As dawn broke the next day, ten senior generals led by Feng Hou arrived early at the main tent. The morning sun was soft and gentle, and Xiao Jie and his companions thought they had risen quite early. However, when they reached the tent, they found that Emperors Yan and Huang, as well as the Nine Heavens Goddess, were already there, seemingly having finished the pre-battle briefing. Inside the tent, all the generals looked spirited and full of energy. When Xiao Jie and his three companions entered, a wave of skeptical gazes fell upon them, making Xiao Jie, the focal point, feel rather uncomfortable. This reaction was understandable; from a visual perspective, their height didn’t suggest they were formidable warriors. Even the tallest among them, Dong Yuanzhu, was considered somewhat disabled by ancient standards.
Emperor Yan seemed to notice the generals' expressions and, without needing to explain much, ordered the extreme weapon, Jitian Blade, to be brought out. In front of everyone, Xiao Jie lifted the weapon and performed a set of Xuanmen sword techniques he had recently learned. The generals' expressions changed as they watched. To show off the power of his sword skills, Xiao Jie ended his performance with a demonstration of his sword energy. As he finished, he aimed his sword finger at a weapon rack by the tent’s entrance. A streak of sword energy shot out, piercing through ten bronze swords on the rack and leaving a not-so-aesthetic round hole in each. The sword energy was so powerful that it continued through the swords, creating a hole in the tent's leather wall before dissipating.
The air inside the tent became heavy. These ancient warriors, apart from having seen the magical and fighting abilities of Emperors Yan and Huang, had never witnessed such prowess, especially from someone who appeared to be a young boy. Emperor Huang smiled at the scene and addressed the generals, saying, "Do not judge a person’s strength by their appearance. Remember, anyone who steps onto the battlefield is not to be underestimated. Otherwise, you might pay with your life for this lesson." All the generals lowered their proud heads.
Emperor Huang, as the chief commander, then began to assign battle tasks:
- Feng Hou was appointed as the general with three commanders leading 200,000 troops as the central force, aiming to engage the enemy's main force.
- The Chieftain of the Highland Tribe, along with three commanders and 200,000 troops, would serve as the vanguard. They must annihilate small enemy groups and lure the main force to the central army for a decisive battle.
- Four other commanders were assigned 120,000 troops each as reserves, to act on orders from the rear.
- Two female shamans under the Nine Heavens Goddess were in charge of logistics with 20,000 troops.
- Several elderly chieftains of small tribes were to defend the rear with 50,000 troops.
- Emperor Huang, Tang Xiao Jie, Yue Nannan, and Dong Yuanzhu would lead 5,000 troops to directly confront Chi You.
- Emperor Yan, the Nine Heavens Goddess, and Wang Yong (Master Wang) would lead 5,000 troops to directly confront Kua Fu.
Emperor Yan added that scouts reported Chi You’s army advancing towards them and expected to pass through Zhuolu in three days. This indicated that everything was unfolding as destiny had arranged. The army would march 15 miles daily, reaching the battlefield in two days, allowing a night and half a day for rest, giving them an advantage. It seemed all favorable factors were leaning towards Emperors Yan and Huang.
The total Huang-Yan army numbered 600,000. With 50,000 left to defend the rear and 20,000 for logistics, 530,000 were committed to the battle against Chi You. The resolve for a decisive battle was beyond words.
After the orders were issued, the entire army prepared their meals. They had a quarter-hour to eat before the vanguard moved out, followed by the central army and the reserves, aiming for Zhuolu Plain, 30 miles away.
Two days later, the army reached the designated battlefield. The soldiers dug traps, set up wooden barriers, and made all necessary preparations, with many ambush troops hiding in dense forests. Xiao Jie felt both excited and nervous, facing such a war scene for the first time. Trusting the older generation in times of tension, he glanced towards Master Wang, but they were too far apart to see clearly. Dong Yuanzhu noticed Xiao Jie’s mood and said, “It’s nothing. If we fail to destroy Lu Jifu’er, once it adapts to our world, it will unleash all demons upon us. This scene is better than facing that, right?”
Xiao Jie looked at Dong Yuanzhu’s serious expression and suddenly remembered how he had vomited at the sight of corpses when they first arrived. He wanted to laugh but held it in, replying, “Yes, I know.”
A long night passed. At dawn, a scout hurriedly reported to Emperor Huang, “Chief, Chi You’s 500,000-strong army is less than 20 miles away and will engage our vanguard in about two hours. Please give your orders.”
Emperor Huang frowned slightly, “They’re two hours earlier than expected. No matter, we’re ready. Inform the vanguard to hide and strike fiercely at the enemy’s front when they enter our range, then retreat to the central army.”
“Yes, Chief!” The scout left the tent.
Emperor Huang then told his guard, “Report the situation to Emperor Yan and tell him to meet at the observation point outside the tent.”
The guard complied and left.
