strokinit Chapter 156 Swift Assault and Savagery
Chapter 156 Swift Assault and Savagery
The Northern Barbarians launched an attack on the Raw Barbarians, a fact already known to spies from various dynasties.
After all, such a large-scale military operation cannot be kept secret.
After glancing at the battle report, the Azure Emperor of Dongyi smiled smugly: "Hehe, it seems that the King of Qin was provoked when he met me last time. He hasn't been back long and he can't wait to attack the barbarians and make a name for himself."
Little did they know that being ambitious and eager for quick success is the easiest path to failure.
It might make the Northern Barbarians even weaker.
After he finished speaking, the disdain in his eyes deepened.
However, none of them knew Lu Yuan's ambitions, and this was exactly the scene Lu Yuan wanted to see.
Only when all forces lower their guard can he wage war against the barbarians with peace of mind.
To prevent them from causing trouble behind our backs.
Amidst the calculations of all parties, half a month later Lu Yuan arrived at the border between the Northern Barbarians and the Wild Barbarians. Xiao He came out to greet him from inside Guhe Pass and respectfully said to Lu Yuan, "Greetings, Your Highness."
He truly witnessed Lu Yuan's strength during the border war and now admires him greatly.
When they met again, Lu Yuan's excitement was undisguised.
Xiao Lie said with a smile, "I heard you've been having a good time at the border lately."
"Hehe, it's all thanks to Your Highness," Xiao He quickly replied.
Lu Yuan looked at him and said, "Not bad. The checkpoints have been rebuilt, and the soldiers no longer need to rest in their tents. It's much better than before."
"The imperial court will allocate funds for further repairs, thanks to the prince."
"It's not easy for the soldiers to guard the border. The imperial court will definitely make up for the lack of necessary facilities. I'll rest here for the night and leave tomorrow," Lu Yuan said with a smile.
"Alright, we've already slaughtered the cattle and sheep, just waiting for you to arrive." After saying that, she glanced at the beast riders following behind Lu Yuan, her eyes filled with envy. They were all dressed in heavy black armor, one person riding two horses, and their cultivation levels were all at the Refining Realm.
Such a team would be virtually invincible on the battlefield.
It should be noted that the warhorses of the Northern Barbarians are renowned for their strength and endurance, especially their beast-riding mounts.
Traveling a thousand miles a day is normal.
Normally, it's one person and one horse, because that's enough.
Even so, Lu Yuan still led two riders and covered countless miles in a single day.
"Alright, let's eat then." Regardless of what Xiao He was thinking, Lu Yuan responded and ordered the army to dismount and begin their meal.
They had been traveling at a fast pace and hadn't had a proper meal along the way, so the soldiers were eagerly anticipating a hot meal today.
Lu Yuan, along with Xiao Lie and other generals, entered Xiao He's general's mansion.
As soon as they were seated, a variety of delicious foods were served, along with a large jar of fine wine. Lu Yuan smiled at everyone and said, "You can have a little to drink today, but not too much. We'll be entering the territory of the Wild Barbarians early tomorrow morning, so we must remain vigilant at all times."
"Don't worry, Your Highness, I won't drink much," Xiao Lie said with a grin.
His cultivation level was at the Dharma Aspect Realm, but this time he was Deputy General Lu Yuan.
Xiao Lie was definitely a fierce general in the Northern Barbarians, but he was not proficient in military formations.
He was somewhat lacking in leading large-scale battles with his legion.
Moreover, Lu Yuan's performance in the Northern Barbarian lands has now completely won over the Northern Barbarian leadership.
Xiao Lie is very obedient now.
As for the eight masters from Prajna Temple, they were all quiet and usually just stayed by Lu Yuan's side.
When they arrived, they received orders from Xiao Gu that they were not responsible for matters on the battlefield; their only task was to follow Lu Yuan and protect his safety.
If they lose this battle, the eight of them can bring Lu Yuan back, which would be a great achievement.
Even if this victory is won, and something happens to Lu Yuan, the eight people will still be punished according to the clan rules.
Therefore, they dared not leave for even a moment.
As for Xiao He, he seemed carefree and even dared to joke with Lu Yuan, but when he saw these eight Venerables, he became very cautious, like a mouse seeing a cat.
Lu Yuan only found out after the meal.
It turns out that these members of the royal family had studied and practiced at the Prajna Temple when they were young.
Xiao He had been taught by these eight venerable ones.
I was beaten a lot back then, and seeing it again now still terrifies me.
So, after everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, they didn't linger for long, and Lu Yuan returned to the courtyard that Xiao He had arranged for him early on.
These past few days, he has mainly focused on military formations, studying formations every day.
The gains are considerable. Today I plan to try to break through and reach the fifth-grade formation.
This makes the battle much safer.
As far as he knew, the highest level of the barbarian army was only a fourth-rank military formation called the "Wolf Cavalry Formation".
It was under the control of Manliang, the first general of the Shengman tribe.
