King of Hundred Victories Saber-Chapter 498 - 177: Battle of the Thunder Sound Terraces: Shi Feiyang’s Three Strikes of Shocking Thunder (Part 4)
The rebel soldiers were shaken by this force, causing them to stagger backward, weapons clattering to the ground.
Third strike, Shi Feiyang concentrated all his power into his blade, shouting loudly: "Thunderous Third Strike, Annihilate!"
The blade’s light, filled with endless majesty and strength, slashed fiercely towards the core of the "Eight Gates Golden Lock Array."
This strike seemed to cut open the heavens and the earth, thunder roared, rain splattered, and under this powerful assault, the "Eight Gates Golden Lock Array" instantly collapsed.
The rebel army, seeing the array broken, lost morale and scattered in all directions.
Qi Meizhen, Bai Zhi, and the Miao Village Saintess seized the opportunity, leading the Heroic Sakura Association and Miao Village disciples to pursue their victory on the rain-shrouded Thunder Sound Terraces, achieving a glorious victory.
In this battle, Zhong Renwang and Shi Ying didn’t even have the chance to show their faces, forced into a sorrowful retreat. Yang Biao, with his few remaining, demoralized soldiers, fled like a lost dog, hurriedly retreating into the mysterious and deep Ancient Bo People Salt Refining Cave nestled in the rugged mountains.
This Ancient Bo People Salt Refining Cave, like a dormant giant beast, hid within the folds of the towering mountains.
Surrounding it were jagged rocks, resembling fierce beast teeth, standing in stark prominence.
Outside the cave, overgrown weeds tangled wildly, like a green net, half-concealing the entrance, lending an eerie atmosphere.
Stepping inside, a damp and dark air rushed forth, the salty taste like invisible threads invading one’s nostrils, causing discomfort. On the walls, ancient salt crystals hung, shimmering with an eerie glow in the dim light, like countless eyes peering, narrating the mysteries and changes of past ages.
From the cave roof, water occasionally dripped, the "drip-drip" sound echoing in the vast space, adding to the desolation.
Shi Feiyang led the Heroic Sakura Association disciples and Miao Village disciples in relentless pursuit.
At this moment, the Ming Army was in dire straits.
The army had long been cut off from salt, and over time, the soldiers became gaunt and frail, their once robust bodies weakened, sharply reducing their combat strength.
The Ming generals paced anxiously within the tent, brows furrowed into a character resembling "川".
Inside the tent, the dim light flickered unsteadily, casting the anxious figures of dozens of generals as twisted shadows on the tent walls.
Left with no choice, Guo Dunping sent out a cavalryman, who leapt onto his horse and spurred it into a gallop, raising clouds of dust as he headed straight for Shi Feiyang. Upon seeing Shi Feiyang, the cavalryman urgently dismounted and knelt on one knee, anxiously saying, "Hero Shi, our army has been without salt for some time, and the soldiers are weak, their combat strength greatly reduced. I humbly ask for your help to secure the strategic resource of well salt to relieve our army’s urgent plight!"
Upon hearing this, Shi Feiyang’s expression turned solemn. He understood the importance of salt to the army, akin to food for the populace, concerning life and death.
Determined, he nodded and replied: "Rest assured, I will do my utmost to reclaim this vital well salt for the Ming Army while pursuing the rebels." With these words, he looked upwards slightly, his gaze fixed on the distant mountains shrouded in mist, mentally planning his next moves.
After retreating into the Salt Refining Cave, Yang Biao suppressed the fear and resentment in his heart, swiftly gathering the remaining rattan-armored soldiers.
His gaze was fierce and resolute as he shouted loudly, "Brothers, we haven’t lost yet! This Salt Refining Cave’s treacherous terrain is perfect for our counterattack. Pull yourselves together!"
As he shouted, he swung his long sword in hand, attempting to boost morale.
Following this, he met up with the Celestial Demon Sect’s assassins and the Beggar Gang disciples led by Zhong Renwang.
Zhong Renwang, the Beggar Gang Leader, had a venomous glint flash in his eyes at the mention of Shi Feiyang.
He gritted his teeth and said viciously, "That Shi Feiyang has thwarted my plans repeatedly. This time, we must take advantage of this terrain to catch him and his people in one fell swoop. Once we’ve dealt with them, we can dominate the Martial Arts in the Jianghu. From then on, I’ll be the one who calls the shots!"
Saying this, he clenched his fist so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Beside him, the Beggar Gang Elder Ding Hong nodded slightly, agreeing, "The Gang Leader speaks the truth. This Ancient Bo People Salt Refining Cave is easy to defend and hard to attack. By leveraging this treacherous terrain, we can certainly resist the Heroic Sakura Association and the Miao Village people."
Ding Hong spoke while casually tracing the ground with his Dog-Beating Stick, seemingly simulating the tactical layout of the impending fight.
At this moment, Celestial Demon Sect Elder Wu Yun suggested, "Why not have my Celestial Demon Sect’s disciples form the rattan-armored soldiers? Our disciples are agile, and with the rattan armor, their combat power will surely increase."
Yang Biao contemplated briefly and agreed, then discussed it with Celestial Demon Sect Elder Shi Fengxia. Shi Fengxia showed a hint of a smug smile, saying: "Young Master Yang, leave this matter to my Celestial Demon Sect. With our sect’s power, we can surely assemble a rattan-armored force that will strike fear in our enemies."
Yang Biao was overjoyed and quickly said, "Then I leave it to Elder Shi." They exchanged smiles, each harboring their own thoughts.
Soon, the rattan-armored soldiers donned their heavy rattan armor and wielded long swords, standing guard at the cave entrance.
Their gazes were ferocious, like a pack of wolves ready to devour.
The rattan armor glinted dully in the dim light, with rivets reflecting a cold metallic sheen.
The Celestial Demon Sect assassins, clad in black, resembled phantoms in the night, their faces stern, exuding an eerie aura that sent chills down one’s spine. They stood quietly, like statues, with only the occasional flicker of their eyes betraying their alertness.
