The deep night.
North of Fallen Goose Peak, the starry sky was devoid of light, and snowflakes began to fall. The weather in the north was always harsh. Within a snow-covered woodland, a scout rode at full speed, struggling to discern his direction in the heavy snow. In an instant, a streak of blood-red thread flashed by, and the scout’s head rolled from his body. The riderless warhorse wandered into the snowy forest.
"Hmph~~~"
An alluring figure flickered into view. It was a woman dressed in a red gown. She picked up the scout’s head from the ground, tilted her head back, and drank the fresh blood. After discarding the head, she wiped the corner of her mouth, smeared with blood, and chuckled, "Great Chen Dynasty's Chu Huaixi, you truly think of yourself as someone important. If not for the schemes of Marquis Wen of the Great Shang Dynasty, do you, this mere Heavenly Pool Army, truly believe you can stop my demon army?"
...
In the northeast direction, snow fell for miles.
A patrolling scout rode swiftly through the curtain of snow. He suddenly reined in his horse, stopping so abruptly that the animal reared up on its hind legs in the snow, letting out a loud neigh.
"Not good!"
The scout, belonging to the Riding Wind Battalion, sniffed the air, sensing something eerie. He immediately took a signal flare from his怀, pulled the fuse, and a moment later, a fiery red light exploded in the sky. Illuminated by this light, his scalp tingled. In the once dark snowy forest, hunched figures emerged, densely packed, like a sea of people.
The main force of the Ghost Clan had been mobilized!
"Roar~~~"
Piercing roars tore through the night's stillness. Dark figures surged forward like a tide. Despite the scout's swift gallop, he was eventually engulfed.
...
"Enemy attack!"
In the command tent of the Heavenly Pool Army, Chu Huaixi stepped out, roaring, "Messenger, immediately alert all camps and prepare to face the enemy!"
The sound of the horn immediately echoed through the night sky.
"Ah?!"
Lin Zhao jolted awake from his dream, listening to the horn outside, "What is this... order?"
"Enemy attack!"
Old Fish Head rolled out of bed, growling, "Everyone, put on your armor, grab your shields and long swords! Fire Brigade, light the torches and march out to defend our positions!"
Lin Zhao leaped up, drawing his sword and picking up his shield. He followed Old Fish Head out. Torches had already been lit outside, and the soldiers of the Iron Step Battalion were forming ranks. There were three lines of formation, with about 5-8 meters between each line. Behind them were archers from other battalions and regiments, bows drawn and arrows nocked.
"Lin Zhao, get behind me!"
Old Fish Head, holding his shield, stood at the front of the heavy infantry formation. "You're a new recruit, rushing to the front line to die?"
Lin Zhao frowned, "I should be able to..."
"Obey my orders!"
Old Fish Head gritted his teeth, "Are you sick? You want to die as a new recruit? Wait until we old soldiers are dead. If I'm not dead, you won't get this front-row position."
"Got it, Old Fish Head!"
Lin Zhao immediately moved to the second line with his shield.
"Get lost."
A middle-aged soldier chuckled, "Go to the third line! Old Fish Head, don't you agree?"
"Right!"
Old Fish Head smiled.
At this moment, a centurion, clad in armor and wearing two silver stars on his collar, stepped forward and barked, "Everyone, snap to it! They're coming!"
"Yes, sir!"
Everyone nodded in unison.
Lin Zhao moved to the third line. He was now a bit further from the front, but he felt he could be closer. Moreover, the sword and shield in his hands felt like a burden. For a martial artist with a solid foundation in the third realm, his fists were the best weapons. Taking up weapons felt somewhat restrictive.
...
The biting wind was sharp, and snowflakes landed on his body, soon accumulating a layer on Lin Zhao’s shoulder pads and helmet. He squinted at the distance, maintaining absolute focus. The others also stood unmoving, the new recruits and veterans of the entire Iron Step Battalion like sculptures in the snow, utterly still.
"Hiss hiss~~~"
From afar, a strange sound was heard.
"They're here!"
A general rode swiftly behind the troops. It was Zhang Yanping, the commander of the Iron Step Battalion, formerly Su Liang's second-in-command, now the new commander. He rode his horse, his sword already unsheathed. He pointed towards the distance and shouted, "Archers, switch to fire arrows, and illuminate the tracks of these beasts!"
Immediately, a group of archers shot fire arrows. Amidst the "swish swish swish" sounds, illuminated by streaks of flame, hunched figures were revealed, crawling slowly on the ground. They looked like specters, with human heads but bizarre bodies, thin as skin and bone, their skin covered in a greasy substance, making them appear utterly terrifying.
"Damn it!"
Old Fish Head, at the front, growled, "They're the ghouls raised by the Ghost Clan. Brothers, be careful! Ghouls have sharp teeth and claws. Don't let them break through our lines!"
After being illuminated, a sharp shriek echoed from the distant mountain forest. Following that, a horde of ghouls like a tide surged forward.
"Archers, fire a volley!"
A battalion commander shouted from afar.
Behind them, the sound of arrows leaving the bowstrings was incessant, a pain to the eardrums. Lin Zhao remained low, his eyes narrowed, watching the front. In the light of the bonfires, the ghouls grew closer and closer. Soon, the foremost ghouls crashed against the shield wall, the sound of claws tearing and scratching at the shields ceaseless.
