Chapter 304: Battle Fury

Lingchuan He chose a hillside slope beside the highland, shaped like terraced fields, where discarded carriages and various sundries were piled up. Most importantly, the Yuyan army's weaponry was stored there!

Armaments were certainly one of the first targets the enemy would want to destroy.

As soon as Lingchuan He and his men finished their preparations there, the enemy army arrived.

Zhao Pan's main tent was pitched on the highland. There were several paths from the riverbank to the highland, and the main force of the Xunzhou army naturally chose the shortest main road for their assault. The remaining troops spread out, attacking from various directions, ultimately aiming to encircle the highland.

The slope Lingchuan He chose was on the side, and the number of approaching enemies was small, which allowed them to fight steadily.

What about the main Xunzhou force? Oh, the main Yuyan army would also be defending fiercely in front of Zhao Pan's tent. They were formidable elites, so it was best to let them clash directly.

He believed in doing what he was capable of. Lingchuan He would never seek undeserved glory at such a moment.

Although the confrontation between the two armies was chaotic and complex, it ultimately broke down into individual battles fought by numerous small teams.

As long as Lingchuan He led his team in battle, he would be contributing to his own faction. Not to mention, he was tasked with intercepting enemies heading directly for the armory.

As for his father— He glanced back at the main camp. Chunhua He was by Zhao Pan's side, at the core of the entire army's protection, making him quite safe.

A messenger rushed out from the main camp, ran to Lingchuan He, and shouted, "The Commander has ordered Lingchuan He to hold the armory!"

Although a little late, Chunhua He quickly realized the importance of this position.

Lingchuan He turned and pointed at the forest, telling Yaoyuan, "Go up the trees." In battle, weapons were indiscriminate, so it was better for a non-combatant like it to stay away from the front lines. Lingguang, without hesitation, jumped onto a tree in two bounds and vanished from sight in an instant.

As soon as they were positioned, the enemy charged forward with fierce yells.

Two large horses charged at the forefront, colliding like the wind. The cavalrymen on horseback grinned, brandishing their spears and aiming for Lingchuan He's forehead. This young man clearly looked like the leader, an easy target to kill, perfect for claiming the first kill.

For such an inconsiderate enemy, Lingchuan He's reaction was to raise his middle finger, making a universal gesture. Seeing this, his subordinates yanked hard on the tripwire.

With a loud thud, the two warhorses were tripped by their front hooves, sending both horses and riders flying several yards. The two cavalrymen were disoriented from the fall and, before they could even get up, were cut down by Dan Youjun and the others.

The remaining infantry, surprised, roared and charged forward.

Archers hidden in the large trees behind began to fire, hitting a target every two or three arrows even in the dim light, proving very effective.

The remaining infantry, pushing through the arrows, charged a few more steps, then suddenly cried out in pain and doubled over. It turned out that poisonous caltrops had been scattered on the ground. These small, three-pronged spikes were known as the bane of feet; not just humans, but even bear demons would cry out in pain if they stepped on them, and their feet would swell up like buckets in no time. When Lingchuan He led his men to hunt disruptive monsters, these poisonous caltrops had proven effective many times, and they worked just as well against people today.

Lingchuan He showed them no mercy, taking advantage of their weakened state to finish them off.

The lucky few who hadn't stepped on the poisonous caltrops could finally engage them in a direct confrontation.

Although the Xunzhou forces had secretly landed on the south bank under the cover of night rain, their boats were limited. To transport as many soldiers as possible in a short time, they had to bring fewer horses and more men, resulting in a severe shortage of cavalry. The attacking force was primarily infantry. Fortunately, in this kind of mountain warfare, the role of infantry was not diminished. However, it was clear their offensive impact was reduced.

Lingchuan He cut down one enemy with a single slash, then easily knocked another flying with a shoulder bump, causing him to momentarily freeze: "Are Xunzhou soldiers really this weak? They're clearly not small in stature and look quite robust."

Meanwhile, Dan Youjun and the others were also fighting brilliantly; if not for the occasional stray arrows flying from behind, they could have easily taken on three or four enemies each. Not to mention the Rock Wolf, which was fighting with formidable power, capable of biting one enemy to death in four or five bites. These Xunzhou soldiers seemed like thin-skinned, soft-bodied targets in its jaws. Their attacks, in contrast, seemed weak; the Rock Wolf was hit by two axes, leaving only a white mark on its fur, with no blood seeping out. Although its defense was naturally high, battles hadn't been like this before.

Given this situation, not only could they hold the slope, but they might even have a chance to counter-attack. What was going on?

Jiao Tai had been single-mindedly cutting down enemies. After killing three, he suddenly turned to Lingchuan He and said, "Master, the Xunzhou men are very weak. Look at their bodies!"

Lingchuan He was already puzzled. With Jiao Tai's hint, he looked closely again: During combat, there was no faint glow emanating from the Xunzhou soldiers. This was true for those in front of them, and for those further away. While it was normal for them to be without light when stealthily approaching the shore, for them to remain so in close combat meant there was only one explanation—

Lingchuan He turned, mustered his inner force, and roared towards the slope: "The Xunzhou army has no primal energy!" His roar, like thunder, drowned out the clamor of wind and rain, carrying far across the field. He even roared three times, ensuring almost everyone on the battlefield heard him.

An army with primal energy and one without had vastly different combat strengths. It wasn't just a matter of enhanced power and agility; primal energy even affected damage reduction, immunities, and hit rates. That's why government troops always had an easier time fighting bandits, and why the Yuyan army, when fighting the Xunzhou people—should not be afraid at all!

