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Chapter 87: Chapter 87: Slaughter
Over three thousand men rushed forward at full speed, kicking up billowing clouds of dust on the earth.
"Hurry, hurry! We must intercept them before Monument Mountain, otherwise once they enter the Lianyun Mountain Range, it will become difficult for the large army to follow, losing our advantage of military formation. Even if we can encircle them, we will surely suffer heavy losses."
Roars of urgency occasionally emanated from the army.
"We’ve just received news that the Ancient Demon and his group left deep tracks, and there seemed to be a reflection of gold when they left the city. Their carts must be loaded with gold and silver treasures. Relay my command, if we can stop the Ancient Demon and his group before Monument Mountain, each man will be rewarded with ten taels of silver."
Command after command was issued, igniting the soldiers’ potential.
Under these circumstances, they actually managed to cross a distance of nearly fifty miles in half a day’s time.
"Monument Mountain is right ahead."
"My lord, the Ancient Demon has already discovered us."
"Sect Leader, the soldiers have expended a great deal of physical strength. Attacking now may affect our combat capability."
Messages gathered in the hands of Su Bieli, Su Fangzheng, Zhang Luu, and others.
Monument Mountain was simply a plain, and even though there was a river on the left, they could still escape to the right.
At worst, Gu Jinlai might even retreat to Lingxiao City.
Once he retreats to Lingxiao City, with six thousand soldiers...
Even if they are new recruits, they could still inflict significant damage on their opponents.
Keep in mind, whether it’s the two thousand elites of the Heavenly Gang Sect or the six hundred Meteor Star Guards, they are all private armies at their disposal, any loss would be painful for them.
Zhang Luu, Su Bieli, and Su Fangzheng exchanged glances.
"A journey of a hundred miles ends with ninety-nine. We absolutely cannot relax at this moment. Have the soldiers and the ready Meteor Star Guards surround and form military formations to prevent the Ancient Demon from escaping. Let’s assemble all masters above the Qi Refining Realm and charge for an assault, a battle that will decide everything."
Su Bieli said emphatically.
Zhang Luu nodded.
Immediately, elite individuals emerged from the ranks of over three thousand men.
Nearly four hundred in Qi Refinement or Gang Condensation, and thirty-six in the Hugging Pill Realm.
Seeing their own side’s formidable lineup, smiles appeared on the faces of Zhang Luu, Su Bieli, and the others.
"With so many masters, how could we fail to annihilate Gu Jinlai’s mere one hundred and thirty-two people?"
"Hahaha, indeed, our manpower is triple theirs. It’s three against one, and with two thousand six hundred elite wolf-like eyes watching from the periphery, this battle has no uncertainty."
"Gentlemen, what are we waiting for? Today, we will act as agents of heaven, exterminate the Devil, and restore the bright and ordered universe of Star State!"
Under the leadership of the three Refining God Immortals Su Bieli, Su Fangzheng, and Zhang Luu, hundreds of masters charged majestically towards Gu Jinlai.
Behind them, the two thousand six hundred elite soldiers also moved swiftly, forming an encircling formation towards Monument Mountain where Gu Jinlai was.
Their defenses, comprised of one hundred and thirty-two people, appeared like a lone boat in a tsunami facing the onslaught of over three thousand individuals from the Heavenly Gang Sect and Meteor Star Guards, as if a single charge from the latter could shatter them to dust.
...
"Oh? The enemy is not only not retreating, but they dare to charge at us?"
Gu Jinlai, situated atop Monument Mountain, calmly observed the scene from a commanding height.
At the same time, he turned his gaze to his rear.
First into view behind him were ten individuals including Gu Chifeng, Gu Luochen, and Gu Qingmei. They were dressed in modified Mystic Steel Armor, towering over two meters tall, with ammo boxes on their backs and Gatling guns branded "Thunder God" in hand, resembling Future Soldiers from another era.
The metal armor on their bodies glinted under the sunlight.
