Chapter 1056 - Clash of Armies!

“Release!”

Chen Bin’s eyes were steady and determined as his sword swung down again and again. Every volley was fired only after thoroughly calculating the best angle and position. Ever since he had been taken hostage by Duwu Sili, Chen Bin had become a whole new man. He was even more composed and powerful, seeming even more like a rising general.

Although he had only one thousand Tang ballistae, under his command, they could display whole new levels of power.

Neigh!

One row of Arab cavalry after another was felled, but the fierce assault could not be stopped. As the ballista bolts fired, the countless Arab cavalry roared and transformed into furious storms that slammed into the Tang shields!

Bangbangbang! The clanging of metal was so loud that it almost ruptured eardrums.

“Kill!”

“Slaughter these infidels!”

The earth rumbled as cold lights gleamed underneath the overcast sky. Looking down from the sky, all one could see was a vast sea of Arab cavalrymen while all one could hear was the shouts of fighting and the clashing of weapons. Bang! A neighing warhorse charged in, its metal horseshoes shining as it brought its foot down on one of the massive shields.

Boom!

With a metallic clang, the shield trembled and partially caved in. The soldier behind the shield was forced back a step by the impact while the blood and energy in his chest roiled and seethed.

These soldiers weren’t fighting for the first time, but this group of Arab cavalry was clearly stronger than any others they had faced.

Roooar!

A Tang shieldman suddenly roared, his forehead bulging as he leaned forward on his right leg and pressed his forehead down. His entire body tensed with muscle as he braced. Boomboomboom! The moment the Tang shieldman had finished his preparations, the Arab cavalry began to batter against his shield.

The soldier’s body constantly vibrated as each collision inflicted severe injuries. Under his feet, the Defense Halo, Halo of Tenacity, and the Fortress Halo were constantly flickering like candles in the wind. But this soldier continued to clench his teeth and hold the line.

No one who had survived up to this point was a weakling. Even though their opponents were strong, these veteran Tang shieldmen were able to rely on their rich experience to hold fast against the storm.

“Kill!”

At almost the same time, at another position on the first defense line, thousands of Arab cavalry bellowed as they charged out in a full offensive. The warriors that Qutaybah had brought from the north possessed unimaginable power. Even Wang Yan’s well-tempered and tenacious infantry, whom not even Abu Muslim’s army had been able to break through, felt like they were facing a real opponent this time.

Boooom! With a metallic clang and an alarmed yell, one of the shieldmen in Wang Yan’s infantry formation was sent flying into the rear along with his shield. A gap had suddenly appeared in the tight defense line.

“Up!”

The elites of the Crimson Moon Vanguard immediately noticed this sight, their eyes flashing. Three of the higher-level warriors of the Crimson Moon Vanguard immediately altered their directions, converging on the gap from three directions. Behind them, the other cavalry of the Crimson Moon Vanguard also began to notice this gap and began to instinctively gather around. They took up Arrow Formation and began to charge at the gap left open after that shieldman had been knocked away.

As the veteran and valiant vanguard of Qutaybah’s army, the soldiers of the Crimson Moon Vanguard were all extremely well-trained. On the intense battlefield, each soldier could immediately notice gaps in the enemy formation and gather to attack and widen these gaps.

This was also why Qutaybah had always made the Crimson Moon Vanguard the first to strike and tear apart the enemy defense line.

Buzz!

Wang Yan’s eyes widened at this sight. Although this was only the first wave, both Wang Yan and the soldiers under his command immediately felt an immense pressure. This new force of Arabs was different from the last one. They were far more aggressive and invasive.

“Second row!”

Clang! Without the slightest hesitation, Wang Yan pulled out his sword and gave the order, his expression extremely grim. He did not dare to show the slightest hint of neglect before these Arab cavalry.

Not long after Wang Yan issued the order, a roar came from the second row. “Raaaa! Let me do it!”

