Mythical Three Kingdoms

After Zhao Yun charged in, he immediately followed Jia Xu’s instructions, unleashing a flurry of large-scale destructive moves. Of course, these weren’t aimed at killing the enemy but at altering the terrain, which soon became filled with pits and uneven ground due to Zhao Yun’s strikes.

Moreover, Ju Shou’s Xuanxiang Formation was designed primarily to confuse, and its combat strength was relatively weak. The White Horse Soldiers and Juo Yi’s Vanguard Death Squad would disengage immediately upon contact, slipping away like loaches. Zhao Yun would strike in a straight line, and they’d flee along the line, relying on their superior speed. With such high mobility, Vanguard Soldiers—their shorter legs—could only eat dust trying to catch up.

If not for Ju Shou’s Xuanxiang Formation focusing exclusively on confusion and funneling all its killing power into the Vanguard, the White Horse Soldiers wouldn’t have been able to retreat this easily. After all, in combat situations, the Vanguard could block the lightly armored White Horse Soldiers, and with the heavy crossbow firepower backing them up, they’d have subdued the White Horse Soldiers in no time.

Unfortunately, there are no ”ifs” on the battlefield. Zhao Yun’s White Horse Soldiers dashed about wildly while Juo Yi could only eat dust. As for the confusing effect, Zhao Yun simply mobilized the power of the White Horse Soldiers to alter the terrain. Speaking of straight-line attacks, Jia Xu, who had witnessed the Hundred Birds Facing the Phoenix maneuver, was well aware of its direct destructive potential.

Jia Xu did not believe the Xuanxiang Formation could confuse both the eyes and the technique. If the Hundred Birds Facing the Phoenix struck a straight line, Jia Xu was sure that it wouldn’t transform into an arc within the Xuanxiang Formation. As long as the strike was linear, there might be angular deviation at most but no chance of circular movement, which gave Jia Xu a method to dismantle the formation.

”What is this?” Ju Shou looked perplexed as he observed the White Horse Soldiers wreaking havoc within the formation. This sort of behavior did not disrupt their military formation’s functioning.

At this moment, Ju Shou noticed that due to the White Horse Soldiers’ incredible speed, the Xuanxiang Formation hadn’t shifted layers multiple times to produce a confusing effect. Instead, the White Horse Soldiers charged through with only minor losses, leaving behind ten or so soldiers each time.

This was nothing compared to prior encounters where the confusing effect would trap wave after wave of enemy forces as layers shifted. Yet, for Ju Shou, ensuring the formation’s functionality remained his priority; the survival of individual White Horse Soldiers was merely a matter of time.

So far, Ju Shou hadn’t seen any possibility for the White Horse Soldiers to annihilate Juo Yi’s Vanguard. The sheer difference in speed and striking strength could not undermine the Xuanxiang Formation’s foundation. Thus, the enemy had no means to break the formation.

”Hundred Birds Facing the Phoenix!” Zhao Yun roared in a low voice as a flame-shaped phoenix shot forth from his long spear. Earlier, he had crossed swords briefly with Zhang He, who quickly retreated and vanished from sight. Without hesitation, Zhao Yun followed Jia Xu’s advice and unleashed his most powerful attack.

As the strike was delivered, Zhao Yun’s complexion noticeably paled—it had drawn upon a third of the power of the White Horse Soldiers, which took a significant toll on him. After completing this move, Zhao Yun swiftly drew his sword and slashed to the left, leaving a sword mark over a hundred meters long. Without concerning himself with whether anyone was caught along that line, he led an attack to the left; the White Horse Soldiers followed his lead relentlessly.

[Damn it, another forty men gone! The pace at which they’re disappearing keeps increasing, and the number of missing keeps growing. We can’t stop any longer.]

Zhao Yun realized instantly upon turning left that he had lost yet another squad of White Horse Soldiers. Furious, he wanted to turn back and search for them, even if it meant braving unimaginable dangers. But Jia Xu’s orders forbade him decisively.

