This was not a lament for a pastoral idyll, but a cold fury and profound sorrow for a great civilization being forcibly interrupted, its traces of existence violently erased.
This emotion was like a heavy lead block, pressing down on his chest.
Shen Mu's predecessor, his parallel self, was a Blue Star Human born from the Blue Star Civilization within the Blue Star World.
Suddenly, a Steppe Bandit responsible for vigilance in front galloped back rapidly, reining in his horse about a dozen paces away; the warhorse reared, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The Bandit's face held a hint of surprise and doubt: "My Lord! About three miles to the east, behind the dunes! There's a large amount of dust rising!"
Dust?
In this nearly windless daytime?
Shen Mu immediately composed himself, his eyes instantly becoming as sharp as ice picks, all sentimentality instantly dispelled by battle instincts.
He decisively raised his hand: "Halt! All units, prepare for battle! Khergit Mounted Archer, spread out in a fan formation, maintain long-range vigilance! Holy Tree Knight, protect the flanks! Steppe Bandit, advance to scout the situation, pay attention to concealment!"
As the command was given, the team instantly changed formation.
Kujit Veteran Horse Archers skillfully dispersed into small units to the sides, nocking arrows to their bows, the arrowheads hidden but ready, their sharp gazes fixed on the undulating dune line to the east.
The Holy Tree Knights, meanwhile, tightened their formation, guarding Shen Mu at the core; their Mithril Kite Shields were slightly tilted, forming a solid defensive line, and sharp eyes beneath their visors scanned for potential surprise attacks from any direction.
Several of the most nimble Steppe Bandits, having received the order, immediately shook their reins and, using the terrain for cover, advanced quickly and silently towards the direction of the rising dust, their figures soon disappearing into the shadows of the undulating dunes.
The air seemed to solidify.
The sun was scorching, and the sand shimmered with heat.
From afar, only the mournful whine of the wind sweeping over the dunes could be heard, and... that faint, distant rumble like muffled thunder.
It sounded like dense footsteps, or perhaps the dull clash of countless swords.
The dispatched Steppe Bandits soon brought back intelligence.
They stealthily returned like ghosts, reporting in hushed, urgent tones: "My Lord! It's Skeletons! A huge number, probably no less than two hundred! But they are moving and fighting! The ones fleeing in front are those Skeleton Archers from the Black Arrow Tower Seventh Dynasty, skillfully using the dune terrain to dodge and return fire. Chasing closely behind them are about ten Skeleton Cavalry! They are in close pursuit, and both sides are fighting in the dunes! The dust is stirred up by their pursuit and engagement!"
"Wait?" Shen Mu was slightly stunned upon hearing this: "Skeleton Archers, and Skeleton Cavalry are fighting?!"
These are all Undead Monsters under the death spirit rules.
How could they possibly be fighting each other?!
Fighting themselves?
"Is this true?" Shen Mu pressed, as if he had thought of something.
The Steppe Bandit acting as a scout shook his head: "It's true, their battle is really fierce, and by the time we saw it, it had already entered a white-hot stage, with no signs of holding back at all."
"My Lord." Bestour rode closer, licking his dry lips, a predatory gleam in his hawk-like eyes, "A good opportunity! The distance isn't far, and the terrain is suitable for our maneuverability! Send my Mounted Archers to charge in with a volley; no matter which side they hit, it will make them fight each other even harder! It would be best if we could provoke both sides to counterattack each other!"
This suggestion was extremely tempting.
Using the enemy's chaos to create greater chaos is a classic tactic for profiting from disorder.
Especially for the highly mobile Kujit Mounted Archers, such harassment was instinctive.
But Shen Mu's gaze swept over the dunes, looking at the chaotic battlefield, his eyes deep and cold. He slowly shook his head: "No."
"Why?" Bestour asked, puzzled, his tone urgent, "My Lord, this is truly a very good opportunity!"
"There are three reasons," Shen Mu's voice was devoid of ripples, like a cold verdict:
"Firstly, the purpose of their skirmish is unclear. Have both sides reached some kind of tacit understanding in their engagement? Are they trying to lure us into revealing our position and strength? We are still unclear about their true intentions. Rash intervention might play right into their hands."
"Secondly, the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Lezalit's intelligence clearly indicates that Ghost Light Dynasty's Bone-Armored Cavalry are very likely lurking in some nearby shadow, like the most patient venomous snakes. Once we reveal ourselves and attack, whether successful or not, we will completely expose our position. If more Skeleton Bone-Armored Cavalry take the opportunity to launch a 'Ghost Light' charge in the open dune area, we will be at an absolute disadvantage and easily cut off and surrounded."