It's terrifying to use.
If Lu Yuan's military formation can reach the fifth rank, then there should be no problem facing this formation.
Then, he took out a military formation diagram and began to study it.
After returning this time, Lu Yuan plans to establish another military academy to train generals from the Northern Barbarians.
They could earn a lot of silver and also train generals for the Northern Barbarians.
However, this military formation will not be easily spread outside. Apart from the Northern Barbarians' own sons, other people from the imperial court will not be allowed to enter and learn unless they join the Northern Barbarians.
Moreover, their identities must be investigated by the Astronomical Bureau.
In a few decades, these will become the strongest foundation of the Northern Barbarians.
As Lu Yuan studied the array diagram, the system's voice kept ringing in his mind.
[Host's proficiency in the "Shocking Divine Pagoda Formation" has increased by 1.]
[Host's proficiency in the "Shocking Divine Pagoda Formation" has increased by 1.]
......
As data kept popping into my mind.
Lu Yuan could clearly feel that his understanding of military formations was constantly improving.
Time passed, and no one knew how much time had gone by.
Data resurfaced in my mind.
[Fourth-grade formation "Shocking God Floating Pagoda Formation" (60242/50000 entry momentum, use 10,000 proficiency points to advance?) Additional effects: Doubled defense, doubled speed, and in large-scale battles, it can have a deterrent effect, causing the enemy's morale to drop.]
Lu Yuan did not hesitate and immediately chose to advance.
The next moment, a large number of insights about formations surfaced in his mind.
He seemed to have spent his life on the battlefield, and finally, after a major battle, he created a new formation.
[The fifth-grade formation "Hurricane Floating Pagoda Formation" (242/1000 minor completion) additional effects: defense doubled, speed five times, and in large-scale battles, it can produce a critical hit effect, allowing the user's speed, attack power, and defense power to explode to more than three times the original level.]
Seeing the introduction above, Lu Yuan nodded in satisfaction.
The Blitzkrieg formation is most suitable for this formation, and another advantage is that it won't expose the "Shocking God Floating Pagoda Formation," since he used this formation at Heavenly King Village.
If someone were to see it, it would naturally arouse suspicion.
Now that the army has advanced, no one will think of him anymore.
Now, all that needs to be done is to become familiar with this military formation during the march.
After dealing with the military formation, Lu Yuan rested.
Nothing happened that night, and the next morning, the 50,000-strong army regrouped.
The gate to the exit has been opened, and ahead lies a vast expanse of white.
Although much of the snow has melted since the beginning of spring, in some remote areas, the snow can still cover ankle height.
In addition to their heavy armor, each warrior had some fur sewn onto their body for warmth.
Upon Lu Yuan's arrival, he gave an order.
Fifty thousand cavalrymen headed towards the border region.
The weather outside is worse than in the northern barbarians; you can feel the temperature drop as soon as you step outside.
Fortunately, the warriors were well-equipped and their cultivation levels were not low.
Such low temperatures are unlikely to cause too much harm.
During rest stops along the way, Lu Yuan handed the battle formation diagram to Xiao Lie, instructing him to have the soldiers practice and familiarize themselves with it during the march.
The rest of the time consisted of tedious and monotonous travel.
Lu Yuan will try his best to avoid the barbarian tribes; their target is the royal camp.
If we encounter one, we just wipe it out and replenish our supplies.
In the blink of an eye, more than ten days had passed, and the beast cavalry under his command had become quite adept at practicing the general's formation.
Lu Yuan and his group gradually approached the royal tent.
Standing on a high point, one could see a vast, dark expanse of camps.
There were civilians among them, as well as soldiers in armor.
The tents are arranged in a neat and orderly fashion, resembling houses, yet they do not appear cluttered.
However, it can be seen that the population is extremely large, probably tens of millions.
The military also numbers in the hundreds of thousands.
"Da da!"
Just then, a group of scouts came galloping up, jumped off their horses, and bowed to Lu Yuan, saying, "Your Highness, we have investigated thoroughly."
The king's tent was surrounded by an army of 300,000, all of whom were wild wolf cavalry.
The barbarian king's camp was located beneath the tallest banner in the army.
The Wild Wolf Riders, similar to the Northern Wild Beast Riders, are both top-tier cavalry.
However, their warhorses, with wolf heads and horse bodies, were not only strong but also extremely fierce.
They could even be considered a decent fighting force on the battlefield.
Therefore, the Wild Wolf Riders were very famous throughout the world, and other dynasties even spent a lot of money to buy them.
After hearing the intelligence, Lu Yuan looked towards the camp and indeed found a battle flag that looked like a pine tree, dozens of meters high. That was the banner of the Barbarian King.
It is said that surrounding them were 30,000 guards, each one a fierce and elite barbarian.
What Lu Yuan and his men needed to do was to capture the Barbarian King first, and the guards were, of course, an obstacle.
However, this matter must be handled quickly.
