The Human Emperor

Using the Behemoth bodies to slow down the other Behemoths was only a delaying tactic that did not actually deal with the Behemoth Army, but it had a significant effect in lessening the immense pressure on the Tang front line.Creee!As a fierce battle played out on the ground, the sky darkened as the Great Tang’s and Arabia’s tens of thousands of birds began to battle in the air. These well-trained and aggressive birds attacked with their claws, beaks, and wings, beating, tearing, and ramming…Feathers showered down from the sky as plaintive screeches rang out. Hunting falcons, giant birds, rock eagles, golden falcons, and gyrfalcons plunged from the sky in a gruesome rain.This aerial battle started off at an incredible level of intensity.Upon seeing this, the distant Khatabah could not help but raise an eyebrow in surprise.But only for a moment.Even though Arabia had sent all of its forces, there was no question that it was facing an unprecedented resistance on this foreign battlefield. The Arabs were suffering losses at a greater rate than in any other battle. However, regardless of how gruesome and brutal the battle was, as long as they could win, this sacrifice was worth it.“Pass on my order! Redouble the offensive!” Khatabah firmly ordered, a cold gleam in his eyes.Rumble!Upon hearing Khatabah’s order, the Arab cavalry seethed with even greater killing intent.Slaughter could sometimes make an opponent fearful, but in certain situations, before the battle was over, it would only increase enemy morale and make them even more willing to fight.Three!Two!One!Boom! Finally, the Arab cavalry slammed into the Tang defense line, both armies finally clashing.Roooar!The Behemoths raised their heads and howled as if they had been infected by the rising morale, and they shifted their bodies toward the defense line. Behind them, the Arab cavalry continued to sweep forward, charging along the gap created by the Behemoths.“Hold!”“Don’t let them charge in!”“Concentrate the formation! Hold!”The rallying cries of the Tang officers could be heard all across the battlefield.Despite their training and mental preparation, the Tang soldiers, particularly those at the front line, still felt an immense pressure from the onslaught of Arab cavalry.A Tang soldier’s muscles tensed and his face went red from exertion. Veins popped out from his forehead and arms.Swish! A saber swept past the edge of his shield and cut into a chink in his armor. Blood immediately gushed out, painting his armor red, but the Tang soldier only showed a flicker of pain on his face before clenching his teeth and continuing to hold.Even when he finally fell, he had not retreated even half a step.“Release!”On the left flank of the battlefield, Su Hanshan ordered his ballistae to fire in volleys. Plush! Plush! Vast swaths of the Arab cavalry were cut down.Su Hanshan’s training had made his ballista soldiers extremely efficient, all of them working in unison with each other like a finely-tuned machine. No matter how intense the battle on the front line was, they continued to load, aim, and fire with peak efficiency.The Great Tang might not have had Behemoths, giant birds, or flammable oil, but their efficient ballistae were even more lethal than the Behemoths.At the front of the steel defense line, tens of thousands of bodies were piling up, rivers of blood forming a terrifying and hellish battlefield, but none of this could stop the Arab cavalry from continuing to charge into the fray.Su Hanshan’s ballista army had already killed at least one hundred thousand Arab cavalry, but this was a meager loss for the two-million-strong Arab army.“Hmph! Time for us to move out!”In the back of the army, a stalwart figure with ambitious eyes had been watching the battle. Now, Saleh firmly swung his arm down and led his horse forward.“Pass on my order! God’s Ordained, prepare to attack! Follow me and wipe out these eastern infidels! Let us prepare a grand tribute for the Hierophant and His Majesty the Caliph!”Saleh’s voice was brimming with savagery and a lust for slaughter.Bang!An immense energy instantly erupted from Saleh’s body, shooting toward the heavens.With this energy, Saleh had already surpassed the vast majority of peak Saint Martial experts. Even some renowned Great Generals could not compare to him.The Blood Lion of Arabia!This was another one of Saleh’s infamous titles in the empire. On the battlefield, Saleh was like an enraged lion. It was a title Saleh had created on a foundation of blood and bones. There were many times when he attacked all by himself and ended up destroying an empire.Moreover, Saleh had another particular