Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors
Chapter 212 - 187: Trial Cleared!_2

Chapter 212: Chapter 187: Trial Cleared!_2

The Great Sheng Dynasty, no matter what troops they used to meet the enemy, had only one possible outcome: they would be ruthlessly run over by the iron cavalry and scattered upon impact!

But they had not anticipated that what awaited them was not just any infantry or cavalry but the first-ever military branch created by the Great Sheng Dynasty.

The Divine Machine Regiment!

Musket guns, artillery, countless dark gun and cannon muzzles were all aimed at the unstoppable heavy cavalry of the Northern Barbarians charging down from the high ground.

"Bang!"

"Boom!"

Guns and cannons roared together, shaking heaven and earth!

The commander of the Divine Machine Regiment didn’t order an immediate attack; instead, he waited until the heavy cavalry was about to enter musket range, at the critical moment, then commanded a simultaneous volley.

The tremendous noise completely drowned out the sound of the Northern Barbarians’ horses’ hooves. Bullets and cannonballs, accompanied by the spreading gun smoke, poured into the heavy cavalry’s ranks. The armors that were highly effective against cold weapons were as fragile as paper before the gunfire. Both soldiers and horses were ripped apart and flew in all directions!

Steel beasts, nearly half a ton in weight, collapsed thunderously, their blood staining the dried grass of the Desert North red.

The surviving cavalry tried to pull their legs out from under their fallen warhorses, but were quickly trampled by their comrades behind them who couldn’t dodge in time.

Then, a new wave of cavalry who charged up were reaped by another round of gunfire.

Soldiers of the Sheng Army’s Divine Machine Regiment were arranged in three rows: the frontline was responsible for shooting, the rear for loading, and those in the middle for passing muskets. In addition, there were various other auxiliary troops that coordinated with each other.

"Retreat!"

After leaving behind over a thousand corpses, these once unconquerable Northern Barbarian heavy cavalry finally realized something was wrong and hastily retreated.

They wanted to return to the top of the mountain to reorganize their formation.

Zhao Haiping also knew the moment of opportunity had arrived!

Although the Sheng Army’s firearms were powerful, they couldn’t always count on the Northern Barbarian cavalry foolishly charging head-on.

After suffering this setback, the barbarian cavalry would surely be more cautious next time, and it was uncertain whether the Divine Machine Regiment could achieve the same results.

To inflict a heavy blow on the enemy army, in the end, it still relied on cavalry.

Because in this era, only the cavalry had high mobility and the capability to scatter the enemy formation, a battle that could decide the ultimate fate.

With that in mind, he immediately issued an order.

The cavalry of the Sheng Army on both flanks began charging towards the Wulan Tula Mountain ahead!

For the Sheng Army, this was the only chance. After all, the Northern Barbarian cavalry had just retreated disorganized from their central charge, and there would inevitably be some chaos as they tried to return to the mountaintop.

Seizing this opportunity to attack the enemy’s flanks, if they could break through and seize some of the mountaintops for the high ground, the battlefield situation might be reversed.

But clearly, the Barbarian cavalry was no incompetent foe.

From atop the flanks’ mountains, a rain of arrows shot out, with armor-piercing heavy arrows blotting out the sky. With the advantage of high ground, they made the Sheng Army’s uphill battle incredibly difficult.

Soon, the Northern Barbarian cavalry on both sides galloped down, clashing with the Sheng Army!

Although the vanguard of the Sheng Army suffered heavy casualties, under the personal command of Emperor Taizu of Sheng, they naturally would not collapse on contact but rather fought to the death, resulting in a deadlock.

The opposing heavy cavalry crashed into each other ferociously. Many soldiers were knocked off their horses, but as long as they could get up after falling, they immediately drew their sabers or scimitars to engage the enemy in close combat.

The fights on the flanks quickly became intense.

"Maintain formation, push forward!"

With an order from Zhao Haiping, the central battle formation also began to move forward.

Under the threat of the Divine Machine Regiment, the Northern Barbarian heavy cavalry did not dare to charge the center rashly. The warhorses treaded the slope impatiently, pawing the ground, yet still maintaining a very strict formation.

At the highest point, the Northern Barbarian chieftain Mahari and his many princes and close relatives overlooked the troops of the Great Sheng Dynasty.

Unfortunately, the distance between the two sides was still great, and because of the low to high angle, the range of the Divine Machine Regiment’s guns and cannons was severely limited.

As the battle on the flanks became increasingly fierce, the central Northern Barbarian heavy cavalry also began to provide support to both sides.

Clearly, at this time, the stalemate in the center could not be resolved. The Sheng Army’s Divine Machine Regiment had already set up its formation, guns and cannons were ready, and after one charge resulting in heavy losses, the Northern Barbarian heavy cavalry did not dare to move again.

But the Sheng Army also couldn’t charge rashly because once they used a heavy cavalry charge, it meant the Divine Machine Regiment’s firearms could no longer provide covering fire; after the melee combat ensued, the muskets and cannons would likely injure their own soldiers.

And once it came down to a cavalry clash, the Northern Barbarians, holding the high ground, would have a greater advantage.

Hence, the key at this moment was the battle on the flanks.

If the Sheng Army won, it would mean they could take one of the mounts with their cavalry, using it as a pivot to launch an attack on the Northern Barbarian main formation.

Conversely, if the Northern Barbarians won, they could take advantage of the situation to wipe out the entire cavalry of the Sheng Army’s flank and then encircle and attack the flank and rear of the Sheng Army.

Zhao Haiping’s hands gripped the reins tightly; every second at this moment was difficult to endure, but he knew that with the situation still unclear, he absolutely could not act rashly.

Combat with cold weapons was like cutting flesh with a blunt knife. Soldiers would clash in waves, with two armies possibly fighting for hours on end, unlike in the age of firearms where machine gun fire could decimate entire units in an instant.

But it was precisely because of this that greater steadiness was required.

As the sun also gradually set in the west, the battle on the flanks finally began to reveal a clear trend.

However, this trend was not exactly good news for the Sheng Army.