He paused, his gaze growing sharper:
"Thirdly, core interests. Currently, New Rivadin's defenses are not yet perfect, and the top priority is time! To gain every possible precious moment to reinforce the city walls, upgrade military equipment, and stabilize internal affairs! Our goal is not to annihilate a small group of enemies in front of us, but to ensure that when the three main forces attack next time, New Rivadin can become an anvil that breaks their teeth! Greedily pursuing a small advantage now, if we get entangled by the enemy or draw a main force attack, disrupting our defensive construction rhythm, the losses would far outweigh the benefits of this small harassment."
His analysis was logically clear, coldly weighing the immediate temptations on the battlefield against long-term strategic goals, instantly overwhelming the Kujit's fervent desire to charge.
Bestour was speechless, the impatience in his eyes fading, replaced by a hint of awe.
He understood Shen Mu's deeper considerations.
Enduring for a moment was to wait for the moment that could deliver a fatal blow to the enemy.
"Order!" Shen Mu's voice was not loud, but carried an unquestionable authority, "All units maintain silence, conceal yourselves in the dunes! Carefully observe their combat patterns, troop composition, and tactical habits! Record all details! At the same time, the outer Steppe Bandits are to expand the alert perimeter, closely monitoring other areas besides this battlefield, especially watching for any hidden Bone-Armored Cavalry gatherings or movements of third-party forces!"
"Yes!" A messenger beside him immediately repeated the order in a low voice and quickly relayed it.
The elite cavalry unit swiftly executed the commands.
Kujit Veteran Horse Archers scattered to find advantageous positions to conceal themselves and their warhorses, arrows still nocked to their bows, held in reserve.
Holy Tree Knights dimmed the gleam of their armor, like gray-white rocks embedded in the dunes.
Even Shen Mu himself retreated to the top of a higher, sheltered dune, standing quietly beside his Holy Tree Heavy Steed, his gaze like a cold probe, directed towards the distant, chaotic and bloody chase.
He could clearly see the Skeleton Archers utilizing the complex terrain to turn and scatter bone arrows, which, although mostly bounced off the Skeletons' hard bone armor, occasionally struck critical weak points, causing one or two Bone-Armored Cavalry to fall.
He could also see these dozen or so Skeleton Cavalry constantly compressing the space of the Black Arrow Tower Archers with their mobility and charging speed, their sharp bone spears and bone knives easily tearing through fragile Skeletons.
Dust flew, and faint roars could be heard.
This was like a miniature ancient war unfolding on an alien Desert.
However, Shen Mu's eyes held no pity, only cold calculation and deeper vigilance.
He hid behind the dune, like an experienced hunter, patiently lurking, while also sensing the greater potential dangers that might exist in the broader area.
The wind in the Desert was still dry and hot, carrying sand that struck his visor. The walls of New Rivadin were in the distance, like a silent island.
He knew that the real test was approaching, and what he needed was greater patience than his enemies, and time to secure more, harder bricks for that island.
This, was the only goal at this moment.
So Shen Mu could wait.
He was very calm.
Very calmly watching the distant army, seemingly all Undead Monsters under the death spirit rules, slaughtering each other.
His gaze pierced through the heat-shimmering air, fixed intently on the tumultuous battlefield to the east.
A brutal slaughter between Undead was unfolding.
On one side were the swift-moving Black Arrow Tower Seventh Dynasty Skeleton Archers, whose movements possessed an eerie coordination.
Their numbers were astonishing, roughly estimated to be over three hundred, like a flowing gray tide of bones, weaving, dodging, and counterattacking among the undulating dunes.
Bone arrows, like a sudden downpour, cut through the air with corrosive energy, most of them aimed at the dozen or so Skeleton Cavalry chasing from behind.
On the other side were the Skeleton Cavalry of the Ghost Light Second Dynasty, but they were distinctly different from the "Bone-Armored Cavalry" Shen Mu had previously encountered, which had caused Bestour trouble.
Although these Skeleton Cavalry also rode Skeleton warhorses and wielded bone spears or bone knives, their equipment was noticeably much simpler—
They lacked the dark, thick bone armor covered with twisted patterns, and the soul fires in their eye sockets were ordinary ghostly green, not the cold, deep, or dark red flames of elite Bone-Armored Cavalry.
