Nine dragons fight for the throne, I don't want to sit on this throne

Feng Mulan only had eyes for that large banner with the character "Zhou".

Her warhorse seemed to understand her thoughts, charging left and right through the chaotic army, constantly closing in.

Zhou Dashou was no ordinary man. After his initial shock and anger subsided, he forced himself to remain calm, brandished his broadsword, and commanded his men to form a defensive formation and resist stubbornly. At the same time, they continued to move closer to the Tang army, attempting to join forces.

The center of the battlefield seemed to have formed a huge vortex, with forces from all sides constantly being deployed, stirred up, and consumed.

Time passed amidst the torment of blood and fire, but for Feng Mulan, every moment pointed towards her ultimate goal.

Her armor was stained with blood, and her cloak was torn, but her offensive momentum did not diminish in the slightest.

Finally, after a sharp breakthrough, only a last, weak shield and a few personal guards remained between her and Zhou Dashou.

Their eyes met. Zhou Dashou's eyes held a ferocious, trapped beast-like rage and a hint of disbelief, while Feng Mulan's eyes were filled with icy killing intent.

"Zhou Dashou!" Feng Mulan shouted, her voice echoing across the battlefield: "Prepare to die!"

Without any unnecessary words, he swung his light sword straight at the center.

Zhou Dashou roared and raised his knife to meet him.

Swords clashed, producing a deafening metallic clang and a trail of sparks.

Zhou Dashou possessed extraordinary strength, but Feng Mulan's swordsmanship was a true master's skill, agile and cunning. Coupled with her swift and powerful warhorse, she could circle and attack at will. In just over ten rounds, Zhou Dashou was already struggling to defend himself.

"General, be careful!"

A fierce general from Youzhou risked his life to save her, but Feng Mulan stabbed him off his horse with a sideways sword.

Taking this opportunity, Zhou Dashou turned his horse to flee, but Feng Mulan would not allow him to escape. She spurred her horse into pursuit, her sharp sword transforming into a deadly streak of light—

"Pfft!"

The sword tip pierced through Zhou Dashou's armor, penetrating his back and exiting through his chest.

Zhou Dashou's massive body stiffened abruptly, and the large knife in his hand clattered to the ground.

He looked down at the blood-stained spear tip on his chest, his face filled with astonishment and resentment. Then his eyes glazed over, and he fell off his horse.

"Zhou Dashou is dead! Those who surrender will not be killed!"

Feng Mulan forcefully lifted the corpse away, channeling her inner strength to send her clear voice echoing across the battlefield.

The death of their commander-in-chief was nothing short of the final straw for the Youzhou army, which was already struggling and besieged from both inside and outside.

In an instant, the will to resist crumbled.

Some soldiers abandoned their weapons and knelt down to surrender, while others frantically tried to break out, only to be annihilated even faster.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the Tang army commander, intimidated by Xue Dingshan's fierce attack, led his remaining troops in a rout to one side. Xue Dingshan then launched a counterattack, expanding the victory.

The battle, from the moment Feng Mulan ordered the assault to its near-complete end, lasted shorter than expected.

The sun sank completely below the horizon, leaving only a sky full of poignant sunset clouds, as if covering this bloody battlefield that had just been quelled with a huge, mournful silk ribbon.

The smoke of battle had not yet cleared, corpses littered the fields, and the groans of the wounded and the mournful cries of warhorses could be heard all around.

Feng Mulan stood in the center of the battlefield and slowly exhaled a breath of foul air that smelled of blood.

She glanced around and saw that her side was quickly clearing the battlefield, taking prisoners, and treating the wounded.

The remnants of the nearly decimated White Horse cavalry, led by a young captain with a blood-stained face, were struggling to regroup in her direction.

Everyone's eyes were filled with the excitement of surviving a disaster and endless gratitude.

She did not dismount, but merely nodded slightly to the captain before turning her gaze toward Changtingpo.

