Chapter 00305: Fierce Battle
# Fierce Battle
Chapter 305
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 305: Fierce Battle
He Lingchuan had his sights set on the half-slope beside the high ground, shaped like terraced fields.
Abandoned carts and all kinds of clutter were piled there.
Most importantly, the Yan soldiers’ military equipment was stationed in this very spot!
The armory was definitely one of the first targets the enemy wanted to destroy.
Just as He Lingchuan had finished arranging his troops there, the enemy appeared.
Zhao Pan’s main camp was set atop the high ground.
From the riverbank up to the high ground, there were several paths.
The main force of the Xunzhou army naturally chose the shortest main road to charge straight on, while the remaining troops spread out, attacking from multiple directions, aiming to encircle the high ground.
He Lingchuan’s chosen half-slope was at the side, where fewer enemies came.
This was advantageous for them to hold firm and steady.
You ask about the Xunzhou main army? Of course, there would also be the Yan forces’ elite guarding in front of Zhao Pan’s main camp.
Those weren’t given away lightly—they were all elite troops.
He Lingchuan would just let them deal with those, focusing his strength elsewhere.
Do what you’re capable of.
He, He Lingchuan, would never try to grab glory when it wasn’t the right time.
Though battles between armies seem chaotic and complicated, in the end, they break down into squads fighting one by one.
He Lingchuan’s job was simply to lead his squad in battle, contributing to his side.
Plus, he was there to intercept enemies charging straight for the armory.
As for his father—
He glanced back at the main camp.
He Chunhua was right beside Zhao Pan, at the very core of the army’s protection, which meant he was quite safe.
A messenger suddenly dashed out from the main camp, ran to He Lingchuan, and shouted, “Commander’s order! He Lingchuan, hold the armory area at all costs!”
Though slightly delayed, He Chunhua soon grasped the importance of this position.
He Lingchuan spun around, pointed to the trees, and said to Yaoyuan, “You go up the tree.” In battle, blades and spears had no mercy; as a non-combatant, it was best for him to stay far from the battlefield.
Ling Guang was no troublemaker; he jumped up the tree in two strides and disappeared from sight.
Just as everyone finished arranging themselves, the enemy howled loudly and charged.
Two large horses led the charge, thundering forward like the wind.
The cavalrymen sneered, brandishing long spears aimed straight for He Lingchuan’s brow.
This kid was clearly a leader.
A weakling like him was easy to kill—just the kind of scalp to steal glory.
For such clueless enemies, He Lingchuan’s reaction was to stick up his middle finger—a universal gesture.
His men immediately tugged hard on the horses' ropes.
With a loud “duang,” the two warhorses’ front hooves stumbled, and both horse and rider were thrown flying several paces.
The two cavalrymen were thrown into disorder, barely able to stand before becoming ghosts under the blades of Dan Youjun and the others.
The remaining infantry, shocked, roared and surged forward.
The archers hidden in the tall trees behind began firing rapid shots, managing two or three arrows per volley despite the dim light—it was fast.
The rest of the infantry pressed on, only to suddenly scream in pain and bend over.
It turned out that the ground was sprinkled with poisonous tridactyl thorns.
These small three-pronged spikes were known as nemeses to the soles of feet.
Not just humans, even bear demons howled in pain when stepping on them; their footpads would swell up like buckets of water in no time.
When He Lingchuan had gone hunting monsters with his men, these poisonous spikes had proved remarkably effective—now they worked just as well on men.
He Lingchuan showed no mercy and seized the opportunity to finish off the wounded.
For those lucky enough to avoid the poisonous spikes, they finally faced their opponents head-on.
Although the Xunzhou forces had sneaked across the southern bank under cover of night and rain, their boats were limited.
To ferry troops quickly, they brought fewer horses but more men, resulting in significantly fewer cavalry—the attacking force was mostly infantry.
Fortunately, infantry still played a vital role in mountain warfare.
But it was clear their impact was limited.
He Lingchuan slashed down one after another, bumped another off with his shoulder, and easily sent one flying, then paused, surprised.
Are Xunzhou soldiers really this weak?
They looked sizable, strong enough.
Over there, Dan Youjun and the others were fighting vigorously.
Were it not for stray arrows from the rear hitting from time to time, they might have fought three or four enemies single-handedly.
Not to mention the rock wolves wreaking havoc—four or five bites were enough to kill one enemy.
To those Xunzhou soldiers, they seemed thin-skinned but with plenty of filling.
Their attacks, however, seemed feeble.
The rock wolf was cut with two axe strikes, leaving only a shallow white scratch on its fur—no blood flowed.
Though these beasts generally had high defense, in past battles, it hadn’t been like this.
Judging by this, they could not only hold the slope but even organize a counterattack.
What was going on?
Jiao Tai, still chopping away, turned after killing three and said to He Lingchuan, “Master, the Xunzhou soldiers are very weak. Look at their bodies!”
He Lingchuan had been puzzled too.
Upon Jiao Tai’s hint, he looked carefully again.
During the fight, the soldiers had no flicker of spiritual energy on their bodies at all.
Those right in front, as well as those in the distance, were the same.
Earlier, when Xunzhou troops were lurking near the shore, no spiritual glow was understandable.
But now, close combat and still none? That meant only one thing—
He Lingchuan turned and focused his true energy, bellowing toward the slope, “Xunzhou army has no spiritual energy!”
His voice rolled like thunder, drowning out the rumble of wind and rain, carrying far and wide.
