victory had half his skull sliced off, his brains spilling out as he collapsed into the water. The owner of the blade was immediately tackled at the waist by another foe, both crashing into the muddy water, biting and clawing at each other like stray dogs.

The mudflats were reduced to a chaotic, boiling cauldron.

Ji Yu's personal guards had charged less than thirty paces before they were scattered. Only the commander of the personal guard and a few dozen men desperately flanked and protected his sides. After fighting for a brief moment, they collided head-on with a squad of charging demons, nearly crashing into them.

Spotting Ji Yu’s distinct armor and weapon, the minor demons shrieked in frenzy: "An officer! An officer! Kill him, and the general will surely grant a reward!"

The lesser demons did not recognize Ji Yu, but they could tell he was extraordinary. The head of any officer carried an extra bounty; this was the military law of the demon race and the source of courage that drove the minions to take risks.

A swarm of demons lunged forward. The guards fought desperately to block them, but a sudden plume of demonic mist erupted, engulfing both the guards and the demons. The guards frantically closed in around Ji Yu to protect him, but before they could reach his side, three dark shadows emerged from his flanks, lunging at him with swift and direct brutality.

"My lord, danger!" the guard commander roared, frantically striking at the demons around him in a bid to break free. In his anxiety, however, a fatal opening appeared, and a violent gale struck his back. Desperately rolling into the water, the commander felt a burning sensation across his back, barely escaping death in a cold sweat.

Yet when he resurfaced from the water, all he saw was a flash of glittering blade-light. Ji Yu's left hand pulsed with a bizarre, multicolored radiance as his two fingers pinched an object, while his right hand wielded his sword with roaring might. Three bodies before him were slowly collapsing, sinking into the water. With a flick of his left hand and a stream of brilliant light, several sharp pops rang out as two more charging demons burst open in their chests, blooming with bloody holes.

With a swift rise of his hand and a falling blade, the heads of the two lesser demons soared high into the air!

The Fire Dragon Dart!

The Fire Dragon Dart was one of the rare treasures treasured by the Ji clan. Its original owner was Chen Tong, the commander of Tongguan Pass under the Great Shang. In his youth, he had acquired it from an extraordinary hermit. Later, when Huang Feihu rebelled against Zhaoge and fought against him, Chen Tong used this precious item to strike Huang Feihu in the ribs, nearly killing him. Though deputy commanders Huang Ming and Zhou Ji rushed to the rescue, Zhou Ji was subsequently struck off his horse by the dart and met a tragic end.

Fortunately, it had long been ordained by fate. Huang Tianhua, acting under the imperial decree of his master, the True Monarch of Purity and Tranquility, came to the rescue. First, he saved Huang Feihu with the Fate-Swapping Pill, and then he used the Four Baskets of Heavenly Flowers to capture Chen Tong's Fire Dragon Dart before slaying him, allowing Huang Feihu to flee all the way to Xiqi and pledge allegiance to King Wu.

Following the victory of the Investiture of Gods, the Huang family presented this item as a tribute, making it a possession of the Ji clan. Never had anyone expected to see it in Ji Yu's hands today.

The fact that the Fire Dragon Dart could strike down Huang Feihu in the past was proof enough of its terrifying power. This artifact surpassed ordinary spiritual treasures and instruments, though it had not quite reached the level of a divine magic treasure. Thus, dealing with these lesser demons with it was effortless and completely without difficulty.

How could ordinary soldiers know such background? Seeing Ji Yu take action and cleanly dispatch several lesser demons, they were all stunned. After a pause of several breaths, the personal guards erupted into a thunderous cheer!

Ji Yu threw his head back and laughed heartily, striding forward. The guards surged with renewed morale, flanking his sides and charging directly at the opposite demons. Deeply shaken by the scene they had just witnessed, the nearby demons panicked and scattered, allowing Ji Yu's group to instantly rip a massive breach through the demon lines.

Only Ji Yu himself knew that he was no Qi cultivator; the multiple deployments of the Fire Dragon Dart had already drained the vast majority of his physical strength, leaving very few uses remaining. Fortunately, it had successfully boosted military morale, serving its purpose well at the exact right moment.

With their morale soaring, the human army launched wave after wave of assaults against the demons. Ji Yu led his personal guards at the very vanguard, fighting as a true spearhead. His longsword danced like a dragon, leaving a trail of blood and carnage in his wake and forcing the demons into a continuous retreat.

Seeing the formidable might of their young general, how could his subordinates not fight for their lives? Not only were the personal guards and the Wolf-Sealing Cavalry fiercely bloodthirsty, but even the routed soldiers who had tasted the crimson blood felt their entire bodies burning with feverish heat. Injuries meant nothing; even with severed hands and broken feet, they remained incomparably brave.

Battle cries shook the heavens, sword gleams dazzled the eyes, and their momentum soared straight up to the dome of the firmament. For the first time, the human army truly suppressed the demon forces in terms of sheer momentum. The number of the thirty thousand lesser demons rapidly dwindled, dropping from thirty thousand to twenty-five thousand, then to twenty thousand...

Observing the shifting tides of battle across the river, and seeing that the bee demon Zuanfeng was still entangled in mid-air, the watching demon commanders stepped forward to request permission to join the fight. However, the Hundred-Eyed General shook his head, his expression solemn: "Not yet!"

"But, my lord, if we do not dispatch reinforcements soon, our forces will be completely slaughtered. Furthermore, the Golden Turtle is nearing exhaustion and cannot hold out much longer..."

"Do not be alarmed. There is much you do not know, for I have a separate plan..." At this, the Hundred-Eyed General suddenly raised his voice and asked: "Husi, has everything been prepared?"