The smoke from the battle there seemed to have dimmed considerably, and the shouts of battle were no longer clearly audible.

With Zhou Dashou's troops annihilated, the threat to the enemy's flank on Chu Ning's side has been eliminated, and the morale of the troops may even be shaken due to the sudden change in the battle situation here.

"Your Majesty,"

Xue Dingshan returned on horseback, his armor covered in dust and bloodstains, but his expression remained calm.

"The remaining enemy forces have been cleared out. There are about 3,000 surrendered soldiers and about 1,000 Tang soldiers who fled. I have already sent men to pursue them. Our casualties are still being tallied."

Feng Mulan nodded, her voice slightly hoarse from exhaustion, yet still firm:

“Well done. Leave the necessary men to guard the prisoners and treat the wounded. The rest of the able-bodied men should assemble immediately and travel light.”

She turned her horse around to face Changtingpo, taking one last look at this battlefield, her eyes filled with complex emotions, but these were instantly replaced by a more resolute expression.

"Now,"

She raised her still-blood-stained spear, its tip pointing into the depths of twilight: "Rush to the aid of Changting Slope and join forces with His Majesty!"

The thunderous sound of hooves echoed once more as a fiercely battle-hardened but still high-spirited cavalry followed the crimson banner bearing the character "Feng".

Like an arrow released from a bow, it pierced through the gradually thickening night and sped toward its final destination.

The battlefield behind them gradually fell silent, while the road ahead still led to unfinished battles and defenses.

The night, like thick ink, completely swallowed up Changtingpo.

However, this land soaked in blood did not fall silent; instead, an even more dangerous roar surged in the darkness.

Firelight replaced the daylight; countless torches, flickering campfires, and the trails left by rockets streaking across the night sky cast shadowy shadows on the undulating slopes, making them appear like a ghostly realm.

Shouts of battle, the clash of weapons, and the dying screams mingled with the acrid smell of burning and the strong stench of blood, twisting and spreading in the night wind.

But at this moment, the balance of power has been reversed.

Xue Huaide's steady, mountain-like infantry formation, combined with Zhao Yu's ten thousand White Horse cavalry's thunderous and fierce charge, completely shifted the balance of power on the battlefield.

Originally determined to win and launching a massive offensive against Chu Ning's core position, Li Shiming's Tang army, Helian Hui's Scorpion Clan cavalry, and the rebel King Chu Xuan's Youzhou army were shocked to find themselves surrounded.

Xue's troops formed an impregnable wall of shields and spears, blocking their retreat and flanks.

Zhao Yu's white horse riders, like a blazing silver-white scimitar, constantly roamed and cut around the perimeter, scattering their formation into disarray.

The disparity in troop strength is already enormous.

The allied forces were reduced to only about 10,000 remnants, trapped in an increasingly tight encirclement, like caged beasts.

On Chu Ning's side, the core of the Imperial Guard was intact, and with the addition of Xue and Zhao's fresh troops, the total strength suddenly increased to more than 24,000 men, who were slowly pressing in from all directions, each step carrying a heavy killing intent.

Under the makeshift command flag erected by the central army, Li Shiming had long lost the composure and scheming he displayed during the day.

His armor was stained, his helmet was nowhere to be found, his disheveled hair was stuck to his forehead with sweat, and his eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at a crude terrain sketch that was almost crumpled up in front of him.

Bad news kept coming in: the left-wing Scorpion Clan cavalry's charge had been thwarted and they had suffered heavy losses.

The right-wing Youzhou army engaged Xue Huaide's forces, but made no progress.

The morale of the elite Tang army in the central route was on the verge of collapse under the repeated onslaught of Zhao Yu's cavalry.

"Report—!!!"

A piercing, distorted scream tore through the already tense air.

A scout scrambled forward, his face a mixture of soot and extreme fear, his voice trembling uncontrollably:

"Your Majesty...Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened! North...north..."

Li Shiming's heart sank. He grabbed the scout's collar and growled:

"Explain yourself! What happened in the north?"