Mythical Three Kingdoms

Looking at the silent, solemn army gathering outside the tent, Liu Bei took a deep breath, donned his battle armor, and roared, "March forward! This battle, we must win!"

Without any further rallying cries, all the soldiers shouted in unison, "Victory is certain!" The chaotic voices gradually coalesced into a single word—"Victory!"

Liu Bei assigned Guan Yu to lead the vanguard of veteran soldiers, while he himself commanded the central army with trusted aides at its core. The flanks and rear wings were mainly composed of Qingzhou's fresh recruits.

Marching out of the camp, the troops maintained a strict and guarded formation. After covering no more than ten miles, they saw a rolling black line on the western horizon. Thick smoke swirled up, and despite the great distance, the tremors on the ground could already be felt.

Finally, the two forces stopped a mile apart from each other. Both sides halted in perfect unison, and an oppressive silence ensued. The leading general on the opposing side was clearly visible—it was none other than Yann Liang. On his left and right flanks, rows of black-armored Wolf Cavalry stood motionless, reining in their horses with disciplined precision.

"As expected, Zheng Nan, your prediction was spot on. The opponent indeed intends to tire us out for their advantage. Our army's greatest edge over Liu Bei lies in our cavalry. This advantage is not just in combat strength but also in mobility," Yuan Shao said gravely, squinting at the equally solemn army opposite them.

"My lord, Liu Bei is no easy opponent. Most of his soldiers are battle-hardened veterans," Sheni Pei remarked, his keen eyes quickly discerning the seasoned troops in Liu Bei's ranks.

"Yuan Shao really went all in on equipping his cavalry. He even armored them up," Chen Xi said with a slightly tense expression. Yet his hands remained busy, rapidly connecting the main army's Cloud Qi network.

"After all, he is hailed as a model for the world," Liu Bei replied, his face impassive and fearless as he coldly stared at the opposing side.

"It seems there'll be no duel of generals today. Zhengli, prepare yourself—you are my trump card. Tian Feng, Ju Shou, Zhang He, Jiang Qi, all of you ready your commands. I need Zhengli to settle this in one decisive strike!" Yuan Shao ordered frostily to the four men on his war chariot. As for Juo Yi, he now wore the armor of an ordinary soldier and held a standard long spear, blending in like a lowly foot soldier.

"I'm about to increase the humidity. Zijing, make your move when the melee begins!" Chen Xi turned his head and instructed Lub Su.

No one spoke further. The mounting tension during the standoff between the soldiers grew unbearable, causing many of Yuan Shao's troops to crouch slightly, gripping their weapons tightly as beads of sweat slowly formed on their foreheads.

In contrast, the veterans comprising Liu Bei's vanguard glared sharply at their opponents, their fierce expressions enough to seemingly kill with a mere gaze. The two armies continued to confront each other coldly, their Cloud Qi accumulating steadily, growing in momentum and weight, with the pressure mounting by the second.

"Kill!" Finally, one of Yuan Shao's soldiers could no longer withstand the oppressive pressure and let out a loud roar. Almost in unison, the nearly one hundred thousand soldiers from both sides erupted with a resounding battle cry, as if they shared a singular mind.

In that instant, both Guan Yu's and Yann Liang's auras peaked. Drawing upon the armies' vast reserves of Cloud Qi, they launched a fierce assault toward each other. Without so much as a glance back, each spurred their horses, leading their trusted aides forward to engage the enemy.

At the same time, the strategists from both sides completed their connections to the armies' Cloud Qi, allowing their respective military formations to unleash overwhelming power. At this stage, ordinary civil officials were of little use. Victory now depended on the valor and prowess of the military generals to inspire morale.

In battles on open plains like this, unless one side had meticulously prepared in advance, such encounters generally devolved into a head-on clash of brute force!

Soon, arrows rained down from both sides. Shield bearers in the vanguard advanced toward the enemy under their protective cover, while cavalry units on both flanks surged outward, aiming to annihilate the opposing cavalry.

Amid the arrow storm, though Yuan Shao's soldiers carried shields, they were no match for heavy crossbows and skilled archers. Many were quickly shot down due to subpar blocking techniques. In just a few hundred paces, hundreds had already fallen.

Liu Bei's Sword and Shield Infantry, by contrast, were veterans who had survived countless arrow storms. Moreover, under Chen Xi's earlier directives—where ample rewards had been offered during training—these troops had honed their defensive skills to perfection. During mock drills, elite archers and shield bearers competed fiercely: shield bearers who crossed unscathed earned extra meat at dinner, as did archers who hit vital targets.

Imagine the level of proficiency needed for members of Fenggao City's administrative defense units to ensure they could charge through enemy lines without taking lethal hits, all driven by the promise of earning that extra share of meat!

Although not every veteran carried this skill level, among those advancing now, the few unlucky ones struck down by arrows were merely victims of chance. For the rest, the worst injuries amounted to shallow wounds at most.

When the two sides closed in, with barely three paces remaining, Mount Tai's Sword and Shield Infantry simultaneously hurled their huge round shields at the enemy. At such close range, a heavy shield throw would not only knock enemies down but cause them to stumble if not toppled. In this pivotal moment, even a slight stagger could prove fatal.

Within the first clash, nearly half of Yuan Shao's frontline Sword and Shield soldiers collapsed. In terms of combat prowess, Liu Bei's soldiers, so long as discipline was maintained, were veterans of sufficient rank and experience to serve as fifty-man team leaders under normal circumstances.

At this very moment of shield infantry engagement, a powerful glow of Clear Radiance erupted from Guan Yu, enveloping over ten thousand soldiers at the front. Following this, Chen Xi raised his hand, casting a moon-white brilliance that bathed the entire army, which momentarily caught Liu Bei's attention. The combination of Guan Yu's Legion Talent, boosting morale to soaring heights, and Chen Xi's support made the troops' attacks even more ferocious.

Before Yuan Shao's soldiers could register a sense of fear, a sharp golden radiance burst from the rear of their formation.

At the center of the battle formation, Ju Shou revealed himself, enveloping all of Yuan Shao's soldiers in a layer of golden light.

The dual effects of Chen Xi and Guan Yu raising their forces' morale clashed head-on with Ju Shou's Spiritual Talent, which enhanced the physical endurance of his soldiers. At this moment, the psychological and physical strengths of the two armies began their fierce collision, with their Cloud Qi smashing against each other like thunderous waves.

As the two armies collided, the once-clear sky suddenly darkened. Before Sheni Pei and the others could react, icy shards began falling from the heavens, abruptly transforming the summer-like climate into the depths of a harsh winter.

"Quickly disperse the fog!" As the icy snow descended, a thick fog rapidly enveloped Yuan Shao's forces. This wasn't an act of spell-casting to summon or drive away clouds; it was a natural phenomenon caused by the sudden drop in temperature. Its sheer authenticity took Yuan Shao's strategists by complete surprise.

The instant Lub Su intervened, the temperature in the vicinity dropped sharply. However, compared to Liu Bei's side, where the air was merely cold and dry, Yuan Shao's troops—amid near-perfect humidity—suffered significantly worse conditions.

In almost no time at all, a thin layer of frost formed on the armor and weapons of Yuan Shao's soldiers. Though not immediately fatal, in the chaotic heat of battle, even the smallest disadvantage could spell doom!

(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com for further reading.)