A figure emerged from the midst of the demon crowd. Had Six-Ugly and Moyun been present, they would have instantly recognized this as Husi, the minor demon who had once been imprisoned alongside them. Yet, his demonic aura was now vastly superior, and he wore the insignia of a demon scout—an ornament far exceeding his previous station—marking him as a figure of considerable status and authority.

Stepping forward, Husi immediately reported to the Hundred-Eyed General: "We have drawn out over seven thousand three hundred lesser demons, all fully concealed in stealth. My general, just give the order!"

"Good!" The Hundred-Eyed General nodded and waved his hand. "Pass down my command: reinforce!"

"Understood!" Husi immediately acknowledged the order and departed. Following this, the Hundred-Eyed General commanded: "Order the deployment of fog and miasma!"

The two sides were still locked in fierce combat. Although human morale had surged and their killing intent was palpable, the demon forces had no way out; the demons guarding the back of the Golden Turtle refused to let any of the retreating minions pull back, forcing them to fight to the death. Consequently, the battle grew increasingly brutal. The remaining lesser demons clung like iron nails to the riverbank section of the mudflats, desperately defending their ground.

Just as both sides were drenched in sweat, locked in a desperate struggle between life and death, thick, billowing mists suddenly rose amidst the demon ranks. Carried by the fierce winds, the fog rolled forward like a cloud-wall reaching into the high heavens, slowly pressing down toward the Cang River. Following closely behind, wave after wave of lesser demons emerged from the mist, charging wildly across the Golden Turtle and leaping onto the mudflats.

"My lord, the monsters have reinforced!"

Amidst the fierce melee, Ji Yu finally found a moment to look up. He saw endless streams of demons emerging from the mist to join the fray. The entire battle line was rapidly collapsing, pushed back toward the eastern side of the Cang River. Very few soldiers managed to retreat in an orderly fashion; the vast majority were simply overwhelmed by the onslaught of fresh enemy forces and perished instantly in the water.

In an instant, the entire mudflat was densely packed with corpses, leaving virtually no empty ground to step upon. The river water began to turn crimson right from this section, and looking down the river for miles, it resembled a winding ribbon of fresh blood...

"As expected!" Ji Yu let out a heavy grunt and issued the order: "Release the arrows!"

The guard commander reached into his tunic, pulled out a strange arrowhead, fished a short bow and an arrow randomly out of the water, fitted the arrowhead, and fired straight up into the open sky!

"Screee—"

A sharp, piercing whistle pierced the air, carrying far and wide to echo across the entire battlefield. Meanwhile, the deputy commander stationed near the command tent, who had been tending to the pre-prepared fires for a long time, reacted as if struck by lightning and roared at the top of his lungs: "Tip them over!"

Instantly, baskets upon baskets of dried dung and withered grass were dumped into the fires. The flames momentarily choked before rising into dense, pitch-black pillars of smoke that soared straight up like towering pillars supporting the heavens.

Ji Yu glanced back at the smoke pillars behind him, then at the soldiers still locked in fierce combat at his side. A momentary blur crossed his eyes, but he quickly raised his hand and shouted hoarsely: "All officers, hear my command..."

"Young General, you must not!" Before the words could fully leave his mouth, the guard commander had already grabbed Ji Yu's hand in a tight, desperate grip, urging anxiously, "We must not let all our efforts fall short at the very last moment, Young General!"

A look of intense struggle surfaced on Ji Yu's face. He stared hard into the guard commander's eyes, as if trying to read something within them, while the guard commander met his gaze unflinchingly, repeating relentlessly: "The accomplishment of a single general is paved upon ten thousand bleached bones. Young General, womanly benevolence must never be harbored—never!"

Emotions warred across Ji Yu's face. His teeth gnashed audibly, and a trail of fresh blood leaked from the corner of his lips...

"The old general commanded: if the Young General finds himself in doubt, think of your lady wife!" Seemingly recalling something, the guard commander quickly added, "Without military merits to your name, what will become of your lady?"

Pain washed over Ji Yu's features, his eyes filled with profound agony. Yet, in the end, he slowly closed his eyes. His facial muscles twitched, and a single tear escaped the corner of his eye, falling into the blood-soaked mud to instantly blend into the crimson tide without a trace.

When he opened his eyes once more, they were completely devoid of warmth, chillingly cold. Once again, he raised his voice in a command: "All officers, hear my command..."

"Understood!" The long-awaited order finally rang out. Though the soldiers did not know the reason behind it, they responded in unison with a triple roar.

"Advance! Drive the enemy into the river!"

"Understood!" Tens of thousands of voices answered as one, their battle cry shaking the earth like thunder. This shout seemed to infuse every soldier with boundless strength, and they surged forward with sudden violence. Although reinforcements had arrived for the demons, they were firmly held in check by the human army, unable to advance even an inch.

The guard commander finally let out a breath of relief, reaching into his tunic to touch the reed stalk hidden within. He knew very well that had he not intervened just now, the command the Young General would have issued was undoubtedly:

"Fall back! Retreat and fortify!"

He was not merely Ji Yu's guard commander; he was the trusted confidant of the veteran general Ji Kuyi, sent specifically to assist the young commander.

Soon, strange cries rang out from both banks of the river:

"What is that?"

A silver chain began to appear at the edge of the horizon.

Under the blinding midday sun, a silver ridge surged down the length of the river, towering a hundred zhang high like a colossal city wall, sweeping relentlessly forward along the river channel. Shouts echoed wildly from people along the banks, but even as they cried out, that silver chain rushed closer and closer to the battlefield.

This was... a wall of water!

A wall of water towering over a hundred zhang high, charging forward with the unstoppable momentum of ten thousand galloping horses and mountains collapsing into the sea!