Emperor Huang turned to Xiao Jie, “Are you ready? You don’t have to join this battle. You can leave anytime, but if you stay, you must fight alongside me to the end.”
“Are you ready?” This question echoed in Xiao Jie’s ears, having been asked by his mentor before he became a mission bearer, by the old Daoist after he became one, and now by the ancestor of the Chinese people, Emperor Huang.
Xiao Jie looked at Emperor Huang, his eyes burning with determination. “I’m ready!” he replied firmly, feeling Yue Nannan’s gaze upon him.
Emperor Huang said, “Then let’s go to the observation point and prepare for battle.” He stood up and walked out of the tent with his guards, instructing the soldiers to prepare for battle.
Soon, Emperor Yan, the Nine Heavens Goddess, and others arrived at the observation point. Today, Emperors Yan and Huang wore bronze armor, making them look particularly tall and imposing. The Nine Heavens Goddess donned a battle robe imbued with elemental power, truly a heroine among women.
Using his far-sight ability, Xiao Jie reported, “The enemy’s morale is high, and their formation is orderly. However, they are overly arrogant. They have no reserves or logistics teams, only the vanguard and main force. Do they always fight like this?!”
Emperor Yan replied, “Victory has made them arrogant. Today, they will pay in blood!”
“The battle has started, the vanguard has engaged,” Xiaojie reported excitedly. “Our warriors are very brave, and the enemy is strong too. Their weapons seem to be better equipped than ours; our soldiers don’t all have metal gear, but the enemy is fully equipped with bronze weapons. Yet, we still have the upper hand. Damn, it’s so bloody.”
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The rousing report made even the Yan Emperor and the Yellow Emperor feel a rush of adrenaline, eager to join the fray. But the Nine Heavens Goddess, with her characteristic feminine meticulousness, reminded them, “Don’t forget your assigned tasks for today’s decisive battle. Don’t let the heat of the moment cloud your judgment.” Her calmness often earned the Yellow Emperor’s admiration.
The vanguard's battle lasted less than half an hour before Chiyou's front-line troops, having taken a fierce beating, began to retreat in an organized manner, preparing to counterattack. According to pre-battle instructions, the Highland Tribe's leader led his main force in retreat towards the battlefield’s central area. At this moment, the Yellow Emperor ordered the central army to advance. Twenty thousand troops surged forward like a massive wave, causing the ground to tremble and dust to fill the air. The combined sounds of marching feet and neighing warhorses echoed all around. Xiaojie and the others had never witnessed such a spectacle before and were momentarily swept up in the fervor, forgetting their origins and focusing solely on the task of fighting the enemy. Even Master Wang had immersed himself fully in the role of a warrior, his expression as intense as a hunting lion.
In just fifteen minutes, the vanguard had fallen back to their ideal position and quickly formed a battle formation. The twenty thousand vanguard troops and the twenty thousand central troops were about one li apart. The enemy’s approach, accompanied by swirling dust, could be heard across the land. Everyone had one belief in their hearts—decisive battle!
After another fifteen minutes, Chiyou’s army halted two hundred meters from the vanguard. In this era, without widespread use of effective long-range weapons like bows and arrows, a two hundred meter distance was a very reasonable offensive and defensive range, minimizing the enemy's charging time.
“Xiaojie, see if there are any giants among the enemy,” the Yellow Emperor calmly instructed.
“Yes, there are many giants, all over four meters tall, wielding clubs. They’re mixed in with the regular soldiers, so it’s hard to tell exactly how many,” Xiaojie reported, his ability acting like a military telescope.
“Look closely for Chiyou and Kuafu,” the Yan Emperor urged impatiently.
Xiaojie scanned carefully. “I see a very formidable giant, about the same height as Chiyou; it could be Kuafu. He’s carrying two huge bronze axes.” The Yan Emperor and the Nine Heavens Goddess exchanged a look.
The Yan Emperor said, “Our target has appeared. We must act together and not leave any survivors.”
The Nine Heavens Goddess added, “Right, if we both go up against him, we might only end in a draw, but with Master Wang joining us, we’re guaranteed victory. We can’t give the enemy any breathing room.”
Master Wang, hearing this, felt a bit elated. It seems any man enjoys being praised by a beautiful woman.
The Yellow Emperor asked Xiaojie, “Has Chiyou appeared yet?”
Xiaojie replied, “I haven’t seen him yet. I don’t know where he’s hiding.”
The Yellow Emperor glanced at the Yan Emperor. “Chiyou is notoriously cunning. We can’t predict when and where he might appear. Remember to stick to the plan. Even if Chiyou suddenly appears near us, we’ll handle it. Your target is Kuafu. Leave everything else to General Fenghou.”
The Yan Emperor and the others nodded resolutely.
The Nine Heavens Goddess looked at the Yellow Emperor, saying, “Be careful.”
The Yellow Emperor looked at her and replied, “You too.”
“It’s starting. The enemy is charging. Our troops are meeting them head-on,” Xiaojie shouted excitedly.
