Chapter 290: Yunjiao Army

"Once we start circling, find a chance to break away from the formation!"

The Longshan army had halted, resting before turning southward; behind the ninth cart, Li Hu quickly whispered to Yang Zhong beside him.

Yang Zhong glanced at the deep ditch barely half a li ahead—he knew this was the only opportunity—and immediately nodded in agreement.

The two had been searching for a chance to slip away from the convoy all along, but Zhou Liu Liu Yuan had been pressing them relentlessly, watching too tightly to allow any opening.

Now, finally, the formation had paused, and a deep ditch lay right beside them.

It was indeed a good opportunity.

"Alright, move out!"

At Zhou Liu Liu Yuan's command, the army, having rested for about ten minutes, turned and began moving south along Changbai Gorge, escorting the ten carts.

After marching south for half an hour, covering less than a kilometer, they could already see the far end of Changbai Gorge in the distance.

"Those two—why haven't they returned yet?"

Zhou Liu Liu Yuan, on the flank of the formation, turned to look back, his expression dark with anger.

Song Ning and Li Zou Zou Yuankai had been gone for over forty minutes.

How long does it take to find two men?

Zhou Liu Liu Yuan frowned tightly, suppressing his rising fury, then turned to gaze at the endless snowfield ahead of the army—his expression immediately eased.

Most of Longyou's terrain was flat and open, especially within Changning; apart from this deep ditch, not even a snow mound existed where someone could hide.

Besides, Hou Hu had already defected to Longshan; now, in all of Longyou, there were virtually no forces capable of threatening the Longshan army.

Longshan had already sent scouts to investigate Does Da Xia's situation—Does Da Xia's strength was decent, but the forces left in Longyou were merely two thousand ordinary Digging Ground cultivators.

If such a small force dared ambush him, Zhou Liu Liu Yuan would actually be pleased.

"They wouldn't dare hide their entire army inside the ditch, would they?"

Zhou Liu Liu Yuan turned to look at Changbai Gorge just to the east, his brow slightly furrowed; after a moment's hesitation, he walked over.

Better safe than sorry!

The army was currently marching south along the ditch, only two to three hundred meters from the western edge of Changbai Gorge; Zhou Liu Liu Yuan quickly closed the distance to within a hundred meters.

As a Cold-Resistant cultivator, he possessed perceptual abilities; when he was merely a hundred meters from the ditch, he slowed his pace, holding his breath and sensing the situation on the other side.

But at that moment, a roar erupted from behind the army.

"Commandant, something's wrong—we searched the entire length of Changbai Gorge and couldn't find Cheng He or Li Li Yuanqing; we just found signs of a fight beside the ditch!"

It was Song Ning's voice!

Hearing it, Zhou Liu Liu Yuan's brow sank; he turned sharply and realized that if the army continued forward, it would soon reach the point closest to Changbai Gorge—barely a hundred meters away. Instantly, he understood, his face turning pale with shock as he shouted: "Stop! Stop! Everyone, halt—!"

"Fire!"

*Swoosh…*

A single iron arrow shot suddenly from the direction of Changbai Gorge, streaking toward the convoy.

*Swoosh… swoosh… swoosh…*

Immediately followed by dozens, then hundreds of iron arrows, all firing simultaneously at the Longshan army's convoy.

The whistling of the arrows and Zhou Liu Liu Yuan's shout were nearly simultaneous.

Thus, the men of the Longshan army had no time to react.

*Thwack… thwack…*

These iron arrows, in both accuracy and power, far exceeded Longshan's expectations; the first volley wasn't even large—barely two or three hundred arrows at most.

Yet nearly every single one struck its target.

Most of the arrows precisely pierced critical unprotected areas: soldiers' faces, arms, or waists.

The Longshan formation, composed of ten carts, stretched over two hundred meters; with over a thousand soldiers already widely dispersed, the arrow volley shattered their formation completely, scattering them further.

"Ambush! Ambush! Take cover behind the carts! Hurry, hurry!"

"They're coming from Changbai Gorge! Return fire with bows! Quick!"

Of course, the Longshan soldiers weren't fools; soon, squad leaders reacted, organizing the army to use the four-wheeled carts as barricades against the arrows, pointing out the enemy's location, and ordering everyone to draw their bows and retaliate.

