Chapter 543

The Northward Aspiration army's new equipment first showed its edge; the fact that it had removed the Jin army's eyes and ears and repelled a shaman squad clearly touched some sensitive nerves.

A few days later, one morning, the alarm bell on the outskirts of Black Cloud Stronghold suddenly rang, urgent and fierce.

"Report—!"

The scout's warhorse charged into the gate, his voice tinged with a hint of tension.

"To the northwest, we have spotted a large detachment of Jin troops, about a thousand strong, with at least three hundred cavalry, advancing toward our Black Cloud Stronghold!"

"Judging by the banner, it is the vanguard of the 'Iron Floating Pagoda' under Wanyan Zonghan!"

The three words 'Iron Floating Pagoda' instantly made the atmosphere in the central command tent grow solemn.

This is not the true heavy-armor main force of the Iron Floating Pagoda, but its vanguard is still a battle-hardened elite of the Jin army, superbly equipped and rich in combat experience, far beyond the Li Cheng puppet troops or small scouting parties we have encountered before.

Sending such elite forces forward clearly indicates it is not a mere harassment but a definite probe, even an intent to crush.

Lin Chong sprang to his feet, his armor plates clanking.

"They came fast!

"It seems we hurt them a few days ago; now they've come to weigh the true strength of our Northward Aspiration army."

He looked toward Chen Wen.

"My lord, the enemy forces are large and mostly elite; should we temporarily avoid their sharp edge and rely on the fortress walls to hold?"

Chen Wen's gaze was calm as he looked to the northwest, as if he could see through the tent curtains the rolling dust approaching.

He slowly shook his head.

"Holding fast is steady, but it shows weakness to the enemy."

The Jin army's purpose this time is to probe.

"If we shrink back and do not emerge, they will surely think our army cowardly, their arrogance will grow, and future harassments will become more frequent."

"Moreover, the equipment newly sent by Minister Zhao is perfect for this occasion—let it shine in a tough battle, and let the brothers familiarize themselves with how to coordinate these new gadgets in combat."

He turned to Lin Chong, his tone decisive.

"Instructor Lin, immediately muster five hundred elite troops, including all brothers already equipped with the Divine-Slaying Crossbow, carrying sufficient Spirit-Stabilizing Bells, and advance to the old site of Eagle's Beak Valley to set an ambush."

"The terrain there is narrow, unfavorable for cavalry deployment, which lets us play to our strengths and avoid our weaknesses."

"I will accompany the army forward and provide 'empowerment' as the situation demands."

"Received!" Lin Chong clasped his fists, his fighting spirit rising.

He deeply understood the power of Chen Wen's Ability Granting; with this reliance, plus the new equipment, even facing the vanguard of the Iron Floating Pagoda, they were not without a chance to fight.

Military orders are as immovable as a mountain; the Northward Aspiration army's war machine once again began to operate efficiently.

The five hundred elites quickly gathered; fifty of the crossbowmen stood out, bearing the peculiarly shaped Divine-Slaying Crossbow, and their waist quivers had been replaced with specially made pouches capable of holding multiple 'Linked Hearts'.

Each wore an inconspicuous Spirit-Stabilizing Bell on his chest.

Chen Wen changed into a regular commander's armor and mixed into the ranks.

He did not rush to use his ability; at this moment he was more like a calm observer, needing to drop a decisive weight at the critical moment.

The troops swiftly set out and arrived at Eagle's Beak Valley.

This place is famous for the previous great victory; the slopes on both sides are steep, the central passage only a few zhang wide—indeed a good spot for an ambush.

Lin Chong directed the soldiers to occupy the high points on both sides; the crossbowmen hid behind rocks and bushes, while the spearmen and sword-and-shield troops guarded the passageway, waiting for the Jin army to walk into the trap.

About half an hour later, the earth transmitted a dull tremor.

The Jin detachment appeared at the valley mouth.

The leading cavalry were all clad in heavy armor; sunlight glinted off the iron plates, producing a cold, icy gleam—these were the heavy cavalry of the Iron Floating Pagoda's vanguard.

Behind them followed hundreds of infantry wielding spears and great axes, their formation tight, their killing intent palpable.

The Jin commander apparently also knew Eagle's Beak Valley's treacherous terrain and did not recklessly lead the whole force in.

He sent a squad of about fifty cavalry as vanguard to enter the valley first for reconnaissance.

When this cavalry unit had fully entered the ambush zone and penetrated the narrow stretch, Lin Chong fiercely swung down the command flag!

"Fire arrows!"

On the cliffs on both sides, the wooden clappers suddenly sounded!

However, the first to strike were not traditional bows, but those fifty Divine-Slaying Crossbows!

"Click-clack! Click-clack! Click-clack-clack!"

The sound of the mechanisms being triggered was dense as rain!

No need for the complex motion of drawing the string and nocking the bolt; the crossbowmen merely needed to steady the bow, aim at the target, and continuously operate the 'Linked Heart' disc!

