Chapter 679: The Crumbling Morale

Gao Xiaoyu's terror now turns into a terrifying wave surging in the hearts of all Qi army soldiers on the battlefield.

He clutches the Gilded Horse Whip tightly; his knuckles lose color from the strain, the sharp tip of the whip pierces the soft flesh of his palm, blood seeps out, yet he remains oblivious.

That face, once lifted high by arrogance, now holds boundless terror; his lips tremble continuously, his throat churns, but he cannot utter a complete sentence.

Just moments ago he had charged alongside Liu Zaizhou, shouting that he would behead the Zhou generals for a reward, but now the horse reins tighten together as if frozen by an invisible force.

The warhorses in the front row are startled by the killing aura spreading ahead, rear hooves whinnying as they retreat; the riders pull the reins with all their might to barely steady themselves, yet their faces have turned as pale as paper.

"Liu… General Liu…," a Qi cavalryman's eyes widen, his voice hoarse as if ground by sand, "How could… how could it be…"

He suddenly shuts his eyes, daring not to look at the spear still propping the corpse, only feeling a churn in his stomach.

The veteran beside him merely shakes his head stiffly, his lips move but no sound emerges; only the dead silence in his eyes reflects Liu Zaizhou's unblinking stare.

"Goo‑dong." At the front, the Captain of the Ten surnamed Wang swallows saliva with difficulty, the sound of his Adam's apple rolling is unusually sharp in the dead silence.

Earlier his battle cries were the loudest, now that Fine Steel Horizontal Blade has somehow dropped, the shockwave from the weapons clashing at his palm has left his flesh a blur, and he can no longer grip the hilt.

Looking at Lu Ming's face becoming clearer under the sun, those eyes devoid of emotion, only murderous intent, send a chill climbing from his spine to the top of his head.

A hot current runs down his pant leg, wetting the mane on the warhorse's back; his legs tremble incessantly, barely able to squeeze the horse's belly, his sitting posture teeters on collapse.

"Run… run fast…" Someone, first to clear their mind from extreme panic, lets out a hoarse, inhuman scream.

That voice ignites like a powder keg, instantly detonating the long‑suppressed fear in every Qi soldier's heart.

"Devil! He's a demon from hell!" a young cavalryman cries, abruptly turning his horse's head, his battle sword clanging to the ground, frantically beating the horse's haunch, cursing that his parents gave him only two legs.

"General Liu is dead! He killed General Liu with a single strike! We cannot defeat him!" an old veteran with a white‑speckled beard shouts through tears, also swiveling his horse's head, tears and sweat mixing in his eyes.

"Can't fight, we can't fight at all! Retreat quickly!" more Qi soldiers howl in desperation, scrambling to turn their horses, as if lingering another moment would have them torn apart by that Demon God‑like figure.

Panic spreads swiftly, sweeping the Qi army formation like a tide.

The hundreds of cavalry who had just tried to form a counter‑formation now scatter in an instant, turning their horses and fleeing backward recklessly, fearing they would become the next lost soul beneath that terrifying horse spear.

They discard their weapons, abandon comrades, even forsake the last dignity of a soldier.

At this moment, they have only one thought…

Flee from that monster, the farther the better!

Lu Ming watches the fleeing Qi troops with cold eyes, a contemptuous smile curling further at the corner of his mouth.

He doesn't even bother to pursue; to him, these fleeing soldiers are nothing more than insignificant ants.

He shakes his arm; the forty‑jin, two‑zhang heavy Refined Iron Horse Spear feels weightless in his hand, carving a blood‑red arc through the air.

"Bang!" Liu Zaizhou's one‑hundred‑eighty‑jin corpse is flung three zhāng away, landing like a rag on the ground, toppling two Qi soldiers fleeing backward.

The two soldiers have no time to scream before the corpse crushes their sinews and bones, leaving them limp on the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

Lu Ming casually brushes the spear tip against the horse's mane, wiping away the froth of blood, his motion as idle as a farmer wiping a sickle.

He slowly turns his horse's head; his gaze pierces the chaotic battlefield, crossing countless panicked soldiers, precisely locking onto the figure in the rear array clad in Gilded ornate battle armor, surrounded by dozens of personal guards—Gao Xiaoyu!

The instant his eyes lock on him, Gao Xiaoyu feels every hair on his body stand up, an unprecedented sense of danger coiling around his heart like an icy poisonous snake.

His whole body stiffens; he can even feel the cold aura on the spear, having traveled dozens of zhāng, now touching his neck.

He is certain beyond doubt that the monster's next target is himself!

The Qi infantry at the rear of the battlefield had earlier been striving to hold back the Zhou Army's main thrust.

Front‑line shield‑bearers raise one‑meter‑tall Wooden Shields, archers pull their Bow and Arrow to full draw, sword‑men grip their battle swords, still shouting to kill.

Yet when they see their own cavalry break without a clash, hear the cries and wails ahead, and behold that Demon God‑like figure, all will to resist collapses instantly.

"The general is dead! Our general has been slain!" a foot soldier cries, throwing his sword aside, his legs going limp as he collapses to the ground.

"The cavalry are defeated! What can we use to resist!" the front‑line shield‑bearer drops his Wooden Shield, turns and runs without hesitation.

"That thing isn't human! Run!" more foot soldiers howl in desperation, discarding weapons and joining the fleeing crowd.

The army's morale has already crumbled.

The once‑orderly battle line begins to loosen, then falls into chaos.

Soldiers push each other, scrambling backward; those in the rear collide with those in front, the front ones fall, being trampled to death by the surging masses behind, endless screams filling the air.

Officers at the rear shout hoarsely, trying to steady the formation.

A lieutenant named Liu, a left‑flank commander, swings his blade, cutting down three deserters, bloodied, shouting, "Anyone who retreats, behead!"

But before his words finish, his personal guard suddenly slashes at his back, shouting, "Why don't you block that monster yourself! I won't die with you!"

He then turns and runs, shoving Liu's body aside heavily.

The defeat comes like a mountain collapse!

In the face of absolute power and fear, any command loses its effect.

The Qi defense line starts to break at a point, then spreads into a line, finally disintegrating completely.

From afar, the Zhou Army's battle cries draw nearer, shouts of "Capture Gao Xiaoyu alive!" "Kill all Qi dogs!" ring clearly in every Qi soldier's ears, amplifying their panic.

Dozens of personal guards around Gao Xiaoyu turn pale, gripping their weapons, shielding Gao tightly at the center.

Yet their palms are already soaked with cold sweat; the hands holding blades tremble, eyes also filled with lingering fear.

Some personal guards have already secretly turned their horse reins, waiting for Gao's command to flee.

Others have begun untying the banner rope, intending to retract the overly conspicuous Prince's Banner so it won't be spotted by that monster.

The personal guard commander who has served Gao Xiaoyu for years now panics.

He had taken three blows before without a frown; now his voice trembles like fallen leaves in autumn wind as he rides close to Gao, urging, "His Highness! The enemy general is too fierce, our army's morale is shattered, we cannot stay here long!"

He jerks the Horse Rein hard, the warhorse pawing anxiously.

"General Ding Weize still has no news, surely he has met misfortune!" the guard commander's voice is filled with despair; he does not even dare glance back at Lu Ming, staring fixedly at Gao, urgently saying, "We now have only dozens of personal guards, unable to fend off that monster! His Highness, if we do not leave… we may truly not escape!"

He shudders, pointing terrifiedly at the front: "That monster has set its gaze upon us!"