Double penetration: This Three Kingdoms has dragon energy

Chapter 122 The Ever-Changing Sky Drive Army

Ji Qiu chuckled and said, "The Sky Chaser Army is indeed extraordinary, but it depends on who uses it!"
The combat effectiveness of an army depends on both the combat effectiveness of its soldiers and the combat effectiveness of its commanders.

The current Skyward Army only has one-tenth of the fighting strength of the Skyward Army under the command of the Military Sage in the past.

But the abilities of this Sun family head are probably not even a tenth of those of the military strategist!
Based on these combined calculations, the actual combat strength of this Skydrive Army is probably less than one percent of that of the original Skydrive Army!

"My lord is right!" Xi Zhong nodded in agreement.

Ji Qiu said, "Now that the guests have arrived, we should receive them. Let all the armies come out!"

“Yes!” Xi Zhong said in a deep voice.

He then took out a walkie-talkie and began issuing combat orders to the participating armies.

The first to receive the combat orders were the Wolf Rider Battalion!
Zhang Liao, the commander of the Wolf Cavalry, was clad in black iron chainmail, with a gleaming scimitar hanging at his waist. He rode a tall, jet-black warhorse, standing like an iron tower at the front of the army.

The moment he received the battle order, his thick eyebrows twitched slightly, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, like a drawn blade, exuding a chilling killing intent.

"Assemble! Form ranks!" he whispered.

In an instant, the five thousand Bingzhou wolf riders behind him quickly assembled.

The neighing of warhorses and the clanging of knights' armor mingled together, like a raging fire that instantly boiled over.

These wolf riders wore light yet sturdy leather armor and iron helmets with wolf head decorations that swayed slightly in the wind, exuding a chilling aura.

Each of them had a curved sword at their waist, a riding bow slung across their back, and a quiver full of three-edged armor-piercing arrows.

The warhorse beneath him had a glossy coat, a strong physique, and thick leather covering its hooves to reduce the noise it made while moving.

Zhang Liao cracked his whip and shouted, "Follow me into battle!"

Five thousand wolf riders surged forth like a black torrent following Zhang Liao.

They formed a wedge formation, with Zhang Liao leading the charge at the very front.

The wolf riders' warhorses galloped on all fours, raising clouds of dust, their hooves thundering like war drums, echoing across the open plains.

Under the moonlight, the wolf riders' scimitars gleamed coldly, their bows drawn, ready to deliver a fatal blow to the enemy at any moment.

Their eyes were firm and fierce, exuding an aura of fearlessness.

As the procession moved, they moved with perfect coordination, exchanging no superfluous words, only the rhythmic sound of horses' hooves and heavy breathing.

This 5,000-strong Bingzhou wolf cavalry, like hungry wolves on the grassland, galloped toward their target. Wherever they passed, it seemed as if the air itself froze, giving people a sense of powerful and oppressive force.

The Wolf Riders' hiding place was three miles away from the official road to Shouguang.

However, this distance is negligible for the Wolf Riders.

In just the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, they appeared on the left flank of the Skyward Army.

"Fire immediately!" Zhang Liao shouted in a deep voice.

In an instant, a burst of azure light erupted from his chest, like a blazing azure sun, radiating boundless brilliance.

Within this light, ancient runes flickered faintly, seemingly a manifestation of some mysterious power.

A surge of azure light erupted, instantly enveloping the entire Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry.

The wolf riders, enveloped in light, had armor that glowed with a faint blue light, and their bows seemed to be infused with new power, the bowstrings taut and vibrating with a buzzing sound.

Their eyes became sharper, and an endless power seemed to surge within them.

The Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry were essentially rangers, with mounted archery as their primary method of attack.

Their secret military formation technique, Rapid Fire, can greatly enhance their firing speed and accuracy.

Zhang Liao shouted, "Release the arrows!"

At this command, five thousand wolf riders simultaneously drew their bows, their movements perfectly synchronized.

The first volley of arrows ripped through the sky. Bathed in azure light, the arrows resembled streaks of azure meteors, hurtling towards the Sky Chaser Army with sharp whistling sounds.

Before the Sky Chariots could react, a second volley of arrows had already taken to the air.

The wolf riders' arms moved like machines, rapidly drawing their bows and releasing arrows. A blue light flowed around them, and each draw was accompanied by a faint flash of blue light. Arrows shot into the sky as if they were free.

