Double penetration: This Three Kingdoms has dragon energy

Chapter 119 The Fire Ox Formation: A Secret Hidden in the Mist of History

"Yes!" Gao Shun greeted with a fist and palm salute.

Then a deep horn broke the silence, and the sound of uniform footsteps came from the depths of the forest, like distant thunder echoing through the woods.

Ten thousand soldiers of the Trapped Camp emerged from the dense forest in single file.

Their steps were synchronized and their spacing was uniform, resembling a black torrent of steel.

Their expressions were solemn, their eyes filled with determination and resolve, without a trace of panic or fear; each of them was like a steel warrior forged through countless trials.

Even with their feet treading on fallen leaves and branches, they made almost no noise. Only the steady, powerful footsteps, like war drums, resonated in everyone's hearts.

As they continued to advance, the dense forest seemed to be intimidated by their momentum, even the sound of the wind gradually diminished, leaving only this elite force to take firm steps toward the battlefield.

If we say that the Mountain Camp is the culmination of Ji Qiu's efforts to integrate the power systems of the two realms, then it is a testament to their combined strength.

The Trapped Camp was a product of Ji Qiu's team, who brought the Dragon Qi system to its fullest potential.

All the soldiers in this unit have mastered four secret techniques for strengthening the army.

Firstly, it is the secret technique of the halberd master.

Secondly, there is the secret technique of the Taishan soldiers.

Thirdly, there are the secret techniques of the Yellow Turban Warriors.

Fourthly, it is the secret technique of the Imperial Guards!

The Halberd Warrior's Secret Technique enhances strength, the Mount Tai Soldier's Secret Technique enhances speed, the Yellow Turban Warrior's Secret Technique enhances physique, and the Imperial Guard's Secret Technique enhances spirit!

The Trapped Camp soldiers, who simultaneously enhance all four attributes, are virtually flawless in terms of military prowess.

Their only weakness right now is probably the low level of their various secret techniques.

Once the level of the secret technique is raised in the future, I will surely be invincible!

As for the equipment of the Trapped Camp, it is equally extraordinary.

They were all equipped with three high-grade ninth-rank dragon artifacts.

One of them is the Xuan Yuan Locking Dragon Armor.

This is a type of armor made primarily of deep-sea black iron, with an inner lining woven from silkworm silk.

The armor plates are layered with black iron plates, and the surface is engraved with ancient dragon-locking patterns, which can deflect 30% of the enemy's force.

The inner lining of the silkworm is soft yet tough, and can tighten instantly when an arrow hits, limiting the damage to a very small area, as if putting an invisible protective barrier on the wearer.

Facing the falling rocks, rolling logs, arrows, and fire from the city walls during an attack, it served as an indestructible shield for the soldiers.

Secondly, there is the halberd that can break through cities and shake mountains.

The halberd is forged from meteorite iron, and its head is shaped like a combination of a giant axe and barbed wolf teeth.

The axe blade contains the power to split the earth; when it cleaves the city wall, it can trigger the hidden force underground, causing the bricks and stones to loosen and collapse.
The barbs can hook onto the city wall, making it easier for soldiers to climb, and once they pierce the enemy's body, they can tear apart muscles and bones.

When this halberd is wielded, the wind howls, creating a force that seems capable of shaking mountains.

In siege warfare, whether it was destroying city walls or engaging in close combat with the defending enemy, he was invincible.

Thirdly, it is the bow that pierces the sun and clouds.

The bow is made of sacred wood and python sinew, and the bowstring can generate tremendous elasticity with a light pull.

The arrows were made of fine steel and adorned with phoenix feathers at the fletching.

An arrow fired from a fully drawn bow can pierce the sky, penetrate multiple shields, and strike the enemy's vital points on the city wall.

If a specially made fire arrow is fired, a raging fire will ignite wherever the arrow passes, instantly setting the wooden defensive structures on the city wall ablaze.

Before attacking a city, it can suppress the defending troops on the city walls from a distance, disrupt the enemy's defensive deployment, and create favorable conditions for the attack.

Overall, the Trapped Camp is currently positioned among Ji Qiu's various armies as a powerful force specifically designed for siege warfare.

Throughout his career, Gao Shun had always been regarded as a general skilled in commanding frontal battles under Ji Qiu's command.

But in fact, Gao Shun's real strength was not in frontal battles, but in siege warfare!
His innate secret technique, the Trapped Camp, can only exert its greatest advantage when used in siege warfare.

