Chapter 57: Seizing the Commander Amid Ten Thousand Troops·Intimidating All Enemies

The battle situation above and below the city was completely reversed thanks to the miraculous effect of Chen Wen's "Ability Granting".

The western wall's defense stood firm as a rock.

The defending troops, who had received a roughly twofold boost across the board, may not have seen exaggerated individual improvements, but their overall coordination and resilience underwent a qualitative leap.

They cooperated, advancing and retreating in tandem, efficiently strangling and pushing down the enemy squads that had climbed onto the wall.

The grueling war of attrition began to develop in a direction favorable to the defenders.

Meanwhile, the four-man elite squad led by Zhang Cheng became a roaming grim reaper on the battlefield.

With a fourfold ability boost, they completely suppressed the ordinary elites of Liu Du Tou's army in personal martial prowess.

Zhang Cheng was like a war god reborn; wherever his blade pointed, no one could withstand a single strike.

The other three elites were equally fearless; the four of them were like a red-hot spear, repeatedly charging and slaughtering on the wall, quickly clearing out swaths of safe zones!

This greatly boosted morale and utterly shattered the enemy's attempt to establish a foothold on the wall.

Chen Wen down below suddenly felt his pressure ease.

He no longer needed to constantly worry about the wall falling, and could devote more energy to defending the gate.

And… consider the next step in strategy.

With sixteen times the speed of thought, he could clearly grasp the entire battlefield's situation.

Although the enemy forces had been set back, their numerical advantage remained; they were merely temporarily stunned.

Once they reorganized and adjusted their tactics, the battle would still fall into a stalemate!

For the undermanned and weak Jiao Tu Zhen, this was still a slow death.

"Capture the bandit by first taking their leader..."

Chen Wen's gaze pierced the chaotic battlefield, once again locking onto the distant "Liu" banner fluttering afar.

And the mounted figure beneath it, heavily guarded by personal soldiers.

We must destroy the enemy's command hub!

Only by depriving this army of its brain can we truly secure victory!

As this thought arose, the 【Growth Progress Bar】 in his mind flickered slightly, quietly jumping from 3% to 4%.

Making decisions with greater strategic vision, rather than merely tactical responses, is likewise part of 'growth'.

With a thought, Chen Wen reconnected with Zhang Cheng on the wall.

"Zhang Cheng!"

As Zhang Cheng was in the midst of cleaving an enemy soldier off the wall with a single blow, Chen Wen's clear voice suddenly rang in his mind.

—This was a kind of telepathic link brought about by Ability Granting.

"Chief! Please give the order!"

Zhang Cheng responded without hesitation, the surging power within him making him crave a more arduous task.

"Leave the wall to you and Aunt Wang to command; be sure to hold it!"

"I'll take your squad down the city to carry out the decapitation!"

Chen Wen's order was concise and forceful.

"Understood!"

Zhang Cheng had no doubts and immediately roared at the three elites beside him.

"Brothers, follow the chief and pull off a big job!"

"Aunt Wang, this is now yours!"

Aunt Wang also felt the energy boost from the twofold ability enhancement at this moment.

Although not skilled in combat, her organizational and coordination abilities greatly increased, and she nodded firmly:

"Rest assured! This old woman will fight to the death and absolutely not let anyone set foot on this wall again!"

Seeing this, Chen Wen no longer hesitated.

He took a deep breath and shouted toward the wall:

"Open the side gate!"

The main gate was already damaged, but beside it there was a small side gate normally used for passage, blocked by heavy objects.

The militia behind the gate, hearing the order, though startled, still exerted themselves to move the blocking beams.

"Squeak—" the side gate was pulled open a crack.

At that very moment, Chen Wen moved!

His form flashed like lightning as he surged forward first.

Almost simultaneously, Zhang Cheng and his four comrades leapt down from the wall several meters high.

Landing, thanks to their fourfold-enhanced physiques, they merely bent slightly to absorb the impact and quickly gathered behind Chen Wen.

The five-man squad, like a blade drawn from its sheath, was exposed in the open ground outside the city!

"They've come out! Surround them! Kill them!"

Liu Du Tou's army immediately spotted this audaciously bold squad.

Nearby soldiers, like sharks smelling blood, converged from all directions.

"Follow me in the charge! Target, the enemy's banner!"

Chen Wen let out a low shout, his long blade turning into a flash of cold electricity as he led the charge into the crowd.

His sixteenfold personal power erupted fully!

He held nothing back; his swordplay was vicious and fierce, each strike containing the force to split stone and crack steles.

Ordinary soldiers died at a touch, were injured at a graze; he was like an efficient killing machine, forcibly carving a blood-soaked path through the dense enemy ranks!