”Move!” Zhao Yun shouted angrily as he advanced to the left, his task complete. Just as his horse galloped forth, he ran into Juo Yi and the Vanguard. Zhao Yun vented his fiery wrath toward the opponents, with the entire White Horse force whirling around the Vanguard once like the wind—arrows raining down right after.

”Zhao Yun! Watch as I destroy your White Horse Soldiers today!” Juo Yi provocatively mocked Zhao Yun. He didn’t fear Zhao Yun leading the White Horse Soldiers in a fierce confrontation but dreaded Zhao Yun slipping away instead.

Though the Vanguard Death Squad was renowned as the most elite force under heaven, one thing remained unchanged—they simply couldn’t catch up to the White Horse Soldiers, whose agility and speed made them the fastest cavalry in existence.

In simpler terms, as long as terrain posed no restrictions, no force on earth could match the White Horse Soldiers’ speed. It didn’t matter how powerful your troops were. In a contest of pure velocity, nothing could surpass them.

After circling the Vanguard in a sweeping rotation and launching three waves of arrow volleys, Zhao Yun mocked Juo Yi audibly and made a derisive hand gesture before leading the White Horse Soldiers away—leaving the Vanguard, fully prepared for a bloody skirmish, stranded and unengaged. Zhao Yun wouldn’t fall for such tricks.

Now, onto Zhao Yun’s spear strike—it almost instantly pierced through Yuan Shao’s army’s Xuanxiang Formation. Although that move at most killed dozens of soldiers in a straight line, most of its impact was unleashed far beyond the formation itself.

”Hahaha, as expected, this works.” Jia Xu laughed softly, while Guo Jia, snapping out of his astonishment, stared at Jia Xu with a look of amazement.

”Zichuan, link everyone’s strength—Cloud Qi and Spiritual Will alike—and inject it all into General Guan. Have him strike precisely at the spot and direction of Zilong’s earlier attack!” Jia Xu said, smiling faintly.

”Huh?” Chen Xi looked puzzled, but upon seeing Guo Jia’s similar expression of comprehension, he nodded. Clouds of Qi in the army began to distort, and Guan Yu—who had withdrawn earlier and remained ready—immediately felt a surge of power flooding into his body.

”So, it seems this is another way to break formations.” Guo Jia chuckled bitterly, finding Jia Xu’s ingenious ideas nothing short of astonishing.

”Lord, after General Guan’s strike, the enemy formation will split in half, and their army will descend into chaos temporarily. I ask that you personally lead the troops to exploit this chance!” Jia Xu cupped his hands and spoke, clearly intending to boost Liu Bei’s reputation.

Guan Yu’s aura surged higher and higher. His slightly narrowed phoenix eyes suddenly widened, and his Green Dragon Crescent Blade erupted with dazzling brilliance. As he swung the blade downward, its edge connected with the gathered clouds above and the earthly energies below. Accompanied by a roaring storm, the blade plunged fiercely, cleaving Yuan Shao’s army’s formation!

”Boom!” A deafening blast shattered Yuan Shao’s Xuanxiang Formation as this strike consumed a fifth of Liu Bei’s army’s total strength.

A wide gorge about two meters across stretched for miles, extending from Guan Yu’s steed to the banks of the Yellow River. Guan Yu, albeit pale-faced from exhaustion, radiated unwavering determination. Seeing the enemy formation falter, he immediately led the vanguard forward in an assault.

”As expected, humans are predictable. After Zilong altered the terrain along a straight line, soldiers sent to adjust formations there definitely wouldn’t follow prior commands entirely. It’s a good formation, but humans are still human. Once accumulated sufficiently, that residual scar paired with such force was enough to unravel it.” Jia Xu lifted his head slightly, his face showing indifference. (To be continued. If you enjoyed this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations or monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile readers can visit m.qidian.com.)