The Trapped Camp, having formed its battle lines, slowly marched towards Tian's Fortress under Gao Shun's leadership.

Meanwhile, the Tian family's Wubao fortress had already discovered the Trapped Camp and was thrown into chaos.

"What's going on? What's happening? Where did this army outside the fort come from?" the head of the Tian family shouted in alarm.

Qi Commandery is not large in area; compared to Taishan Commandery, it is probably less than one-fifth the size.

However, big has its advantages, and small has its own unique charm.

Because Qi Commandery was not large, the Tian family had a strong grasp of it.

Normally, if troops from other places were to enter Qi County, let alone just approach it, the Tian family would discover their presence immediately.

But where did this army come from?
How could it have suddenly appeared before my eyes!
The head of the Tian family would naturally not know that Ji Qiu possessed the divine skill of the Time-Space Gate.

With the combination of the Time-Space Gate and the Qiankun Bag, troops can be instantly transferred.

But none of that matters right now.

For the head of the Tian family, the current concern is how to defend Tian's Wubao against this formidable army that is clearly formidable in combat!

The head of the Tian family looked at the few hundred soldiers remaining in the Tian family's fortress and his face filled with despair.

Previously, in order to make the most of Zang Hong's ability to train troops, he had handed over all the Tian family's private soldiers that he could send out to Zang Hong.

This resulted in the Tian family's Wubao being extremely empty, with only a few hundred private soldiers maintaining daily order.

With just this small private army, it's a pipe dream to think they can deal with the tens of thousands of troops outside the fortress!

“Father, don’t panic. We’re not in dire straits yet. We still have the Fire Ox Formation!” said Tian Ying, the son of the Tian family head.

The head of the Tian family seemed to have grasped a lifeline and immediately said, "That's right, we also have the Fire Ox Formation!"
When our ancestor Tian Dan defeated Yan, he used the Fire Ox Formation.

This fire ox formation will surely help us defeat the enemy!

"Quickly, quickly, bring all the demonic bulls out of the cowshed, cast a secret spell on them, and when these enemy troops get closer, deliver a fatal blow!"

"Father, rest assured, I will go and make preparations right away. With the Fire Ox Formation in hand, these clowns are no match for us!" Tian Ying said.

……

"Dark clouds loom over the city, threatening to crush it! The pressure from this elite cavalry is not something an ordinary person can withstand."

"Under such pressure, the Tian family should be about to unleash their Fire Ox Formation!" Ji Qiu said leisurely.

The intelligence work of the Foreign Affairs Department is quite solid.

They have a fairly clear understanding of the true intentions of all the various forces in Qingzhou.

They naturally knew that the Tian family of Qi County possessed the trump card of the Fire Ox Formation.

Ji Qiu's understanding of the Fire Ox Formation was limited to its name and its past achievements.

The specific power of the Fire Ox Formation, and why it was able to achieve such great results, remains a mystery.

During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the Yan general Yue Yi led a coalition of five states—Yan, Han, Zhao, Wei, and Qin—to launch a fierce attack on the Qi state.

The Qi army suffered repeated defeats, and the allied forces advanced as if they had no one. In a short period of time, more than seventy cities of Qi fell one after another, leaving only the isolated cities of Ju and Jimo still struggling to hold on.

At this critical moment, Tian Dan was appointed to command the defense of Jimo.

He first used a divisive tactic to sow discord between the Prince of Yan and Yue Yi, causing Yue Yi to leave the allied forces camp.

Then, they used the fire ox formation to attack the allied army's camp, causing a great defeat for the allied forces, and the State of Qi recovered all the lost territories.

This storyline takes place simultaneously in the history of the Three Kingdoms and the modern world.

However, it is not surprising that this scene would occur in modern history.

Because at that time, the soldiers of various countries' armies were basically slave soldiers.

With limited knowledge, low morale, and questionable quality, they were naturally scattered by the fire ox.

It's rather strange that such a scene would occur in the history of the Three Kingdoms.

According to historical records, the armies of various states during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods in the world of Dragon Kingdom were all very powerful.

At that time, there were almost no ordinary soldiers; all the troops were elite forces!
Therefore, the 300,000-strong allied army of five nations led by Le Yi was a powerful force of 300,000!
A powerful army of 300,000 was actually destroyed by the impact of the fire bulls.