A tall and burly reserve shieldman gripped his shield, lowered his body like a tiger, and then lunged forward. Boom! The shield impacted against a Crimson Moon Vanguard that was trying to charge through the gap, the enormous force striking the breast of the horse and sending both it and its rider flying backward.

“Western barbarian, get out of here!!”

The shieldman angrily bellowed as he quickly drew back his shield and charged at three more Crimson Moon Vanguard charging at the gap. Caught off guard, these three horsemen were also sent flying out of the first defense line like they had been shot at by cannons. The severe imbalance even caused one of them to fall from his horse.

“Get out of my way!!”

This stalwart shieldman raised his shield high in the air and then thrust it into the ground. His body leaned forward and his legs spread apart as he rooted this steel shield weighing several hundred jin and sealed the gap.

Shieldguards!

Wang Yan had inherited the Wang Clan’s style of war. Everything he did was according to a rule or law and was done with strict discipline. Infantry formations were like a fortress, and a fortress never entrusted its defense to a single soldier, but in layers and layers of defenses. When a large gap appeared in any area, infantry in the rear would immediately emerge to fill it.

In this fashion, the entire army would be like a fortress and would never crumble.

This was a unique trait of that era in which infantry had reigned supreme.

In this aspect, the soldiers under Wang Yan’s command could be considered true ‘soldiers of one hundred battles’. Moreover, Wang Yan had created a group of infantry particularly tasked with dealing with situations like this, the Shieldguards.

Boomboomboom! The moment the Shieldguard charged up to fill the gap, countless warhorses surged forward and began to kick at his shield, but all of them were stopped. Soon, in a flash of cold light, the Crimson Moon Scimitars fell upon the heavy shield in a flurry of blows. But despite the shrill clanging of the heavy scimitars against the shield, the steel shield managed to stand firm.

Hiss!

All the Great Tang shieldmen widened their eyes in surprise at what they saw. The shieldmen standing at the very front line were the lifeline of the army. A shieldman required equipment that was sturdy, dense, and difficult to destroy. Thus, their shields were usually made from the finest materials.

However, these unique red scimitars were able to leave behind very deep marks on these steel shields. Such sharpness was difficult to imagine.

“Everyone, hold!”

As orders rang out in the air, each shieldman began to endure almost inconceivably powerful impacts. However, as the veteran vanguard of the northern Arab army, the Crimson Moon Vanguard had far more tricks than just this.

Neigh!

Some Crimson Moon Vanguard members in the rear, with the symbol of a red scimitar striking a shield on their chests, suddenly pulled on the reins of their horses. They coldly looked ahead as they lowered their bodies against their horses and rapidly began to accelerate. As everyone looked on, the warhorses of this unique force of cavalry suddenly stepped onto the backs of the warhorses of the cavalry in front of them and soared into the air. They flew over the high shields and even over the steel walls, descending like divine soldiers into the rear of the defense line.

Rumble! Dust churned and all was in chaos in the middle of the army. One, two, three… one hundred elites of the Crimson Moon Vanguard had jumped over the walls and landed in the army.

The Crimson Leap!

This was a unique skill of the Crimson Moon Vanguard specifically targeted at infantry and shield formations. The Great Tang was far from the first empire the Crimson Moon Vanguard had encountered that used infantry formations and large shields. The Governor of War had encountered far too many such formations in his many conquests.

The Crimson Leap was meant to break such shield formations.

For this purpose, Qutaybah had even equipped the bottom of these warhorses with thick armor to protect the bellies of the horses, which were exposed during the Crimson Leap.

“Kill them!”

At this moment, Wang Chong’s big brother Wang Fu bellowed, his expression harsh and determined. In a flash, countless sabermen and axemen formed squads of ten and surrounded these Crimson Moon Vanguard before they could inflict too much chaos.

Although the Crimson Leap had been pulled off successfully, the disorder created had been far less than expected.