World-Ending Demon Emperor
Chapter 320 - 182: Defeat was like a collapsing mountain, the last day of Zhi Ning Allied Forces!_3

Chapter 320: 182: Defeat was like a collapsing mountain, the last day of Zhi Ning Allied Forces!_3

Nurdan exclaimed excitedly, "After the annihilation of Yan Yan’s main force, those mere few thousand men under Suo Lun won’t achieve anything significant. Defeat has become inevitable."

The faces of the group of four were lit up with excited smiles, with victory right in front of their eyes.

...

"General, let’s retreat," Tu An said. "I’ll cover our rear."

Yan Yan shook his head and said, "No, retreating now would mean all our efforts were in vain. Besides, once we lose momentum, the enemy will seize the opportunity to chase and slaughter us, and our defeat will be as swift as a landslide."

Tu An said, "But we can’t organize a new offensive. All the shield-bearing samurai are dead. With just a slight push, our army will collapse."

A violent twitch ran through the corner of Yan Yan’s eye again.

The mercenaries he led indeed lacked experience in siege warfare. A true siege was far more gruesome and terrifying than one could imagine.

No wonder it’s said that siege warfare requires at least double or triple the military strength simply because it relies on piling up corpses.

And Yan Yan’s forces numbered only fifteen thousand, even fewer than the nineteen thousand at Tianlang Pass.

Now with five thousand dead or wounded, it was clear this meat grinder had only reached its halfway point. To capture Tianlang Pass, at least another twenty thousand men would be necessary, with several thousand more dead.

But he no longer had any assault samurai at his command.

"If we don’t succeed, then let us die with honor!" Yan Yan declared resolutely, "Retreating now, we are sure to fail."

Tu An said, "But we have no assault samurai left, no shield-bearing samurai left."

Yan Yan grabbed a huge shield nearby and bellowed, "All centurions, chiliarchs, and all mid-tier and high-tier samurai, step forward!"

Suddenly, nearly a hundred men stepped out from the army formation; these were all the Silver Wolf Legion’s officers, the mid-tier and high-tier samurai.

"All strongmen, take up the remaining siege ladders," Yan Yan then ordered.

Immediately, the remaining strongmen carrying dozens of siege ladders stepped forward.

This was Yan Yan’s Army’s last siege force.

Yan Yan roared loudly, "This is our last strength. I, along with all the officers of the Silver Wolf Legion, will lead the charge! Today, if we do not succeed, then let us die with honor! Charge forth and capture Tianlang Pass!"

Seeing the general and all the mid-tier and high-tier officers leading the charge, the soldiers’ low morale immediately surged.

All the soldiers’ blood boiled once more.

"Kill..."

Yan Yan led hundreds of mid-tier and high-tier samurai, several hundred strongmen, and a few thousand elite infantrymen in one final charge.

...

Inside Tianlang Pass, there was a sudden shock; no one expected Yan Yan to be so determined.

"Hold them back, hold them back..."

"Shoot arrows, shoot arrows..."

"Drop stones, roll down logs..."

"Pour oil, pour oil..."

The last beats of the war drums sounded once more.

Yan Yan and a hundred mid-tier and high-tier samurai, wielding large shields, protecting the soldiers below, climbed the siege ladders against the avalanche of boulders, the barrage of arrows, and the scorching oil, desperately ascending.

This was the last offensive force.

With a ferocious roar, Yan Yan dashed up the siege ladder as if flying.

"Whistling through the air..."

A few minutes later, he charged directly onto Tianlang Pass, unsheathing his great sword.

For the first time, Yan Yan’s Army breached the city walls, even though it was he alone.

With a swift stroke of his sword,

suddenly, a dozen Black Cloth Army soldiers in front of him were cut in half at the waist.

Because of Yan Yan’s breakthrough, a gap appeared in the wall’s defenses. The rest of the Silver Wolf Legion surged up like a tide behind him.

"Block them, block them, kill Yan Yan!"

Instantly, countless experts from the Zhi Ning Allied Forces desperately surged towards Yan Yan.

Three Dragon Shooters fired arrows frantically.

Yan Yan was fighting ten to one, a hundred to one!

The greatsword and giant shield in his hands had become his weapons. Like a war machine, wherever he went, bodies were shattered to pieces, while the dragon force within him was rapidly depleting.

The second to climb the city wall was Tu An.

Then the third, the fourth, the fifth...

More and more intermediate and high-ranking samurai overwhelmed the ramparts, followed by increasingly larger numbers of the Silver Wolf Legion.

Several hundred, a thousand, two thousand, three thousand of the Silver Wolf Legion swarmed over Tianlang Pass.

Untold numbers died, but the Silver Wolf Legion finally stormed the city wall and engaged the enemy in close combat.

"Block them, block them... Drive them back down..."

At the nearby castle, Zhi Ning, witnessing all this, was suddenly filled with dread.

"Press forward, everyone press forward."

Immediately, over ten thousand of the allied troops swarmed up.

The two armies engaged in a frenzied slaughter atop the several hundred meters of city walls.

Meanwhile, suddenly a great dust cloud rose behind Tianlang Pass.

Shortly thereafter, Suo Lun appeared, leading two thousand cavalry into view.

Zhi Ning turned pale and exclaimed, "Wasn’t Suo Lun supposed to arrive at night? How has he come so quickly?"

...

Why had Suo Lun arrived so fast? Of course, it was because he had left three thousand infantry behind, leading two thousand cavalry without sparing the horses, racing desperately, and thus arrived at Tianlang Pass half a day early.

Looking up into the distance and seeing Tianlang Pass embroiled in battle with the sky full of murderous aura.

Suo Lun drew his greatsword and roared, "We have not arrived late, our comrades are fighting a bloody battle. Charge, and reap your Gold Coins."

At that moment, Yan Nai’er gently leapt up and mounted the Lion-Tiger Beast, sitting in front of Suo Lun.

"Kill!"

Suo Lun led the charge, with the two thousand cavalry behind him brandishing their greatswords and sweeping towards Tianlang Pass.

Defending the rear of Tianlang Pass were the renegade lords under Nurdan, numbering four to five thousand men.

But...

Despite the presence of caltrops and fences, the Lion-Tiger Beast leaped fiercely, and Yan Nai’er’s greatsword slashed down crazily.

Instantly, a row of wooden barriers collapsed.

Then, the Lion-Tiger Beast, carrying Suo Lun and Yan Nai’er, turned into a killing machine, plowing straight through.

"Swoosh swoosh swoosh..."

Blood splattered everywhere, heads flew chaotically.

Through this breach, two thousand cavalry poured in.

The four thousand strong formation of renegade lords in the front only managed to hold for five minutes, suffering fewer than two hundred casualties before it completely collapsed. With cries and howls, they turned and fled.

Second-rate troops were indeed second-rate troops.

Suo Lun, leading the two thousand cavalry, was like a sharp sword, fiercely piercing the back of Tianlang Pass.

Atop the castle, Commandery Princess Zhi Ning watched this scene, and her heart suddenly clenched with pain.

She had been one step away from victory, but now, it was completely over.

The doomsday for Tianlang Pass’s army had officially arrived!

The doomsday for the Zhi Ning Allied Forces, was upon them!

...

Note: The second update is here; today, as usual, a nearly ten-thousand-word update. Seeking support, thank you everyone!