Chapter 874 - Charge, Battle Against the Arabs!
Chapter 874: Charge, Battle Against the Arabs!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Although Wang Chong had never seen the Anxi Protectorate army before, or even interacted with this most powerful army of the Western Regions, in this moment, it left an incredibly deep impression in his mind.
This was the backbone of the Great Tang!
Clang!
Without the slightest hesitation, Wang Chong coldly unsheathed his sword and aimed it at the Arabs, its tip gleaming with cold light.
“All soldiers, full-speed charge!”
Boom!
The earth quaked as the more than one hundred thousand soldiers standing on the hill suddenly transformed into a flood that surged down toward Talas.
“Kiiill!”
Battle cries resounded over the plains. The first to charge down from the hill was the Invincible Great General Li Siye and his five thousand disciplined Wushang Cavalry, all of them armed to the teeth. Clang! A dazzling war halo erupted from Li Siye’s body, rapidly expanding to the rest of his soldiers. This was followed by a second, a third, a fourth… In the blink of an eye, thousands of war halos had been unleashed, shrouding the Wushang Cavalry and rendering them into a moving fortress.
Boom!
The sheer momentum of this charge was enough to knock over mountains and cleave apart seas, and it seemed like no army could stand against it!
“Kiiill!”
Close behind the Wushang Cavalry, the cavalry of the Qixi Protectorate army and the Annan Protectorate army had formed the second echelon, their war halos expanding down the hills like rushing floodwaters. Behind them were thousands of chariots and military transport carriages, pulled along by warhorses into a fierce gallop.
Despite the speed, all these chariots and carriages remained in tight formation, without the slightest hint of turmoil.
“Charge!”
At the same time, more than ten thousand troops, consisting of the regular soldiers from Greater and Lesser Balur, the Gangke, and the other mercenaries of the Western Regions, charged out from the left and right flanks with a roar. One wave, two waves, three waves… the more than one hundred thousand soldiers were like a vast sea, pouring over the hills to wash over the plains.
“The Tang, it’s the Tang!”
“Get ready! Adjust the formation!”
“Directly to the east! Hurry and assemble! Infantry, raise shields! All cavalry, prepare to attack!”
Sharp shouts rang out over the army. In the face of this army of more than one hundred thousand Tang soldiers, the Arabs that had been putting all their strength into a disciplined assault on Talas fell into disorder and turmoil. Wang Chong’s meticulous preparations were now showing their worth.
It was essentially impossible for an army of three hundred thousand soldiers focused on besieging a city to turn around in such a short amount of time. A small boat could adjust its course, but not a large ship. The only effect of this string of orders was to make the three hundred thousand Arab soldiers descend into chaos.
“Get ready! Assemble!”
Just when the Qixi Protectorate army was about to make impact, a loud and dignified voice came from the easternmost flank. The sound of this voice instantly caused the turmoil to fade away. As if answering a summons, the Arab soldiers on the eastern flank suddenly calmed down and began to rapidly gather.
“Second and third units, draw back! Tenth unit, advance!”
Following these clear and precise orders, the Arab soldiers began to step forward, planting their large infantry shields in the ground. Each of these shields was taller than a man, both sturdy and thick. Countless of these shields being planted in the ground had essentially created a wall of steel on the eastern flank of the battlefield.
And behind this steel wall, the disorderly army was swiftly assembling into countless fortress-like formations. In a few short moments, the Arabs had gathered thirty thousand infantry and forty thousand valiant cavalry.
This strength was enough to deal with at least one hundred thousand enemies!
Rumble!
It was at this moment that the army of seventy thousand parted, the earth rumbling as an Arab general slowly trotted out, a storm of energy rising from his body. He wore a golden hood and golden armor, and underneath him was a brown Arabian steed. His arrival on the battlefield was like the descent of a god.
The surrounding Arab soldiers all bowed to this general, expressions of awe and respect on their faces.
Umar!
This was one of the most famous generals in the eastern region of the Abbasid Caliphate, and one of the most powerful generals serving Governor of the East Abu Muslim. In the Abbasid Caliphate, he had yet another name: the Arabian Arrow!
Umar had won his reputation through iron and blood, and he had led the troops of his empire in crushing ten-some kingdoms practicing heretic faiths, burning these territories to the earth.
In the east, he wielded massive authority and appeal!
Umar’s appearance immediately emboldened the Arabs and caused them to calm down. Even Abdullah’s seven thousand cavalry who had fled in defeat had calmed down and rejoined the rest of the army. Under Umar’s command, the army began to condense, all traces of disorder vanishing, and their flame grew ever more vigorous and mighty, making Umar’s figure seem even more gigantic.
