The Ethereal Domains

Chapter 680: Tragic War

Tragic War . . .

The weight of loss and despair hung heavily in the air as Song Jue and the surviving soldiers at Iron Peak confronted the grim truth. Of the six hundred thousand men who had initially marched to battle, thousands of them were valiant generals, and now they were all gone, consumed by the relentless battle.

Song Jue, struggling to find words adequate to capture the scale of the tragedy, merely sighed deeply and said, "Brothers have suffered..."

Beside him, the middle-aged man, Vice-Commander Zhu Chenggong, his eyes filled with unshed tears and his teeth clenched in anguish, finally succumbed to his grief. The facade of unwavering strength crumbled as he took a step forward, enveloping Song Jue in a tight embrace and sobbing uncontrollably.

Men like Zhu Chenggong, who had spent their lives on the battlefield, rarely allowed tears to flow freely. They never feared death, and they regarded weeping as a sign of weakness. Yet, in the face of such a devastating loss, Zhu Chenggong could no longer contain the profound sorrow that had settled in his chest. Tears streamed down his face, each one a testament to the weight of the tragedy they had endured.

Cha Eun Xiao watched this poignant display of grief with a deep and mournful sigh. The bond between these soldiers ran deep, forged in the crucible of war. The loss of their brothers-in-arms had left an indelible scar on their hearts.

"Great General… died fighting in the battle..." Zhu Chenggong cried out, his voice filled with raw emotion. "Six hundred thousand brothers. Less than one hundred thousand left! Seven thousand generals in the Western Army, two hundred and forty survive…"

Determined to avenge their fallen comrades, Zhu Chenggong's shout reverberated through the air, resonating with the fierce resolve of those who had weathered unimaginable hardship. Over two hundred generals, their voices raised with the last reserves of their strength, joined in the cry for vengeance.

"Our great Commander Wu must be watching us from heavens!"

The soldiers at Iron Peak responded to the generals, their faces stained with tears. In their eyes gleamed a fierce determination to fulfill the promise they had made to their fallen comrades. Their grief and resolve swirled together, creating a powerful and palpable force of unity.

Wanting to understand the full scope of the battle and the reasons for their severe losses, Song Jue, who was a seasoned commander, furrowed his brows and asked, "Wu Gonglie, Great General Wu was a specialist in battles. He may not have matched Wenren Jianying in terms of overall skill, but he was no slouch. If he had been holding the defense, I don't see how Wenren Jianying could have broken through your lines. What happened? How did you suffer such a tremendous setback? It doesn't make sense."

Zhu Chenggong, still bearing the weight of his grief, clenched his teeth and spoke through the pain. "There was a traitor."

Responding to the urgent request for details, Zhu Chenggong went on to recount the tragic events that had unfolded. Wu Gonglie had recognized the strength of the enemy he was facing, led by the formidable Wenren Jianying, who was the second most renowned general in the Land of Han-Yang after Cha Nantian. Though Wu Gonglie was indeed weaker than Wenren Jianying in overall combat abilities, he excelled in one crucial aspect—defense. To be specific, Wu Gonglie was unrivaled when it came to defensive tactics.

Even Ye Nantian, the foremost war god who had never suffered defeat, had lauded Wu Gonglie's defensive capabilities. Ye Nantian had once remarked, "He is average in offense, but exceptional in defense. If I were to face him while he was defending a fortress, I would undoubtedly fail."

High praise indeed from a general known for his invincibility. Cha Nantian's assessment of Wu Gonglie's formidable defensive prowess spoke volumes about the latter's expertise in holding his ground.

The western battle had presented itself as a defensive mission for Wu Gonglie and the Western Army. In the face of a vast and relentless enemy force led by Wenren Jianying, Wu Gonglie's six hundred thousand soldiers had adopted a resolute stance, determined to withstand the onslaught. Their task was to safeguard the fortress, maintain their unwavering defense, and never open the gate, regardless of the peril they faced. In their eyes, the enemy was to be held at bay, not engaged in a confrontation beyond the wall.

However, as Zhu Chenggong's narrative would reveal, it wasn't the prowess of their opponent that had ultimately led to their heartbreaking losses; it was a traitor hidden in their midst.

The fortress wall, towering high and firmly defended, presented an insurmountable obstacle to Wenren Jianying. Despite his formidable skills as a general, he found himself unable to penetrate the perfect defense that Great General Wu Gonglie had established.

As long as Wu Gonglie could maintain this defensive stance and endure the relentless assault, victory would ultimately be theirs. No matter how resourceful and skilled Wenren Jianying was, the robust defense seemed an unbreakable barrier.

Wenren Jianying tried various tactics to goad Wu Gonglie into action, but the resolute general remained unresponsive. Attempts to provoke him by hurling vile insults fell on deaf ears, further frustrating Wenren Jianying.

Nonetheless, Wu Gonglie had to send soldiers outside the gates to escort the much-needed supplies of fodder and food. The confrontation between his men and Wenren Jianying's forces ensued, resulting in skirmishes and bloodshed.

In the midst of this deadlock, an unsettling development unfolded within the Western Army. A traitorous general conspired to breach the fortress gate during the cover of night, leading to deadly consequences. Wu Gonglie's loyal soldiers detected the betrayal and swiftly executed the traitor. However, by this time, Wenren Jianying's forces had seized control of the gateway, leading to an intense and harrowing battle within the city's confines.

The Kingdom of Lan-Feng boasted a larger and more formidable army, and despite Wu Gonglie's unwavering determination, he was unable to wrest back control of the gate from Wenren Jianying's grip. Realizing the odds were stacked against him, Wu Gonglie made the difficult decision to abandon the city and retreat to a different location.

Yet, Wenren Jianying was relentless. He had endured enough hardship during Wu Gonglie's steadfast defense and was unwilling to let him escape unscathed. This was the precise moment he had worked so hard to engineer, inserting a provocateur within the ranks of the Western Army.

Wenren Jianying doggedly pursued Wu Gonglie, showing no mercy and allowing no respite. He was determined to capture his long-standing adversary, even if it meant sacrificing his own troops.

The subsequent battles were fierce and relentless, and Wu Gonglie, having done everything in his power, was unable to elude the enemy's advances. In the end, he was compelled to lead one hundred thousand of his remaining soldiers in a desperate bid to halt the inexorable onslaught, allowing the other four hundred thousand to retreat and survive.

The Western Army had lost its fortress and suffered devastating casualties. Wu Gonglie, seriously wounded on multiple occasions, found himself physically and mentally drained. With no stronghold to defend and outnumbered, he was well aware that defeat was imminent. Despite this, he was determined to slow down the million-strong army led by Wenren Jianying, even if it meant sacrificing everything. In their final moments, Wu Gonglie and his dedicated soldiers fought with unwavering determination and the full force of their lives.