Otherwise, dealing with an enemy several times larger would be quite difficult.
After a moment's hesitation, Lu Yuan said to Xiao Lie, "Everyone, hide and rest. We'll raid the camp tonight."
"Yes, sir!"
Xiao Lie responded and went to relay the order.
At this moment, Lu Yuan stared at the camp, his face unchanged.
They didn't dare to stop for a moment during the nearly two-month journey, and they made it over in just over ten days.
Whether it was the barbarians or any other forces, they would never have imagined that he was already not far from the king's tent.
There is only one chance for a surprise attack, and failure would mean that the Northern Barbarians would be more vigilant.
Therefore, in this battle, only success is allowed; failure is not an option.
Meanwhile, inside the tent of the Barbarian King, King Mangu Tun sat in the head seat, with flames a meter high emanating from the furnace below.
The reflection cast flickering light on everyone's faces.
The muscular upper body of the barbarian king was revealed.
His muscles bulged like hills, his head was enormous, and his hair was disheveled, making him look like a lion.
This seemingly fierce man possessed cultivation at the Earthly Immortal Realm and astonishing supernatural powers.
Behind them lay a giant, black, striped tiger with gleaming crimson eyes.
Judging from the aura emanating from him, he seems to have reached the Divine Power Realm.
A man and a tiger, both extremely ferocious.
Below them are the high-ranking members of the Shengman clan.
After glancing at everyone, Mangu Tun asked in a hoarse voice, "Where are the Northern Barbarians now?"
"The most recent one was the annihilation of a tribe by our Snow God Lake, which happened seven days ago. They should still be lingering on the edge of the region."
"Several nearby tribes, as well as the nearest wolf riders, are searching. They should be wiped out soon," a barbarian general immediately said.
"Okay, that's good. There aren't many people coming in. Let's get this over with as soon as possible. Our Shengman tribe has just survived the winter, and the people are struggling. If we let the Northern Barbarians run rampant, the situation will get even worse," Mangu Tun said.
He then waved for everyone to leave.
Inside the Northern Barbarian royal palace, Empress Xiao sat on the dragon throne, her gaze slightly somber: "Where is the Qin King's army currently?"
The Grand Master said softly, "The latest news is from Xiao Lie. In the heart of the barbarian lands, they are approaching the royal camp. Scouts have investigated and found that there are 300,000 wolf riders near the royal camp, as well as many royal camp elders."
"So fast? A-Yuan is too reckless. Three hundred thousand wolf riders is no small number. How confident is Grandmaster Zheng in winning?"
"I've done some simulations with a few veterans, and the win rate is very low. There are too few of them, although they are indeed very fast and can play a surprise attack role."
"But there's almost no advantage. If it were me, my chances of winning would be less than 10%," Xiao Gu said softly.
"Can they be recalled?"
"Given the King of Qin's temperament, it would be difficult to recall him. Besides, he is already outside the royal tent, so even if he escapes, he may not be able to get out."
"The barbarian scouts have sent word that they are already organizing a large army to encircle and annihilate them." Xiao Gu finished speaking.
Xiao Shi remained silent, only letting out a sigh.
Inside the palace of the Great Yong Emperor, after hearing the report from his subordinates, the Emperor smiled and said, "The last time they appeared near Shenxue Lake, that means they are still near the edge."
Just as I guessed, the 50,000 beast cavalrymen were trapped in the sea of people and faced certain death.
It seems I overestimated Lu Yuan.
The Great Yong Dynasty has been paying close attention to the battles between the Northern Barbarians and the Raw Barbarians.
After all, it's definitely a good thing for them.
"Your Majesty is wise," the eunuch hurriedly replied.
Inside the Qing Emperor's palace in Dongyi, the Qing Emperor remained expressionless, offering only eight words of evaluation to Lu Yuan: "Popular charlatan, utterly nonsensical!"
After saying that, he ignored her.
Meanwhile, Lu Yuan led his army to eat some dry rations and rest.
The sky was gradually darkening.
Inside the royal tent ahead, the lights were on full display.
Lu Yuan and the others slowly emerged from the woods. After lining up, he addressed the crowd, saying, "If we win this battle, our names will be remembered for eternity; if we lose, our lives will be lost here. Form ranks and charge!"
After the sound was heard.
The warhorse neighed as it sat down.
Fifty thousand troops followed closely behind.
As they charged forward, a faint black whirlwind surrounded each of them.
As they increased their speed, the whirlwinds gathered in greater numbers.
Above the army, a devastating tornado suddenly appeared, enveloping the entire force.
Hidden within the hurricane, a powerful phantom clad in heavy armor, resembling a demon god, floated, its dark eyes gleaming with bloodlust.
System data popped up in Lu Yuan's mind.
[The Hurricane Floating Pagoda Formation is now active, doubling the army's defense and increasing its speed fivefold.]
[Critical Strike Mode Triggered in "Hurricane Floating Pagoda"]