Ten rounds of arrows rained down in just a few breaths.

The entire sky was obscured by the dense barrage of arrows; the blue rain of arrows, like a giant curtain, crashed down upon the Sky Chariot Army.

Where the arrows passed, a sharp whistling sound came, and the dust on the ground was stirred up by the powerful airflow.

However, these ten rounds of arrows did not cause any substantial damage to the Sky Chaser Army.

Despite the sudden attack, the Sky Chariot Army remained calm and composed.

As the barrage of arrows rained down, the soldiers in the front ranks only paused for a moment before letting out a roar and plunging their spears into the ground.

They then drew their ring-pommel swords from their waists, striking their shields with heavy blows of the hilts, producing a rhythmic and synchronized "bang bang" sound.

In an instant, the 30,000 soldiers shouted in unison, and the military formation changed rapidly as if it were alive. The originally neat column instantly transformed into a tortoise shell formation with a radius of 100 feet.

The outermost shield bearers quickly moved closer, raising their gleaming iron shields diagonally above their heads. The edges of the shields interlocked perfectly, forming a seamless, mobile steel fortress.

The crossbowmen and spearmen in the middle ranks crouched behind their shields, ready to deal with any enemy that might break through the defenses.

The soldiers on the top floor held short halberds and watched the sky warily.

The dense rain of arrows struck the shield, sparking a series of sparks and making a crisp clanging sound, but they could not penetrate this solid defense.

Occasionally, a few powerful arrows would pierce the shields due to inertia, but they were quickly pulled out and discarded by the Sky Chariot soldiers.

The Wolf Riders' fierce arrow barrage was easily neutralized by the Sky Chariot Army.

Their army remained in perfect formation, as immovable as a rock.

However, Ji Qiu's elaborate plan of besieging the point and attacking reinforcements would certainly not be limited to just the wolf cavalry's arrow barrage.

In fact, the wolf cavalry's arrow barrage was merely the prelude to the entire ambush.

The purpose of this offensive is to guide the Sky Chaser Army to change its formation.

Therefore, just as the Sky Chariot Army completed its formation change, the Flying Feather Camp made its appearance.

A powerful war drumbeat came from afar, its sound reverberating across the land.

Amidst billowing smoke and dust, the Flying Feather Camp surged forward like a black torrent.

They were dressed in black, close-fitting outfits, with red capes fluttering in the wind like burning flames.

Every soldier in the Flying Feather Camp held tightly a huge, eight-sided Han sword in his hand.

The sword has a thick blade, a high spine, and a hilt wrapped in tough cowhide. The ancient patterns on the blade gleam with a cold, eerie light in the setting sun.

The sword has a broad and sharp blade, about half a person's height, and when wielded, it moves with great force, as if it could split mountains and shatter rocks.

The predecessor of the Flying Feather Camp was the Northern Army of the Imperial Court.

This army was built with the full effort of the late Emperor Liu Hong. The entire army was trained in one of the strongest military formation techniques in the world, and its strength could be said to be the most powerful among all the armies under Ji Qiu's command.

Meanwhile, the eight-sided Han swords equipped by the Flying Feather Camp are all high-grade ninth-rank dragon weapons.

Not only are they enormous in size and extremely heavy, but they are also incredibly sharp.

This is the most suitable weapon for armor penetration.

The Flying Feather Battalion, equipped with this weapon throughout the army, was most adept at attacking defensive forces that resembled tortoise shells.

"Hot-blooded passion! Unparalleled wild dance!"

Xu Rong, the commander of the Flying Feather Camp, shouted loudly, and red and yellow light burst out from his body at the same time.

The two beams of light intertwined, like two giant dragons coiling and circling in the air, constantly expanding and spreading, and in the blink of an eye, they enveloped the entire Flying Feather Camp.

Under the glow, the armor of every Flying Feather Camp soldier gleamed with an eerie light, and the massive eight-sided Han swords in their hands hummed as if celebrating the awakening of power.

"Passionate and Exhilarating" is Xu Rong's innate secret technique, which can increase the four-dimensional attributes of all soldiers by 30%.

The Unparalleled Dance is a secret military formation technique of the Imperial Guards, which can grant all soldiers a tireless attack status, greatly increasing their attack power!

With the blessing of these two secret techniques, the morale of the entire Flying Feather Camp soared, as if they had transformed from sleeping tigers into awakened dragons.

