Chapter 141

The Jing'an Army's iron torrent incarnate, under Chen Wen's leadership.

Like a red-hot dagger, it viciously stabbed into the soft flank of the collapsing allied army.

Wherever it passed, Khitan cavalry were thrown from their mounts and Northern Han infantry fled at the sight.

The Zhou army's morale along the whole line was like a rainbow; the shouts of killing shook heaven and earth, and the dawn of victory was already clearly visible.

However!

Just as the situation was about to be decided and the allied army's defeat was already apparent.

An extremely sharp, icy killing intent, condensed like a substance.

Like a venomous snake lying in wait for a long time, it suddenly erupted from the chaotic hills behind the battlefield's flank!

This killing intent was not diffuse, but precisely split into two!

One was stronger, more condensed, like an unparalleled wicked blade drawn from its sheath.

It pointed directly at Chai Rong, who was commanding the overall situation under the central army's banner, full of vigor.

The other was even more sinister and icy.

Carrying a programmed lethal will, it locked onto Chen Wen, who was charging forward on the front lines!

"Finally here!"

Chen Wen's heart trembled; he had always been guarding against the Iron Crow Army's final counterattack!

He broke through to thirty-two times, turning the tide of battle.

They would surely be seen by the Iron Crow Army as the most severe destruction of the 'node,' and they would certainly not stand idly by!

Shi Dun! Zhang Cheng! Guard the commander's left flank!

Chen Wen hesitated not, immediately issuing orders via shout and gesture to Shi Dun's unit, which was closer to Chai Rong.

At the same time, he sharply reined in his warhorse, his sharp gaze sweeping toward the source of the icy killing intent locked onto him.

Only seen, from behind the hills, like ghosts, about thirty-odd black silhouettes darted out.

Their attire was no different from ordinary Iron Crow Army, but their aura was many times stronger!

Especially the two leaders, they stood out like a crane among chickens.

One was extremely tall and burly, nearly matching Shi Dun's stature.

He wore thickened black heavy armor, holding in his hand a door-sized giant horse-slaying sword, its blade faintly glowing with a dark blue.

With each step he took, the ground trembled slightly, his momentum mighty as a mountain.

His gaze locked firmly on the direction of Chai Rong.

He was clearly the main force tasked with assassinating Chai Rong.

The other was slender, moving silently, like a weightless shadow.

In each hand he held a reverse-grip short stab under a foot long, the shaft black, only the tip a faint blue, like a snake's tongue.

His emotionless eyes, like the most precise measuring scale, had already firmly locked onto Chen Wen.

This is the Iron Crow Army's 'strongest force' sent to deal with Chen Wen.

—an assassin who has brought concealment and a one-hit kill to the extreme.

These two squads, like two poisoned daggers, moved upstream against the backdrop of the allied army's total collapse.

Carrying out their final, and also most crazy, 'cleansing' mission!

"Stop them!"

Chai Rong's personal guard also detected this sudden deadly threat.

Especially the oppressive pressure from the heavy-armored giant wielding the horse-slaying sword was too strong; they immediately formed ranks to meet him.

"Your opponent is me."

The slender assassin's voice was hoarse and dry, like metal scraping.

His figure flickered, leaving a faint afterimage in place.

His true body had, like a teleport, appeared before Chen Wen's horse, his twin stabs up and down, aiming straight for Chen Wen's throat and heart!

Its speed was extraordinarily fast, the angle cunning and vicious to the extreme!

If not for his breakthrough, Chen Wen facing such a bizarre and swift assassination would likely have been flustered.

But now, his thirty-two-times enhanced dynamic vision and reflex nerves let him clearly capture the opponent's movement trajectory!

"Get lost!"

Chen Wen did not retreat but advanced, leaping fiercely from his horse's back as his inner surging power exploded.

His right leg swept out like a steel whip, arriving first despite being launched later, and he viciously kicked the assassin's wrist!

A flicker of extreme surprise crossed the assassin's eyes, as if he hadn't expected Chen Wen's reaction and speed to keep up with his assassination rhythm.

He twisted his wrist strangely, the short stab rising like a venomous snake, changing from a thrust to a slash, aiming to cut Chen Wen's ankle!

Bang! Hiss!

Leg and stab met, emitting a dull thud and the sound of energy tearing.

Chen Wen felt a chilling sting at his ankle, the iron leg armor actually being sliced open.

A bloodstain also appeared on his skin, that icy 'murderous aura' trying to seep in along the wound.

But his powerful qi and blood instantly dispelled that chill.

Meanwhile, the assassin was shaken by the tremendous force transmitted from Chen Wen's leg, sliding back several steps.

The hand gripping the short stab felt slightly numb, his gaze toward Chen Wen growing more solemn.

Meanwhile, Shi Dun had already roared as he went up against that heavy-armored giant.