Volley after volley of specially made short bolts, like a deadly swarm of bees, whistled with a shrill tearing-of-air sound, raining down from above onto the Jin cavalry in the valley floor!

This sudden strike, far exceeding the rate of ordinary bows and crossbows, instantly dazed the Jin vanguard!

Their heavy armor, at such close range, was not entirely useless against the concentrated fire of the special bolts, but it could not withstand the sheer number and density!

Warhorses neighed as they fell with arrows; riders were shot from their saddles, or struck in weakly protected areas such as the visor or neck and killed.

The valley floor instantly became a tangle of overturned men and horses.

"Throw!"

Lin Chong gave the order again.

The Northward Aspiration troops, already prepared, pushed down rolling logs and stones, further aggravating the Jin army's chaos.

"Sorcery! The Song have sorcery!" the remaining Jin troops screamed in terror, trying to turn their horses and retreat.

Just then, Chen Wen moved.

His gaze locked onto those below who had fallen into brief panic from their comrades' gruesome deaths, as well as the Jin grassroots officers attempting to organize resistance.

A slight stir of his will, and the Lv. 4 (16×) ability within him quietly began to turn.

"Grant, four times, target, our crossbowmen, duration, thirty breaths."

An invisible energy fluctuation, only Chen Wen could clearly perceive, spread like mercury poured on the ground, precisely enveloping those fifty Imperial Suppressor Crossbowmen.

The crossbowmen, focused on shooting, suddenly felt their spirits refreshed, arms steadier, vision clearer, and the motion of pulling the Linked Heart Disk seemed a bit faster.

They didn't realize what exactly had happened; they only felt their condition was unprecedentedly good.

The already swift crossbow bolts now almost formed a line, precisely and deadly clearing the remaining enemies at the valley floor.

In less than fifty breaths, the fifty Jin army vanguard cavalry that had entered the valley were completely wiped out.

The Jin army commander outside the valley watched, his eyes nearly bursting with rage.

He could not understand why the Song crossbow bolts could be fired so rapidly in succession, nor why the enemy crossbowmen seemed tireless, their accuracy terrifying.

But he was a veteran commander, and immediately judged that a fierce attack would be disadvantageous.

"Infantry form ranks, shields in front, retreat slowly!"

"Cavalry guard the flanks!"

He decisively ordered a retreat.

The purpose of the probe has been achieved; this Northward Aspiration Army is indeed strange, not easy to deal with, requiring further planning.

Seeing the Jin army about to retreat, how could Lin Chong be willing to let it rest?

"Pursue them, bite into their infantry!"

The Northward Aspiration Army's troops surged with morale like a rainbow, charging down from both mountain cliffs, pursuing in close pursuit.

The Jin army infantry formed ranks and fought while retreating, their formation strict, for a moment hard to break.

Chen Wen's eyes flashed, and he activated his ability again.

"Grant, double, target, our army's front pursuing spearmen and sword-and-shield soldiers, duration, twenty breaths."

The Northward Aspiration Army's elite troops at the forefront instantly felt their bodies lighten, steps more agile, strength increased.

They roared as they crashed into the Jin army's rear formation, blades and spears raised, forcibly tearing a gap in the Jin army's tight shield formation, leaving dozens of corpses.

Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, the Jin army commander ordered the cavalry to circle around and strike the flanks, attempting to support the infantry.

However, the officers and veteran soldiers in the Northward Aspiration Army who wore Stabilizing Bells, despite also feeling palpitations under the fierce killing intent and mental pressure brought by the Jin cavalry charge, received cool tremors from the bells on their chests, keeping them clear-headed and able to command, promptly adjusting formation to meet the charge with strong crossbows and spears, thwarting the cavalry's surprise attack.

One probing offensive-defensive battle ended with the Jin army abandoning nearly a hundred corpses (including the fifty vanguard cavalry) in a disgraceful retreat.

On the Northward Aspiration Army side, only over ten lightly wounded, a complete victory.

Standing on the high ground of Eagle Beak Valley, watching the dust of the retreating Jin army, Lin Chong could not hide his excitement.

"My lord, the new equipment combined with your \"blessing\" has reached such power!"

"Even the vanguard of the Iron Pagoda could be defeated; in the future…"

Chen Wen raised his hand, interrupting his words, his gaze still calm.

"This victory lies in surprise, in terrain, and in equipment advantage."

"The Jin army's main force remains unharmed; its commander, after this defeat, will surely be more wary of our army, and next time they come, it will likely not be easy."

"Pass the order: intensify training, familiarize with the new equipment, repair fortifications."

"The true test, I fear, lies ahead."

He lowered his head and glanced at his palm.

Just now he had used Ability Granting twice in succession, on different targets with different multipliers.

Indeed, as the system said, consumption greatly diminished, making its use easier and more natural.

This fine-grained control over power made him look forward even more to the upcoming level 5.

But for now, he must still push this level 4 power to the utmost.