Longzang

Chapter 78 Why haven't they arrived yet?

He snorted, unleashing his magical power to protect his entire body, preparing to withstand the Daoist spell head-on. Human cultivators were weak, while the centurion possessed abundant magical power and was protected by heavy armor; even if a spell from an ordinary Daoist foundation hit him, it would only cause minor injuries.

Two tornadoes appeared on the centurion's left and right, unleashing fist-sized sand and gravel that spun rapidly and pelted him. A burst of water exploded in front of his warhorse, countless blades of water shooting towards its head. Startled, the horse reared up, using its camouflage to deflect further water blades. A meteorite the size of a water vat appeared in the air, hurtling towards the centurion's head.

The centurion's vision was still blurry, but he drew his bow and shot an arrow that shattered the meteorite above him. Of the four magical attacks, only the meteorite posed a real threat; the other three were merely annoying. He laughed loudly and roared, "It didn't hurt at all!"

At this moment, Wei Yuan was less than fifty feet away from him!

Wei Yuan leaped off his horse, his eyes flashing like lightning, firmly locking onto the two hundred merit points ahead! He ran forward a few steps, exerted all his strength, and hurled his twelve-foot-long spear with all his might!
Wei Yuan had used all his strength in this shot, and his warhorse could not withstand it and had to dismount.

The spear shot out like a dragon, instantly piercing the centurion's side and flying out from the other side, its speed almost undiminished!

The centurion's body suddenly exploded, the wound almost hollowing out half of his body! He struggled to look down and saw the horrific wound on his body before collapsing.

Wei Yuan didn't use any Dao power in this spear thrust; he relied entirely on his physical body. The centurion's eyes hadn't recovered, and his consciousness was being interfered with by Dao techniques. By the time he realized something was wrong, the spear was already upon him.

This was Wei Yuan and Li Zhi's first collaboration. Li Zhi noticed Wei Yuan approaching the centurion and instead of dodging, chose to withstand the incoming arrows, simultaneously using a Radiant Sun Technique to block the opponent's vision. Wei Yuan, on the other hand, unleashed several Dao techniques with the power of an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator. These techniques posed no real threat to the centurion, but instead led him to believe that the other two human Foundation Establishment cultivators had already made their move, causing him to lower his guard and overlook Wei Yuan, who was not yet a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

The truly fatal blow was the spear that Wei Yuan threw with all his might!

"Chimur!!" Another centurion, who had been flanking from a distance, saw this scene and his eyes widened in fury. He turned and charged. As soon as he moved, the cavalry that had been flanking him also rushed over.

Wei Yuan tried to turn and mount his horse, but an arrow flew from nowhere and pierced his horse's neck. Countless heavy arrows then whistled through the air, raining down on him as he lay on the ground.

Wei Yuan acted decisively, leaping up and mounting the warhorse left behind by the centurion.

The Liao horse was ferocious. It roared and swung its head to charge at Wei Yuan on its back. This Liao horse was a centurion's mount, two feet taller than ordinary Liao horses. This headbutt was incredibly powerful; even an ordinary Dao Foundation cultivator would vomit blood from such a blow. But Wei Yuan's physical body was incredibly strong. He punched the horse on the back of the head, causing its legs to buckle and almost collapse. Then, a wisp of black energy, barely visible to the naked eye, flew out from Wei Yuan's body and entered the Liao horse's body.

The Liao horse suddenly quieted down and stood still.

In Wei Yuan's consciousness, the Liao horse's soul was fiercely resisting, refusing to be controlled. With a thought, Wei Yuan sent another stream of black energy from his sea of ​​consciousness into the Liao horse's body. The Liao horse's soul immediately turned a grayish-black, merging with Wei Yuan's consciousness. This Liao horse, already tall, grew another foot taller, and began exhaling puffs of white vapor from its nostrils.

Wei Yuan spurred his Liao horse and charged toward Li Zhi, shouting, "Mount up!"

Although Li Zhi was shocked, now was not the time to ask questions. He leaped onto the horse and rode alongside Wei Yuan. The centurion's steed was incredibly brave and, after being blessed by the luck of the Madman of Heaven and Earth, it was even stronger, carrying two heavily armored men as if they were nothing.

