knife

Chapter 620 Great Victory
"Is he dead?" Hong Zhan asked the wise old Taoist across from him.

The old Taoist rolled his eyes. "You hit him hard, don't you know whether he's dead or not?"

"I'm afraid it won't be that easy to die!" Hong Zhan looked at the river.

The boats of all sizes were locked in fierce combat. Every now and then, two enormous vessels could be seen colliding heavily at high speed. Along the way, the smaller boats that were caught in the crossfire were swept to the bottom like scum, and when they floated back up, all that could be seen were broken pieces of wood and rotten planks.

Jiang Chong withstood Hong Zhan's blow, then fell into the river like a stone, disappearing without a trace with a thud.

"Even if he doesn't die, I'm afraid he won't be able to cause trouble again for a while!" Liao Ran said. "He might even fall from his cultivation level."

"That guy is really resolute!" Hong Zhan shook his head and said, "He actually managed to seize such a tiny chance. If it had been just a little bit later, he would have been doomed!"

"Who would be a fool to cultivate martial arts to the Innate Realm?" Liao Ran sighed. "It's just a matter of timing and circumstances. No matter how clear one's mind is, one cannot defy the times and circumstances. In the end, one will still be swept up in this mortal world, floating and sinking, unable to control one's own destiny!"

At this point, the two exchanged a glance, both sighing inwardly.

People like them could have transcended the mundane world and the five elements, and devoted themselves to exploring higher realms of existence.

Unfortunately, while they could jump, those connected to them couldn't.

How could they possibly remain uninvolved when those they care about, cherish, and are unable to let go of have fallen into the mortal world?
"I hope that the world will soon usher in a peaceful and prosperous era, where harmony and beauty prevail, and we will no longer have to waste our energy on these matters!" Liao Ran said.

"So we can only choose one side and help him unify the world as soon as possible!" Hong Zhan said, "Old Daoist, you go protect that girl, I'll go and pull down the enemy's general's flag, that way fewer people will die!"

"That girl?" Liao Ran looked at Hong Zhan. The woman who was famous and once ruled the Southern Chu, with countless elite soldiers and generals under her command, who suppressed Xiang Ying and his group so much that they couldn't even lift their heads, was actually called "that girl" in Hong Zhan's mouth.
Hong Zhan chuckled: "I misspoke, I misspoke!"

Looking up towards the direction from which the thunderous drumbeats were coming from, Hong Zhan said, "General Xiao is a ruthless man, and this one is also ruthless. Protector Li is in for a rough time in the future, hahaha!"

Amidst laughter, Hong Zhan soared into the air, heading directly towards Chen Yan's flagship.

Chen Yan saw Jiang Chong disappear on the surface of the river, and he also saw Hong Zhan rushing towards him.

His face was cold and stern, showing no fear. With a sharp shout, he raised the spear he was holding tightly in his hand. Around him, a dense crowd of officers and soldiers surged forward, many of them holding special weapons that were not usually seen.

In a one-on-one fight, Chen Yan was no match for his opponent.
But under such circumstances, Chen Yan did not feel that he was powerless to fight.

It's a pity this is on a ship.

Although he nominally commanded thousands of troops, only the few hundred men on his ship were truly effective.

Of course, the capabilities of these hundreds of men are far beyond those of ordinary soldiers.

However, Hong Zhan did not come to kill anyone.

Everyone, including Chen Yan, watched in disbelief as Hong Zhan descended like a divine warrior, landing directly at the highest point of the warship. With a casual wave of his hand, the banner of Chen Yan, the commander who was flying high, was reduced to fragments.

If it were just a flag that was destroyed, Chen Yan could simply plant another one. However, Hong Zhan, who had destroyed the main general's flag, did not leave. Instead, he stood proudly on the warship, glancing sideways at the dense Chu army soldiers below.

If you dare to attack me, I won't hesitate to kill Chen Yan!
Chen Yan was helpless. If they could organize as many soldiers as possible on land and push forward,

When the quantity reaches a certain level, it can naturally bring about a qualitative change. However, there is no such condition on a warship. If everyone dares to disperse, even in the narrow space of a warship, it will create enough conditions for a master of innate cultivation to kill.

That is the true path to death.

On the battlefield where hundreds of warships clashed, the changes in the warships' formations, whether advancing or retreating, were all directed by flags. Now that the commander's flag had disappeared, command naturally ceased to exist. The Chu army held on for a moment by inertia, but then chaos began to emerge.

Each squad leader has their own assessment of the battle situation, and they will naturally make decisions based on the circumstances they face; seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune is their instinct.

Without the command of a general, there will naturally be no one willing to step forward and create opportunities for their comrades to win.

Director Wang immediately seized this opportunity.

Moreover, since Chen Yan was unable to command at this time, and could not appear alone, Wang Dao immediately ordered his men to shout in unison that Chen Yan was dead.

The Chu army, whose morale was already low due to Jiang Qian's setback, and which could not see their commander's battle flag and were fighting independently without effective command, finally collapsed after struggling for another incense stick's time. The outer warships were the first to turn and flee, thus beginning the rout.

They came upstream, but fled downstream.

In battle, it is natural to work together and help each other, but when escaping, all you need to do is run faster than your comrades.

Compared to large warships, medium-sized warships and vanguard ships have a unique advantage when escaping. By using all their strength to propel the oars, they can escape this meat grinder as easily as if they were about to be released from a bow.

Chen Yan witnessed all of this, but was powerless to do anything about it.

Because he was now trapped here by Hong Zhan, any attempt to signal with flags was nipped in the bud by the opponent's strength.

The defeat is set.

Looking at the countless warships fleeing frantically on the river, and the helpless soldiers floating on the water crying for help, Chen Yan burst into tears.

Hong Zhan strode away amidst loud laughter, disappearing from Chen Yan's sight in a few leaps.

He disdained to kill someone whose martial arts cultivation was far inferior to his own, especially now that the guy was beyond saving.

In despair, Chen Yan picked up a short knife and was about to slit his own throat when his men held him back desperately. Amidst his loud cries, his warship turned back and joined the fleeing ranks.

Behind them, the drumbeats continued unabated, and the white figure was still forcefully beating the war drums.

The rain has stopped.
The wind has stopped.
The thick, leaden clouds in the sky suddenly dispersed.

A golden sun hung high above the distant mountain peaks, casting its dazzling rays upon the river's surface.

(End of this chapter)