"They killed the commander of the left wing!"
A group of demon soldiers roared in anger, and relying on their numerical advantage, they surged towards the more than one hundred soldiers of the Iron Stride Camp like a tide.
"Kill that kid!"
Several more lower-tier demon sword cultivators mixed in the crowd. With a flash of sword light, they shot straight for Lin Zhao. Lin Zhao met a sword that descended from the sky with his bare right fist. The fist's aura was vast and powerful, and it actually forced back the opponent's sword strike. The demon sword cultivator's expression immediately turned fierce. A white light flew out from the sword lake in his acupoints and shot towards Lin Zhao's side.
"Whoa!?"
Lin Zhao hurriedly turned his head, and a streak of blood appeared on his face. A chill ran down his spine. Sword cultivators often killed in an instant. It was the same for him when killing others, and the same for others killing him. So, as the opponent's flying sword circled back to attack again, Lin Zhao opened his fingers. His five-tier martial artist's palms clamped onto the opponent's flying sword like iron pincers. At the same time, he raised his left fist and sent the three-tier demon sword cultivator staggering backward with a single punch.
Another demon sword cultivator with fur on his face let out a thunderous roar, and his sword light shot towards Lin Zhao's throat like a rainbow.
At this moment, Lin Zhao immediately ignited the third speed talisman, and his body flickered, moving sideways. He landed a heavy punch on the demon sword cultivator's waist, shattering his spine and sending him spitting blood flying.
"That kid..."
The demons were all shocked. This was supposed to be a perfect ambush. They had a seven-tier cultivator, a six-tier sword cultivator, and more than ten three- and four-tier demon cultivators. They should have been able to slaughter all two hundred men of the Iron Stride Camp on Jiuzhang Plain without any pressure. But a five-tier martial artist, who was unbelievably strong, appeared among the human army. That kid's fists were not only hard, but he was also ruthless, punching without hesitation, each move deadly!
...
After Lin Zhao sent a demon soldier holding a shield flying with a heavy punch, he glanced back at the situation of the Iron Stride Camp. Out of the two hundred men, dozens had died in battle, and dozens were injured. Those who could still fight were likely less than a hundred. What was even more dire was that the two centurions had already died, and the four captains had lost their heads. The entire battle had lost all command.
"Uninjured!"
Lin Zhao had not read many books, but he had heard Mr. Qin talk about the principle of "not shying away from responsibility" for scholars. Although he was not a scholar, he understood a little about the teachings of the sages. At this moment, besides Lin Zhao, who else was more qualified to step forward and lead the more than one hundred surviving soldiers of the Iron Stride Camp back?
Thus, Lin Zhao bent down and punched out, sending waves of fist energy like surging tides to blast away a group of demon soldiers. At the same time, he shouted, "Retreat slowly, help the injured to withdraw first, the uninjured will cover the rear, and retreat in echelon. Do not let the demons bite!"
"Yes!"
Everyone followed his orders. Although Lin Zhao was only a small squad leader, in the hearts of the soldiers, this young man who punched like the wind was a god on the battlefield. Without him, the two hundred men of the Iron Stride Camp would have been annihilated here.
Lin Zhao punched and retreated, weaving at the edge of the battlefield. Dozens of uninjured soldiers, under Lin Zhao's command, covered the retreat of the others. Although people were still being entangled by demons and could no longer escape, most of the soldiers of the Iron Stride Camp had slowly withdrawn from the battlefield after the time it took for one stick of incense to burn.
Not long after, they left the hilly and forested terrain and arrived at the open ground to the south. The demons stopped their pursuit. In the distance, they could see the temporary camp of the vanguard of the Heavenly Pool Army, and they could even hear the sounds of horses' hooves. These demons might have been able to fight the Iron Stride Camp, but if they encountered the vanguard's cavalry, they would only be sending themselves to their deaths.
...
Amidst the sound of horses' hooves, a squadron of vanguard cavalry approached. The old general leading them, clad in armor and with two swords on his back, was Huang Tingyu.
"What is going on?!"
Huang Tingyu frowned.
"Vice Commander!"
A bloody Iron Stride Camp captain frowned, "The Hulu Pass on Jiuzhang Plain was an ambush. The demons split into two groups and had two mid-tier demon cultivators observing. We almost didn't make it back."
Huang Tingyu's expression turned solemn, "Two mid-tier cultivators? How did you get back?"
An old soldier frowned, "Lin Zhao single-handedly bore the brunt of the attack from the two mid-tier cultivators. He killed one and heavily wounded the other, then commanded us to fight and retreat, withdrawing from Jiuzhang Plain."
"Oh?"
Huang Tingyu looked at Lin Zhao. The young man was covered in wounds. In the battle against the seven-tier demoness, Lin Zhao had used his flesh and blood to resist her spells. Although he had finally killed her with a surprise attack from his flying sword Ming Yue, he had not had an easy time of it. Afterwards, Huang Tingyu learned the specific details of the battle situation of the Iron Stride Camp and simply nodded.
"Alright."
Huang Tingyu looked at everyone, "Lin Zhao, you lead everyone to retreat to the rear of the vanguard camp to rest. You do not need to concern yourselves with the subsequent battles for now."
"Yes!"
Lin Zhao cupped his fists and led everyone away. The old general watched the young man's retreating figure with a hint of emotion.
...
Night.
Inside the commander's tent, the lights were bright.
Chu Huaixi stood in front of a large sand table, looking at the dense golden and blood-red flags on it. He frowned, "The forces on both sides are intertwined, and the battle is becoming increasingly deadlocked. How is the battle situation tonight?"
"We gained a little, and we lost a little," Huang Tingyu replied.
"What do you mean?"
Chu Huaixi looked surprised. Chen Yu, standing beside him, frowned, "Explain in detail?"
