Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 399 Falling apart
As the two armies clashed violently, ranged attacks also rained down, and the dwarves roared:
"Ballista! Fire! Target: Dense formation behind!"

"Musketeers! Free fire! Shoot those soulfires!"

The dwarves' furious roars of ballistae and the thunder of muskets wove a deadly storm of lead bullets across the battlefield. Massive, armor-piercing crossbows tore through the air with a sickening shriek, slamming into the relatively dense rear ranks of the Green Knights. The terrifying kinetic energy was on full display—bronze knights struck head-on were like battering rams, their thick breastplates collapsing and shattering, piercing through their inner soulfire cores! The crossbows continued their relentless advance, often piercing through the bodies of two or three knights in succession, sending them flying like rag dolls into the murky lake, splashing up huge sprays of water, leaving only twisted, deformed bronze armor plates and rapidly dissipating eerie blue light.

The musketeers, like calm hunters, spewed smoke from their guns, raining down lead bullets like dense hail on the charging torrent of undead. They aimed at the soulfire leaping and burning within the eye sockets of the bronze helmets. With a crackling sound, some soulfires were struck by precise bullets, flickering violently like candles in the wind, before finally being extinguished. The bronze knights, deprived of their power core, instantly stiffened, their heavy bodies collapsing like broken puppets, splashing up murky water before slowly sinking to the bottom of the lake, stained red with blood and silt.

However, this long-range attack, powerful enough to tear apart mortal armies, was far less effective against this silent, ancient order of heroic knights. They felt no fear, no pain, not even the awareness of casualties. Knights in front fell, sinking to the bottom and becoming new obstacles, while those behind stepped effortlessly over the remains of their comrades, advancing with the exact same rhythm and speed! The uniform sound of skeletal hooves pounding the water was like the death knell, striking the hearts of the Black Forest soldiers. They ignored the swarms of bullets and the heavy crossbows tearing through the air; each swing of their cold bronze weapons precisely and fatally claimed lives.

The dwarven shield wall at the forefront was under unimaginable pressure. The Green Knight's heavy weapon slammed into the rune tower shield with tremendous force, each impact causing the dwarven warriors behind the shield to shudder violently, their hands splitting open, and deep furrows being carved into the lake beneath their feet. The light of the runes flickered wildly on the shield, desperately resisting the corrosive force of the undead.

"Hold on! For glory!" a dwarf commander roared, bracing his shield with his shoulder. His battle axe cleaved through the gap, severing the foreleg of a skeletal warhorse. The horse crashed to the ground, throwing its bronze knight into the water. But before the dwarf could catch his breath, another rusty yet powerful bronze flail whistled down! The dwarf desperately parried, runes shattering instantly! The immense impact caused his arm bones to groan under the strain, sending him and his shield slid backward, knocking down two of his comrades behind him. A tiny gap appeared in the defensive line!

In that split second, a silent green knight spurred his skeletal horse and burst through the gap like a cold bolt of lightning! His massive two-handed bronze sword swept across, instantly severing two Blackforest heavy infantrymen who attempted to cover their position at the waist. Their upper bodies flew through the air with expressions of disbelief, their entrails and blood splattering onto the murky water. Hot, viscous liquid splashed onto the faces of nearby dwarves.

"Block it! Block the gap!" The dwarven warriors, their eyes bloodshot with rage, roared and pressed down with their bodies and shields, tightly surrounding the green knight who had charged into their ranks. Battleaxes and heavy hammers rained down on his bronze armor, producing dull, resounding crashes. The armor plates dented and shattered, and eerie blue soulfire seeped from the cracks. But the knight silently continued to wield his greatsword, felling another dwarven warrior before the combined onslaught of several warhammers finally extinguished the soulfire, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud.

The water was no longer a cold green, but a viscous, glaring dark red. Broken armor, shattered weapons, severed limbs, and floating corpses bobbed and sank in the churning waves. Every step the soldiers took, every paddle of their horses, stirred up nauseating blood. For the soldiers who fell into the water, whether Black Forest warriors or fallen Green Knights, their heavy armor became their death warrant; they struggled and were silently swallowed by the murky blood, leaving only a few bubbling bubbles behind.