The soldiers brandished eight-sided Han swords, their blades gleaming with a mix of red and yellow light. Each swing created afterimages, accompanied by a deafening sonic boom.

"Kill!" Xu Rong shouted again, his voice booming and shaking the surrounding area.

The soldiers in the camp responded in unison, their roars shaking the heavens. They marched in neat and powerful steps toward the Sky Chariot Army's tortoise-shell formation.

Then, when they were a hundred paces away from the Sky Chaser Army, they suddenly accelerated, raised their eight-sided Han sword high, and drew dazzling arcs in the sunlight.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The massive Han sword collided with the fine iron shield, unleashing a deafening roar and sending sparks flying.

Some shields were cleaved with deep cracks, and some soldiers were so shaken by the immense force that their hands went numb and they had to retreat repeatedly.

The soldiers of the Flying Feather Camp coordinated perfectly. The soldiers in the front row slashed at the shields, while those in the back row took the opportunity to look for weaknesses in the shield formation. Once they found an opening, they quickly thrust their swords in.

They would sometimes form a sword formation, like a giant pair of scissors, trying to cut through the Sky Chaser Army's defenses.

Sometimes they would scatter and fight independently, weaving nimbly through the enemy ranks, their eight-sided Han swords flashing so fast that the Sky Chariot Army struggled to defend themselves, causing their formation to become slightly chaotic.

However, the Flying Feather Camp alone was not enough to defeat the Sky Drive Army.

The Sky Chaser Army truly lives up to its reputation as the exclusive elite force passed down from the Sage of War. This army's formations are extremely flexible. After discovering that the Flying Feather Camp was a perfect counter to the Tortoise Formation, they immediately changed their formation again.

A long and sharp horn sounded from within the ranks, and the 30,000 soldiers responded in unison, their roars like thunder.

The originally orderly tortoise shell formation began to change like flowing water.

The shield bearers in the front row suddenly spread out to the sides, revealing the crossbowmen hidden in the middle.

The crossbowmen quickly set up their improved crossbows, aimed at the Flying Feather Camp, and pulled the triggers.

In an instant, arrows rained down like locusts, their sharp, piercing sound cutting through the air.

At the same time, the spearmen on both flanks spread out in a fan shape, forming a huge pincer attack, and flanked the Flying Feather Camp from both sides.

Meanwhile, the shield bearers and axemen in the center formed a tight wedge formation, like a sharp spear thrusting straight into the front of the Flying Feather Camp.

The Sky Chariot soldiers moved in perfect unison, their formation shifts flowing smoothly, each change subtly reflecting the brilliance of Sun Tzu's battle formations.

Even the mighty Flying Feather Camp struggled to find a breakthrough against the ever-changing Sky Drive Army, and was caught in a fierce battle.

At this critical moment, Ji Qiu's second cavalry unit, the Iron Cavalry Battalion, arrived.

Zhao Yun, the commander of the Iron Cavalry Battalion, unleashed the secret technique of Iron Cavalry Charge.

This is a secret military formation technique exclusive to the Xiliang Iron Cavalry, which can double their movement speed and attack speed.

Just listen to the sound of "boom"!
All the Xiliang cavalrymen were like powder kegs that had been ignited, instantly boiling over. An eerie red light emanated from their bodies, as if they had been imbued with demonic power. Mysterious patterns flowed across the blades of their sabers.

They worked in pairs, cooperating perfectly.

The riders in the front row leaned close to the horse's back, gripped the reins tightly, and urged the warhorse to gallop. The sabers in their hands flashed, leaving red afterimages and revealing their sharpness.
The riders in the back row were also possessed by a red light, glancing around vigilantly, ready to use their sabers to deal a fatal blow to any approaching enemy at any time.

They appeared and disappeared in the dust, like deadly messengers from hell.

Zhao Yun, on the other hand, is the Asura King who leads this group of deadly messengers!
He pierced the Sky Chaser's abdomen like a sharp knife.

Each military formation has its own strengths and weaknesses, and they also counter each other.

Those who excel at attacking are not good at defending, and those who excel at defending are not good at attacking.

A military formation that can accelerate marching must inevitably have reduced defensive capabilities.

Military formations primarily used to confuse the enemy inevitably lack offensive capabilities.

Generally speaking, an army is usually proficient in one type of military formation.

It is already very rare for a small number of troops to be proficient in two or three military formations.

