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Chapter 145:
Chapter 145:
Chapter 145:
The gates of Song Zhou City swung open slowly. The garrison troops inside the city marched out in an orderly formation. Su Li didnt waste any time on elaborate tactics in this critical moment. Unnecessary commands would only delay them. Witnessing his comrades and fellow clansmen being mercilessly slaughtered fueled Su Lis desire for action with his giant halberd, eager to unleash his anger by shedding the blood of the Tubo people.
From a distance, Lu Dongzan, leading the Tubo central army, observed the scene closely. After a quick assessment of the situation, his brow furrowed. At least fifty thousand troops, he estimated.
Song Zhou Citys garrison numbered several thousand soldiers; now, an additional fifty thousand had arrived. Did this mean all of the Tang army in the city was mobilized? This raised suspicions of a trap, leading Lu Dongzan to question the competence of his opponent.
Nevertheless, Lu Dongzan remained cautious and quickly issued orders. The Tubo armys formation shifted, with a vanguard of fifty thousand soldiers advancing towards the Tang forces. Lu Dongzan personally led eighty thousand troops as the central army, flanked by ten thousand light cavalry troops on each side, ready for a swift attack. The well-organized arrangement revealed Lu Dongzans tactical prowess, gained from his study of military strategies.
The two forces moved synchronously, keeping a relative pace with each other. The Tang troops left the city, leaving the gates open behind them. Observing this, Lu Dongzan sneered. The Tang forces think they can defeat my one hundred and fifty thousand strong army with fifty thousand exhausted soldiers? They are mistaken! Regardless of a trap, a direct confrontation with such a vast numerical advantage seemed futile. The odds were clearly in Lu Dongzans favor.
As the Tang forces and Tubo vanguard closed in, their distance rapidly decreasedfifteen hundred paces, one thousand paces, eight hundred paces. Both sides cavalry readied their weapons at eight hundred paces, crouching slightly to prepare for the charge. Four hundred paces was the optimal distance for a cavalry charge, allowing the horses to reach their peak when they met the enemy lines.
Suddenly, a thunderous neigh echoed. A snow-white warhorse from the Tang Dynasty surged forward, charging directly at the Tubo vanguard. Leading the charge was Su Li on his warhorse, White Dragon. White Dragon, a system-provided horse, was a natural warhorse capable of carrying heavy loads over long distances. It was a superior breed, embodying the attributes of Su Li himself.
With a nudge from Su Li, White Dragon roared and thundered ahead. Su Dingfang urgently shouted, Protect the General! and spurred his warhorse. The Tang forces transformed into a torrent, charging towards the Tubo vanguard, ready for battle.
On the Tubo side, the vanguard gradually picked up speed. The cavalry clash wasnt solely about who initiated the charge first. A single charge consumed a significant portion of a warhorses energy. Being too far from the enemy lines would lead to exhausted horses and an obvious outcome.
In the rear central army, Lu Dongzan watched Su Lis solo charge on horseback with a sneer of disdain. In his mind, he had already marked this Tang general, who rushed out first, as a dead man.
Meanwhile, Su Li led the charge with a nearly three-meter-long war halberd in hand. In an instant, he crashed into the Tubo formation. His massive war halberd arced through the air, cleaving the first four Tubo cavalry charging at him in half.
The following Tubo soldiers, recovering from their initial shock, roared angrily and surged towards Su Li. However, White Dragon charged through the crowd, its heavy armor rendering the Tubo blades almost useless. Conversely, Tubo soldiers and horses struck by White Dragon were left with broken bones and torn ligaments.
White Dragon bulldozed through the Tubo ranks like a tank while maintaining its speed. Su Lis war halberd continued its deadly dance. The Hegemons Halberd Technique allowed him to cleave through multiple Tubo warriors with every swing, scattering blood and flesh.
The coordination between Su Li and White Dragon was seamless as they charged fearlessly into the midst of fifty thousand enemy troops. Within just two rounds, they induced the enemy soldiers to retreat.
Even divine and sharp weapons were essentially slightly enhanced tools in this era. Yet, a weapon over two meters long demonstrated its prowess in Su Lis hands. Wielding such a lengthy weapon required finding the right angle of attack due to the human bodys resilient structure and tough bones. However, Su Li defied this norm, cleaving opponents effortlessly with each swing of his war halberd.
Sometimes, enemy warhorses were sliced apart as Su Li passed by. His movements made killing seem as effortless as slicing tofu. The daunting question remained: How could anyone effectively counter such an opponent?
Before long, Su Li found himself encircled by Tubo warriors. However, they maintained a cautious distance of more than ten meters, refraining from getting too close to him.
Surveying his surroundings, Su Li held his war halberd, observing the aftermath of the intense battle. His armor was almost drenched in the blood of his enemies, with flesh and blood clinging to it. Despite his calm expression, his heart raced from the adrenaline coursing through his veins. The brutal fight was exhilarating, even though Su Lis physical condition should have limited such excitement.
In the distance, the Tubo forces introduced hundreds of archers to the scene. Recognizing that close combat held little threat to Su Li, they planned to engage from a distance. Yet, when the arrows rained down upon Su Li and White Dragon, they merely produced a metallic clinking sound. The armor worn by both man and horse deflected most of the arrows, while the few that penetrated found minor gaps and fell harmlessly to the ground.
Given Su Lis current physical prowess, even a close-range shot from a potent crossbow wouldnt harm him. With leisure, Su Li turned his head to observe the situation behind him.