Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapters 398 and 149: The Water Curtain Showdown

Baron Grant's face was deathly pale. The desperate roar of the Kingdom's knight Edgar struck his heart like a hammer blow. He looked around; the line that had been barely held together was now completely broken. Soldiers were fleeing in disarray, howling as they surged toward the tightly closed castle gates, trampling each other and shattering the last vestiges of order. Below the high ground, the Blacksin heavy infantry phalanx advanced steadily, like a moving steel wall, stepping over the corpses of the fleeing soldiers; the knights' iron hooves had reached the edge of the high ground, their gleaming spear tips mercilessly piercing the slow-moving wretches; the halflings' "Iron Thorns" roared shrilly, their spinning scythes tearing flesh and blood, drawing ever closer to his command center!
In the air, the terrifying green dragon was circling, its cold, vertical pupils seemingly locked onto him. The damned figure on the dragon's back—Su Li—was coldly looking down at this inferno he had created!

Is it all over...? Is everything over?
No! no way!

A surge of rage, a mixture of utter despair, mad obsession, and an unwillingness to perish, instantly shattered Baron Grant's last shred of reason. His bloodshot eyes were fixed on the bronze spear he had been clutching tightly in his hand—a fragment of the Spear of Oath, inlaid with a massive sapphire and possessing an ancient and strange design! This was Blue Mirror Keep's most important relic, the proof of the pact with the ancient spirits at the bottom of the lake, and his final, only gamble!
"The price...then pay the price!" Baron Grant growled like a beast, his voice hoarse yet carrying a chilling resolve. He abruptly raised his spear high, its tip pointing straight to the sky!

"With my blood! In the name of Grant Bernhard Scott, Lord of Blue Mirror Keep!" he roared hoarsely, his voice piercing the clamor of the battlefield, like a desolate war cry from the ancient land, "Fulfill the ancient oath! Spirits of the lake! Awaken! Fight to protect your resting place!"

Before he could finish speaking, to everyone's horrified gaze, Baron Grant did something incredibly crazy—he gripped the Spear of Oath tightly with both hands and, with all his might, plunged the tip of the spear into his own chest!

"Pfft!"

The sharp spearhead pierced through the ornate breastplate in an instant, sinking deep into the chest! Hot blood gushed out like a fountain from the wound and the spear shaft, staining the ancient bronze spearhead red!

"Ugh—!" Baron Grant let out a bloodcurdling scream, his body convulsing violently. Yet, his hands gripped the spear shaft like iron clamps, maintaining the raised position, his face contorted with extreme pain and a near-mad frenzy!

Om-!
The enormous sapphire embedded in the Spear of Oath suddenly erupted with a blindingly deep blue light! This light was not divine, but rather carried a cold, deathly chill, as if it came from an endless abyss! Centered on the tip of the spear, visible ripples of deep blue energy spread outwards, instantly sweeping across the entire Blue Mirror Lake!
"My lord!" Knight Edgar's eyes widened in fury as he tried to rush forward, but was violently pushed away by the raging energy ripples.

The entire Blue Mirror Lake erupted into chaos the instant the Spear of Oath was stained with blood and sacrificed with lives! The entire lake surface churned and swelled violently as if it were being boiled! The viscous, eerie green water swirled wildly, forming a massive whirlpool that covered the entire surface of the lake!

At the center of the whirlpool, the lake water rapidly changed color, from a deep green to a cold, lifeless, iron-gray that seemed to have accumulated over countless years! An aura of death and desolation, ten or even a hundred times stronger than before, erupted like a glacier awakening after a thousand years of slumber, sweeping across the entire world! The air seemed to freeze, and even the earth-shaking battle cries of the Black Forest Legion seemed to be frozen by this invisible pressure!

Heroic spirits! In the present world!
"Splash—splash—splash—!!!"

