"Form ranks!!"Yang Ye shouted sharply.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The entire army began to swiftly change formation.
The blade-and-shield soldiers took the front, forming the first rank. Behind them were the spear soldiers, then the Divine Machine Battalion, and at the rear stood the archers.
In an instant, a well-ordered and grim battle formation was established. Though simple and direct, it was a textbook war phalanx. The 30,000 soldiers radiated a murderous aura, their cultivated Iron-Blood Baleful Qi fusing together at this moment into one overwhelming entity. Their linked energy felt like a colossal being, exuding mountain-like pressure that swept across the space.
An upright, proper military formation!
"Form ranks!!"Upon seeing this, Scorpion Demon narrowed his eyes, clearly sensing a strong threat from the human army's formation. But he showed no fear. He too gave a command.
Swish!
The Scorpion race warriors advanced in turn, forming ranks within the underground cavern as well. Most of them wielded massive warblades, similar to the ancient mo-dao, their pitch-black edges glinting with chilling light. Though their formation lacked the human army's precision and discipline, their massive blades still emitted an oppressive sense of lethal power.
Their innate savagery and bloodlust left them fearless in the face of death. The gleaming blades radiated a sharp killing intent.
In that instant, the underground space was completely transformed into a battlefield.
On one side stood the human race, on the other the Scorpion race.
Facing each other head-on, two invisible auras clashed in the air above the battlefield, colliding again and again.
A murderous tension filled the air.
Only when standing before a real army could one truly feel the terrifying pressure it exuded.
"They're really fighting now. That's the Scorpion race's full army. It's a proper two-army standoff, just moments from full-scale battle."
"Excellent! We haven't seen a real army clash before—this is true strength at play. Just by looking at the formations, our Xuanhuang Town's troops are clearly more disciplined. Their synchronized aura feels like a single entity. Once they charge, they'll crush everything like a landslide."
"The Scorpion army is terrifying. Facing them one-on-one didn't seem that bad, but now that they're in full formation, those huge blades look like death incarnate. One swing could split a warhorse in half."
At this time, many cultivators had arrived but only dared to watch from the battlefield's edge—none dared get close.
The pressure emanating from the two armies was too terrifying. Like two awakened beasts about to tear each other apart.
Yi Tianxing stood silently aside, not interfering. He allowed Yang Ye full command of the army. As a general, it was Yang Ye's right and responsibility to lead.
"Kill!!"Scorpion Demon, seeing both sides in formation, wasted no time. With a wave of his hand, he gave the order that ignited the war.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
At the command, the Scorpion army surged forward. Half-human, half-scorpion, their speed was astonishing. Wielding massive blades, their murderous aura swept like a black cloud across the battlefield.
Their momentum was suffocating.
"Blade-and-shield soldiers, raise shields!!"Yang Yanding, embedded among the shield troops, barked a command.
Boom!
Stepping forward, lowering into a half-kneel, the soldiers drove their massive shields into the ground in front of them. Each shield locked into its neighbor, forming an impenetrable wall—a true shield wall that anchored the front.
Then came the spear soldiers, taking position behind the shield wall. These shields had precise holes designed for spears to thrust through. Hitting these holes accurately was a vital part of formation training in Xuanhuang Town—without precision, the spears wouldn't be able to strike the enemy effectively.
"Divine Machine Battalion, listen up! Fire at will, straight ahead!!"Yang Yanping, his eyes sharp, gave the next command with calm precision.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Rows of Divine Machine Crossbows rose and locked onto the front. At the order, soldiers pulled their triggers without hesitation.
A storm of crossbow bolts shot out like a torrential rain, sweeping across the battlefield toward the charging Scorpion warriors. The sheer sight of it made scalps tingle and fear take root.
Each bolt was infused with runic energy and true qi, glowing gold with a radiant force. Nearly all the bolts were armor-piercing arrows, imbued with metal-element power. Combined with the crossbows' explosive force, the bolts' destructive potential soared to the extreme.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The Scorpions wore dark armor—natural carapace armor, transformed from their exoskeletons and charged with true qi. Their blades danced, black arcs of light slashing the bolts midair with bursts of sparks and metallic clangs.
Yet the power behind the bolts was tremendous. Some blades were knocked flying. Others split the arrows cleanly. But no matter how refined the blade technique, the relentless rain of bolts couldn't be fully blocked.
Some bolts pierced their armor. The armor glowed black with protective force, but the armor-piercing bolts weren't for show. Bit by bit, they penetrated the glow, then the armor itself, finally embedding in flesh. While a single bolt might not be fatal, multiple hits—three, four, ten—especially those that struck vital points like the throat, brought only death.
Each bolt, once embedded, continued to wreak havoc with shredding force.
The front lines saw rows of Scorpion warriors fall like wheat under a scythe, their lives reaped in an instant.
But the Scorpions showed no fear.
Instead, they grabbed the fallen bodies, using them as flesh shields, charging forward with grim resolve. The arrows struck the corpses instead, rendering them useless.
Their speed, too, was tremendous. The short distance between armies left no time for switching arrow types or tactics.
Yet Yang Ye was ready.
He'd seen this trick before and had already planned a counter.
"Archers, prepare—Flame Arrows! Fire at will, straight ahead!"Wang Dahu gave the order at once.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The white bone warbows were drawn back. On each string sat a blazing Flame Arrow, glowing red with runic light.
Arcs of fire streaked through the air, embedding into the corpses.
Boom!
The Flame Arrows exploded into blazes, turning corpses into burning pyres. The Scorpion warriors were forced to drop their meat shields, exposing themselves once more to the relentless rain of bolts.
Another wave of Scorpions was slain.
Ten thousand Divine Machine Crossbows unleashed at once. The number of bolts was overwhelming—like a death storm.
Tens of thousands of Scorpions were shot down, their bodies littering the field.
"Kill!!"
Despite their devastating losses, the Scorpion army finally reached the human lines. With cold fury, massive black blades rose and crashed down onto the shield wall. Each swing was filled with true qi, the force enough to split mountains.
Clang!
Boom!
Their blades struck the shields, which flared with golden light, forming a golden shield wall. The collision rang like a bell. Sparks flew. But the wall stood firm—immovable as a mountain.
Pffft! Pffft! Pffft!
Suddenly, from the shield wall, ghastly white bone spears thrust forward like venomous snakes. The spears struck the front-line Scorpions with terrifying accuracy. Cries of pain echoed as blood sprayed.
Many Scorpions fell once again.
But their comrades pressed forward without hesitation, raising their blades for another strike. This time, they were prepared for the spear thrusts, avoiding them more effectively.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The massive blades rained down on the shield wall again and again.
The golden glow began to flicker, growing dimmer with each strike.
Meanwhile, the Divine Machine Battalion kept firing, shooting down more Scorpions. The battlefield was a scene of cold, ruthless slaughter. The shield wall stood like a chasm of death, littered with corpses and flowing with blood.
Boom!!
At last, one more furious strike—
The golden shield wall shattered completely.