Though they were new troops, their equipment met Longyou Army standards: thirty-dan strong bows, hundred-forged weapons, and battle armor were all issued.

*Swoosh… swoosh… swoosh…*

Unfortunately, they seemed to have no chance to retaliate.

Arrows from Changbai Gorge came without pause, and as time passed, their numbers increased—some even possessed terrifying power, piercing through their iron armor.

"Stop this!"

Zhou Liu Liu Yuan reacted instantly; the moment the "Fire!" command rang out, he charged through the arrowstorm toward Changbai Gorge.

He saw clearly: as soon as the command sounded, over a hundred soldiers clad in pale gold armor emerged from the western side of Changbai Gorge, frantically firing at the Longshan convoy.

The enemy had truly hidden their entire army at the bottom of the ditch!

Zhou Liu Liu Yuan's heart was filled with regret—he regretted not scouting the underside of Changbai Gorge beforehand—but there was no time for regret now; he pressed forward through the arrows, determined to reach the archers and break their formation.

A small-area volley from thirty-dan bows wouldn't crush his thousand-man army; the convoy would soon form a defensive line. The most critical task now was to scatter the hundred enemy soldiers and prevent more troops from continuously climbing up from the ditch.

When Zhou Liu Liu Yuan was only fifty meters from the ditch, he saw clearly: large numbers of fully armed soldiers were climbing up via ropes, joining the ranks of the archers.

The arrowstorm grew fiercer; Longshan soldiers hiding behind the ten carts dared not even lift their heads.

"Song Ning, Li Zou Zou Yuankai—organize the army's counterattack! Don't worry about me!"

This scene only enraged Zhou Liu Liu Yuan further; after giving the order, he brandished his greatsword and surged forward thirty meters in an instant.

In the final twenty meters, he stopped sprinting and leapt high into the air, raising his greatsword and bringing it down in a horizontal slash toward the enemy archers.

Yet strangely, none of the archers looked up at him; all kept their eyes fixed on the convoy, mechanically repeating their shooting motions, continuing to suppress the Longshan army.

"Someone's there!"

Zhou Liu Liu Yuan was no novice—he had experience hunting and commanding troops; seeing their reaction, he immediately deduced that someone was guarding the archer formation.

But the problem was: when his greatsword was only seven or eight meters from the front-line soldiers, still no one stepped forward to stop him.

"Playing tricks!"

Zhou Liu Liu Yuan gritted his teeth and unleashed his full eleven-man strength; his greatsword continued its downward slash toward the front-line soldiers.

*Whoosh…*

Here it comes!

Zhou Liu Liu Yuan's brow twitched violently—the snow in front of the soldiers suddenly erupted, blasting up a ten-meter-high cloud of snow mist.

From within rose a golden giant over three meters tall.

*Clang! *

The four-edged arms of the blade golem clashed with Zhou Liu Liu Yuan's greatsword, producing a deafening roar; the golem staggered back three or five meters.

"Commandant Zhou, long time no see."

From behind the golem, Xia Chuan, clad in pale gold armor, stepped forward slowly; after pulling the golem's arm back, he looked up at Zhou Liu Liu Yuan with a faint smile.

Zhou Liu Liu Yuan tore his shocked gaze from the golem and fixed it on Xia Chuan, his voice low: "Commander Xia, why have you attacked Longshan without cause? Have you considered the consequences?"

"Scout Battalion and Modao Battalion, keep firing to suppress; Crossblade Battalion, split into two columns and circle north and south to encircle the Longshan army!"

Xia Chuan gave a crisp, decisive order in reply.

Almost all Yunjiao soldiers had climbed up from the bottom of Changbai Gorge via ropes.

The Longshan convoy now stood on the western side of Changbai Gorge, meaning the army emerging from the ditch began directly east of them.

After Xia Chuan's order, Liu Liu Liu Yuan led the Scout Battalion and three Crossblade Battalions—four hundred men total—to continue suppressing the Longshan army with powerful bows from the front;

Six Crossblade Battalions split into two columns, firing arrows as they circled north and south, attempting to encircle the Longshan convoy.

The Longshan army wasn't stupid; as the Crossblade Battalions circled north and south, they quickly raised their bows to retaliate, trying to prevent the encirclement.