With a deafening splash, countless figures slowly rose from the massive, iron-gray whirlpool in the center of the lake!
They were clad in full bronze armor, covered in verdigris and engraved with ancient patterns. Their helmets completely concealed their faces, leaving only deep, dark eye sockets containing two points of eerie blue soul fire! Their bodies were no longer ethereal, but rather imbued with the chill of the lake water and the sediment of magical winds, appearing exceptionally heavy and solid. Silt continuously seeped from the seams of their armor, as if they had just broken free from a mud coffin that had slumbered for millennia at the bottom of the lake!

Their weapons were equally ancient and heavy: massive bronze two-handed swords, long-handled battle axes, spiked flails… each piece was rusted and radiated a chilling aura of slaughter. Beneath them rode enormous skeletal warhorses, similarly clad in heavy bronze armor, their eye sockets burning with eerie blue soulfire!
One, ten, a hundred... tens of thousands!
Countless ancient bronze knights, densely packed and seemingly endless, rose silently from the iron-gray lake like an undead army crawling out of the abyss of hell. They made no shouts, no roars, only a deathly silence. Yet, this silence was more suffocating than any battle cry! They emanated a chilling killing intent and an unyielding obsession, born from the sedimentation of countless battlefield souls across the vast river of time!
The lake water solidified and rose beneath their feet, forming a wide "road" of deathly water leading to the shore. They formed an ancient battle formation, incredibly disciplined and resembling a steel forest, and their icy blue soulfire turned in unison towards the shore—towards the attacking Black Forest Legion, and the conspicuous green dragon in the sky!

Baron Grant's life force rapidly dissipated with the loss of blood, leaving him too weak to stand. All of this demonstrated that he was utterly unworthy to command this massive cavalry of heroic spirits; he had only managed to earn their service through despicable means and at a tremendous cost.

A twisted, satisfied smile played on his blood-stained lips as he screamed hysterically, "Go! Go and smash them all to pieces! I'll throw their flesh and remains to the bottom of the lake as a sacrifice for you!"

With his shouts and roars, the endless heroic spirits forgotten beneath the dust of time and slumbering at the bottom of the lake were completely awakened! Treading on the waters of death, carrying a sweeping chill and desolation, they launched a silent yet earth-shattering charge against the invaders!

As they deployed their formation, the entire sky in the direction they charged became shrouded in mist, and a green, eerie light filled the world!
But this was not the end. In order to coordinate with the charge of these green knights, the Church of Mannan made a desperate gamble, sacrificing all the relics they found in the lake bottom ruins to Mannan. In the end, they received Mannan's divine grace, which stirred up a monstrous wave!

The entire Blue Mirror Lake seemed to be completely gripped, kneaded, and then violently lifted up by an invisible giant hand!
Rumble, rumble—! ! !
A deafening roar, a hundred times more terrifying than ever before, erupted from the depths of the lake! The enormous, iron-gray whirlpool in the center of the lake plunged downwards, as if opening the gates of the abyss! Immediately afterward, an indescribable surge of water element was forcibly extracted, compressed, and then exploded upwards with earth-shattering force!

A wall of water, stretching from the sky to the ground, suddenly rose from the ground directly behind the ancient heroic knights' charging formation!

This was no longer a "giant wave," but a true mountain range of water! Over a hundred meters high and several miles wide at its base, it completely obscured the sky behind it! The murky lake water, mixed with churning silt, decaying aquatic plants, and even faintly visible debris from the lakebed, formed the main body of this wall of destruction. The chilling aura of death mingled with the overwhelming pressure of divine power, making the air on the entire battlefield thick and suffocating, even halting the chilling momentum of the charging Heroic Knights.

This world-destroying tidal wave will sweep away the entire plains on the north shore of Blue Mirror Lake, along with all the lives currently engaged in battle, into the abyss at the bottom of the lake! This is the Mannan Church's desperate, all-or-nothing gamble, an attempt to completely cleanse the battlefield!

Driven by the shadow of the colossal wave, the green-clad heroic knights suddenly accelerated! They trod upon the solidified waters of death, their eerie blue soul flames appearing even more sinister and terrifying against the backdrop of the world-destroying water wall behind them, like vanguards crawling out of the abyss of hell, leading the tide of destruction.

