Chapter 413: Advancing Halberdiers!

On the other side of this allied force, a mighty and imposing heavy infantry regiment—the Halberdier Corps—was marching with firm steps, leading tens of thousands of Cangzhou troops behind it, mighty and grand, advancing toward the battlefield where the allied forces were.

The Halberdier Corps, protected by heavy armor and wielding giant halberds, was like a moving iron fortress.

Their armor was thick and solid, flashing a cold metallic sheen in the sunlight, like a group of ancient War Gods stepping on historical dust, returning to the mortal world.

Tens of thousands of Cangzhou troops followed closely, their formation neat and uniform, their footsteps deafening, like a stirring war song echoing above the battlefield.

Not far from the allied forces, the Halberdier Corps halted its advance.

They formed a battle array, giant halberds standing like a steel forest, exuding a suffocating killing intent.

Tens of thousands of Cangzhou troops also quickly formed ranks behind them, ready to meet the impending battle.

Behind the mighty procession of the Halberdier Corps and Cangzhou infantry, amid rising dust, two cavalry units trailed far behind.

These were the Dao Soldiers newly summoned by Su Ye—the Tiger Leopard Cavalry!

And from the other side, the White Horse Volunteers came rushing over, fast and slow.

These two cavalry units, one heavy and one light, both exuded a suffocating sense of oppression.

The Tiger Leopard Cavalry, like fierce tigers and leopards in the mountains and forests, were agile and ferocious.

The Tiger Cavalry Heavy Cavalry, fully armored, with both rider and horse encased in thick iron plates, resembled a moving iron fortress.

Their war horses were carefully selected, sturdy and robust, able to bear the weight of heavily armored knights and heavy gear, making their charge unstoppable.

Meanwhile, the Leopard Cavalry Light Cavalry emphasized speed and agility, wearing light armor and wielding spears or bows, able to dart across the battlefield to deliver a lethal strike.

On the other side, the White Horse Volunteers all rode white horses wearing white armor, with silver saddles on white horses, swift as meteors.

Their mounts were carefully selected white steeds, and the knights wore white armor, holding lances or swords.

In the sunlight, their white armor gleamed with blinding light, like a host of heavenly soldiers descending from the sky.

The presence of these two cavalry units undoubtedly added a solemn, killing aura to the entire battlefield.

Their arrival made the already fierce battlefield even more tumultuous.

The heft of the Tiger Leopard Cavalry intertwined with the agility of the White Horse Volunteers, forming a unique battlefield aesthetic.

As they drew near, the atmosphere on the battlefield grew even more tense.

Under Su Ye's command, the Tiger Leopard Cavalry and White Horse Volunteers did not immediately join the battle, but instead patrolled the battlefield's periphery.

"Beat the drums, advance!"

The drumroll thundered like rolling thunder, echoing across the vast battlefield.

"Halberdier Corps, advance without retreat!"

At this moment, behind the Cangzhou army's foremost heavy infantry regiment—the Halberdier Corps—stood a middle-aged commander with slightly whitening sideburns, exactly the one Su Ye had just entrusted with an important task: the Warring States' Four Great Generals—Lián Páo.

Lián Páo's voice was like cold iron stone, firm and decisive.

He stood before the formation, his sideburn's white hair fluttering in the wind, yet it only added to his majesty.

He gripped the command flag tightly, his eyes sharp as an eagle, fixed on the Halberdier Corps ahead.

"Halberdiers! Advance!"

Then, the commander of the Halberdier Corps at its front, Zhang He, knocked down the visor on his helmet, holding a halberd identical to those of the Halberdiers, and pointed forward.

At Zhang He's command, the heavy infantry regiment surged forward like a released beast, unstoppable.

Boom—boom!

The heavy footsteps thundered like exploding bombs, and the stalwart heavy infantry regiment—the Halberdiers—charged ahead boldly.

Their steps were heavy and powerful, as if each step could make the earth tremble.

The forged steel halberds in their hands whirled, flashing a cold light, pointing straight at the opposing Yellow Turban Army!

"Release!"

Facing the ironclad heavy infantry regiment pressing forward like a metal cluster, the opposing Yellow Turban Army did not sit idle.

As several commands rang out.

Countless extraordinary war machines in the Yellow Turban Army sprang into action!

"Wind and Cloud Wheel"—a huge flying blade with razor‑sharp edges—whistled out, spinning toward the Halberdier Corps.

The wheel traced silver arcs in the air, as if to cut through any obstruction.

The Halberdiers quickly formed a defensive formation, using their forged steel halberds to create an impregnable barrier against the wheel's fierce assault.

At the same time, the "Breaking Army Crossbow" launched its attack.

On each crossbow cart were three bolts as thick as heavy spears; the bolts fired from these carts could pierce the toughest armor, possessing tremendous armor‑piercing power.

Each crossbow cart was operated by several strongmen working together; once fired, it unleashed a force like thunder.

The bolts shot out with a fierce whistling sound, aimed straight at the heart of the Halberdier Corps.

Then, some crossbowmen wearing special leather armor also took out the "Connecting Cloud Crossbow" from behind their backs, firing countless relatively small bolts compared to the giant ones, like a sudden gust and rain, toward the Halberdier Corps.

The launch sounds were as dense as raindrops, and the piercing whine of arrows splitting the air was sharp and shrill, as if it would tear the atmosphere apart.

"Raise shields, defend!"

At Zhang He's loud shout, the two front rows of Halberdiers reacted swiftly.

They each drew a heavy iron shield from their backs; these shields were thick and solid, darkened and polished by years and battle.

Immediately, two Halberdiers front and back coordinated, skillfully joining their heavy iron shields together.

With a series of resonant metallic clashes, huge iron shields rose one after another before the regiment.

In an instant, a wall of huge iron shields stood before the Halberdier Corps, like an iron city wall, unmoving.

These shields were not only heavy but also specially crafted, their surfaces covered with various protrusions and patterns to increase defense.

In the sunlight, these shields flashed a cold light, appearing impregnable.

Although the Yellow Turban Army's extraordinary war machines were immensely powerful, they now seemed to have encountered an insurmountable barrier.

The "Wind and Cloud Wheel" wheel screamed forward, striking the huge iron shield and emitting a deafening metallic clash.

However, these iron shields remained utterly unmoved, as if not a single scratch had been left on them.

At the same time, the giant crossbow bolts fired from the 'Breaking Army Crossbow' came one after another.

These crossbow bolts were astonishingly powerful, able to easily pierce ordinary armor, yet they were somewhat ineffective against these iron shields as hard as rock.

The crossbow bolts struck the iron shields, causing the Halberdiers' giant shields to tremble slightly.

However, with the support of several rows of Halberdiers behind them, even if the giant iron shields in front were kept swaying by the giant crossbow bolts, they still stood firm and deflected the now-powerless giant crossbow bolts.

And those tiny arrows, like a sudden storm, need not even be mentioned—when aimed at the Halberdier Corps, they were all blocked one by one by these giant iron shields.

The arrows striking the iron shields were like raindrops falling on a lake, raising only ripples, yet unable to penetrate this solid line of defense.

On the whole battlefield, the Halberdier Corps advanced like a black steel torrent, steadily moving forward under the protection of the giant iron shields.

(End of chapter)