But their counterfire was slow, and due to Liu Liu Liu Yuan's four hundred men maintaining constant pressure from the front, their accuracy plummeted—arrows flew wildly and chaotically.

*Clang… clang…*

Xia Chuan wasn't idle; after ordering Liu Liu Liu Yuan, he controlled the golem to keep engaging Zhou Liu Liu Yuan.

The golem's limbs clashed violently with Zhou Liu Liu Yuan's greatsword; even the shockwaves shattered the snow on the western side of Changbai Gorge, sending it tumbling into the ditch.

From the start of their clash, it was clear his base strength was inferior to Zhou Liu Liu Yuan's—he could barely hold him off, and even that was difficult.

*Boom! *

Zhou Liu Liu Yuan delivered a diagonal slash, forcing the golem back another three meters; seizing the advantage, he glanced at Xia Chuan behind the golem, leapt sideways, swung his greatsword horizontally, and shot straight toward Xia Chuan.

He clearly understood the principle: capture the leader first; better to strike Xia Chuan directly than wrestle with the stubborn golem.

Unfortunately, his plan collapsed instantly.

A demon-headed greatsword and a spear flew out from either side behind Xia Chuan; they not only rode the momentum of Zhou Liu Liu Yuan's strike but also coordinated with the golem, sending Zhou Liu Liu Yuan flying twenty meters backward.

"Peng Bo, Chen Yingyuan!"

Zhou Liu Liu Yuan immediately recognized the wielders; using the momentum of his flight, he didn't even turn his head—he sprinted straight toward the convoy.

Clearly, the moment Chen and Peng appeared, Zhou Liu Liu Yuan realized he couldn't defeat Xia Chuan—and if trapped by the trio, he himself would be in grave danger.

So he chose to retreat and fight alongside the Longshan army.

"Clever—but too late!"

Xia Chuan saw Zhou Liu Liu Yuan's intent at a glance; after a cold laugh, he ordered the golem to pursue, with Chen and Peng following close behind.

Simultaneously, he shouted orders to all Yunjiao soldiers:

"Shrink the encirclement! When arrows run out, discard your bows—Crossblade Battalion, advance first!"

The Longshan soldiers had all retreated behind the four-wheeled carts.

And as more arrows from the six Crossblade Battalions on the north and south rained down, soldiers at the convoy's ends began crowding toward the center.

Soon, all soldiers had huddled behind the three central carts on the western side.

All wooden crates on the three carts had long since been pierced by iron arrows; weapons and armor lay scattered everywhere, but thankfully the four-wheeled carts were made of iron and could withstand the arrow strikes.

Song Ning and Li Zou Zou Yuankai were no fools; they had already ordered the remaining soldiers to overturn the three iron carts, using their cargo sides as shields to form three walls of iron, blocking the incoming iron arrows.

This tactic worked—at least the casualties stopped immediately.

The problem was, they still couldn't launch any counterattack.

Moreover, due to their concentrated numbers, during the brief time Zhou Liu Liu Yuan had been fighting Xia Chuan, all six Crossblade Battalions had, with the support of four hundred men on the front, completed the encirclement of their position.

"Fuck, we can't even fight back!"

"They're tightening the encirclement."

"We can only wait until their arrows run out—we can't even lift our heads."

"Stay down. When it comes to close combat, we'll have a chance."

"We've already lost a fifth of our men before even engaging—what chance do we have?"

…………

The Longshan soldiers were now utterly trapped; most of them hadn't even seen what the enemy looked like before being pinned behind the carts, too afraid to even raise their heads.

Many had drawn their powerful bows, ready to retaliate, but the moment they rose, several iron arrows flew at them—they had no chance to aim.

At best, a few archers with exceptional skill could fire blindly a few times.

Since it was blind firing, accuracy was out of the question.

Hitting the enemy was even less possible.

Seven or eight hundred men were huddled inside the circle formed by the three carts.

They all knew they could only wait until the enemy emptied their quivers and prepared for close combat before they could strike back.

But the question was—how many of them would still be alive by then?

"Song Ning, lead a force and break out from the west!"

Xia Chuan and the other two had ultimately failed to catch up with Zhou Liu Liu Yuan; he retreated into the midst of the Longshan army and immediately issued the order.