Faced with this ultimate divine punishment that could drive mortals to despair and even make gods take notice, Su Li's eyes were sharp as knives.

"Ariria! Now! Activate the Water-Repelling Pearl!" Su Li's thoughts were instantly transmitted through the dragon saddle. The green dragon in the air let out a long, earth-shattering roar, and the "Water-Repelling Pearl" (Eye of the Drowned) in its claws erupted with an unprecedentedly brilliant azure light. That light was no longer gentle, but carried a vastness and majesty originating from the very source of water, capable of rivaling the world-destroying tidal wave.

Om-! ! !
The hemispherical emerald green light curtain expanded at an unprecedented speed! The protection of the water-repelling pearl expanded rapidly, like a huge emerald dome overturned on the earth, instantly enveloping the nearly seven thousand soldiers of the entire Black Forest Legion—from the dwarven heavy shield formation at the forefront to the knight group in the center, to the ranged positions and command center at the rear.

The edge of the light curtain was almost touching the hundred-meter-high apocalyptic water wall that was slamming towards them.

boom--! ! ! !

A colossal wave, hundreds of meters high, crashed down with the force to destroy everything.

However, just as the giant wave was about to engulf the entire legion, a miracle occurred!
The surging, turbid waves, carrying immense power, struck the edge of the Water-Splitting Pearl's invisible force field as if they had crashed into an invisible, smooth, and incredibly tough curved wall.

"Whoosh—!!!" The deafening sound of the diversion echoed throughout the heavens and earth!
The terrifying wall of water, stretching to the sky and reaching the earth, was abruptly cleaved in two just tens of meters from the Black Forest Legion's lines. The raging, turbid lake water seemed to have been split in two by an invisible giant hand, forming two enormous, roaring, and churning curtains of murky water, each tens of meters high!
These two "water curtains" clung tightly to the outer flanks of the legion, surging and roaring forward and backward at astonishing speed. The water churned with silt, debris, and countless agonizing, wailing faces, exuding a chilling aura of death. They were like two moving, destructive waterfall walls, trapping the Blacksene Legion in the middle and sweeping it further back and to the flanks.

Between the two "water curtains," the power of the water-repelling pearl created a relatively flat passage. Here, the surging lake water was forcibly calmed and suppressed, forming a "lake battlefield" wide enough to accommodate the entire Black Forest Legion in formation—turbulent yet no longer possessing destructive power!
This is not a solid platform, but a real lake surface! However, within this area, the power of the water-repelling beads greatly reduces the height and impact of the waves, while providing a magical "anchoring" effect.

"Hold your ground! Prepare for battle!" Marshal Erstein's roar was like thunder!
The ground beneath the Hessian soldiers' feet vanished, instantly transforming into a cold, undulating lake! The immense psychological shock and the sudden feeling of unsteadiness caused many soldiers to sway. However, their iron discipline and the subtle "foothold" provided by the water-repelling beads allowed them to quickly adapt!

The dwarven warriors roared, slamming the base of their massive tower shields into the relatively calm water. Their astonishing weight and the design of the shields, combined with the power of the water-repelling beads, made them like rocks rooted to the bottom of the water, and the shield wall instantly rose again on the surface. Long-handled battle axes and warhammers protruded from the gaps in the shields, the icy lake water only reaching their calves.

Under the knights' control, the well-trained warhorses paddled with all their might. Surprisingly, the power of the water-repelling beads seemed to provide some kind of "support" to the horses' hooves, and the knights did not sink! Although they could not charge with the same full force as on flat ground, they quickly adjusted, forming tight defensive circles or wedge-shaped assault formations on the water's surface, their lances pointing like a forest at the enemy. The gilded plate armor reflected the churning, turbid water walls on either side and the dim sky above; each rise and fall of the horses' hooves splashed up large sprays of water.

