Gao Shun's Formation Breaker troops advanced at a steady pace, showing no signs of the tension that typically precedes a major battle. Throughout their march, Gao Shun's army soul remained highly active. Unlike Ju Yi, who was reluctant to use up the accumulated willpower of his army soul, Gao Shun had no such concerns. The Formation Breaker's army soul was fully manifested, and maintaining it required little effort. If necessary, he could even use the army soul's willpower to boost the morale of allied forces.
"Caoxing," Gao Shun said quietly as he took the intelligence report sent by Wei Xu and his group from Caoxing's hands. He then looked up at Caoxing.
Although Gao Shun wasn't particularly favored by Lü Bu, his actual position within Lü Bu's ranks was not low. Lü Bu simply didn't dare to fully trust him. As of now, Caoxing, one of the Eight Cavalry Generals, served as Gao Shun's deputy.
"At your command," Caoxing said, keeping his head lowered. He was no fool like Wei Xu. Initially appointed to monitor Gao Shun, Caoxing had since accepted that if Gao Shun ever truly decided to betray them, he wouldn't be able to stop him. Therefore, he faithfully followed Gao Shun's orders.
"Ride swiftly and inform Military Advisor Chen to prepare to ambush the Hebei forces. Wei Xu and his group have already encountered Yan Liang," Gao Shun said calmly. Then, a beam of white light from the military flag enveloped Caoxing, raising his strength from the Qi Refinement stage directly to the pseudo-Inner Qi Detached stage.
"Understood!" Caoxing bowed and withdrew quietly. As Gao Shun's deputy, and a loyal one at that, he could enjoy the benefits of the Formation Breaker's empowerment. While Gao Shun had truly reached that level through hard work, Caoxing was merely a pseudo Inner Qi Detached due to the army soul's influence. Still, whenever he was empowered by the army soul, Caoxing couldn't help but feel like he had become a master.
After Caoxing left, Gao Shun quickened the pace of the march. The issue of the Formation Breaker's cavalry being too slow had never been resolved, or rather, Lü Bu had chosen to ignore it. The Formation Breaker soldiers were originally selected from the best of the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry, trained from among the most elite. How could they be foot soldiers?
"Increase the speed," Gao Shun ordered calmly. From what he understood, Ju Yi's Xian Deng troops were not truly close combat soldiers. Despite their appearance as high-attack axe soldiers, they were actually heavy crossbowmen with a wide attack range. This meant that the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry was particularly well-suited to counter them.
Meanwhile, Wei Xu, Hou Cheng, and Hao Meng were suffering a devastating defeat. Just as they were preparing to showcase their excellent archery skills, a sudden barrage of arrows from the Xian Deng troops knocked many of their wolf cavalry off their horses. When they attempted to demonstrate their melee combat abilities, they quickly realized that Ju Yi's troops were just as ruthless in close combat after discarding their crossbows.
Adding insult to injury, Yan Liang, still fuming from his previous defeat at the hands of Hua Xiong, led his few hundred remaining cavalry in a reckless charge right into the heart of the enemy forces. He killed Hou Cheng in front of everyone and, despite the disparity in their forces' morale, delivered a crushing blow that killed Wei Xu in a single strike. This completely disoriented the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry, turning them into headless chickens.
Yan Liang's heroic display energized the Hebei forces, especially as he grew more ferocious with each battle. With Xian Deng proving equally formidable, the Hebei army fought with unparalleled fervor, as if they had been injected with pure adrenaline.
In the chaotic melee, Xian Deng warriors formed groups of three—crossbowmen, swordsmen, and spearmen with round shields. This combination allowed them to tear through the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry like a fish in water.
Among the three great cavalry forces of the late Han Dynasty, the White Horse Cavalry was known for its speed and unparalleled archery skills, while the Xiliang Cavalry excelled in power and charges. Positioned between Youzhou and Xiliang, the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry was a balanced force that combined speed, archery, power, and charge. They were known as versatile warriors, capable of both offense and defense, charging and shooting.
However, being versatile meant that the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry lacked the extraordinary speed of the White Horse Cavalry and the sheer destructive force of the Xiliang Cavalry. In trying to balance both aspects, they ended up excelling at neither.
Despite this, the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry was still more lethal against regular troops compared to the other two elite cavalry units. However, against the Xian Deng warriors, their archery couldn't match the range of infantry crossbows, their charges couldn't break through, and when surrounded, they couldn't fight their way out. When they tried to escape, Yan Liang blocked their path, leaving them trapped and ultimately wiped out.
The situation for the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry was dire. Unlike the White Horse Cavalry, which could always escape due to its speed, or the Xiliang Cavalry, which could fight its way out through sheer force, the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry was trapped with no way out.
"End the battle quickly. Yan Liang, take out Hao Meng!" Ju Yi ordered his messenger, instructing Yan Liang to finish off Hao Meng. Although the Hebei forces, along with Xian Deng, were fighting with high morale, completely annihilating the enemy wasn't easy.
"This is a real battle!" Yan Liang shouted as he swung his spear, piercing the chests of four Wolf Cavalry captains. Compared to being suppressed by Hua Xiong earlier, this kind of freewheeling slaughter was the type of battle Yan Liang relished.
"General, Ju Yi orders you to kill Hao Meng," a bodyguard squeezed his horse through the chaos and shouted.
"Good! Let me find the command flag!" Yan Liang swung his spear in a sweeping motion, clearing a path. His moves were becoming more fluid, and his attacks more powerful.
"All troops, follow me!" Yan Liang roared as he charged towards the enemy command flag with only a few dozen bodyguards in tow. By this point, the Hebei soldiers, bolstered by their momentum, had no fear, and Yan Liang's relentless charge had made him a symbol of invincibility in their eyes.
"Stop the enemy general!" Hao Meng shouted. Yan Liang had already killed Wei Xu with a single strike and crushed Hou Cheng with one blow, leaving Hao Meng terrified. If he hadn't been lured into this trap and now found himself unable to escape, Hao Meng would have fled long ago. His only hope now was for Gao Shun to arrive as a savior.
"Prepare to die!" Yan Liang shouted as he skewered several Wolf Cavalry soldiers with his spear. His few dozen bodyguards were unstoppable, and even the previously diminished morale of the Hebei forces suddenly surged as their energy intermingled with Yan Liang's.
As Yan Liang continued to cut down Hao Meng's men, the latter grew increasingly desperate. He knew that if the command flag fell, all would be lost, and his fate would be sealed. Realizing that survival meant taking a risk, Hao Meng thrust his spear at Yan Liang's waist in a desperate bid to turn the tide.