"Mm."
Huang Tingyu nodded, "The four squadrons of vanguard cavalry attacked the demon positions twice, killing hundreds of demons with minimal losses of their own. The two iron cavalry units of the Decisive Battle Camp also achieved considerable results, destroying a forward demon position. However, the situation for the other camps and regiments is not good. The camp of the Formation Breaking Camp was attacked by nearly two thousand elite demons for nearly an hour, suffering over a hundred casualties. The two hundred men of the Iron Stride Camp were ordered to attack Hulu Pass to the south of Jiuzhang Plain and encountered a demon ambush. The enemy deployed two mid-tier cultivators and no less than fifty lower-tier cultivators. The Iron Stride Camp suffered over fifty deaths and over seventy injuries."
"What?!"
Chu Huaixi was taken aback, "Two mid-tier cultivators were deployed?"
"Yes, a seven-tier cultivator and a six-tier sword cultivator," Huang Tingyu frowned. "Fortunately, that kid Lin Zhao held off the two mid-tier cultivators by himself, killing one and wounding the other, and then led everyone to retreat."
"Oh?"
Chu Huaixi pondered, "Can Lin Zhao lead troops?"
"He can."
Huang Tingyu smiled slightly, "He is calm under pressure, commands effectively, and is methodical. Without Lin Zhao, it is likely that all two hundred men of the Iron Stride Camp would have been lost."
Chen Yu blinked her large eyes and smiled, "A good thing."
"This is for the best,"
Chu Huaixi smiled, "Lin Zhengxi's son, his bloodline and family background are evident. Lin Zhao... if he can truly grow, perhaps... he will be the next commander of the Heavenly Pool Army?"
Huang Tingyu smiled, "It's too early to say. However, I have a suggestion."
"Mm, tell me?"
"Let Lin Zhao follow me," Huang Tingyu said in a deep voice. "It is too much of a waste for him to be a squad leader in the Iron Stride Camp. Why not come to my vanguard camp? There is a vacant centurion position, and he can lead a hundred cavalrymen to gain some experience. Also, he can stay by my side as a strategist. What do you think, Commander Chu?"
Chu Huaixi smiled faintly and waved his hand, "Old Huang, if you want to train Lin Zhao, feel free to appoint him. Staying by your side might be his best chance of survival."
"Yes!"
...
Late at night, Lin Zhao received the military order for his reassignment. As he held the bronze token of the vanguard's centurion, a group of Iron Stride Camp soldiers congratulated him. Lin Zhao bid farewell to everyone and, after mounting a warhorse sent by the vanguard, headed straight for the vanguard's position.
Vice Commander's Tent.
Huang Tingyu sat in the commander's chair, gnawing on a hot roasted chicken in his hand. He looked up at the dust-covered Lin Zhao and said with a smile, "General Lin has arrived~~~"
Lin Zhao was slightly taken aback, then remembered the rules in the Heavenly Pool Army. Squad leaders and captains were not considered generals, but once promoted to centurion, they were already considered officers. Now that he had become a centurion in the vanguard, he was naturally one of Huang Tingyu's subordinate generals.
"Thank you, Elder Lord Huang, for the promotion!"
Lin Zhao was astute. He knew this courtesy was essential. Although he had indeed made military contributions, it was not guaranteed that he would be able to enter the vanguard, the second-ranked camp among the eight, as a centurion. This position was highly coveted, and countless battle-hardened generals were eyeing it!
"You are welcome."
Huang Tingyu waved his hand and said, "Someone, give General Lin a chicken."
"Yes, sir!"
A soldier from the mess hall handed Lin Zhao a freshly heated roasted chicken.
Lin Zhao was indeed hungry. Martial artists consumed a lot of stamina and true qi when punching. He directly tore off a chicken leg and ate it in a few bites, then said with a smile, "Is there anything else?"
"No."
Huang Tingyu said, "Return to your centurion camp, meet with the squad leaders, and then rest and tend to your wounds. Get a good night's sleep tonight. In the next few days, you might not have a chance to sleep soundly."
"Mm, okay!"
...
Lin Zhao returned to the camp. Ten squad leaders were already lined up in the military tent waiting for him. They cupped their fists one by one. Lin Zhao, somewhat nervously, walked to the end of the large tent and sat in the centurion's chair. Looking at the soldiers whose faces were etched with the marks of war and the ravages of time, Lin Zhao felt even more anxious, but he knew he couldn't show any weakness. He said in a deep voice, "I, Lin Zhao, have just been transferred from the Iron Stride Camp to the vanguard and appointed this centurion. If there are things I do not understand in the future, I ask for your guidance!"
Everyone nodded. These squad leaders truly respected Lin Zhao. The Heavenly Pool Army had always valued military achievements, cultivation levels, and command abilities. Lin Zhao's battle at Hulu Pass, where he killed a seven-tier cultivator, heavily wounded a six-tier sword cultivator, killed many lower-tier cultivators, commanded effectively, and covered the retreat of over a hundred Iron Stride Camp soldiers, was sufficient proof. Even though this centurion was only fifteen years old, no one was unconvinced!
...
Not long after, Lin Zhao ordered everyone to rest early. He himself slept in his uniform in the centurion's tent. He was not only injured but also exhausted. At this moment, he was simply too tired.
However, as he drifted into his dreams, he seemed to hear voices from the sky.
"Sister Feiyue, how did things go with finding Shen Xingchen?"
"Not very well. That girl is indeed beautiful, but she is also very cunning. I didn't have a chance to ask about Xiao Zhao."
"Mm, people from the game developer's side revealed this afternoon that Lin Zhao is doing well in Snow Region Heavenly Pool."
"That's good. We don't need to rush. Let him wake up on his own."
"Mm!"