NOVPUBLub Su and Chen Xi were taken aback, but neither of them had any special feelings for the Han Dynasty more than ten years ago, yet unconsciously, Chen Xi agreed with Jia Xu’s words.
"Although I don’t know how Zhang Jiao did it, comparatively, if this era were to unify the world, it would undoubtedly create a splendor far surpassing any other era." Jia Xu, relying on his spiritual talent, deduced everything from the past to the present, and it was clear that Zhang Jiao had interfered.
"Heh heh heh..." Chen Xi tugged at the corner of his mouth, the stars may be dazzling, but the most classic aspect of the Three Kingdoms era is the infinite possibility of turning the tables. Just a slight underestimation of your opponent, or a bit of arrogance and complacency, could lead to a reversal, and you might even be wiped out.
From Dong Zhuo to Yuan Shao, from Yuan Shao to Cao Cao, from Cao Cao to Sun Quan, from Cao Cao to Liu Bei, from Guan Yu to Lyu Meng, from Liu Bei to Lu Xun; the Feudal Lords united against Dong Zhuo, the Battle of Guandu, the Battle of Red Cliff, the Battle of Hanzhong, the Battle of Fan Xiang, White Robe Crossing the River, the Battle of Yiling, the entire Three Kingdoms era, with its brilliant stars, resulted in endless reversals. When you shine brilliantly, your opponent might even be considered peerless. Strength and weakness in this era are never clear until the very last moment!
For this reason, in this era, Chen Xi would never underestimate any Feudal Lord. Originally, in this era, with the likes of Xun Yu, Xun You, Cheng Yu, Guo Jia, Xi Zhicai, Jia Xu, Liu Ye, Zhong Yao, Mann Chong, and others, Cao Cao took eleven years just to conquer Yanzhou, Xuzhou, Sili, and parts of Qingzhou, but he was still no match for Yuan Shao at the time!
Setting aside other factors, Chen Xi had to admit that the people under Yuan Shao were actually quite formidable. It was just a pity that Yuan Shao became ineffective later on, unable to integrate the group beneath him. Otherwise, it might have been Yuan Shao’s historians who wrote the history of success and failure. And in this lifetime, even Chen Xi had to admire Yuan Shao’s impressive demeanor!
In such a context, it was not without reason that Chen Xi viewed Yuan Shao as the greatest enemy in the north. Although Yuan Shao lacked several years of accumulation, this lifetime’s Yuan Shao was much more sagacious than the mediocre Yuan Shao of history, with his overall strength at least fifty percent stronger than before.
While Chen Xi’s group was contemplating Yuan Shao, Hua Xiong had already entered Yanzhou, leading his entire intact legion, hidden in the black fog generated by Celestial Lock Three Transformations’ first transformation, advancing towards Black Mountain at high speed.
"Zhengli, don’t take risks like that anymore," Tian Feng said, sitting across from the sulking Ju Yi. "The Vanguard is our strongest type of troop; they shouldn’t be wasted on such battles."
"Hmph, only by doing this can we force them to join up with Liu Xuande quickly!" Ju Yi retorted unhappily. "Besides, if the Vanguard can’t even participate in such battles, how will they face even more formidable forces!"
"Zhengli, you’ve passed the time when you needed to prove yourself with military achievements, just as your Vanguard has passed the time when they had to prove themselves through combat. I’m still waiting for you to defeat Lyu Bu’s cavalry!" Tian Feng consoled him, but actually, he was incredulous at Ju Yi’s recent feat of annihilating nearly ten thousand Yellow Turbans!
"Alright, alright, I won’t go again. I shouldn’t have disobeyed military orders and attacked," Ju Yi waved his hand dismissively.
"That’s good. Don’t let what happened ten days ago happen again. Youruo is already quite upset, and you’re lucky it was you. If it had been someone else, they definitely would have been executed," Tian Feng warned.
Recently, Ju Yi had acted on his own, fortunately returning victorious, inciting a siege from the Yellow Turbans and counter-slaughtering them. Nevertheless, this still infuriated Xun Shen half to death. But considering Yuan Shao’s face, as well as Ju Yi’s extraordinary achievements and triumphant return, he was only whipped thirty times.
But those thirty lashes had the not-yet-achieved Inner Qi Manifestation Ju Yi lying in bed for a full ten days before he recovered.
"That guy really made a big deal out of it! I’ve already said that I deserved military punishment for acting on my own, and that my triumph could make up for it. I let the thirty lashes pass without complaint, but to actually make me copy Military Strategy! Good Lord, I haven’t used a writing brush in over a decade!" Ju Yi complained angrily.
Tian Feng sat calmly across from Ju Yi, indifferent to Ju Yi’s temper, fully aware of his disposition.
