Mythical Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1201: Chapter 1157: Roman Eagle Banner

”Bang bang bang~” A large expanse of bowstrings vibrated with explosive sounds as Guo Si and Fan Chou simultaneously released arrows toward the Roman spear formation directly opposite Li Jue.

Almost at the same time, the longbowmen whom Ganasis had been restraining also drew their bows and shot arrows, aiming directly at Li Jue. The principle of capturing the leader first was a common strategy across all countries.

The rain of arrows burst forth, and the Romans facing Li Jue were almost instantly cut down like a field of chives. However, when the longbowmen’s rain of arrows was aimed at Li Jue and his men, it merely pierced their armor, with only a few hitting the face causing falls and deaths; the others barely fell.

The Xiliang Iron Cavalry, known for their famed charges into melee combat, had encountered countless showers of arrows from longbowmen in the Central Plains. Yet they continued to fight in this manner and successfully defeated their opponents, not to mention that over two hundred heavy cavalry led by Li Jue were clad in double-layered armor.

As the arrow rain fiercely stormed, the Romans were opened like a field of chives, creating a gap, and Li Jue charged headlong through. Guo Si and Fan Chou, too, swiftly opened a breach following close to where Li Jue had broken through, everyone tightly gripping their long spears and putting down their heavy crossbows.

When Li Jue penetrated the chaotic crack among the Roman soldiers, countless showers of arrows concentrated their fire in their direction. Li Jue roared loudly, ignoring the arrow rain as it punched into his armor, preparing a short spear and hurling it fiercely.

The galloping warhorse combined with a powerful throw, the short spear flew nearly thirty paces before crashing down. Compared to an arrow, the inherent weight of the short spear was enough to pierce through shields together!

The Roman heavy infantry’s javelins also started at this moment, but unfortunately, first, their formation had been thrown into chaos by Li Jue’s crossbow bolts, and then they got hit with javelins, rendering their subsequent throw feeble at best.

However, the Roman Infantry Team wasn’t composed solely of heavy infantry; veterans, seasoned through countless battles, almost simultaneously ordered the longbowmen to initiate covering fire upon realizing the disorderly situation!

Decisive measures were essential at such a time, enveloping their own troops under the rain of arrows to grind down the enemy was the optimal choice!

”Left wing, right wing skew backwards toward the center!” After receiving the situational update from the front, Ganasis immediately issued the first order to contract, ”The Noble Cavalry Unit deploys from the rear to outflank the enemy!”

Ganasis wasn’t one to take a beating without fighting back; even if he couldn’t annihilate this elite cohort from the Han Empire, he aimed to leave a lasting impression on them.

The sharp long spears pierced through the bodies of one Roman soldier after another, and the iron cavalry successfully broke through the sixty-step-long Roman infantry defense line. At the moment of breaking through, Li Jue laughed out loud, suddenly realizing that the strongest Roman forces were stationed on the periphery!

Upon colliding with the second squad of Roman heavy infantry, there was a six-step-wide gap between them, allowing Li Jue and his men a momentary respite.

”Discard spears, switch to horse-cutting blades!” Guo Si and Fan Chou laughed as they threw aside the long spears stained with odd remnants and blood, picked up the prepared horse-cutting blades from the horseback, and wielded the long-handled, large blades with both hands, furiously slashing.

The Romans lined up in fives, thrusting their long spears at the warhorses of the Xiliang Iron Cavalry. As both sides collided at the second line of defense, many Xiliang Iron Cavalry were dismounted, yet the iron cavalry from the first line, as they discarded their spears, threw their second short spears forward.

Li Jue roared furiously, cutting down the leader of the First Heavy Infantry Squad with his horse-cutting blade, then yanking off his armor that was pierced through like a sieve, becoming much more agile.

”All soldiers, attack with me!” Li Jue sensed it wasn’t far off, noticing that the Romans strategically placed the second strongest infantry at the forefront. Upon breaking the first formation, Li Jue realized this point immediately, as did the Xiliang Iron Cavalry who broke through the first formation.

A frenzy of horse-cutting blade slashes ensued, and the iron cavalry once again successfully chopped down an Eagle Banner. At this point, the iron cavalry’s casualties were evident, and as the Romans closed in from the left and right wings, the cavalry’s maneuverability in the melee began to encounter difficulties.

”Thud!” An arrow struck Fan Chou, causing him to fall from his horse; a few breaths later, Fan Chou remounted, his heart-guarding mirror shattered.

”Huh...” The captain of the First Hundred-Man Squad guarding the Eagle Emblem beside Ganasis frowned, looking towards Fan Chou’s direction. Despite the several hundred-meter distance and the thick layers of Cloud Qi weakening it, that arrow should have killed the enemy commander, yet the opponent quickly jumped up after falling.

”General, I’m considering using the Eagle Emblem to annihilate this Han Army,” said the Eagle Banner Officer, looking at Legion Leader Ganasis.

”Good!” Ganasis did not hesitate; he had realized that swallowing up the Xiliang Iron Cavalry would be extremely difficult, especially if the cavalry decided to retreat.

In a fervor, the captain of the First Hundred-Man Squad raised the Eagle Banner, and an eagle-wing-like radiance swept through the entire legion. All Roman soldiers’ weapons and armor were imbued with a slight radiance, and the Romans simultaneously entered a state of exhilaration.

”Plunge!” Two out of three Roman heavy infantry thrust at the belly of the Xiliang Iron Cavalry’s horses, while another thrust a long spear at a rider who barely reacted before being thrown off the horse, rolling to evade the Roman spear thrust with years of battle formation experience.

”Die!” With a furious roar, rising abruptly, wielding a nearly seven-foot-long horse-cutting blade, a slash cleaved through a short Roman, height dominating in formation battles. The five-hundred-year turmoil during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods had long since purged the genes of shortness from warfare.

At the onset of the Romans’ strange transformation, Li Jue had already comprehended something, despite not knowing what that Eagle Banner was. However, he didn’t believe the Romans, who could train such a mighty army, would mess around at such a critical moment.

At the next moment, the Romans’ burst of combat power immediately revealed to Li Jue what it was: the Legion Talent. That Eagle Banner was equivalent to a Legion Talent, and achieving Legion Talent was a lifelong grudge for him, unable to break past the out-of-body condensation of spirit!

Li Jue, Guo Si, and Fan Chou could command cavalry better than Hua Xiong had in the past. However, Hua Xiong had utterly surpassed them now due to Legion Talent; the three of them only relied on Cloud Qi to stack defense, while talent remained a luxury.

”If a dead object can possess such power, why can’t I!” The Xiliang large horse beneath Li Jue was speared by the fearless Romans, causing it to rear as Li Jue gazed at that Eagle Banner and Eagle Emblem in utter rage and contortion. Legion Talent was his lifelong regret!

”Crush him for me!” As his horse prepared to throw him off, Li Jue felt a surge of force from nowhere, pressing down on the horse’s head, making it sink down. As the front hooves landed on the chest of a Roman heavy infantryman, a crisp sound, a radiance covered all the iron cavalry. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with a recommendation ticket or monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com for reading.)