They were responsible for the main offensive.
Following them were twenty Demon Martial Artists clad in Mystic Steel Armor wielding Mystic Steel Heavy Swords, their stature equally robust.
If any enemies slipped through the firepower barrier, they would act as the second line of defense.
Further back were one hundred archers whose bodies were strengthened through Body Refining. They wielded heavy bows.
These hundred men were responsible for picking off any stragglers.
As for Gu Jinlai and Su Nanxing, who always had a low presence at his back, they were the guarantees against the opposing top-tier powerhouses.
"Kill! Annihilate them all!"
"The Sect Leader commands, for every enemy killed, a reward of one thousand Gate Contribution Values!"
Various fierce shouts came from afar.
The charge of several hundred, followed by the pressure of over two thousand six hundred soldiers, raised billowing dust and put considerable pressure on Gu Chifeng and the others.
Some couldn’t help but push the barrels of their guns down slightly.
"They’ve even split into two waves, one in the front and one in the back."
Gu Jinlai, watching the Heavenly Gang Sect and Meteor Star Guard masters approach within one thousand five hundred meters, raised his hand: "Wait a minute, let them get closer before firing."
Upon hearing his command, those who had their fingers on the triggers relaxed slightly.
Below them.
As the charge drew near, Su Bieli, Su Fangzheng, and Zhang Luu, who had developed Divine Thought, faintly sensed something.
They looked up, observing Gu Jinlai and his associates at Monument Mountain ahead.
The clear line of sight on the plain made the mere distance of one thousand five hundred meters no obstacle to their observation.
The enemy looked just as the Black Hawk had probed.
One hundred and thirty-two people.
Gu Jinlai, his chief disciple Su Nanxing, were present.
The rest... shrouded in iron cans, their faces unseen, yet from their fierce aura, it was clear they were all Gu family elites.
Gu family masters...
Indeed, all were gathered here.
There was no place to hide in the empty surroundings of Monument Mountain.
Gu Jinlai and his group had only just arrived nearby and had no time to bury explosives.
Speaking of their only advantage...
It might just be the high ground.
Monument Mountain naturally formed a wall some forty meters high.
But this "wall" was not a perfect right angle, rather a steep slope. Not to mention those above the Qi Refining Realm, even Body Tempering Soldiers could climb it.
It would just take a bit more effort.
Why would such a setup invoke a sense of danger?
"Be cautious of the Ancient Demon throwing down explosive packages made from gunpowder from Monument Mountain."
A wary Su Fangzheng advised.
"Among those I’ve brought, there are not a few adept at shooting. If anyone at his rear attempts to throw explosives, they will be quickly Single Killed by those adept. The few that might slip through... this open space limits the impact of their explosives."
Zhang Luu said.
"Enough, Star Master Zhang. We, after all, have seen many battles and made a name for ourselves. With so many soldiers surrounding us, how could we be intimidated by the Ancient Demon’s mere hundred or so men? If you harbor fear, let me take the lead in the charge."
Su Bieli said with a loud voice.
Having said that, he took the lead, surpassing everyone to take the forefront.
Of course, he saw that behind Gu Jinlai, a hundred people were holding bows and arrows. To avoid being shot by thousands of arrows at once, quite a few disciples followed at his side.
As they charged, the distance between the two sides rapidly closed.
One thousand four hundred meters!
One thousand two hundred meters!
One thousand meters!
...
For a Hugging Pill Master, bursting forth with movement technique would take only ten to twenty seconds to instantly cross such a distance.
Seeing the enemies so close at hand, even Zhang Luu began to doubt whether it was Gu Jinlai’s notorious reputation that caused his nervousness and thus a misperception.
At that moment.
Gu Jinlai, who was standing atop Monument Mountain, spoke.
"This distance is about right."
He glanced at the Heavenly Gang Sect and Meteor Star Guard warriors, who had already advanced within five hundred meters of them, and violently waved his hand.
"Open fire!"
