Chapter 68: Constant Foes
From a bird’s-eye view, Lu Yuan’s unit formed a faint, lustrous black python pattern, its massive body stretched across the ground.
As the hawk drew near, the Snake Array surged forward to meet it. Imbued with immense power, Lu Yuan felt as if he had truly become a savage behemoth.
Clearly, the One-Character Long Snake Formation provided him a significant boost. Even the surging Essence Qi from the Warriors behind him converged on him. At this moment, his unit had become a single, unified entity.
"ROAR!"
As the head of the snake, Lu Yuan slashed down with his long saber. The air tore open, revealing a transparent gash that shot straight toward the enemy Centurion of the Golden-armed Iron Kites. This single strike contained the converged Essence Qi of nearly a hundred men.
"SLICE!"
The blade’s edge shattered the hawk’s iron beak. To any onlookers, it would have appeared as if two giant beasts were locked in combat. The giant python clearly had the upper hand, swallowing the hawk’s head in a single gulp before tearing it to shreds.
The offensive power of the One-Character Long Snake Formation was clearly far greater than their previous Array.
This was only because Lu Yuan and his subordinates were not yet truly powerful, and the Array itself was of a low level.
If their strength were sufficient, a powerful Military Array could mobilize not only the Essence Qi of its soldiers, but also the surrounding earth veins, water veins, and even the power of wind and clouds. That would be truly terrifying; it would be no exaggeration to say it could shatter the heavens and sunder the earth.
However, such power was still a distant prospect for Lu Yuan. Ultimately, this was still just a battle between low-level combatants.
With the leader of the Iron Kites slain, the Hawk Array instantly collapsed.
Lu Yuan led his men, charging forward to crush the remaining enemies.
In a matter of moments, the Iron Kite unit was utterly routed, its men and horses thrown into chaos.
The system’s voice echoed continuously in Lu Yuan’s mind.
[You have slain an enemy. Wind and Thunder General-Slaying Saber Technique Skill Level +10]
...
[You have blocked an enemy attack. Mixed Element Golden Bell Shield Skill Level +10]
...
[You have charged into an enemy formation and slain enemies. One-Character Long Snake Formation Skill Level +10]
...
With each notification, Lu Yuan fought with ever-increasing valor.
Just then, however, a Northern Barbarian Warrior took out an object and activated it.
"FWEET!"
A streak of light tore across the sky, exploding into a ball of fire.
It was a signal arrow.
Lu Yuan’s brow furrowed at the sight.
’He knew what this meant. Nearby Northern Barbarian Scouts would be converging on their position.’
’This is no time to get bogged down in a fight. We have to break through, no matter the cost.’
He glanced at the few remaining Iron Kites and said coldly.
"Finish them, quickly!"
The dozen or so remaining Iron Kites were instantly crushed by the Military Array.
After taking their heads, Lu Yuan had led his squad less than a mile before they were stopped.
"THUD! THUD! THUD!"
The thunder of hooves drew near.
Several units of Iron Kites surrounded them. The sight sent a chill down the spines of the men following Lu Yuan.
After all, these were Northern Barbarian elites, not just common Scouts.
A quick glance revealed several hundred of them.
And their numbers were still growing.
Lu Yuan swept a cold gaze over the enemy, his tone chilling. "We break through!"
With that, he charged forward, leading the way.
The One-Character Long Snake Formation pulled taut, transforming into a swift and ferocious giant python.
The surrounding Iron Kites were like a flock of hawks, constantly searching for an opening.
But they couldn’t stop Lu Yuan’s charge.
When a hawk tried to strike the giant python’s head, Lu Yuan’s saber would sweep out, and he would lead the Warriors behind him to smash it apart.
If a hawk attacked the snake’s body, the tail and head would strike back in unison.
They pierced through the hawk’s chest and abdomen.
They couldn’t halt the advance of Lu Yuan and his men.
Their advance had slowed, but they still had the strength to defend themselves.
It was a battle of attrition, a test of who would break first.
It was an ordeal, but for both Lu Yuan and his men, it was also an incredibly rare and valuable trial by fire.
