Chapter 337 — The Enemy Presses to Within Thirty Li

In the Duck's Tongue region, the other khans and Witch Kings hurriedly pulled up their trousers, only to find no belts anywhere. Suddenly, the toot of war horns sounded from Helan Pass behind them, and the armies of the steppe tribes poured out of Helan Pass like a tide.

Steppe armies excelled chiefly in cavalry, and the first to step forth was the Sheep Corps. The Sheep Corps did not ride goats.

The beasts between the thighs of these barbarian divine-ability practitioners were two-legged savage sheep, hybrids of steppe sheep and wasteland exotic beasts—grass-eaters, but mighty and strong.

These savage sheep had only two legs, and when they ran they sped over the ground like great birds that could not fly. They were tall, too, standing as high as a small tower, and their greatest weapon was the pair of horns, curled into spirals.

Charging, they lowered their heads and rammed forward, plowing a road dozens of zhang long like a harrow, and everything in their path was sent flying. In the air were the steppe's flying cavalry, riding exotic beasts called eagle-vulture wolves—flesh-eating creatures shaped like giant wolves with wings. On the wolves' backs sat the steppe's finest archers and bladesmen: the archers loosing arrows, the bladesmen driving blade pellets.

It was because the steppe forces came and went like the wind that Jingping's armies could gain no advantage over them. The armies of the steppe tribes came charging, their momentum shaking heaven and earth, their numbers far surpassing Jingping's.

Luandi Khan and the others tied their trousers at the waist, knotting them hard. Luandi Khan laughed heartily: "So a petty thief stole our treasures and our clothes—what of it?

To fight bare-chested on the battlefield is what makes true heroes and stout-hearted men!

My lords! We may have had our grudges in the past, fighting over land and cattle for our own tribes, but broad as the steppe is, it has its end, while Jingping is rich and splendid, with women and land in abundance!

Today, on this field, let us slaughter to our hearts' content—break through Qingmen Pass, and Jingping shall be our pasture!

" The many khans of the steppe burned with hot blood, standing bare-chested together and roaring with laughter, their heroic spirit surging to the heavens, sweeping the white clouds from the sky and leaving it clear as washed silk! Their cultivation was by no means weak; not a few were experts of the Heaven-Human and Life-and-Death realms, and several khans had even cultivated to the Divine Bridge realm. Each of them erupted with vital essence, primordial spirits emerging, all manner of god-demon phantoms rising behind them, immensely powerful, as they waited for their tribes' armies to charge in.

When the steppe host arrived, they each employed their own means—some sprinting on foot, some soaring into the air—heading straight for Jingping's fleet. Ban Gongcuo hesitated a moment and did not follow.

He summoned a Witch King and said in a low voice, "Escort me into the pass. " That Witch King answered in assent, while the other Witch Kings charged straight at Jingping's fleet. "Reporting to the general, the enemy has entered the one-hundred-sixty-li range! " cried the flag officer who measured distances, standing high on the mast and gripping the ropes tightly.

Jian Tang's expression did not change. "Continue forward. Call me at eighty li.

" Yuyuan Chuyun's face was calm as well, but at the words "eighty li" his brows lifted slightly.

The flag officer waved his flag, passing the order for the ships to continue forward.

"General, the enemy has reached eighty li!

" the flag officer said again. The flag officer's voice came, flustered: "The enemy is already at forty li! " Yuyuan Chuyun's palms were slick with sweat. He clenched his teeth and rasped, "General Jian truly can endure! To dare wait until thirty li—thirty li, that is within the enemy's attack range. .

. " The flag officer at once waved his flag, ordering the ships; the gun emplacements on every ship immediately drew on the energy of the pill furnaces, gathering force, ready to fire.

Yuyuan Chuyun sighed in admiration: "Teacher Jian is still Teacher Jian. Had I not studied the sword under you back then, Chuyun would never have achieved what he has today.

" More than two hundred tower ships abruptly turned broadside with a creaking and groaning, their enormous hulls seeming to become walls of bronze and iron strung across the sky. In a flash the cannon light shot out, and thousands of pillars of light, thick as rice bowls, appeared in the air!

At the very first exchange, the barbarian kings, khans, and Witch Kings charging in the front ranks were riddled like sieves and fell from the sky! Several of the mighty ones at the Life-and-Death and Divine Bridge realms were startled, and the Duke of Wei, the Grand Commandant, the Champion Huaihua Grand General and others charged out to attack them!

Jian Tang waved his flag, splitting the two hundred-odd tower ships into two fleets: one drifting in the upper air, one below, no more than a hundred zhang apart.

Yuyuan Chuyun commanded the upper fleet, striking at the enemy's flying cavalry; Jian Tang commanded the lower fleet, plowing the ground as it went.

The fleet pushed forward broadside, cannon light hissing out in volleys, and wherever it passed, men and sheep alike were flung headlong! Meanwhile, Shen Mu and the Lame Elder returned to Qingmen Pass, where they found Lizheng and the Jingping Imperial Preceptor sitting leisurely on the gate tower drinking tea, wholly unconcerned by the state of the battle.

"Jian Sansheng can endure, and his attainments in swordsmanship are extraordinary.

A battlefield is like a sword, and he already counts as an expert. " The Jingping Imperial Preceptor poured tea for Lizheng.

Lizheng was still waiting for him to lift the cup to his lips when he suddenly recalled that this was the Jingping Imperial Preceptor, not the pill master, and so had to use his own vital essence to raise the cup.

He took a sip and said, "There is a shadow of your swordsmanship in his sword art—and, oddly enough, a shadow of mine as well.

" The Jingping Imperial Preceptor shook his head. "I never taught him.

" The two turned their heads together to look at Shen Mu, who had just climbed onto the gate tower.

If neither of them had taught Jian Tang swordsmanship, then it could only have been this Great Sect Master Shen.

Then both frowned deeply, for they saw the Great Sect Master Shen holding a strange, glittering golden book in one hand and a pair of underpants in the other. "Shen'er, I threw away what I stole, but you haven't thrown away yours—you're the finest hand under heaven now! " the Lame Elder said, giving a thumbs-up in praise.

Shen Mu shook his head.

"My skills are far below Grandpa Lame's. " "Throw it away, throw it away!

" The Lame Elder pinched his nose. "What's so good about a Venerable's underpants? Throw them away at once! " Shen Mu tossed the underpants off the gate tower, walked over to the two men drinking tea, casually threw the Golden Book Scroll onto the tea table, sniffed the fragrance of the tea, and said with a smile, "I happen to have some fine tea leaves—brought from the Heavens by a Young Master Xu named Xu Shenghua.

I shamelessly begged half a packet off him. " "The Heavens?

" The Jingping Imperial Preceptor and Lizheng's hearts skipped.

Drawing their eyes from the golden book, Lizheng said hurriedly, "You met a visitor from the Heavens? He didn't strike at you? " "No. " Shen Mu said, puzzled, "Xu Shenghua is a very amiable man.

He and I exchanged a blow, and neither of us came out ahead.

Lizheng, he has an Overlord Body too! An Overlord Body, just like me!

" The youth grew agitated.