"Let's move out. I want to see who can make my heart race like this. Yan Liang, you're not qualified!" Hua Xiong's body radiated a fiery red glow as excitement surged within him. He was eager to find out who could defeat him while he led an entire army.
As Hua Xiong organized his troops for departure, Du Yuan and the other commanders felt a twinge of fear, but seeing their general's confidence dispelled their concerns.
When Hua Xiong's army advanced, Yan Liang observed their disciplined formation, the silent soldiers, and the smooth progression of the troops without a single sound of disorder. His heart sank at the sight.
"Hua Zijian, it's been years since we parted at Hulao Pass," Yan Liang said, spurring his horse forward and saluting Hua Xiong.
"General Yan, it seems you've made some progress," Hua Xiong replied calmly. Surprisingly, all the feelings of unease and dread that had plagued him earlier vanished as soon as he stepped onto the battlefield.
"All I've got is this bit of skill. I've long wanted to face you in battle, but never had the chance. Now, I have to make good on the promise our lord made back then," Yan Liang said with a smile.
A flash of coldness passed through Hua Xiong's eyes. How could he not know what Yan Liang was referring to? It was none other than that infamous remark: "If only my generals Yan Liang and Wen Chou had been present, they would have slain Hua Xiong."
"It seems you're quite confident," Hua Xiong chuckled, his laughter bold and mocking as the fiery light surrounding him condensed into crimson armor. He swung his large saber a couple of times before resting it on his shoulder.
"I've grown tired of exchanging pleasantries," Yan Liang roared as dark red energy enveloped him, manifesting into a suit of intricately patterned armor. He spurred his horse forward, charging at Hua Xiong with his spear.
"Clang!" Hua Xiong's saber collided with Yan Liang's spear, and the fiery energy around him flared even brighter. The two warriors clashed in a fierce exchange of blows, with their respective armies cheering them on.
"I didn't expect you to have improved this much," Hua Xiong remarked, squinting at Yan Liang.
"You'll be dead here soon enough!" Yan Liang laughed as he lunged at Hua Xiong with his spear.
Hua Xiong swung his saber toward Yan Liang's neck, completely disregarding the spear aimed at his waist.
"Clang!" Yan Liang deftly parried Hua Xiong's strike with his spear but missed the opportunity to land a critical blow.
Hua Xiong smiled coldly as he continued his relentless assault, his saber swinging in a series of brutal strikes. He moved with the fluidity of water, showing no fear of Yan Liang's attempts to counterattack. Ever since he had survived the death trap at Sishui Pass, Hua Xiong had learned that if death was inevitable, the only option was to fight it head-on. Only by not fearing death could one conquer it.
"Clang!" Yan Liang grew increasingly frustrated as the battle wore on. His full strength was hampered by Hua Xiong's complete disregard for danger. Yan Liang could clearly see that Hua Xiong didn't even flinch when his spear came perilously close to piercing his forehead. Hua Xiong's calm, fearless gaze forced Yan Liang to divert his attacks to defense.
"Clang!" The light clash of metal echoed again. As the saying goes, 'a long defense leads to failure,' and Yan Liang finally made a mistake. A twisted red light from Hua Xiong's saber struck Yan Liang squarely, sending shockwaves through the battlefield. However, Yan Liang managed to deflect the blow, but the deflected saber light crashed into his ranks, cutting down nearly a hundred soldiers who had no cloud energy protection.
Hua Xiong's eyes were as calm as still water. He knew he was no longer Yan Liang's equal. His most powerful surprise attack had been neutralized by Yan Liang's sheer strength, revealing the gap between them.
"Advance!" Hua Xiong commanded calmly, raising his saber high. A phantom blade of energy shot out as his soldiers, like unleashed tigers, charged into Yan Liang's forces. A rain of arrows followed, covering Yan Liang's ranks.
"Kill them all!" Hua Xiong led a small unit of dozens of soldiers, armed with spears and shields, as they cut through Yan Liang's personal guard like a scythe through wheat, while Yan Liang's troops fell into chaos.
Yan Liang shattered a shield with a powerful thrust and pierced through a soldier, ready to sweep his spear again. But he suddenly felt his weapon become heavy. The soldier he had skewered, with a surge of desperate strength, clung to the spear, refusing to let go. At the same time, other soldiers, with fierce determination in their eyes, stabbed their spears at Yan Liang's horse.
"Crack!" With a powerful shake, Yan Liang flung the impaled soldier off his spear, knocking down several others. He then spurred his horse to fight elsewhere.
"Hua Xiong, do you dare to face me in single combat!" Yan Liang roared in fury as he saw his troops being pushed back.
Hua Xiong glanced at Yan Liang, who had retreated to his personal guard, his gaze icy. Despite the intense battle, the sense of impending doom only grew stronger, erasing any excitement he might have felt about defeating Yan Liang.
"We should strike now, while Yan Liang's formation is in disarray. We could take him down," Du Sheng suggested to his fellow commanders, who had been observing the battle from a distance.
"Let's not. The general hasn't ordered us to engage yet. Besides, don't you all feel that…?" Sun Yan said, his face grim.
"I feel it too. I'm sure General Hua senses it as well," Du Yuan added, frowning. "We should follow his orders."
"Report! A force of about three thousand infantry is advancing toward us from the north, roughly ten miles away," a scout reported, rushing in.
"..." Upon hearing the news, Li Hu suddenly felt a weight lift from his shoulders. When he looked at Du Yuan and the others, he saw they shared the same expression of relief.
"Hahaha! So, the source of all this pressure was just three thousand infantry? Send word to the general; we'll go wipe them out!" Du Sheng laughed. Upon receiving the report, they all felt a sudden lightness, as if they had been preparing to fight a tiger, only to discover it was a kitten instead.
"What's wrong, Du Yuan?" Sun Yan asked, noticing the strange expression on Du Yuan's face.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Du Yuan replied, frowning.
"Hahaha! What's there to worry about? We're the Xiliang Cavalry, and they're just infantry. I've never heard of infantry defeating cavalry. Have you?" Sun Yan laughed heartily.
"I'm not so sure..." Du Yuan hesitated. "How about you go ahead, and I'll report to the general?"
"Fine, go make your report. We'll handle things here," Du Sheng said, reining in his horse and preparing to charge.