habit. Amongst all of Arabia’s Governors and Deputy Governors, he delighted the most in slaughtering entire cities. When he encountered strong resistance, he was certain to turn that city into a blood offering!Following Saleh’s order, streams of energy that seemed to be drawn from mountains of corpses and seas of blood began to gather around him. Clang! A golden-armored rider, the golden light around him tinged with blood, slowly trotted out of the army and stood behind Saleh.This Arab rider was moving very slowly, but his every action seemed to carry the weight of ten thousand jun. In his hand was a golden spear, its slender form bursting with savage and explosive power that seemed capable of punching a hole through the heavens.The most unique trait was the golden mask on his face. It was noble, cold, and aloof, like the face of a god looking down upon mortals.God’s Ordained Cavalry!This was Khatabah’s most elite cavalry force, the strongest of his armies during his years of conquest. It was even rumored that they were not mortal soldiers, but soldiers of the divine army sent by God to assist Khatabah.In Arabia, no other army could compare to the terrifying legends of this army, not even the Mamelukes.Everyone knew that the now-deceased Arab War God Qutaybah’s Revelation Army had been an attempt to imitate Khatabah’s God’s Ordained Cavalry!In just a few short moments, a large army of God’s Ordained Cavalry had gathered behind Saleh. Unlike the Revelation Army, Saleh had twenty thousand God’s Ordained Cavalry under his command, representing the strongest force in the empire.In normal circumstances, this army would only move out near the end of the battle, at the most pivotal moment. But Saleh had no patience for this. Since they needed to exterminate the enemy, it was best to do it as quickly as possible, with overwhelming force. Only the strongest of power could strike fear into the enemy’s hearts, making it so that they would not dare to resist the rule of Arabia in the conquest of the eastern world.As these twenty thousand God’s Ordained Cavalry gathered together, their energies fused into a single whole, and they became like an erupting volcano, brimming with extreme danger.Buzz!As the God’s Ordained Cavalry gathered together, Wang Chong, Wang Zhongsi, Li Siye, and the others instantly noticed the shift in the air.“It’s the God’s Ordained Cavalry!”An Sishun’s heart turned heavy as he spoke.While the region he presided over did not have many interactions with Arabia, each of the leaders had received an intelligence report about Arabia before the battle. The report on the God’s Ordained Cavalry had been extremely detailed, so he recognized them at a glance.“Be careful! The Arabs are about to begin a focused offensive!”“So strong! Ordinary soldiers can’t stop them!”Crown Prince’s Junior Guardian Wang Zhongsi squinted as he spoke. Though he had been retired for many years, he had still almost instantly recognized the threat posed by the God’s Ordained Cavalry.In the distance, Saleh flourished his scimitar and gave the order to attack.“Everyone, follow me! Charge!”Boom!The horses neighed in unison, and Blood Lion Saleh set off with his twenty thousand God’s Ordained Cavalry, rushing forward like a tsunami.Behind them were numerous Governors and Deputy Governors, all of them seething with killing intent.The Blood Lion’s terrifying power was recognized throughout the western world. There was no doubt that his God’s Ordained Cavalry could pierce through the Tang defense line, and together with the Governors and Deputy Governors behind, victory was certain!In the future conquest of the east, they were certain that they could leave behind their own deep marks in the annals of history, becoming heroes of Arabia.Rumble! Saleh’s twenty thousand God’s Ordained Cavalry charged forward, the noise of their approach even drowning out the other sounds of fighting on the battlefield.Even the Arab cavalry at the front line paled upon sensing this enormous momentum, and they swiftly retreated to the sides.The Tang soldiers at the front line also grimaced at this sight.

“From their energy, these cavalry are clearly stronger than the others. This isn’t something our soldiers can hold out against. General Li, it’s your turn!” Wang Chong calmly said.

Around seven or eight steps behind, whoosh, a large banner unfurled. Atop this banner were nine dragons so vivid that it seemed like they were about to burst out of the canvas. Boom! The banner was thrust into the ground. Even though the banner was somewhat tattered from the tribulations of battle, its aura was still unfathomably vast. Not even time had been able to grind it down.