Chapter 18: Fierce Battle in the Wasteland
Lu Yuan led his squad. After stopping for a quick meal near Ancient River Village, they pressed onward.
By afternoon, they had finally neared the village.
However, at that very moment...
NEIGH!
Lu Yuan, at the head of the column, abruptly pulled on his reins.
A body lay on the ground before him, clad in the standard leather armor of the City Guard Army. Its chest had been caved in by a blunt weapon, revealing shattered, bone-white fragments.
He leaped from his warhorse before its front hooves even touched the ground.
Old Huang and Wei Yong came up to him.
"He’s from Huqiu Fortress. Judging by the wound, his chest was smashed in by a Wolf-toothed Club," Wei Yong said, examining the corpse.
Lu Yuan looked up and saw another body further ahead.
"We’re leaving immediately. The mission is off."
His voice was urgent.
He didn’t know what had happened up ahead, but a man from Huqiu Fortress dying here meant extreme danger.
He couldn’t risk the lives of the dozen or so men with him.
Wei Yong and the others didn’t hesitate, immediately mounting their horses to retreat.
There was no room for wishful thinking in a situation like this. A single mistake would cost them their lives.
After mounting his horse, Lu Yuan started back the way they came.
But they hadn’t gotten far before he pulled to a halt once more.
CLIPPITY-CLOP...
In the distance, he saw cavalrymen closing in, cutting off their path of retreat. They had run right into them.
Sweat beaded on Wei Yong’s forehead. "Sir, Northern Barbarian Scouts. About thirty of them."
「Meanwhile, inside the Captain’s Mansion at Icefield Fortress.」
Yun Mo was half-carried, half-dragged into the Captain’s Mansion. He was a wreck—his iron armor was torn, and an iron arrow was embedded in his shoulder. He collapsed to the floor the moment he was inside.
Zhou Hongling and Zhou Ming came out. Seeing the scene before them, Zhou Ming frowned. "What happened?"
"Sir, the Centurion led us out of the city to eliminate the Iron Kites. We were ambushed. Out of our entire Hundred-Man Squad, fewer than ten of us escaped. The rest were all killed."
One of Yun Mo’s Personal Guards said, his voice trembling.
If they hadn’t broken through toward the nearest stronghold, Icefield Fortress, at the last moment, they would likely all be dead on the battlefield.
They had thought there were only about fifty Iron Kites. Who could have known they would summon all the nearby scout patrols to Ancient River Village? Even as skilled as Yun Mo and his men were, and despite killing nearly a hundred Northern Barbarian Scouts, they were ultimately defeated.
The Iron Kites had practically annihilated them.
This battle was the fledgling tiger’s Waterloo.
"You’re lucky to have made it back at all. Quickly, help your commander inside to treat his wounds," Zhou Ming said, his expression grim.
Beside him, Zhou Hongling frowned. "To be able to injure Yun Mo this badly... The Iron Kites truly live up to their reputation."
"Of course. You’re still young and have never faced them head-on. Every single Iron Kite is one in a hundred, and they are extremely cunning. They are masters of the bow, with their skills at Minor Achievement at the very least. They are one of the Northern Barbarians’ absolute elite units.
A thousand Iron Kites could even slay an Innate Expert. Tell me, isn’t that terrifying? To this day, we in Dayong have never wiped out a full formation of Iron Kites. Yun Mo was too eager for glory this time."
After speaking, Zhou Ming headed for the room where his disciple was being treated, clearly still worried.
A grave expression also appeared on Zhou Hongling’s face. An elite Northern Barbarian unit like this appearing near the fortress was extremely dangerous for any City Guard Army squads going out on missions.
’But I can’t act rashly. We’re currently in a standoff with the Northern Barbarians. A large-scale deployment could provoke an equal response, leading to all-out war. I can’t bear that responsibility.’
’But letting the Northern Barbarians run rampant is absolutely out of the question.’
’The only way is to select an elite force to deal with these Iron Kites.’
With that, she hurried to her study.
At the same time, Lu Yuan and his men were surrounded by the very Northern Barbarian Scouts who had been chasing Yun Mo’s group. The Iron Kites, skilled and therefore bold, had pursued their quarry further and hadn’t returned yet.
But even so, the thirty-plus Scouts in front of them still put immense pressure on Lu Yuan’s squad.
"Don’t panic. Prepare the Arrowhead Array!"
Lu Yuan said calmly. He then took a Pear Wood Longbow from his saddle, a Wolf Hair Arrow clutched in his hand.
CREAK.
The bowstring groaned under the tension.
WHOOSH!
With a sound of tearing air, the feathered arrow flew out, streaking toward a Northern Barbarian Warrior at incredible speed.
PFFT!
A charging Northern Barbarian Scout was instantly pierced through the neck by the feathered arrow and tumbled from his horse.
Now that his Arrow Skill had reached Great Success, the feathered arrows from Lu Yuan’s bow were simply unstoppable for ordinary Northern Barbarians.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
A series of feathered arrows split the air as Lu Yuan’s hand repeatedly went to the quiver on his saddle.
The Northern Barbarian cavalry shouted as they charged, and one after another, they fell.
A system prompt sounded in Lu Yuan’s mind.
[Host has fired an arrow. Wolf-Chasing Arrow Skill Level +10]
...
Wei Yong and the others watched Lu Yuan’s incredible display of power, and their panicked hearts began to calm. In just a short time, more than ten Northern Barbarian Warriors had been shot from their horses.
SNAP!
But in the next moment, the bowstring couldn’t withstand Lu Yuan’s strength and snapped.
The bow itself broke in two.
At the same time, the Northern Barbarian cavalry was drawing closer and closer.
Lu Yuan shook his head with a helpless sigh. He had spent ten taels of silver on this bow and had expected it to last for a while. But with his recent increase in strength, it could no longer withstand the force he exerted.
’If I make it back this time, I’m definitely getting a better bow.’
SHINK!
Tossing the broken bow aside, he drew his long saber and shouted to the men behind him, "Brothers, the Northern Barbarians outnumber us! Prepare to fight for your lives!"
Wei Yong and the others had already drawn their weapons.
"Charge!"
With a shout, Lu Yuan led his men charging forward. If one looked closely at that moment, they would see the dozen or so men under his lead.
Within their ranks, a giant, transparent arrowhead began to faintly form.
Empowered by the Military Array, their warhorses sped up. Wei Yong and the others felt their spirits surge, the panic in their eyes completely replaced by a fiery battle lust.
Across from them, the remaining twenty-some Northern Barbarian Warriors crashed into their formation.
SHLICK!
Using his horse’s momentum, Lu Yuan’s saber sliced precisely across the chest of an Entry Level expert. He ducked under the swing of his opponent’s Wolf-toothed Club, and the next instant, the Northern Barbarian Centurion before him was cut in two, spraying a mist of blood.
Wei Yong’s Armor-Breaking Hammer smashed into the body of another Barbarian.
They were like a sharp arrow, piercing through the Barbarian Race’s ranks.
[Host has slain an enemy with a saber strike. Breaking Blade Eight Techniques Skill Level +10]
...
[Host has charged in formation once. Arrowhead Array Skill Level +10]
...
[Host has blocked an opponent’s attack. Golden Bell Shield Skill Level +10]
...
The notifications sounded one after another.
Lu Yuan’s hands didn’t stop moving for a second. It was his first time facing so many enemies at once; it would be a lie to say he wasn’t feeling the pressure.
However, as the fight wore on, his movements became more and more practiced. His combat prowess didn’t diminish—it grew.
He was even stronger than when the battle had begun.
His power was progressing at a tremendous speed.