Rise of The Demon General

Chapter 591: Chapter 591. Forced Retreat

When Zee Min tried to push forward, intense heat assailed her. A giant, red-feathered bird materialized nearby, startling her as a wave of intense fire washed over her. Her mechanical armor generated a thin shield that protected her from being cooked, but the heat was still severe. It forced her to move away.

The giant red bird that spewed fire was Amon’s tamed beast. The Sun Hawk had completed its evolution and had now turned into the Great Sun Hawk. It was now a lower mythical beast. It was larger and no longer needed to rest in between utilizing the fire elements. Its body constantly exuded fire. It was as if it had flames for feathers.

After evolving, its control over fire elements was even more absurd. Lin Li sat atop the Great Sun Hawk. Fire surrounded her, even beneath her feet. Yet, she felt no discomfort from the heat.

Amon had also recovered from the numbness caused by the electrocution. He performed the body-strengthening meridian points technique and used the Great Virulent Serpent. He charged forward and clashed with Zee Min.

Zee Min was startled. She was about to charge back and teach the Great Sun Hawk a lesson, but Amon confronted her first. Her surprise came from Amon’s strength. Though his aura was at the Intermediate Spirit Stage, he exhibited power at a level far above his cultivation. Zee Min, a Peak Spirit Stage cultivator whose strength was enhanced by her mechanical armor, found Amon’s strength matched hers.

Xuang Feng came over to help using his talismans, but the Great Sun Hawk discharged repeating fireballs from its mouth. Lin Li swiftly jumped around by stepping on the numerous battle puppets swarming the area. She used her claws to attack while jumping.

The battle was hectic since too many combatants crowded around the hole created by the Lightning Calamity.

The hole might have provided an entry point for the Khode Army, but it was not large enough. Khode’s troops were forced to enter in groups. With Echos’ army defending the entry point, it was no different from the Khode Army being trapped in a chokepoint state.

Zee Min and Xuang Feng could still resist the attacks from many directions due to their high cultivation levels. Lang Gu and the twelve mid-tier runic battle puppets also didn’t fare badly, but the others were not that competent. Many Khode battle puppets and soldiers perished not long after crossing through. In short, they remained in trouble. If only Xuang Feng’s Lightning Calamity had managed to destroy the entire town’s barrier, it would be a different situation.

Down there, Echos’ riflemen and Yuanxu Cannons never stopped bombarding the Khode Army crowding outside the wall. Broken bodies of battle puppets and corpses of Khode soldiers continued to pile up.

The only thing in Khode’s favor was that their thirty Yuanxu Cannons were finally within firing range. Unlike Echos’ version, Khode’s Yuanxu Cannons were carried with regular wagons, so they took longer to move. Now that they were in range, they didn’t hesitate to fire.

The bombardment from thirty Yuanxu Cannons shook the town’s barrier greatly. The greatest damage came from the three oversized cannons. These giant Yuanxu Cannons could load and fire three elemental balls simultaneously, making the damage they caused three times that of normal cannons.

The words of power on the town’s defensive wall flashed brightly as they tried to maintain the barrier. It was now a race whether the Khode Army could bring down the barrier before they lost too many troops.

After another ten minutes had passed, those with good perception could estimate which outcome was more likely to pass.

”General...!” Xuang Feng called Zee Min in the middle of the fierce battle.

Xuang Feng didn’t say anything in detail, but his tone carried his intention. Zee Min could see it as well. The rate at which they lost their troops was too fast. She had no choice but to accept the reality. She finally issued the retreat order.

She, Xuang Feng, Lang Gu, and the twelve mid-tier runic battle puppets fought off the opponents while those still alive fled back out via the barrier’s hole. They never got far from that hole, so it didn’t take much effort to flee.

After everyone was out, it was their turn. However, one of the mid-tier runic battle puppets failed to do so because Amon’s ceremonial dagger dug into its back while the Xian Cloth wrapped around it. With a pull, Amon dragged it back.

