Battle

Recently, the demons' attacks had become so frequent that it was hard to adapt. No sooner had one group of demons retreated than another arrived to attack. What had once been one battle a day had become three or four. The Infantry Regiment's casualty rate rose sharply, while the soldiers' exhaustion and pressure continued to mount.

Ang was repeatedly wounded in these frequent battles as well. He insisted on not using qi force, relying solely on his body to fight the demons, which multiplied the pressure on him. Though the weapon and shield in his hands were sturdy, they seemed increasingly inadequate against the ever-stronger demons, unable to effectively suppress them. Yet it was precisely through such intense battles that Ang's physical strength rapidly improved. His strength and stamina recovery speed increased markedly, and every battle tempered both his will and his body.

Ang's daily life had almost become a cycle: fight, get wounded, use qi force to recover, fight again, get wounded again, recover again. Every day passed in this rhythm. At first, Ang felt weary and exhausted by the endless fighting, but gradually, his thoughts became singular and focused. Only one thought remained in his mind: battle.

During a fierce night battle, Ang once again clashed head-on with the demons. Every swing of his sword and every defense carried all his strength. Sweat and blood mixed together, blurring his vision, but he continued fighting without pause. His comrades beside him fell, then rose again. Everyone was using the last of their strength to resist the demons' assault.

The rest periods were brief and precious. Ang sat in a corner of the camp, using qi force to heal his wounds as he felt every injury on his body gradually mend. With every recovery, he could feel his strength increasing. Though his body and mind were exhausted, he knew this war allowed him not the slightest slackness.

As time passed, Ang's combat skills became increasingly refined. He began seeking opportunities in battle, exploiting the demons' weaknesses to counterattack. His figure became more and more conspicuous on the battlefield, turning him into a pillar of support for his companions.

Although the demons' attacks remained fierce, fear no longer existed in Ang's heart. He knew that as long as they persevered, as long as they did not give up, they would one day see the dawn of victory. This cruel war was forging every soldier, and Ang, too, was gradually becoming a true powerhouse through this hellish trial.

That day, only two or three hundred demons had originally come to attack, but their numbers suddenly doubled this time, reaching five or six hundred. The Infantry Regiment urgently mobilized reinforcements and swiftly gathered all its strength for defense. The first battle was exceptionally fierce, and the soldiers had to give everything they had just to drive the demons back. Yet before they could catch their breath, a new threat was already creeping closer.

Just as the demons withdrew from the battlefield, nearly a thousand more suddenly surged forward. Before the soldiers had recovered from the exhaustion of the first battle, the demons' savage assault struck again. Due to physical weakness and mental fatigue, many soldiers could not quickly make a clear judgment of the situation, causing large numbers of them to die amid the chaos.

The brutality of the second battle exceeded everyone's expectations. Although there had only been two battles, the casualties that day far surpassed the total from more than twenty previous rounds of fighting. After the battle ended, the human camp was in ruins, wounded soldiers lay everywhere, and the atmosphere was heavy.

Meredith inspected the battlefield and felt his heart grow heavy at the sight of the exhausted soldiers. He knew that if they did not take effective measures soon, both the soldiers' morale and combat strength would decline drastically.

Soon, the commanders were gathered once more. Meredith looked at everyone and said solemnly, "We're being led around by the nose by the demons. The pace and timing of every battle are decided by them. If this continues, they'll wear us to death before long. We can't remain passive any longer."

He continued, "The cavalry passage has been completed. Now, we take the initiative." Meredith swiftly devised a battle strategy, ordering the Cavalry Regiment to wrap the horses' hooves in sound-dampening gear to ensure the secrecy of their operation.

Night soon fell, and the demons launched another attack, preparing to give the human camp a huge surprise under cover of darkness. This time, however, the humans were fully prepared.

As soon as the battle began, the Infantry Regiment continued fighting on the front lines, but this time they were not alone. Ang and the other soldiers lay concealed behind the defensive line, ready to provide support at any moment. Farther away, the Cavalry Regiment was already waiting silently for the order to attack.

The demons rapidly approached through the darkness, preparing to launch a fierce assault. Meredith observed the enemy's movements and decisively gave the command. "Cavalry Regiment, attack!"

The Cavalry Regiment moved swiftly. With the horses' hooves wrapped in sound-dampening gear, they charged silently toward the enemy's flank. The demons were completely unprepared, and the sudden cavalry charge instantly threw them into disarray. The hoofbeats rumbled low through the night, full of power, while the cavalrymen's spears and swords gleamed coldly beneath the moonlight.

The cavalry's iron hooves effectively suppressed the demons, and the warhorses' powerful impact shattered their formation. The Infantry Regiment swiftly followed up, launching a fierce attack against the enemy ranks disrupted by the cavalry. The sudden assault caught the demons off guard, and the demons in the first wave were quickly wiped out by the combined cavalry and infantry forces.

