Chapter 654: Blood Battle at Yin Mountain

On the fifth day, at dusk.

At the northern foothills of Yin Mountain, thirty li outside Black Stone Valley.

Shi Dun raised his right fist.

The entire army halted.

"The scouts' last message point."

He pointed to the valley mouth ahead.

"Go any further ahead, and that's the Northern Yuan's defense line."

Yue Fei reined in his horse and gazed out.

Rubble piled up at the valley mouth, looking like a natural collapse, but the stone blocks were at neat angles.

There was a metallic glint on the cliff face.

"There's an ambush."

"I know."

Shi Dun nodded.

"This is the only passage."

"Taking a detour would add another 150 li; we don't have time."

Chen Wen rode forward on his horse.

"Engineers."

The Fourth Army Engineering Commander ran over quickly.

"In two ke, clear the rubble on the right side of the valley mouth and open a passage."

Chen Wen said.

"Leave the stone piles on the left side for cover."

"Yes!"

The engineering unit pushed out a vehicle equipped with a drill.

The drill was inserted into the stone crevice and black powder was injected.

Half a ke later.

"Withdraw!"

All the engineers retreated a hundred steps.

Boom——

A muffled explosion.

The right-side stone pile blasted open a gap, smoke and dust filling the air.

The left-side stone pile remained intact.

Almost simultaneously——

A shrill whistle came from the cliff face.

A black shadow darted out.

On all fours, with a gray-black carapace, an elongated skull, and mouthparts like pincers.

Its speed was as fast as a ghost.

"Modified beasts!"

Shi Dun bellowed sharply.

"Archers—fire!"

A rain of arrows poured down.

Arrows struck the carapace, most bouncing off.

Several dozen modified beasts had already charged into the front ranks.

Their claws swept, tearing apart the heavily armored soldiers, armor and all.

Blood spattered.

"Form up!"

The First Army Commander-in-Chief roared loudly.

Spears thrust out like a forest.

The modified beasts nimbly dodged, lunging to bite from the side.

Cries of anguish rose.

Yue Fei drew his sword.

"Follow me up!"

He led the charge forward.

Zhang Xian, Wang Gui, and Yue Yun followed closely.

Lin Chong, Guan Sheng, and Hu Yan Zhuo burst out together.

They were all battle-hardened generals; though they had never seen modified beasts before, their combat instincts remained.

Yue Fei swung his sword at the beast's neck.

The blade struck the carapace, sending sparks flying.

So hard!

He twisted his wrist, guiding the blade into a seam in the carapace.

Pfft——

Green bodily fluid spurted out.

The transformed beast roared and lunged back; he dodged sideways, then struck again, cutting its neck.

"Joints and neck are weak points!"

Lin Chong's spear specialized in stabbing joints, Guan Sheng's great saber fiercely chopped necks, Hu Yanzhuo's double whips smashed skulls.

But there were too many transformed beasts.

The cliff face kept gushing out.

Already nearly a hundred had charged into the battle formation.

Casualties increased.

Chen Wen kept observing.

His gaze swept over the battlefield, looking up at the cliff top.

Five black-robed figures stood there.

They wore bird-beak masks on their faces and curved blades at their waists.

Shadow Unit

"They're here."

He dismounted.

"Shi Dun, the vanguard is yours."

"I'll handle the top."

"Lord, be careful."

Chen Wen walked slowly, but each step precisely avoided the melee.

Several transformed beasts lunged forward.

He didn't even draw his sword.

He raised his hand, fingers loosely clenched.

The leading transformed beast stiffened, its carapace cracking.

Boom!

Exploded into fragments.

The transformed beasts behind instinctively halted.

Chen Wen continued forward.

He walked to the base of the cliff.

He looked up.

Five Shadow members leapt down, forming a semicircle to surround.

"Dogs of the Iron Crow Army."

Chen Wen said.

The Shadow gave no reply.

Five curved blades slashed simultaneously, swift as a lingering shadow.

Chen Wen stepped forward.

His right hand rested on the hilt.

He drew his sword.

A flash of blade light.

Ding ding ding ding ding—

Five crisp sounds almost simultaneously.

All five curved blades were knocked aside.

Chen Wen's sword had already returned to its sheath.

As if it had never been drawn.

Five Shadow members froze for a moment.

The next instant.

Chen Wen drew his sword again.

The blade light split into five.

Slashing toward the five people's necks.

The Shadow hastily retreated, the blade light clinging like a shadow.

Puff puff puff—

Three bird-beak skulls flew up.

The remaining two turned to flee.

Chen Wen's left hand made a grasping motion.

The two bodies stiffened, pulled back by an invisible force.

The blade light flashed again.

The last two skulls fell to the ground.

The headless corpses collapsed, black robes oozing black viscous fluid that evaporated into smoke.

The whole process took less than ten breaths.

The cliff's piercing whistle abruptly stopped.

The transformed beasts' offensive stalled.

Chen Wen turned around, facing the main battlefield.

It's time.

He closed his eyes.

The System Interface unfolded.

Ability Granting.

He could clearly feel the vast Fortune Momentum of the Chen dynasty flowing around his body, mighty as rivers and seas.

This granting will consume a tiny portion of it.

But the Chen dynasty's Fortune Momentum is strong; this consumption is almost negligible.

Target locked—

Yue Fei, Lin Chong, Wu Yong, Zhang Xian, Wang Gui, Yue Yun, Chao Gai, Ruan Xiaoer, Guan Sheng, Huyan Zhuo, as well as the Commander of the First Army and the Captain of the Crossbowmen of the Third Army.