The ogre mercenaries were colossal behemoths, their sheer weight and strength giving them astonishing stability on the turbulent water. The lake water only reached their ankles, yet they roared with excitement, wielding their massive weapons and creating sprays of water. The metal chassis and wide wheels/tracks of the "Wheatfield Reaper" and "Iron Thorns" provided buoyancy, and with the aid of water-repelling beads, they did not sink. Halfling technicians screamed, maneuvering these steel behemoths slowly across the water, their rotating scythes slicing through the air and water with deadly whistles. They had become mobile water fortresses.

Finally, the crossbowmen, musketeers, and artillery positions were positioned relatively far back, protected by heavy infantry. The soldiers stood in knee- or waist-deep water, struggling to steady themselves and aim their weapons forward. The dwarven engineers even quickly raised some siege engine components, setting up ballistae on the water!

The battlefield at this moment presented a breathtaking and fantastical scene. On the left and right sides, towering, turbulent, and murky walls of apocalyptic water, tens of meters high, roared and churned, like two moving, destructive waterfall cliffs, isolating the outside world and bringing immense psychological pressure. Within the water walls, distorted faces wailed silently, and a chilling aura of death permeated the air.

In the center lies a "water corridor" several kilometers wide, carved out by the power of the water-splitting pearl. The water's surface ripples and surges, but it no longer possesses destructive force. Beneath the deep green lake water, submerged plains and wreckage are faintly visible.

In this turbulent waterway, nearly seven thousand Blackforest elites, clad in heavy armor, formed a tight, steely battle formation, like divine warriors treading the waves! The icy lake water pounded against their armor and shields, splashing countless droplets that gleamed coldly in the dim light. Knights' warhorses rode the waves, infantrymen maintained their formation in knee-deep water, ogres were like moving reefs, and halfling war machines were like steel islands on the water.

Directly ahead of them charged the ancient, heroic knights in silence! Their bronze armor churned in muddy water, and the eerie blue soulfire gleamed against the walls of water on either side. Heavy skeletal horses pounded the water, splashing up viscous, iron-gray spray. They ignored the obstruction of the current, their speed undiminished!

At the highest point of the battlefield, Ariria hovered in the air, the water-repelling pearl in her dragon claw emitting a stable emerald glow, like a stabilizing force, maintaining this miraculous battlefield that parted the waters and separated the waves. Su Li stood on the dragon saddle, the wind wing runes beginning to shine, preparing to guide the storm.

"Hessian Territory!" Marshal Orstein's voice pierced the roar of the waves. "Hold the line! Let these ancient dead witness the power of steel and fire! For glory!!!"

"For glory!!!" A deafening battle cry resounded across the turbulent lake, carrying the determination to crush all obstacles as it charged towards the silent, surging torrent of death! The final battle erupted fiercely on this turbulent water, created by a sacred artifact and flanked by a world-destroying torrent!

The dull, thunderous thud of hooves no longer pounded the earth, but rather pounded the frozen, stagnant water and churning waves, producing a thick, icy "splash-boom" sound. The ancient heroic knights charged without shouts or battle cries, only a sweeping, suffocating silence, and the chilling killing intent of countless points of ghostly blue soul fire burning against the murky water. Like a bronze torrent flowing upstream from the River Styx, carrying the stench of lakebed silt and millennia-old resentment, they crashed violently into the Black Forest Legion, who had just regained their footing on the water's surface!

"Hold on—!" The dwarven longbeard warrior's roar was drowned out by the deafening crash of the impact.

boom!
The dwarven heavy shield phalanx at the forefront bore the brunt of the impact, their bronze skeletal warhorses slamming into the runic tower shields with tremendous force. The immense impact sent the dwarven warriors at the front tier shuddering violently, their feet slicing through churning waves as they slid backward. The sturdy tower shields groaned under the strain, and the runes inscribed on their surfaces instantly erupted with blinding light, colliding and annihilating with the ghostly blue soulfire flowing across the bronze armor.