Song Ning knew the situation was dire; without hesitation, he and Li Zou Zou Yuankai led a small squad and opened a gap on the western side.

The instant the gap opened, the whistling of iron arrows from outside ceased.

Song Ning, Li Zou Zou Yuankai, and several Longshan soldiers immediately understood why Zhou Liu Liu Yuan had ordered them to open the western gap for breakout.

The arrow rain had vanished.

The Great Xia soldiers' iron arrows had been exhausted.

There was a chance!

"Scout Battalion, Modao Battalion, follow me—kill!"

Just as Song Ning and the Longshan soldiers began to feel hope, a chilling voice rang out from directly ahead on the west side.

Huh…………

A steel pole seven or eight meters long suddenly descended from above, precisely aimed at Song Ning, who had just charged out of the western gap.

The fierce wind whistling past his ears made Song Ning instantly realize the pole's power far exceeded his imagination—he quickly retreated to avoid it.

Puchī…………

When the pole struck the ground, it shattered the snow in a circle three to four meters wide and plunged more than two meters deep, standing upright.

Above the pole flew a black banner, two meters wide and four meters long; the front bore a massive golden "Xia" character, while the back was embroidered with a golden coiling dragon, the banner snapping violently in the battlefield wind, the dragon seeming to soar through mist and clouds, radiating overwhelming might.

Beside the banner stood a young man in pale gold armor, wielding a broadsword, his left hand gripping the pole, his gaze calm and indifferent.

What did it mean to plant this flag here?

The Longshan soldiers were stunned, but soon they understood.

"Kill!"

Liu Liu Liu Yuan led four hundred men from the Scout Battalion and Modao Battalion charging forward.

They had rushed through the western gap; though initially scattered, they now moved with uncanny precision, all converging directly on the gap.

"This flag marks the direction of the main assault!"

Zhou Liu Liu Yuan immediately recognized the flag's purpose, but he had no time to marvel—he roared behind him: "What are you all staring at? Waiting to die? Grab your weapons and break out west!"

The distance was too close—they had no time to shoot arrows.

As Zhou Liu Liu Yuan gave the order, Liu Liu Liu Yuan's hundred elite scouts had already crossed the flag and clashed with the front-line Longshan soldiers.

Liu Liu Liu Yuan, a Cold-Resisting cultivator, charged into a group of Earth-Digging Realm Jixian soldiers like a god of slaughter—within ten breaths, he cut down five or six men and pushed a dozen meters into their ranks with his hundred elites.

Meanwhile, the three hundred men of the Modao Battalion began contact with the Longshan army.

They wielded giant Mo dao blades nearly three meters long, with no flashy swings or parries—only relentless, forward momentum.

The Longshan soldiers held only one-meter-long greatswords, useless against them—they couldn't even close the distance before being impaled, screaming in agony.

Collapse came in an instant!

As the front-line Longshan soldiers retreated, those in the middle and rear lines were already paralyzed with fear; though still holding weapons, they had no idea what to do.

The space enclosed by the three carts was too small; the three hundred Mo dao soldiers blocked the gap, leaving no room for those inside to maneuver.

Zhou Liu Liu Yuan knew if he didn't fight desperately now, he was done—he charged straight at the front line of the Mo dao Battalion, trying to disrupt their assault rhythm.

To be fair, it had some effect.

The Mo dao Battalion's advance slowed momentarily because of his arrival.

But only for a moment.

Xia Chuan controlled the sword puppet, placing it directly in front of the Mo dao Battalion to entangle Zhou Liu Liu Yuan; then Chen Peng's arrival made his situation even worse.

"Push the carts aside—break out from other directions!"

Until he heard Song Ning's words.

Zhou Liu Liu Yuan's face turned pale; he blocked Chen Yingyuan's spear with his blade, seized the opening, and roared back: "Don't push the carts aside—fight inside!"

His warning came too late!

Song Ning likely assumed that since Great Xia's iron arrows were spent, there was no need to continue pushing west—by pushing aside the other two carts and scattering, they'd have a chance.

The two remaining carts were pushed aside by the rear soldiers working together.

But the instant they were moved, long, slender blades came rushing in.

"Crossblade Battalion, follow me—kill!"

"Brothers, kill!"

"Follow me—kill!"