Yuan Shao had a military law that allowed for merits to offset demerits, and it was probably with this in mind that Juo Yi took his troops out without orders. Moreover, the original goal for Xun Shen was merely to drive away the Yellow Turbans. As a result of Juo Yi’s battle, he completely routed the Yellow Turbans, who fled like rabbits, which was exactly Xun Shen’s objective.
Unfortunately, Juo Yi’s actions were not well-received. Believing that such behavior should not be encouraged, Xun Shen punished Juo Yi with thirty lashes. Afterwards, to make him reflect, he gave Juo Yi a copy of "Xunzi" and ordered him to transcribe it a hundred times. Truth be told, if thirty lashes meant receiving a family heirloom copy of the Xun Family’s "Xunzi," it’s likely that not ten thousand, then at least eight thousand people would be willing to take the punishment. But Juo Yi completely failed to understand Xun Shen’s intent.
Tian Feng spent some time persuading Juo Yi, only leaving to deal with military affairs in the main tent once he was certain Juo Yi would not act rashly again. However, after Tian Feng left, Juo Yi became restless once more. Ever since arriving at Black Mountain, he had noticed that he would become periodically irritable, and the closer he got to the Vanguard and to Yanzhou, the more his restlessness grew.
"Is there some danger this time?" Juo Yi wondered suddenly, "How could there be? I am Juo Yi, after all, and not just Juo Yi, but one who leads the Vanguard Death Squad. Even if I were to encounter Lyu Bu commanding the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry in direct combat, he would not be able to break and divide my formation!"
At the same time, Gao Shun caressed the flagpole of the Vanguard Camp, where not a single soldier was present. The Trap Formation was currently with Wei Xu, but it would return to him once he set out on a campaign. The gear and weapons of the Vanguard Camp would also be replaced, no longer the leather armor and wooden shields they had now.
"The resolve of the Trap Formation is to face death without thought of life," Gao Shun mused to himself. "I wonder what the resolve of the Vanguard is. Perhaps you, Juo Yi, still do not understand."
Gao Shun pulled out the tall flag with one hand, his body radiating a luminous white glow. Lyu Bu stood on a city wall a kilometer away, silently observing the scene. He knew of Gao Shun’s unwavering loyalty but dared not employ it, for Gao Shun alone, empowered by the Military Spirit of the Trap Formation, could obliterate the rest of the elite champions along with their Personal Guard Squad and even Lyu Bu himself.
"Is this the Military Spirit? Every time I witness this sight, I feel a sense of terror. The will, forged from a belief that embraces death with no thought of life, pervades through the entire unit—pure and yet terrifying," Lyu Bu murmured to himself, while Chen Gong stood by, unsure of how to begin speaking.
"Gongtai, go and make the arrangements. When he leads the charge, no matter who the opponent is, it will be futile," Lyu Bu spoke softly, holding the Sky Piercer halberd.
Chen Gong squinted at the glimmering light, puzzled as to why Gao Shun hadn’t been deployed in the previous battle against Cao Cao.
"The resolve of the Trap Formation is to face death without thought of life, and the effect of the Military Spirit of the Trap Formation not only includes the standard benefits but also significantly elevates the capabilities of all soldiers under its command. Just like now, with the Military Spirit possessing him, even if he were to face me in single combat, he would not be at a disadvantage. From the pinnacle of Qi Refining to Gang to the pinnacle of Inner Qi Manifestation, such is the Military Spirit of the Trap Formation!" Lyu Bu elaborated to himself.
"Why did you not deploy him before? Your forces actually have a unit that has manifested the Military Spirit. Had he been deployed, we could have even taken Chenliu last time!" Chen Gong asked, not comprehending.
"There is no why," Lyu Bu said dismissively, throwing back the cape behind him and then walking down towards the city below.
"To have such a commander and not be aware... But now, this battle is assured to be won," Chen Gong spoke quietly to himself, staring in the direction of Gao Shun.
Gao Shun’s eyes were as calm as still water. This was the privilege of an elite unit taken to the extreme. As the creator of an independent Military Spirit, not only was he assured that his unit would maintain its soul and pass it on from generation to generation for hundreds of years after his death, but he, as the creator, also received an enhancement of his own abilities from the Military Spirit.
Gao Shun alone in this world knew of this because his Trap Formation was the only one with a soul, and he had ascertained the function of the Military Spirit at various stages through observing the continuous strengthening of his Trap Formation.
Legion Talent could be considered the embryonic form of the Military Spirit, possessing a variety of traits. An immature Military Spirit, on top of having all the abilities of the Legion Talent, also exhibits a sublimation of those traits. For instance, the Vanguard grows stronger in the midst of battle; as long as the Physical Strength is not exhausted, the Combat Power continuously increases. As for a fully matured Military Spirit, it not only thoroughly enhances its own traits but also manifests numerous additional effects. (To be continued. If you like this work, please head to qidian.com and cast your recommendation votes or monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
