Chapter 221 - 156: Lightning Raid on the Shengman
Chapter 221: Chapter 156: Lightning Raid on the Shengman
Spies from every dynasty already knew that the Northern Barbarians were launching an attack on the Shengman.
After all, it was impossible to hide the movements of such a large army.
The Cyan Emperor of the Eastern Barbarians glanced at the war report, a smug smirk tugging at his lips. "Heh, it seems that Prince Qin was provoked by our last meeting. He hasn’t been back long, yet he’s already impatient to attack the Shengman and earn some glory."
"Little does he know, such grandiose ambitions are the surest path to defeat."
"It might just leave the Northern Barbarians even weaker than before."
As he spoke, the disdain in his eyes deepened.
However, none of them knew the true extent of Lu Yuan’s ambitions. This situation was exactly what he wanted to see.
Only when the other powers let down their guard could he wage war against the Shengman without worry.
It would prevent them from causing trouble behind his back.
Amidst the scheming of the various powers, Lu Yuan arrived at the border between the Northern Barbarians and the Shengman half a month later. Xiao He emerged from Ancient River Pass to greet him. Upon seeing Lu Yuan, he bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Your Highness."
During the earlier border war, he had witnessed Lu Yuan’s true strength, and he now held him in great admiration.
Meeting again, the excitement on his face was plain to see.
Xiao Lie said with a broad grin, "I hear you’ve been living quite comfortably on the border lately, kid."
"Hehe, it’s all thanks to His Highness," Xiao He replied quickly.
Lu Yuan looked at him and said, "Not bad. The pass has been rebuilt, and the warriors no longer have to sleep in tents. It’s a huge improvement over before."
"The imperial court will allocate more funds for further construction, all thanks to Your Highness."
"It’s not easy for the warriors to guard the border. The court will certainly provide all the necessary facilities," Lu Yuan said with a smile. "We’ll rest here for one night. Tomorrow, I ride out beyond the pass."
"Excellent! We’ve already slaughtered cattle and sheep, just waiting for you to arrive." After speaking, his gaze fell upon the Beast Riders behind Lu Yuan, and his eyes filled with envy. They were a sea of black heavy armor, each man had two mounts, and their cultivation was all at the Organ Refining realm.
A unit like that would be simply invincible on the battlefield.
It was a well-known fact that the warhorses of the Northern Barbarians were famous not only for their great strength, but also their powerful endurance. Their beast mounts were even more so.
Traveling a thousand li in a single day was considered normal for them.
Normally, one mount per man was more than sufficient.
And yet, Lu Yuan had brought two mounts for every man. ’Just how many li could they cover in a day?’
"Alright, let’s eat," Lu Yuan said, paying no mind to Xiao He’s thoughts. He gave the order for the army to dismount and begin their meal.
They had traveled at a relentless pace and hadn’t had a proper meal the entire way. The warriors were more than ready for a hot meal.
Lu Yuan led Xiao Lie and the other commanders into Xiao He’s General’s Mansion.
No sooner had they sat down than all sorts of delicacies were laid out, along with a large jar of fine wine. Lu Yuan smiled at the group. "We can drink a little tonight, but not too much. First thing tomorrow, we enter Shengman territory. We must remain vigilant at all times."
"Don’t worry, Your Highness. We won’t overdo it," Xiao Lie said with a grin.
His cultivation was at the Dharma Realm, but on this campaign, he was serving as Lu Yuan’s Vice General.
Xiao Lie was undoubtedly a fierce warrior among the Northern Barbarians, but he was not proficient with Military Arrays.
When it came to leading legions in large-scale warfare, however, he was somewhat lacking.
Furthermore, Lu Yuan’s performance had already completely won over the Northern Barbarians’ high command.
As a result, Xiao Lie was now very compliant.
As for the eight masters from Prajna Temple, they were men of few words who typically just stood guard by Lu Yuan’s side.
Before they left, they had received their orders from Xiao Gu: they were not to interfere in battlefield matters. Their only duty was to stay with Lu Yuan and ensure his safety.
If the campaign failed, their greatest contribution would be to escort Lu Yuan back safely.
If the campaign succeeded but something were to happen to Lu Yuan, the eight of them would still be punished according to clan law.
Therefore, they didn’t dare leave his side for even a moment.
As for Xiao He, he might seem free-spirited enough to joke with Lu Yuan, but in the presence of these eight Venerables, he was as timid as a mouse that had just seen a cat.
It was only after the meal that Lu Yuan found out why.
Apparently, these disciples of the royal clan had studied cultivation at Prajna Temple in their youth.
Xiao He himself had been taught by these very eight Venerables.
He had taken quite a few beatings from them back in the day, and seeing them again, he was still terrified.
So, after everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, the meal didn’t drag on. Lu Yuan returned early to the courtyard Xiao He had arranged for him.
For the past few days, he had been focusing his cultivation on Military Arrays, studying the Arrays daily.
His gains had been significant. Tonight, he planned to attempt a breakthrough. If he could master a Fifth-grade Array...
...his success in the coming battle would be all but guaranteed.
As far as he knew, the highest-level formation the Shengman possessed was a Fourth-Grade Military Array called the Wolf Rider Array.
It was controlled by the Shengman’s top general, Manliang.
It was terrifying when deployed.
If Lu Yuan’s Military Array skills could reach the Fifth Grade, he should have no problem countering it.
He then took out the Military Array Atlas and began to study it.
’After this campaign,’ Lu Yuan thought, ’I’ll establish a Military Array Academy to train the Northern Barbarians’ commanders.’
’It would be a good way to earn a lot of silver, and it would cultivate new commanders for the Northern Barbarians at the same time.’
’Of course, the Military Arrays won’t be taught freely. Other than the children of the Northern Barbarians, no one from the other dynasties will be allowed to study there unless they pledge allegiance to us.’
’And their backgrounds will have to be thoroughly investigated by the Observatory.’
’In a few decades, all of this will become the Northern Barbarians’ greatest underlying strength.’
As Lu Yuan studied the Array Map, a series of notifications from the system echoed in his mind.
[Host is studying the Shocking God Slaughter Array. Skill Level +1]
[Host is studying the Shocking God Slaughter Array. Skill Level +1]
...
As the notifications continued to pop up in his mind,
Lu Yuan could clearly feel his comprehension of Military Arrays growing stronger.