At this moment, the battlefield was chaotic. The Yuyan army had been caught off guard, facing a swarming mass of enemies rushing forward, brandishing weapons. Some hadn't even fully donned their armor, and others were knocked down by their hurried comrades or warhorses. How could they muster much fighting spirit? At this point, the Yuyan army's morale was very low. If the Xunzhou forces had been strong, they could have routed the entire army in just a few rounds.

In the end, a battle was a contest of strength and confidence. A successful surprise attack often laid a solid foundation for ultimate victory. At this moment, Lingchuan He's shouting was a godsend, awakening everyone to the truth!

Zhao Pan could no longer hold back. He personally charged out and cut down two or three enemy soldiers, also sensing that the opponents were weak. Upon hearing Lingchuan He's words, he immediately realized: The Xunzhou army couldn't have crossed the river effortlessly, and the Han River was suddenly so calm; it was very likely that old Nie had done something. He alone couldn't have countered the Han River's power, so it was almost certain that he had siphoned off the primal energy of the entire army! No wonder, no wonder they were able to cross the river. No wonder the Xunzhou soldiers were so weak; they had no primal energy at all at this moment!

"The Xunzhou men have no primal energy; they're like chopping vegetables!" Zhao Pan roared, "Kill them! Drive them into the river!"

The instinct to fear the strong and bully the weak was ingrained. The Yuyan soldiers, who had been quietly retreating, were at first skeptical when they heard the enemy had no primal energy. But after blocking a few attacks, they realized: "Hey, it's true!" Their courage surged, and they began to counterattack.

In fact, the Xunzhou soldiers at this moment were truly suffering in silence. The Green Vial continuously siphoned off their primal energy, which was necessary to absorb the floodwaters rushing downstream into the vial, thus giving the rearguard fleet more time to cross. Consequently, after landing, every Xunzhou soldier felt drained, dispirited, fearful of the enemy, and weary of battle—negative states akin to having run thirty *li* with a heavy load on a rainy night, making them wish they could simply collapse and sleep forever. It could be said that their morale was already in negative territory.

Although the ambushed Yuyan soldiers were in disarray, they at least had their primal energy for protection. If the stalemate continued, the scales of victory would likely tip back to the Yuyan army sooner or later. Going against the natural order indeed came at a heavy price.

Fortunately, Nian Zanli had foreseen this. Before departure, he had conducted two or three rounds of mobilization, explicitly telling all soldiers, "You only need to hold on for half an hour to win." At this point, the supervisory team also shouted, "Forward to live, backward to die," forcing everyone to charge desperately forward.

Both sides were desperately trying to boost morale. Whoever's confidence crumbled first would lose.

At Nian Zanli's command, the twelve cannons by the riverbank were reloaded and began a new round of high-angle firing! What they lacked in martial prowess, they made up for with firepower.

At this time, the Yuyan elites were protecting Zhao Pan and Chunhua He, engaging in fierce combat with the main Xunzhou army. Once people gathered, they became the best targets. At least nine of the twelve cannons aimed and fired at this location. With several roars, four or five cannonballs successively landed within the highland area, and cluster bombs took down a large number of people. Zhao Pan's personal guards behind him fell, and he himself narrowly avoided being hit, roaring in fury: "Disperse! Disperse, damn it!"

One cannonball also landed near Lingchuan He. A strong warning flared in his mind, and he had already ordered his men to take cover. However, two personal guards stood too close and couldn't react in time, dying on the spot. Even Jiao Tai was hit in the left arm by a shrapnel lead ball, but fortunately, it wasn't broken. Lingchuan He cursed, then looked back at Chunhua He, saw his grave expression as he issued commands, and noted that he appeared unharmed, which finally eased his mind.

Above the main Yuyan camp, a thin, faint green light shield suddenly appeared. Barely perceptible in the darkness, it seemed almost translucent. However, the cannonballs fired from the coast struck the light shield before landing, triggering a series of explosions. The light shield flickered a few times but surprisingly held. Afterward, the lead balls from the cluster bombs fell harmlessly, their threat to people minimal as they lacked the superimposed explosive power. Wave after wave of arrow rain was also intercepted, with only a few managing to find gaps and penetrate— The battle formation was finally activated, significantly reducing the pressure on the Yuyan forces in a short time.

In reality, this battle formation was not perfectly airtight, by no means comprehensive or without blind spots. Gaps would randomly appear in the light shield, a result of coordination issues among the formation masters—since this formation required more than twenty people to operate in concert—or insufficient energy supply from the profound crystals. Both issues were almost unavoidable, given the hurried circumstances. Zhao Pan didn't have high demands for the formation, as long as it could resist large-scale attacks as much as possible and hold out for as long as possible.

To the eager anticipation of the Yuyan army, the armory behind Lingchuan He's squad finally commenced operations. Over a dozen trebuchets launched stones, the smallest of which were larger than millstones, all aimed at the cannons and boats near the shore. Due to the torrential rain, several of the enemy's cannons couldn't operate; unlike their opponents, the Yuyan soldiers didn't have water-repelling talismans, significantly reducing their long-range effectiveness. Nevertheless, the hurled boulders damaged three cannons and two ferry boats, while the rest landed among the enemy troops, causing widespread carnage and flying debris. The Yuyan soldiers cheered.

As time wore on, the scales of victory began to tip in their favor. Having withstood the fiercest initial waves of attack, the Xunzhou army clearly showed signs of faltering.