Meanwhile, Zhang Cheng and his four comrades perfectly played the roles of the spear's blade and handguard.

They closely followed Chen Wen on both sides and behind, 4 times the ability let them deal with attacks from the flanks and rear.

Zhang Cheng brandished his broadsword, responsible for clearing nearby threats;

The other three elite soldiers precisely picked off enemies attempting to shoot hidden arrows or throw javelins, while vigilantly guarding Chen Wen's back.

The five-man squad, under Chen Wen's leadership as an unstoppable arrowhead!

Surprisingly, they charged upstream amidst a formation of hundreds!

At a speed that left everyone stunned, they surged toward Liu Du Tou's central army banner!

"Stop them! Quickly stop them!"

The officers of Liu Du Tou's main unit let out terrified cries.

They had never seen such a terrifying enemy; just five people possessed the might to make ten thousand troops give way!

More spearmen and sword-and-shield soldiers were summoned, attempting to form a dense spear formation to block.

"Scatter! Pierce through!" Chen Wen calmly ordered.

The squad's formation changed instantly.

Chen Wen continued to assault head-on, using force to overcome technique, forcibly shaking the spear formation.

While Zhang Cheng and one elite soldier sliced in from left and right like venomous snakes!

Using their speed and strength advantage, they specifically attacked the weak points of the spear formation.

The other two elite soldiers were responsible for covering the rear and providing support.

The five cooperated with seamless coordination, as if they had fought side by side for years.

This was not merely an increase in ability, but also a kind of spiritual resonance and tactical coordination brought about invisibly by "Ability Granting".

"Pfft!" "Crack!"

Flesh and blood flew, the sound of breaking bones incessant.

Wherever the five-man squad passed, they left a road paved with severed limbs.

Liu Du Tou's army's morale, as this death squad relentlessly approached, collapsed at a visible speed.

Many soldiers began to shrink back, and the officers' rebukes lost their effect.

Finally, they broke through the last line of defense, the "Liu" banner now less than fifty steps away!

One could even see the expression of shock and anger on Liu Du Tou's face as he sat astride his horse!

Liu Du Tou's finest personal guard unit roared as they charged forward.

"Protect the commander!"

A cold glint flashed in Chen Wen's eyes as he locked onto Liu Du Tou, surrounded by the personal guards.

He drew a deep breath, channeling 16 times the strength into his right arm, then hurled his long blade like a spear!

The long blade turned into a silver flash that tore the air, emitting a piercing shriek straight for Liu Du Tou's face!

This blade, faster than common sense! Fierce enough to shake heaven and earth!

Liu Du Tou's soul fled, instinctively jerking the reins backward as he toppled over.

Beside him, a loyal personal guard captain threw himself forward, using his body to block the blow.

"Pfft——"

The long blade pierced the guard captain's chest unimpeded, its momentum undiminished as it savagely stabbed into the neck of Liu Du Tou's mount!

"Whee—!" The warhorse let out a miserable neigh and collapsed with a crash!

It hurled the shaken Liu Du Tou heavily to the ground, his helmet knocked askew, leaving him in a sorry state.

"The commander has fallen from his horse!"

"Protect the commander!"

The commander fell from his horse, the guard captain died miserably!

This blow threw Liu Du Tou's main unit into utter chaos!

Panic spread like a plague.

Chen Wen's strike succeeded, and he did not linger in battle.

He knew that with just the five of them, before the enemy fully reacted, it would be extremely difficult to force a kill on Liu Du Tou amidst the heavy guards, but the strategic goal had already been achieved!

"Withdraw!"

He let out a low shout, casually seized an enemy spear, whirling it like a wheel, covering the squad as they fought and retreated.

Coming in, they were a decisive blade that burned their boats; retreating, they were a dragon moving with ease.

Liu Du Tou's army had lost its will, and few dared to resist with all their might!

Watching helplessly, the five-man squad, just as they had come, cut through the encirclement again and swiftly retreated back to that side gate that seemed to devour everything.

"Clang!" The side gate slammed shut again.

On the battlefield, only the clamor of Liu Du Tou's army rescuing their commander amid the chaos remained, and... an omnipresent fear.

The "Liu" banner, though not fallen, had already dimmed and lost its luster.

Above and below the western wall of Jiao Tu Zhen, earth-shaking cheers erupted!

This beheading operation, though not fully completed, its displayed terrifying power and death-defying will had utterly intimidated the enemy, shaking its foundations.

Chen Wen stood behind the door, slightly breathless; the continuous high-intensity use of ability and combat left him feeling fatigued.

But he gazed at the progress bar in his mind that had quietly become 【5%】, his eyes unwaveringly resolute.

This battle not only defended their homeland, but also forged a path toward the future.