Their execution of the One-Character Long Snake Formation, clumsy at first, became completely fluid.
Casualties mounted during the process, but the survivors gained immensely from the experience.
In Lu Yuan’s mind, the data on his system panel was constantly updating.
The numbers updated at an unprecedented rate.
The path forward was arduous, but they were still able to press on.
As time wore on in this relentless chase, the sky began to lighten without them noticing.
As the first rays of sunlight appeared, even Lu Yuan couldn’t hide the exhaustion in his eyes.
He glanced at the men behind him. Only about fifty remained.
The power of the Military Array had allowed the majority of them to survive.
Meanwhile, the four Iron Kite units that had been relentlessly pursuing them were also reaching their limit.
Their losses had been devastating.
A force that originally numbered nearly four hundred was now reduced to less than two hundred.
Both sides took the opportunity for a brief respite.
Lu Yuan glanced into the distance, then turned to Zhou He and the others. "When the fighting starts again, ignore everything else. Form the Cloud-Rushing Crane Wing Array and charge with me."
"As long as we get close to our camp, this mission will be a success."
’It’s dawn now,’ he thought. ’If we keep getting tangled up with these Iron Kites, we’ll undoubtedly attract more of them. Last night, under the cover of darkness, their limited visibility meant most of the other Iron Kites hadn’t noticed this battle.’
’Daylight is another story.’
’We could easily be surrounded on a massive scale. If we get trapped, we’ll all die for sure.’
’The One-Character Long Snake Formation has immense offensive power, but it’s lacking when it comes to a full-on charge. It isn’t built for speed.’
’The Cloud-Rushing Crane Wing Array is the most suitable for this.’
"Yes, sir!"
Zhou He immediately complied, pulling a command flag from his robes and waving it.
The few remaining men instantly shifted formation.
They formed the image of a great crane, poised to spread its wings and take flight.
Then, as he watched the Iron Kites shadowing them from a distance, Lu Yuan began to eat his dry rations.
The others followed his lead.
A short while later—about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea—Lu Yuan charged forward, and the others followed close behind.
The system’s voice then sounded in Lu Yuan’s mind.
[Congratulations. You have received the Array’s blessing: Borrowing Wind. Unit speed has been tripled.]
[Congratulations. You have received the Array’s blessing: Armor Piercing. Unit armor-piercing capability has been tripled.]
In the next instant, Lu Yuan and his men shot forward like a gust of wind. This time, their goal wasn’t to kill the enemy, but to break through the encirclement.
「Meanwhile, inside the Dayong camp」
Early that morning, the Marquis of Jiuse had once again gathered all his Garrison Generals and Captains.
Inside the command tent, the Marquis of Jiuse, Hong Cheng, pointed to a location on the map several dozen miles from the camp. "Just last night," he said, "Scouts discovered the bodies of the Death Warrior Camp. After fighting to the death to annihilate one unit of Iron Kites, they encountered enemy reinforcements and were completely wiped out."
An instant silence fell over the tent. A flicker of pain crossed Huang Yan’s eyes.
He had been prepared for it, but hearing the news still made his heart ache.
"Now, the only ones we’re still waiting on are Hongling’s Army Guard," the Marquis continued. "We should have some result by tonight."
The Marquis of Jiuse’s face was grim. Clearly, he didn’t hold out much hope for Lu Yuan and his men.
The gazes of Zhao Yu and the other Disciples of the General’s Families from the Imperial City fell on Zhou Hongling, a subtle, provocative glint in their eyes.
’At this point,’ they thought, ’Lu Yuan and his men are as good as dead.’
Outside the command tent, Zhang Zhe overheard the conversation, and a smile he could barely contain spread across his face.
’He’d had it quite easy these past few days. Thanks to that "fat girl," Helian Shang hadn’t assigned him any dangerous tasks.’
’He might not have had a chance to earn any merit, but at least he was safe. He didn’t have to risk his life like Lu Yuan and his men.’
’The rumors had already been spreading, and this news from inside all but confirmed it. In his mind, Lu Yuan was already dead on the battlefield.’
’To him, this was the best possible outcome.’