Zee Min, who saw the scene, wanted to return to free the captured puppet, but Yong Baili and Wu Di blocked her way. With so many enemies blocking the hole they had just escaped from, trying to force her way back to save one battle puppet was folly.

Gritting her teeth, Zee Min resolved to let that battle puppet go. She turned away.

The Khode Army below had also received the order. Multiple horns sounded to warn everyone that it was time to leave. They moved away from Surly Gate Town under the bombardment from Echos’ riflemen and Yuanxu Cannons.

After what felt like a long and excruciating retreat, they finally left the enemy’s firing range. Heaving a relief, they looked back and were shocked to see the strewn of broken puppets and corpses along the field outside Surly Gate Town. They stared at it for a long time. Only after another horn sounded did they wake up from their stupor and walk weakly back to their camp.

*

”How many...?” Zee Min asked weakly. She was slumped in her chair inside the command tent. Xuang Feng and Lang Gu were there with her.

”We don’t have a definite count yet, but the current estimate is around seven thousand soldiers and nine thousand battle puppets,” Lang Gu answered.

A total of sixteen thousand troops, Zee Min thought. That was one-third of their army. To lose that in just a few hours of battle was a tremendous blow. Not to mention, the enemy could be said to suffer almost no casualties. All they did was deplete the energy that powered the defensive barrier.

When Zee Min was still wallowing in depression from the news, Lang Gu added, ”Two thousand out of the nine thousand lost battle puppets were low-tier runic. We also lost one of the twelve mid-tier runic puppets.”

Zee Min saw what happened to that one, so it was not a surprise, but the two thousand was more than half of their low-tier runic puppets. That was another great blow.

Lang Gu was not done. ”During the retreat, the enemy’s Yuanxu Cannons managed to hit two of ours. They were broken beyond repair.”

Xuang Feng also joined in. ”There are many wounded even among the survivors. The battle puppets that returned with us also need a lot of repairs. With the limited equipment of the field facility you brought, it will take quite some time to repair them.”

Zee Min heaved a long sigh. She regretted her decision to attack without fully knowing the enemy’s capability. He should have heeded Xuang Feng’s advice. It was too late now.

The tent was silent for a while before Xuang Feng broke it. ”Despite our loss, we have no time to be depressed. With our condition, there is a chance the enemy might capitalize on it.”

Zee Min looked at Xuang Feng with an inquisitive glance, which made Xuang Feng explain his words.

”With our morale at the bottom, the enemy might see this as a good chance to strike. We need to be prepared for an assault.”

”I... I agree with General Xuang Feng,” Lang Gu uttered. His demeanor toward Xuang Feng had changed. After all, they suffered defeat against the same opponent.

Zee Min nodded.

Upon her silent signal, Lang Gu exited the tent to issue the order for everyone to be vigilant.

There was another long, uncomfortable silence before Xuang Feng broke it again. ”What do you plan to do next, General?”

”What do you suggest?” Zee Min asked in return.

”The enemy we are facing is indeed formidable,” Xuang Feng began. ”They didn’t seem fazed by our tech superiority. On the other hand, they seemed to be able to use our own advanced techs against us...”

”I don’t understand how they achieve that... Echos is not known for its job specialists.”

”My guess is they probably have one or some of our own specialists helping them,” Xuang Feng speculated.

”Do you mean some specialists inside Surly Gate Town help these invaders?” Zee Min asked.

Xuang Feng shook his head. ”There might be those who did, but they were more likely doing it under threat. No, my suspicion is someone from our side is helping them out of their free will. Not only that, but this person might have once been amongst the ranks of our high council. That is the only way to explain why our deactivation code didn’t work.”

”Who can this person or people be?” Zee Min asked sceptically. ”Why would someone who held such an important post in our nation commit this treason?”

Xuang Feng again shook his head. ”This... I don’t know.”