………………

Six Crossblade Battalions, totaling six hundred men.

Had been lying in wait behind the two carts for a long time.

The moment the Longshan soldiers pushed aside the two carts, the six hundred Crossblade soldiers surged from all directions, instantly piercing through the entire Longshan army's formation.

The most aggressive Crossblade soldiers even met up with the Mo dao Battalion soldiers on the west side.

Puchī…………

Jing!

…………

"Kill!"

If the Longshan army had merely been broken by the Mo dao Battalion's charge,

now they were completely stunned.

Especially when they realized their weapons couldn't pierce the Great Xia soldiers' pale gold armor, yet the enemy's blades could cleave through their own—their morale shattered.

They lacked advantage in basic strength, armor, or weapons.

How could they possibly continue this battle?

"Run!"

The remaining hundreds of Longshan soldiers all had this thought flash through their minds; the moment it formed, the battle's balance tipped even further toward Great Xia's advantage.

Puchī…………

Liu Liu Liu Yuan had already broken through the Longshan formation and met the Crossblade Battalion; seeing the Longshan soldiers scattering, he began shouting to break their will:

"Drop your weapons—surrender and live!"

His shout triggered all nine battalion commanders to join in.

"Drop your weapons—surrender and live!"

"Drop your weapons—surrender and live!"

………………

The Longshan soldiers, already terrified, showed signs of struggle upon hearing Great Xia's call.

"For over forty years, we've ruled Longyou—only others have surrendered to us! You think we'll surrender? Dream on!"

Zhou Liu Liu Yuan's furious roar jolted the Longshan soldiers who had been considering surrender.

They gritted their teeth, gripped their weapons again, and fought desperately.

Others might still fight, but Zhou Liu Liu Yuan was beyond that.

He changed his strategy, desperately trying to break free from Xia Chuan and the others, pushing relentlessly toward the ordinary Great Xia soldiers.

"You've got some spirit—but you picked the wrong opponent!"

Xia Chuan instantly saw Zhou Liu Liu Yuan's intent—he was trying to disrupt the Yunjiao Army's formation and create escape opportunities for the rest of Longshan.

"Brother Brother Director Yu Wen Tao, Chen Chen Chen Yingba, Wu Wu Tianxing, Lin Kai—no more holding back!"

Three more figures surged from behind the Mo dao Battalion—along with Brother Brother Director Yu Wen Tao, who had planted the flag, four Cold-Resisting cultivators plunged into the Longshan army, cooperating with Great Xia soldiers in merciless slaughter.

"It's over! The New Army is finished! Finished!"

Seeing four more formidable Cold-Resistant-level warriors from Great Xia storm onto the battlefield, Zhou Liu Liu Yuan's face was instantly filled with despair.

This New Army was the very force Li Ying Xuan had insisted on entrusting to him against all opposition.

In barely a month, it had been annihilated here.

"Zhou Liu Liu Yuan betrays his leader, betrays his leader, aaaaah…………"

Zhou Liu Liu Yuan stared at the corpses of the Longyou soldiers on the ground, parrying the blade puppets even as he roared, his regret and fury surging to their peak.

After several furious roars, he seemed to make a decision. As the blade puppet swung its blade toward him, he no longer dodged—instead, he braced his blade behind his back, ignoring the attacks from Chen Peng on either side, and charged straight toward the last small group of Longshan soldiers.

That small group, about two hundred strong, had been united under Song Ning and Li Zou Zou Yuankai, which was why they had stayed together and avoided being picked off like the others.

CRASH!

The blade puppet's strike directly struck Zhou Liu Liu Yuan's back as he parried—the terrifying force hurled him forward, while at the same time, Chen Peng's greatsword and spear struck from either side.

His strength was indeed impressive, but Xia Chuan, Chen Yingyuan, and Peng Bo each possessed base strength between eight and nine Zong, barely less than his own.

CRACK…

SPLATTER…

He blocked only Xia Chuan's blade puppet strike; Peng Bo's greatsword and Chen Yingyuan's spear pierced through his waist membranes from either side, driving straight into his flesh.

"Puh…"

Zhou Liu Liu Yuan's face turned deathly pale; he spat a mouthful of reversed blood, yet his body did not stop—he used the momentum from the three strikes to keep charging toward that small group of Longshan soldiers.

