Book 8: Chapter 5: Majestic Strength
Book 8: Chapter 5: Majestic Strength
This black clothed archer’s valiant and tyrannical stance gave off a shocking feeling of power, making even Xin Weigai who already fought in these white mountains and black waters for five years become a bit absent-minded. However, he still immediately did what he had to do.
“Defend!”
“Fire!”
Two simple words sounded, carrying an iron-blooded and scorching hot aura as they erupted from his throat. All of these soldiers who haven’t caught their breaths yet immediately carried out his orders with great willpower, moreover without needing any further instructions. All of the soldiers who carried shields immediately gathered at the very front, while all of the archers drew their bows with all their strength, firing beyond that black clad archer.
A bald cave barbarian whose body was covered in black arrows fell to the ground after a final fierce roar.
At this time, these border army archers who had been polished through life and death battlefields also displayed archery far exceeding normal local army soldiers.
The rain of arrows and the collapse of the cave barbarians at the very front still weren’t enough to make these cave barbarians who ran with more and more power stop in the slightest. However, right at this time, everyone’s eyes immediately froze again.
The black clad archer’s legs stomped on the ground with an even more domineering stance. His entire figure leapt into the air. When he was in the air, he instead turned around, his entire figure stopping in the sky for a few moments.
Just this slight pause was enough for him to continuously fire two arrows from the longbow in his hands.
The body of the cave barbarian who held a giant axe, charging at the very front, shook intensely, his hand clutching towards his own throat.
The black clad archer’s first arrow planted deeply into his throat, while the second arrow pierced through his palm, nailing that palm to his throat as well.
The black clad archer landed on the ground. His knees sunk slightly, already counteracting the impact of leaping high into the air, standing steadily.
The cave barbarian with his palm nailed to his own throat fell.
The cave barbarians in the back who held all types of weapons, the muscles on their bodies swelling like rocks, mouths releasing white smoke all froze momentarily. It wasn’t because they feared death, but rather because of this black clad archer’s might.
This slight pause bought this black clad archer and patrol army soldiers a bit more precious time.
This Sheep Point Field Mountain’s unnamed small cliff’s old rock house had already been abandoned for many years, the cracks between the rocks already full of different types of fine vines. The wooden stairs and terrace had already been completely destroyed, much of the wooden boards and stone strips that collapsed forming a large pile. The entrance that originally only allowed for two people to walk in side by side had been smashed through by some heavy object, the damage serious. When the patrol army passed by this place before, there was a five or six person wide, one and a half person tall rectangular gap that almost completely exposed this rock building. Even though they were scared of this rock house becoming a clear target, or maybe because they felt that it was the trap the cave barbarians used to bait them to begin with, so they didn’t dare reside here at night, under Kang Qianjue’s suggestion, they still spent quite a bit of time to pile up rubble, packing this place with wood and earth, blocking off the opening. This way, the opening was now only four or five people in width and only half a person in height. This way, in case they suffered an ambush and weren’t a match, they could fortify themselves and wait for reinforcements. None of them expected that they would actually use it.
Moreover, looking at the small troop that cut off their retreat path, it was clear that these cave barbarians who were supposed to be extremely dumb, not having any tactics to speak of, really did already consider this abandoned rock house, this abandoned rock house was precisely a natural bait for them.
“Defend!”
When he saw that the black clad archer was already only a dozen or so steps away from the enemy, Xin Weigai released an extremely simple order.
All of the soldiers immediately quickly retreated into the rock house behind them. The dozen or so shield holding soldiers separated into two groups, blocking up the entrance’s opening.
The soldiers at the front knelt down on one knee, the soles of their feet forcefully digging into the earth behind them. Their arms and shoulders both pressed against their shields.
The soldiers in the back bent slightly, their arms holding shields like they were pushing against the door, holding their shields right above the shields below, only giving the archers behind them a small opening.
The black clad archer didn’t show any hesitation. With just a few leaps, he already traveled more than ten steps of an ordinary person. After pressing lightly on the shield below, he leapt into the old rock house through the opening in the shields.
The shields behind him immediately completely closed the gap. The remaining soldiers almost all rushed over. Some of the soldiers were like pillars, supporting the two rows of shields, while the others who held spears and other long weapons inserted the weapons between the cracks, maintaining a stance that was prepared for battle at any time.
This type of defensive formation came from blood-soaked experience.
Only by pulling together could they have a chance of facing opponents like the cave barbarians with such astonishing strength, making unconditional obedience of orders become deeply rooted in these elite border army soldiers’ bones.