He shouted three times, and almost everyone on the battlefield heard him.
An army with spiritual energy and one without are worlds apart in battle strength.
It wasn’t just extra power or agility—it affected damage reduction, evasion, hit rate.
That’s why official troops often had an easier time fighting bandits.
Against the Xun soldiers, the Yan army—
Had no reason to fear!
Right then, the battlefield was chaotic.
The Yan army had been caught unprepared, facing hordes rushing forward brandishing weapons.
Some soldiers hadn’t even donned their armor properly; some were knocked down in the rush by comrades or horses.
How could they muster much fighting spirit?
At this moment, the Yan troops’ morale was low.
If the Xun soldiers were strong, the Yan army would have been scattered in just a few rounds.
In the end, battles come down to strength and confidence.
A successful surprise attack often lays the cornerstone for final victory.
He Lingchuan’s shout was timely rain, awakening those lost in dreams!
Zhao Pan could no longer hold back; he personally carved down two or three enemies and realized the foes were weak.
Upon hearing He Lingchuan’s words, he came to a sudden realization:
The Xun army couldn’t cross the Han River with wings.
The sudden calm upstream was likely due to someone’s trickery.
One man alone couldn’t resist the might of the Han River—90% of the entire army’s spiritual energy had been diverted!
No wonder, no wonder they managed to cross the river.
No wonder the Xun soldiers were so feeble—they had no spiritual energy at all right now!
“Xun soldiers have no spiritual energy; cut them down like slicing vegetables!” Zhao Pan roared. “Kill them! Kill them all and throw them in the river!”
Fear of the strong oppressing the weak was ingrained in their bones.
The Yan troops, who had been quietly cautious, heard their enemies had no spiritual energy.
At first, they were skeptical, but after blocking a few attacks, they realized:
Hey, it’s true!
So they grew bolder and counterattacked.
In truth, the Xun soldiers were suffering silently.
The Green Life Bottle continuously siphoned their spiritual energy to absorb the floodwaters rushing from upstream, giving the rear fleets more time to rush across.
Therefore, every Xun soldier felt mentally exhausted, fatigued, and reluctant to fight once ashore, as if they’d run a heavy, long race in the rain for thirty miles, desperate to collapse into a deep sleep.
In other words, their morale was already negative.
Though the Yan side was surprised and panicked, at least they still had spiritual energy to protect them.
This prolonged tug of war meant the scales of victory would likely tip back to the Yan eventually.
Rebelling against heaven indeed came at a heavy price.
Fortunately, Nian Zanli had foreseen this.
Before setting out, he held two or three rounds of mobilization, clearly telling the soldiers, “Just hold out for half an hour, and victory will be ours.” Now, the supervisors shouted, “Charge forward or die retreating!” pushing everyone to risk their lives charging onward.
Both sides did everything they could to stoke enthusiasm and morale.
Whoever’s confidence broke first would lose.
At Nian Zanli’s command, the twelve cannons along the riverbank finished loading and opened a fresh barrage!
When strength falls short, bring in firepower.
Now, the Yan elite guarded around Zhao Pan and He Chunhua, fiercely fighting the Xun main force.
Crowds concentrated together made the best targets; nine of the twelve cannons aimed and fired at this spot.
Boom! Several shells landed in quick succession on the high ground, shattering dozens of soldiers.
Zhao Pan’s personal guards behind him fell one by one.
He barely avoided being hit himself and screamed in fury, “Scatter! Scatter, damn it!”
One shell landed near He Lingchuan.
Alarm bells rang loudly in his mind as he ordered his men to dodge, but two guards stood too close and weren’t quick enough—they died on the spot.
Even Jiao Tai was hit in the left arm by flying lead balls but was lucky not to have it broken.
He Lingchuan cursed and glanced back at He Chunhua, noting his serious face as he gave orders but saw no injuries, so he relaxed slightly.
A sudden thin, faint green light shield appeared over the Yan main camp.
It was faint, almost imperceptible in the darkness.
Yet the incoming cannonballs from the shore exploded against it before hitting the ground, setting off a chain of blasts.
The shield flickered but held.
Then, the lead balls inside the cluster bombs fell harmlessly, having lost their explosion power, causing minimal threat to the troops.
Waves of arrow rain were also intercepted, with few arrows sneaking through tiny gaps.
The battle formation had finally been activated; the immediate pressure on the Yan greatly eased.
This formation wasn’t perfect—it wasn’t fully enclosed or without blind spots.
Occasional gaps appeared on the shield, a coordination issue with the array masters—after all, it required over twenty people to operate—and sometimes from insufficient mystical crystal power.
Such problems were basically unavoidable, given how hastily everything had come together.
Zhao Pan didn’t demand much from the array—just enough to withstand widespread attacks and hold out as long as possible.
Just as the Yan troops anxiously awaited, He Lingchuan’s small squad in the rear armory area finally got to work.
Over a dozen catapults hurled huge stones—each at least as big as a millstone—targeting the enemy cannons and boats near shore.
Due to the heavy rain’s interference, several cannons couldn’t fire effectively.
Unlike the enemy, the Yan lacked water-repelling talismans, so their ranged attacks were much weaker.
Still, the giant stones smashed three cannons and two transport boats, with the rest crashing into enemy troops, leaving a bloody mess.
The Yan cheered.
As time passed, the scales of victory were tipping toward them.
Having survived the fiercest initial waves, the Xun army plainly showed signs of exhaustion.
(End of chapter)