World-Ending Demon Emperor
Chapter 862 - 408: Zhi Li ultimate path! Turing Tuo betrayal!

Chapter 862: 408: Zhi Li ultimate path! Turing Tuo betrayal!

After returning to the magnificent camp, Zhi Li’s strength seemed to disappear completely as he lay on the luxurious bed.

He stared blankly at the opulent tent ceiling!

When he had arrived, he was full of confidence, as mighty as a tiger swallowing thousands of miles. At that time, he was not a king, but he was like one.

Yet, on just the first day of battle, he suffered such a terrible defeat!

"The first day’s toll is 57,000 dead, 4,000 wounded," the chief historian of the Marquis’ Palace read out.

Zhi Li asked, "The first wave of troops attacking the city numbered only 50,000, so why are the total casualties over 60,000?"

The chief historian explained, "We were also puzzled, but later calculations showed that Suo Lun’s giant iron tubes caused over 10,000 casualties at long range."

The so-called giant iron tubes were actually cannons.

Zhi Li was shocked. He remembered that after the annihilation of the first wave of troops, both sides had commenced long-range bombardment.

Suo Lun’s several hundred cannons fired hundreds of iron balls each time. Looking at the details, it was indeed very bloody and fearful; those hit by them had their bones broken, and their bodies scattered.

But, viewed on the scale of the entire battlefield, where a few miles of ground were hit by a few hundred iron balls, it seemed insignificant. Just like a few stones thrown into a pond, how could it result in such massive casualties?

"More than two hours of artillery fire resulted in over 10,000 casualties," said the chief envoy of the Marquis’ Palace. "Our troops were just too densely packed."

Out of an army of 450,000, 60,000 were casualties!

Almost one and a half percent!

There’s a saying that an army loses its combat effectiveness when casualties exceed thirty percent.

This is both true and false!

For example, a troop of a thousand entering a battlefield might lose their ability to fight and scatter directly if they suffer three to four hundred casualties.

But an army of one hundred thousand, with thirty thousand perishing in battle, and the remaining seventy thousand intact in organization and well-commanded, might suffer in morale but still retains their combat effectiveness.

Therefore, Zhi Li’s remaining nearly four hundred thousand troops still had the ability to fight.

However, whether it was morale or the spirit of the people, it could only be described as depressed.

At this moment, the sound of gryphons suddenly filled the air.

"Gah-jee..."

Zhi Li quickly sat up sharply.

Not long ago, he had dispatched Gryphon Knights to both the northern battlefield and Tianlang Pass in the south.

Now, less than two hours had passed, and surely it was the Gryphon Warriors from the northern battlefield who had returned.

A eunuch master entered the tent and knelt toward Zhi Li.

"Speak quickly, how is the situation at the Nu River Battlefield in the north? How many of Earl Chu Ye’s troops have crossed the river?" Zhi Li’s voice was anxious and excited, full of hope.

His emotions were complicated.

Originally, he had intended to personally lead the Central Army to be the first to enter Tianshui City and eliminate the Suo.

Thus, he hoped that Chu Ye in the north and Jian Ze in the south would have the sense not to steal the limelight from him, the crown prince.

But now, with his Central Army thwarted, he placed his hopes on the northern battlefield.

In Zhi Li’s view, the northern battlefield was the easiest to break through. Earl Chu Ye’s forces had previously advanced irresistibly, reclaiming the entirety of Linhai City in just under three days.

And Linhai City was separated from Tianshui City only by the Nu River, with no city walls or defenses, making a breakthrough straightforward.

Not to mention, Suo Lun’s main forces were all at the Fenglei Fort Defense Line and Tianlang Pass, leaving few defenses in the north.

As long as Chu Ye’s forces broke through the Nu River and entered the heartland of Tianshui City, Suo Lun would undoubtedly be doomed!

"Are you deaf?" Zhi Li shouted angrily.

The eunuch warrior said, "Earl Chu Ye did not get a single soldier across the Nu River!"

Instantly, Zhi Li was stunned and roared furiously, "Is he eating shit? His troops were stationed at Nanlin Fort, and they started marching after midnight yesterday. It’s just a few dozen miles; they should have reached the north bank of the Nu River by morning to begin crossing. Why has not a single soldier crossed by evening?"

The eunuch warrior explained, "Earl Chu Ye’s forces reached the north bank of the Nu River last night and established positions, also preparing enough bamboo rafts and logs. This morning, they began to forcefully cross the Nu River! However, they were almost entirely annihilated by Suo Lun’s unexpected strike with new weapons, and the positions on the north bank also suffered severe losses. After a day of fierce fighting, 26,000 casualties were incurred, and they have now retreated to Nanlin Fort to regroup!"

The ringing in Zhi Li’s ears began anew.

It was as if he could hear nothing; the surrounding sounds seemed to come from beyond the clouds.

A major defeat at the center, a major defeat at the left flank!

In just one day, eighty to ninety thousand had fallen!

If even the northern battlefield had suffered such a terrible loss, then there was even less hope for Tianlang Pass in the south!

Jian Ze was the younger brother of Marquis Jianyong and, though supported by Zhi Li as commander of the Southwestern Legion, many officers of the Southwestern Legion were students of Turing Tuo. Jian Ze had yet to take control of the Southwestern Legion.

So, in Zhi Li’s view, the situation at the southern battlefield was certainly very bleak.

An hour and a half later!

The Gryphon Warrior sent to Tianlang Pass reported back!

"Count Jian Ze, leading the right-wing army to attack Tianlang Pass, was defeated on the first day, with 59,000 casualties!"

Hearing this report, Zhi Li felt his head was about to explode!

Please, the Central Army suffered just over 60,000 casualties attacking the Fenglei Fort Defense Line, and you tell me Tianlang Pass had 59,000 casualties?

The Fenglei Fort Defense Line stretches over four miles long! The walls of Tianlang Pass extend at most for one mile!

Is Jian Ze a pig?

To attack a one-mile long pass and incur 59,000 casualties in just one day?