On the water's surface on both sides, the knights' duel was equally fierce and tragic. The Black Forest knights were engaged in a brutal battle with the bronze undead that were also riding the waves.

A Blackwood knight's lance pierced precisely into the eye socket of a green knight's skeletal warhorse, unleashing a burst of eerie blue soulfire that instantly shattered the horse. Just as the knight was about to withdraw his lance, another green knight's bronze lance lashed out from the side like a venomous snake! The knight desperately dodged, the lance grazing his breastplate, sending sparks flying, but piercing his mount's neck! The warhorse let out a mournful wail and collapsed, throwing the knight into the icy, blood-soaked water. The knight struggled to his feet, but the heavy plate armor caused him to sink rapidly. The frigid water filled his mouth and nose, his vision was swallowed by crimson and darkness, and the last thing he saw was a bronze battle axe falling mercilessly from above…

"In Violet's name! For glory!" Another Blackforest knight, witnessing his comrade's gruesome death, roared and spurred his horse across the water towards the victorious green knight. His lance shattered in the impact, and without hesitation, he drew his sword and slashed fiercely at the junction of the green knight's helmet and shoulder armor! Sparks flew, a crack appeared in the corroded bronze, and eerie blue soulfire erupted! The green knight's movements faltered, and the knight seized the opportunity to swing his sword again, cleaving off its helmet along with part of its skull. The soulfire finally extinguished, and the bronze knight slowly collapsed. But before the knight could even catch his breath, a heavy bronze flail came hurtling down from his side, slamming into his back. The fine plate armor instantly warped and caved in, and the knight coughed up blood mixed with fragments of internal organs. Although the runes of the Steel Sun Blaze exploded instantly, blasting his opponent to pieces as well, the fallen knight and his mount sank to the bottom of the water.

The ogre, Moneybag Keeper "Bonecrusher" Groom, became the most ferocious presence on the battlefield. Each swing of his massive spiked club stirred up a storm of blood and towering waves. With a muffled thud, a green knight, horse and all, was slammed into the water, the mud churning, his bronze armor twisted and deformed, his soulfire instantly extinguished. Another green knight attempted to pierce his thick leather armor with his spear, but Groom's massive, fan-like hand grabbed the shaft! The ogre roared deafeningly, his arm muscles bulging, and he actually managed to pull the bronze knight, spear and all, from his skeletal horse! He swung this heavy "human weapon" and slammed it down on another charging green knight. The two collided with a sickening metallic clang before sinking into the blood-soaked water.

"That was satisfying! Groom loves smashing bones!" The ogre leader wiped the blood and mud splattered on his face, laughing wildly as he lunged at his next target. His ferocity temporarily halted the Green Knight's flank attack, but it also drew in more undead to swarm him.

At the edge of Blue Mirror Keep, Knight Edgar knelt, using his wounded body to shield the dying Baron Grant. A stray arrow pierced his shoulder armor, blood flowing down his arm guard and dripping onto the baron's pale face.

At this moment, Baron Grant watched with fanaticism as the Knights of Heroes, whom he had won with his lives and sacrifices, slaughtered madly on the battlefield. He watched as Blackforest soldiers fell one after another, staining the lake red, and a twisted, satisfied smile spread across his blood-stained lips: "Kill...kill them all...to...the bottom of the lake...to be buried with them..."

The fierce battle on the water was steeped in blood and death, every second filled with carnage. The Black Forest Legion built a dam of steel and flesh to hold back the undead torrent, paying a heavy price. The Green Knight, however, silently pressed forward, step by step, leaving a trail of blood, towards the heart of the Black Forest Legion, towards the command center protected by the Water-Splitting Pearl. The footsteps of the dead were heavy and unstoppable; the shadow of death, amidst the roaring walls of water and the surging waves of blood, pressed ever lower.

In the air, Su Li coldly watched the battlefield below, which was like a giant millstone, slaughtering lives. The Green Knights' ferocity and the Black Forest Legion's resilience were both within his expectations. He saw the dwarven shield wall crumbling, the knights fighting bloodily in the water, the roar of the war machines, and the Green Knights' silent and resolute advance.