This is incredible!

Of course, the most incredible thing is that such a powerful fire ox formation never appeared again during the Warring States period and the chaos at the end of the Qin Dynasty.

This piqued Ji Qiu's interest.

"My lord, you must not be careless. Since the Fire Ox Formation was able to defeat the 300,000-strong allied army of five nations back then, it must be extraordinary. My lord, you must not be careless or underestimate the enemy!" Xi Zhong said solemnly.

Ji Qiu shook his head and said, "It's not that I was careless or underestimated the enemy; I just have confidence in the Trapped Camp."

No matter how miraculous the Fire Ox Formation may be, since it has not appeared in the world for hundreds of years, it must have a huge flaw.

"And the elite Trapped Camp, which I have painstakingly built, is confident in facing any formidable foe in this world!"

"Hmm, what my lord says makes sense. In that case, let's wait and see!" Xi Zhong nodded in agreement.

……

Dusk fell like blood, and thick fog swirled around Tian's Fortress.

Suddenly, the heavy fortress gate creaked open with a teeth-grinding sound, as if some primordial beast was about to break free of its restraints.

In an instant, a scorching heat wave carrying the smell of sulfur rushed towards me.

Dozens of incredibly strong demon bulls, their bodies engulfed in raging flames, roared as they charged wildly out of the fortress gates like moving walls of fire.

These demonic bulls were several times larger than ordinary oxen, their muscular bodies covered in dark purple scales. Flames spread wildly through the gaps in the scales, making them look like demons from hell.

The bull's eyes flashed with a ferocious crimson light, its sharp horns were engulfed in flames, gleaming with an eerie red glow, and with each step it took, it left charred hoofprints on the ground, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of burning flesh.

Upon seeing this, the soldiers of the Trapped Camp immediately assumed a high state of readiness, their Xuan Yuan Locking Dragon Armor gleaming coldly in the firelight. Gao Shun, wielding the City-Breaking Mountain-Shaking Halberd, stood at the front of the formation, his eyes blazing, and commanded in a deep voice: "Form a shield formation! Hold your spears and defend against the enemy!"

At his command, the soldiers quickly formed a tight shield formation, with the mountain-patterned shields overlapping each other, like an indestructible wall of copper and iron.

The herd of demonic bulls arrived in an instant, roaring deafeningly as they charged straight into the enemy's formation.

The shield bearers in the front row braced their feet firmly against the ground, trying to stop the demon bull's charge.

However, the power of the demon bull far exceeded expectations. The enormous impact instantly shattered the shield, and many soldiers were knocked away, crashing heavily to the ground, their armor shattered and blood splattering everywhere.

The demon bull spewed forth raging flames, and wherever it went, flames flew everywhere.

Although the soldiers of the Vanguard Camp were wearing the Xuan Yuan Locking Dragon Armor, the high temperature of the flames was still unbearable for them.

Some soldiers were set ablaze, writhing in agony on the ground, their screams echoing across the battlefield.

The demonic bull's sharp horns kept stabbing and its hooked tail swept across, leaving the surrounding soldiers bloodied and mangled.

But faced with such a fierce offensive, the Trapped Camp remained completely undisrupted.

Gao Shun roared, "The will to charge into battle! Bloodlust! Berserk! Gale!"

Before he finished speaking, the four secret techniques transformed into four streams of light that burst forth from his body, intertwining in the air to form blood-red runes.

The "Trap Camp" secret technique first enveloped the entire army, and the soldiers' Xuan Yuan Locking Dragon Armor suddenly showed bronze patterns, while the City-Breaking and Mountain-Shaking Halberds in their hands hummed and trembled.

The once impenetrable shield array suddenly expanded dramatically, with ancient Taotie patterns appearing on the edges of each shield, doubling its defensive power out of thin air.

The trajectory of the halberd that pierced through the city and shook the mountains left afterimages, perfectly connecting with the adjacent halberd tips to form an impenetrable forest of spears, with a level of coordination that could be described as perfect harmony between man and nature.

The "Bloodlust" technique, like crimson lightning, surged into the soldiers' meridians, instantly staining their pupils with a bloody light.

Ignoring the excruciating pain from their wounds, the wounded soldiers roared and hurled their broken spears at the demon bull. The blood soaking their bandages only made their movements more ferocious.