Another heavy arrow, flashing with yellow light, pierced the air. Wei Yuan was unarmed at the moment, and in desperation, he grabbed the incoming arrow! The heavy arrow slid into Wei Yuan's hand for about a foot before stopping, and there was already blood on the shaft.

This arrow, shot from eight hundred feet away by the centurion, was still incredibly powerful. Even with Wei Yuan's physical strength, catching it barehanded would have injured him. "Take this!" Li Zhi handed the beast-headed golden shield and the lightning halberd to Wei Yuan, then drew his bow and nocked an arrow. A water-blue magical arrow flew like lightning towards the centurion eight hundred feet away. The arrow flew faster and faster, arriving in an instant.

The centurion drew his scimitar and cleaved the long arrow in mid-air!

The long arrow exploded the moment it was struck by the scimitar, sending countless icicles flying at the centurion and covering his entire body in a chilling blue aura.

The centurion let out a deafening roar, shattering the ice shards all over his body. Although he shook off the ice shuttle, countless wounds still gushed blood, but he remained unmoved and continued to charge wildly on his horse. These minor injuries only enraged him.

Seeing that the Ice Arrows were unable to severely injure their opponent, Li Zhi made a decisive decision: "Retreat! Call for reinforcements!"

Eight or nine of the sixty cavalrymen he brought with him had already been killed or wounded. These were all battle-hardened elites, and losing even one would be painful. Li Zhi naturally did not want to engage in a bloody battle with the Liao barbarians while he was at a disadvantage.

Li Zhi drew a long red arrow and shot it into the air. The arrow transformed into a plume of smoke a hundred feet into the air, flashing several times before slowly dissipating. This was a signal arrow used by disciples of immortal sects to request reinforcements, common to all sects. The flashing smoke transmitted the identity of the rescuer and the strength of the enemy through Dao power, allowing disciples of immortal sects within a hundred miles with specialized magical artifacts to sense it. Those with high cultivation and strong divine sense could perceive it even without magical artifacts.

Besides revealing his own identity, Li Zhi's arrow conveyed the message that he was facing a powerful enemy and should fight and retreat while waiting for reinforcements.

Wei Yuan also had a corresponding signal arrow, and even gave one to Fang Hetong. But since both were requesting reinforcements, it was clear that Li Zhi could summon more troops.

At this moment, the yellow aura in the distance began to surge again, growing increasingly intense. Wei Yuan's expression hardened, and after reviewing the terrain in his mind, he said, "Retreat towards Quyang County!"

Li Zhi initially intended to retreat towards the military camp, but Wei Yuan's words immediately made him realize that heading towards Quyang County would be the shortest route out of Liao territory. In human-controlled lands, the Northern Liao cavalry's fighting strength would be reduced by about 70%. Li Zhi also noticed the anomaly in the distance, knowing that an unknown number of Northern Liao cavalry were approaching.

The Southern Qi guards were, after all, elite troops. Though they retreated, they did not panic. They formed a circular formation, galloping back and forth on horseback, constantly retaliating against the Liao cavalry with their magical weapons and sharp arrows, like a large, spiky ball slowly rolling southward.

The Northern Liao cavalry galloped back and forth on the perimeter, raining arrows upon the Southern Qi guards. The centurion clashed with Wei Yuan and Li Zhi several times; Wei Yuan was struck by two more arrows, but also killed his horse with a single spear thrust. Li Zhi seized the opportunity to retaliate with an arrow, piercing the centurion's thigh. However, the centurion was extremely fierce; dragging his wounded leg, he seized a horse from one of his men and charged back into battle.

Wei Yuan and Li Zhi fought and retreated, and after a short while, another hundred riders rushed out from the yellow mist in the distance! Fortunately, at this moment, Wei Yuan suddenly felt a lightness on his body, as if the dust that had accumulated on him for several years had been swept away, making him feel extremely comfortable.

Finally back in the human realm!
The Southern Qi elite force now has only forty riders left. After returning to the human realm, they finally stabilized their formation. The Liao cavalry, on the other hand, moved much more slowly, and their arrows were less effective than before. However, the Liao cavalry were too numerous, and guards were still frequently shot off their horses.

"Your Highness! Why haven't the reinforcements arrived yet?" A captain of the personal guards couldn't contain himself and shouted at Li Zhi.

Li Zhi's face was gloomy, and the veins on his forehead bulged. He did not reply.

(End of this chapter)