"Defend!"
Zhang Yanping drew his sword and pointed forward, "Shift shields, attack!"
Immediately, the heavy infantry soldiers of the Iron Step Battalion at the front slowly moved their shields to create a gap. Then, their long swords thrust out, and the sound of blades piercing flesh was constant. Above their heads, countless arrows, too many to see clearly, fell into the ranks of the ghost army with "plop plop plop" sounds. The ghouls kept falling, bleeding crimson.
Lin Zhao frowned.
Beside him, the screams of ghouls were incessant and unpleasant. The sound of claws and teeth attacking the shields also continued. Furthermore, the ghouls were short and sturdy, possessing immense strength. Under their constant assault, some soldiers at the front could no longer hold their ground. When a young soldier's shield was knocked aside, he was immediately pounced upon by a ghoul. Its gaping maw bit down, crushing his entire throat!
"Bastards!"
A middle-aged soldier from the rear swung his sword, cutting down a ghoul and filling the gap, but breaches kept appearing at the front.
"Hold the line!"
Zhang Yanping roared from behind, "If the front line is injured, the rear immediately fills the gap, be quick! Archers, increase your arrow speed, there are too many ghosts!"
Further away, someone yelled, "Torchstone catapults, begin attacking!"
Immediately, the troop's torchstone chariots began to operate, launching balls of burning torchstones into theghoul ranks, igniting them in patches. The air above the battlefield filled with the stench of burning flesh.
...
Behind the troops, Chu Huaixi stood on a not-too-tall observation platform, his fists clenched. He said to Huang Tingyu beside him, "The accompanying cultivators can begin their work. Also, how are the formation masters progressing?"
"The '潛龍在淵' (Hidden Dragon in the Abyss) formation is ready. Rest assured."
"That's good."
At this point, the heavy infantry in the front line in front of Lin Zhao was thinning out. He immediately moved to the second row with his shield and long sword. After taking his position, he saw a soldier being bitten on the thigh by a ghoul and retreating with a scream.
"What are you waiting for!?"
A middle-aged soldier looked at Lin Zhao, "Fill the gap!"
Without a word, Lin Zhao lunged forward. His fist intent flowed, and he delivered a heavy kick. With a "peng" sound, he sent a ghoul flying, rolling far across the snow and colliding with many of its companions before stopping. Lin Zhao then circulated his internal true qi, channeling it into his long sword and thrusting it forward!
"Chih!"
A ghoul was directly impaled through the throat by the sword and fell limply. But the next ghoul had already lunged, moving with extreme speed. Without thinking, Lin Zhao spun his body and used the shield in his left hand to smash the ghoul away. His sword descended from above, and with a "chih" sound, it split the fourth ghoul in two, scattering blood!
"This..."
The soldiers beside him, including Old Fish Head, were all stunned. Who would have thought that the seemingly unremarkable young man from a small town would possess such terrifying combat power?
"Kill with all your might!"
Old Fish Head roared with laughter, "In this battle, you, kid, should kill your way up to a centurion to make it worthwhile!"
Lin Zhao, however, couldn't laugh. He wasn't accustomed to seeing death. When he saw the soldiers of the Iron Step Battalion fall before him and become corpses, his heart felt deeply unsettled. But there was nothing he could do. So, he simply discarded his long sword and shield, engaging directly with his fists. His fist intent flowed, and his true qi erupted in streams. His punches landed with solid impact, delivered without mercy, turning ghoul after ghoul into bloody mist.
"This kid..."
From afar, Zhang Yanping glanced at Lin Zhao and muttered with a smile, "He's quite interesting. His fist wind is fierce, and his fist techniques are profound. Our Great Chen Dynasty's martial arts have found a successor!"
...
In the distance, a horn sounded from the direction of the demon race. Following that, demon soldiers of the third and fourth realms appeared on the battlefield. The vanguard's Shattered Spear Battalion began to collapse, their positions constantly being pushed back.
"No retreat!"
A seventh-realm martial artist descended from the sky, like a god arriving on earth. With a single punch, an entire patch of demons turned into bloody mist. The punch's force expanded, distorting the very space around it. The one who made the move was Zhang Han, the commander of the Shattered Spear Battalion!
"Our commander is mighty!"
From behind, a centurion repeatedly cheered. It was Huang Yan, Huang Lin's uncle.
"Hmph!"
Zhang Han snorted and ignored him, continuing to punch.
...
"Not good!"
Huang Tingyu, who was stationed in the central army, suddenly stiffened. His figure vanished instantly, and when he reappeared, he had already swung his sword. The sword light swept out, forming a curtain of light. At that moment, a streak of blood-red long sword struck the sword curtain and was instantly repelled, returning to the hand of a demon female cultivator dressed in red robes. She curved her lips and said, "Tsk tsk, just a little bit more, and the commander of the Heavenly Pool Army's Eighth Battalion, the Shattered Spear Battalion, would have lost his head!"
"Hmm!?"
Zhang Han's expression tightened, then he chuckled heartily, "What does it matter? Commander Chu will promote another commander. Can you kill all the commanders of our Heavenly Pool Army?"
"Hmph!"
In the distance, Chu Huaixi remained silent. He could act, but there was no need. If even Chu Huaixi were to enter the fray, the hidden assassins of the other side would naturally be mobilized.