…
The cave barbarians’ most terrifying part were their tyrannical strength and exceptional endurance.
Under the support of enough strength and endurance, thighs so muscular they didn’t seem to ever close, even when charging up a forty-five degree slope, their charging wouldn’t be affected at all for quite some time.
Moreover, in their decades of war against Yunqin armies, it wasn’t like they never faced powerful cultivators, never killed powerful cultivators.
That was why the intimidation of the black clad archer only made them stop for a few breaths of time.
Xin Weigai didn’t even have the time to talk to the black clad archer who leapt almost next to him, breathing heavily like a windbox, unable to even completely see his attire and longbow before the sturdy stone floor beneath them already began to tremble.
Shining bronze skinned cave barbarians seemed to rise from the horizon, appearing between the cracks of their shields.
Roar!
Under a loud explosive roar that made one’s ears rumble with noise, the cave barbarians threw out the weapons in their hands with full force, as if a wave made of giant rock was smashing down on the cold black shields.
Even the black clad archer’s heavy breathing stopped momentarily.
Even though he had long made inward preparations, the giant muffled noises still made his heart contract greatly, and then feel as if something was going to come out of his mouth.
Muffled noises and suppressed grunts sounded all around him.
The feet of the first row of soldiers kneeling on the ground and the soldiers who were pushing them with everything they had also released heart raising grinding noises with the earth.
The shields couldn’t help but cave in, tilt to the side, revealing many gaps.
“Kill!”
Then, the instant this black shore-like black shields were about to be crushed by the wave of bronze, all of the spear wielding soldiers who continuously breathed, waiting for a chance, erupted with an unimaginable vicious roar, using all of their strength to thrust out between the shield gaps.
A few of the spears hit nothing, but most of them instead stabbed fiercely into flesh.
The other side’s weight and charging momentum made these soldiers’ arms that were wrapped in cloth strips lose their grip on their spears. However, these soldiers forcefully pressed forward with their own chests, forcibly stopping the poles that were sliding back. Only when the spears were planted deep within the other side’s bodies, the resistance decreasing slightly, did these soldiers exert force again, fiercely retract their spears.
Pu! Pu! Pu!…
Streaks of blood slashed over the black shields. Quite a bit splashed over the shield bearing soldiers’ bodies and faces, yet these shield bearing soldiers didn’t seem to care at all, still using all of their strength to support the shields in front of them.
Every single mature cave barbarian soldier was equivalent to half a cultivator. That was why even for cultivators, when surrounded by cave barbarians, they would often be directly overwhelmed. That was why even though the black clad archer was definitely a cultivator, all of the soldiers clearly understood that whether or not they could defend this opening represented whether all of them would live or die.
…
None of them feared battles.
After the spears continuously thrusted with full force, as blood-soaked cave barbarians fell, the black shield formation rose and fell like a wave, but it continued to stand tall.
There were already more than ten cave barbarians who fell under this cold and heavy black dike. Together with the deaths of the six or seven cave barbarians that flanked them, as well as the cave barbarians killed below this hill, the total number of cave barbarians killed already exceeded twenty five!
Compared to this Sheep Point Field Mountain Patrol Army who only numbered forty-nine before they left, this was already an exceptional battle achievement.
It was because compared to the vanguard camp and major army camp’s main forces, the patrol army’s equipment couldn’t compare at all. They didn’t have heavy armors, wall piercing crossbows and the assistance of other powerful firearms.
Meanwhile, even if it was the vanguard camp and major army camp’s organized troops, only when there was a ratio of four to one would they have an absolute advantage.
However, none of these soldiers in this rock house felt any joy, only the cold radiance of absolute decisiveness and resolve.
It was because the numbers of this group of cave barbarians already definitely exceeded a hundred!
A large tree on this slope suddenly rose, making all of the soldiers’ pupils contract intensely.
Six or seven cave barbarians actually carried a large tree they cut down, appearing in their line of sight.
Even though they didn’t even cut off the branches and leaves, judging from these cave barbarians’ movements, everyone knew that these cave barbarians were going to use this great tree as a sieging weapon!
The shield formation they assumed could stop these cave barbarians’ weapons and body collisions, but how could they stop this type of strike?
“When I count to three, all of you move to the side!”
Right at this time, the soldiers heard the voice of the black clad archer behind them.
What made them couldn’t help but release a wild beast-like roar, was that they saw this black clad archer’s hands grab a stone pillar that was at least two hundred jin in weight, standing steadily behind them. At his side, were two more pillars like this.
“One, two…” The black archer already began to count.