Reverend Insanitys Biography of Qitiab

The Battle Unfolds

It was June.

Though it should have been the peak of summer, the lingering presence of a decade-long blizzard had thickened. The sky remained overcast, chilling winds swept across the land, and frost grew heavier by the day.

The wild grass swayed violently in the wind, and restless herds of beasts roamed anxiously.

The vast Northern Plains had become a battlefield where countless factions vied for supremacy, and war raged on all fronts.

Following the He Clan's victory over the Eastern Army, a series of large-scale battles unfolded across the Northern Plains. One by one, these conflicts reached their conclusions.

At the same time, the Ma Clan launched a fierce offensive against the Song Clan's first line of defense.

This defensive line, carefully fortified by the Song Clan, leveraged the natural terrain to its advantage. Elite soldiers controlled the torrents from high ground, creating cascading waterfalls that thwarted three successive charges from the Ma Clan's forces.

Yet, the Ma Clan's army was vast and powerful, holding an overall advantage. They refused to retreat.

As the commanders deliberated over a strategy, all eyes turned to Qi Tian, whose expression remained calm. One of the generals asked expectantly, "Lord Ma Zun, do you have a plan?"

At these words, the gathered officers all focused on Qi Tian, their gazes filled with anticipation.

Qi Tian smirked confidently and declared, "Worry not, gentlemen. Give me but one moment, and I shall break through this defensive line."

Many were skeptical, while others were stunned, but none dared to voice their doubts.

Ma Shangfeng, the supreme commander, was delighted. "Then we shall witness Lord Ma Zun's methods."

Once more, the Ma Clan's cavalry surged forward, launching another relentless charge against the Song Clan's first defensive line.

The battlefield had been turned to a muddy quagmire by the torrential water defenses, hindering the cavalry's momentum. However, the Terrorclaw Horses, with their powerful claws and webbed hooves, moved effortlessly through the swampy terrain, remaining a formidable assault force.

The Song Clan's Gu Masters held their ground, casting defensive techniques to repel the charge. In mere moments, the battlefield was littered with the corpses of fallen warhorses.

Qi Tian, watching from afar, sneered. He activated several Gu worms and murmured in his heart:

Killer Move—Ten Thousand Horses Galloping!

Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The warhorses accelerated dramatically, charging in unison with impeccable coordination. The impact and destruction inflicted upon the defensive line multiplied several times over.

Ten Thousand Horses Galloping was a powerful killer move inherited by Ma Zun. Though not as renowned as the Dragon Horse Spirit bestowed by Songzi Pine, its effectiveness in large-scale battles was unparalleled.

The relentless warhorse charge, driven by their final bursts of life force, created an overwhelming offensive that left the defenders feeling utterly insignificant.

"Ma Zun!" Song Qingyin gritted his teeth. If the opportunity arose, he would slay Ma Zun first.

Under the ceaseless charge of the cavalry, the Song Clan's Gu Masters found their primeval essence depleting at an alarming rate. Unable to recover in time, they were overwhelmed, with no room to catch their breath.

"Retreat!" With no other choice, Song Qingyin issued the order.

As Qi Tian had predicted, the Song Clan's first defensive line collapsed within a single moment. Song Qingyin left behind a group of injured Gu Masters to cover their retreat while leading the remaining forces toward the second defensive line as fast as possible.

"The horses are exhausted and unfit for further pursuit." Qi Tian withdrew the cavalry and cleared a path for the Ma Clan's main army to advance.

This move won him the admiration of nearly everyone present.

Ma Shangfeng remained seated in his command tent, appointing Cheng Long as the main general, assisted by Cheng Hu and Fei Sheng, to lead the pursuit.

The troops, exhilarated by their swift victory, surged forward.

"Kill them all!"

"Slaughter these dogs of the Song Clan!"

"Kill all the men and take all the women into our camps!"

Fueled by bloodlust, they pursued the retreating Song forces, utterly decimating them. By the end of the day, they had seized the second defensive line as well.

However, in their continued pursuit, the vanguard fell into a Song Clan ambush, losing three Rank Four Gu Masters.

Song Qingyin, leading from the front, launched a counteroffensive. The Ma Clan was forced to relinquish the unstable second defensive line and await reinforcements from the central army.

---

Within the Ma Clan's command tent, the atmosphere was tense.

"Song Qingyin counterattacked, and I failed to defeat him, resulting in the loss of a defensive line. I await the leader's punishment." Cheng Long, having faced Song Qingyin in battle, was the first to admit fault.

"Song Qingyin is one of the three great flying masters of the Northern Plains. Though only Rank Five Initial Stage, his aerial combat skills are unmatched. Only another flying master can contend with him. This is not the fault of Clan Leader Cheng."

Ma Shangfeng had no intention of punishing him. Cheng Long, despite having flight-type Gu worms and transformation-based killer moves, only held near-master-level flying skills. Losing to Song Qingyin was reasonable.

Moreover, punishing him would sow discord among the allied forces and damage Ma Shangfeng's reputation for fairness.

Cheng Long expected this and was unbothered. By taking the initiative to acknowledge his shortcomings, he instead demonstrated his magnanimity.

"Victory and defeat are commonplace in warfare. As leader, I share responsibility for our loss. But now, we must focus on dealing with Song Qingyin."

The tent erupted into discussion.

"Flying Gu Masters hold a natural advantage. They can dictate the battlefield, attack or retreat at will, and maintain an unassailable position. Every flying master is a nightmare to deal with," said the Zhao Clan leader, frowning deeply.

He had firsthand experience with this, as the Zhao Clan had feuded with the Eastern Tribe for years. Three years ago, their flying master, Fei Dian Dong Poku, had defeated him, securing a place among the three great flying masters alongside Song Qingyin and Qing Bat Wu Ye.

"To defeat a flying master, the best option is another flying master. But the other two are currently unavailable," Cheng Long sighed.

"If manpower fails, we can rely on beasts," Ma Yingjie suggested.

Everyone's eyes brightened before quickly dimming again.

Ma Shangfeng's expression shifted, then he suddenly smiled. "You mean…"

"Yes! We still have the Pegasus Herd!" Ma Yingjie's face filled with pride as he cast an admiring gaze toward Qi Tian.

"Brother, how confident are you?" Ma Shangfeng turned to Qi Tian expectantly.

"Ten out of ten."

---

The battlefield stretched for miles. One side boasted an army in peak condition, while the other held high morale, banners fluttering in the wind.

Song Qingyin, standing in the air upon a cloud, dressed in pristine white, exuded an aura of elegance. Silken streams of water circled his figure like flowing ribbons.

Opposing him, the Ma Clan's warhorses surged forward—majestic Unicorn Pegasi, Azure Gale Horses, Terrorclaw Horses, and Blazing Inferno Steeds—accompanied by elite Gu Masters mounted on warhorses, flanking Qi Tian.

"Who dares to challenge me?" Song Qingyin declared, relying on his superior aerial prowess to challenge the Ma Clan's Rank Five experts.

Qi Tian stepped forward.

With a silent command, the Pegasus Herd emerged from the warhorse ranks, their pristine wings unfurling as they ascended.

The final showdown had begun.