Gu Chifeng, Gu Luochen, Gu Qingmei, and another ten who were waiting for the command, perked up.
Fingers landed on triggers.
"Buzz buzz."
The next moment, ten "Thunder" Gatling Guns positioned high above started to spin their barrels simultaneously.
"Zzzt!"
A series of fiery red particles visible to the naked eye formed a beam and in an instant poured down upon the over four hundred Qi Refining, Gang Condensation, and Hugging Pill Realm experts who were leaping and bounding below.
Almost at the moment Gu Chifeng and the others opened fire, Zhang Luu, Su Fangzheng, and Su Bieli felt an unprecedented sense of crisis erupt violently.
A surging sense of death assailed their spirits, causing their scalps to tingle with numbness.
"Something’s wrong!"
"Be careful!"
"Protective True Qi!"
All three shouted simultaneously.
Alas...
It was too late.
With the firing rate cranked to the max, ten Gatling guns fired off ten lines of visible fire, like lasers, piercing through the leading Qi Refinement, Gang Condensation, and Hugging Pill experts.
Like bullets shooting through a watermelon, in an instant, the bodies of one master after another were ripped to shreds.
The two to nearly three times the speed of sound that the bullets fired from the "Thunder" Gatlings achieved meant they covered the distance of several hundred meters between them in less than a second.
The potential energy within each bullet far exceeded the limits of Protective True Qi that a Qi Refinement, Gang Condensation, or even a Hugging Pill Realm master could resist.
Their Protective True Qi, at best, was equivalent to that of Iron Armor.
Even those with special defensive Cultivation Techniques were merely at the level of steel armor.
But...
Be it Iron Armor or steel armor, as long as the thickness was not up to standard, in front of the bullets fired by the "Thunder" guns, they were like paper-mache.
Shattered at a touch.
"Zzzt!"
The sound of the revolving gun barrels merged into one.
Fierce flames burst from the barrels, creating lines of light.
Where the light went, dust flew, and flesh and blood soared through the air.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
One after another, figures were rapidly penetrated by bullets, turning into mists of blood.
Even those Hugging Pill experts who burst their True Qi in the first moment, bringing their Protective True Qi to the extreme, only needed to be aimed at by that fiery red "laser" for a second to still be penetrated and torn apart, along with their armors.
Among them, more "Thunder" targeted the vanguard Refining God Immortal, Su Bieli.
Light exploded.
"Ah!"
Su Bieli screamed, bursting into rapid flickers and dodges.
Bullets stirred up clouds of dust behind him, with stone chips flying everywhere.
If only one Gatling had aimed at him, perhaps with his sharper telepathy, he could’ve narrowly escaped danger.
But as a Refining God Immortal, he was given special attention—the ones targeting him were as many as three people.
Su Bieli, who dodged frantically for several seconds, finally...
His figure was grazed by a bullet and slightly paused.
A pause, even if it lasted less than a second...
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Hundreds of bullets relentlessly struck his body.
This brave Refining God Immortal who had led the charge had his True Qi violently shaken, and in the next second, it was blown through.
Then...
"No!"
Amid the terrified cries of his disciples at his side, this Supreme Elder of the Heavenly Gang Sect, the formidable Refining God Immortal, exploded into a blood mist, his body shattered to pieces.
"Ding ding dang dang!"
A large number of bullet casings continuously ejected from the side of the guns and fell to the ground with a crisp sound.
Soon, a pile of spent casings gathered around the ten gunmen.
The three who killed the Refining God Immortal Su Bieli were exhilarated but did not pause for a moment, plunging back into the slaughter.
Each sound signified the loss of a life.
Each sound signified the futility of decades of arduous cultivation for someone.
Ten, twenty, thirty, forty...
The number of people charging below Monument Mountain plummeted at a frightful speed.
Qi Refinement? Gang Condensation? Hugging Pill?
At this moment, there was no difference between them.
——————
(It’s gotten so late, I will post the rest tomorrow.)