“It’s time,” Su Li murmured. The Wind Wing Talisman in his hand suddenly burst forth with a dazzling golden light! Violent wind elements began to converge wildly around him, stirring up the viscous air brought by the World-Destroying Water Walls on both sides. The sky instantly darkened further, and thick dark clouds swirled rapidly above the Water-Splitting Pearl dome, forming a huge vortex that echoed the death vortex in the lake below.

Terrifying lightning bolts gestated and leaped within the clouds, while a low, howling wind, like the roar of a ferocious beast, drowned out all the clamor on the battlefield! A sacred aura, even more vast and purer than that of the battlefield below, began to envelop the entire Blue Mirror Lake!

The next moment, a terrifying storm, capable of destroying the world, descended!
A powerful and unstoppable hurricane, imbued with divine will, descended like a golden dragon from the sky, sweeping across the entire lake battlefield with overwhelming force.

The wrath of Heaven is like a prison: resistance is a crime!
The hurricane first slammed into the still roaring and surging walls of apocalyptic water on both sides! The turbid, gigantic waves, imbued with the divine power of Mannana and the aura of death, were as if being violently slapped and kneaded by an invisible giant hand the moment they came into contact with the sacred hurricane! The waves were forcibly suppressed and scattered, and countless twisted, wailing water-shaped faces shrieked and disintegrated under the impact of the sacred storm! The power of the water walls was forcibly suppressed and weakened; although they still existed, their destructive propulsion and height were greatly suppressed.

However, the true divine might fell upon the Green Knight.

This hurricane did not blow evenly; it carried a strong aura of divine judgment.

Those who resist will be punished by heaven! Those green knights who still faced the direction of the storm (i.e., the direction of the Black Forest army), raised their ancient weapons, and carried a cold killing intent, ignoring the storm and even trying to charge against the wind, were instantly devastated! The sacred hurricane seemed to transform into a materialized hammer and giant wave, slamming hard onto them.

The green knights at the very front, charging with the strongest momentum, along with their heavy skeletal warhorses, were struck head-on by a battering ram! The sturdy bronze armor emitted a piercing groan and a twisting sound as the knights and their horses were violently thrown off the "water surface" by this irresistible force! They tumbled and spun like broken dolls, crashing heavily into the formation of their comrades behind them, or flying directly towards the roaring water walls on both sides, instantly swallowed by the turbid torrents.

Those knights not directly blown away felt as if countless mountains were pressing down on their shoulders! The sacred hurricane brought not only fierce winds but also terrifying pressure! Their charging steps instantly became staggered and heavy, the hooves of their skeletal warhorses sinking deep into the water, each lift of their hooves becoming incredibly difficult. Any attempt to raise their weapons to parry or attack made their arms feel as if they were filled with lead, their movements becoming extremely sluggish. The raging sandstorm whipped up large amounts of lake water, silt, and battlefield debris, mixed with sacred golden light, lashing fiercely against the eyeholes of their helmets, the eerie blue soul fire flickering violently and uncertainly under the impact of the sandstorm and sacred light! At the same time, the immense wind pressure brought by the hurricane made them feel as if they were in the deep sea, each lift of their heads becoming incredibly difficult.

The hurricane carried a clear will: those who resisted would be punished, and those who yielded would find some peace. Only those green knights who, under the storm's impact, instinctively or involuntarily turned away, their backs to the Black Forest army, or bowed their heads deeply, could feel the sudden relief of the storm's pressure. Although still caught in the gale and unsteady on their feet, at least they wouldn't be directly blown away or completely immobilized by that destructive force. The knights who turned lost their direction and target, while those who bowed their heads completely abandoned any offensive posture.

What's astonishing is that this sacred hurricane, powerful enough to send Green Knights flying, felt like a warm breeze to the soldiers of the Black Forest Legion! The gale howled past them, automatically swerving around the debris and water splashes, and the sacred golden light even invigorated their weary bodies, giving them a burst of energy! Although the water beneath their feet was still turbulent, the combined effect of the water-repelling beads and the will of the storm made their footing even more stable!
"The storm has helped us rout the enemy! Launch a full-scale counterattack!" Marshal Erstein's roar was like thunder. He decisively seized this crucial opportunity! He saw the Green Knights' charging torrent in front of him fall into unprecedented chaos under the head-on blow of the sacred hurricane—the front ranks were blown away, suppressed, and blinded, their formation in disarray; the middle and rear ranks were forced to turn around or lower their heads, and their offensive collapsed!