Huh…

Worse still, he raised his greatsword and slashed directly at Chen Chen Chen Yingba and Brother Brother Director Yu Wen the Guardian on the western perimeter, even kicking away a dozen soldiers from the Modao Camp.

Zhou Liu Liu Yuan had all but abandoned his life, using his bare body to absorb the Modao strikes while wildly hacking with his greatsword, carving out a narrow path for Li Zou Zou Yuankai, Song Ning, and the others.

"Scatter and run! Great Xia won't catch you! Return and report!"

Li Zou Zou Yuankai didn't hesitate—he bolted down the path immediately;

Song Ning gritted his teeth, slashed away several Great Xia soldiers on either side, and fled as well.

A few dozen lucky Longyou soldiers also escaped under Zhou Liu Liu Yuan's cover.

The rest were not so fortunate!

Brother Brother Director Yu Wen the Guardian and Chen Chen Chen Yingba closed in again; Chen Yingyuan and Peng Bo arrived in time. Surrounded by all four, Zhou Liu Liu Yuan, even in his desperate frenzy, could not escape defeat—he had lost even the chance to flee.

KRAK…

When Xia Chuan arrived, Zhou Liu Liu Yuan was just being skewered into the air by Chen Yingyuan's spear. Xia Chuan swung the blade puppet's right leg downward in a brutal chop, cleaving straight into Zhou Liu Liu Yuan's back—blood sprayed everywhere, and his body slammed into the ground with terrifying force.

Thus, the ambush ended completely.

Though victorious, Xia Chuan showed no trace of pride—only a meaningful glance toward the direction the Longshan soldiers had fled, then he turned and swiftly ordered his Great Xia troops:

"Don't bother counting casualties yet. Secure the battlefield. Each man take one set of weapons and armor. Hand them over to the transport unit immediately—move at maximum speed!"

The Yunjiao soldiers, still caught in the thrill of victory, were clearly taken aback.

"Are you all deaf? The Commander-in-Chief has given his order—move faster!"

Liu Liu Liu Yuan added another urgent command, and only then did the men snap to attention and begin acting on Xia Chuan's orders.

The armor and weapons worn by the Longshan soldiers were identical to the eight hundred sets loaded onto the ten carts—all Hundred-Forged grade—and they would leave none behind.

Even the ten iron four-wheeled carts were extremely valuable.

Of course, there were also prisoners…

"We captured few prisoners—only a little over two hundred. Also…"

Liu Liu Liu Yuan quickly reported to Xia Chuan. Though the Yunjiao casualties hadn't been counted, the Longshan prisoners had to be accounted for.

Wu Wu Tianxing and Lin Kai dragged forward Cheng He and Li Li Yuanqing, both badly wounded and visibly terrified.

Brother Brother Director Yu Wen the Guardian carried Zhou Liu Liu Yuan, who, though grievously wounded and weak, still glared at Xia Chuan with unyielding defiance, his eyes brimming with hatred.

Xia Chuan glanced at the three and smiled: "Pierce their shoulder blades and lock them up. Hand them over to the transport unit to be taken back. A New Army that lasted barely a month is gone, and all three Cold-Resistant-level commanders captured alive—Longshan will grieve for a long time."

Hearing Xia Chuan's final taunt, Brother Brother Director Yu Wen the Guardian and the others chuckled lightly.

"Enough standing around. We've struck a windfall—aren't there still three battalions without Hundred-Forged armor? Let them wear the Longshan gear first. Everyone, help secure the battlefield—don't delay other tasks."

"Yes!"

At Xia Chuan's order, all Cold-Resistant-level soldiers went to assist.

The battlefield was cleared in moments. The Yunjiao army, laden with spoils, marched southward with the ten empty carts in tow.

Xia Chuan stood with a few Cold-Resistant-level officers, watching until the last cart began to move, then turned his gaze toward the east, toward Bai Liu Liu Yuan.

"Longshan won't react in time—no chance to pursue. These eight hundred sets of armor and weapons were meant for Bai Liu Liu Yuan anyway. Now, let's see how Hou Hu responds!"

A flash of cold light passed through Xia Chuan's eyes as he and Brother Brother Director Yu Wen the Guardian followed behind the main force, moving swiftly southward.

(End of Chapter)