Twelve people.

Gradient distribution.

Yue Fei, Lin Chong: 32 times.

The remaining ten: 16 times.

Granting.

Hum—

Invisible ripples spread.

On the battlefield.

Yue Fei cut back the transformed beast with a single slash, instantly feeling familiar power surge into his limbs.

His vision cleared, his movements swift as lightning.

He did not hesitate, backhanding a slash.

The blade precisely slipped into the neck gap of another transformed beast.

No resistance.

The head rolled off.

On the other side.

Lin Chong thrust his spear, piercing two transformed beasts.

He flicked his wrist, flinging the corpses away, the spear tip swept horizontally, sweeping away three more.

His movements were smooth, without any stiffness.

Guan Sheng laughed loudly: "Good timing!"

He brought down his great sword, cleaving a transformed beast from head to tail.

Yue Yun swung his twin hammers, each strike shattering the carapace.

Like a tiger among sheep.

Shi Dun, seeing this from the command platform, remained calm.

He had seen this many times before.

"First Army, hold your formation!"

"Archers, cover Yue Shuai and them!"

Orders were issued in an orderly manner.

Wu Yong leaned on his crutch, standing in a relatively safe spot.

He felt his thinking speed suddenly increase.

Every detail of the surrounding battlefield—the soldiers' positions, the transformed beasts' movements, the arrows' trajectories—was clearly reflected in his mind.

"Three on the left flank are maneuvering."

He spoke calmly.

"General Zhang Xian, ten steps ahead to your right."

Hearing this, Zhang Xian slashed open the transformed beast before him, then turned sideways, perfectly blocking the three beasts lunging from the left flank.

The blade flashed repeatedly, all three shattered.

"Thank you, military advisor!"

Battle efficiency surged.

The twelve were like twelve daggers, weaving back and forth through the transformed beast horde.

Wherever they passed, severed limbs flew sideways.

Only half an hour.

Nearly a hundred transformed beasts that had charged into the army formation were slaughtered almost to the last.

The remaining shrieking beasts retreated into the cliff crevices, disappearing without a trace.

The battlefield suddenly fell silent.

Only the wounded groaned.

Chen Wen opened his eyes.

His complexion was normal.

He could feel that the "energy pool" within him, linked to the Chen dynasty's Fortune Momentum, had diminished slightly.

Insignificant.

But it was indeed consumed.

This is the rule for Level 6—using Ability Granting within the world consumes the world's own Fortune Momentum.

Fortunately, the Chen dynasty's fortune is thriving; this consumption is a drop in the bucket.

"Clear the battlefield, treat the wounded."

He spoke, his voice steady.

"After one incense stick's time, continue forward."

"Yes!"

Shi Dun turned and relayed the order.

Yue Fei walked up to Chen Wen, the blood on his body still wet.

"My lord, what next?"

"The valley mouth is clear."

Chen Wen looked ahead.

"But the Northern Yuan won't have only this arrangement."

"Inside Black Stone Valley, there must be heavy troops."

He paused.

"You lead the vanguard forward, steady and solid."

"If you encounter Nether Shadow units or large numbers of altered beasts, do not engage head‑on; wait for central army support."

"Understood."

Yue Fei turned to organize the troops.

Lin Chong and the others also gathered over.

Guan Sheng flicked the green blood off his blade: "Satisfying! This strength comes just in time."

"Don't be careless."

Lin Chong said in a low voice.

"That was just an appetizer."

"Instructor Lin is right."

Wu Yong walked over, leaning on his crutch.

"Minister Zhao's intelligence says there are at least fifty Nether Shadow in the valley."

"The number of altered beasts will only be greater."

Everyone's expression turned solemn.

After one incense stick's time.

The army set out again.

Passing through the valley mouth, they entered the heart of Yin Mountain.

The cliffs on both sides rose higher, and the sky grew dim.

The road wound downward, as if leading to the earth's depths.

The scouts ahead reported:

"There is light at the end of the valley!"

"Possibly camp lights!"

Shi Dun looked at Chen Wen.

Chen Wen nodded.

"The whole army, be on guard."

Shi Dun relayed the order.

"Engineers, prepare illumination rockets."

"Archers, nock your bows."

"Heavy armor in front, light cavalry on the flanks."

The military formation was adjusted again.

Yue Fei led the vanguard of three thousand, advancing slowly.

The further they went, the colder the air became.

It wasn't just low temperature.

It was a kind of yin chill that crawled up the spine.

Dark red crystals began to appear on the cliff walls, embedded in the rock, faintly glowing.

"Nether Energy Crystal Ore."

Wu Yong said softly.

"Near the nest, it is indeed concentrated."

As he was speaking.

The valley ahead suddenly opened up.

A broad valley appeared before their eyes.

In the center of the valley stood three huge nest‑like structures, a mix of flesh and rock.

They were arranged in a triangle.

The central one was the tallest, at least twenty zhang high, its surface covered with pulsing dark red patterns.

Around the nest, tents were densely packed.

The Northern Yuan king's flag fluttered in the wind.

And at the entrance to the nest——

Dozens of black-robed figures stood silently.

Bird-beak masks glowed with a cold light in the twilight.

Shadow Unit.

All are here.

Yue Fei reined in his horse.

He raised his right hand.

Behind him, the three thousand vanguard troops halted in unison.

In the valley.

A particularly tall Shadow stepped forward.

From beneath the mask came a hoarse, inhuman voice:

"Chen Wen…"

"I've been waiting for you a long time."