"Take this, Old Stone's iron rod!"

Shi Dun's muscles bulged all over, his power from the 'Broad 4x Bestowal' at its peak, the heavy iron rod whistling with a vicious wind as it smashed toward the giant's head.

The giant didn't dodge or evade, letting out a deep, muffled roar as he swung his huge horse-cutting saber from low to high in a fierce upward lift!

Clang——!!!

Like the booming sound of a temple bell being struck, a tremendous roar exploded!

The sound was louder than any previous collision!

Shi Dun felt an irresistible force surge up from his iron mace, numbing his arms and tightening his chest.

He involuntarily stumbled back three steps with a 'thud-thud-thud', leaving deep footprints in the ground!

Shock flashed in his eyes—the black giant's strength actually surpassed his own enhanced power by a notch!

The giant also staggered, cracking the ground beneath his feet.

But he quickly steadied himself and raised his horse-cutting saber again.

Advancing like a killing machine, his target was clear—Chai Rong!

"Form up! Block him!"

Zhang Cheng bellowed, leading a unit of heavy infantry forward with their spears braced.

They attempted to block this humanoid beast with a dense formation.

Wang Ru commanded the crossbowmen, firing a volley of dense bolts at the Iron Crow Army elites who followed the two leaders in their charge.

To prevent them from interfering with the commanders' duel, and also to support Shi Dun and Zhang Cheng as much as possible, slowing the heavily armored giant's advance.

In one corner of the battlefield, due to the intervention of the Iron Crow Army's strongest force,

it instantly turned into a more brutal and high-end miniature meat grinder!

Chen Wen's fight with the thin assassin became even more perilous.

The assassin's movement was ghostlike, his twin daggers appearing and disappearing unpredictably, aiming for vital spots.

That chilling 'murderous qi' permeated everything, seeking to erode Chen Wen's meridians and will.

Chen Wen, however, relied on his thirty-twofold overall superiority, giving him the edge in strength, speed, reaction, and endurance.

As he brandished his saber with wide, sweeping strokes, a mighty momentum continually compressed the assassin's dodging space.

"Your 'script' is over!"

Chen Wen, unable to finish the fight, felt his killing intent boil over; he spotted an opening and deliberately feigned a weakness.

The assassin took the bait, a blue flash in his eyes as he twisted like a shadow into Chen Wen's center, thrusting both daggers at his ribs!

At that instant, Chen Wen's inner power erupted, holding nothing back!

His left hand shot out like lightning, precisely seizing the assassin's right wrist, his thirty-twofold strength clamping down like an iron vise!

Crack!

A crisp sound of breaking bones rang out!

The assassin grunted, his left-hand dagger still stubbornly stabbing toward Chen Wen's heart.

But Chen Wen's saber already bore a golden light that shredded everything, striking first despite coming later!

Swish!

The blade flashed past!

The assassin's left arm was severed at the shoulder, the azure dagger flying upward with it!

Without waiting for him to retreat,

Chen Wen's saber traced a strange arc in the air, from low to high, flipping upward!

"Die!"

Pfft!

The blade sliced into the assassin's lower jaw, lifting half his skull into the air!

This Iron Crow Army's strongest assassin, his eyes still holding a trace of incomprehensible disbelief, slowly collapsed to the ground.

Almost as Chen Wen finished his opponent, on the other side Shi Dun, Zhang Cheng, and many Jing'an Army soldiers gave a desperate stand.

Although the heavily armored giant was unstoppable, he consecutively cleaved over ten men.

Yet he was ultimately delayed, several arrows stuck in his body, his movements slowing.

Chai Rong had already been moved to a safer position under the protection of his guards.

Chen Wen showed no pause, drawing a breath of true qi and soaring toward the heavily armored giant like a great peng!

"Shi Dun, let's cut him down together!"

Seeing his companion dead and himself surrounded, the giant let out a reluctant roar, yet still swung his horse-cutting saber in a desperate last stand.

But with Chen Wen at full power and Shi Dun bolstered by enhancement working together, his bravery could not change fate.

After just a few exchanges, Chen Wen's sweep knocked the giant's horse-cutting saber aside.

Shi Dun's iron mace then smashed hard onto his chest armor!

"Thud!"

With a dull thud, the heavy armor dented, and the giant spat a mouthful of blood mixed with organ fragments.

His massive body collapsed like a mountain pushing over a jade pillar.

The Iron Crow Army's final obstruction—its two strongest leaders—were all slain!

Seeing their leaders fall, the remaining Iron Crow Army elites lost their backbone and were quickly annihilated under the Jing'an Army's encirclement.

The last threat was completely eradicated!

Chen Wen stood holding his saber, breathing slightly.

His gaze swept over the bloody battlefield, finally turning to the distant horizon where the allied forces had utterly collapsed in chaotic flight.

The Battle of Gaoping left no doubt.