However, the Green Knights' power was beyond imagination! They ignored the physical impact and recoil, and the skeletal warhorses' hooves seemed to be rooted in water. Huge bronze two-handed swords and long-handled battle axes slashed down fiercely from above the shield wall or through the gaps with a shrill sound that tore through the air!
*Swoosh!* A dwarf warrior's tower shield, along with half of his shoulder armor, was cleaved open by a massive sword as thick as a door. Scalding blood instantly stained the cold lake water. The warrior only had time to let out a muffled groan before collapsing, his heavy body sinking to the bottom, leaving only churning blood foam behind. Elsewhere, a spiked flail slammed into the edge of a shield, the terrifying impact sending two soldiers flying behind it. The flail crashed down, scattering flesh and bone in the murky water!

"Hold on! Hold on! Gronny is watching us!" The dwarves, their eyes bloodshot, roared as they braced their tower shields, their comrades supporting them with their shoulders. Long-handled battleaxes and heavy hammers stabbed and slammed wildly through the gaps in the shields, striking the skulls and breastplates of the skeletal warhorses with dull thuds, scattering rusted bronze fragments and pale bone dust. The soul fire in the skeletal warhorses' eye sockets flickered, but their charge showed no sign of slowing, stubbornly pushing forward against the dwarves' counterattack!
On either side of the dwarven shield wall, the elite of the Blackwood Knights also faced a deadly onslaught. These two ferocious knightly legions, relying on their superb horsemanship and the subtle buoyancy provided by the Water-Repelling Beads, formed powerful wedge formations, their lances forming a forest, meeting the surging torrent of bronze.

"Raise your spear! Throw!" the knight commander shouted hoarsely.

Clang! Thud! Crack!
Knights' lances clashed violently with ancient bronze spears and greatswords! The clang of metal striking metal and the sharp crack of weapons breaking filled the air. The Blackforest knights' skill was superb; their lances pierced precisely into the eye sockets of skeletal warhorses or the weakest points in their breastplates. Some skeletal horses, their soulfire cores pierced, disintegrated with a deafening roar, throwing their bronze knights into the water. But many more green knights, ignoring the spears piercing their bodies, swept past with the force of their heavy bronze weapons, capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks!

A Black Forest knight's lance pierced his opponent's breastplate, and eerie blue soulfire erupted from the breach. But before he could withdraw his lance, a rusty yet powerful bronze battle axe came crashing down! The ornate steel helmet, along with the head inside, exploded like a ripe watermelon! The headless knight's corpse, carried by his mount, slowly sank into the water.

The water became a death trap. Fallen knights and soldiers, their heavy armor causing them to sink rapidly, were engulfed in the icy lake water, their struggles and cries for help instantly swallowed by the roar of battle. But the green knights seemed unaffected by the water; even after falling in, they could rise again from the muddy lakebed, brandishing their weapons and continuing their slaughter!

"Iron Thorns! Spin them around! Crush those skeletons!" the halfling technician shrieked.

Buzz buzz—!
The flail of "Wheatfield Reaper" and the spinning scythe of "Iron Thorns" roared deadly once more. Slowly moving in the water, they became mobile meat grinders. The spinning scythes whipped up huge splashes of water, slamming into the Green Knight's flank.

Bronze armor was torn apart and shredded by the rapidly spinning, sharp scythes! Skeletal warhorses were cleaved in two, with scattered bones and armor fragments flying everywhere. A "Iron Thorn" machine, like a raging metal hedgehog, instantly engulfed several Green Knights in its blades, shredding them to pieces! In the murky lake water, numerous bronze fragments and broken bones floated to the surface.

The ogre mercenaries were in their element. Their massive size and strength gave them a clear advantage in the water battle. With the lake water only up to their ankles, they brandished huge spiked clubs and flails, roaring deafeningly as they charged into the Green Knights' ranks.

"Smash! Smash them flat!" The ogre Moneybag Chief Groom slammed his club down, smashing a skeletal warhorse and the bronze knight on its back into a twisted pile of scrap metal! The eerie blue soulfire dissipated with the impact. Another ogre grabbed a green knight's thrusting spear with both hands, roaring as he swung it, spear and all, at his companion, slamming it down with a muffled thud of shattering bone armor. The ogres' brute force was unleashed even more terrifyingly underwater; they were like human battering rams, smashing a breach into the green knights' disciplined formation.

(End of this chapter)