World-Ending Demon Emperor
Chapter 879: April 15: A Huge Defeat! Betrayal of Turing Duo!

Chapter 879: April 15: A Huge Defeat! Betrayal of Turing Duo!

Zhi Li had just begun to flee when he was spotted by Duke Turing Tuo in an instant.

At that moment, he truly felt an urge to kill Zhi Li!

Indeed, the battle had taken an unfavorable turn, but up to now, only about a hundred thousand had been lost, with over two hundred thousand still standing—still double the number of Suo Lun’s forces, right?

Though victory was unlikely, they could still retreat, preserving as much of their army as possible.

Even a thought emerged.

Killing Zhi Li or capturing him alive to present to Suo Lun would certainly be a grand gesture of allegiance.

However, this thought was just that—an idle thought he didn’t dare put into action.

There were too many experts surrounding Zhi Li; he might fail to capture Zhi Li and lose his own life instead.

So, Duke Turing Tuo could only watch helplessly as Zhi Li fled.

"Father, let’s withdraw our forces, please withdraw!" Turing Chen by his side said, "If we cause a major rout, the losses will be too much. The Dragon Guard Army is the lifeline of our Turing Clan."

But it was already too late!

Zhi Li’s escape was too disruptive; he took more than ten thousand people with him, and it was quickly noticed.

"Zhi Li is fleeing, the young lord is fleeing..."

Someone immediately shouted it out.

Soon, many senior civil officials and high-ranking officers, along with a dozen lords, hurriedly fled with their trusted guards.

One after another, they rushed to escape in a panic.

Duke Turing Tuo temporarily did not run because he truly wanted to stay and reorganize the army, to bring as many troops back as possible.

But the impact of Zhi Li and the lords’ escape was just too great.

Originally, the remaining army was showing only signs of collapse, but now the escape of Zhi Li and others ignited the keg, causing an instantaneous and massive collapse.

"Run..."

"The shameless Zhi Li, the shameless lords..."

All soldiers clearly remembered that before the battle began, Zhi Li had raised a blood-written banner declaring a fight to the death with death for those who retreated.

Moreover, Zhi Li had boldly declared that there was only advance without retreat in this battle, and once everyone charged, it would be his turn, Zhi Li, to fight and not take a single step back.

Yet after just a few hours of battle, with brothers sustaining a huge casualty toll of over a hundred thousand but with over two hundred thousand still remaining, Zhi Li fled, just like that! Did such a man deserve to be the king?

At once, the remaining two hundred thousand troops frantically fled.

The rout of two hundred thousand fleeing soldiers was unstoppable! Anything that stood in their way was shredded to pieces with brutal force.

Duke Turing Tuo’s eyes bulged with rage, nearly spitting blood.

Then, he raised a large banner and, with a few dozen samurai protecting him, desperately screamed, "Follow me if you want to escape, follow me..."

Fleeing soldiers are a complex lot.

Some trusted no one now and just ran wildly, not feeling safe until they had left the battlefield far behind.

Others, like herds of sheep blindly following, would instinctively rally around any banner they saw at such times.

...

Suo Lun stood atop the high city wall!

The so-called "an army’s collapse is like a mountain crumbling" must look like this! There were crazed fleeing soldiers everywhere, scrambling like ants.

Originally, Zhi Li’s Forces showed only some signs of breaking, and at this point, a little suppression by Zhi Li and Duke Turing Tuo, or personal inspiration from them on the battlefield, could have completely resolved the situation.

If Zhi Li and Duke Turing Tuo, both commanding generals, with all the experts at the helm, had charged ahead of the soldiers, then the remaining over two hundred thousand troops would not only have avoided collapse but would have surged in morale, continuing their fearless assault on the Fenglei Fort Defense Line.

At that point, Zhi Li might even have seen a glimmer of victory.

But unexpectedly, Zhi Li, upon discerning the first signs of collapse, immediately abandoned his troops and fled.

As a result, the collapse of over two hundred thousand soldiers was complete and instantaneous—utter defeat!

Truly a single incompetent general can cause the death of thousands!

Zhi Li was great at political maneuvers and acting, but in military affairs, he was decidedly lacking.

Putting aside whether Suo Lun was a military genius, at least he wouldn’t drag down his army; at least, he would lead his troops from the front.

Just now, faced with an assault by a hundred and twenty Dragon Guard samurai from Zhi Li Sect, Suo Lun also fought on the front lines. Although he appeared somewhat disheveled, constantly shielded by a woman, and by the time his spiritual power was exhausted, even being carried on Zhuang Zhixuan’s back.

But it was evident that these Rock Thief Warriors greatly respected this pretty-faced ruler. Though his martial skills might not have been exceptional, at least he wasn’t afraid to die.

Watching the tens of thousands flee in a rout across the battlefield, the spectacle seemed even more magnificent and terrifying than when four hundred thousand troops were laying siege.

Next, Suo Lun suddenly thought that Zhi Li’s escape, sensing that the tide turned, was not due to incompetence, but rather because he was cunning enough.

Because Zhi Li’s suspicion of Turing Tuo had reached an insurmountable level, he definitely would not wait until a total rout to escape. By then, he might not have been able to escape at all and would have been captured by Duke Turing Tuo to be presented to Suo Lun.

While observing the fleeing lords, Suo Lun saw Duke Turing Tuo erecting a banner, desperately trying to gather the fleeing soldiers.

"Suo Lun, brother, should we lead our army out and capture the entire Turing Clan?" Tuli Yang stepped forward and asked.

Suo Lun shook his head. Once out of Wind Thunder Fortress, Suo Lun’s forces would be very vulnerable, unable to stand against these fleeing soldiers.

The two thousand cavalry from Rouran City were incredibly brave, but the battlefield was laid with hundreds of meters of boulder obstacles, making it impossible for the cavalry to charge.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.