Rise of The Demon General

Chapter 597: Chapter 597. Squeezed by the Enemies

The invisible person detected by the talisman master was Amon. His invisibility was due to an invisible talisman.

A standard invisible talisman had a low-tier runic grade, similar to the one used by Gui Xa, the royal assassin who had attempted to assassinate him in the past. A higher grade existed, which allowed the talisman to mask the user’s presence against Spirit Stage cultivators, like the one used by Sima Fang. However, the one Amon used was of a lower grade than theirs. His invisible talisman was of the high-tier engraved grade, which could not hide his presence from a cultivator’s sense. That’s how the Mystic Stage talisman master could detect him.

The talisman was made by Zhong Yuan. Amon tasked him to make an invisible talisman for this operation, but he was unable to do so due to material limitations. However, thanks to his incredible expertise, he successfully created a weaker version using available materials. Amon didn’t mind. As long as it gave him invisibility, it was enough. Additionally, a runic-grade version would require him to spend time training to use it.

As to why the talisman master didn’t detect Amon earlier, it was because Amon used Concealed Ghost Body. His concealment art allowed him to compensate for the talisman’s low grade. He just released his concealment art, allowing the talisman master to detect him.

Now that the need for concealment was over, he removed the invisible talisman on his forehead and became visible again. The talisman turned into dust in his hand.

He released the army of battle puppets stored inside his black space ring. Since he was already inside the dome barrier, the battle puppets were free to wreak havoc. It was Khode soldiers, who had exited the barrier, who could not get back in to help.

Amon instructed the battle puppets to slay the soldiers and leave the Yuanxu Cannons intact. Since there were not many enemies inside the barrier, that task took only a short time. Amon went around, storing those cannons into his black space ring except for one Greater Yuanxu Cannon. He operated that cannon himself, firing it at Khode soldiers.

Once the Yuanxu Cannons were secured, the battle puppets turned on the talisman masters, who were still confused about the entire event. Everything had happened so swiftly and so unexpectedly that they remained in their positions, unsure about what to do. Only when the battle puppets came for them did they abandon the talismans in their hands and start fleeing. The dome barrier collapsed without them.

*

”Target the antennas! That will reduce the range those human puppets can venture away from the mental regulator!” Zee Min ordered her soldiers.

They were thick in the battle on the front line. She planned to push deeper when Lang Gu notified her about the dome barrier collapsing. She looked back and was shocked to see the barrier gone, and a mass of enemy battle puppets was coming at them from their rear. To make matters worse, their Yuanxu Cannons no longer supported them, while the enemies still had theirs.

Sandwiched by the enemies from the front and the rear while suffering constant bombardments by the enemy’s cannons, their ranks fell in droves.

Khode’s soldiers were already in low morale from the start. Their ferocity when charging was driven by their collective anger after seeing the enemy chase them. This anger could not be sustained by their low morale. Once they realized they were in a bad situation, the anger gave way to fear. Once fear set in, they couldn’t fight properly. The mental fatigue from their low morale worsened their condition. Even when their bodies were not tired, they couldn’t exert their full power.

Even Martial Realm soldiers were helpless. Every time they tried to support their comrades by attacking the enemies from the air, they became easy targets for the enemies who used rifles. A barrage of blackstone bullets assailed them. Even the strongest of them found it difficult to advance under those barrages.

Only Khode’s battle puppets could still fight at maximum capacity. They were not affected by morale. However, most of the higher-grade puppets were already destroyed when they tried to breach the wall of Surly Gate Town. Hence, those remaining were mostly lower grades. Without effective support from the soldiers, these puppets also fell in droves.

The battle only started not long ago, but everyone could already see who the winner would be. Zee Min was despondent. In terms of numbers, they didn’t lose. How did they get into such a disadvantageous situation in such a short time?

Even Lang Gu, who was eager to fight the enemies, accepted that they would only end up in defeat if they persisted in fighting. ”General, we must retreat,” he said.

