The Ethereal Domains

Chapter 632: Lethal Ambush!

Lethal Ambush! . . .

"Wolf King, we must remain cautious. What if—"

"Step aside, you coward! Take your men and leave. Don't waste my time here. Once I seize the heartland, you'll get nothing. Now, go!"

The Wolf King's voice thundered as he shouted and laughed. He and his elite troops surged forward like a tidal wave.

Hundreds of thousands of men moved in unison, creating a whirlwind of chaos.

The man who had dared to stop the Wolf King hesitated for a moment. He watched the grassland warriors charging forward, entering an undefended flat expanse. Unable to resist any longer, he shouted, "We're going too! Let's move, hurry up!"

The last of the grassland troops joined the fray, rushing into the Northern Army's encampment. Afterward, they surged out from the camp's opposite side, racing toward the main force, shouting and trampling everything in their path.

"Glory, wealth, mountains, rivers, beauties... Here we come!"

...

Cha Nantian, the mastermind behind this operation, stood atop a mountain.

He observed the battle with icy detachment.

He witnessed his men scattering like a collapsing mountain, leading the enemy away as planned.

As the retreating Northern Army crossed the designated line, the thunderous sound of galloping hooves filled the air.

It resembled the rhythmic beating of drums.

"The iron riders of the Grassland Wolf are the most formidable in the world," Cha Nantian remarked with a sigh. "These men have grown up on horseback. They are born to fight from horseback. Truly awe-inspiring. It's no wonder the kingdoms have never been able to conquer them, even in their prime."

"However, this time, it ends here. No matter how invincible they are, they will be defeated. After this, the Northern Army will be the only force to lay claim to invincibility."

The flags of the grassland troops fluttered in the wind as they charged into the canyon, nearly closing in on the retreating Northern Army. They shouted, raged, and brandished their weapons.

Behind the flags, a multitude of horsemen thundered into the canyon, their fiery resolve driving them forward.

"The grassland people are truly reckless and audacious. Even in the face of such an obvious ambush, they never doubted it for a moment. They charged in without hesitation," remarked a general beside Cha Nantian.

"If they were as shrewd as our court officials, they would have already conquered the entire land," added another general with a hint of disdain.

"Perhaps not." Cha Nantian smiled, his expression enigmatic. "There are always two sides to everything. If they were truly that astute, they might not have grown into such a threat to us."

The generals couldn't help but chuckle at the veiled criticism of court officials within Cha Nantian's words. His sarcasm was both pointed and merciless.

The grassland warriors raced like a tempest. Two hours had passed, and they still struggled to close the gap with the Northern Army. They remained within sight but couldn't quite catch up.

They were like a relentless tide chasing after their quarry but were never able to close the distance.

"Three-quarters of them have crossed the line. It's time! As time passes, we may not be able to seal their escape route in time. If there's a breach, we'll have a more challenging task ahead," Cha Nantian's eyes turned cold. "Do it now! Detonate!"

"Yes, Commander!"

A resounding horn call echoed throughout the mountains, sending shockwaves through the hearts of everyone, including those in the midst of battle.

"Dudu! Dudu…"

Sudden clarion calls reverberated from all directions, startling the grassland warriors.

"An... An ambush?"

"Why is this supposed to be an easy battle?" they wondered.

But in the next instant, their hopes for an easy victory were utterly crushed.

Within mere moments, the deafening sound of explosions reverberated throughout the hundreds of miles of the canyon. It was a colossal detonation that shook the very earth beneath their feet, exploding in all directions. The grassland riders' steeds were thrown into a frenzy, with many of the horses being torn to shreds. The once orderly ranks of the grassland troops were thrown into disarray as eighty percent of the riders were either wounded or killed by the devastating explosions.

It was as if the world had come to an end.

Everywhere they looked, men and horses were reduced to scattered pieces.

The detonations continued, and in their panicked stampede, horses trampled over some of the soldiers, leaving a trail of death in their wake.

Afterward, another thunderous and horrifying noise resounded. Cha Nantian's troops had set rolling stones in motion, and now they were tumbling down into the canyon, crushing anyone who had managed to survive the initial explosions or the ensuing chaos.

The very earth quaked, as did the mountains. Countless colossal boulders came hurtling down toward the grassland warriors in response to the tremors.

A deafening roar filled the air as an entire cliff on the eastern side collapsed. The force of the explosion had rattled the mountain to its core, triggering a massive landslide.

It was an enormous mountain falling, an avalanche of colossal rocks that rained down upon the land. It felt as if the very heavens were collapsing, like an enormous curtain unfurling to shroud the entire landscape.

Tens of thousands of grassland warriors were pulverized by the tumbling stones. Their moans and screams reverberated in every direction.

The grassland troops were now effectively split into two separate groups by the fallen mountain.