The original three steps of loading the war bow were reduced to one, and the arrows left the bowstring at a speed that was difficult to see with the naked eye, the sound of them cutting through the air forming a long, piercing cry.

The moment the "Berserk Battle" secret technique was activated, Gao Shun's City-Shattering Halberd burst forth with ten thousand golden rays. He leaped into the air and cleaved the demon bull's crown with the halberd. The earth-shattering power exploded along the bull's horns, splitting the giant beast in two.

Encouraged by this, the soldiers of the Trapped Camp gained immense strength. Ordinary spears could pierce through the scales of the demon bull, and wherever the blades struck, the flames were pulverized.

The "Gale" technique, accompanied by a bluish-green gale, swept across the battlefield. Shield-wielding soldiers, stepping on afterimages, constantly changed formations, moving like ghosts through the flames.

The originally cumbersome siege equipment was now lifted by four people and moved to a new position with swift steps.

Sparks flew as the dragon claws and steel nails of the climbing shoes scraped the ground. The soldiers leaped through the air on the backs of the demon bulls, their speed so fast that the enemies didn't even have time to scream.

Of these four secret techniques, only the Trapped Camp is Gao Shun's innate secret technique; the other three are acquired secret techniques that Gao Shun obtained from the Secret Technique Pavilion.

The Trapped Camp can double the attack, defense, and coordination attributes of its troops.

Bloodlust increases the attack speed of the entire army.

Berserker increases the attack power of the entire army.

Gale increases the movement speed of the entire army.

Under the combined pressure of the four secret techniques, the battlefield situation instantly reversed.

The burning demon bull was torn to pieces in the torrent of metal, and charred chunks of flesh fell mixed with scalding blood.

Gao Shun stood amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, the secret runes on his black armor flowing endlessly, like a demon god descending to earth.

"It's over, is it all over? My powerful Fire Ox Formation is just gone like this?!"

On the walls of Tian's Wubao Fortress, the head of the Tian family, who was watching the battle, was completely dumbfounded.

He had hoped to witness the fire ox formation decisively defeat the enemy.

To his utter surprise, he witnessed the enemy effortlessly destroying his fire ox formation!
This enemy force, which appeared out of nowhere, was far more powerful than he had imagined!
Faced with such a powerful army, even if Zang Hong led 30,000 of the Tian family's private troops to garrison Wubao, I'm afraid he wouldn't be able to hold it.

The thought involuntarily arose in the mind of the head of the Tian family.

Not enough, he then gave a wry smile.

What's the point of thinking about these things now?

The Fire Ox Formation is gone, and Zang Hong and his 30,000-strong Tian family private army are no longer in Wubao.

Today, I'm afraid Tian's Wubao cannot be defended.

And the Tian family of Qi Commandery will likely cease to exist...

"So the fire bulls in this fire bull formation are all demon bulls whose bloodlines have been activated!"
This explains why Tian Dan was able to defeat the five-nation coalition with his fire ox formation.

If Tian Dan had thousands of such demonic bulls, even a strong army of 300,000 from the five-nation alliance might not be able to withstand him if caught off guard.

However, according to normal probability, the chance of a demon bull that can activate the demon bloodline appearing is probably less than one in ten thousand.

"Where did the Tian family find so many demonic bulls?" Ji Qiu pondered.

Undoubtedly, monsters exist in the world of Dragon Kingdom.

But the quantity is definitely not large.

Otherwise, Ji Qiu would have stayed in Longqi Three Kingdoms for so long and only ever saw the Red Hare, this one demonic horse.

If only one Red Hare could be found in the entire city of Luoyang, what merit or ability does the Tian family of Qi have to find so many demonic oxen?

Xi Zhong said, "Not only that, these demon bulls did not charge randomly when they attacked the Trapped Camp, but they charged in a planned direction."

If I'm not mistaken, this Tian family of Qi County likely possesses the means to control demonic bulls!

"Hmm, that makes sense! It seems the Tian family of Qi County has quite a few good things!"

Ji Qiu chuckled softly, then gave Gao Shun an order via walkie-talkie.

"Once we breach the Tian family's fortress, don't rush into a killing spree. Bring me the head of the Tian family; I have questions for him!"

"Yes, sir!" Gao Shun's steady voice came through the walkie-talkie.

The battle then continued.

The Fire Ox Formation inflicted some damage on the Trapped Camp, but this damage was negligible.

After eliminating the Fire Ox Formation, Gao Shun officially launched the siege.

