Chapter 156: Showing Off Our Strength!

Just as the square formation finished changing, a Brocade Guard immediately ran out from within it.

Then, just like the previous Brocade Guard, he drew the Xiuchun Dao from his waist and shouted, "Change formation!"

In an instant, the five-hundred-man square formation transformed into a three-row rectangular formation.

Once the rectangular formation took shape, the first row of soldiers immediately knelt on one knee, the second row bent over, and the third row stood upright.

All soldiers pressed the stocks of their Daming Guns against their collarbones in a standard aiming posture.

Subsequently, the Brocade Guard issued an order once again.

"Fix bayonets!"

As soon as the words fell, the soldiers immediately drew daggers from their waists and inserted them onto the outside of the gun barrels.

The daggers were about forty centimeters long, of a uniform standard, and once attached to the length of the gun bodies, they immediately became spearmen.

And as the soldiers finished fixing the bayonets, the Brocade Guard said again, "Change formation!"

The three rows of soldiers immediately reformed into a square formation, only this time the center was empty, and the soldiers gripped their Daming Guns, assuming a posture ready to lunge.

Finally, the Brocade Guard issued the last command.

"Return to formation!"

The previously hollow square formation instantly turned back into the initial solid square formation.

If this scene were seen by people of later generations who understood military affairs or history, they would surely be very astonished.

That's right, this was the famous Gustavus formation and line infantry formation prevalent in Europe.

Of these two formations, Zhu Gaoxu had only taken a small part from them; one was the volley formation, which was the first time they changed into three rows.

This formation was what Zhu Gaoxu modeled after the Gustavus formation.

The second was the anti-cavalry formation, the hollow square formation in the middle, which was what Zhu Gaoxu modeled after the line infantry formation.

Just one or two changes were enough to make everyone present feel that it was heaven-sent.

One must know that for so many people to change formations, each change took no more than one minute.

The fast ones might have taken only about thirty seconds.

This not only required the soldiers' proficiency in the formations but was also a manifestation of absolute obedience!

The armies of any ancient country could not achieve this.

This was a scene that the group of envoys, including Li Hao and Li Xingshan, had never seen in their entire lives.

Looking at everyone whose jaws had already dropped, Zhu Gaoxu chuckled.

This was only the beginning!

Zhu Gaoxu turned his gaze back to the field, only to see that the five square formations below had indeed moved again.

The five square formations quickly adjusted into a single line.

Each square formation was spaced about ten meters apart.

And in front of each square formation, about three meters ahead, was a Brocade Guard leading the team.

At this moment, the Brocade Guards had already returned their Xiuchun Dao to their scabbards.

Following a loud roar from the Brocade Guard leading the first square formation, the order was given.

"March!"

The first square formation immediately marched toward the direction of Zhu Gaoxu's viewing platform.

It was a standard goose-step march; after all, they had been practicing for more than two months.

Daily training combined with an elimination system meant everyone's basic skills were very solid.

The uniform movements accompanied by the "thump, thump, thump" of feet hitting the ground made the entire earth seem to tremble.

There was no need for any drumbeats; everyone was perfectly in time.

When the first square formation began to march, the second square formation immediately followed.

The subsequent square formations did the same.

When the first square formation reached the closest distance to Zhu Gaoxu.

The Brocade Guard leading the front suddenly drew his Xiuchun Dao, then held the blade against his chest, and while goose-stepping forward, turned his head to look at Zhu Gaoxu.

At the same time, he shouted aloud, "Salute!"

As the words left his mouth, the soldiers of the square formation led by that Brocade Guard immediately turned their heads to look at Zhu Gaoxu and then saluted him.

The entire process was uniform, and the goose-step was not disrupted in the slightest.

The other formations behind did the same.

Seeing this scene, everyone felt their scalps tingle.

They wondered in their hearts what the odds of victory would be if their own country's most elite troops encountered this army.

But the answer they arrived at undoubtedly left them in despair: their side would be completely defeated!

But this... was not the end!

After the five square formations finished marching, people immediately brought out targets that had been prepared.

However, this time the targets were all replaced with iron plates.

They were a full centimeter thick.

When the targets were placed at a distance of eighty paces from the square formations, they finally stopped.

Then, after the personnel withdrew, the first square formation collectively stepped forward three paces, and the leading Brocade Guard drew his sword again and ordered, "Change formation!"

Subsequently, the square formation immediately changed into a three-row rectangular formation.

Immediately following, the leading Brocade Guard gripped his Xiuchun Dao and swung it downward, saying, "Fire!"

The next second, the three rows fired in a volley!

"Bang, bang, bang!"

The sound of gunfire lasted less than five seconds before it stopped completely.

At this moment, someone immediately moved the targets toward the direction of Zhu Gaoxu.

A total of one hundred and fifty targets were moved to the bottom of the command platform in no time, and then another team took over to continue shooting.

The group of envoys standing on the command platform could not help but step forward twice to examine the targets placed below.

They did not know until they looked, but once they saw, everyone immediately gasped in cold air.

"Hiss!"

They saw that every iron plate had at least one or two bullet holes.

The most critical thing was that every bullet hole had pierced through the iron plate!

Seeing the expressions of the crowd, Zhu Gaoxu asked at the right moment: "Honorable envoys, I wonder if the armor of your countries is as thick as these iron plates?"