"Holy Relic of Glory - Radiant Sun!" The Marshal suddenly raised the massive, ancient shield engraved with the sun emblem high in his hand! The huge gem at the center of the shield, like molten gold, suddenly burst forth with a golden light that was even purer and more intense than Su Li's storm!

An invisible, warm, and powerful halo spread out from the shield in an instant, covering the entire Black Forest Legion!
All the Black Forest soldiers felt a slight weight settle over them, as if they were draped in an invisible, warm armor. At the same time, they keenly sensed a change—their shields seemed heavier and more stable, and their instinct to deflect ranged arrows and stones appeared to be temporarily "shielded." But in their place, they felt an unprecedented, absolute confidence in their ability to defend against close-quarters attacks!
Hilde raised her Book of Prayer and shouted with heroic spirit, "Divine Spell: Armor of Justice!"

A dazzling golden light suddenly descended from the sky, like the radiance of the golden sun shining down upon a blazing goddess's spear, dispelling the gloom on the battlefield. Immediately afterwards, each soldier was enveloped in a dense, solidified golden armor! This was a psionic shield, and the soldiers would not suffer any harm until the enemy shattered it.

"Soldiers of Blacksem!" Orstein's voice rang out clearly through the storm, filled with unwavering resolve and power. "The storm shelters us! The relics protect us! The enemy is in disarray! Follow me—forward! Crush them! For the glory of Blacksem!!!"

"For glory!!!" The earth-shattering battle cry exploded in the holy storm, louder and more powerful than ever before!
The dwarven warriors at the forefront roared, using the divine hurricane's power to slam their rune tower shields forward! No longer content with mere defense, they were actively advancing! The shields slammed into the green knights, their movements sluggish and suppressed by the storm, producing dull, resounding crashes. Simultaneously, battleaxes and heavy hammers lashed out from between the shields, slamming into the undead knights who had lost their balance and whose soulfire flickered!

Seizing the opportunity presented by the storm's suppression of the enemy cavalry, the Black Forest Knights on the water spurred their warhorses forward! Under the combined influence of the Water-Repelling Pearl and the Storm's Will, their horses moved faster across the waves than on flat ground! They formed a tight wedge formation, their spears like a forest, a golden torrent of steel crashing into the chaotic Green Knights' ranks! The knights no longer feared close combat, for their knightly shields, enhanced by the blazing sun's rays, became the strongest barrier against damage!

The heavy infantry followed closely behind the knights and dwarves, their shields firmly planted in front of them. Whenever a green knight, fortunate enough to escape the storm's suppression or being blown away, struggled to swing his weapon, the soldiers would desperately raise their shields to parry!

The bronze greatsword slammed into the reinforced infantry shield with a loud bang, causing the shield to shake violently, but the soldier held firm!

Whoosh—! Almost the instant the block was successful, the runes of the Radiant Sun flashed across the shield! A stream of blazing, pure, and holy golden energy, like compressed sunlight, burst forth from the shield's surface and slammed into the Green Knight who had launched the attack, following the trajectory of the strike!
*Sizzle!* Holy energy has a devastating effect on undead creatures! The green knight struck by it emitted smoke and a piercing hissing sound as if his bronze armor were being corroded by strong acid! The soul fire inside the armor, like ice thrown into a furnace, let out a mournful, silent wail before instantly dimming and extinguishing! The knight's body trembled violently, then stiffened, rapidly turning ashes and disintegrating under the scorching heat of the holy energy, ultimately turning into a pile of smoking scrap metal and ashes that sank into the murky water!

The battlefield situation instantly reversed! The holy storm, like an invisible giant hand, pinned the once invincible torrent of undead to its ground, even pushing it backward; while the Black Forest Legion, blessed by the blazing sun, transformed into a holy blade flowing against the storm's current, using its unbreakable defense and deadly counter-damage to relentlessly reap the chaotic Green Knights! Golden counter-damage light rose and fell across the battlefield, each flash signifying the utter demise of an ancient hero!