Moreover, no matter how many formations an army is proficient in, it must select the formation to be used before the battle.

Then, in this battle, the military formation cannot be changed arbitrarily.

Because changing the army's formation could lead to chaos and ultimately cause the entire army to collapse.

The strength of the Sky Drive Army lies in its mastery of many military formations and its ability to adapt flexibly in battle.

It's unclear what methods the military strategist used to achieve this.

However, even with the Sky Chaser Army's infinite variations, they can only use one formation at a time.

In other words, he cannot use one military formation to fight one enemy and then simultaneously switch to another military formation to fight another enemy.

Therefore, when the Tianqu Army used the Long Snake Formation to fight against the Flying Feather Camp, it could no longer use the formation that countered the Iron Cavalry Camp to defend against the Iron Cavalry Camp attacking from behind!

The advantage of the long snake formation is that its shape is winding and twisting, like a long snake, which gives it good mobility and flexibility. It can quickly change direction and attack angle, making it suitable for dealing with enemy attacks from different directions. The head and tail can support each other, effectively resisting enemy attacks and encirclement.

However, its weakness lies in the weak defense of the abdomen, which is a vital area. If the enemy manages to penetrate the abdomen with a powerful attack, the entire army risks collapsing!

The Iron Cavalry Battalion is a powerful military force that excels at launching attacks on the enemy's weak points.

Zhao Yun, the commander of the Iron Cavalry Battalion, was an unparalleled warrior skilled in charging into battle.

It can be said that the Iron Cavalry Battalion is the natural nemesis of the Long Snake Formation!

Therefore, the predicament of the Sky Drive Army can be easily imagined.

Faced with Zhao Yun's unstoppable charge, the Sky Chariot Army's formation immediately began to crumble.

The Sky Drive soldiers also began to suffer heavy casualties.

But this is not the worst situation for the Skyward Army.

If that's all there is to it, although the Sky Drive Army will suffer huge casualties, the Sky Drive Army is still large, with a total of 30,000 people.

Together with the Flying Feather Camp and the Iron Cavalry Camp, they numbered no more than 13,000.

That day, the army, with its superior numbers, finally had a chance to recover.

But how could Ji Qiu possibly give him that opportunity?
As the Iron Cavalry charged the Sky Chariots' vital points, causing the Sky Chariots' formation to stiffen, the Wolf Cavalry, which had been harassing the Sky Chariots with mounted archery, immediately pounced like hungry wolves under Zhang Liao's leadership.

The Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry were indeed skilled in mounted archery, but that does not mean they lacked close combat abilities.

After all, the scimitars in their hands were not just for show.

They numbered a full five thousand, and their arrival in the battle immediately increased the pressure on the Sky Drive Army.

But they were not the final straw that broke the camel's back for the Sky Drive Army.

The final straw that broke the camel's back for the Sky Drive Army was the deployment of the Mountain Battalion and the Royal Guard Battalion.

Actually, the mountain camp is alright.

The main weapons of the mountain battalion are AK47 and MG42.

But to be honest, these modern firearms are very effective against ordinary armies or low-level powerful armies.

However, the higher the level of military conflict on the battlefield, the less effective these weapons become.

While the Sky Drive Army cannot be considered a high-level strong army, it is still a mid-level strong army.

The basic skills of an ordinary soldier are already sufficient to withstand damage from AK47s and MG42s.

Therefore, the main role of the mountain camp was to carry out harassment.

Of all the mountain troops, Huang Zhong was probably the only one who could inflict effective damage on the Sky Chaser Army.

Huang Zhong wields a Barrett sniper rifle, specifically targeting the junior officers who maintain the basic operations of the Skyward Army.

The headshots not only caused a large number of effective casualties, but also destroyed the basic organizational structure of the Sky Drive Army and weakened the power of the Sky Drive Army's strongest formation.

Therefore, the one that truly played a decisive role was the Royal Guard.

Although the Imperial Guard only had two thousand men, it was always the most powerful fighting force under Ji Qiu's command.

This battalion is the only one where all members are equipped with a complete set of Rank 8 primary dragon weapons.

Every soldier here could serve as a squad leader or platoon leader in any other main force battalion.

They were steadfast in their faith and fearless in the face of death; at the very least, they were all true believers of Ji Qiu.

So when they appeared on the battlefield and began attacking the Skydrive Army, they instantly dealt a devastating blow to the Skydrive Army.