After the battle ended, the Infantry Regiment immediately concentrated its forces and advanced toward the demons' camp. Before long, they encountered the second wave of demons, and battle was on the verge of breaking out. Because of the urgency of the situation, Ang decided to begin using qi force. The previous battles had already pushed his body to its limit. Now, empowered by qi force, Ang seemed divinely aided, like a tiger unleashed from its cage. Many demons had not even reacted before he beheaded them with a single stroke.

On the battlefield, Ang moved like lightning, constantly weaving among the demons. His movements were swift and precise, and every attack took a demon's life. As the battle continued, Ang felt his physical condition growing better and better, as though endless power surged within him. Despite the fierce fighting, he only grew braver with every battle, showing no sign of exhaustion.

In the midst of this bloody slaughter, Ang gradually discovered that a special field seemed to exist around his body, centered on himself and extending across a range of two meters. Within this range, he could clearly sense the demons' movements and rhythm, even predicting their attacks. This feeling made him utterly at ease in battle, and nearly every attack accurately struck the enemy's vital points.

As time passed, Ang gradually realized that the gap in strength between himself and the demons was rapidly shrinking. Even without using qi force, his attacks could break through their skin and inflict fatal wounds. This progress made Ang feel increasingly powerful, an unprecedented sense of strength filling his entire body.

However, demon reinforcements continued arriving without end, and their numbers on the battlefield kept increasing. Amid the fierce battle, Ang felt the pressure gradually mounting. He knew he had to remain intensely focused to deal with these endless enemies.

Now, only one thought remained in Ang's mind: fight, keep fighting, until his body had exhausted every last bit of strength.

More and more demons came to reinforce the battle, while human soldiers continuously arrived from the rear as well.

As the battle line stretched longer, the cavalry's advantage became increasingly obvious. With the Infantry Regiment's cooperation, the Cavalry Regiment continually suppressed the demons and forced them back.

The Archer Regiment also fired enchanted arrows from the rear. Many demons were killed by the arrows before they could even reach the humans.

Ang had fallen into a crazed state. Only enemies existed in his eyes, and every strike contained lethal power. The demons around him fell one after another, and wherever he went, blood and flesh flew.

As time passed, fewer and fewer demons remained around him. Many of those surrounding him had been slain by his hand. His strength seemed inexhaustible, and every swing of his weapon took an enemy's life.

On the battlefield, Ang's performance was like something out of legend, and the other soldiers could not help but feel inspired as they watched him. However, none of them approached Ang. They felt that he could no longer distinguish friend from foe, and getting close to him would make it easy to be attacked.

Ang did not know how long he had been fighting. The demons before him seemed to be gradually dwindling. Slowly, he realized that even the soldiers of the Infantry Regiment were getting farther and farther away from him. On the surrounding battlefield, only he remained, slaughtering without cease.

At that moment, a unit of demon reinforcements suddenly appeared in the distance. Seeing Ang alone, they immediately charged toward him. Ang took a deep breath, gripped his weapon tightly, and prepared to face a new round of battle. His gaze was firm, and an unquenchable fighting spirit burned in his heart.

"Come on!" Ang roared as he charged toward the approaching demons. His body shot into the enemy formation like an arrow. With every swing of his weapon, his qi force erupted with tremendous power, and demons fell one after another beneath his attacks.

The battlefield had now become a massive melee. The entire Archer Regiment joined the fray, firing fiercely at the demon reinforcements. Enchanted arrows streaked through the air in trails of light, flying accurately toward the enemy. The demon reinforcements were pinned down in the distance, unable to approach the center of the battlefield.

At the same time, the Cavalry Regiment swiftly moved into action, forming an encirclement around the edge of the battlefield. Like ghosts, they moved along its perimeter, using spears and swords to kill every demon that tried to break away from the battle. With every charge, the cavalrymen took the lives of swathes of enemies, and the warhorses' iron hooves crushed the demons' hopes.

The encirclement gradually tightened as the Infantry Regiment engaged in brutal close combat at the center. They fought the demons in a bloody melee, with flesh and blood flying everywhere. Ang stood in the middle of the battlefield, still maintaining a heightened battle state. Every one of his attacks carried lethal force, knocking down the demons around him one after another.

As time passed, the demons grew fewer and fewer, while the humans' offensive became fiercer and fiercer. The Archer Regiment's suppression prevented the demon reinforcements from approaching, while the Cavalry Regiment's encirclement left the demons nowhere to flee. In the end, the demons trapped within the encirclement were completely annihilated.

After the battle ended, the battlefield was filled with the heavy stench of blood, while cheers of victory echoed through the air. Ang stood amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Though his body was utterly exhausted, his gaze remained sharp and resolute.