“All soldiers, hear my order! Put everything into stopping the enemy! All who retreat will die!”
Clang! A sharp and opulent saber was raised overhead, shining in the light of the sun. Umar’s eyes themselves were like bolts of lightning as his voice thundered over the battlefield.
“Yes! General Umar!”
“I pledge to fight to the death for General!”
The seventy thousand Arab soldiers roared in unison, their cries echoing ceaselessly in the air. In a flash, the Arab soldiers on the east had completely mobilized into a defensive formation. At this sight, even Wang Chong couldn’t help but feel a hint of respect.
The Arabs were the only existence in this world that could threaten the Great Tang, the only faction that could stand on equal terms with it. Moreover, through their reaction speed, the Arabs had displayed a fighting strength that neither Mengshe Zhao nor Ü-Tsang could compare to!
Your reaction is very fast, but it’s still useless!
A sharp light glimmered in Wang Chong’s eyes. The Arabs truly were more formidable opponents than the Tibetans or the Mengshe Zhao, but the Great Tang was a formidable existence that had suppressed Mengshe Zhao, Ü-Tsang, the Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganates, Goguryeo, and many other countries. This battle would decide just which of them could be considered the world’s most powerful empire.
“Hyah!”
Wang Chong urged his horse forward in a gallop down the hill.
Rumble!
The earth shook and the heavens swayed as the massive wave of more than one hundred thousand Tang soldiers roared toward the Arabs. Cavalry and infantry filled the horizon as the distance between the two sides shrank.
“Ready!”
The Arab orders cut through the clouds. Clangclangclang! Long and massive spears were placed above the shields, their sharp tips aimed at the Tang soldiers charging from the east. Behind the shield wall, the massive Arabian warhorses flared their nostrils while their muscular riders stared at the approaching enemy with vicious glares, ready to enter the fray.
Arabia was a country of war, and it had relied on conquest and battle to create the largest empire on the continent, the Abbasid Caliphate!
No matter who their opponent was, the Arabs would never lightly retreat. ‘The best defense is a good offense.’ This was a deeply-rooted principle in the mind of each Arab. Meanwhile, the Tang were getting closer and closer, their hooves thundering against the earth. The Arabs began to slightly lean forward, their veins bulging out of their skin as they readied to meet the enemy.
The battlefield was saturated with tension!
Three hundred paces!
Two hundred paces!
The Tang were getting closer and closer, only one hundred paces away now. Boom! Dust roiled as countless black halos erupted from the feet of the Arabs. Unlike the Halos of Thorns used by the Great Tang, these halos were branded with the image of a black six-pointed star, the hexagram. These thousands of black halos melded together, transforming the seventy thousand Arab soldiers on the eastern flank into a dreadful black fortress.
Rumble!
Amidst the fierce cries of warhorses, at least twenty thousand of the Arab cavalry roared as they charged out from behind the wall. At almost the same time, swords clanged as the five thousand Wushang Cavalry galloped forward to meet them.
Boom!
As countless soldiers watched, both sides’ cavalry clashed with a thunderous explosion. For a second, the entire world seemed to fall silent and time itself seemed to have stopped!
“Aaaaah!”
When this brief moment passed, screams began to fill the air. The countless Arab cavalry were cut down like weeds and thrown into the air in twos and threes, flying up ten-some zhang. Li Siye and his five thousand Wushang Cavalry were like a sharp sword fiercely thrusting into the Arab cavalry.
Those Arabs wildly swung their sabers and swords, but they were all repelled by the Meteoric Metal armor of the Wushang Cavalry.
“All soldiers, hear my order! Charge with me and kill them all!
“All those who offend the Han will be executed, no matter how far away they are!”
Li Siye’s eyes exploded with light, his entire person like that of a tiger as he furiously bellowed. He raised his massive Wootz Steel sword and swung down, cleaving apart an Arab rider and his horse. No armor could stand against the sharp Wootz Steel. Bangbangbang! Collisions rang out over the battlefield, but as the Wushang Cavalry charged through, none of the Arabs seemed able to stop them. They were like dominoes, easily knocked away or trampled under the hooves of the Tang cavalry.
In only a single clash, the tens of thousands of Arab cavalry were utterly crushed by the five thousand Wushang Cavalry, suffering grievous casualties. And the Wushang Cavalry had not even been aided by Wang Chong’s halos!