An hour later.

The blood-red sunset slowly sank below the horizon, drawing the curtain on this fierce battle.

The once disciplined and imposing Sky Drive Army no longer exists.

The mountains and fields were littered with corpses, a truly horrifying sight.

Broken halberds and tattered weapons lay scattered on the ground, gleaming coldly in the twilight.

The Sky Chariot soldiers' black chainmail was stained with blood, and their scarlet helmet plumes had lost their former luster, drooping on their mud-covered helmets.

Some of them lay on the ground, their eyes wide open, their faces showing resentment and fear.

Some were pierced by weapons, their bodies twisted into bizarre postures.

Some gripped their weapons tightly, their fingers remaining in a forceful posture even in death.

On the battlefield, blood flowed in streams, turning the land a dark red.

The air was filled with a strong smell of blood and decay, which was nauseating.

The once flat ground became undulating due to the mountains of corpses, resembling a blood-red hill from a distance.

A gentle breeze blew by, carrying a slight chill, but it couldn't dispel the suffocating aura of death.

The head of the Sun family did not die on the battlefield. He was captured alive by Zhao Yun and brought before Ji Qiu.

Ji Qiu looked at him and chuckled, "Patriarch Sun, things have come to this point, the outcome is already decided, so there's no need for any more futile resistance."

I respect the military strategist, so I've decided to give him face and give you a chance.

So, let's lower it.

Even if you don't think about yourself, you should at least think about the Sun family as a whole.

You wouldn't want the entire Sun family to be buried with you, would you?

Ji Qiu did not want to kill the head of the Sun family.

Firstly, he did not want to launch a direct attack on Sun's Wubao.

Although the head of the Sun family brought out most of the Sky Chariots, he still left some behind.

These troops might not be able to fully activate the defensive facilities of Sun's Wubao, but they could activate a portion of them.

This will cause considerable trouble for Ji Qiu's attacking forces.

Although he could eventually capture Sun's Wubao, why bother?
Why not have the head of the Sun family directly persuade the Sun family of Wubao to surrender?
Secondly, they gained the allegiance of the Sun family head, just as they had previously gained the allegiance of the Tian family head.

We can now pacify the nine cities of Le'an with a single proclamation.

This will greatly reduce the difficulty for him to obtain Le'an County.

Thirdly, only by gaining the allegiance of the Sun family head could one obtain the legacy of the military strategist.

If we launch a direct attack on Sun's Wubao, who knows if the Sun family of Le'an, facing this decision, will decide to destroy the legacy of the military strategist rather than leave it to the enemy, even if they cannot protect it?

Actually, this isn't a question of whether or not it's possible; it's a situation that's bound to happen.

Why have the legacies of many ancient sages disappeared on the land of China?

Isn't it just that in the midst of mutual warfare, the descendants of sages couldn't protect their heritage and ended up destroying it?

From the perspective of civilization as a whole, this may be a crime, but from the perspective of other people, it is understandable.

Of course, not killing the head of the Sun family would certainly have some negative consequences.

The biggest negative effect is that it will hinder future governance efforts.

After all, the influence of the Sun family of Le'an in Le'an County was simply too great.

However, Ji Qiu wasn't too worried about this issue.

Because after taking over Le'an County, he will treat it the same way he treated Qi County.

All the people of Le'an County were relocated to Taishan County.

After this relocation, all the social relationships of the people of Le'an will be disrupted and reorganized.

The connections and influence that the Sun family of Le'an had accumulated in Le'an County over hundreds of years would also be swept away.

The head of the Sun family looked at Ji Qiu and said, "Your Excellency has attacked Le'an County without cause. Aren't you afraid of incurring the wrath of all the lords in the land?"

"How can you say it's an unprovoked attack? It's clearly you who colluded with the Yellow Turbans and plotted a rebellion, which is why I came to quell the rebellion!" Ji Qiu said with a smile.

The head of the Sun family scoffed, "Such words might fool the ignorant masses, but which of the feudal lords in the land would believe them?"

"They don't believe even with conclusive evidence? What do they believe in then? Power?"

If that's the case, then it's even simpler.

As long as I retreat to Taishan County, do you think these feudal lords you speak of will still invade and fight me to the death?
"But before I retreat to Taishan County, I will definitely take all the Sun family members of Le'an away. Do you believe me?" Ji Qiu continued with a smile.

(End of this chapter)