At this point, everyone could see the unfolding battle clearly. The clash of tens of thousands of soldiers was accompanied by shouts and the sound of weapons colliding, creating an epic symphony of war. In this era of cold weapons, the front lines saw warriors colliding in waves, with vibrant lives turning into corpses in an instant. The front line of the battlefield was a mix of dust and blood, with screams, shouts, and the clash of weapons echoing.
With Xiaojie and the others’ presence hinting at a foretold victory, Yan and Huang’s warriors had never felt such a surge of battle spirit. Within ten minutes of the battle’s start, they had gained the upper hand. Some enemies, after being stabbed in the chest, screamed without even seeing who had struck them, their legs then cut off, leaving them to fall helplessly on the battlefield. This fearless spirit seemed to infect the enemy, prompting their supreme commander, Kuafu, to order the giants mixed within their ranks to charge. In an instant, nearly fifty thousand warriors, all over four meters tall, surged to the front lines. These giants, wielding thick wooden clubs over two and a half meters long, turned the tide of battle as soon as they joined the fray. Though Yan and Huang’s men fought valiantly, the difference in combat power was insurmountable. Where the Huang forces had initially pushed the enemy back twenty meters, the giants’ entry not only reclaimed that ground but pushed the battle line twenty meters into Huang’s territory, creating a forty-meter-wide strip of blood-soaked land several kilometers long.
Hearing the sounds of bones breaking and limbs being torn apart by the giants’ clubs, Xiaojie marveled at the brutality of it all. As the giants fully engaged, the battle line shifted again, despite Yan and Huang’s fearless warriors. Huang’s initial advantage had been lost, the giants’ overwhelming power pushing them back.
At this point, the Nine Heavens Goddess instructed a fellow clan member, “Sound the drums.”
The clan member complied, pulling a horn from her waist and blowing it, producing a sound like the roar of a charging bull. Following this signal, twenty massive war drums were wheeled out from a makeshift camp in the rear, each manned by a team of ten. They skillfully set up the drums and began to beat them rhythmically with bone drumsticks, producing a thunderous sound that seemed to echo across the battlefield, as if the god of thunder himself had arrived.
The enemy’s giants appeared paralyzed with fear, their movements sluggish and expressions pained.
“What’s going on?” Xiaojie wondered aloud.
The Nine Heavens Goddess explained, “It’s said that the giant tribe once helped Nuwa repair the heavens, often getting struck by lightning in the process. They’ve passed down a genetic fear of thunder. These twenty drums are made from dragonhide, and the drumsticks from dragon bones. When struck, they produce a sound that mimics thunder, specifically to counter the giants.”
Xiaojie was awestruck by this revelation. He had encountered so many strange things recently that he was becoming numb to them, but the idea of using dragonhide and dragon bones as battlefield tools was almost too much to take in. He decided not to question where the dragon materials came from, not wanting to be further shocked.
Meanwhile, in the dense forests flanking the plain, Yan and Huang’s hidden soldiers launched a flank attack in response to the drums. The enemy’s giant troops were caught off guard, unable to retaliate effectively, and were trapped in the bloody strip, unable to escape.
In twenty minutes, nearly half of the five thousand giants were dead or wounded. Within the first hour of the battle, Chiyou’s army had suffered tremendous losses. Their supreme commander, Kuafu, could no longer maintain his composure. Perhaps due to the heavy losses among his direct subordinates, the giant warriors, he raised his twin axes and roared, “Full charge! Kill them all, leave no one alive!” With that, he personally led the charge to the front lines.
This irrational move triggered the full-scale battle earlier than expected. Fifty thousand soldiers surged towards Yan and Huang’s forces.
The Yan Emperor and the Yellow Emperor exchanged glances. The Yan Emperor said to General Fenghou, “It’s up to you now, our great general.”
Fenghou nodded firmly. “Decades of humiliation will be washed away today.”
With Fenghou’s command, Yan and Huang’s troops charged towards the central battlefield, even the reserves flanking the enemy forces. The clash of iron and blood, courage and willpower, began in earnest.
The battle lasted from early morning until noon the next day. With nearly a million soldiers involved, even if one side stood still, it would take time to cut them all down. Over a day and a night, Chiyou himself had yet to appear, so Yan and Huang’s forces had not dared to join the fray directly. Though Kuafu had led the charge, he had stopped short of the front lines to observe the battle. Now, sensing an unprecedented unease, Kuafu felt the situation was slipping beyond recovery. Despite their initial advantage, Chiyou’s troops were exhausted from their forced march to the battlefield, while Yan and Huang’s forces were well-rested and prepared. The traps and obstacles had taken a heavy toll on Chiyou’s advancing soldiers. Kuafu, unable to bear it any longer, cried out, “Lord Chiyou, if you don’t intervene now, the battle will be lost!”
In response, thick black smoke billowed from the battlefield’s center, dispersing to reveal Chiyou floating in midair. He had hidden among his troops, waiting to see what tricks