Covenant Made, Accelerated Counterattack's Finale

Hooves thudded dully over the gravel slope. Chen Wuya reined in his horse, his gaze falling on a half-buried stone stele at the fork in the road. Three words—"Do Not Turn Back"—were carved upon it, their marks weathered and mottled, their edges blunted by wind and sand. He did not dismount. He merely stared at the stone for two breaths before turning his horse toward the depths of Broken Dragon Valley.

The mist ahead had yet to disperse, and the valley lay wedged between the mountains like a gaping fissure. The system operated soundlessly. The iron plate against his chest gave off a steady vibration, pointing toward somewhere within the valley—a presence where disciplined masters had gathered in formation, dense yet orderly, concealed behind the cliffs on either side.

"Pass the order." His voice was not loud, yet it carried steadily to the generals behind him. "The vanguard halts. A hundred light cavalry advance fifty paces. Do not nock the bows. Do not unfurl the banners or sound the calls."

The orders were swiftly relayed. A hundred riders moved forward slowly, deliberately making their footsteps heavy. They had gone more than thirty zhang into the valley mouth when fire suddenly flared across the cliffs on both sides. A rain of arrows poured down from above, all of them missing their marks. Chen Wuya gave a cold laugh. "As expected. They only dare put on a hollow show."

He raised a hand, and the signal flag went up. Three hundred elite soldiers who had long been lying in wait along the old road of Wind Chime Slope silently climbed the cliff faces. Every one of them had been personally chosen by Bai Zhi. They had circled behind the enemy for so long for the sake of this very ambush. Before half