Zee Min flew higher to observe the situation. Even if she wanted to, there was no easy path for retreating. They were squeezed between two forces, forming two long contact lines at the front and the rear. They could only retreat from the sides, but that would mean moving a long way under the enemy’s harassment.

She saw no other choice, so she issued the command. Horns signalling retreat soon sounded in the air. Many Khode’s soldiers, who had already given up, immediately bolted upon hearing the horns. Their already chaotic formation became even messier.

Zee Min tried her best to get her army out of the squeeze, but it was hard to do under the constant bombardments. She shouted at the top of her lungs, calling for everyone to stay in formation as they moved slowly to the edge. She had no choice but to sacrifice their battle puppets to cover their escape.

Many soldiers, who were lucky enough to be positioned on the sides, ran away without looking back. They were like rats fleeing a sinking ship. All their training and discipline were ground away by their low morale.

*

As Khode’s soldiers continued to suffer from Echos’ merciless assault, an unexpected party entered the fray from behind Echos’ force.

Like Khode, Echos also placed several scouts at their rear. Different from Khode, the Echos’ scout delivered his warning while still alive.

”Incoming enemies from the rear!” The scout warned.

Yong Huan, who stayed at the rear to direct the Yuanxu Cannons, heard the warning. He looked back and saw a crowd of people approaching. His Eagle Eyes let him see that these people wore Khode’s military uniforms. He immediately called for soldiers at the front line to return.

Yong Baili, the closest regiment leader to Yong Huan’s position, was the first to receive the call for aid. He immediately split his troops and sent half of them back to aid Yong Huan.

By then, the new enemy had arrived. They were not numerous. They numbered around two thousand, but their ambush had a significant impact.

Yong Huan’s subordinates had to stop firing the Yuanxu Cannons and faced this new enemy. Yong Huan himself was challenged by the leader of the new enemy, who turned out to be Xuang Chao.

”Echos dogs! I will take your heads!” Xuang Chao exclaimed. His severed arm had fully healed. The force he brought here was the remnants of Won Feimao’s soldiers who returned to Weylun Fort. He originally planned to join Zee Min’s army but was surprised to find they had left. His force was too small to retake Surly Gate Town, so he followed Zee Min’s army’s trace. He arrived right when the battle was taking place.

Xuang Chao was a Beginning Spirit Stage cultivator, while Yong Huan was at the Peak Mystic Stage. Yong Huan was not Xuang Chao’s opponent, but he was not alone. Protecting him were two mid-tier runic battle puppets. These were battle puppets built using the scavenged parts of the enemy’s fallen high-grade puppets. Amon placed these puppets here to protect the rear.

Thanks to these battle puppets and the reinforcement sent by Yong Baili, they could defend themselves against Xuang Chao’s ambush. It was not without loss, though. They lost many of the initial soldiers who operated the Yuanxao cannons. They also lost three Yuanxu Cannons. If not for the cannons’ protective plates, they would have lost more.

The biggest effect of Xuang Chao’s ambush was on Zee Min’s army. Without the cannons’ bombardments, the pressure on Khode’s army was greatly alleviated. Yong Baili, by sending half of his troops back, also gave Khode’s soldiers more room to maneuver.

This allowed many Khode Soldiers to escape the maw of death from being squashed by Echos’ two-sided assaults.

The horns of retreat sounded again, urging all Khode Soldiers to escape. Xuang Chao also heard the horn. He was not clear about the situation at the front line. All he knew was that the enemy fought someone, and he saw a chance to ambush the enemy’s rear.

Hearing the horn, he knew he shouldn’t stay for long. Otherwise, he would be surrounded by the enemy once all of them returned. He also ordered his troops to retreat.

After around three hours since the battle started, it came to a stop, with the Khode Soldiers retreating in defeat. They suffered heavy losses, including all their Yuanxu Cannons and supply carts.