Hearing these words, Sa’er Khan calculated his situation in a flash—pursuers behind… and Pingdu City had already been breached, leaving no retreat.

There might be an ambush ahead, but beyond the Danshui River lay Quanya City. With giant elephants, crossing the river was simple, but the ambushing troops might not necessarily be able to cross. So he resolved to charge through. Even if troops were lying in wait here, charging quickly would still preserve many of them! Staying here and accepting fate would mean being wiped out entirely!

With this thought, Sa’er Khan gave the order for the elephant army to rapidly charge across to the other side of the Danshui River.

The bone whistles sounded again. The giant elephants raised their trunks and trumpeted, surrounding the elephant carrying Sa’er Khan in the center, charging together toward the exit of Hanwen Mountain.

The trembling beneath Shen Kunyang’s feet grew more violent. Seeing that Sa’er Khan’s elephant army had completely entered their attack range, Shen Kunyang suddenly stood up: “Attack!”

In an instant, torches blazed to life on both sides of Hanwen Mountain valley. Soldiers covered in snow rose to their feet, frantically shooting crossbow bolts toward the elephant army in the valley below. Fire oil and pine oil poured down together, and flaming arrows fell densely into the valley.

The flaming arrows struck the ground soaked with fire oil. The blue flames on the arrows dimmed as if extinguished… but soon those low blue flames spread rapidly outward from around the arrows like ghostly spirits. When they collided with other spreading blue flames, they erupted upward with a roar, swallowing the legs of both men and elephants, subjecting all living things in the valley to scorching heat.

Fire tongues danced wildly, leaping high and low with the wind as they searched for prey, like ravenous beasts ready to pounce at the slightest carelessness.

Seeing that the great fire had started, the soldiers threw down bags of peppers and chili wrapped in snow.

The fierce flames burned the peppers and chili with crackling sounds, and choking thick smoke rose with the momentum to pierce the nine heavens…

Everywhere were the agonized cries of giant elephants and humans, even more fierce and miserable than before.

Sa’er Khan’s eyes widened. He truly had not expected so many troops to be lying in ambush here!

“Charge through!” Sa’er Khan made a decisive decision, suppressing his violent coughing and covering his mouth and nose with a cloth. “Charge through immediately!”

If they didn’t charge through, once the pursuers arrived… they would have even less hope!

Once the fire started, the ice path beneath their feet melted. The giant elephants no longer had to walk as cautiously as on ice. Guided by the whistle sounds, the elephants spread their legs and galloped frantically.

The Tianfeng elephant army charged with all their might. Shen Kunyang nocked an arrow and drew his bow, aiming toward the dark valley exit, shooting a flaming arrow that struck the chevaux-de-frise. The flames seemed to quietly disappear into the dark, windy, snowy night.

But just as the Tianfeng elephant army was about to reach the valley exit…

“Boom…”

The chevaux-de-frise doused with fire oil and pine oil suddenly burst into towering flames, fire tongues shooting straight up to the sky, illuminating everything around.

Without giving Sa’er Khan time to think, he understood that placing flaming chevaux-de-frise here was meant to trap them inside the valley path. If they truly couldn’t get out, it would be complete annihilation—all people and elephants would die here, including him!

He could not die. He was the king of Tianfeng!

Even though giant elephants were precious, between having all the precious ones killed here versus some precious ones dying to ensure some survived, the choice was clear.

The giant elephant beneath Sa’er Khan suddenly stopped. He used his shield to block the fire arrows targeting his body and shouted: “Charge through! Let the giant elephants clear a path first!”

With the bone whistle sounds, those giant elephants already on fire charged fearlessly toward the chevaux-de-frise with trumpeting cries.

One giant elephant… two… three…

Countless giant elephants ablaze charged like possessed spirits into the fiercely burning chevaux-de-frise, smashing the barrier’s structure to allow the elephant army behind to escape alive.

“Don’t let them escape! Shoot! Quick, shoot! Smash them! More fire oil! Block the exit with peppers and chili! Quickly!”

Hearing Shen Kunyang’s shouts, the soldiers reacted swiftly, carrying bags of peppers and chili to throw toward the chevaux-de-frise.

The intense, choking spiciness that could destroy human hearts and lungs made breathing impossible. Humans could at least control themselves and hold their breath, but the giant elephants, with their naturally keen sense of smell, even wrapped in chain mail, had been driven completely mad by repeated assaults of spicy vapors.

Great Zhou’s flaming arrow rain struck the giant elephant Sa’er Khan was riding, then fell away, only able to burn briefly on the iron armor. After the small amount of fire oil on the arrows burned out, they were extinguished. Sa’er Khan had already abandoned his combustible chair, sitting directly on the elephant’s neck, one hand desperately gripping the elephant’s rope, the other holding up his shield to block the arrow rain, shouting hoarsely for the elephant to speed up its charge against the chevaux-de-frise.

Watching giant elephants fall one by one, watching the elephants protecting him go mad and crash into nearby elephants, into the mountain walls…

With enemy forces occupying the high ground, they didn’t even need their men to charge down for close combat—the giant elephants had already thrown themselves into chaos.

“Quickly! Quick!”

Under Sa’er Khan’s urging, elephant after elephant charged into the burning chevaux-de-frise, emitting shrill, piercing trumpets, using their lives to smash through the barrier.

The arrow rain attacks grew increasingly fierce. Sa’er Khan gave the order and charged out with the elephant army regardless of consequences…

They burst through the flaming chevaux-de-frise. Dozens of giant elephants ablaze had barely emerged from the mountain valley when some could no longer bear the burning and collapsed, rolling on the ground, tripping the elephants charging out behind them.

Even Sa’er Khan’s clothing had caught fire. He felt the pain of his flesh splitting open, felt the stinging sensation of tears flowing down his cheeks. He stared fixedly at the Danshui River—once they reached it, everything would be over!

Just as the giant elephant beneath Sa’er Khan was about to reach the Danshui River, his elephant could no longer hold on, tripping over a fallen elephant ahead. Sa’er Khan was thrown to the ground as well.

“Your Majesty!” The Great Shaman’s disciple’s eyes widened. Almost recklessly, he gripped the rope on the elephant and slid down, releasing the frantically running elephant. He fell to the ground and rolled, enduring dizziness and blurred vision before helping up Sa’er Khan, who had been knocked unconscious by the fall. He shouted to the soldiers coming from behind: “Take His Majesty away!”

The soldiers following behind, controlling giant elephants, slowed their elephants’ pace, slid down by rope, and embraced the unconscious Sa’er Khan. But they looked back at the Great Shaman’s disciple: “Shaman…”

There were no more Tianfeng giant elephants behind them! What about the Great Shaman’s disciple?!

“Take His Majesty away! Don’t worry about me!” the Great Shaman’s disciple shouted.

Only if His Majesty lived would Tianfeng have hope!