Ju Yi could only sigh in resignation. While his First Ascendants wielded knives and carried small round shields, they were, in essence, heavily armed crossbowmen, specialized in breaking formations and cutting down enemies with high-powered bolts.
Hua Xiong's Xiliang cavalry, despite their inferior equipment, were naturally elite troops. Just as the White Horse Cavalry were known for their extreme speed, the Xiliang cavalry were renowned for their formidable defense.
In other words, the Xiliang cavalry, even when minimally equipped with just swords, were on par with regular cavalry clad in leather armor. Moreover, Taishan was no longer impoverished, and all Xiliang cavalry were uniformly outfitted with leather armor, with vital areas reinforced by iron plates. In terms of troop specialization, the First Ascendants didn't have a significant advantage.
If it weren't for the First Ascendants being exceptionally powerful and their attacks boosted by the activation of their army's soul, and if the Xiliang cavalry weren't overall less elite than the First Ascendants, Ju Yi might not have won this battle so easily, even if he could have won at all.
"I was careless. Next time, no matter the circumstances, I'll activate the army's soul right away. This loss was too great," Ju Yi thought as he watched Hua Xiong's infantry slowly retreating and then looked back at his own First Ascendants. Hua Xiong's forces were too diverse to be easily countered by a single type of unit.
"Send word to General Yan not to pursue," Ju Yi quickly ordered when he noticed Yan Liang preparing to lead a charge. Even though Hua Xiong's forces still had around four thousand soldiers capable of fighting, and their orderly retreat indicated they hadn't lost their will to fight, Ju Yi knew better than to take unnecessary risks.
By the time Yan Liang received Ju Yi's order, he was already close enough to see the expression on Du Yuan's face. However, respecting Ju Yi's firm command, he pulled back and began gathering the scattered troops.
When Yan Liang returned, Ju Yi was already seated in the command tent, pondering whether to integrate other types of troops into the First Ascendants. After his battle with Hua Xiong, Ju Yi had come to fully understand the words of Li Ru from their days in Xiliang.
Ju Yi quietly reflected on what Li Ru had said back then.
At the time, due to constraints on manpower, resources, and other factors, Li Ru didn't have the luxury of experimenting with complex troop combinations. The more specialized units you had, the harder it was to coordinate them effectively. But when executed well, such combinations significantly enhanced combat effectiveness. Since Li Ru didn't have much time for army training, he chose the most straightforward method.
This led to the current rigid and formulaic attack style of the Xiliang cavalry. When charging, they all formed a wedge; when there were no openings, they all maneuvered to outflank the enemy; and when breaking formations, they all hurled spears and then simply pressed forward, smashing through with brute force.
This was how Li Ru taught them—uniform, standardized tactics. At this level of warfare, considerations like troop specialization or counters became irrelevant. When a fully equipped force of ten thousand Xiliang cavalry faced the pyramid-like formations of the Qiang cavalry, they'd crush them despite any tactical disadvantages. Sometimes, mindless aggression was terrifying in its own right.
"Bang!" Yan Liang slammed his fist on the table, jolting Ju Yi from his thoughts.
"You're back. How did it go?" Ju Yi had been startled and was about to lash out, but upon seeing Yan Liang's dark expression, he sighed, understanding how frustrated his comrade felt.
"We've gathered the scattered troops, but I lost nearly thirty percent of my forces!" Yan Liang said grimly. "Including the wounded and missing, less than half of my original ten thousand infantry and cavalry remain."
"That's not bad, considering. If I had been a little later, you would've encountered the Xiliang cavalry. Unlike the White Horse Cavalry, who rely primarily on archery with melee combat as a secondary tactic, the Xiliang cavalry will completely shatter your expectations." Ju Yi waved his hand dismissively. If he'd arrived just a quarter of an hour later, and 2,500 Xiliang cavalry had entered the battlefield, the outcome would've been clear—Yan Liang wouldn't have withstood their deadly charge.
"It's infuriating! Why didn't you chase down Hua Xiong and finish him off?" Yan Liang asked, displeased. In his mind, Ju Yi should've pursued and dealt with Hua Xiong decisively.
"If I had pursued, even if I won, it would be a pyrrhic victory. Although Hua Xiong's troops don't possess an army soul, their discipline and combat resolve are nearly on par with my First Ascendants. In terms of discipline alone, they're even better than mine," Ju Yi explained with a wave of his hand.
Yan Liang was speechless. Was Ju Yi saying that losing to Hua Xiong was justifiable?
"My First Ascendants also suffered a thirty percent loss. The Xiliang cavalry are a real headache," Ju Yi said with a bitter smile. "Heavy crossbowmen aren't enough to deal with such troops. If we had been fighting the White Horse Cavalry with the tactics we used today, even five or six thousand of them would've been wiped out."
"..." Yan Liang opened his mouth, realizing this was something he'd never considered before.
"Forget it. Explaining it to you won't help," Ju Yi said, waving him off.
"I think we should retreat the front line a bit," Yan Liang suggested cautiously, ignoring Ju Yi's teasing. "With the First Ascendants suffering thirty percent losses, if we encounter the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry, we'll be in serious trouble."
Yan Liang had dared to venture this deep into Yanzhou primarily because he had Ju Yi's First Ascendants backing him up. The legend of their invincibility, the tale of 3,000 defeating the White Horse Cavalry, had emboldened Yan Liang to rampage through Yanzhou. But today, he realized that even Ju Yi's First Ascendants weren't invincible.
"I know what you're thinking," Ju Yi said, waving him off. "This was just an unexpected setback. Elite troops aren't invincible. There's always some implicit counter, even if it's not immediately obvious. However, the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry happens to be countered by my First Ascendants, so you can rest easy."
"What about Hua Xiong?" Yan Liang asked, feeling a bit relieved but still wary of Hua Xiong.
"If we were both at full strength, with all our troops and resources, it would be a fifty-fifty fight. Even if I won, it would be a pyrrhic victory," Ju Yi said seriously. "Hua Xiong's troops may not have an army soul, but their discipline and resolve are nearly unmatched. In fact, in terms of discipline alone, they might even surpass my First Ascendants."
"How is that possible?" Yan Liang nearly jumped out of his seat.
"Not only is it possible, but it's likely that Hua Xiong's army possesses a latent army soul," Ju Yi replied, his eyes narrowing. "I fought hard, yet in the final moments, Hua Xiong's manipulation of cloud energy felt unusually swift and precise. It's just a suspicion, but if he didn't use his army soul, I wonder why not."
Ju Yi couldn't shake the thought. Something about Hua Xiong's army seemed off. Their overall quality was comparable to the First Ascendants, but they lacked the overwhelming unity and power of a true army soul.