Meanwhile, the mortars and war machine guns, which had been dormant for a long time, finally found the scattered shells in the huge flood, dried the soaked ammunition, and put them into the counterattack.

"Mortar position! Load cavity high-explosive incendiary shells! Target, fifty paces behind the enemy center! Covert fire!"

"Cannon battery! Solid shot! Extended firing! Pierce their turtle shells!"

The hoarse roar of the dwarven artillery commander pierced through the battlefield's clamor. On the artillery positions, which were gradually recovering from the chaos, dwarven engineers and artillerymen struggled to operate those cold, steel behemoths in water that was waist-deep or even chest-deep.

The heavy breechblock was pulled open, exposing the steaming breech. The dwarven loaders, chanting commands, used specially made long poles to forcefully push the heavy shells and propellant charges into the breech. The cannons were loaded with gleaming, solid cast iron shells, specifically designed for hardened targets; while the short, stubby mortars were fitted with larger, heavier, specially made hollow ramrods filled with the sacred fire of Ujur, capable of unleashing bursts of flame.

"Gun position secure! Loading complete!"

"Target confirmed! Distance corrected!"

"preparation--"

"Fire!!!"

boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!
The first to unleash their power were the war machine fortresses deployed on a slightly elevated, temporary floating platform! Huge cannons spewed forth meters-long bursts of orange-red flames and thick black smoke, the muffled roar of the cannons instantly drowning out the fighting on the battlefield! Heavy incendiary bombs, accompanied by piercing shrieks, tore through the sky, which was dimly lit by the wall of water, and slammed down upon the rear and center of the Green Knight Legion's charging column!
Rumble, rumble—! ! !
A violent explosion erupted amidst the dense formation of the Green Knights! First came a deafening roar, followed by a terrifying shockwave that swept across the water, creating a murky wave of blood several meters high! The high-explosive charge inside the bomb released devastating energy, instantly tearing the Bronze Knight and his skeletal warhorse at the point of impact into countless flying bronze fragments and pale bone dust! The shockwave violently blasted away and scattered the undead knights within a dozen paces, their ghostly blue soul flames extinguished like candlelight under the violent energy impact!
Almost simultaneously with the firing of the mortars, the cannons deployed on the flanks and slightly behind also roared sharply! Their cannon fire was even more intense and penetrating! Solid armor-piercing shells, like javelins of death, tore through the air at speeds imperceptible to the naked eye, crashing into the Green Knights' charging torrent with a piercing shriek!
*Plop! Plop! Plop! Snap!*

Solid shot displayed terrifying kinetic energy and penetrating power! It easily pierced through the thick bronze breastplate, completely shattering the inner soulfire core along with the supporting skeletal structure! The projectiles continued their trajectory, often piercing through several knights lined up in a row, leaving bowl-sized holes in their bronze armor. A green knight hit head-on was as if struck by an invisible giant hammer; his entire upper body exploded with a deafening roar, fragments flying backward, even injuring his charging comrades behind him! Skeletal warhorses, struck, instantly turned into a pile of flying bone fragments. The cannonballs followed a straight trajectory, like an invisible plowshare, carving out "death corridors" of shattered armor, broken bones, and dissipating soulfire in the silent torrent of bronze.

The bombardment had an immediate effect! The Green Knights' originally orderly, silent, and machine-like formation was instantly torn to shreds by the dense explosions and terrifying penetrating blows! The rear ranks suffered a devastating blow, and their momentum was halted.

The aquatic battlefield had become a living hell! Explosions erupted one after another, the burning Green Knights like moving bonfires, billowing smoke that blotted out the sky. Muddy blood surged even higher from the explosions, mingling with broken limbs, twisted metal, burning debris, and floating corpses. The air was thick with the suffocating stench of gunpowder, blood, charred flesh, burning metal, and alchemical flames. The Green Knights not only had to fend off the overwhelming onslaught of humans from the front, but also constantly guard against devastating artillery fire from the rear. Every step they took teetered on the edge of death, their formation crumbling beneath the relentless attacks!
(End of this chapter)