"It's them!"
Bestour's hushed voice carried a hint of surprise and confusion: "Bone frames against bone frames... it's damn spooky! But, My Lord, this group of pursuers... why do they seem different from those death-bringers I encountered before? They look like ordinary fodder!"
Bestour licked his cracked lips, a fierce glint in his eyes: "And... I've been watching for ages, why isn't a single one of them using that 'Ghost Light'? If they had, even if they could instantly accelerate and explode a gap to rush into the archers like that day, this battle should have ended long ago!"
Shen Mu's gaze swept coldly across the battlefield, like a precise calculator assessing the balance of power. His low voice was like grinding sand: "Because they are not elite 'Bone-Armored Cavalry'. These are more like ordinary patrols, scouts, or... cannon fodder."
The situation on the battlefield confirmed his judgment.
Although those dozen or so Skeleton Cavalry were exceptionally fierce, each charge managed to cut down a few Skeleton Archers on the periphery, their swinging bone spears and bone knives easily shattering fragile bones.
The individual defense of Skeleton Archers was indeed weak; once cavalry got close, they could hardly escape being pulverized.
But numbers, were an unparalleled advantage.
Those more than three hundred Skeleton Archers displayed a chilling resilience and tactics.
Facing the cavalry charge, they did not flee in panic, but rather like a startled yet organized ant colony.
The archers in front quickly retreated, while their comrades on the sides and rear unleashed a volley of arrows, forming one death-covering area after another.
Even if they couldn't precisely hit the vital joints of fast-moving cavalry, with dense volleys, arrows would always get stuck in bone crevices, pierce fragile spines, or directly embed themselves in the joints of Skeleton warhorses.
"Look at that slope at nine o'clock!" Lezalit's steady voice rang out, carrying the analysis of a professional officer: "Three Skeleton Cavalry are trying to cut in from the flank at high speed... Well done! The Skeleton Archers abandoned their concentrated volley on the frontal targets; at least thirty arrows instantly covered that area!"
Just then, three Skeleton Cavalry, who were charging at high speed, crashed into the sudden storm of arrows.
One arrow precisely pierced the neck-vertebra connection of the foremost cavalry, causing it to falter and its charge to disintegrate.
The two cavalry following closely, though avoiding vital points, were pinned by several arrows to their ribs and thigh bones, their speed drastically reduced.
Instantly, seven or eight Skeleton Archers abandoned their long-range weapons, drawing bone daggers from their waists or picking up rusted weapons from the ground,
And pounced like hyenas.
Many ants can kill an elephant; in a few breaths, the two cavalry, having lost their speed advantage, were completely torn into scattered bone fragments by the surrounding Skeleton Archers.
"Numbers."
Shen Mu's voice was calm, yet it clearly reached the ears of Bestour and Lezalit beside him: "In this complex terrain, not a flat plain, sheer numbers themselves are the most effective shield and grinding mill. Local advantages in individual strength will be continuously eroded, consumed, and fragmented by the wave-like numbers, until... completely ground down."
He paused, his gaze sharp as a blade: "What's more, they haven't even used that instantaneous burst advantage... Are they conserving energy? Or are they not qualified to master it? Regardless, with the strength they are currently showing, for them to try and consume these three hundred archers is a pipe dream. It seems like a stalemate, but in reality, the outcome is decided; these Skeleton Cavalry are finished."
Bestour stared intently at the center of the battlefield, at the Skeleton Cavalry squad whose numbers were visibly dwindling, charging left and right like trapped beasts in a gray quagmire.
Although the Skeleton Archers' casualty count was also soaring, their massive base ensured a continuous stream of pressure.
"Damn it! This is truly frustrating!" Bestour cursed in a low voice: "If I were there, one charge... whether it's black light or green light, I'd crush them all!"
Lezalit, however, shook his head gently, his voice grave: "Ordinary cavalry without 'Ghost Light' amplification are indeed powerless in this situation. The enemy archers' long-range suppression is very effective; once their charge space and speed are restricted... they can only be slowly worn down. The Ghost Light Dynasty's loss of this scout cavalry unit is small, but the tactical intentions and troop composition it reveals are of great value to us."
He looked at Shen Mu: "My Lord, should we perhaps harass them after they are both wounded?"
"No." Shen Mu's gaze had already moved beyond that bloody slaughterhouse, looking deeper into the more distant, silent sand sea, as if sensing some cold, invisible gaze lurking within. (End of Chapter)