This siege was, well, quite challenging.

After hundreds of years of development by the Tian family of Qi County, Tian's Wubao had become a small city with extremely complete defensive measures.

Its fortress walls are over two zhang high and are built of three-foot-thick bluestone. Each bluestone has been forged in a fierce fire and soaked in tung oil, making it extremely hard and difficult to damage with ordinary swords, axes and chisels.

The inner layer of the wall is embedded with a grid of iron bars as thick as a bowl, which crisscrosses and makes it difficult for cracks to appear even when hit by a huge rock.

On the fortress wall, there is an arrow tower every ten steps. The arrow tower is three stories high and covered with thick iron plates. It has countless fine arrow holes and observation windows.

The building not only stored tens of thousands of arrows, but also housed powerful ballistae.

These ballistae were specially modified to fire iron arrows as thick as an arm, with a range far exceeding that of ordinary bows and arrows, posing a deadly threat to enemy troops hundreds of meters away.

The watchtowers are connected by suspended wooden walkways, which facilitates the rapid movement of guards inside the fortress to deal with enemies from different directions at any time.

Wubao is surrounded by a moat five zhang wide, whose water is drawn from a poisonous spring in the mountains. The water is dark green and has a pungent, fishy smell. If people or animals accidentally fall in, they will die from poisoning in a short time.

There is only one drawbridge across the moat, which is made of high-quality steel and covered with sharp barbs. There are raised and lowerable iron gates on both sides of the bridge.

In the event of an attack, the drawbridge would rise and the iron gates would fall, completely isolating Wubao from the outside world.

The fort gates were the most important part of Wubao's defense. The double gates were a foot thick, covered with hard iron sheets on the outside and covered with copper nails the size of bowls. The inside was filled with tough cowhide and cotton, which could not only withstand the impact of battering rams, but also buffer the heat of fire attacks.

Inside the city walls on both sides of the fortress gate, there are dozens of hidden compartments containing earthenware jars filled with tung oil and bags of sulfur.

When the enemy forces approach, the guards only need to activate the mechanism, and the clay pots and sulfur packets will pour down, then be ignited by rockets, instantly creating a sea of ​​fire in front of the fortress gate.

Inside the fort, tunnels crisscross and connect in all directions. These tunnels not only served as escape routes during wartime but also as excellent defensive fortifications.

The tunnel contains several hidden chambers that can store food, weapons, and drinking water, enough to sustain the people inside the fortress for several months.

At the junctions of the tunnels, there are also traps and mechanisms, such as flip-board traps and rolling stone traps. Once the enemy accidentally enters, they will surely be doomed.

In addition, a beacon tower was set up on the highest point of Wubao, which was connected to the surrounding strongholds.

If there is enemy activity, the beacon tower will immediately light a signal to transmit the message, and reinforcements from nearby strongholds can quickly arrive to provide support.

With such comprehensive defensive measures, even if there were tens of thousands of strong troops stationed here, it would be difficult to conquer this city.

Unfortunately, there are only a few hundred Tian family private soldiers left in Tian's Wubao today.

Although these Tian family private troops were individually very strong and were the elite of the Tian family's private army, the difference in numbers was too great, so they could not fully utilize the city's defensive equipment.

Meanwhile, the Trapped Camp they faced was arguably the most skilled siege warfare unit in the world.

Therefore, the result was predictable.

About half an hour later, the Trapped Camp stormed into Tian's Wu Fortress.

Almost all of the hundreds of elite private soldiers of the Tian family were killed in battle.

The head of the Tian family was then brought before Ji Qiu.

"General, spare my life! General, spare my life! I overestimated myself and defied the might of Heaven, which has led to my current predicament. I have only myself to blame."

But the women and children of our tribe are innocent. We hope that the general will take Heaven’s mercy and spare the lives of the women and children of our tribe.

The entire clan of lowly people are willing to serve the general like cattle and horses, at his beck and call!

As soon as the head of the Tian family saw Ji Qiu, he knelt down on the ground without hesitation and kowtowed while begging for mercy.

It must be said that these powerful families actually possessed a great deal of wisdom in survival.

Especially the Tian family of Qi County, a long-established and prestigious family.

They knew very well what the principles of justice and power in this world were built upon.

Therefore, the first quality a family needs to have if it wants to live a long life is the ability to be flexible and adaptable!

(End of this chapter)